Severe peanut allergy -- any restaurant recommendations?

[Bearland]

We are coming up on the 180 day mark until our first WDW trip since our now four year old daughter was diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy (we need to stay away from peanut products, as well as products that "may contain traces of peanuts." We are also to stay away from all tree nuts unless we can verify ourselves that their processing was always peanut-free.)

I am at a loss as to which restaurants are still safe, including some of our family's traditional ones, especially the buffets. But, she is also a fairly picky eater, so I want to go places that will still offer her choices.

For those dealing with a severe peanut allergy, which restaurants do you think offer the most options while still being safe?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. We did already email special diets and received the general food allergy pdf from them, but it doesn't really help in telling me which restaurants actively have peanuts and peanut butter in the kitchen for meals, desserts, and milkshakes or which restaurants are more able to accommodate her allergy.

Some our traditional meals that we are wondering about now are the following:
-- Ohana breakfast (Is it dangerous from any cold-pressed peanut oil for the dinner? Can she have any Mickey waffles, bread, or biscuits?)
-- Tusker House breakfast (Is there cold-pressed peanut oil or other peanut products? Can she have any Mickey waffles, bread, or biscuits?)
-- Hollywood and Vine breakfast (Can she have any Mickey waffles, pancakes, or biscuits? Are there any peanut products here to worry about?)
-- Crystal Palace Lunch or Dinner (Are there any peanut products here to worry about?)

Places new to us that we though might be more accommodating (from a non-buffet stand point):
-- Liberty Tree Tavern (Is it true that everything is safe from peanut contamination here, even the rolls?)
-- Garden Grill
-- Whispering Canyon Cafe
-- Coral Reef

 

[disfan07]

I have a severe peanut allergy. I can't eat anything made in the same facility or made on the same line as peanuts. I also had a severe allergic reaction this past thursday at thanksgiving and we think it is because there was accidental cross contamination from someones kitchen in something they made.

We stay away from Ohana. But that is on advice from my allergist. She took her daughter there when they went to WDW and she told me absolutely no way. But every person has there on comfort level and severity. At home, I avoid basically all restaurants where peanut products are present. We've had 2 bad incidents near where I live and we just dont risk it anymore. However, at Disney, it's a different story. they really know what they are doing with allergies.

The biggest thing is going to be snacks and desserts. A lot of the snacks have cross contamination warnings.

Ohana...have never been and we avoid...personal preference
Tusker house- never been
Hollywood and Vine--never been
Crystal Palace-- we went for lunch last year. They were wonderful. But if I remember correctly, there was nothing with peanuts on the buffet. I'm pretty sure all desserts except for the soft serve ice cream are off limits is cross contamination is a concern. But I may be wrong because I am also allergic to eggs so all those desserts are off limits for me anyway. The chef was wonderful. He offered to bring me anything I wanted before it went on the buffet. The salmon has an aoili sauce that is not safe for me and he brought me out a huge piece of salmon before they put the aioli on it. Soooo good.

Liberty Tree Tavern--from what I remember, I avoided most (if not all) rolls at TS at disney because they did not make them there and could not ensure me that they were not made in the same place as peanuts. However, again, eggs were also a concern for me so that probably impacted our decision as well.
Garden Grill--- never been
Whispering Canyon Cafe--as far as I remember, everything was fine. I just avoided desserts and the milkshakes again. We got the skillet and I remember eating everything except the coleslaw and cornbread (but again...egg allergy)
Coral Reef--never been. We avoid it because I am also allergic to shellfish and the only things that appeal to me are the shellfish menu items..lol.

Overall, we found every single place to be extremely accomodating. Both TS and CS. We were there for a week last december and it was our 2nd trip since my allergies were diagnosed (peanuts, eggs, and shellfish). I always had my epi pens but I neve even once needed a benedryl.

I'm no help with the breakfasts because we avoid all sit down and buffet breakfasts because of my egg allergy. We just don't think its worth it so I don't know if those are a problem from a peanut/tree nut standpoint.

