TS experiences and multiple food allergies

[disfan07]

So the last time we went to WDW I was only allergic to peanuts, eggs and shellfish and the service was great.

This time, I am allergic to:
Wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, shellfish, broccoli, sesame, oats, coconut

I also have sensitivities to ginger, thyme, soy and dairy (but okay in baked goods, etc)

So basically right now, I limit soy and straight dairy products.

But I was looking for opinions from people who have been to these TS restaurants before either with multiple allergies and/or similar allergies:

Crystal Palace: they were great 2 years ago and I remember they had meats, fish, fruit, etc so I figure I should still be okay

50s prime time: went there 4 years ago. They were great back then but my list wasn't so extensive so I would like some recent opinions

Rose and crown pub: never been here. Are they allergy friendly. My parents want to eat in world showcase and I figured this would be the best/easiest choice with my allergies

1900 park fare: never been here

Liberty tree tavern: went there 4 years ago for dinner. I could eat basically everything there so no real issues. We are going for lunch this time. Looking at the menu it should not be too difficult

The plaza: last time was 5 years ago. At that point I was only allergic to peanuts so it was very simple. Are they accommodating?

Sci Fi dine in: last time we were here was 2001!! Again, only peanut allergy. Very simple. I'm hoping that a burger (no bun!h and fries will be possible!

What counter service would you guys suggest? So far
For quick service we were considering:
Cosmic rays
Sunshine seasons

We are also staying at POP and CBR so we will be eating there as well. We are also hoping to go over and eat at AoA one day.

Any experiences with these places would be great. And if anyone has any other restaurants in particular that have been great with allergies I am open to suggestions and making changes if there is availability. I'm just looking forward to being able to eat out

 

[DCDisney]

If you are OK sticking with meats and veggies and simple things which it sounds like you are you will be fine. The problem now though is with the wheat allergy a lot of the gluten free foods they use now tend to have other common allergens in them like egg, soy, dairy, coconut. The peanut/tree nut thing is pretty simple now with WDW. Do make sure you mention the sesame because I have found that it's hidden in some unexpected places at WDW like the Mickey cheese ravioli which I never would have expected.

 

[clanmcculloch]

I've got a link in my signature to my latest dining review from August. You might find it encouraging. While none of us have the seasoning allergies or shellfish or coconut, we do have many of the rest of your allergies and we ate REALLY well.

I would strongly recommend that you print out little business sized cards listing all of your allergens so that you can hand them to chefs. It really does make it a lot easier for chefs and safer for you because you don't need to worry about forgetting something or a chef marking something wrong.

With your allergens, you won't be able to eat any of the bread products unless a few places manage to get in Ener-G rolls (we encountered them at AoA but that's it though we also didn't ask because my kids can't eat them due to other allergens not in your list).

Going through your restaurant list, here's my thoughts.
Crystal Palace: They do have a lot of foods to work with in order to make you some safe foods. They're very hit and miss though. People either have amazing experiences or scary experiences; there's rarely an in between. Make sure to ask questions as you're talking with the chef to be sure he's really "getting" what you're listing as allergens and even question what's delivered to you, especially if you're not getting a good feeling about what he's saying as you're going over options. I was unfortunately in the latter category but at least I knew enough to ask lots of questions and go over everything the chef said so we did end up safe in spite of the chef.

50s PTC: Amazing low allergen fried chicken. Hopefully it can be made without thyme. The chefs are very helpful. I wouldn't take a chance with their allergen free milk shake as we've had negative experiences with not getting the milkshake machine cleaned enough; they no longer use a dedicated allergen free mixer. The chefs will work with you to come up with a tasty and safe meal.

Rose & Crown: On my list to try. Not having tried it yet is not a reflection on any kinds of reviews I've read. We haven't tried it because I don't see anything on the menu that looks as though it could be modified to be safe and actually be something my 12yo would eat. There are foods that look like they could be made safe but I'm not going to put my kids in a position where they won't like what they're offered. Maybe in a couple years.

