Food Allergies and Counter Service Meals

[Goofy4TheWorld]

I have read plenty of praise about how Disney chefs are knowledgeable and accommodating for all sorts of food allergies. However, my wife and I want to do mostly food courts and counter service for our next trip, because 1) we think there is way too much fun to be had at Disney to spend all week watching the clock waiting on our next ADR, and 2) we have no interest in trying to manage a 2½ year old at 2-3 sit down restaurants a day (that’s no vacation for us.) So I need some information on counter service foods.

Our concern is for our 2½ year old who is allergic to EGGS and PEANUTS. I am wondering whether the staple foods available at most counter service and food courts around will have eggs or peanuts, foods like hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, chicken strips/nuggets, spaghetti, mac & cheese (can this be found anywhere CS?), etc… I have read that these places have the information available in a book beside each cash register, but I would like to go with somewhat of a plan of what’s OK, and just double-check that plan at the cash register. I have read about people emailing special diets at Disney, but it’s always within the context of an ADR and not counter service meals.

Does the special diets email (or somewhere else) provide detailed allergy information for food courts and counter service foods in advance? Or is it just for table service locations? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[Jennifer_and_Chris]

Hello! Our 2.5 year old is allergic to eggs as well. And we try to stay away from peanuts as much as we can although she is not allergic to them (yet).

We are leaving in 2 days and here is what we did....

We emailed the special needs team at Disney and they sent us the forms to fill out. They also sent us their current vendors lists of common Disney items' allergen chart. We are on the Quick Service plan and also plan to do 3 Table Service meals. The person that contacted us back was very nice and she said to fill out the form and send it back to her. She assurred us that they would take every precaution they could... even with counter service. So, we sent her the list of restaruants that we planned to eat at, list of snacks we planned to have and the 3 table service meals.

A few days later, she contacted us via email saying that she has made all the restaruants aware of our itnerary and that when we get to them, to ask to speak to the chef (table service) or the food services manager (counter service) and they would have an alternate menu for our DD. Talk about excellent service! She said they couldn't really do much for the snacks but provide us with the allergen chart. She also said that she would have the most current snack allergen chart available for us when we check in to our resort.

She also assurred us that we wouldn't have to contact them again before we check in - but, feel free to - unless we changed any of our dining plans.

This is the greatest service every for those of us who live with allergies. Now, my vacation won't be riddled with worry about allergies. Disney has helped us truly enjoy!

FYI... they have eggless chocolate chip cookies available at almost everywhere they are sold! My DD will be in having cookies that everyone else can eat too!

[Goofy4TheWorld]

Originally Posted by Jennifer_and_Chris

Hello! Our 2.5 year old is allergic to eggs as well. And we try to stay away from peanuts as much as we can although she is not allergic to them (yet).

Since your situation is a mirror image of mine, I would love to hear how the trip went for you when you get back, so please post on here how things went with managing the egg allergy at food courts and counter service locations. Have a great trip!

Anyone else have any experiences with egg allergies and counter service or food court meals?

[Jennifer_and_Chris]

We are leaving tomorrow! I can't believe it's here...

I will definetly let you know how our trip went. I will be posting trip reports that will include everything we experience including the allergy experience.

I'll also post here to give you the real low down.

in less than 10 hours we'll be on the road!!

[Goofy4TheWorld]

Originally Posted by Jennifer_and_Chris

I will definetly let you know how our trip went. I will be posting trip reports that will include everything we experience including the allergy experience.

My wife and I can't wait!

[Bubbie Girl]

I to look forward to hearing how your trip went with the food allergies. We are going to WDW in July and our little boy who will be 2 then also has severe peanut, tree nut and egg allergies. Hope you had a great time at Disney World and everyone stayed healthy.

[Jennifer_and_Chris]

Here's the quick and dirty for where we went and how they handled my daughter's egg allergy. I have full trip reports coming but, wanted to get out the food allergy summary out quickly for those who may need it sooner!

Ohana dinner - My aunt beat us there and checked in for us. As soon as we were all together, the hostess sat us down and immediately asked who was the guest with the allergy. She introduced us to our waitress and the waitress said that the chef was on his way. She took drink orders and informed the rest of the table (there were 13 of us) that she could take the drink orders but, could not bring out any drink or food until the chef has spoken with me about the menu. The chef came out and was very knowledgeable about the offerings. They kept the peanut dipping sauce on the other end of the table (but he offered to not bring it out at all). Since my dd is only allergic to eggs (we just keep our distance from peanuts as much as possible just in case) we said that was fine for the rest of the table to have the sauce. She could not have the potstickers - they use an egg wash to seal the wonton wrapper, bread (has eggs to brown the top), and bread pudding. Everything else was fine. She loved the noodles and steak.

