Thread for allergy foods updates

[disfan07]

Its been 9 months since my last trip to disney. But I feel like for the most part they do a great job with food allergies. I have had a bad incident at 1 restaurant and though it really is unacceptable I just won't go there again. I have anaphylactic food allergies and oral allergy syndrome. I always carry my epipen with me and chewable children's benadryl. My list of no no foods is long and contains everything from tree nuts, legumes, soy, birch and most fruits and non leafy green vegetables. Considering what I can't eat, I look forward to going to disney and being able to sit down in a restaurant and have a meal. I don't expect them to cater to my allergies at any of the counter service restaurants and do hit the local market to pick up snacks that I can eat and carry them into the parks with me. In truth I have a limited selection of local restaurants I can eat at so going to disney and being able to eat out is a treat. I'm sorry so many people seem so disappointed with things like bread etc but for me there are no safe breads except for Udi's flat bagels thats it unless I make it myself. So eating a burger wrapped in lettuce isn't going to make or break a disney trip for me.
There still needs to be a lot of education about the difference between life threatening allergies and oral allergy syndrome. I get that you don't want to eat something that can cause discomfort but thats different from your life being put in peril if you do eat it. I feel like people wanting to eat paleo or having birch cross sensitivity can avoid what they don't like and even ask for a substitution they don't' need to go through the whole food allergy system. Because you can push those things off your plate they aren't going to kill you. Until the system is truly used for medical reasons its always going to be flawed.

I hope I'm misunderstanding this but are you saying that people with OAS should not be using the allergy system? If so, that doesn't make any sense. oral allergy syndrome can be life threatening for some people. It is rare but it can cause anaphylaxis depending on the individual's severity. So personally, I do think that people with OAS and cross reactions with pollens should not feel bad about utilizing the allergy system at Disney (or anywhere else) for something like OAS.
My entire mouth swelled up after eating banana a few weeks ago. We had no idea that it was one of my OAS foods because I hadn't eaten it in so long but after the first bite, I started to swell up. My allergist warned me that any of my OAS foods (raw nectarines, peaches, plums, apples, bananas, melons, cherries, carrots, cucumber, potatoes, celery, tomatoes, etc) could cause anaphylaxis. But I am a high risk allergy patient with an IgE of 2200 and severe asthma so this might not be applicable to everyone but it's possible. But my allergist tells me to treat it just like all my other allergies. That brings me to a list of around 25 foods that are off limits.

My one pet peeve about the allergy system is people who are using it for life style choices. And you see it mentioned on the vegetarian/vegan thread. You should NOT be be using the allergy system for a lifestyle choice like vegetarian or vegan. Not okay in my book. It harms people like me who can't go anywhere to eat without a system like this in place.

Now if I completely misunderstood about the OAS, ignore the part of my post that talks about OAS.

 

[snorris49]

They use an egg replacer, but I cannot remember what kind and it probably varies by location.

At Kona, they use Bob's Red Mill mix with only rice milk and canola oil, but like PPs said some use variations and also use egg replacer and applesauce. Typically, most of the ones I get are also egg free because they use dedicated equipment for the allergies and they try to cover all the allergens they can.

 

[disfan07]

At Kona, they use Bob's Red Mill mix with only rice milk and canola oil, but like PPs said some use variations and also use egg replacer and applesauce. Typically, most of the ones I get are also egg free because they use dedicated equipment for the allergies and they try to cover all the allergens they can.

My assumption would be that if they use egg replacer it is the ener-g brand because bobs red mill egg replacer is not gluten free.

 

[mistysue]

I agree with disfan 100% on this one. To add, who determines which allergy is severe enough? Your last reaction being minor doesn't mean the next won't be severe, and it works the other way too. "more allergic that you" wars never go well and the allergy sucks just as bad no matter what your last reaction was like. People with celiac's don't stop breathing as a rule, but that doesn't mean we tell them to suck it up and scrape the bread off their chicken, because that bread can still do them real physical harm even when scraped off.
It also bothers me a bit to know people use the allergy system for preferences. (preferences caused by a medical condition, like a sensory disorder, are different) Food being harmful is not the same as food being preferred, and does not require the same customization.

