Can you update me on the current scoop with Special Diets Info?

[KristenFNJ]

I guess I have to fess up that I don't lurk as much between trips So, the last time we went was October 2011. We're gearing up for our next trip in May 2013, and DH, DS1 and DS2 have celiacs. Last time it was still the procedure to email "Special Diets" with your allergy and the dates you'd be there, and they'd send you the lovely documents with what's available at all the QS and kiosks, the list of brands, allergy friendly foods at Epcot WS restaurants, and the form to submit your ADRs. Things of beauty, every one.

So... now that the website is a disaster , I don't even know if the instructions/link to email Special Diets is there and I can't find it, or if it's gone altogether I vaguely remember the talk regarding all the changes, the switch to Udi's that marked the shake-up of the product list, etc... and I've seen a comment here and there about "how they used to send..." but I'm admitting I have no idea what to do/expect this go-round.

What do folks do these days with special diets? Do you still email Special Diets, and do they send you anything? I sure hope so, I hope they at least send you something, I really don't like the idea of relying on info from a year and a half ago. It would be so disappointed to go from being so very well accommodating, to back to the same old guess/hope/wait/endure when it comes to choosing places to eat and just hoping they will have gf foods my fam will like. I get enough of that in the real world.

Anyway, thanks in advance!!!

 

[mistysue]

They don't really send out info anymore, but you are supposed to email them if you have more than 3 or an unusual allergy/condition.
For just celiacs, you don't need to contact them because there is nothing to do beforehand- it will be easy once you are there.
Note it on any ressies, but they will accommodate you even for walk-in's. The basic answer now is that selections are always changing, so they aren't going to tell you what is available because it may change and they don't want to deal with you being mad that they were out of your cookie flavor that day. My son is wheat/soy/egg/dairy/pn/treenut/shellfish/buckwheat free and nobody at table service places even batted an eye at it.

The cliff notes version of counter service: stick to resorts, Columbia Harbor House, Backlot express, Sunshine seasons and Flame Tree BBQ. Those are the places set up to accommodate you.

 

[babyberger]

I did email special diets recently, after learning DS has a wheat and treenut allergy and they sent me PDF files with list of all the offerings at the resorts and parks, including the brands, which was very helpful since we already know what brands DS does and does not like. It cant hurt to send a quick email to specialdiets@disneyworld.com

Good luck and have a great trip!!!!

 

[mistysue]

I did email special diets recently, after learning DS has a wheat and treenut allergy and they sent me PDF files with list of all the offerings at the resorts and parks, including the brands, which was very helpful since we already know what brands DS does and does not like. It cant hurt to send a quick email to specialdiets@disneyworld.com

Good luck and have a great trip!!!!

That is great news that they sent it!
They spent most of last year making a big deal of how they didn't even want to give out brands they may have.

 

[babyberger]

I just looked at the GF PDF and its dated 11/12/2012. Maybe they were in the process of updating it when they didn't want to send it out. When I have time I'll scan it and post it. In the meantime if anyone wants me to email it to them just send me a PM.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[KristenFNJ]

babyberger, that is FABULOUS news! While I do understand the reason for not doing it, that is what really set Disney apart. I loved being able to look at the GF offerings at each QS and be able to plan for my family to have a variety of foods the actually like on vacation, instead of dry chicken and plain salad or a bunless burger at every meal. Without the forms, you really DON'T know what a QC serves GF until you've waited on line and see the binder, without the lists. Granted, this isn't our first time so I've got a good idea of what's available where, but the very fact that things DO change makes me not want to rely on older info.

That's very interesting MistySue... that also makes sense, but it's confusing that it doesn't say that anywhere on the website that I could find. You'd think if they wanted people with multiple intolerances to contact, they'd tell you. Maybe they just go by ADRs and reach out to those people, who knows. (what about people who only do QS?)

I'm definitely going to give them an email and make a request as if I had no idea they stopped doing it LOL... let's see what I get!

 

[nfceagles]

The new website is a disaster all around. I made my current reservations before the website changed, but the note about how many intolerances and the email address for Special Diets was listed somewhere in the fine print after you check off your allergies. I contacted them, I don't think they go out of their way to contact people based on ADRs.

