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93. Food Allergies at Disney · Mom Street USA

0:05
Welcome everybody to Mom St. USA.
0:07
My name is Jackie AKA Wishes Mama and I am joined for this
0:11
hub episode of Mom Street by my good friend Stevie AKA Starship
0:16
Stevie and today we're going to be discussing something that is
0:19
very near and dear to Stevie's heart and that is food allergies
0:23
at the Disney parks. We, she says reluctantly as she
0:27
agrees that it's near and dear to her heart.
0:30
I don't know that it's dear to my heart, but it is very near to
0:33
my heart. Yes, so Stevie's got a ton of
0:36
experience with this and I will let her get into that here in a
0:39
moment. But that is the plan for today.
0:41
So if you are someone that is going to the parks and you
0:44
yourself have allergies or dietary needs or you're
0:47
traveling with a kiddo or a family member that needs that,
0:51
hopefully this information is super helpful.
0:53
So that way you're prepped a little bit ahead of time before
0:56
you go down. So I will let Stevie kind of
1:00
jump in here and we'll hop back and forth with some good info
1:03
and then. And share some experiences as
1:05
well. So Stevie, what do you have for
1:06
us to start? So to start, I to preface all of
1:10
this, one of the main reasons why I love going to Disney so
1:13
much is because I have a lot of food allergies and I and
1:16
digestive disorders. And it is just so reliable at
1:20
Disney for me to be able to find what I need to eat when I go
1:24
travel someplace else. There's just so much research
1:26
involved to try to figure out like where I can eat, how much
1:30
of that can I eat? Do other people in my party want
1:32
to eat? There is where I can eat
1:35
actually close to any place that we're going to be and it just
1:38
becomes like a whole thing and it's hard to relax sometimes.
1:43
It's still fun and it's fine, especially if it's like a major
1:46
city and they've got lots of like chain restaurants that I
1:48
know that I can eat at. But it's just really nice to be
1:51
able to let my guard down at Disney because they've got a
1:53
routine and it's pretty consistent.
1:56
And I just, I appreciate that so much from for being a Disney.
2:00
Yeah, Disney has done a lot of work and they kind of have been
2:04
the leaders in this realm, I feel like from a lot of theme
2:07
parks and tourist places and and, you know, things that you
2:10
might visit if you're going on a vacation.
2:12
I think Disney is out in front when it comes to how they treat
2:16
allergies, dietary needs and restrictions, all of that.
2:19
So that totally makes sense. Absolutely.
2:22
And for context, I just see you have an awareness of the types
2:26
of allergies that I bring because allergies run a wide
2:29
spectrum for different people. And so I do not have I do not
2:33
have an allergy so severe that I need to carry an EpiPen.
2:36
I have some non lethal food allergies and I have two
2:38
digestive disorders. I am lactose intolerant and I
2:41
have fructose malabsorption. So I've that is basically a lot
2:45
like lactose intolerance. I have trouble digesting foods
2:49
that include fructose. Fructose actually occurs in
2:52
everything from honey to wheat to apples, and so it can be very
2:56
difficult to find food that has low to no fructose.
3:00
I've also been a vegetarian since I was in elementary school
3:02
just because I don't like the taste of meat.
3:04
And so all of that can really make it difficult to find
3:08
something that I can eat. Honestly, a lot of times when
3:12
somebody, I'm meeting somebody for the first time or we're
3:14
going out and, you know, I'm meeting coworkers or wherever
3:17
and I try to explain and I'm like, you know what?
3:20
It's a lot easier to explain what I can eat rather than what
3:23
I can't eat because that list is so long.
3:26
Yeah, and I've known Stevie since pre diagnosis from a lot
3:30
of this stuff. So I feel like I have learned
3:34
along with her what she can eat to an extent because we've lived
3:39
together and we've just been around each other enough that
3:42
it's like when I try to explain to other people your dietary
3:45
needs, it's like, well, here are like the four safe foods that I
3:49
know she can have. Some things are so reliable with
3:53
how they're made, like it's predictable.
