Thread for allergy foods updates

[clanmcculloch]

I saw the pizzas on there. DD13 won't be able to eat them but I think DD11 might be able to which would be great for her since she can't eat the existing ones.

 

[DVC_Princess]

I also loved the donuts that we were served at Boma but have no idea what they are either.

I didn't see anyone else reply but last I knew these are Kinnikinnick. They are yummy and have them at a lot of breakfast buffets if you ask. My local grocery store has them as well in the freezer section.

 

[DVC_Princess]

I have celiac so I am gluten free but not dairy free so I don't know everything about that allergy. However I was just looking at the online Udi's ingredient list and they do contain egg products but not milk products. I was under the impression that means they are dairy free. I can understand that it's still harder for those with egg allergies and am very sympathetic to that. But am I missing something regarding those who are gluten/dairy free? Thanks for any clarification!

 

[nfceagles]

I was of the impression initially, based on OMG's website, that their products contained dairy. It sounds like the ones at Disney are indeed dairy free. So I think you may be right that it boils down to egg allergies (and vegans) losing the most.

When I wrote Special Diets about our upcoming trip, they included in their reply, "Within the next several months we will be adding additional special dietary offerings to enhance your dining experience." I was excited even though I was happy with what they already offered. But with the changes I'm hearing about we've lost rolls, hamburger buns, hot dog buns, and choc chip cookies. I understand if the Udi's GF stuff is a lot better than EnerG, it was mostly coinsidence that DS could eat those (we aren't GF), but I'm really bummed about the loss of Divvies or SOME baked good for the milk, egg, nut allergy set. It's a pretty common combination, hence the existence of companies like Divvies.

I know Disney carries Enjoy Life too, but I've only ever seen them in table service restaurants. Perhaps they could make those more readily available at the Counter Service places where Divvies were available. I don't like them as well, but I get that they serve a broader group of customers.

 

[snorris49]

I had the OMG gluten free and dairy free chocolate chip cookie twice in the past three weeks. They are indeed marked dairy free. They were the only OMG products that I could find that were dairy free. I have the packaging photographed, and I'll try to get it up on my blog soon, so you can see it.

Taste-wise, it was ok. Not that great, but not the worst GF/DF cookie I've ever had.

As for the Bob's Red Mill mickey waffles, I love those things! I'm surprised a chef said they were awful. They are the best, especially at Kona and Kouzzina. Yum, yum, and yum! I bought some mix the other day for the holidays, though I suspect mine won't taste as good. They've been using that mix for quite some time at WDW.

Boy, I'm not loving these new changes...I intend on writing a lengthy letter to special diets and customer service over the holiday break.

 

[clanmcculloch]

The waffles we liked best were made with apple juice instead of milk and apple sauce instead of eggs. That's how we make them at home as well. You can use any milk substitute and if you can eat eggs you can use those but something about the apple flavours seems to lighten the heavy bean-ish flavour of the Bob's mix.

 

[trolleyfanma]

We just returned from the World and were not impressed with the changes. My kids each tried the OMG cookies and thought they were too crumbly and not tasty. They had them once and never asked for them again. Twice we ordered dd Chocolate Soy Milk which in the past was Silk brand. Both times we were given Vanilla Kikkoman Soy Milk which was awful(both restaurants said that was all they had). We ended up going to a grocery store to purchase Silk for DD. Thank goodness we were in a DVC villa and could use the kitchen. The kids preferred to bring safe sandwiches and snacks with us instead of hoping to find safe food at the quick service places. Dh & I felt bad eating in front of them. We had great Chefs at Cape May, 50's and T-Rex- they only table services we ended up eating at.

 

[Minnie]

I had the OMG gluten free and dairy free chocolate chip cookie twice in the past three weeks. They are indeed marked dairy free. They were the only OMG products that I could find that were dairy free. I have the packaging photographed, and I'll try to get it up on my blog soon, so you can see it.

Taste-wise, it was ok. Not that great, but not the worst GF/DF cookie I've ever had.

As for the Bob's Red Mill mickey waffles, I love those things! I'm surprised a chef said they were awful. They are the best, especially at Kona and Kouzzina. Yum, yum, and yum! I bought some mix the other day for the holidays, though I suspect mine won't taste as good. They've been using that mix for quite some time at WDW.

Boy, I'm not loving these new changes...I intend on writing a lengthy letter to special diets and customer service over the holiday break.

The waffles I had at Kouzzina were made with Namaste - I love this brand and use a variety of their products

In Oct & Nov I was surprised that several restaurants were out of Earth Balance - I hope this product is not also replaced

 

[clanmcculloch]

We just returned from the World and were not impressed with the changes. My kids each tried the OMG cookies and thought they were too crumbly and not tasty. They had them once and never asked for them again. Twice we ordered dd Chocolate Soy Milk which in the past was Silk brand. Both times we were given Vanilla Kikkoman Soy Milk which was awful(both restaurants said that was all they had). We ended up going to a grocery store to purchase Silk for DD. Thank goodness we were in a DVC villa and could use the kitchen. The kids preferred to bring safe sandwiches and snacks with us instead of hoping to find safe food at the quick service places. Dh & I felt bad eating in front of them. We had great Chefs at Cape May, 50's and T-Rex- they only table services we ended up eating at.