There had been no reference sheets for a while, including our last trip in Jan 2012, but I just received some lists from Special Diets dated Dec 2012. I was shocked when they emailed them to me. They're a little different than the old lists. They don't give any information about the regular products at the park like the old lists used to. For example, the popcorn, popsicles, turkey legs. But it lists the specialty products generally available at each location. I received 4 lists, one each for milk, egg, peanuts, and tree nuts. I was asked to submit the old form listing my ADRs, but that's because my DS has 4 or more allergies. I'm pretty sure they don't need to know for just Celiacs, because they feel very comfortable handling that without notice.

My general perception from reading these boards is that the product changes were generally favorable to Celiac sufferers. They switched to brands that most people preferred, but at the expense of losing products for people with other allergies. For example, EnerG was frequently replaced by Udi's, but Udi's contain egg, so egg allergy sufferers lost a bread option. I think you'll be as well-served on this trip as ever, even if the service doesn't feel as personal as when Brenda Bennet ran the department.

 

[geffric]

My experience was similar to babyberger. I called the WDW special diets folks at 1-407-824-5967; I spoke to John. He sent me a pdf and this email
"

Thank you for contacting the Special Diets Team at the Walt Disney World
Resort.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Food & Beverage team is committed to
offering a wide range of options to accommodate Guests with food
allergies or intolerances. When booking your dining reservations, please
be sure to advise the Cast Member of your special dietary restrictions.
If you book online, please make sure you include your dietary
restrictions on each reservation. If you have already booked your
reservations and you are not sure if you included the restrictions,
please contact our Disney Reservation Center at 407-WDW-Dine or
407-939-3463. Guests are also welcome to speak to a Chef or a Manager
on duty when arriving at the dining location.

Whether dining at a table-service or quick-service restaurant, Guest
food allergy or intolerance requirements will be addressed when brought
to our attention. Due to the large volume of meals we serve, vendors and
suppliers occasionally swap out product. Therefore menu items and
preparation is often updated.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts will use reasonable efforts to prevent the
introduction of the allergen of concern into the food through close
attention during our sourcing, preparation and handling processes.
However, it is ultimately up to the Guest to use his or her individual
discretion to make an informed choice regarding whether to order any
particular items. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts cannot guarantee that
allergens may not have been introduced during another stage of the food
chain process or, even inadvertently, during preparation. We do not have
separate kitchens to prepare allergen-free items or separate dining
areas for Guests with allergies or intolerances.

We have included a attachment which lists some of the products that you
may find available at the food and beverage locations that may suit your
needs. Please know this is not a comprehensive list of all the options
that are available, but represent many of the special dietary products
offered across the Walt Disney World Resort. If a location is not
listed, this does not mean they are not able to accommodate your
request; however, some of the products that are found at other locations
may not be available. As always, we encourage you to speak with a chef
or manager when you arrive at any dining location for the most recent
information.

Table-service restaurants that accept reservations at the Walt Disney
World Resort can accommodate most food allergies or intolerances.

Common Food Allergies include:

- gluten or wheat
- shellfish
- soy
- lactose or dairy
- peanuts and tree nuts
- fish
- eggs
- corn

If a member of your party has any of the common food allergies listed
above, please speak with a Chef or Manager on duty when arriving at the
dining location. They will be happy to assist with your selection and
provide product labels and ingredients for menu items.

The quick-service locations listed below have menu items or products
that, upon request, may accommodate common food allergy or intolerance
requirements.

Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park:
- Restaurantosaurus
- Flame Tree Barbecue
- Pizzafari

Disney's Hollywood Studios:
- Backlot Express
- Studios Catering Co.
- ABC Commissary
- Toy Story Pizza Planet

Epcot:
- Liberty Inn
- Sunshine Seasons
- Electric Umbrella

Magic Kingdom Park:
- Be Our Guest (Lunch Only)
- Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café
- Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Café
- Main Street Bakery
- Columbia Harbor House
- The Pinocchio Village House
- Casey?s Corner

Most quick-service locations in the Walt Disney Resort Hotels are able
to accommodate special dietary needs and provide menu items and
ingredients upon request.

For prepackaged items, we recommend that Guests read the ingredient list
on the label before purchasing any product.