WE LOVED THE BREAD PUDDING!!!!! I thought that she would feel left out and they'd just bring a plate of pineapple or bananas or something. For dessert, she was given her own GIGANTIC ice cream sundae with eggless cookies! Let me try to explain this monstrosity of calories...
a quarter of a pineapple was the "bowl" of the dessert, then a scoop of vanilla ice cream, skewers of bananas and marshmallows were sticking out of the pineapple in a tripod form over the icecream. The thing was taller than I was sitting down! When the chef brought it to the table, he poured chocolate sauce in front of her, threw a generous scoop of whipped cream, let her put on the sprinkles and she got to pick a cherry for the top.

Sadly the cherry never made it to the top. In her mouth it went!

Ohanas gets 2

[Jennifer_and_Chris]

Our next sit down was Boma's for my birthday. Since this was buffet, no one else had to wait. The Chef came out to walk the buffet with me. She could not have the fallafel, the egg/meat pie (forgot what it was called - quiche-like), no chicken nuggets but, the chef offered to make the allergy free tenders if she wanted them, no mac-n-cheese but, he could make her a separate plate of noodles with some melted cheese on it, none of the cold salads that had mayo or egg and of course, no desserts. He would make one for her.

While I mourned for my dd's missing of the zebra domes, when her dessert came out, I need not feel bad. Again, it was a grand dessert that she could not finish and my older dd took pity on her and helped her finish her meal.

Again Bom's gets 2

[Jennifer_and_Chris]

The last of our table service was 1900 park fare. The chef came out before the server could get our drink orders! There was very few items that she could not have. Mostly salad dressings, mac-n-cheese, quiche and desserts. So, she had noodles, pizza and salad without any dressing... she loves it plain!

They did have rice krispie treats and soft serve ice cream so, she was more than content to have that.

The chef here was knowledgable but, wasn't as warm and welcoming as the other two. He was informative, but, I don't know... just not as warm and fuzzy as the other 2 chefs we met.

over all... 1.5 and only.5 off for the lack of warm and fuzzy.

[Jennifer_and_Chris]

Ok.. the Quick service meals...

ABC Commissary - This was great. While she was pretty limited on what she could eat, the manager was great. She came with her ingredients book and said that chicken tenders and fries would be the safest for her. She said that there is an allergen free fryer that only she uses to personnally make the allergy meals. So, she had the chicken tenders, fries, apple juice box and a pack off eggless, peanut free, dairy free chocolate chip cookies. She loved them all.

Columbia Harbor House - The manager didn't seem to really know the menu or the ingredients. She kept thumbing through the book and couldn't really find whatever it was she was looking for. She could have the fish and chips, grilled chicken salad and yogart for dessert. She couldn't have any of the dressings but, the vinagrete which she didn't like. But, instead she had some bbq sauce for her chicken... and remember, she eats salad plain. ate the entire yogart and all the chicken and tomatos on her salad.

Earl of Sandwich - The manager just happened to be standing next to me and assured me there were no eggs or peanuts in the bread. They would just have to leave off the mayo if there was any for the sandwich for her. She had a turkey sandwich and loved it.

Pecos Bill Cafe - The manager here had the book of ingredients and had me read it. Must have been new as he was really nice but, didn't know much about the allergy information. Here she had some of my husband's hamburger and a handful of fries and wasn't very hungry for anything else. She actually ate a scoop of the mushrooms and a couple tomato slices from the toppings bar. She also dipped her fries in the cheese sauce.

Artist's Palette (Saratoga Springs) - The chef was great here. New off the top of his head what she could have and just gave me those options. She had a hot dog meal one day, cheese flatbread another and even had breakfast! He made her a special biscuit with chocolate chip eyes and mouth.

Captain Cook's (Polynesian) - Since my daughter loves noodles, we got here the noodle stirfry. Noodles are EGG-FREE!!! So, we got a big bowl of this for her and she was in heaven. For dessert, she got a rice krispy treat - the dole whip machine was broken

Yak-n-Yetti Quick Service - There wasn't much that she could have but, the chef was very nice and accomodating. He made her a "hamburger" stirfry with white rice. He chopped up a hamberger - which was save, stirred in some fresh steamed veggies (broccoli, carrots and cauliflower) with a side of rice. My daughter actually enjoyed it. I don't remember what she had for dessert. But, we had snacks with us, so she didn' miss anything.

And I think that was it... If I go through my trip reports and find something more, I'll make sure to post it!

Hope this helps! I felt totally confident with Disney's dining services and special dietary needs.

[Goofy4TheWorld]

Okie dokie, I just received from WDW Special Diets the “Food Allergy/Diet Reference Sheet,” and have been churning over that together with your posts, and have put together some thoughts.