 

[SueM in MN]

Only time for a very short reply.
We ave never been there for breakfast, but I would avoid Tusker House. Peanuts are fairly common in food from Africa. At lunch, they have a large, very messy bowl of peanut butter for kids to make sandwiches with. Every time I have seen it, there is peanut butter kind of all over that area as kids get it on their hands then touch other things.
I don't know for sure that they have it for breakfast, but assume they probably do.

 

[Bearland]

Thank you so much for all your input!

At home, we have been so careful in only trusting a very few restaurants where we know that no menu items at all contain peanuts. I have been told that Disney understands and respects food allergies a lot more than most "normal" restaurants. Still, it is hard for me to plan more than 180 days out when I am not sure which kitchens use peanut products for certain menu items and everything revolves around trusting the particular chef who talks to you at your table when you arrive. I am hoping that our 4-year-old daughter can still have choices of fish, chicken, pasta, vegetables, and even dessert. I dread making a reservation to find out that when we arrive we feel completely unsafe or that she is only given a choice of pizza or something that she is not in the mood for.

Are there any restaurants/table service (at the parks or resorts) not on my list that are particularly good as far as being safe for peanut allergies? What are your favorites?

Other than the "allergy-free" brands like Divvies and Enjoy Life, are there any other safe desserts or snacks that you have found that we should try to map out in advance? Are churros, funnel cakes, Dole Whip, frozen drinks (Icee-like drinks), and/or Mickey waffles safe from peanuts? Anything else you have found?

Thank you so very much!

 

[shinysparklybubbles]

We avoid Ohana. My son is sever peanut/treenut and I know I would not enjoy myself at Ohana because of worrying (I beileve there is peanut sauce at dinner?).

We have done Tusker house for lunch and there is bowl of peanut butter on the buffet. I have them bring my son's food from the back. There is a lot there he can't eat but he is 2 so he wouldn't eat most of it anyway. They even got my son yogurt that they use for breakfast because the dessert options are enjoy life cookies or nothing.

Garden Grill didn't impress me but when we went DS was also avoiding eggs so he couldn't eat really anything because of the egg issue.

Plaza Resturant had the nicest chef ever! Chef Ken rocked! He bent over backwards and we were all impressed. My son had ice cream with enjoy life cookies for dessert.

Crystal Palace was fine as well. The chef walked the line with me and we went over what was safe. The only safe dessert option was soft serve.

We ate at Coral Reef and my son had pizza and ice cream.

We also ate at Hollywood and Vine Twice (bfast and dinner). Mickey waffles are safe.

Pretty much all baked goods/desserts are off limits (including most bread/rolls expect like regular white sandwhich bread). Soft serve ice cream seems to always be safe and I think we always were able to get pre packaged safe cookies.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

have a grandson with a peanut allergy, watch all beard on table as most has peanut oil. had problems with this at all table serves we had that had beard on table. we gat this from chefs that came to table at each meal. this was true even with on the ressies.

 

[tinker-belle]

Hi. We recently found out our 3 year old has a severe peanut allergy too. Do you know if club cool is safe? How about a dole whip or mickey ice creams? We are going in January again (first time since his diagnosis). Thanks!

 

[SMorgan711]

Did you ever contact Special Diets?

I always email SpecialDiets@disneyworld.com but our trips!

They are so helpful!

 

[tinker-belle]

I did and they finally answered! But I'm not getting clear answers on dole whip or club cool. They said club cool is coca cola run by merchandise, so figured I'd ask people with experience with this.

 

[disfan07]

I did and they finally answered! But I'm not getting clear answers on dole whip or club cool. They said club cool is coca cola run by merchandise, so figured I'd ask people with experience with this.

club cool and dole whips should be fine. Club cool is just drinks as far as I remember. And dole whips are safe for me at Disneyland so i'm guessing they are the same at WDW.

 

[hildarumpole]

We've travelled to Disney 5x with peanut allergic kids and have had no problems.

