Question for Diabetics

[MrsJ Henry]

DH is diabetic. This is new to us so i thought I would ask some questions about Disney dining when someone is diabetic.
His sugars need to remain in the low 100's when he wakes up so he eats mostly carb free.
So for other diabetics... or people doing low carb... where are some good places to eat.
(We are taking a short trip this dec and then a longer trip next year.
This year we will be at MK mostly and probably staying at AKL.)

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I would suggest going over to the disABILITIES Forum. Much better chance of getting a good answer there.

 

[stacy6552]

I'm sure you could spot some of them by name...Yachtsman Steakhouse for example.

Whispering Canyon is good...good BBQ. Cape May Cafe has a great seafood buffet. Most of the buffets are easy to choose from, but we like Crystal Palace best.

 

[tinkerbell_29]

I've been a diabetic for @ 20 years now and have been going to Disney on a regular basis. I also have to do a very low carb diet and have found the best bets are buffets that way I can see what I'm chosing. Also let them know when you make your ADR's and they can make low carb or no carb dishes. Disney does a lot of great things but knowing the carb count on items is not one of them. My favorite places to eat that have the most options for me are Chef Mickey's and Park Fare. Garden grill is a good second choice in the land pavilion. Hope you have a great time.

Lissa

 

[fey_spirit]

Just a heads up that just about any TS resteraunt that you want to eat at will work with you if you call ahead of time. Which means that if you have a specific place you want to eat, but were avoiding because of your DH's diabetes - all you have to do is call ahead and work something out with the staff. (That's what I did last year with my partner and it worked beautifully.

 

[disney6family]

Just a heads up that just about any TS resteraunt that you want to eat at will work with you if you call ahead of time. Which means that if you have a specific place you want to eat, but were avoiding because of your DH's diabetes - all you have to do is call ahead and work something out with the staff. (That's what I did last year with my partner and it worked beautifully.

This is good advice and also I have never had a problem at CS rest. There are lots of choices now with wraps/ salads and even the burgers with half the bun or none at all work well. I always have popcorn as a snack and the fruit juice bars are great on a hot day. I personally have never had a problem keeping my fasting levels under 120 at WDW just because of the amount of walking I do there. It ofsets any treats I may have or extra carbs. But then, our pedometers never register less than 5 miles and frequently are up to 10 every day we are there so that is a big help!

 

[Cool-Beans]

Disney is really good about working with you dietary-wise. You ought to be able to get something just about anywhere. They like 24 hours notice, but you could probably get them to work something out for you when you show up. I'd check out the menus before you go to help: http://allearsnet.com/menu/menus.htm

Remember that walking all day (if you don't normally do it) and being out in the heat can greatly affect glucose levels, so check them often.

If you are carrying your insulin to the parks and want to keep it cool, don't go too overboard with the ice packs or the stuff will get funky/freeze.

 

[pumba]

hello .....I am a diabetic too .....the amount of carbs I consumed were not enough for me when I was in Disney last year and this past April.....I walked off the carbs to fast. You may have to do more bs tests.......I was in the low 60s one time and I thought i was going down. If you have a diabetic educator ....email them or ask them what you should do for carbs or for testing. I increased my carb choices and did alot better. We are going again in five weeks....so will let you know...
I enjoy going to the buffets more .....and I can pick out what I think I need to keep going.....Crystal Palace has the best salmon and prime rib ......delicious....

 

[MrsJ Henry]

Thank you
I hadn't thought about the fact that he would be walking more and that would effect it. (We are new to all of this)
I like hearing from others who are also diabetic and what works and doesn't work for them when going to disney.
He was also saying that he thought the buffetts would be the best idea.
Alwasy nice to come here and get some friendly and helpful advise.

 

[emma'smom]

We took my mother last year, who has Type II diabetes, and she had a blast! We noted her diabetes on every ADR and then I mentioned it to the waitress/waiter at the beginning of each meal. The chef personally came out each time (except for Chef Mickey's) to ask more specific information about the kind of limitations she had and then advised her about what to avoid. My mom eats no refined sugar and very few carbs (only whole grains). Anyway, she was served amazing desserts at each meal....with very few repeats.

