Soy Allergy Question

[CraftyOtt]

Hello! I have a son with a severe food allergy to soy and peanuts. We traveled to WDW in 2008 during free dining so I am familiar with the process of the chefs preparing his meals for the table-service restaurants. We did not want to chance cross contamination at the quick-service restaurants so we brought all of his meals for those (he was also allergic to milk then -- our options for foods were VERY limited. Thank goodness he seems to have grown out of that allergy!!). We leave next Friday for our vacation to WDW and DH wants to try getting some of our DS's meals at the quick-service places so we don't have to pack so much (also, we are staying in a regular hotel room on-site instead of the cabins at Ft. Wilderness, so we won't have the full kitchen available to us to prepare more meals mid-week).

I just received the Food Allergy/Dietary Reference Sheet from WDW with the allergy-free items available. I know that only certain quick-service restaurants offer certain allergy-free items. My question is, for the Allergy Free Chicken Tenderloins (that are soy free also) that are prepared at the QS places, are they prepared independent of the regular chicken tenders and fries (that DO contain soy)? I can't seem to get an answer from WDW except "to check with the manager" when we arrive -- but I don't want to get there and find out that my son has nothing to eat for lunch/dinner. Has anyone else who has a soy allergic person in their family had any experience (good or bad) with foods at the QS places? I think we'll be OK with the hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizzas he can have, but I wanted to give the poor kid one other food option with the chicken tenders. Thanks!!

 

[livndisney]

Hello! I have a son with a severe food allergy to soy and peanuts. We traveled to WDW in 2008 during free dining so I am familiar with the process of the chefs preparing his meals for the table-service restaurants. We did not want to chance cross contamination at the quick-service restaurants so we brought all of his meals for those (he was also allergic to milk then -- our options for foods were VERY limited. Thank goodness he seems to have grown out of that allergy!!). We leave next Friday for our vacation to WDW and DH wants to try getting some of our DS's meals at the quick-service places so we don't have to pack so much (also, we are staying in a regular hotel room on-site instead of the cabins at Ft. Wilderness, so we won't have the full kitchen available to us to prepare more meals mid-week).

I just received the Food Allergy/Dietary Reference Sheet from WDW with the allergy-free items available. I know that only certain quick-service restaurants offer certain allergy-free items. My question is, for the Allergy Free Chicken Tenderloins (that are soy free also) that are prepared at the QS places, are they prepared independent of the regular chicken tenders and fries (that DO contain soy)? I can't seem to get an answer from WDW except "to check with the manager" when we arrive -- but I don't want to get there and find out that my son has nothing to eat for lunch/dinner. Has anyone else who has a soy allergic person in their family had any experience (good or bad) with foods at the QS places? I think we'll be OK with the hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizzas he can have, but I wanted to give the poor kid one other food option with the chicken tenders. Thanks!!

I just had the battle with Special diets over the "check with the chef" line. So I understand your frustration. We have had the "allergen free" chicken tenders as a few CS service places. I know we had them in Epcot in the America CS. And the food courts at the value resorts. When we have had them, they are prepared by the chef away from other other food.

It looks like you are at Coronado this time? I would caution you to be careful as I am told their CS is not run by Disney. (I have not eaten there as we have been told it was not safe for us)

 

[CraftyOtt]

Thanks for letting me know about the preparation. I knew the TS restaurants have a separate area, and I was hoping since they only have a few QS places listed with allergy-free foods, that they also have a separate area. I figure I can always go to the grocery store for the allergy-free pizza he can have (it's sold at Publix down there) and he could eat that for the rest of the week if he had to. Yeah, we don't plan on having any of his meals at the resort food court. We'll be in the parks most days for lunch/dinner, and we'll be having breakfast in the room so that shouldn't be a problem. I'm thinking I will still bring lunch items for the first part of the week, then try the QS for the last part. DH really wants to try Disney for all of his meals though. Maybe if it works out well, I can convince him that Disney is the ONLY place we can EVER vacation!