1900 PF (dinner): Chef TJ. In case you're not familiar with him, he's famous in allergy circles and has rightly earned his amazing reputation. He has stalkers (though some of us aren't very good at it as it took me several years to actually meet him).

LTT: The chef was wonderful (he actually remembered us from a previous experience at a different restaurant where he had helped us and really went out of his way to get something from another restaurant for my kids) but my kids just don't want to eat plain meats and veggies at WDW. If that's what you like than it's definitely a safe option.

The Plaza: A must-do ADR for us every trip even though bread isn't an option for DD14. Cousin Ken just makes it such a wonderful experience. My kids got their first banana split here. The strawberry vinegrette salad is wonderful as is the tuna salad. I'd look over the menu to be sure that there's a non-sandwich option that you'll enjoy (or a sandwich that you'll enjoy without bread). FYI: The meatloaf does contain oatmeal.

Sci-Fi: While there aren't a lot of options, we did enjoy our meal. The ribs were delicious and they do have a dedicated dairy free milkshake mixer (though they do use soy on it). The chef was great and tried to offer more things but we already knew we really wanted the ribs.

Cosmic Ray: Great CS option. Ask for a manager when you first walk in and try to go during off peak times. Hopefully there's no thyme or ginger in the chicken or ribs (ribs are only available after 4:00).

Sunshine Seasons: The single best park CS location in all of WDW when dealing with allergies. Go up to the quietest counter and ask for a chef.

Pop and AoA are amazing for allergies as well. CBR does also have good options available as well but AoA and Pop are even better.

 

[disfan07]

I've got a link in my signature to my latest dining review from August. You might find it encouraging. While none of us have the seasoning allergies or shellfish or coconut, we do have many of the rest of your allergies and we ate REALLY well.

I would strongly recommend that you print out little business sized cards listing all of your allergens so that you can hand them to chefs. It really does make it a lot easier for chefs and safer for you because you don't need to worry about forgetting something or a chef marking something wrong.

With your allergens, you won't be able to eat any of the bread products unless a few places manage to get in Ener-G rolls (we encountered them at AoA but that's it though we also didn't ask because my kids can't eat them due to other allergens not in your list).

Going through your restaurant list, here's my thoughts.
Crystal Palace: They do have a lot of foods to work with in order to make you some safe foods. They're very hit and miss though. People either have amazing experiences or scary experiences; there's rarely an in between. Make sure to ask questions as you're talking with the chef to be sure he's really "getting" what you're listing as allergens and even question what's delivered to you, especially if you're not getting a good feeling about what he's saying as you're going over options. I was unfortunately in the latter category but at least I knew enough to ask lots of questions and go over everything the chef said so we did end up safe in spite of the chef.

50s PTC: Amazing low allergen fried chicken. Hopefully it can be made without thyme. The chefs are very helpful. I wouldn't take a chance with their allergen free milk shake as we've had negative experiences with not getting the milkshake machine cleaned enough; they no longer use a dedicated allergen free mixer. The chefs will work with you to come up with a tasty and safe meal.

Rose & Crown: On my list to try. Not having tried it yet is not a reflection on any kinds of reviews I've read. We haven't tried it because I don't see anything on the menu that looks as though it could be modified to be safe and actually be something my 12yo would eat. There are foods that look like they could be made safe but I'm not going to put my kids in a position where they won't like what they're offered. Maybe in a couple years.

1900 PF (dinner): Chef TJ. In case you're not familiar with him, he's famous in allergy circles and has rightly earned his amazing reputation. He has stalkers (though some of us aren't very good at it as it took me several years to actually meet him).

LTT: The chef was wonderful (he actually remembered us from a previous experience at a different restaurant where he had helped us and really went out of his way to get something from another restaurant for my kids) but my kids just don't want to eat plain meats and veggies at WDW. If that's what you like than it's definitely a safe option.

The Plaza: A must-do ADR for us every trip even though bread isn't an option for DD14. Cousin Ken just makes it such a wonderful experience. My kids got their first banana split here. The strawberry vinegrette salad is wonderful as is the tuna salad. I'd look over the menu to be sure that there's a non-sandwich option that you'll enjoy (or a sandwich that you'll enjoy without bread). FYI: The meatloaf does contain oatmeal.

