Restricted diet available at DL???? Updated 10/21

[grumpy's fan]

We just found out my daughter is allergic to wheat and dairy....is there anywhere I can find info about restricted diets for the park? Are there any restaurants there that provide special meals? Or should I just plan on visiting a local grocery store and bringing in our own food?

Update: called Disney dining this morning on advice from bumbershoot. Advised the CM of the allergy situation and she advised me to leave a message for the Chef and he would contact me this week to discuss my concerns. She then connected me to a "confidential" voicemail for Chef Bill Orton (sp?). I will update again when he contacts me.

10/21 Update: Got a return email from Chef Chris:


Just got off the phone with City Hall and the lists are still available.

When you come into Disneyland go to City Hall and ask them for the Gluten / Celiac list we have available.
We also have a list for Disney' California Adventure and our three hotels.

On the list you will find items like gluten free hamburger buns, hot dog buns, pizza, Mexican food and lots more.

Our gluten free hamburger buns ,pizza and hot dog buns are the Ener-g brand

We do not email out the list because it can change.

If you still have any question please call 714-781-4650

Have a great stay.

Chef Chris

Also got a PM from another Diser who said that someone they know just went in 9/08 and did in fact get a list from City Hall. They also asked to speak with the chef at each dining location to request the GF foods.

 

[bumbershoot]

Unfortunately, I'm not sure we know right now. Just a couple months ago there was a chef that you could contact to talk about that sort of thing. But recently a Dis'er called and was told that they had eliminated his position, and he was not contactable.

Someone else went to get a list of foods like that at City Hall, and they were told that wasn't something that was available.

So I don't know what to tell you! I think it's awful; being able to talk to Chef Chris was helpful.

But please PLEASE call Disney Dining and ask the question; ask what resources there are, if there's any way to plan or if it all has to be done at the restaurant, etc. And report back, b/c there are plenty of people on restricted diets either due to allergies or choices!

 

[grumpy's fan]

Thanks for the suggestion - I did call and will update when they call me back.

 

[Disney Dreams]

They will work with you. I have had to have a very specific meal prepared at the Blue Bayou once and the head Chef discussed everything with me, took note of my ressie and my meal was served seamlessly along with those I was dining with - no one but the server knew a thing.

- Dreams

 

[bumbershoot]

Well isn't that interesting! Just a few weeks ago a Dis'er was told there was no one to talk to, no one to discuss things with! And lookie here, now they have someone again.

Yay!

 

[disneyfan4ever54]

Here is an article that mentions Chef Bill Orton. It says that he is the head chef for all of the restaurants that are at the DLR hotels. The article is a few years old, so I'm not sure how accurate things are now, but it mentions that there are diferent head chefs for the park restaurants, the hotel restaurants, etc. (Mainly 3 it seems). So, I'm wondering if he has possibly been moved into Chef Chris's position??? When I called Disneyland Dining last week to make PS for Storyteller's Cafe I was given a name of the head chef for all the hotel restaruants, and it wasn't Chef Orton's name......It was a female chef ....I believe Crista was her first name. I haven't called yet but if I can find the number, I will. The person at Dining that I spoke to, however, didn't seem to really know a lot, so I'm not sure how accurate this info. was.
Here's the article:
http://www.kintera.org/site/pp.asp?c=ewK0LjP7E&b=88697

 

[grumpy's fan]

Thanks disneyfanforever54! Great article and I did email Chef Chris asking if there is still a list available. I will be sure to update my original post whenever I get any information as I know there are others out there with similary allergy issues.

 

[Capt.Bane]

Last week, Jade and I went to check on the list at City Hall. The CM told us that you would have to talk to the individual restaurants...Unless they've changed it? Which is very possible at Disney. One week they've elimanted the position the next they've reinstated it...

 

[disneyfan4ever54]

Thanks disneyfanforever54! Great article and I did email Chef Chris asking if there is still a list available. I will be sure to update my original post whenever I get any information as I know there are others out there with similary allergy issues.

