Unusual Food Allergy - Should we request table for 2 rather than share?

[lozzypop]

My 16 year old DD and I will be going on our 3rd Disney cruise next May. There has been a gap of several years since our last cruise and in the meantime, we found out that my daughter has a life-threatening allergy.

I know that Disney is very accommodating with allergies, so I am confident we can manage her condition while sailing. DD has Exercise Induced Allergy with Food Triggers. So she can eat foods that contain her allergen, but there is a risk of anaphylaxis if she has raised her heart rate within 2 hours prior to or 4 hours after consuming the food. The most common allergen for this particular condition is gluten, and I know lots of people deal with gluten allergies, as well as shellfish allergies (which I believe is another common trigger).

Here's the kicker for DD - her allergen is celery. Not just celery alone, but anything in the celery family. That includes celery, carrots, fennel, parsley, cilantro, and anise. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, my daughter is allergic to exercise and vegetables.

And let me tell you, these foods are in almost EVERYTHING. If you have soup or a sauce, the base will have carrots, celery and onions. Parsley and cilantro are so ubiquitous that they are almost impossible to avoid - we've tried! The hard part is that we can't make assumptions based on food descriptions, so we are constantly having to ask what is used to make the dish being served. And waiters just aren't prepared. We tried one Disneyland trip to get a sense of the herb/spices used in the menu dishes and we finally gave up because the waiters were too confused about what we were asking. We have to adjust her order based on what activity level she has achieved in the last two hours and if she decides to go ahead and consume the allergen, we adjust her activity for the next four. But we need to know what's in (and on)the food!

That's a long explanation for a short question. We don't mind sharing a table on the cruise, but given that we may spend 10 minutes discussing the levels of celery/parsley/cilantro in certain dishes would it be more polite/helpful to request our own table so we are not holding up anyone else's dinner?

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Wow, sorry to hear about your daughter's issues. I wouldn't wait to talk to your servers though. I would get notice to DCL prior to your cruise and talk to the head server before your first dinner. You may be able to order her meals ahead of time, or at least the night before each meal.

The servers are kind of on a schedule and may not be able to take that long every night going over the menu options.

I think your best plan would be to get as much done before your first dinner as possible.

With that being said, I see no reason why you shouldn't be able to share a table and make new friends.

 

[DahliaRW]

I agree with contacting DCL NOW with this information (Special Services team at (407) 566-3602). Then when you get on board ask who to talk to about the allergy right away (they were able to accommodate this for me a few years ago, not sure if they still do) and that way you can pre-order her dinner for that night. That way you don't have to take much time at dinner. I would also bring little cards that list what she cannot have. Way easier to hand a list to the head waiter than to say it and wait for them to write it down, kwim?

I wouldn't worry about table mates. If you do your homework and alert everyone ahead of time, it shouldn't take too much extra time.

 

[Shanti]

Imo you should request a private table, for safety & to have the undivided attention of your servers in relation to your daughter's needs.

 

[owensamo]

My husband has a severe allergy to... potatos. Fortunately it's fairly simple to get items without potato. Unfortunately, potato starch has invaded a lot of things you wouldn't think would have potato - like breads, shredded cheese and thick soups (just to start). We've been fortunate in that he can tolerate some potato at this point, but have had the potato allergy chat with the servers regardless of whether we were seated alone or not, and not had any issues.

So my recommendation on weird allergies is - get in touch with Disney and let them know now. The cruise line is not the parks, and they accommodate weird allergies constantly. As long as they know in advance, they will give you the next day's menu with ways they can accommodate and let you select your meals then. The quick service places have binders of all the ingredients in the food they serve, and may be able to make some modification if there's an issue. You can have a chef at Cabana's give you a tour of what you can and can't have off the buffet, but if you prefer cooked to order meals, there are sit-down breakfast and lunch restaurants open each day as well.

But the best, easiest way to make this painless is to ensure that the information is noted on your reservation now, before embarkation. And once you embark on the ship, go to the dining change venue and ask to speak with a head waiter to ensure that the information is included on your reservation and see what may be necessary before your first dinner. You could even start with your first lunch in the dining room and talk to a head waiter there. Then follow up once more with *your* head waiter and serving team in your first dinner. They will likely be over-cautious on offering you options, but it's a place to start.

 

[lozzypop]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I had already planned to let DCL know of DD's allergy well ahead of time. I've only just put the deposit down and the cruise isn't until May so there is lots of time to prepare. I just wanted to check to see if I should request a table with just the two of us at the same time - we have main dining so I know that may be asking for too much, so I didn't want to be a pain if I didn't have to be.

