Navigating Disneyland with Food Allergies

[azzeps]

Next week is our Disneyland trip, and I'm a little apprehensive about what there will be available for my son to eat. He has lots of allergies!!! Peanuts, most other nuts, dairy, soy, and eggs. He's not ever had an anaphylactic reaction to anything, but he probably could to the peanuts. He does seem to tolerate small amounts of dairy, and can have eggs if they are baked into a cake or bread. But we do try to avoid when we can. Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with finding foods available for a picky food allergic toddler?

Thanks!

Oh, and does the Dole Whip have dairy?? :) I really want one!!!! :)

[lalasmama]

On phone, will post more tonight when at home. Common allergies at DL are easily dealt with, IME. And, WOOHOO, Dole whips are non-dairy :)

[TwinFoxes]

I think Disney resorts are some of the best places for allergies, according to the posts I've read on Disboards and here. If you have a question at a sit down or buffet, the chef will come out and talk to you. DL also has a lot more things like fresh fruit stands than they did when I was a kid. Here's a helpful link:

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/special-dietary-requests/

[lalasmama]

Okay, not on my phone anymore :)

Here's the link for the Dole Whip ingredients: http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2013/07/04/reader-question-is-dole-whip-vegan-and-gluten-free/

Now, as to the rest of the allergies! First, any ideas about where you are wanting to eat, as far as table service, counter service, or quick service? Dealing with allergies is easiest at table service places, where the chef will typically come out and chat with you about any restrictions and possible contaminants. Counter service can be a little tougher, but usually someone will be able to steer you in the ordering of something safe. Quick service will be the most difficult to figure out the ingredients, but they are the most rare, and they only have a few things (hot dogs, corn dogs, turkey legs, giant corncobs, ice cream items, churros, popcorn, etc). You can look here: http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneyland/dining/menus.cfm for restaurants and their menus, and go from there. I'd talk to your doctor about possible prophylactic treatment. In our case, DD just took a half-dose of Benadryl each morning just in case.

[Reader]

All of my kids have food allergies, and we eat much better there than we do eating out at home. Tell whomever it is that you have food allergies, and they will send a chef to go over the food with you. It does take a little longer to have to wait for the chef but worth it. We have gluten and a severe nut allergy. One kid has egg but he is so picky that he doesn't really like stuff that would have egg anyway. They even had a list of ingredients at the popsicle stand so I could check out the popsicle ingredients. Good luck. I know it's stressful.

[nfceagles]

Check out Disney Chefs Rock Food Allergies group on Facebook. Be sure to make it clear you're going to DLand not World and people with experience will give you tips.

The fruit flavored Dole Whips, pineapple and orange, are dairy free if you don't mind the risk of cc with the vanilla flavor which is not dairy free.

[lalasmama]

Check out Disney Chefs Rock Food Allergies group on Facebook. Be sure to make it clear you're going to DLand not World and people with experience will give you tips.

The fruit flavored Dole Whips, pineapple and orange, are dairy free if you don't mind the risk of cc with the vanilla flavor which is not dairy free.

Disneyland only has pineapple Dole Whip.

[nfceagles]

Disneyland only has pineapple Dole Whip.

Cool! I didn't know that. We love Dole Whips!

[azzeps]

Thanks so much for all the tips and links and such. And YAY about the Dole Whips! We will all be able to enjoy a treat, which is a rare thing. :)

[Tondi G]

I had a question about the breadsticks they offer at a walk up counter service place and the person behind the counter pulled out a 3 ring binder with lists of ingredients for all of the food items. They have stations/carts around the parks with fruit (sliced watermelon or Mango and whole fruit, apples, orange and bananas), they also carry carrots and celery with ranch dip, little cups of Hummus with pretzel thins etc.

Here is a link to all of the restaurants inside Disneyland park ... if you click on their menu, you can see what they offer. http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneyland/dining-Disneyland-Park.htm

[twowhat?]

Thanks so much for all the tips and links and such. And YAY about the Dole Whips! We will all be able to enjoy a treat, which is a rare thing. :)

You can probably have the Minute Maid frozen lemonade too - the icee-style ones that come out of the icee machines (someone correct me if I'm wrong!) We spent so much money on these in DL...they were so good and a perfect treat for the heat. And in CA (maybe DL too but I didn't look) they also have frozen apple juice in an icee machine - and that's all it is is 100% apple juice, frozen in an icee machine.