Sci-Fi: While there aren't a lot of options, we did enjoy our meal. The ribs were delicious and they do have a dedicated dairy free milkshake mixer (though they do use soy on it). The chef was great and tried to offer more things but we already knew we really wanted the ribs.

Cosmic Ray: Great CS option. Ask for a manager when you first walk in and try to go during off peak times. Hopefully there's no thyme or ginger in the chicken or ribs (ribs are only available after 4:00).

Sunshine Seasons: The single best park CS location in all of WDW when dealing with allergies. Go up to the quietest counter and ask for a chef.

Pop and AoA are amazing for allergies as well. CBR does also have good options available as well but AoA and Pop are even better.

Is there a way to get in contact with the resort food courts before we go? I am especially interested in the allergy free waffles (as long as its not bobs red mill mix) and chicken tenders.

Also, I am okay with some thyme and ginger. The worst that happens is a headaches if I eat too much. Last week I had a pumpkin spice whoopie pie from a loacl allergy safe bakery and I was fine afterwards even though it had ginger. eating it constantly is what gets me.

Unfortunately the dairy free milkshakes are out because they use tofutti and tofutti has a cross contamination warning for peanuts

Would it be really bad for us to carry safe bread with us so I can have it at meals? My stomach seems to do much better when I have carbs with meals and we were planning on picking up a loaf of white bread from a local bakery (gluten free, egg free, dairy free, soy free, vegan!!!!) and bringing it with us so I could have cream cheese and jelly for breakfast and maybe some sandwiches but I wasnt sure if it would be wrong to eat it with my TS meals as well. And I do want honest opinions. I'm really on the fence about it. It would be a slice or two of bread.

I'm very okay with having burgers wihtout the bun if that would be an option at some places. I do that at a few safe local restaurants

Chef TJ is one of the main reasons why we are going to 1900 PF!! With just the peanut, egg and shellfish allergies, I wa able to eat enough food where it didnt seem essential to go to the restaurant where he was but now with these additional allergies I am really hoping to experience one of his amazing allergy friendly meals!!

 

[clanmcculloch]

You know, I hadn't even paid attention to who it was asking the original question. Of course you know who Chef TJ is and some of the other stuff I said. Anyway, maybe it's also helpful to some other people.

Bringing bread...... I personally see nothing wrong with doing it but you need to be aware that restaurants are not allowed bringing it into their kitchen and doing anything with it. You'll have to put the food on the bread yourself and it won't be grilled or toasted. If this is ok with you then I'd say go right ahead and do it. You're already very limited and I know your nut threshold is non-existinant so you're much more limited than even we are in that regard. It's not like Disney is able to provide you with an alternative. If they were I'd say don't bring it but they can't so IMO you should go ahead and bring it if you want to.

There are other forms of carbs. Lots of restaurants can get plain rice or potatoes for you or even cook up some gluten free pasta.

Milkshakes can also be made using Rice Dream ice cream, but I don't know the nut status on Rice Dream. I don't trust the company from a gluten perspective (how can a company claim that a product containing barley is gluten free? the ice cream doesn't have barley but their position on their milk makes me just not trust them).

I often speak with resort chefs before our trips. I always go through Special Diets. Sometimes it takes many repeated emails to get them to actually respond with something more than a generic form letter but with persistance you can get a response. Once you get that non-form letter, you can ask to have a chef from the resort contact you.

At AoA and I think Pop they do have Namaste pancake mix. Would a waffle maker that also made waffles out of Bob's be too much of a cross contamination risk? At AoA they use a mixture of Bob's and Namaste and I'm assuming they do the same at Pop. They could definitely make a batch with only one or the other but I really doubt that they have a dedicated Namaste waffle iron so Bob's will have been cooked on it.