You're welcome! The restaurants that are mentioned in the article have been helpful to others with diet restrictions, so hopefully you will have some luck at those places. It will be interesting to see if you get a response back from Chef Chris. He was the chef that Bumbershoot mentioned earlier in this thread. She had a wonderful conversation with him and he was quite helpful, but when another Dis'er tried to phone him, she was told that he was longer in that position (his postion didn't exist any longer) and he couldn't be contacted (as Bumbershoot also mentioned They said that there was no longer any liason to speak to regarding special diets and that we would just have to check with each chef at the restaurants. But then you were given the name of Chef Orton, who I know at least used to be in charge of the hotel restaurants, so who knows at this point. It seems that eveybody who calls Dining gets a different response, so I am really interested in whether or not you get a response from Chef Chris. Please keep us posted. Will you have a car at DLR? If not, you can have groceries delivered to your hotel by either Albertson's or Von's (Safeway) and that might help somewhat. My DS and I are both on very restricted diets, so we have food delivered and it helps out alot. We only eat at a few places in DL or DCA that we know are "safe" for us. I hope everything works out for you and your family.

 

[Alex2kMommy]

There is also a head chef for Disneyland, and a head chef for California Adventure. Just as with the head chef over the hotels, these chefs can help you with dining choices in the parks.

My DH is on a very lowfat diet due to heart problems. I called and spoke with one of the chefs about what foods in the park he could eat. The chef also pointed out that I could ask to speak with a particular restaurant's chef to discuss preparation and ingredients, ask for alternate preparations, or even items that are not on the menu. If we could give them a few days' notice, they would also make sure to have special ingredients on hand. I was impressed!

DH wound up eating a fairly normal diet while in DL, just eating as little fat as possible off the regular menu. But it was nice to know we had other options available to us.

 

[grumpy's fan]

You're welcome! The restaurants that are mentioned in the article have been helpful to others with diet restrictions, so hopefully you will have some luck at those places. It will be interesting to see if you get a response back from Chef Chris. He was the chef that Bumbershoot mentioned earlier in this thread. She had a wonderful conversation with him and he was quite helpful, but when another Dis'er tried to phone him, she was told that he was longer in that position (his postion didn't exist any longer) and he couldn't be contacted (as Bumbershoot also mentioned They said that there was no longer any liason to speak to regarding special diets and that we would just have to check with each chef at the restaurants. But then you were given the name of Chef Orton, who I know at least used to be in charge of the hotel restaurants, so who knows at this point. It seems that eveybody who calls Dining gets a different response, so I am really interested in whether or not you get a response from Chef Chris. Please keep us posted. Will you have a car at DLR? If not, you can have groceries delivered to your hotel by either Albertson's or Von's (Safeway) and that might help somewhat. My DS and I are both on very restricted diets, so we have food delivered and it helps out alot. We only eat at a few places in DL or DCA that we know are "safe" for us. I hope everything works out for you and your family.

My friend lives in Laguna Niguel and always picks us up and shuttles us around while we visit (she also comes the park with us!!) so I can easily visit a grocery store on the way to HoJo's our first day there. We just found out about her allergy so we are still adapting. We go to DL quite a bit and usually just eat whatever catches our fancy when we are hungry so this time there will be a bit more planning. I know that a few places offer rice noodles and sauce as well as chicken and rice so at least she can eat at those locations. I'm sure I'll be bringing in some snack items as that will be the hardest to come by. She is also supposed to avoid dairy so our usual ice cream snack needs to be replaced. Bless her heart, she is trying really hard to eat right and, even though she misses some of her favorite foods, is having a good attitude about it all.

Thanks so much for the info everyone. I will re post when (and if) DL ever contacts me.

 

[todzwife]

My DD has celiac so we have a common problem. I have called Disney and was told just to ask for the "head chef" at each restaurant. We don't plan to do sit down meals (my family is a eat and run type LOL!) So I'm hoping to find some suitable alternatives.

Good luck and please let me know if you find anything..

 

[grumpy's fan]

Updated OP with email from Chef Chris.

Also, I am going near end of November so if someone wants me to pick up an extra list for them just PM me and I'll be happy to get you one.

 

[bumbershoot]

Very cool!

I wonder why Disney Dining was giving out that awful information????

 

[grumpy's fan]

I don't know. Plus City Hall has *also* been telling people there is not a list. I don't know if the CM's are not very interested in helping or if they are simply uniformed. But it was nice to get a quick response from Chef Chris (only took 2 days) and to hear that in fact there is a list on hand, today, at City Hall.