Was it the Pearl soy milk? If it is OMG that's bad. According to Kikkoman, the original contains gluten as they use malt syrup for sweetening. They state that the vanilla and the unsweetened do not contain gulten but that they don't test to be sure they're gluten free and they say nothing about what they do to prevent cross contamination. Kikkoman as a company uses a LOT of wheat in their products so I personally don't feel comfortable using their soy milk because they clearly state that they won't guarantee gluten free. I really hope Silk is still available everywhere.

From the Kikkoman FAQ:

Does PEARL Soymilk contain gluten?

PEARL Original Organic Soymilk is sweetened with malt syrup which is derived from barley, so it contains gluten. PEARL Coffee, Chocolate, Creamy Vanilla, Green Tea and Unsweetened Soymilks do not contain ingredients that are known to be a source of gluten, but they have not been tested to confirm they are gluten-free. If you believe you are gluten intolerant, we recommend that you consult your physician to develop an appropriate diet.

 

[AEPaul]

trollyfanma,
I don't want turn this into a commercial, but I would like to ask for your help. We just started AllergyEats Disney World, an online peer-rated guide to allergy-friendly dining at Disney World and I would like to ask if you would rate the restaurants you visited. Ratings only take a minute, but each one helps increase the value of AllergyEats Disney World to the entire community of food allergic and intolerant diners visiting WDW in the future.
The link is at the end of this post. Thank you for your consideration!
Paul

[I don't have enough comments on these boards yet to post a real link, but it is allergyeats.com/disney]

 

[Blueyed Girl]

I am curious to see all of the changes coming. My son is allergic to peanuts and pea's (such as green sweet peas or "chick peas"). 2 years ago he had a reaction to some pasta given to him at 50's primetime cafe. It was found to be made with chick pea flour.

When we found out that Babycakes was going to Disney we were so excited! Until we got there and found that they make their desserts with chick pea flour also. So he can not have ANY desserts from this place. I have been told that many places are changing to chick pea flour to accomodate people with gluten problems. If WDW starts to do this with everything then what in the world is my child supposed to eat??? This just really irritates me in so many ways. There are too many people with too many different allergies to just choose one brand of product to use. 99% of the time we have not had to worry about food issues at WDW. I am hoping that this is not about to change.

 

[Blueyed Girl]

Just sent the following email. I'll share any response I get beyond the generic automated response.

To: SpecialDiets@disneyworld.com; WDW.Guest.Communications@disneyworld.com
Subject: Food Allergy options
I'm writing about recent reports I'm hearing of food options for people with multiple allergies at WDW. Previously, there were lots of options for foods around WDW for my family where 3 of us have long lists of allergies. Recent reports from other guests though are indicating that the breads and buns are all Udis which contain milk and that the cookies and brownies around WDW are OMG.... It's Gluten Free which also contain milk. I don't understand this move which alienates a large number of people with allergies. While yes gluten free guests are coming to WDW in large numbers because of how wonderful you've been in handling gluten intollerance problems, there is also a large community of guests who have other allergies. My family is certainly been alienated. We have a trip coming up in February and rather than my usual excitement I'm now very nervous about what options my kids will have. We also have an August trip planned and now I'm second guessing it. Yes, this decision regarding allergy foods is that big of a deal to my family and I would guess to others as well. We choose to travel to WDW because we know that our kids will have lots of options for dining with their allergies and will get to feel "normal" even if only for a short time. You've just undone this feeling in one quick decision to change vendors. I'm really hoping that these changes are not final and that you will rethink this decision to completely alienate an entire customer base that has been extremely loyal.

Thank you for your time.

I'm glad you sent this! This is EXACTLY how I feel right now. I plan to send one too. Yes, please post here any response that you get.

 

[Selket]

My son is allergic to peanuts and pea's (such as green sweet peas or "chick peas"). 2 years ago he had a reaction to some pasta given to him at 50's primetime cafe. It was found to be made with chick pea flour.

I have been told that many places are changing to chick pea flour to accomodate people with gluten problems. If WDW starts to do this with everything then what in the world is my child supposed to eat???

My son is allergic to peanuts/tree nuts and shellfish - not peas though. Can your child not eat the regular pasta made with flour? We've had no troubles with it all over WDW.

 

[ls15]

I am the OP and I have a few things to add to this thread now that is has been ongoing.

Blueyed Girl - unfortunately, Babycakes doesn't make their flour mixes from scratch for most of their items, and instead uses Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose GF mix. That is why there is chickpea flour in there. My mom can't have legumes so when we asked them about it, they said what they use and that the only things they sold without it was their brownies. You'll obviously want to double check, and I'm sure that cross contamination might be imminent.

I've been on the phone with Diane from Special Diets several times. She has been extremely helpful and asked me about a month out to call, go over every reservation with her, and she will contact everyone. She also recommended that we have an itinerary so she can contact CS locations for our other meals, as well as have the resort ready for us. I am not 100 percent sure this will actually happen - I know in the past there isn't always follow-through - but it will be better, I hope.