All Chefs in our Theme Parks and Resorts are trained to handle allergies
and take every precaution against any cross contact. As mentioned
previously, due to the large volume of meals we serve, vendors and
suppliers occasionally swap out product. Therefore, menu items and
preparation are often updated. We stress that you ask to speak to a
Chef or Manager when you arrive at each location. They will be happy to
assist with your selection and provide product labels and ingredients
for menu items.

The restaurants will do their best to accommodate Guest dietary
requirements, but cannot guarantee they will be able to meet all
requests. For additional information, we encourage you to visit our
website
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/dining/

We look forward to your visit!

Sincerely,

John Mannis
Special Diets Team
Guest Experience Services
Walt Disney World Resort

 

[mistysue]

That's very interesting MistySue... that also makes sense, but it's confusing that it doesn't say that anywhere on the website that I could find. You'd think if they wanted people with multiple intolerances to contact, they'd tell you. Maybe they just go by ADRs and reach out to those people, who knows. (what about people who only do QS?)

That is what the site said until a couple weeks ago. The page actually was fairly similar to the pdf quoted above. Last July I asked if there were any brand updates and I was emailed a copy and paste of the actual website, telling me to email them if I had questions... that made me laugh.

The reason I listed a CS location for each park above is that every time we tried to eat CS in a park last fall, those were the places people here suggested and the ONLY places in each park where my son got actual food rather than random sides.

 

[girls]

I also got a list (well 3.) It was formatted pretty similarly to the ones I remember getting in the past and was plenty informative. If only it included bread and Divvies for my child!

 

[KristenFNJ]

Of course, I've been lame and forgetful (okay, and busy!) and haven't emailed yet, but I'm very encouraged that you've gotten some lists! They may not be the same, but at least they're something.

I know I've got some experience in my pocket and could more than likely make sure my guys get a variety of foods they like without extra guidance and current info backing me up, but it just doesn't feel "Disney" right to me. What if it was our first time, and we waited 45 minutes on line to get to the front and wait for a manager to show us a binder that's got 75 pages of ingredient lists only to realize the only option my kid would consider eating is the same gf pizza my kid has had 3 days in a row. I LOVE the ability to plan around that. I feel badly for newbies who have to wing it... not that they're not used to it, but that's what made Disney different and special.

Anyway, enough emotional dump LOL... Yes, I heard about Udi's switch last year when it came down. For us, I was bringing Udi's rolls into the park each day in case they wanted burgers because it's the only brand they like. So, for my guys I'm thrilled for them that they can have a burger brought out on a bun... it seems so silly, but after umpteen burgers that are stuck to the plate with the cheese dripping all over, it's one little thing that's just nice to have normal for once. I feel terrible though, that it's at the expense of so many, and while I'm happy for us, I wouldn't bat an eyelash if they went back. I can hardly believe they even did it when it excluded so many people.

 

[disfan07]

We just went over Christmas break. I am allergic to peanuts, treenut, eggs, shellfish, wheat, oats, coconut, sesame, broccoli, soy (not soy lechitin or oil), ginger, and all raw fruits (except grapes) and all raw vegetables.

I did not email prior to going and we had a fantastic trip.

We did mostly TS meals which were all wonderful.

For QS we did sunshine seasons, cosmic rays, pop century food court, and studio catering company. I was able to find something to eat at every place.

I'd imagine that most QS places would be able to accommodate gluten free.

I found all chefs and managers I encountered to be very accommodating.

 

[babyberger]

Going to try to post the PDF....I took screen shots on my iPad and uploaded to Flickr, hope it comes out ok.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/babyberger/8384351271/ http://www.flickr.com/people/babyberger/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/babyberger/8384351605/http://www.flickr.com/people/babyberger/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/babyberger/8385435428/ http://www.flickr.com/people/babyberger/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/babyberger/8385435704/http://www.flickr.com/people/babyberger/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/babyberger/8384352437/ http://www.flickr.com/people/babyberger/

 

[babyberger]

Of course, I've been lame and forgetful (okay, and busy!) and haven't emailed yet, but I'm very encouraged that you've gotten some lists! They may not be the same, but at least they're something.

I know I've got some experience in my pocket and could more than likely make sure my guys get a variety of foods they like without extra guidance and current info backing me up, but it just doesn't feel "Disney" right to me. What if it was our first time, and we waited 45 minutes on line to get to the front and wait for a manager to show us a binder that's got 75 pages of ingredient lists only to realize the only option my kid would consider eating is the same gf pizza my kid has had 3 days in a row. I LOVE the ability to plan around that. I feel badly for newbies who have to wing it... not that they're not used to it, but that's what made Disney different and special.