My DD will be happy to hear that she can have pizza after all - she loves the pizza in Tomorrowland.

 

[todzwife]

Wow thank you. I'm very disappointed that I've been getting so much misinformation.

Thank you again.

 

[DangerMouse]

So, can you provide the email for Chris? Is it Chris Orton? Or Bill Orton? I'm so confused. I have two friends with severe allergy issues. One is tree nuts (just last week she had to take an ambulance from DLR to the ER because a child was eating mixed nuts in the First Aid station!!), and the other is dairy, wheat, soy, nuts, and a handfull of other things. It would be helpful for me to pass on information of a contact at DLR for them.

Thanks!

 

[disneyfan4ever54]

So, can you provide the email for Chris? Is it Chris Orton? Or Bill Orton? I'm so confused. I have two friends with severe allergy issues. One is tree nuts (just last week she had to take an ambulance from DLR to the ER because a child was eating mixed nuts in the First Aid station!!), and the other is dairy, wheat, soy, nuts, and a handfull of other things. It would be helpful for me to pass on information of a contact at DLR for them.

Thanks!

The phone numbers and e-mail addys are in the link in my first post on the first page. There are different chefs in charge of each place, i.e. for DL restaurants and DLR hotel ones. If the article (in the link) is still correct, then it seems that Chef Bill Orton would be the one to contact regarding the hotel restaurants, and Chef Chris (Justesen) for DL Park ones. It's very frustrating that Dining and City Hall have been giving out such different and incorrect info. to everyone.

 

[bumbershoot]

So, can you provide the email for Chris? Is it Chris Orton? Or Bill Orton? I'm so confused. I have two friends with severe allergy issues. One is tree nuts (just last week she had to take an ambulance from DLR to the ER because a child was eating mixed nuts in the First Aid station!!), and the other is dairy, wheat, soy, nuts, and a handfull of other things. It would be helpful for me to pass on information of a contact at DLR for them.

Thanks!

Chef Chris isn't Chef Orton. He's just Chef Chris. There is info for him on the site mentioned earlier: http://www.kintera.org/site/pp.asp?c=ewK0LjP7E&b=88697

When I tried the number given on there, though, a few months ago (during the "omg is there chicken stock in the "vegetarian" soups" freak-out of mine), that number for him never went through. Actually, the number the Disney Dining people put me through to never stopped ringing, either.

I actually got to Chef Chris when I tried the number given there for Chef Toby I believe, and the number wasn't in use anymore. I got someone else entirely, and a very nice someone else indeed (he had one of those lovely voices, LOL). He was very kind and helped me get to the main disney switchboard, if memory serves, and THEY got me through to Chef Chris's voicemail.


I have about 8 billion partially used notebooks in the apartment (OK, I exaggerate...but 20 notebooks feels like 8 billion) and if I can find the one where I took the notes with Chris, I'll try to get a number to you. I can't promise anything though, b/c things hide from me.

 

[disneyfan4ever54]

Chef Chris isn't Chef Orton. He's just Chef Chris. There is info for him on the site mentioned earlier: http://www.kintera.org/site/pp.asp?c=ewK0LjP7E&b=88697

When I tried the number given on there, though, a few months ago (during the "omg is there chicken stock in the "vegetarian" soups" freak-out of mine), that number for him never went through. Actually, the number the Disney Dining people put me through to never stopped ringing, either.

I actually got to Chef Chris when I tried the number given there for Chef Toby I believe, and the number wasn't in use anymore. I got someone else entirely, and a very nice someone else indeed (he had one of those lovely voices, LOL). He was very kind and helped me get to the main disney switchboard, if memory serves, and THEY got me through to Chef Chris's voicemail.


I have about 8 billion partially used notebooks in the apartment (OK, I exaggerate...but 20 notebooks feels like 8 billion) and if I can find the one where I took the notes with Chris, I'll try to get a number to you. I can't promise anything though, b/c things hide from me.

Oh.....Now I remember that you said those numbers on the article were wrong. Oh well, at least the mention of Chef Chris put the OP back on his track and now we all have the info. that we needed...Yipee!. Let us know if you find the correct phone number.