DahliaRW - your idea about the little cards was a good one!

Owensamo - thank you so much! I was wondering if there was any way to get ingredient lists ahead of time, so good to know that the QS places have them.

We are not looking for too much accommodation or special dishes from the kitchen, but we absolutely must know what is in the dishes my daughter does order so that we are prepared. My DD is not going to keel over at the dinner table if there is something in her food that shouldn't be, but if she eats enough of an ingredient without knowing, then a few flights of stairs are enough to cause some serious problems.

That's the problem we had at Disneyland. If I said she was allergic to nuts/shellfish/dairy/eggs, we would have got an allergy menu and picked something appropriate. Done. But DD's allergens lurk everywhere and we couldn't seem to make serving staff understand that we just needed to know if an ingredient was in a particular dish. We have a good sense of what will or will not work at DL since we go there every year (although DD won't give up Cafe Orleans gumbo! We just walk back to the hotel realllllly slowly for a break after eating it for lunch) but DCL is a different kettle of fish.

 

[anricat]

We are not looking for too much accommodation or special dishes from the kitchen

Except that DCL will do this for you if at all possible. My mom is allergic to garlic and onions. It's like the foods you mention. Garlic and onions are in EVERYTHING. It was noted on the reservation and she sort of winged it the first night, but after that, the server brought the next evening's menu out at dinner and she would pre-select her dish for the next night and the chefs would especially prepare it without garlic and onions. Sometimes the server would say he wasn't sure if that could be made and she'd choose something else. So it's worth asking if that's a possibility. They are so accommodating and understanding!

 

[Ralph&Pam]

Just to reinforce some of the advice here, the head waiter can be a key player in helping with allergy accommodations. Over many DCL cruises now, we have found that the servers/assistant servers vary in how well they manage allergy concerns, based a lot on their prior experience. However, head servers have been very capable in directing things whenever the serving team might have been unsure of specific ingredients or details of preparation.

 

[stitch'sgirl]

OP, just 2 thoughts - We sailed once where there was a family of Orhodox Jews. DCL had all of their foods prepared and packaged ahead of time. They ate in Cabanas as well as the main dining rooms. And it was a very large family. They will take good care of your daughter and I would imagine they will need to do something very similar for her.

Secondly, my DS16 has noticed that raw celery causes his tongue and mouth to go numb. Did your daughter start with similar symptoms? I asked him to stop eating it, this is very new to him.

 

[southerngirl528]

Wow, sorry to hear about your daughter's issues. I wouldn't wait to talk to your servers though. I would get notice to DCL prior to your cruise and talk to the head server before your first dinner. You may be able to order her meals ahead of time, or at least the night before each meal.

The servers are kind of on a schedule and may not be able to take that long every night going over the menu options.

I think your best plan would be to get as much done before your first dinner as possible.

With that being said, I see no reason why you shouldn't be able to share a table and make new friends.

I would also bring little cards that list what she cannot have. Way easier to hand a list to the head waiter than to say it and wait for them to write it down, kwim?

So my recommendation on weird allergies is - get in touch with Disney and let them know now. The cruise line is not the parks, and they accommodate weird allergies constantly. As long as they know in advance, they will give you the next day's menu with ways they can accommodate and let you select your meals then.

Agree wth all these posts, and lots of what the PP had to say as well. It is IMPERATIVE you contact DCL ahead of time and give them detailed information on what you need. I know from years of experience that with advance notice, Disney chefs will truly go overboard to accommodate guests' special dietary needs. Give 'em a call, and if you have something from her Dr that outlines what you said, I personally would forward that as well. If you do this ahead of time as recommended, I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how they will help you! And if you do this ahead of time, I see no reason not to have some table mates! We love a big table, and I sure wouldn't mind if there needed to be some extra conversation for someone's special needs..