I hope I'm misunderstanding this but are you saying that people with OAS should not be using the allergy system? If so, that doesn't make any sense. oral allergy syndrome can be life threatening for some people. It is rare but it can cause anaphylaxis depending on the individual's severity. So personally, I do think that people with OAS and cross reactions with pollens should not feel bad about utilizing the allergy system at Disney (or anywhere else) for something like OAS.
My entire mouth swelled up after eating banana a few weeks ago. We had no idea that it was one of my OAS foods because I hadn't eaten it in so long but after the first bite, I started to swell up. My allergist warned me that any of my OAS foods (raw nectarines, peaches, plums, apples, bananas, melons, cherries, carrots, cucumber, potatoes, celery, tomatoes, etc) could cause anaphylaxis. But I am a high risk allergy patient with an IgE of 2200 and severe asthma so this might not be applicable to everyone but it's possible. But my allergist tells me to treat it just like all my other allergies. That brings me to a list of around 25 foods that are off limits.

My one pet peeve about the allergy system is people who are using it for life style choices. And you see it mentioned on the vegetarian/vegan thread. You should NOT be be using the allergy system for a lifestyle choice like vegetarian or vegan. Not okay in my book. It harms people like me who can't go anywhere to eat without a system like this in place.

Now if I completely misunderstood about the OAS, ignore the part of my post that talks about OAS.

 

[disfan07]

I agree with disfan 100% on this one. To add, who determines which allergy is severe enough? Your last reaction being minor doesn't mean the next won't be severe, and it works the other way too. "more allergic that you" wars never go well and the allergy sucks just as bad no matter what your last reaction was like. People with celiac's don't stop breathing as a rule, but that doesn't mean we tell them to suck it up and scrape the bread off their chicken, because that bread can still do them real physical harm even when scraped off.
It also bothers me a bit to know people use the allergy system for preferences. (preferences caused by a medical condition, like a sensory disorder, are different) Food being harmful is not the same as food being preferred, and does not require the same customization.

I completely agree with you on the severity issue. A lot of people, including those WITH allergies don't necessarily understand that just because the first reaction (or first dozen or so in my case...lol) is just hives, or just itching, etc does not mean that it can't become more serious. My first reaction to shellfish....anaphylaxis. First reaction to almonds....hives, second reaction, anaphylaxis. You just never know. That is why my allergist prescribes epi pens to anyone who has a food allergy no matter how mild it is. And yes, severity differs between individuals....but I think it's safe to say that an allergy can become life threatening at anytime. It's not something to take lightly IMO.


And I agree with you the other way too. I don't think that just because I have crosscontaminatiom reactions and anaphylactic reactions make my alliergies any more important than someone else's in regards to food service. I believe that everyone with allergies (no matter how severe) deserves the same treatment.

And what I also hate is when people think its so cool that people with food allergies get "special treatment". I would trade with anyone in a split second if it meant that I didn't have to worry about the fact that anything I put in my mouth could cause a reaction. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. I'd give up the "special treatment" in the blink of an eye.

 

[Evi]

I'm not saying to disregard oas but there are people who have oas and have had them tested and know they are not and will not become anaphylactic. Not all oas leads to anaphylactic reactions in all individuals, even with multiple exposures. It all depends on how your iges work, some do and I've had oas turn anaphylactic. Again everyones allergies are different. But I think there is a difference between someone who knows to avoid something because of minor discomfort and someone who cannot consume something due to extreme discomfort or potential life threatening reaction. But thats a whole separate conversation.

