The Disney Chronicles: Dining out with 3 food-allergic children – Day 1

How many times have I called Disney “the gold standard” in dealing with food allergies?  How many times have others beamed with enthusiasm about Disney, on both the AllergyEats Blog and our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/allergyeats)?  And how many times have there been glowing comments about Disney’s ability to accommodate food-allergic diners on other blogs, message boards, etc.?

Answer?  A lot!

So, now I find myself back in Disney.  Five years and two more children after our last family vacation to “the happiest place on earth,” my wife and I now have 5 children, 3 with food allergies, and both sets of parents in tow!  Anyone want to switch places?  Anyway, here I am, sporting my AllergyEats polos and T-shirts (along with the rest of the family), and I’ve decided to share each of our dining experiences on this vacation.  No holds barred – this will be the good, the bad, and the ugly.  I have no bias and no agenda, except to share my real-world experiences.

As background, my 3 food allergic children are as follows:

• 13-year-old son: peanut, tree nut
• 8-year-old son: peanut, tree nut, dairy, sesame
• 1-year-old daughter: egg

 
DAY ONE:
 

We didn’t arrive at Disney until 4PM, but that gave us just enough time to check into our hotel and make it to our 5:10PM dinner reservation at Crystal Palace.  Now, I generally strongly advise against food-allergic individuals going to buffet restaurants… but hey, this is where some of the popular Disney characters greet the children!… and we’re prepared.  (I guess mentioning here that my oldest kids were too embarrassed to take pictures with the characters, while my younger ones were hiding or crying, is irrelevant.)

We didn’t even make it through the doors when I first had to check-in at the restaurant (they keep to a very tight schedule).  Upon check-in, they already had our allergies in the computer and told me a chef would visit us when we were seated.  Nice.  Check.  Once inside and sitting down, our waitress acknowledged our food allergies, placed a ticket on the table that had “ALLERGIES” stamped boldly at the top, and re-affirmed that the chef would be coming over to talk to us.  Another check.

Finally, it was go time.  Chef Andrew from Sarasota Springs, NY promptly greeted us at our table, reviewed our children’s allergies, and invited us to “tour” the buffet with him.  I took my two food-allergic boys.  It was a huge buffet with many choices.

For my older son with nut allergies, virtually everything was okay with the exception of some assorted bread products.  The standard dinner rolls were okay too, so long as I was comfortable with the “processed in a facility where nuts are used” disclaimer.  We are, but with all the other options, my son had no need to try one.

For my middle son with the more assorted food allergies, dairy seemed to pose a problem.  Out with this, out with that – seemed everything except veggies were out.  Fortunately, the have a cutting board with some nice steak that my son likes.  Nevertheless, I’m becoming more and more dismayed… until Chef Andrew saves the day!  He can make dairy/egg/gluten-free chicken nuggets in the back (yes), whip up some french fries (nice), and get some fresh cous cous (which my son loves) without us taking the cross-contamination risk from the buffet!  Combined with the steak and the dessert (wait for it…), my son ends up practically eating his body weight!… safely! (Yes, they did have many healthy food choices, but this is Day 1 of our vacation, and my son doesn’t get to have this kind of food often.)

So, what about dessert?  Well, most of you know that dessert is a nightmare, especially with nut, dairy, and egg allergies, amongst others.  Chef Andrew recommends just the soft-serve machine for my oldest son and my daughter.  For my middle son, he will make a special nut/dairy/egg/gluten-free brownie… along with rice milk ice cream!  Score!!!  (And you should have seen the size of this thing… not to mention my son’s eyes when he saw it!)
 

 
Chef Andrew told me he has served up to forty food-allergic guests in one shift!  It didn’t take long for me to turn around and see him giving another “tour” of the buffet.

Overall, I give Chef Andrew and the Crystal Palace relatively high marks.  The acknowledgement, understanding, and processes were clear positives.  A buffet is always a concern, however, and I was disappointed at the lack of options amongst the dozens of food offerings.  However, huge kudos to Crystal Palace for their willingness to accommodate my middle son with items that were NOT in the buffet or that we were not comfortable taking from the buffet itself.

So, we made it through Day 1 happy and healthy.  Let’s see what tomorrow brings with a full day at the Magic Kingdom and dinner currently planned for the Wilderness Lodge hotel.
 
 

Thoughts?  Have you eaten at the Crystal Palace?  Would you have considered a buffet restaurant… even at Disney?  I want to hear your comments!  Please share them below by clicking Reply.

I’ll be here, blogging each night, for seven days.  Please check back for each day’s update on my experiences and compare them with your own or just comment with your thoughts.