Ohana: Had both breakfast and dinner. They don't use cold-pressed peanut oil, but we requested that anything with peanuts not be served to our table. The kids could not have the bread pudding, so were served ginormous bowls of vanilla ice cream. At breakfast, the Mickey waffles were safe, but not other bread items.

H&V: We did dinner. Chef was super-nice and helpful. No peanuts, but couldn't have breads or desserts, except soft-serve ice cream.

Crystal Palace: Breakfast was o.k. Chef was a bit of a ditz. All breads were off-limits.

LTT: The kids got fruit cups for dessert. Bread and desserts were not safe.

GG: Again, no bread, but they were able to eat the cobbler , which was delicious. The kid's dessert was a no-go.

WCC: Cornbread was safe. More fruit cups.

CR: We've dined here every trip. Chefs are always terrific. The bread has been safe, as well as the Chocolate Wave dessert (DD14's favorite).

The main dish of the kid's meals have all been safe, with the exception of the meatballs at Tony's Town Square. The chef made special allergy-safe meatballs for my daughter. The desserts are usually the problem. Some places (Tony's, Sci-Fi, Ohana) have safe vanilla ice cream. Most just offer yogurt or fruit cup for dessert.

The breads DO NOT contain peanut oil, but are usually made in facilities that process other products that may contain peanuts. Some peanut-allergic people feel comfortable eating the breads. We don't risk it.

My kids love Club Cool. None of the sodas contain any nut oils or extracts.

Dole Whips are safe. Most places don't offer peanut-safe desserts, so this is a nice treat for my kids.

Mickey Bars were safe on our last trip, but it's best to double-check when you get there.

As long as you make note of the allergy on your ADRs and talk to the chef before you order, you'll be fine.

Have a magical trip!

 

[Bearland]

That is really exciting to read about the Dole Whips, along with maybe a dessert being safe at GG and CR. I don't want to tell her before we go in case things have changed in the kitchens and they don't work out in the end, but I was so excited to read about the cobbler and chocolate wave. Thanks so much for sharing all of your restaurant experiences!

We are also going to celebrate our three daughters' summer birthdays a little early during our trip. Before the peanut allergy was discovered, I considered ordering a small, simple cake for the hotel room or a on-site restaurant. Now, I'm not so sure. I read that an "allergy-free" cake from Disney does exist, but that it is much more than just "peanut-free." Has anyone tried the "allergy-free" cake from Disney? Is it actually made by Disney? Does it still look and taste good enough to justify the price? Otherwise, I may try to mail order a peanut-free dessert from Smileycookie (big cookie) or Divvies (cupcakes) to be mailed to the hotel. Are there any other peanut-free options for celebration desserts from Disney itself or locally in the Orlando area?

 

[disfan07]

That is really exciting to read about the Dole Whips, along with maybe a dessert being safe at GG and CR. I don't want to tell her before we go in case things have changed in the kitchens and they don't work out in the end, but I was so excited to read about the cobbler and chocolate wave. Thanks so much for sharing all of your restaurant experiences!

We are also going to celebrate our three daughters' summer birthdays a little early during our trip. Before the peanut allergy was discovered, I considered ordering a small, simple cake for the hotel room or a on-site restaurant. Now, I'm not so sure. I read that an "allergy-free" cake from Disney does exist, but that it is much more than just "peanut-free." Has anyone tried the "allergy-free" cake from Disney? Is it actually made by Disney? Does it still look and taste good enough to justify the price? Otherwise, I may try to mail order a peanut-free dessert from Smileycookie (big cookie) or Divvies (cupcakes) to be mailed to the hotel. Are there any other peanut-free options for celebration desserts from Disney itself or locally in the Orlando area?

You might want to consider babycakesNYC in DTD. However, be aware, that they are vegan and gluten-free also though. BUT the stuff is wonderful IMO! I am allergic to peanuts and eggs so Babycakes is one of the only places I can get treats. We now have one here in LA and it is a good thing it is far away from where i live and go to the doctors or else I'd be broke

We've never done the allergy free cakes form Disney.