It looks like your daughter is very good about eating a wide variety of foods. My son is, as of now, a pretty picky eater (a gene which I accept full responsibility for) and unless things change, pizza, chicken tenders, and mac-and-cheese would normally be our best bets for CS meals. He does eat a lot of vegetables, but getting those at counter service seems out of reach (not counting salads, which we have never tried with him.)

Disney’s allergy information sheet left me confused about counter-service pizza (which I assume is the same at every food-court and counter service location on property.) You mentioned pizza at 1900 Park Fare being okay, but did you have any experience with pizza at food courts or any counter service location, or did you confirm for sure that is does have eggs? The Special Diets sheet talks about Amy’s Cheese Pizza, but that just lists as gluten free, not free of any other allergens. Pizza is a biggie for trying to feed me AND my son when eating counter service.

Special diet’s email listed all chicken strips and nuggets as containing egg, but it appears that if the menu says “Chicken Breast Nuggets” that it is the allergy-free nuggets listed separately. So I guess only the limited locations listed in the special diets email will have egg-free chicken nuggets, right? It looks like Cosmic Rays does not have the egg-free nuggets, which is a bummer if true. Good to read about the ABC Commissary having the allergen-free deep fryer and the great manager to match.

Now on to the mac-and-cheese. Just like the pizza, Disney lists Amy’s Mac-and-Cheese as gluten free, but nothing else. Was Boma and 1900 the only two places you confirmed mac-and-cheese had eggs, or were other places off-limits also? It looks like it may be a no-go across the property, which is another blow for my son. I was pleased that Boma made kinda-sorta mac-and-cheese for her, so maybe some of my potential ADR choices could swing something like that if needed.

Now for the table service locations. Were you able to ask Disney in advance whether particular items at a specific restaurant had eggs, or like me, did Disney limit their information to some counter-service foods and direct you to the see the chef for table service locations. There are some places my wife and I are considering that, if the one or two things our son might eat from their menu were to contain egg, we might be in big trouble. Did you have any information on TS menu items ahead of time, or did you just go assuming they would come up with something for her to eat (which seems easier to do for such a cooperative eater!)

After pouring over my 3” ring binder full of menus, and bringing in the Special Diets email together with your posts, I think my wife and I may be better served doing more table service and less counter service than we origionally planned. Not being able to eat chicken nuggets except at a few select location, and pizza and mac-and-cheese appearing to be off limits across the board at CS locations, vegetables having limited CS availability, and the fact that my wife and I prefer to eat egg-free food ourselves (and we never eat egg-containing foods at the same time) all combine to make me feel like TS locations would give us a wider variety of safe food, even if they have to cook something not on the menu (ie, grilled cheese).

Glad to see that you had such a great time with food, and glad to see you survived the flu! But most of all, a big thank you for taking the time to pass along what you experienced; having boots-on-the-ground feedback really, really helps a lot!

[Jennifer_and_Chris]

My DD will eat or at least try what everyone else is eating. We also vary rarely eat "egg" food with her in attendance. Actually, this trip is really the first time we have eaten out with her as we are so paranoid.

The allergen sheets are a bit hard to decifer. My husband left it up to me since he could not understand the dozens of pages that they sent.

Did you get the list of where the allergen free chicken tenders are served? I think it was fairly long. While the kids love pizza, we really didn't eat anywhere for counter service that served pizza. That wasn't by design, it was just because someplace else sounded better. But, at the resort, the Artist's Palette had cheese flatbread that was a pizza on fancy bread. That was safe for her. All the table service (except Ohana) had pizza and it was all safe for her. At Ohana's the chef said that if she didn't like anything to have the waitress fetch him and he would make something for her. But, she loves noodles and the beef so, it worked. I don't think the Poly has pizza on any of their menus though (maybe room service and/or Kona Cafe) .... at least I don't remember it.

Pretty much all the mac-n-cheese is off limits unless, a chef makes a special order at a table service place like Boma's did. In fact, I brought a small box of mac-n-cheese from home in case we needed it. I made it one night that we stayed home for them (and DH went to Wolfgang Pucks express for us - which by the way, I forgot to add! The pasta at Wolfgang Express was safe for her to eat!) and brought the leftovers with us the next day in a container. This of course is what we do here at home. But, nevertheless... we did it once while on vacation just because it was easier and she is a snacker... she eats like 4-6 times a day.

The form for the Special Needs was key. sounds like you aren't at that point yet. But, when you do decide where you're going to eat and what days, make sure to send that to them. I put comments for every place what we are hoping to be able to feed her from there and our "when all else fails" list of foods (noodles with any type of cheese, chicken nuggets, tomatoes (yes, tomatoes!), pizza and broccoli). For Counter services, this also helps them to plan their orders for the day/week so they have enough of the allergen alternatives on hand. BTW... the allergen free chicken is not "nuggets" they are the longer tenders.

I'm glad this helped... and now I think I forgot to write the Wolfgang Puck Express and Yakitori House review.... I'll do that tonight if I don't get time at work.