The problem is you have people with minor oas list an allergy then order something with said allergen in it and say oh its not so bad. I've seen this and been told by chefs about this. Until disney takes allergies seriously enough to say to x person I can't serve you that because your on this system and if you want x item then you need to get off this system. Then your going to have chefs that don't take allergies seriously. I've also experienced this at Jikos when a chef served me pea tendrils when I clearly stated I have anaphylactic allergy to peas and she said well you can take them off. Her response was if you don't like it remove it. I explained that I was allergic to it was not an issue of liking it. Actually I loved peas until they started causing me breathing issues.

I think until you get people off the system that don't need it again I'm not saying all oas but yeah some don't need it if they are willing to pick and choose their poison. Because they are making it unsafe for the rest of us and making it a bigger battle to fight.
I also don't think every restaurant need to cater to allergies but again having at least one counter service and sit down per park would be nice.

 

[disfan07]

I'm not saying to disregard oas but there are people who have oas and have had them tested and know they are not and will not become anaphylactic. Not all oas leads to anaphylactic reactions in all individuals, even with multiple exposures. It all depends on how your iges work, some do and I've had oas turn anaphylactic. Again everyones allergies are different. But I think there is a difference between someone who knows to avoid something because of minor discomfort and someone who cannot consume something due to extreme discomfort or potential life threatening reaction. But thats a whole separate conversation.

The problem is you have people with minor oas list an allergy then order something with said allergen in it and say oh its not so bad. I've seen this and been told by chefs about this. Until disney takes allergies seriously enough to say to x person I can't serve you that because your on this system and if you want x item then you need to get off this system. Then your going to have chefs that don't take allergies seriously. I've also experienced this at Jikos when a chef served me pea tendrils when I clearly stated I have anaphylactic allergy to peas and she said well you can take them off. Her response was if you don't like it remove it. I explained that I was allergic to it was not an issue of liking it. Actually I loved peas until they started causing me breathing issues.

I think until you get people off the system that don't need it again I'm not saying all oas but yeah some don't need it if they are willing to pick and choose their poison. Because they are making it unsafe for the rest of us and making it a bigger battle to fight.
I also don't think every restaurant need to cater to allergies but again having at least one counter service and sit down per park would be nice.

I personally think that anyone with food allergies has the right to use the system if they want it. I don't think an individuals use should be determined by how severe someone's allergies are. My oat allergy and wheat allergy are not anaphylaxis right now.My allergist has me treat them like they are severe allergies. It's not like peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish which are not ever brought into our house, but she is concerned that they will get worse and the next reaction could be anaphylaxis.

And even mil ore mild OAS reactions cause some mild breathing difficulty so there is nothing mild or "just discomfort" about it.

And you can't tests for whether or not an allergy will become anaphylaxis. It's not possible. You can determine who is at higher risk for anaphylaxis based on previous reaction, IgE and asthma, eczema, etc. but that is not definitive. ANYONE can develop anaphylaxis reactions.

 

[snorris49]

My assumption would be that if they use egg replacer it is the ener-g brand because bobs red mill egg replacer is not gluten free.

That's my assumption too. I've only heard the chefs talk about Ener-G brand not the Bob's Red Mill (but really weird that Bob's Red Mill is so big in the GF industry but they don't have GF egg replace? What's up with that?!)

 

[EEyorelover22]

That is the one the Plaza said that they used.

Of all the places I have had contact with, The Plaza has been the best which others have said on here seems to be the case.

 

[Evi]

I personally think that anyone with food allergies has the right to use the system if they want it. I don't think an individuals use should be determined by how severe someone's allergies are. My oat allergy and wheat allergy are not anaphylaxis right now.My allergist has me treat them like they are severe allergies. It's not like peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish which are not ever brought into our house, but she is concerned that they will get worse and the next reaction could be anaphylaxis.

And even mil ore mild OAS reactions cause some mild breathing difficulty so there is nothing mild or "just discomfort" about it.

And you can't tests for whether or not an allergy will become anaphylaxis. It's not possible. You can determine who is at higher risk for anaphylaxis based on previous reaction, IgE and asthma, eczema, etc. but that is not definitive. ANYONE can develop anaphylaxis reactions.

