QS/buffets with allergies

[frecklamy]

I'm just wondering how people find quick service and buffet options for kids with allergies?

My daughter has dairy and cooked tomato allergies, and suspected to some tree nuts and eggs - awaiting testing. Not anaphylactic or life-threatening fortunately.

I'm also currently avoiding those foods as breastfeeding, but expect to have weaned by the time we visit so hopefully it'll just be her to worry about.

Anyway, I've seen you're able to email Disney dietary info for any ADRs, which is great. However, I would expect to do most of our meals quick service both for both budgetary and young-children-not-wanting-to-sit-still-for-long reasons!
Are full ingredient lists easy to come by in those locations or in advance, not just allergen menus (in the UK at least, I'm yet to come across one with tomatoes on it!)?

Am also looking into DVC rental so we can cook instead, but obviously there's costs and availability to be considered. (I imagine we could prep sandwiches, snacks and breakfast in any resort room, so the only real saving is a main meal?)) We don't really want to have to have to hire a car/stay offsite if we can avoid it.

My other thought was to request a microwave or go to a resort with microwaves available for guest use, which I've read can be done at some Disney hotels and food courts? So we could make some microwaveable meals/rice/pasta/soup for her while everyone else eats? Has anyone done this? Given her age/the fact she isn't expected to have or pay for her own meal, it doesn't seem too cheeky a plan?

 

[lanejudy]

You can ask for the allergy binders at quick service locations. Dairy, tree nuts and eggs are fairly common and should be covered there, I’m not sure about cooked tomato - that may be harder at QS.

At buffets you’ll need to ask for a chef to walk you through and let you know what is safe. They will then go back to the kitchen to get a plate of safe food to avoid contamination by other foods on the buffet.

Last I knew emailing in advance doesn’t help. They won’t provide ingredient lists in advance. But allergy-friendly menus are available online to check out ahead of time.

 

[SteveMouse]

To clarify: children under 3 are welcome to eat off the plate of one (or more) of the other members of the party. Often, but not necessarily always, at table service meals, the kitchen can provide small servings of things like unsauced pasta. rice, or vegetables, depending on what supplies are available and how busy they are.

 

[kiford]

I've had them bring out the binder at counter service locations, and it will list everything that's in the dish, including prepackaged items and their ingredients, although they won't guarantee those since they're relying on the supplier to accurately label.

But allergy-friendly menus are available online to check out ahead of time.

Yes, they hand out "allergy-friendly" menus which I find useless. I have allergies to seafood, spinach, kiwi and sunflower in all its forms. They won't, for example, have anything that has dairy in it on that menu, and I'm fine with eating dairy; it will have lots of gluten-free bread (which I find takes like sawdust), but then more than half of the menu seems devoted to seafood. I'm usually better off with the normal menu. What they will do, however, if you indicate allergies in the ADR in the allergy section, is make sure that your meal (at TS restaurants, not in quick service or counter service) is marked as allergy and may be cooked in a different part of the kitchen. So I will look at the allergy menu and the regular menu, choose what I want that isn't obviously containing allergens, and then when I order, I can at least ensure that they've been taken care of when cooking it.

At QS/CS, they may indicate when they can't be sure, so you just have to avoid those items. It helps if you check out the options at places you think you might go to so that it's easy to narrow down in advance what you know you can't have and what you'd like so you can have them checked more quickly.