Son with Dairy Allergy

[belu]

Hi, My son is allergic to Cows Milk Protein. He'll be 15 months when we go to Disney World. I'm already sad because I know I'll have to say no to treats like Mickey Bars. He won't be old enough to understand why he can't have one.

Anyone else ever go thru this?

and does anyone know if there are dairy products in Dole whip?

 

[The Disney Bunch]

I am not sure about the Dole Whips, though I think they do have dairy in them, but the Itzakadoozie pops in the parks have no dairy!

I am allergic to dairy also & I found there were alternatives - Italian ices at Downtown Disney were wonderful - though don't let someone give you sherbert or sorbet (both have cream in them) Ask your servers for ideas and do not be afraid to ask to talk to the chef about meals - WDW advices you to call ahead & let the restaurants know you have someone with a food allergy but I had no problem just showing up and talking to my server & chef about meals.

Good luck!

 

[tjmw2727]

You are the first person I have "met" whith a child who has this type of allergy. Everyone would ask me if she could have lactose free milk, soy milk, etc.....

The good news is that by 4 she had outgrown it and now at 8 even though she won't drink milk she enjoys cheese and yogurt and many other diary foods. I read that most children outgrow this by age 3 to 4!

Don't worry about milk and ice cream products at WDW, there are plenty of other great foods - esp desserts. If you don't indulge in a mickey bar in front of him he may not even notice. Choose popsicles, slush, and defitely a kaki gori in Japan, I don't ever remember being somewhere without a selection for my dd. I did always carry snacks with me just in case. We also had no problems at restaurants, either fast food or sit down, finding selections she could enjoy. WDWIG has menus if you would like to check out the selections at the places you intend to dine.

Have fun
TJ

 

[momx2]

Been there, stilling doing that. I was there in May with 14 mon. DD. She has dairy allergy. My oldest DD did also, but not as severe and outgrew by 1 yr. Anyway, I bought one of those formula holders, they are round and hold three, three scoop portions. I used the soy follow-up formula, Next Step, by Enfamil. My family are not big ice cream eaters, so it wasn't a problem with not eating it in front of her. Basically, everything was the same. We do cheat a little and let her have mac and cheese every now and then. But it really wasn't a problem. We're going back in Dec. and will take our own formula again. But once off the bottle, you can really probably give her all the follow up formula she needs in the room a couple of times a day.

Also, Westsoy makes milk boxes. But they don't have all the vitamins, etc. that kids need. Although, I give regular soy milk sometimes.

Have a great trip.

 

[escapetodisney]

My DS 2.5y also has the cow's milk protein allergy in addition to the peanut allergy. His allergy is severe and we carry the EpiPen Jrs for the peanut allergy. He's been to WDW at 16m and 28 m this past May. WDW is the only vacation place that I feel comfortable taking him out to eat. CMs and chefs are wonderful, so helpful. Some even made substitute dishes so my son could eat a meal that looked like his sisters (DD 4). That meant the world to him - to be eating at the restaurant like everyone else.

Okay onto the questions: Dole whip does have milk in it (looked it up before our last trip). Crystal Palace, Hoolywood and Vine, and Chef Mickeys had rice dream "ice cream" in vanilla that my son loved. The chef at Crystal Palace even had a no milk and nuts brownie to go with his rice dream. At Chef Mickeys we ordered a BDay cake for my DD4 and they made it without milk or nuts for my son.
We also use a half-and-half mix of Next Step Soy (yes even though he's older) and West-Soy Plus and lugged the cooler in the parks. We had the Next Step Soy powder and the WestSoy Plus shipped down through Netgrocer.

Enjoy your trip. WDW is a special place and the CMs really go out of there way to help your child and family have a great vacation.

 

[KathyK]

My nephew is alergic to dairy as well. He will be going on his second trip to WDW in October. On the first trip, I made a note of his allergy when making the PSs, and then we contacted the chefs upon arrival to discuss options he could eat. My sister feels very comfortable taking her dairy-allergic son to WDW (though at this age, he knows that milk, cheese, etc. will "make his tummy sick").

 

[belu]

Thank you so much for your replies. Nice to know were not alone. The allergy we can deal with. A sad face wanting to know why he can't have what everyone else seems to enjoy is heartbreaking.

Thanks again,

Kelly

 

[escapetodisney]

Kelly,
I know what you mean about the sad little face. I see that too with my DS. The best thing I did for him was to get some priority seating reservations (I told them when I made my PS about the allergies and they gave me phone numbers for the chefs to call 3 days in advance). The chef at Chef Mickey's made my son a special non-dairy pizza so he could eat a meal just like his sisters. His smile was so big, it made my heart ache to know that this experience is so far and few between. DS2 proudly proclaimed to everyone"I have pizza just like my sister!" We do the best we can with his allergies and work at emphasizing the deliciousness of the wonderful treats that he can have.
Now that halloween is looming, that's a completely different challenge for us.

 

[SueM in MN]

If you need information about ingredients of items (counter service or full service restaurants), I've been told you can contact the Executive Chef's office at (407) 824-5967.

 

[Schmeck]

Just curious, because I've never heard of a true milk allergy, just people who cannot digest certain types of dairy products (stomach pains, gas). Do these children get a full body allergic reaction, or a localized one? I'm glad Disney is willing to cater to these kids, and make them feel at home in the world!

Schmeck, blessed with two allergy-free kids, but working in a school with two dear kindergarteners with severe peanut allergies, so I'm kinda new to some of this...

 

[belu]

My understanding is that an allergy to milk protein is rare. Although many children have allergic reactions to lactose or intolerance. My son has the protein type. He had bloody stools and had gas pain making him very cranky for about one month until he was diagnosed. We switched to a formula called Nutramigen - This cost us $280.00 monthly.

I'm told that many children who are allergic to these proteins are also allergic to soy protein like my son. The lactose type of allergy seems to cause alot of digestive problems and can be really painful but fortunately, these kids can usally switch to a soy based milk or lactose free formula. Also, babies with allergies tend to have sensitive skin.

I was really surprised that not alot is known about allergies in infants and there really aren't that many resources for families raising these children. We had to go to the Childrens Hospital to get the correct diagnosis and support.

I hope that answers your question. if you have any other questions please e-mail me. I'm no doctor, but I'll do my best.

 

[KathyK]

Originally posted by Schmeck
Just curious, because I've never heard of a true milk allergy, just people who cannot digest certain types of dairy products (stomach pains, gas). Do these children get a full body allergic reaction, or a localized one?

When my nephew first had a cow's milk product (I believe yogurt at ~8 mo. old), there was projectile vomiting, a rash all over his body, and he screamed for about 24 hours. My sister has to look for all of the milk-related ingredients, such as casein and whey in the foods he eats - these will also cause a reaction for him.