3:55
And I know that this is probably fine and it's safe and it just,
3:59
it was a big learning curve. And I think that if anybody is
4:01
familiar with lactose intolerance, you'll know that
4:04
some people can tolerate like cheese, especially like hard
4:07
cheese, like Parmesan, but they can't do ice cream.
4:09
And so it's kind of a learning process to determine like what
4:13
you can and can't handle. And fructose malabsorption works
4:17
a lot like the same way. And it's, yeah, it's nice being
4:22
at Disney because it's predictable.
4:24
And that means that I'm less stressed about figuring out what
4:26
I can do. Yes, for sure.
4:29
Do keep in mind kind of as we go through because we're going to
4:32
jump into some kind of policies and procedures and experiences
4:36
with allergies. But please keep in mind that if
4:39
you are someone listening, you know your allergy and dietary
4:43
needs best, right? If it's you, if it's someone in
4:45
your travel party, you guys know best what will work for you.
4:49
Disney is great. Like we said, they are
4:51
phenomenal with with all of this, but they're still not
4:54
perfect, right? The only place that you can
4:57
probably find a perfectly safe meal if you've got a severe
5:01
allergy is your own kitchen to an extent.
5:04
So just remember that as you're going, they are still very large
5:09
commercial kitchens that they have, you know, they, they just
5:13
don't have the means to have it be completely safe of all
5:16
allergens. It's just not possible for them
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to do that. And do also note that again,
5:22
this is probably a given for anybody who's got severe
5:24
allergies. But if you have a severe
5:26
allergy, please have a plan in place, right?
5:28
You have to make sure that you are aware.
5:31
You know, when I was reading and doing just a little bit of kind
5:34
of reading and research for this, I came across a couple of
5:37
different blogs of like moms who had taken toddlers that had
5:40
severe nut allergies or, or peanut allergies.
5:43
And it was, you know, things as simple as someone in line having
5:48
a peanut and then touching the rail and you have to make sure
5:50
that your kiddo doesn't touch the rail if they've got, you
5:52
know, a severe allergy to that. So just planning ahead, making
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sure you have any medications you need, whether that be an
5:58
EpiPen or, you know, there's various different types of those
6:02
that exist out in the world or Clorox wipes to wipe things down
6:06
before you do things. Yes, hand sanitizer to make sure
6:09
that you can in a pinch, you know, get that off mostly until
6:12
you can go, you know, wash your hands in the restroom or
6:15
whatever it may be with that, just in case you happen to
6:19
unexpectedly come into contact with something, right?
6:21
It can happen in lines. It can happen walking down the
6:24
walkways. It doesn't just have to be in
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the food locations that you may come into contact with something
6:29
like that. And also, just a note, nothing
6:32
that we say here is medical advice.
6:35
This is just our opinion and our experience.
6:37
Please make sure you make a plan with your medical provider.
6:41
If you're concerned about allergies before you go to the
6:43
parks, talk to them. Talk through some good plans and
6:47
courses of action if you need it.
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All of that, you know, legal stuff.
6:53
Make sure you're staying safe. Talk to your doctor first.
6:56
Don't just take our word as the ultimate word, please.
7:01
Yes, these are basic tips for navigating your way through
7:05
finding answers and and once you're actually there, you know
7:08
who to talk to, what you can expect rather than managing your
7:12
individual diet. Exactly, yes.
7:15
So let's jump into some just basics of eating with allergies
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at Disney. So all of that being said,
7:25
ingredients are always available to read upon request.
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I think that at a lot of a lot of places, in my experience at
7:34
least, there are some restaurants that find that their
7:37
ingredients are proprietary information and they don't want
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to share their secrets necessarily.
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And so they may give you a general idea of what's in a food
7:46
or tell you that it doesn't have a certain major ingredients, but
7:50
they're not necessarily going to provide you a full thorough list
7:54
of what is actually in the food that you're eating.
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And I understand that, but it is frustrating.