The table service definitely caters more to special needs as the chef is there to make special meals. We didn't want to be tied down to ressies everyday so, we picked the quick service meal plan. So, if that's what makes you more comfortable, go for it! Either way, Disney does STEPS AND LEAPS above what other places do for guests with special dietary needs. We also had 3 people with Diabetes with us and had to account for their needs too.

[ElenitaB]

As "Amy" is no stranger in my kitchen , I checked the ingredients for you. The mac n' cheese (the "plain" not the one with soy cheese) ingredients are:

Organic Macaroni (Organic Semolina Flour, Organic Whole Wheat Flour, Water), Organic Low Fat Milk, Cheddar Cheese (Without Animal Enzymes Or Rennet), Grade A Butter, Organic Rice Flour, Sea Salt, Annatto.

As for Amy's pizza, here is what is listed for Amy's single-serve cheese pizza:

Organic Wheat Flour With Organic Wheat Bran, Filtered Water, Part-Skim Mozzarelle Cheese, Organic Tomato Puree, Organic Virgin Olive Oil, Honey, Sea Salt, Organic Red Onions, Expeller Pressed High Oleic Safflower And/Or Sunflower Oil, Yeast, Spices*, Organic Garlic, Black Pepper.
CONTAINS MILK AND WHEAT.

*100% PURE HERBS AND SPICES (NO HIDDEN INGREDIENTS)

THIS PRODUCT IS MADE IN A FACILITY THAT PROCESSES FOOD CONTAINING SOY, TREE NUTS AND SEEDS. AMY'S KITCHEN DOES NOT USE ANY PEANUTS,FISH, SHELLFISH OR EGGS.

• Contains Wheat
• Contains Milk Ingredients

You might consider calling them to see exactly which Amy's products they use (there are seemingly a gazillion different types of pizza). They probably can also help you decipher the menus they sent.

Jennifer_and_Chris, honestly, you rock! Thanks so much for your helpful tips.

[TBlount]

After many trips to WDW, we now have a child who must be on a gluten-free diet. In addition to that, she does not eat meat, so there are very few choices. How do I get the “Food Allergy/Diet Reference Sheet?" that someone referred to?

[Jennifer_and_Chris]

Originally Posted by ElenitaB

Jennifer_and_Chris, honestly, you rock! Thanks so much for your helpful tips.

No problem!!!! Glad to help out!

Originally Posted by TBlount

After many trips to WDW, we now have a child who must be on a gluten-free diet. In addition to that, she does not eat meat, so there are very few choices. How do I get the “Food Allergy/Diet Reference Sheet?" that someone referred to?

You can go to disney.com and just type in special dietary as your key words. You'll come to a page that has information and contact information. I believe they also have the form online that you can fill out and fax or email back. That's how I got to it. In the reply back, you'll get a name and number of someone you can contact with specific questions. HTH

[Goofy4TheWorld]

Originally Posted by TBlount

After many trips to WDW, we now have a child who must be on a gluten-free diet. In addition to that, she does not eat meat, so there are very few choices. How do I get the “Food Allergy/Diet Reference Sheet?" that someone referred to?

From the Disney website:

If you need additional information regarding your special dietary requests you are welcome to contact us by email at SpecialDiets@DisneyWorld.com or by telephone at (407) 824-5967.

I sent them an email telling them that I was coming in June 2010 and needed as much information on counter service foods that I can get. They replied with an email telling me what to do, and attached 4 Microsoft Word files, which were as follows:
- Guest Dietary Letter
- OP Allergy Menus for Epcot
- Guest Allergy/Dietary Request Form
- Food Allergy Dietary Reference Sheet

The last one gave the most information, and would be really helpful for a gluten free diet. However, nothing Disney has sent me has covered any food at any Table Service restaurant EXCEPT for the few listed in the "Epcot" file. The "Reference Sheet" covered a lot of information, but was a strain to understand whether the products that are listed as available at a particular CS location were the standard product offering, or where a special request item.

As far as Table Service foods, it looks like you (and me) will have to go and have faith Disney chefs will find our children something to eat, since Disney appears to have no information to hand out in advance on Table Serive foods (which does not surprise me, given the vast array of foods that they prepare throughout the property). I am sure they will do just that, but with picky eaters, it may be a little time consuming.

[Goofy4TheWorld]

Originally Posted by ElenitaB

As "Amy" is no stranger in my kitchen , I checked the ingredients for you.....

Wow! Thank you very much for that information. That helps tremendously.

AMY'S KITCHEN DOES NOT USE ANY PEANUTS,FISH, SHELLFISH OR EGGS.

With Amy's making this bold statement, I feel very safe with them. Regardless of which "flavor/variety" of Amy's pizza Disney sells, it will be egg free!