And to make this a little more interesting, we’ll add a little “Where’s Waldo” game.  If you happen to be at Disney right now, look for someone with an AllergyEats T-shirt or hat.  (If you aren’t here but know someone who is and want to win a prize, have them do the looking for you).  Find one of us with the AllergyEats shirt or hat and you can win one of our snazzy AllergyEats T’s for yourself.  One per family and no more than five per day – these are hot!  And if only one or two of you find us this week, we’ll change those T-shirts into $25 gift cards to a restaurant of your choice.

Today, look for us at the Magic Kingdom during the morning and into the early afternoon!

Lastly, if you’ve made it this far, please take a minute to rate any restaurants you’ve recently dined at on our core AllergyEats site at www.allergyeats.com.  Our ratings base continues to grow and accelerate, becoming more and more valuable every day.  Help us continue to make AllergyEats an indispensible tool for dining out with food allergies.

1. Kathy Giannone Says:
   March 16th, 2011 at 4:40 am

   We took our 7 yo to Disney for the first time last summer. He is allergic to peanut and tree-nuts. We did not eat at the Crystal Palace, but did celebrate his birthday by having breakfast at Chef Mickey’s, another buffet set-up. When we checked in, they confirmed his allergies. Someone, not the chef as I recall, walked us around the buffet. My son was being difficult that morning (and THAT had nothing to do with his food allergies!) so nothing looked good to him, even though almost all of it was safe for him to eat, but the waitress cajoled him into having the chef make him special sunny side up eggs rather than the scrambled buffet eggs. His whole mood changed when the chef brought him a Divvies brownie for dessert with a birthday candle on top.
   Disney really does go the extra mile. We will definitely go back.

2. Kim Says:
   March 16th, 2011 at 4:57 am

   Great news about Disney! We were there last year but not Disney “guests” meaning we didn’t stay on Disney property so we didnt’ request any special meals. My two boys both have allergies; one peanuts and tree nuts and the other just like yours, dairy, eggs, tree nuts and sesame. Needless to say, we brought food for our more allergic child. I find Disney very easy to navigate for peanut/tree nut allergies. What I wanted to say is that the Disney bakery, right on Main Street, has Divvies treats! They sell cookies, caramel corn (non dairy), and jelly beans all allergy safe. My kids were thrilled!! Also the usually carry rice ice cream but that day didn’t have any in stock. AND I just read that Downtown Disney just opened an allergy free bakery as well so if you take your family there, please blog and tell us what you think!!

3. food challenged foodie Says:
   March 16th, 2011 at 5:10 am

   The buffets had come highly recommended when we went to Disney a few years ago, given our nut, peanut and dairy allergies. We were very pleased with the whole experience.

4. Shez Says:
   March 16th, 2011 at 5:17 am

   We travel with three celiacs (me and my twins), all of whom are allergic to dairy, my daughter and I are also allergic to soy and I’m allergic to egg. We’re also vegetarians. We’ve had splendid meals at the Crystal palace, however, the Japanese restaurants are not able to offer us anything other than some pretty dismal looking steamed veggies. That aside, despite all our food issues, we always get to eat something at the parks. Our favorite activity, when we’re at Downtown Disney, is to go to Babycakes and get vegan, gfsf cupcakes and cookies. They are better than any gluten containing cupcakes I ever ate prior to my celiac dx.

5. Holli Bassin Says:
   March 16th, 2011 at 5:37 am

   Thanks for this info. We have a trip scheduled to go to Disney next Thanksgiving week. My almost 8 year old is allergic to eggs, dairy, mustard, garlic and kamut flour. We have not yet been to Disney b/c my almost 6 year old was always afraid of the characters. We’ve heard great things and continue to look forward to our visit.

6. Irene Says:
   March 16th, 2011 at 5:48 am

   We went to Disney World with a nearly 2 year old with dairy, egg & peanut allergies last fall. We didn’t eat at Crystal Palace, but we did eat at the Garden Grove, which is a buffet. Did the tour with the chef, there wasn’t anything for our son, but they made him something special (took ages and ages, like over an hour, but when it finally came it was met with approval) and in the meantime, he loved seeing the characters that stopped by. I don’t think we’d go back, because it was out of the way and it took sooooo long, but we’d definitely do another buffet.

   We also ate at Marrakesh at Epcot, this was the adults’ favorite, but our little guy ate all his dinner (ordered off the menu, even!) and he loved looking around the restaurant and watching the musicians and dancers. This was the only place we ordered off the regular menu.

   Diamond Horseshoe (family-style dinner, I think for lunch they’re just sandwiches) was definitely our son’s favorite (we really enjoyed it too). No waiting – they were prepared with safe versions of everything to be put on the table except one item which we were given the option of keeping for us or not (chose to keep it – there was tons of other food) and they made him a special blueberry compote and ice cream dish for dessert. He was in heaven!