 

[HookdonWDW]

It's definitely possible to travel on DCL with your daughter's allergies, and there's no real reason to isolate yourselves if you'd rather eat at a table with others. I'm allergic to soy protein, tree nuts, root veggies (carrots, parsnips, turnips, beets, etc...) coconut, avocado and raw fruit (except citrus, banana, grapes and watermelon), and they manage to feed me. Just a couple of words of advise/warning. 1 - She really needs to be her own advocate. While Disney is definitely good with allergies, multiple cross allergies are harder. There's no standard "allergy menu" that works for us. 2 - Disney veers on the side of caution: If they can't confirm it, they won't serve it to you. I've had trips where a food was approved by one chef, and forbidden by another. It can be frustrating. Try to remember that they are all trying to be helpful. 3 - Even if you turn in the Special Request Form (form where you list medical special needs, including allergies for those with more than 4 (or 5? I forget...), you will be asked to repeat and confirm multiple times. It doesn't seem to be consistent when it comes to how the list is distributed. Cookies BBQ never gets my meals right. Ever. 4 - Have a backup plan. Take advantage of the fact that you can bring food on board, and bring a few safe foods just in case. Better to have them just in case. 5 - Even when her list has been cleared, be sure to still check. I had a server once proudly bring me out a plate FULL of shaved carrots. he messed up my "yes" and "no" lists. Fortunately there was no way for me to mistake carrot mountain as something I could actually eat. I've listed the downside of allergies and traveling. The upside is that they really do go out of their way to try to make you happy and feed you outside of your allergies. For me, the secret of great meals on DCL ended up being when I tried the strategy a couple of cruises ago of picking a protein, and telling the chef to make whatever. It was much easier on both of us!

 

[doublesided]

We are cruising August 2019 and I already emailed them to ask for private table due to our allergies. There are many for me and my kid but we can't sit near anyone eating something smelly with it like Nutella or Peanut Butter and I saw someone on here mention something about Nutella on the cruise. That prompted me to email them and ask nicely for our own table as there's no way we can sit right next to someone eating my allergen--my throat gets all itch and I"m not paying $6K to be miserable that trip!

 

[owensamo]

We are cruising August 2019 and I already emailed them to ask for private table due to our allergies. There are many for me and my kid but we can't sit near anyone eating something smelly with it like Nutella or Peanut Butter and I saw someone on here mention something about Nutella on the cruise. That prompted me to email them and ask nicely for our own table as there's no way we can sit right next to someone eating my allergen--my throat gets all itch and I"m not paying $6K to be miserable that trip!

This is a consideration for many people, and a good reason to request a private table, but be aware - tables in the dining rooms and buffet are very close together. Often times even though your table is separate, you are just as close to other diners as you would be if you were at the same table - if not closer! Disney's table spacing in my experience isn't as bad as Celebrity's (we had tables that were about an inch from the next table over on Celebrity - I have no idea how the servers navigated), but the tables are packed very closely together, so there really isn't a way that the servers can ensure that you are not seated next to someone who orders something with peanut butter or nutella. Fortunately, there aren't many dinner menu items with those ingredients, so you're probably okay. I've seen them served more frequently for breakfast in the dining rooms and on the buffet.

If you are concerned about sitting near other diners in the buffet, I would recommend sitting at a table out on deck rather than in the dining room - they're much better spaced outside than inside. This is a great option if the weather is nice as well. There are usually tables both at the back of Cabanas as well as on the pool deck.

 

[doublesided]

This is a consideration for many people, and a good reason to request a private table, but be aware - tables in the dining rooms and buffet are very close together. Often times even though your table is separate, you are just as close to other diners as you would be if you were at the same table - if not closer! Disney's table spacing in my experience isn't as bad as Celebrity's (we had tables that were about an inch from the next table over on Celebrity - I have no idea how the servers navigated), but the tables are packed very closely together, so there really isn't a way that the servers can ensure that you are not seated next to someone who orders something with peanut butter or nutella. Fortunately, there aren't many dinner menu items with those ingredients, so you're probably okay. I've seen them served more frequently for breakfast in the dining rooms and on the buffet.

If you are concerned about sitting near other diners in the buffet, I would recommend sitting at a table out on deck rather than in the dining room - they're much better spaced outside than inside. This is a great option if the weather is nice as well. There are usually tables both at the back of Cabanas as well as on the pool deck.

Thanks. We don't plan on eating at the buffet at all, only the sit down dining and eating out while in the ports. We don't do buffets in general. So we should have limited exposure and we won't be going to all the sit down dining nights either if it's not convenient and we are still enjoying the town.

 

[bumbershoot]

We tried one Disneyland trip to get a sense of the herb/spices used in the menu dishes and we finally gave up because the waiters were too confused about what we were asking.

At a table service, ask for the chef. They know what’s in the food.

At a quick service, ask for the ingredient book. Those books have the ingredient labels stuck to pages to show everything in the dish and it’s easily updated by them.

You were asking the wrong people for the wrong things. Now you know!