 

[livndisney]

Thanks for letting me know about the preparation. I knew the TS restaurants have a separate area, and I was hoping since they only have a few QS places listed with allergy-free foods, that they also have a separate area. I figure I can always go to the grocery store for the allergy-free pizza he can have (it's sold at Publix down there) and he could eat that for the rest of the week if he had to. Yeah, we don't plan on having any of his meals at the resort food court. We'll be in the parks most days for lunch/dinner, and we'll be having breakfast in the room so that shouldn't be a problem. I'm thinking I will still bring lunch items for the first part of the week, then try the QS for the last part. DH really wants to try Disney for all of his meals though. Maybe if it works out well, I can convince him that Disney is the ONLY place we can EVER vacation!

Ok now I have to ask what Soy free pizza have you found at Publix?

 

[CraftyOtt]

It's the Amy's Cheese Pizza. I checked with their website and sent an email and much of the Amy's brand items are sold at Publix (and a few other places listed). Mystic Pizza (yes, like the movie) is also soy free and is sold at my local Bilo.

I posted this, but realized I don't have a definite confirmation that the pizza is sold there....in the email they just listed 'frozen items' and since the pizza is frozen.... hmmmm. Maybe I need to call the grocery store. I'll post here again...

 

[CraftyOtt]

WooHoo! Just got off of the phone with the Grocery Manager at this Publix (it is listed as one closest to WDW, can anyone confirm this?):
Publix
The Cascades at Islesworth
4870 S. Apopka-Vineland Road
Open 7am-10pm
407.909.8080

And he confirmed that YES they carry all of the Amy's frozen pizzas. They carry a variety of allergy-free foods here also, so that's great to know!

(On a side note, after I explained that we were coming down to Orlando next week and I needed to confirm that their store carried the allergy-free foods we may need, both the customer service manager and the grocery manager were VERY polite and even wished me a happy vacation when we come down next week!). I'll go out of my way to shop there now.

 

[livndisney]

WooHoo! Just got off of the phone with the Grocery Manager at this Publix (it is listed as one closest to WDW, can anyone confirm this?):
Publix
The Cascades at Islesworth
4870 S. Apopka-Vineland Road
Open 7am-10pm
407.909.8080

And he confirmed that YES they carry all of the Amy's frozen pizzas. They carry a variety of allergy-free foods here also, so that's great to know!

(On a side note, after I explained that we were coming down to Orlando next week and I needed to confirm that their store carried the allergy-free foods we may need, both the customer service manager and the grocery manager were VERY polite and even wished me a happy vacation when we come down next week!). I'll go out of my way to shop there now.

I am not familar with that Publix. I do know that "carry and have in stock" are two different things at Publix. If it is just Amy's pizza there is a Whole foods on Turkey Lake (right next to Walmart) that may have a bigger selection of allergy safe foods.

 

[CraftyOtt]

Thanks! That's good to know!

 

[Evi]

Whole foods doesn't really equal a lot of allergy free. Most of their precooked items have soy in them and most of their brand items rice milk, salad dressings contain soy. I'm sure they have a great selection but be weary of there precooked items and keep checking labels.

 

[livndisney]

Whole foods doesn't really equal a lot of allergy free. Most of their precooked items have soy in them and most of their brand items rice milk, salad dressings contain soy. I'm sure they have a great selection but be weary of there precooked items and keep checking labels.

We have not had a problem finding allergy free food at the Whole Foods I mentioned specifically dairy and soy free. (They even have gluten free). And their selection is much larger than Publix.

 

[clanmcculloch]

Call the Whole Foods ahead of time to find out if they carry the Turtle Mountain So Delicious Coconut Milk products. They are DELICIOUS as the name suggests and they're both milk and soy free. They make milks, kefirs, puddings and ice creams (pints, sandwiches and on sticks). YUMMY!!!! The WF near me carries their stuff though it's in MA.

 

[Evi]

We have not had a problem finding allergy free food at the Whole Foods I mentioned specifically dairy and soy free. (They even have gluten free). And their selection is much larger than Publix.

I don't think you read what I said... a lot of their precooked not frozen foods contain soy. I know this because I recently spoke with a manger after finding many items with soy oil. Its being used more commonly as an alternative to corn oil. I'm not saying you will have a problem I just suggested as someone with many many food allergies that checks that I've noticed an increase in soy in their premade foods.....and yes their selection is much larger then publix. Actually I don't shop at major supermarkets. I shop at whole foods, local farmers market, my CSA and my garden.