 

[Bearland]

You might want to consider babycakesNYC in DTD. However, be aware, that they are vegan and gluten-free also though. BUT the stuff is wonderful IMO! I am allergic to peanuts and eggs so Babycakes is one of the only places I can get treats. We now have one here in LA and it is a good thing it is far away from where i live and go to the doctors or else I'd be broke

The sound yummy...maybe I am just looking at the wrong place on their website, but when I tried to look up BabyCakes in Downtown Disney, I couldn't find anything on the menu described as "peanut-free." Like, the vanilla cupcake was described as "Vanilla (gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, agave-sweetened)." Am I not looking in the right place on the website or does someone know if their products at Downtown Disney are not (or no longer) considered safe for peanut allergies?

 

[disfan07]

The sound yummy...maybe I am just looking at the wrong place on their website, but when I tried to look up BabyCakes in Downtown Disney, I couldn't find anything on the menu described as "peanut-free." Like, the vanilla cupcake was described as "Vanilla (gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, agave-sweetened)." Am I not looking in the right place on the website or does someone know if their products at Downtown Disney are not (or no longer) considered safe for peanut allergies?

The products at their DTD location ar ethe same products as their NYC and LA locations. If you go one their website, under allergy information, they talk about nuts. They do use coconut oil so they are not completely "nut free" but they use no peanuts anywhere.

I copied this from their website:
We do not bake with nuts* or soy; however, all of our gluten free flours are processed on equipment that packages hazelnut, almond flours and soy. They power wash the machinery and discard the initial 30 pounds of flour between runs.

* NOTE: It has recently been called to our attention that the FDA now categorizes coconut as a treenut. For this reason, BabyCakes NYC cannot claim to bake without treenuts as coconut oil is an essential part of our products. This is the only nut with which we bake.

So if it's only penauts that are a concern, I think you should be fine. I have to avoid eveyrhing made in the same facility or on the same line as peanuts but I have had babycakes many times and my allergist has said there's no problem with it.

I have to say, my favorite things from babycakes are the donuts and cookies. They have cookie sandwiches with frosting in the middle....SO GOOD!!! The only cupcake that I have not liked was the red velvet. I found it much drier than the other cupcakes. The brownies are really good too.

 

[laughinplace199]

We are coming up on the 180 day mark until our first WDW trip since our now four year old daughter was diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy (we need to stay away from peanut products, as well as products that "may contain traces of peanuts." We are also to stay away from all tree nuts unless we can verify ourselves that their processing was always peanut-free.)

I am at a loss as to which restaurants are still safe, including some of our family's traditional ones, especially the buffets. But, she is also a fairly picky eater, so I want to go places that will still offer her choices.

For those dealing with a severe peanut allergy, which restaurants do you think offer the most options while still being safe?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. We did already email special diets and received the general food allergy pdf from them, but it doesn't really help in telling me which restaurants actively have peanuts and peanut butter in the kitchen for meals, desserts, and milkshakes or which restaurants are more able to accommodate her allergy.

Some our traditional meals that we are wondering about now are the following:
-- Ohana breakfast (Is it dangerous from any cold-pressed peanut oil for the dinner? Can she have any Mickey waffles, bread, or biscuits?) Never been there
-- Tusker House breakfast (Is there cold-pressed peanut oil or other peanut products? Can she have any Mickey waffles, bread, or biscuits?)Just ate there on Mon with DD12, who is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. It was wonderful. The Mickey waffles were safe, but most of the baked goods are not. However, they have Krispy kreme doughnuts, which are safe! DD also had eggs, bacon, tater tots, and fruit.
-- Hollywood and Vine breakfast (Can she have any Mickey waffles, pancakes, or biscuits? Are there any peanut products here to worry about?) Never been there.
-- Crystal Palace Lunch or Dinner (Are there any peanut products here to worry about?)We usually have breakfast here, although we have done dinner there in the past. The chef will come out and walk the buffet with you to let you know what is safe and what to avoid. When we were there for dinner, the chef made DD some dinner rolls and brought them to the table because the ones on the buffet could have been cross contaminated.