No matter what, anyone ordering anything will hold things up for the next people in “line”. So whether you’re sitting with others or not, the servers have other people to get to. If it’s only the perception that you’re delaying others that’s worrying you, stop, and either dine alone or don’t. The delay will be the same.

And the oeopne before you are slowing your service, and the people before them and so on and so on.

We sailed once where there was a family of Orhodox Jews. DCL had all of their foods prepared and packaged ahead of time. They ate in Cabanas as well as the main dining rooms.

I know that in the parks and on other cruiselines kosher meals are not made there. They are pre-made and pre-packaged. So they basically pre-ordered and are getting that.

Unless Disney does it differently than they do in the parks and as they do on other cruise lines, it’s not quite the same as modifying dishes for allergies or sensitivities.

But it is very cool that cruiselines do it.

This is a consideration for many people, and a good reason to request a private table, but be aware - tables in the dining rooms and buffet are very close together. Often times even though your table is separate, you are just as close to other diners as you would be if you were at the same table - if not closer!

Yep.

 

[Dug720]

Thanks. We don't plan on eating at the buffet at all, only the sit down dining and eating out while in the ports. We don't do buffets in general. So we should have limited exposure and we won't be going to all the sit down dining nights either if it's not convenient and we are still enjoying the town.

Again, be aware of how close the tables are. And even in the dining room, there is no guarantee that the people at the table next to yours won't order nutella or peanut butter.

Short of eating in your cabin for every meal, there is no way to avoid food smells. DCL is as accommodating as they can be, but they are not going to tell a table next to you that they can't have nutella or peanut butter.

 

[mom2brooke76]

Which ship are you sailing on? My daughter has a sunflower allergy, so we also have difficulty in restaurants, etc, because sunflower oil is used so often. She just finished her 9th Disney cruise and we have a particular head server we request on the Dream. He's fantastic with her allergies all over the ship and on Castaway Cay. Make sure you call and alert them to her allergy ahead of time.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Again, be aware of how close the tables are.

For example, Enchanted Garden:

 

[Starwind]

I have anaphylaxsis allergies to milk, tree nuts, peanuts, and seafood. The seafood one is airborne.

We always request a private table through DCL Special Services and have always been given one.

Each night at the end of dinner in the MDR we pre-order our dinner for the following night. We browse the DCL app during the day and read the menus for the following day and decide what we want, then when it comes time to order we are just confirming what we want instead of spending time deciding. It also lets us see that our favourite soup is in another restaurant that night so we order it And it lets the chefs have maximum time (nearly a whole day) to modify things to make them safe for us. Our fallback options are to order from the "lighter fare" menu, which is pretty basic but sometimes that is just perfect. My go-to is either plain chicken breast or steak with potato or plain rice and steamed veggies. They do a lot of cooking from scratch, and they have all the raw ingredients, so many many things are possible [some aren't obviously.... e.e. i would not even ask them to make the creamsy cheese baked potato soup safe for me, though it may be possible... but that is an awful lot of milk product to have to replace ;-) OTOH, they DO make an awesome dairy-free butternut squash soup ).

We have also found pre-ordering breakfast and lunch at the same time to be very helpful as well -- it gives more options (Mickey Waffles!) and just makes things easier, IME. We usually do breakfast and lunch wherever our serving team will be at.

Also, by preordering, you don't hold up anyone's dinner. And you don't have to have a discussion about is a b and c in thee dish (though you can) so much as i want X and can't have a b and c. Your serving team will know you allergen list, but I found it handy to have a Chef Card with me just in case as a written reference.

To prepare for our cruise, we contact DCL Special Services well in advance of the cruise. See https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/guest-services/special-dietary-requests/ and their phone # is 407-566-3602. We've done 5 cruises with DCL now and have our 6th-8th planned. For the first couple we did phone calls with Special Services, now we are usually good with an email exchange (they followup with a quick call to confirm everything) . Those first cruises, they were wonderful at explaining how things worked, etc.

We make sure they know our food allergies, including the nuances of it [e.g. for me, milk allergies means milk and milk derivatives from ANY mammal, not just cows, so goat, buffalo, etc is out too].

In your case, you'll have to consider if it would just be safer for her to avoid the list of allergens outright for the whole cruises, then you don't have to be as concerned with matching/timing heartrate and eating, etc. Anaphylaxsis is not something you want to experience out at sea, though they do have a well-equiped medical centre on board with very nice staff !