The best experience was at BOMA. The Chef gave her a personal tour and when she asked about a coconut seafood soup, he offered to make her a new batch with Splenda because it had sugar in it. She said "Oh , don't worry about it". He insisted and about 10 minutes later a huge bowl heaping with seafood and broth was brought to the table. She loves seafood and was in her glory. He also offered to prepare steak for her with a different rub since the one of the menu had brown sugar in it. She didn't have room......with all of the seafood. At the end of the meal, out came an absolutely beautiful piece of SF cheesecake drizzled with a SF pineapple sauce and garnished withe pineapple slices. It really was beautiful.....

At every restaurant, the desserts were fabulous...and she really enjoyed it because usually she just watches everyone else eat dessert or settles for the inevitable bowl of sugar free jello or vanilla ice cream. Here are some of the things she was served:

Askerhaus- chocolate mousse
Boma- cheesecake with pineapple
Cape May Cafe- more cheesecake
Chef Mickeys- sf brownies (not very exciting)
Mama Melrose- lemon creme
Biergarten- carrot cake (I think...)

Also, there was a SF brownie in many bakeries that my mom just loved. I went back to buy her extras with our snack credits at the end. It was just nice that for once, her diabetes meant special attention, not a hindrance.

 

[Cool-Beans]

Thank you
I hadn't thought about the fact that he would be walking more and that would effect it. (We are new to all of this)
I like hearing from others who are also diabetic and what works and doesn't work for them when going to disney.
He was also saying that he thought the buffetts would be the best idea.
Alwasy nice to come here and get some friendly and helpful advise.

Since you are new to all this, why not give your doctor a call? He'll be very familiar with your DH's background, as well as the effects of heat/walking, etc. and will be able to give you some good pointers.

That's my advice, anyway.

 

[disneykidz4]

Not a diabetic, but my mom is (has been since she was 11, she's now 63) . . . when we went to Disneyland, CA with my mom, she really enjoyed the selections at Goofy's Kitchen (buffet breakfast), which is very similar to "Chef Mickey's" at the Contemporary(WDW) or the "Crystal Palace" in the Magic Kingdom (WDW). I think you really can't go wrong with a buffet, that way if your husband needs to up his carb intake or eat a more balanced meal he can pick and choose from a larger variety. Also, I have read on other threads that Ohana's breakfasts and dinners are really good -- breakfasts are traditional style food with some Hawaiian breads (thus, the Lilo and Stitch character breakfast) and awesome juice, while dinner choices (no characters) include a wide variety of protein (aka meat!) that is served skewered at your table (both are all you can eat, served family style). . . hope this helps!

 

[Laura]

To diabetics who carry insulin, we use this to keep DH's cool: http://www.frious.com/

All you need is cold water to soak it.

 

[pumba]

I also forgot that the diabetic clinic I went to said...."remember that alot of the sugar free items have more carbs than our regular diet would allow". But that is for home eating and not walking off Disney eating...

 

[2BusyPlanning]

the amount of carbs I consumed were not enough for me when I was in Disney last year and this past April.....I walked off the carbs to fast. You may have to do more bs tests.......I was in the low 60s one time and I thought i was going down.

Proteins are best in this situation. Dairy and peanut butter will keep your numbers higher for a longer period of time. Maybe some peanut butter or cheese crackers in you back pack will help in between meals.

 

[Chloesmom]

I also forgot that the diabetic clinic I went to said...."remember that alot of the sugar free items have more carbs than our regular diet would allow". But that is for home eating and not walking off Disney eating...

Sugar free simply means that no refined sugar was added but that things like concentrated fruit juices or artificial sweeteners could have been added instead. We have found that eating a regular dessert item is better than doing SF. The artificial stuff oftens causes trouble to her tummy. We often split an item that way she gets a treat but its lower in carbs for her.
My biggest advice to any type of diabetic is to test often. We do every hour because the heat and walking just kills Chloe. Chloes is one of those lucky (not) diabetics that gets super high sugar when she gets excited so we correct that high only to have the heat bring her super low. Its so much fun! testing alot helps prevent this. We also always have a quick carb on us because you never know when you will need it. She dropped to 38 on evening while waiting to eat dinner and we had just given her a snack too. I had nothing on me ( she had JUST eaten) so I had to do this run thru DTD to get her a coke. I was so scared but it taught me a good lesson. ALWAYS have carbs on you. We also aim for her norm to be a tad higher in disney. This prevents the super lows some.

Oh.. and drink lots of water. Water is great for helping regulate blood sugar. Dehydration often affects blood sugar and we have found that giving Chloe a glass of water is sometimes all she needs.