Universal Parks Incl Epic: Food Allergy Experiences??

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

Hi All! It has been MANY years since we visited Uni but we are contemplating a vacation next year. In the past, we struggled to find allergy safe options for my DD in the parks. The resorts and Citywalk were much easier to navigate. She has multiple food allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, melons and unprocessed soy.

Have the parks, including Epic, gotten any better accommodating food allergies? Are there allergy menus or is it asking to speak to the MOD? Can they modify dishes or is it just a "book of ingredients with a take-it-or-leave-it attitude?" I am really hoping they have improved. Any recent experiences you can share?

 

[DeeBee3]

I'd love to know this as well. We plan to venture into Universal but I need to do a bunch of research on nut allergies.

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

Following

 

[bobbie68]

Hi I just experienced two days at Epic with a food allergy. Mine is dairy, which is in a lot of stuff. Epic uses a mobil order app for every restaurant besides Atlantic and Blue Dragon (sit down expensive ones). As soon as you open the mobil order for the restaurant you want you will have an option to add an allergy note. Select how many allergy plates you will need to discuss. You put the order in that you want then once you get to the restaurant and get your table a chef will come out to you and talk to you about your order and what you can do with it.

I ate at the Oak Star and Tavern quick service and they were really accommodating and helpful the food was great.

Meteor Astro Pub was not. The chef did not even try to help me to alter a dish just said nope I could only have one thing on the menu.

Blue Dragon yesterday and the chefs were amazing at accommodating us. The food was great.

Le Goblet Noir quick service and the chefs there were great and accommodating as is the food good.

As far as the other Universal parks they are not the best for having alternative selections, some are better than others. City walk restaurants tend to be a bit better than the parks. Universal unlike Disney does not offer allergy menus ahead of time or on an app.

Good luck any other questions please ask.

 

[Philsfan77]

Hi I just experienced two days at Epic with a food allergy. Mine is dairy, which is in a lot of stuff. Epic uses a mobil order app for every restaurant besides Atlantic and Blue Dragon (sit down expensive ones). As soon as you open the mobil order for the restaurant you want you will have an option to add an allergy note. Select how many allergy plates you will need to discuss. You put the order in that you want then once you get to the restaurant and get your table a chef will come out to you and talk to you about your order and what you can do with it.

I ate at the Oak Star and Tavern quick service and they were really accommodating and helpful the food was great.

Meteor Astro Pub was not. The chef did not even try to help me to alter a dish just said nope I could only have one thing on the menu.

Blue Dragon yesterday and the chefs were amazing at accommodating us. The food was great.

Le Goblet Noir quick service and the chefs there were great and accommodating as is the food good.

As far as the other Universal parks they are not the best for having alternative selections, some are better than others. City walk restaurants tend to be a bit better than the parks. Universal unlike Disney does not offer allergy menus ahead of time or on an app.

Good luck any other questions please ask.

what was the end result at meteor Astro Pub? did they refund your order? did you go with the other item they said was all they could give you or did you leave? This was my one question about what happens if they can't accommodate what you ordered.

 

[bobbie68]

what was the end result at meteor Astro Pub? did they refund your order? did you go with the other item they said was all they could give you or did you leave? This was my one question about what happens if they can't accommodate what you ordered.

Hi the end result was my DH and I both got the vegan sausage instead of sharing two different entrees. I could have gotten a refund but by that time we were hungry and it ate it. I didn't feel like starting all over at another place since it already had been over 20 minutes waiting for the chef once I got to the restaurant.
I did hear from another person which could not be accommodated that they got a refund. I did let guest services know because what I asked for could have been accommadated, all I asked for was a different bun that they used for the vegan meal. My theory is that it is premade and they didn't want the hassle of cooking something.
Hope this helps.

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

bobbie68 Thank you for relating your experience. The system at Universal is obviously not set up for allergies and sounds like an afterthought. I think if we go to UNI next year, our lunches in the parks will need some extra thought or we will just have to go table service.

 

[Philsfan77]

Hi the end result was my DH and I both got the vegan sausage instead of sharing two different entrees. I could have gotten a refund but by that time we were hungry and it ate it. I didn't feel like starting all over at another place since it already had been over 20 minutes waiting for the chef once I got to the restaurant.
I did hear from another person which could not be accommodated that they got a refund. I did let guest services know because what I asked for could have been accommadated, all I asked for was a different bun that they used for the vegan meal. My theory is that it is premade and they didn't want the hassle of cooking something.
Hope this helps.

I appreciate the feedback! Thankfully I do not have to go through this process (as of now), but I did have 2 friends there recently, and they wondered what would have happened if the chef couldn't have accommodated them (mango and gluten allergies) so this is helpful. They weren't fans of the process, mainly due to having to wait to meet the chef, and then the order being prepared at that point. Hopefully Universal moves to allergy friendly menus in their apps, rather than the Icon notification that you simply have an allergy, so people can make decisions for themselves, rather than ordering and rolling the dice that what they ordered can be accommodated after waiting extra time to meet the chef. If you are pushing people towards mobile ordering, you need to put the correct processes in place to make this efficient, and this doesn't sound like it is. They enjoyed their food for what it's worth (Spit Fyre and Cafe L'air de la Serene), but didn't enjoy the added wait times and possibly being in a situation like you mentioned, where they had to settle for something just because they didn't want to waste another 45 minutes to an hour starting the process over somewhere else.

 

[bobbie68]

bobbie68 Thank you for relating your experience. The system at Universal is obviously not set up for allergies and sounds like an afterthought. I think if we go to UNI next year, our lunches in the parks will need some extra thought or we will just have to go table service.

You're welcome and correct Universal is not set up for food allergies well. Blue Dragon sit down was excellent food and allergy friendly. The chefs were great. I always have to do so much more research going to Uni, and it gets tiring.

I appreciate the feedback! Thankfully I do not have to go through this process (as of now), but I did have 2 friends there recently, and they wondered what would have happened if the chef couldn't have accommodated them (mango and gluten allergies) so this is helpful. They weren't fans of the process, mainly due to having to wait to meet the chef, and then the order being prepared at that point. Hopefully Universal moves to allergy friendly menus in their apps, rather than the Icon notification that you simply have an allergy, so people can make decisions for themselves, rather than ordering and rolling the dice that what they ordered can be accommodated after waiting extra time to meet the chef. If you are pushing people towards mobile ordering, you need to put the correct processes in place to make this efficient, and this doesn't sound like it is. They enjoyed their food for what it's worth (Spit Fyre and Cafe L'air de la Serene), but didn't enjoy the added wait times and possibly being in a situation like you mentioned, where they had to settle for something just because they didn't want to waste another 45 minutes to an hour starting the process over somewhere else.

You're welcome and absolutely Universal needs to follow Disney with allergy menus right on the site, especially for mobil orders. I love both parks but Universal has a lot of work to build up their food allergy arrangement. It makes a difference when you are spending your day at a park. I will give a shout out to the Kitchen at The Hard Rock Cafe at Universal. The head chef has food allergies, and is amazing at working with people. He always has food and dessert for multiple allergies available.