I'm sad to hear these experiences. My mom was sad to hear she won't be getting any burgers this year! She doesn't eat burgers ever, so Disney last year was a huge treat for her to have a nice one on a bun (even if the buns were often less to be desired).

I'm glad they still have safe pancake/waffle mixes.

 

[mommyof3princess27]

Sooooo glad I found this thread! My dear friend has celiacs disease and is traveling with us. I dont want to leave her out of our dining choices so trying to accomidate everyone

 

[clanmcculloch]

I just got a reply from Special Diets. It's pretty generic. I'm kind of disappointed.

Thank you for your message regarding the Walt Disney World® Resort.

We regret your disappointment with the recent changes to our special
dietary products. From time to time, we must make adjustments to our
food and beverage offerings for a variety of reasons, including change
of suppliers, product availability and Guest Feedback. Our goal is to
provide our Guests with items that meet our high quality standards while
accommodating as many requests as possible. Our Guests' feedback, as
well as their continued enthusiasm for our products and services, is
very important to us. We appreciate your comments and assure you that
your remarks have been shared. As always, our Special Diets Team is
committed to providing you with personalized service. If you are
planning on visiting within the next few weeks, please contact us at
407-824-5967 so that we may discuss your options.

We look forward to future opportunities to entertain you.

Sincerely,

Christina Draper
Special Diets Team
Guest Services
alt Disney World Resort​

I'll be contacting them again in a couple weeks in preparation for our late February trip. I'll update you with any additional info that I receive.

 

[BusyMom2Three]

I got the exact form letter as the PP but with this addition:

We have attached our special dietary reference sheet but, as you know, within the next several months we will be adjusting the special dietary offerings. We are currently updating our reference materials to reflect these changes. During this transition, we strongly encourage you to speak to a Chef or Manager at the dining location and they will be able to provide the most up to date information. Please be aware that products offerings are always subject to change without notice.

We look forward to future opportunities to entertain you.

Sincerely,

Christina Draper
Special Diets Team
Guest Services
Walt Disney World Resort

I am not one to complain about Disney, but I have to say I was let down by this obviously generic response. It did not address even my very specific and simple questions, such as "Did you discontinue Divvies at all locations?" We leave in a few weeks, so I will call the number provided to try to get some concrete answers so I can pack dairy-free treats to bring for my DD if necessary. I also noticed the allergy reference sheet was last updated in June, so it is of little help.

 

[Blueyed Girl]

My son is allergic to peanuts/tree nuts and shellfish - not peas though. Can your child not eat the regular pasta made with flour? We've had no troubles with it all over WDW.

He can have pasta made with regular flour just not four that contains chickpea (garbanzo beans). Some pasta they use does contain flour from chickpeas. That's what happened at 50's primetime cafe'. During our last trip in June 2011 we had no problems what so ever. We did ask them to make sure to look at what type of flour was used to make the pizza crust or the pasta, depending on what he was wanting to order. We would let them know about what happened the year before and they were more than willing to double check. MOST places we ate in June did not have items that used that type of flour. I'm just concerned with all of this product changing that the products made with the chickpea flour may end up everywhere.

I am the OP and I have a few things to add to this thread now that is has been ongoing.

Blueyed Girl - unfortunately, Babycakes doesn't make their flour mixes from scratch for most of their items, and instead uses Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose GF mix. That is why there is chickpea flour in there. My mom can't have legumes so when we asked them about it, they said what they use and that the only things they sold without it was their brownies. You'll obviously want to double check, and I'm sure that cross contamination might be imminent.

I've been on the phone with Diane from Special Diets several times. She has been extremely helpful and asked me about a month out to call, go over every reservation with her, and she will contact everyone. She also recommended that we have an itinerary so she can contact CS locations for our other meals, as well as have the resort ready for us. I am not 100 percent sure this will actually happen - I know in the past there isn't always follow-through - but it will be better, I hope.

I'm sad to hear these experiences. My mom was sad to hear she won't be getting any burgers this year! She doesn't eat burgers ever, so Disney last year was a huge treat for her to have a nice one on a bun (even if the buns were often less to be desired).

I'm glad they still have safe pancake/waffle mixes.

During our last trip I was excited to hear that Babycakes was at DTD so we went by there. After talking to the girl working the counter, is when I found out that they use the flour that contains chickpea flour in it. I really didn't see that coming and was glad that I asked. I was mostly concerned about the peanuts being as though it is a dessert bakery.

 

[kuhltiffany]

Oh no, are Divvies gone? DS is allergic to peanuts and relied on these when we were there last March. Do they have an alternative?

Between my DS being allergic to peanuts and my DH being allergic to wheat, we're at the mercy of the chart that comes from the special diet department

 

[itradehilton]

I understand that some may not be able to eat Udi's but my DS and DH love Udi's Pizza Crust and baked goods. Does anyone know if they are using the Pizza Crust or any of the pastry type Udi's baked goods?