   We had breakfast and lunch at the hotel or park food counters. All had safe options for our son and we were always introduced to the chef before ordering.

   Great service all around, except the long delay at the Garden Grove.

7. Ryan Dial Says:
   March 16th, 2011 at 5:55 am

   Buffets have always been a bit of a nightmare for me, with egg, garlic, and onion allergies. Even if items are clearly marked with their ingredients (like Whole Foods’ buffet), it’s often hard for me to find food that is free of allergens and that isn’t meat (I’m also a strict vegetarian; lacto-veg, obviously). American pallets tend to favor garlic flavors. Combine that with the very anti-vegetarian stance of the US and the fact that, for some reason, many people seem to think that vegetables are bland without tons of garlic on them, and I’m out of food in most restaurants. Luckily, most restaurants can cater to me to some degree, but I’ve found this isn’t the case with buffets.

   So, basically, I wouldn’t risk it at buffets, personally. Even at Disney. I enjoy being able to breathe without a tracheotomy way too much.

8. Dana Says:
   March 16th, 2011 at 6:05 am

   good morning..

   I just read your post and got to say we just came back from Disney & going w/ 3 kids w/ food issues I thought it was going to be a nightmare! But it wasn’t!!!

   My 10 year has tree nut allergy, My 5 year old is autistic and very pick based on how something looks/texture.. and my youngest who’s 3, is tree nuts, peanuts & eggs.

   Our first meal was at the crystal palace for breakfast, our ticket said allergy’s, w/a big red stamp on it, the waitress spoke to us, the chef came out and gave us a tour etc..
   Then for my egg/nut free child, made special egg free waffles and prepared bacon & brought over some egg/nut free cookies (& gave us extra to take w/ us!!) for my 5 yr old, made him pancakes in the back b/c he wouldn’t touch the waffles and doesn’t eat much more then that.. My daughter, i was ok w/ her taking stuff from the buffet, we know whats safe for her and the chef also brought over some nut free safe desserts for her.. that was our experience every where we went w/ the kids in Disney, even when they wanted ice cream, they scooped from a “safe” ice cream batch w/ a clean scooper.. etc.. it wasn’t a hassle or felt bothersome.. we had a great experience!

9. Lisa Says:
   March 16th, 2011 at 6:10 am

   Well done on Day Ones Survival. I have 2 boys with Egg, Nut, Dairy and Kiwi allergies. So I am very interested on your trip. We also want to visit Disneyland as we have been told of the safe allergy eating. Please keep the updates on the Egg, Nut and Dairy allergies, as you know all too well it is very hard to eat out.
   Enjoy Day 2.

10. paula Says:
    March 16th, 2011 at 6:45 am

    Wow! It looks like Disney has turned the Crystal Palace around. The last time we ate there it was a disaster. We have had many pleasant meals at Chef Mickey’s Buffet. Thanx for the update!

11. Leah Frederick Says:
    March 16th, 2011 at 6:49 am

    My family and I visited Disney in November. I was nervous but had heard only positive F/A dining experiences from friends. My 4 year old has a severe peanut/ treenut allergy. Every single meal was a success!! Each time we ordered or sat down to eat the chef would discuss our concerns and no food, nort even bread would be brought to our table until he had checked EVERYTHING! When my son wanted an item that was NOT safe, what he was givin in place of the original item, so far exceeded his expectations….all we saw was a gasping, open mouth and WIDE eyes!!! Geeze, for just a second having an allergy seemed pretty awesome. NOT a replacement desert at all, way better in presentation than what the rest of us got!!!!!!! Not to say ours wasnt great. Each meal was approached this way for the 5 days we were there. Best of all, he never felt singled out, instead he felt VERY special. Unfortunately, I cant say the same for Sea World!!! Great place to visit but not sure the staff even knows what a food allergy is!!

12. KD Says:
    March 16th, 2011 at 6:57 am

    I remember a WDW trip with my two sons (one dairy-allergic), and for some reason we went to almost every buffet! But every place we went brought a chef out to walk us around. I remember there being many options at the Animal Kingdom Lodge restaurant/buffet. Good luck!

13. Lora Says:
    March 16th, 2011 at 7:26 am

    You DO NOT want to know our Disney Dining experience!!!

14. Delia Says:
    March 16th, 2011 at 8:03 am

    Thank you for sharing your daily dining experience. After reading your post, I feel my anxiety going down all ready. I will be at Disney in April with husband and three kids that all have food allergies. With all the wonderful things, I hear about Disney I am not worried for my peanut allergy child but am interested to see how they handle child with multiple food allergies (One is allergic to egg, peanut, nut, soy protein, sesame, mustard) plus one that can not have barley.

