Shrimp allergy...help please!

[bangzoom6877]

Just found out 2 days ago that my 5-year-old son has a shrimp allergy. On Sunday we were at a Japanese buffet restaurant that we go to pretty often, however this time my son asked to try sushi for the first time. Normally he gets chicken and beef teriyaki with rice from the buffet. I allowed him to try the plain shrimp sushi since the shrimp is cooked. He loved it and asked for more, so I let him have a few more pieces. He ate the shrimp with his hand. Then he had some dessert, the usual items he gets (orange slices, small brownie and a little ice cream). Before we knew it, his eyes swelled up, the whites of his eyes were very red and he complained his eyes were itchy. I took him into the bathroom to wash his hands and face. He also had bumps around his eyes (in both upper and lower lids)...it appeared to be hives. His cheeks got all read as well and he had a hive on his right wrist. DH and I suspected this was an allergy to the shrimp.

My instincts told me to take him to an allergist, so that's what I did. We went on Wednesday. Sure enough, they tested him and he is allergic to shrimp. The allergist gave me a prescription for a 2-pack of Epi-pen Junior, and showed me how to use it. He said to avoid Chinese and Japanese restaurants for the time being, since he wants to also test him for other shellfish as well as non-shellfish. We go back next week for the non-shellfish testing, then the following week we will go back for testing for clams, crab and lobster.

Our upcoming Disney World trip is in July. I am wondering if we need to change any of our ADRs. I also know that there is an allergist at WDW. Can anyone give me the phone number to the allergist? It was suggested that I call her when I asked about this on the Restaurants board. We have ADRs at the following restaurants:

1. Chef Mickey's at Contemporary Resort (dinner)
2. Hollywood & Vine at DHS (breakfast)
3. Whispering Canyon Cafe at Wilderness Lodge (dinner)
4. Cinderella's Royal Table at MK (dinner)
5. Akershus in Norway at Epcot (lunch)
6. 1900 Park Fare at Grand Floridian (breakfast)
7. Cape May Cafe at Beach Club (dinner)
8. Captain's Grille at Yacht Club (dinner)
9. Le Cellier in Canada at Epcot (dinner)
10. Kona Cafe at Polynesian resort (dinner)
11. Crystal Palace at MK (dinner)
12. Les Chefs de France in France at Epcot (dinner)
13. Cape May Cafe at Beach Club (breakfast)

The one that worries me the most is Cape May Cafe since they serve a few different types of shellfish and it is a buffet so there is more risk of cross-contamination (i.e., someone innocently uses a same serving spoon for shrimp, then uses the same one for a pasta dish right near the shrimp).

Thank goodness his reaction was not anaphylaxis. But I know that food allergies can get worse and the type of reaction is unpredictable from one time to the next. Therefore the idea is to avoid a reaction altogether.

I would appreciate any advice from anyone else who has dealt with food allergies at WDW. Thank you so much in advance, and sorry this post is so long!

 

[babyrich]

When you go to check in for your ADRs inform the hostess about your son's allergy. In most cases the chef will come out and speak to you and make suggestions for him him to eat. If it is a buffet, they will tell you what to avoid.

Disney is extremely accomodating to people with food allergies.

 

[tiredsigh]

I have a severe shellfish, fish, and tree nut allergy. WDW is my favorite vacation spot because I can eat in safety. A little preplanning will make everything perfect for your entire family.

I'll talk about the ones I have done.

1. Chef Mickey's at Contemporary Resort (dinner) Had great chefs each time. They even brought me some food from the kitchen just to avoid cross contamination.

4. Cinderella's Royal Table at MK (dinner) Did breakfast but everything was handled well

7. Cape May Cafe at Beach Club (dinner) *I* would avoid that particular one. We did the breakfast just fine but seafood is the main attraction at dinner for my comfort level.

11. Crystal Palace at MK (dinner) Chefs there were great with me!

13. Cape May Cafe at Beach Club (breakfast) See my comments about the dinner


My rule of thumb is that if 50% or more of the food served is seafood I don't usually eat there. The chances of cross contamination are too great. If DH eats seafood, he washes his face with an alcohol based face wipe (He borrows my makeup remover wipes -ponds, biore, neutrogena, etc.) and brushes his teeth AND washes his hands. You may also want to bring some lysol wipes to wipe down the table if you are going to go to the Cape May Clam Bake.

I'm one of those who sees the inside of an ER about 2 times a year from my food allergies so I get to be a little cautious.

There are also some great online resources to help. Food Allergy Network helps.

 

[bangzoom6877]

I have a severe shellfish, fish, and tree nut allergy. WDW is my favorite vacation spot because I can eat in safety. A little preplanning will make everything perfect for your entire family.

I'll talk about the ones I have done.

1. Chef Mickey's at Contemporary Resort (dinner) Had great chefs each time. They even brought me some food from the kitchen just to avoid cross contamination.

4. Cinderella's Royal Table at MK (dinner) Did breakfast but everything was handled well

7. Cape May Cafe at Beach Club (dinner) *I* would avoid that particular one. We did the breakfast just fine but seafood is the main attraction at dinner for my comfort level.