You seemed to miss my point. If people are going to use the system they need to use it. Not treat it as optional when they get to the restaurants or more sever allergies won't be taken seriously. No testing is 100% but rast testing can help gauge how severe ones allergies are. I'm not here to question how severe someone elses allergies are. I'm saying plain and simple don't use the system if your going to turn around and say oh my allergy to that isn't so serious I can eat it after the fact that you filled out the forms. Because this causes misconceptions in those who are not as well versed in allergies and can lead to a dangerous incident for someone else.

 

[mistysue]

That is a valid concern. I think most of the people doing what you mention are people in situations like my son. He has situations like a soy allergy, but can tolerate soy oil. Of course we list soy on his form, but then if something just has the oil he can have it. Giving him the van's waffle for no wheat is a disaster though. This happens with a lot of people and either oils or baked ingredients. (eggs are a big one for that) I know what you mean about how it gives the chefs the wrong impression. Half of our last trip was spent trying to get my son's body to calm down from our meal at Hollywood and vine. (who kept saying "that is ok, it's just a little bit of soy and dairy is really low in the ingredients." - which part of that is "ok" for somebody dairy and soy allergic?)

I totally get your point if people are directly ordering the allergen. Like if a peanut allergic person said "oh yea, PBJ just this one time is ok" because that is really more how you should treat an intolerance, but it's really hard to judge why people are making the choices they are. But if you are simultaneously telling people you are allergic and that a little is ok, you are creating a dangerous situation for others.
FYI- my son's worst allergy is one that his rast test gives a 0.6 result for... if only telling him the test result could stop the reaction.

You seemed to miss my point. If people are going to use the system they need to use it. Not treat it as optional when they get to the restaurants or more sever allergies won't be taken seriously. No testing is 100% but rast testing can help gauge how severe ones allergies are. I'm not here to question how severe someone elses allergies are. I'm saying plain and simple don't use the system if your going to turn around and say oh my allergy to that isn't so serious I can eat it after the fact that you filled out the forms. Because this causes misconceptions in those who are not as well versed in allergies and can lead to a dangerous incident for someone else.

 

[DCDisney]

It's hard because everyone is different and different Drs have different procedures. I'm allergic to nuts but am allowed to eat produced in the same factory with. I have multiple allergies and some chefs refuse me items I routinely eat that are produced in the same factory with an allergen. It really limits what I can eat and usually means no dessert. Other unusual things I'm MUCH more allergic too like legumes they can be totally cavalier about. It's all very complicated and I prefer when they have checklists and write things down. It seems like 30% of my meals they say something is OK and then double check and run out to tell me what I've haf eaten may not be safe . It's usually soy oil which I am allowed to have.... I do feel for people on special diets though too. I have friends who are vegan and they will get a serious ruining of a day of their trip sick to their stomach if they get a lot f dairy now especially. A trace OK unlike allergies but no need for people to eat things that make them feel bad even if it's not an allergy as long as they are forthright and respectful.

 

[Disney_Princess83]

Sadly my list of allergy's is getting longer and longer and WDW is always amazing! I've only had trouble at Nine Dragons and 50's Prime Time (who were so amazingly rude to us!) I'm allergic to all tree nuts, peanuts, soy products, coconut, rosemary, basil, sesame, malt, skim milk, wheat, yeasr, oats, barley, corn, rice and the list goes on..........

 

[AEPaul]

Disney_Princess83, I'm sorry to hear that your list of allergens is expanding, but happy to hear that WDW can continue to accommodate you as they do so many. That said, it seems everyone has one or two experiences that aren't as "magical" as the others (most seem to be in the EPCOT "countries" which WDW doesn't run directly) and because of that AllergyEats has extended its peer-rated guide to allergy-friendly restaurants by adding a 2nd guide devoted to WDW, its hotels, and the surrounding Orlando area called AllergyEats Disney World.