At AoA, they do NOT have the chicken tenders. Because of how often we were planning to eat there and because it was for a child (well, a 14yo but she's autistic) he sent a runner over to Pop to get a case to have on hand but normally they don't have them. Every other resort food court we've ever been at has had them (this includes Pop, POFQ, POR and Poly; when we were at CBR they didn't carry them yet but I'd put money on them having them). The brand of the chicken tenders is Allergy Free Foods. On their site they don't list ingredients but do have info about allergens and spices in their FAQ (under Resources).

At the Plaza, DD14 did get a bunless burger a couple years ago. These days she prefers to let Cousin Ken (the lovable teddy bear of a chef) get a bit more creative for her. The burger was a good one and he gave her a dish of sauteed mushrooms and some bacon to go with it so it wasn't like it was just a junk of fried ground beef.

 

[disfan07]

You know, I hadn't even paid attention to who it was asking the original question. Of course you know who Chef TJ is and some of the other stuff I said. Anyway, maybe it's also helpful to some other people.

Bringing bread...... I personally see nothing wrong with doing it but you need to be aware that restaurants are not allowed bringing it into their kitchen and doing anything with it. You'll have to put the food on the bread yourself and it won't be grilled or toasted. If this is ok with you then I'd say go right ahead and do it. You're already very limited and I know your nut threshold is non-existinant so you're much more limited than even we are in that regard. It's not like Disney is able to provide you with an alternative. If they were I'd say don't bring it but they can't so IMO you should go ahead and bring it if you want to.

There are other forms of carbs. Lots of restaurants can get plain rice or potatoes for you or even cook up some gluten free pasta.

Milkshakes can also be made using Rice Dream ice cream, but I don't know the nut status on Rice Dream. I don't trust the company from a gluten perspective (how can a company claim that a product containing barley is gluten free? the ice cream doesn't have barley but their position on their milk makes me just not trust them).

I often speak with resort chefs before our trips. I always go through Special Diets. Sometimes it takes many repeated emails to get them to actually respond with something more than a generic form letter but with persistance you can get a response. Once you get that non-form letter, you can ask to have a chef from the resort contact you.

At AoA and I think Pop they do have Namaste pancake mix. Would a waffle maker that also made waffles out of Bob's be too much of a cross contamination risk? At AoA they use a mixture of Bob's and Namaste and I'm assuming they do the same at Pop. They could definitely make a batch with only one or the other but I really doubt that they have a dedicated Namaste waffle iron so Bob's will have been cooked on it.

At AoA, they do NOT have the chicken tenders. Because of how often we were planning to eat there and because it was for a child (well, a 14yo but she's autistic) he sent a runner over to Pop to get a case to have on hand but normally they don't have them. Every other resort food court we've ever been at has had them (this includes Pop, POFQ, POR and Poly; when we were at CBR they didn't carry them yet but I'd put money on them having them). The brand of the chicken tenders is Allergy Free Foods. On their site they don't list ingredients but do have info about allergens and spices in their FAQ (under Resources).

At the Plaza, DD14 did get a bunless burger a couple years ago. These days she prefers to let Cousin Ken (the lovable teddy bear of a chef) get a bit more creative for her. The burger was a good one and he gave her a dish of sauteed mushrooms and some bacon to go with it so it wasn't like it was just a junk of fried ground beef.

Thanks!! You are always so helpful with all of this!

Rice Dream is a no go because there is a cross contamination issue with coconut and as of right now, we do not know just how serious that allergy is. I am not allergic to gluten but I am allergic wheat. I came back negative on both skin and blood tests to barley, rye, etc. So we dont think it is gluten. I just usually eat gluten free at home.

The bread that I eat does not need to be warm to taste good (it is a very soft bakery fresh white bread...SO GOOD!!!) so I would have no problem with making my own sandwiches at the table...lol. I've become very flexible when it comes to food!

If pop and CBR have the allergy free tenders that would be awesome especially for a special snack (late night or if we go back for a break!).

The waffles would probably be okay even using the same waffle iron as long as it is cleaned. I would have to double check with my allergist but that should be fine.