11. Crystal Palace at MK (dinner) Chefs there were great with me!

13. Cape May Cafe at Beach Club (breakfast) See my comments about the dinner


My rule of thumb is that if 50% or more of the food served is seafood I don't usually eat there. The chances of cross contamination are too great. If DH eats seafood, he washes his face with an alcohol based face wipe (He borrows my makeup remover wipes -ponds, biore, neutrogena, etc.) and brushes his teeth AND washes his hands. You may also want to bring some lysol wipes to wipe down the table if you are going to go to the Cape May Clam Bake.

I'm one of those who sees the inside of an ER about 2 times a year from my food allergies so I get to be a little cautious.

There are also some great online resources to help. Food Allergy Network helps.

Thank you so much! This info really helps a lot! I have thought about changing the Cape May dinner to something else, but I am going to check with the allergist. I will inform him that the chefs at WDW will prepare fresh food for my son to avoid cross-contamination. I want to see how the rest of his testing goes, and see if there is any other type of fish or shellfish he is allergic to. If he has another allergy to a different type of fish, we will definitely skip Cape May and go for a different dinner. I don't think breakfast will be a problem though. Thanks again!

 

[hildarumpole]

Make sure you have his allergy noted on your ADRs. Send an email to specialdiets@disneyworld.com. They'll email you a form to fill out with your ADRs, contact info, allergies, etc. They forward the info to the chefs at each restaurant. At each restaurant, the chef will come to your table and discuss safe food options. If you wait until you get to the restaurant, you might find yourself waiting longer for a chef.

Two of my kids have shellfish allergies. We ate at Cape May for dinner last visit, because we were staying at the BC and DH really wanted to eat there. The chef and waitress were terrific. DH sat at one end of the table away from the kids and ate his weight in mussels, clams, and crab legs. They gave us a bigger table. The shellfish is confined to one area of the buffet. I didn't eat any shellfish, but found a lot of good choices. I definitely did not starve. My kids had plenty of safe choices and no allergic reactions, not even a little itch. About 3/4 of the buffet is non-shellfish. We also made DH thoroughly wash his hands as soon as we walked out of the restaurant.

 

[bangzoom6877]

Make sure you have his allergy noted on your ADRs. Send an email to specialdiets@disneyworld.com. They'll email you a form to fill out with your ADRs, contact info, allergies, etc. They forward the info to the chefs at each restaurant. At each restaurant, the chef will come to your table and discuss safe food options. If you wait until you get to the restaurant, you might find yourself waiting longer for a chef.

Two of my kids have shellfish allergies. We ate at Cape May for dinner last visit, because we were staying at the BC and DH really wanted to eat there. The chef and waitress were terrific. DH sat at one end of the table away from the kids and ate his weight in mussels, clams, and crab legs. They gave us a bigger table. The shellfish is confined to one area of the buffet. I didn't eat any shellfish, but found a lot of good choices. I definitely did not starve. My kids had plenty of safe choices and no allergic reactions, not even a little itch. About 3/4 of the buffet is non-shellfish. We also made DH thoroughly wash his hands as soon as we walked out of the restaurant.

Thank you for this info! I will send an email to that address as soon as the allergist is finished testing my son, so I know for sure if it is all shellfish or just shrimp he is allergic to. I definitely feel better about Cape May now! DH and I love shellfish but would gladly not eat it if it means safety for our son. Our trip is in July so there is still plenty of time. I will contact Disney as soon as I know all the information about his allergies.

 

[HETRICKL]

It's hard now, but you will find what your comfort zone is with allergies. My daughter is allergic to shellfish (not crab but the allergist recommends all shellfish due to cross contamination), tree nuts and sesame.

You will find that Disney is 1 of the best places to go to accomodate allergies.

My husband and I also love shellfish, but have stayed away from the Cape May dinner due to cross contamination being too great for my comfort level. As for buffets, if the chef doesn't offer, I always ask them if they could plate her food from the kitchen to avoid cross contamination of utensils. They always have accomodated this without any problem.

Like the other poster, please check out FAAN (food & allergy network) where you will find several great resources.

Good luck, but enjoy the trip.

 

[nfceagles]

I don't know of a specific allergist at WDW. I think they were probably referring to Brenda Bennet the lady at the Special Diets email address listed above. She will send you information and a form to fill out about the allergy and your ADRs. If you send that in ahead of time, they will have your info when you arrive at the restaurant and a chef will talk to you and make sure the meal is handled safely. In the case of a buffet that is serving shrimp, you could ask for some things to be plated in the back. They will take good care of you. My DS is milk, egg, and peanut allergic. DH is shellfish allergic. His shellfish rarely came into play. We skipped the shrimp skewers at Ohana, but that was about it.

 

[Mish]

My son is allergic to Tree nuts and sesame seeds. We went to Tappen Edo and since the use sesame seeds they cooked his food first. We have never had problem at Disney restaurants. When we go to the buffets the chef will come out of the Kitchen and go over everything with you. At 1900 Park Fare they brought whatever desserts he wanted from the back to make sure there was no cross contamination. They are great at Disney when it comes to food allergies. Michelle