We'd love to have your experiences added to our large and growing database to help future WDW travelers. Rating a restaurant takes just a minute - you only have to answer 3 multiple choice questions with an optional comment - but again it helps our entire food allergy and intolerance community. I hope you'll consider helping everyone in this way. The site can be found at www.allergyeats.com/disney. Thank you for your consideration.

 

[dj2]

They use a couple of different mixes at the restaurants. The first is Bob's Red Mill Pancake/Waffle mix and the other is Namaste mix. Some locations just use Bob's Red Mill and other's Namaste. Art of Animation's Landscape of Flavors uses a mix of both brands for their allergy friendly waffles.

I'm pretty sure that Chef Mickey's uses the Bob's Red Mill (at least that's what they were using the last time I went about a year ago).

thank you. i tried the namaste mix this morning and it was good. i did find some substitution options for the egg, but i decided first to see if it would work ok with just omitting them.

i cut the quantities in fourth just to try (it's expensive stuff to have to throw out...). i used 1/2 cup mix, 1/4 cup water (which is a little more than they say because of no egg) and 1/2 Tablespoon oil and it pretty perfectly fit in one batch in a two-waffle rival waffle iron.

quite a treat this morning!

thanks again snorris49 for the info!!!

dj

 

[disfan07]

That's my assumption too. I've only heard the chefs talk about Ener-G brand not the Bob's Red Mill (but really weird that Bob's Red Mill is so big in the GF industry but they don't have GF egg replace? What's up with that?!)

For the same reason why they claim to be "allergy friendly" yet make their gluten free flours on the same line as their nut flours. They don't seem to quite "get it" yet IMO. The worst part is, they have basically like taken over many of the GF sections in many stores near me and all of their stuff is off limits.

It makes things very very difficult and not going to lie....just occasionally pisses me off.

And I just want to say that today was our first day at Disney and I went to the food court at 6:30 and got a POP waffle made from JUST Namaste mix. They carry both and usually do a blend but if you are unable to eat bobs red mill, they will make one with just Namaste mix!

Also got allergy chicken tenders tonight...OMG so good!!!!

I will be reporting when I get back but a few quick things...

POP century carrys:
Rocky Mountain popcorn( gluten and nut free)
OMG cookies and brownies (gluten free)
Surf sweets (gluten free, nut free, vegan)
Rice chips (gluten free)

At Crystal palace today I ate sooooo well. The chef brought me three plates from the kitchen with 10 different safe foods that are on the buffet! The chef who was there this afternoon also bakes his own allergy safe brownies. They were gluten free, egg free, dairy free and nut free. Don't remember if they were soy free or not. But sooooo amazing!

At the plaza my meal was good too. They carry GNI buns (gluten free, egg free, dairy free, soy free, corn free), and enjoy life cookies. I got a cheesesteak (no bun....didn't want to try the GNI bun....have never had it before) with grapes. I was told the fries are not made separately and are fried in the same fryer as the chicken nuggets (huge concern of egg cross contamination for me)

Just thought I'd give you a quick update. So far so good. 4 more days!! I'll be doing a full review with pictures later on.

 

[Erin1700]

We just spent 9 days in Disney and were happy with everywhere except Crystal Palace. They had been good in the past, but not this time.

Especially happy with Sci Fi!

 

[disfan07]

We just spent 9 days in Disney and were happy with everywhere except Crystal Palace. They had been good in the past, but not this time.

Especially happy with Sci Fi!

That's so weird because we are here now and crystal palace was wonderful yesterday. We are going back in 3 days again.

 

[Erin1700]

That's so weird because we are here now and crystal palace was wonderful yesterday. We are going back in 3 days again.

Let me know if you get a different Chef and it still is wonderful.

 

[disfan07]

Let me know if you get a different Chef and it still is wonderful.

Did you go for lunch or dinner? We went for lunch and are going back for lunch again. I don't remember who our chef was but we are taking a chance. We've had good luck there everytime we have gone over the past 5 years since I was diagnosed.