Places new to us that we though might be more accommodating (from a non-buffet stand point):
-- Liberty Tree Tavern (Is it true that everything is safe from peanut contamination here, even the rolls?)We just ate lunch there on Sunday. There are only 2 items on the menu with nuts (a salad and a dessert). DD was even able to have the chocolate cake for dessert, which was a treat as desserts are often not an option.
-- Garden Grill Never been there.
-- Whispering Canyon CafeWe've eaten there several times with no problems.
-- Coral Reef

Never been there.

OP, the Disney-owned restaurants are really wonderful when it comes to food allergies. As long as it's noted on your ADR and you speak to a chef before ordering, you will be fine. You can check allears.net to see the menus and see which places have a lot of items with peanuts, but I really wouldn't worry about that. The Disney chefs are excellent when it comes to food allergies.

We've also done the Wishes Dessert Party twice with DD and it has been great both times. Since it's a buffet and desserts are often off limits due to cross-contamination, they bring out a huge plate of safe dessert items for the allergic person. DD had so much food, she couldn't get close to finishing it!

We do tend to stay away from non-Disney-owned restaurants. Many of the TS places in World Showcase in Epcot are not owned by Disney. Also, many of the Downtown Disney restaurants are not owned by Disney.

 

[Selket]

Do NOT go to Raglan Road in DtD - they served my peanut/tree nut allergic son almonds when we were there this summer. Fortunately he did not react - we had him retested for almonds after and he still reacts strongly (skin prick test) to almond so we were just lucky. They are idiots there.

My younger son has had this allergy since he was 2 yrs old - and is almost 10 now. I've eaten all the places you mention with him except Coral Reef and Tusker House. I've personally disliked the Mexico sit-down place - would not go back.

Our favorites are Crystal Palace, Biergarten, Teppan Edo, Mamma Melrose. T-Rex has always been fabulous - as good as the best Disney place - the chefs have been wonderful with the allergies - this is Downtown Disney. I have also had a great experience at that fast service place in The Land at Epcot (Sunshine Seasons cafe? - really big place downstairs). They have Divvies.

If you can find Chef TJ at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian (he was there in July) he is the one of the very best chefs ever and will make your child feel super special.

Just don't go to Raglan Road - if you want to walk over there and stick your tongue out at them for me and tell them you'd LOVE to eat there but have heard horrible things about their handling of nut allergies though I'd be grateful.

 

[SueM in MN]

club cool and dole whips should be fine. Club cool is just drinks as far as I remember. And dole whips are safe for me at Disneyland so i'm guessing they are the same at WDW.

You are correct that Club Cool is only drinks - they are all Coke products from around the world.

Besides allearsnet.com, the DIS site also has menu information. There are links to both of those in post 3 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread. You can find that thread near the top of this board or follow the link in my signature. Scroll down in post 3 to the alphabetized list of conditions and concerns and look for diet information.

Babycakes is great. My niece is gluten free and thought their desserts were excellent. As another person posted, Babycakes is peanut free, but can't say they are treenut free because of using coconut.

Most of the table service restaurants in WS in Epcot a owned and operated by companies other than Disney, so will vary in how well they deal with allergies.

 

[tinker-belle]

Hiya. I know club cool is just drinks, I just don't necessarily trust all drinks to be safe anymore. A few weeks ago there was an orange juice that wasn't safe because they were using peanut extracts in it, since I heard that, I question everything- even drinks.

 

[SueM in MN]

Hiya. I know club cool is just drinks, I just don't necessarily trust all drinks to be safe anymore. A few weeks ago there was an orange juice that wasn't safe because they were using peanut extracts in it, since I heard that, I question everything- even drinks.

I didn't mean to say they were safe, just that there is no food there to be concerned about. And since all are Coke products, it should be possible to get information about the drinks directly from Coke. It's not like they are using an unknown or unidentified brand.
So, hopefully, you will be able to get information.