What we do when we order is basically, "I want X, Y and Z" and the server or head server (whichever is taking our order) will let us know if it can likely be modified safe or if it definitely can't. But lots can be. And, if it can't exactly be the chefs will come up with a variation of it - I've had sauces modified, no sauce, sides substituted and altered, etc. So for example, I LOVE strawberry shortcake, and it is something I miss since developing a dairy allergy. They had it on the menu for dessert one night, so I asked if I could have a ssafe strawberry shortcake. And if not, then chef's choice (our default for dessert). The server said he would see but wasn't sure if they could make it safe. Well, they did ! Creatively Strawberries, non-dairy ice cream, and Enjoy life snickerdoodle cookies as the "shortcake". Not "real" strawberry shortcake, but pretty awesome, and a great creative go at making it A definite win !

If you have questions, feel free to ask.

Good luck !

SW

 

[Dug720]

I have anaphylaxsis allergies to milk, tree nuts, peanuts, and seafood. The seafood one is airborne.

We always request a private table through DCL Special Services and have always been given one.

Each night at the end of dinner in the MDR we pre-order our dinner for the following night. We browse the DCL app during the day and read the menus for the following day and decide what we want, then when it comes time to order we are just confirming what we want instead of spending time deciding. It also lets us see that our favourite soup is in another restaurant that night so we order it And it lets the chefs have maximum time (nearly a whole day) to modify things to make them safe for us. Our fallback options are to order from the "lighter fare" menu, which is pretty basic but sometimes that is just perfect. My go-to is either plain chicken breast or steak with potato or plain rice and steamed veggies. They do a lot of cooking from scratch, and they have all the raw ingredients, so many many things are possible [some aren't obviously.... e.e. i would not even ask them to make the creamsy cheese baked potato soup safe for me, though it may be possible... but that is an awful lot of milk product to have to replace ;-) OTOH, they DO make an awesome dairy-free butternut squash soup ).

We have also found pre-ordering breakfast and lunch at the same time to be very helpful as well -- it gives more options (Mickey Waffles!) and just makes things easier, IME. We usually do breakfast and lunch wherever our serving team will be at.

Also, by preordering, you don't hold up anyone's dinner. And you don't have to have a discussion about is a b and c in thee dish (though you can) so much as i want X and can't have a b and c. Your serving team will know you allergen list, but I found it handy to have a Chef Card with me just in case as a written reference.

To prepare for our cruise, we contact DCL Special Services well in advance of the cruise. See https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/guest-services/special-dietary-requests/ and their phone # is 407-566-3602. We've done 5 cruises with DCL now and have our 6th-8th planned. For the first couple we did phone calls with Special Services, now we are usually good with an email exchange (they followup with a quick call to confirm everything) . Those first cruises, they were wonderful at explaining how things worked, etc.

We make sure they know our food allergies, including the nuances of it [e.g. for me, milk allergies means milk and milk derivatives from ANY mammal, not just cows, so goat, buffalo, etc is out too].

In your case, you'll have to consider if it would just be safer for her to avoid the list of allergens outright for the whole cruises, then you don't have to be as concerned with matching/timing heartrate and eating, etc. Anaphylaxsis is not something you want to experience out at sea, though they do have a well-equiped medical centre on board with very nice staff !

What we do when we order is basically, "I want X, Y and Z" and the server or head server (whichever is taking our order) will let us know if it can likely be modified safe or if it definitely can't. But lots can be. And, if it can't exactly be the chefs will come up with a variation of it - I've had sauces modified, no sauce, sides substituted and altered, etc. So for example, I LOVE strawberry shortcake, and it is something I miss since developing a dairy allergy. They had it on the menu for dessert one night, so I asked if I could have a ssafe strawberry shortcake. And if not, then chef's choice (our default for dessert). The server said he would see but wasn't sure if they could make it safe. Well, they did ! Creatively Strawberries, non-dairy ice cream, and Enjoy life snickerdoodle cookies as the "shortcake". Not "real" strawberry shortcake, but pretty awesome, and a great creative go at making it A definite win !

If you have questions, feel free to ask.

Good luck !

SW

Curious how you handle the airborne seafood one since even at a private table there will be tables around yours. Are those people informed that they cannot order seafood? I'd be pretty livid if I paid money for a cruise and was told "Sorry, because you got the luck of the draw to be at a table next to someone with an allergy, you cannot order anything from this food group." (Seafood would not be an issue for me because I find it disgusting anyway. But a lot of people would want it.)