Unfortunately, Im not a fan of pasta in general (unless its smothered in meatballs/meatsauce) and I'm limited on poatoes even cooked because of my OAS and I'm hoping to save my potato intake for french fries. The bread just seemed like an easy way to supplement my meal.

 

[clanmcculloch]

I thought you were avoiding soy? The fries at WDW have soy. We've been able to get plain white rice for DD14 at many places though it does take a while since chefs have to get the water boiling and then it takes time to cook as it's just not something they prep ahead of time and have sitting around par cooked. There are other starchy foods available at many restaurants as well. Things like squashes and sweet potatoes and more starchy vegetables like green beens can also be good options to go with your meals.

I'm surprised that you deal with OAS with potatoes. Usually OAS is with raw foods though obviously allergic reactions involving burning/swelling/anything else in the mouth can happen with other foods. I just thought it was called a regular old allergic reaction vs OAS. Shows you what I know. For me and DD12 our OAS is generally limited to raw fruits and vegetables though her worst reactions seem to be soy milks and many other soy products (she's not allergic to soy; we don't know what ingredient it is in many soy products but she seems to react to many even though she can eat all Tofutti and Vegan Gourmet products as well as regular old tofu).

The coconut really stinks as it means no Babycakes. I guess you were probably avoiding them anyway because they use Bob's Red Mill flours.

I'm so jealous on the bread. Ours definitely needs to be doctored. I only bother buying one for DD14 and I to share (I hardly ever use bread for myself) and the only one I know of that actually meets every one of her allergy needs is not so great untoasted. It was actually Chef Dan at AoA (Pop at the time) who researched and found this bread for us. I'm so grateful to him for that. Finding gluten, milk, egg, yeast and citrus free bread is NOT easy. I've actually been really surprised at just how many gluten free breads have citrus fiber in them and there are very few yeast free ones to begin with. OK, I'm done hijacking your thread with whining.

 

[disfan07]

I thought you were avoiding soy? The fries at WDW have soy. We've been able to get plain white rice for DD14 at many places though it does take a while since chefs have to get the water boiling and then it takes time to cook as it's just not something they prep ahead of time and have sitting around par cooked. There are other starchy foods available at many restaurants as well. Things like squashes and sweet potatoes and more starchy vegetables like green beens can also be good options to go with your meals.

I'm surprised that you deal with OAS with potatoes. Usually OAS is with raw foods though obviously allergic reactions involving burning/swelling/anything else in the mouth can happen with other foods. I just thought it was called a regular old allergic reaction vs OAS. Shows you what I know. For me and DD12 our OAS is generally limited to raw fruits and vegetables though her worst reactions seem to be soy milks and many other soy products (she's not allergic to soy; we don't know what ingredient it is in many soy products but she seems to react to many even though she can eat all Tofutti and Vegan Gourmet products as well as regular old tofu).

The coconut really stinks as it means no Babycakes. I guess you were probably avoiding them anyway because they use Bob's Red Mill flours.

I'm so jealous on the bread. Ours definitely needs to be doctored. I only bother buying one for DD14 and I to share (I hardly ever use bread for myself) and the only one I know of that actually meets every one of her allergy needs is not so great untoasted. It was actually Chef Dan at AoA (Pop at the time) who researched and found this bread for us. I'm so grateful to him for that. Finding gluten, milk, egg, yeast and citrus free bread is NOT easy. I've actually been really surprised at just how many gluten free breads have citrus fiber in them and there are very few yeast free ones to begin with. OK, I'm done hijacking your thread with whining.

It seems to be hit or miss with the potatos with me. I usually only react when my other allergies are acting up. My allergist said that cooking is "supposed" to eliminate the issue but its still possible for it to cause symptoms depending on how severe. I have problems with large amount of cooked or canned peaches, plums, nectarines, zucchini, apples and peppers. But even with zyrtec and benadryl, my IgE is over 2000 and I still have daily allergy symptoms so my environmental allergies and OAS are pretty severe.