Anyway, enough emotional dump LOL... Yes, I heard about Udi's switch last year when it came down. For us, I was bringing Udi's rolls into the park each day in case they wanted burgers because it's the only brand they like. So, for my guys I'm thrilled for them that they can have a burger brought out on a bun... it seems so silly, but after umpteen burgers that are stuck to the plate with the cheese dripping all over, it's one little thing that's just nice to have normal for once. I feel terrible though, that it's at the expense of so many, and while I'm happy for us, I wouldn't bat an eyelash if they went back. I can hardly believe they even did it when it excluded so many people.

Ok so help this GF newbie out....how do I make the Udi's less crusty? My kids like the flavor of the bagels and rolls but find everything way to crusty. I started baking a lot of my own, but while we are in Disney I'm obviously not baking my own stuff, I'd also like to be able to not bake so much at home

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[disfan07]

Just an FYI....on the list that was just posted, at The Plaza restaurant, they dont use Udis buns anymore. They have GNI (gluten not included) buns. Apparently they are also egg free (I didnt try them....becaus enothing else they make is egg free so I was just overly paranoid about that...lol)

Same at 1900 Park Fare. No more Udis.

From what I was told by the chefs, they are trying out the GNI buns at some places and I think they might either be switching all the places or offering them at select places permanantly soon.

POP also had Tinkyada past when we were there in December. So did Sunshine seasons.

Also, these are the places where we found the GF chicken tenders (absolutely AMAZING!!)
POP century
electric umbrella
columbia harbor house

I know more places carry them but that is where we found them (I ate them almost everyday at the resort as a snack )

 

[mistysue]

What did you get at studio catering company?
Back in August we were told (at a few places in HS) that backlot express was the only place stocking anything my DS could eat, and his list is about half of your list.

We just went over Christmas break. I am allergic to peanuts, treenut, eggs, shellfish, wheat, oats, coconut, sesame, broccoli, soy (not soy lechitin or oil), ginger, and all raw fruits (except grapes) and all raw vegetables.

I did not email prior to going and we had a fantastic trip.

We did mostly TS meals which were all wonderful.

For QS we did sunshine seasons, cosmic rays, pop century food court, and studio catering company. I was able to find something to eat at every place.

I'd imagine that most QS places would be able to accommodate gluten free.

I found all chefs and managers I encountered to be very accommodating.

 

[geffric]

Ok so help this GF newbie out....how do I make the Udi's less crusty? My kids like the flavor of the bagels and rolls but find everything way to crusty. I started baking a lot of my own, but while we are in Disney I'm obviously not baking my own stuff, I'd also like to be able to not bake so much at home

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

I dont know the answer to you question, but I am going to WDW end of Jan and can report what I find..

BTW I have been thinking about baking some, cutting it and taking it with me..yes I am not confident that WDW can accommodate my "specialness"

 

[elmo2200]

Ok so help this GF newbie out....how do I make the Udi's less crusty? My kids like the flavor of the bagels and rolls but find everything way to crusty. I started baking a lot of my own, but while we are in Disney I'm obviously not baking my own stuff, I'd also like to be able to not bake so much at home

I buy the Udi's sandwich bread but don't use much so I keep it in the freezer. I take out what I need, splash with a little water and gently warm it about 15 seconds in the microwave. Sometimes I also put in the toaster for the shortest time but it is easy to get it too hard. I have had the bread scrape up my mouth quite a number of times. I am not a fan of GF bagels or buns. I have yet to try making my own because I use so little. I need to cut carbs somewhere because I eat too many wonderful GF desserts!!!

 

[elmo2200]

babyberger - Thank you for the PDF!!! It will give me some idea how to plan meals. Being armed with info ahead of time sure helps. My "specialness" is not always appreciated by those around me...
That is quite a list of products!!! Maybe I will check the ingredients online and cross off the ones that have corn so I have a better idea what to avoid.

 

[Ambassador]

We phoned Disney Dining and had a gluten allergy noted on our reservations. In each instance a chef came to our table at once to discuss menu items. We brought our own rice pasta sometimes, which they happily cooked. I would make the call and see what they have to say.