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And it usually means that I can't eat somewhere if I can't,
8:03
if I can't know what's in in the food.
8:05
So I love that about Disney. They have ingredients always
8:11
available to read and for allergy requests that include
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the nine major allergens. So like the common or basic
8:18
allergens, nearly all of the Disney menus have things listed
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if you Scroll down to the bottom of either the My Disney
8:25
Experience app or the Disneyland app or by visiting the website
8:28
and taking a look at the menus. And so just as a refresher,
8:32
those major allergens include eggs, fish, milk, peanuts,
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sesame, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat.
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And that's quite the tongue twister.
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But it is nice. That's right off the bat.
8:44
You do have some basics that you can look up on your own without
8:47
having to talk to anybody at all.
8:49
Yeah. So if you know you're going to
8:50
be visiting a certain location or you anticipate a few
8:53
different ones you may visit throughout your time there,
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definitely take a look at that. It's super easy to find on
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either the apps. If you just search the name of
9:01
the restaurant, you're going to find the menu and it's typically
9:04
towards the bottom right. So it'll list the standard menu
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and then down underneath where it lists like all the extra
9:10
desserts and beverages, then that's typically where you'll
9:12
find them start to list out the allergy friendly menu.
9:16
So also when you are visiting Disney, there are there's also
9:19
the ability to discuss any additional accommodations that
9:22
you need beforehand. So if you visit the Disney
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website, you can find all this information.
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But basically if you or anyone in your party has four or more
9:32
allergy requests. So if you're someone that's got
9:35
several needs based on that list or not even just on that list
9:39
but outside of that list or needs a special accommodation
9:43
such as a medically restrictive diet or requiring requiring
9:48
there we go. Purees or very low protein or
9:51
whatever it may be. You can contact
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special.diets@disneyworld.com. They have an e-mail address for
10:00
Disney World. Disneyland has a phone number
10:03
that you can call and I'm not going to list off the phone
10:05
numbers. Look those up on the website.
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They are very easy to find. It took me 3 seconds to Google
10:09
them and find them, but you can actually reach out to them in
10:13
advance. So that way you can ask for a
10:16
special diets request form. So they'll be able to help you
10:19
out with kind of the process for that.
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If you've got additional or kind of excessive, and I don't mean
10:25
that in a bad way, but just more more needs than the kind of the
10:30
average allergy sufferer typically does.
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They do also state that they requested you don't contact them
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any sooner than 14 days prior to your arrival just so they can
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kind of keep the window straight and the timing of that.
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And then with the information you provide, the special diet
10:46
steam will assist you in navigating the dining process,
10:48
which may include providing the restaurants that you intend to
10:51
visit with advance notice. So that's where that 14 day
10:55
window is important because they want to make sure they give
10:58
adequate notice to any of those restaurants that need it, but
11:02
not too far out. So that way you know, depending
11:04
on what you need, they, they may not need it yet.
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So they want to kind of find that sweet spot within, you
11:10
know, 14 days of your arrival. So that way they can prepare
11:13
accordingly for that. If you are visiting in person in
11:18
those restaurants, then once you actually get there, you'll be
11:20
given the opportunity to talk to either the chef or a cast member
11:25
that is special diets trained. So it depends on the location,
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depends on who's available, depends on a lot of different
11:32
things with staffing and everything at the restaurants,
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but you'll be able to talk to somebody that can directly help
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you with your needs. So again, we talked about that
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you'll be able to view those ingredients list is actually
11:44
really nice because I just went through this and when I went on
11:49
my trip because I have just a few allergies and they're not
11:52
necessarily again, not life threatening, but they're not
11:56
there's something that I can tolerate in small quantities.
11:58
So sometimes I ask and sometimes I just kind of know like Nope
12:02
this will be fine kind of deal as I've learned to.
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Or more like a digestive. Disorder, yes.