I used to eat Babycakes before I was allergic to tree nuts and coconut but now its off limits. We are actually going to go to the allergy safe bakery here and get some cookies and cupcakes (they sell them with no frosting!) before we go. The baked goods stay or about 5 days....the bread stays for 2 weeks if refrigerated.

I'm limiting soy right now. I'm not allergic (and both blood and skin tests came back never) and ive never had an actual reaction when eating it so I can technically still eat it. My allergist just doesnt want me eating it all the time.

 

[clanmcculloch]

Over 2000? Wow! My DD12's hovering around 500 with her elimination diet, Zyrtec and allergy steps around the house and it's tough enough dealing with her minor to moderate symptoms. I can't even imagine dealing with over 2000. I'm grateful that she's never reacted to cooked fruits. It does seem that her raw reactions have gotten worse and more fruits are causing problems than in the past. It used to be that as long as we shaved carrots and peeled apples and pears that she was ok with them but now she can't seem to eat them raw at all and now peaches, nectarines and other tree fruits and even cucumbers are causing OAS more often than not. I pray that it never gets bad enough to get a reaction to canned or cooked fruits and veggies.

She actually has never reacted to potatoes but personally I can't even touch one without rubber gloves along with Zyrtec or Benadryl without my neck, chin, throat, ears and even arms itching and swelling. But, I can eat cooked potatoes, though really I shouldn't anyway because I don't process carbs properly. But I love carbs. I'm addicted to carbs. (literally; I get withdrawls if I don't eat them meaning if I was smart I'd go back to low carbs but have I mentioned that I love carbs?)

With just limiting and not avoiding, I can see how the fries would be fine.

 

[disfan07]

Over 2000? Wow! My DD12's hovering around 500 with her elimination diet, Zyrtec and allergy steps around the house and it's tough enough dealing with her minor to moderate symptoms. I can't even imagine dealing with over 2000. I'm grateful that she's never reacted to cooked fruits. It does seem that her raw reactions have gotten worse and more fruits are causing problems than in the past. It used to be that as long as we shaved carrots and peeled apples and pears that she was ok with them but now she can't seem to eat them raw at all and now peaches, nectarines and other tree fruits and even cucumbers are causing OAS more often than not. I pray that it never gets bad enough to get a reaction to canned or cooked fruits and veggies.

She actually has never reacted to potatoes but personally I can't even touch one without rubber gloves along with Zyrtec or Benadryl without my neck, chin, throat, ears and even arms itching and swelling. But, I can eat cooked potatoes, though really I shouldn't anyway because I don't process carbs properly. But I love carbs. I'm addicted to carbs. (literally; I get withdrawls if I don't eat them meaning if I was smart I'd go back to low carbs but have I mentioned that I love carbs?)

With just limiting and not avoiding, I can see how the fries would be fine.

At my worst before immunosuppressants my IgE was over 5000. In July it was 3014....so we're making progress in the right direction!!!!!

Yeah I can't eat a lot of raw fruits even with the skin peeled. Since I've had 2 anaphylaxis reactions recently and I have severe asthma and such a high IgE I am apparently high risk for my OAS to become anaphylaxis so we are careful

 

[ksh1111]

I spent 8 Days at AofA in September, went on a 7 night Cruise, then back to AofA for 3 nights. The first 8 days we had the dining plan, the last 3 we did not. I am allergic to Tree Nuts, Soy, Beef, Pork, Egg Yolk, Melons, Mushrooms, Squashes, Kiwi, Avocado, Bananas and Peaches.

We did a standard dining plan, knowing I would struggle with the food in the food courts. Most of our table service were Breakfast, we had mostly good experiences, a few not so great. Even though I contacted the Special Requests multiple times, and sent the form in, not one of the chefs had ever seen the form.

Our table Service

Tusker House 2 X. Once great, once okay
1900 Park Fare Very good
Crystal Palace Great
Trails End Very good

We ate at the Food Court at AoA (very hit or miss), and Pop Century (awful, they gave me something I am allergic to).

Luckily we had a car, so we drove to Target to stock up on things I can eat.