15. Tracy Says:
    March 16th, 2011 at 8:04 am

    Thanks for the detailed review of day one dining at Disney. We had a fabulous 5 day experience with our food allergic son over a year ago. Buffets are not in our safety zone but I do like that the chefs are happy to pull from the food in the back that has no risk of cross contamination.
    Lora, sounds like you didn’t have a good experience and those of us here would like to hear about it. Good or bad experience are good to hear as a food allergic parent, trust me! Sorry if that was the case for you =(

16. Colleen Says:
    March 16th, 2011 at 10:57 am

    we also ate at the crystal palace and i think we also had chef andrew – great experience though we had to get everything made special in the back be/c my daughter has so many allergies. we loved all the resatuarants except tutto italia in epcot – asst mgr (who called herself the mgr) refused to let me talk directly to the chef – turned into a safe but terrible experience – unfortunately put a damper on the trip as it was the last night we were there and also new year’s eve. had INCREDIBLE chefs the rest of the week especially o’hana and animal kingdom buffet (forget the name). good luck and eat safe!

17. DianneK Says:
    March 16th, 2011 at 11:38 am

    We live in FL and were blessed with Disney passes this year. Our son has a peanut allergy and we had a wonderful dining experience at both 1900 Park Fare at Magic Kingdom and the Biergarten in Epcot during the past year. If you’re still at Disney this weekend, hopefully we will get the chance to meet you as we will be at Magic Kingdom and Epcot this weekend.

18. Lissa Says:
    March 16th, 2011 at 12:07 pm

    Such a fun blog series! I help families with food allergies go to Disney every day, so have had lots of feedback along with the 5 trips I’ve taken with my own food allergic kiddo (who will turn four next week!). Crystal Palace does an okay job, but the best buffet on property for food allergies is over at Chef Mickey’s in the Contemporary Resort. I hope you guys get to visit there! Are you dining at Whispering Canyon Cafe at the Wilderness Lodge? I’ve found their kids’ options surprisingly limited there for allergies so will be anxious to hear your report. I think it’s key to mention to your readers that IN ADDITION to flagging your Advanced Dining Reservations for your allergies you should ALSO contact the Special Diets Team in advance of your trip and fill out their forms. They will make sure the chefs are stocked for your needs ahead of arrival and can also provide up to date information on counter service and snack availability for special dietary needs. Have a magical vacation!!

19. AEPaul Says:
    March 16th, 2011 at 1:19 pm

    Lora, please DO share your experience! It’s important for everyone to hear the good AND not-so-good stories. Not only might it offer valuable information, but it will serve as a reminder that we all have to be on guard EVERYWHERE we go, ALL the time.

20. AEPaul Says:
    March 16th, 2011 at 1:20 pm

    Dianne, rumor has it that we’ll be at Epcot early afternoon on Friday. Think you can find us in our AllergyEats T-shirts and hats?

21. AEPaul Says:
    March 16th, 2011 at 1:22 pm

    Hi Lissa. Sounds like a fun job!
    We were at Chef Mickey’s during our last visit, 5 years ago, and certainly are returning this time (Night 6, I believe). Tonight should be the Whispering Canyon Cafe. But don’t tell anyone – I got T-shirts and possibly more on the line if I’m found!

22. Melissa Says:
    March 16th, 2011 at 6:21 pm

    Thanks so much for your daily updates. We had planned to take our first visit this June but will instead go in October. give me more time to plan! can’t wait to hear more info on best places to visit. I am very interested in hearing about the fast service places as I think that we will do more of that dining than the sit down restaurants. Thanks again.

23. DianneK Says:
    March 17th, 2011 at 5:04 am

    @ Paul, my kids have school on friday we will be at Disney on Saturday and Sunday. Where does rumor have it, you’ll be those days

24. DianneK Says:
    March 17th, 2011 at 5:22 am

    @ Melissa, the fast service restaurants are just as good. A chef will come to talk to you about your allergies and what is safe to eat.

25. Cayti Says:
    March 17th, 2011 at 6:00 am

    BTW – could you find out what df ice cream they use? I haven’t had anything like it since I got back….

26. AEPaul Says:
    March 17th, 2011 at 6:10 am

    Cayti, there do seem to be gf options everywhere we go. As for df, keep reading because this is part of what we’re experiencing each day we’re here. As for df ice cream, I don’t know the brand, but it’s rick milk-based.

27. AllergyFreeMouse Says:
    April 21st, 2011 at 10:34 am

    Cayti,

    The df ice cream at Disney is Rice Dream. As Paul says, it is rice milk based, but produced in a facility that also processes dairy. I don’t know how you feel about that, but we avoid it. We’re trying to get Disney to carry the So Delicious Coconut Milk ice cream. It’s dairy free, on dedicated equipment. Click the link for more dairy free items at Disney.

    - Jeff