12:08
So garlic is a really big trigger for me and that one's
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been a little tricky to navigate in the parks unfortunately,
12:13
because a lot of their like pre seasoned and pre made stuff has
12:17
a lot of garlic in it, which I know is also an allergy that
12:20
Stevie suffers from. So we've both been through that,
12:25
but the really nice thing is you will just request to speak to a
12:29
chef or request, you know, an allergy consultation and they
12:33
will come out. And when I spoke to the chef at
12:35
a couple of different locations, they had an iPad.
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And on the iPad, they had the full menu and they just clicked
12:41
into the category, clicked the item, and they could show me the
12:44
the entire ingredient label. And they literally just said
12:47
here, I want you to read this. Make sure what you see looks OK.
12:51
And then, you know, we went on to the next thing.
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And it was even as far down as, you know, the, the sauces that
12:56
they put on the sandwiches or the dressing that they put on
12:58
the salads or the seasoning on the French fries, if it has it,
13:01
you know, all of that. They have broken down into
13:03
individual ingredients, which is really, really nice.
13:07
The iPad is really nice too, because it used to be in a
13:09
binder and it took a while to flip through it, especially if
13:12
you were in a cafeteria at a resort, because they that binder
13:16
contains everything in all like 5 or 6 of the windows that you
13:19
can order from. And so it would take a while to
13:22
kind of find what you need. And so it's, it's the iPad is,
13:26
is absolutely lovely. Technology is wonderful, which
13:29
actually leads me to our next point.
13:31
That mobile order is one of my favorite additions to the park
13:34
that you can just kind of plan ahead and just be able to pick
13:36
up your food at will. However, I can only do that now
13:40
that I know what is and isn't a safe food.
13:43
Unfortunately, if you need to speak to a chef about your
13:46
allergies, you will not be able to do that via mobile order.
13:49
You will have to unless it's one of their allergy foods that's
13:54
already listed. You will have to like wait till
13:56
you're there and speak to a chef that way.
14:00
You can definitely order the allergy safe menu items.
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So if it's something that's listed and pre listed on the app
14:08
and you see it, that is good to go.
14:10
You're definitely able to go ahead and mobile order that.
14:12
But if it's an additional request, like what I had to do
14:15
with asking about garlic, that's not listed on the app.
14:18
So I have to speak to a chef in that situation and I cannot
14:21
unfortunately mobile order. Yeah, or if you want to make a
14:24
substitution. So for example, I will very
14:27
regularly order gluten free pizza with just cheese and no
14:30
sauce because the tomato sauce usually has garlic and I I'm
14:34
cheese bread is great. And so I you'd think that
14:38
because, and I think in a couple different locations, the gluten
14:40
free pizza is listed as one of those allergy friendly options.
14:43
However, I cannot in the app adjust that so they make it
14:46
without the tomato sauce. And so therefore I still have to
14:49
go in and order it in person. And so you can talk to this the
14:53
this member that's taking your order, whether they're behind a
14:56
grill or at a cash register, and they will be able to radio
14:59
somebody and bring them out to speak to you.
15:02
I have had experiences where it's the chef that's in the back
15:06
or they will have a manager come forward and they will make sure
15:09
to take notes and communicate that properly and and send it
15:13
back to the people that are working on the food.
15:16
So after you go through that process, either via speaking to
15:19
the chef or to the manager, they will place your order and they
15:23
will typically provide you with a little buzzer that you can go
15:28
find a seat or the rest of your party maybe can pick up their
15:31
order. You can get your drinks, you
15:33
know you can get comfortable and that will buzz whenever your
15:36
order is ready. They will usually give you a
15:38
specific window that you can come back and pick it up at.
15:41
Also will color code the tray that they're being given or that
15:46
you're being. I think in most places it's
15:48
purple and that's a way for them to visually indicate, hey, this
15:52
is special allergy request. It's got to be separated, can't
15:54
come into contact with anybody else.
15:56
We need to take extra care and make sure that this goes to the
16:00
person that it needs to go to. It also will sometimes be marked
16:04
with a toothpick to indicate it as an allergy meal.
16:08
And it's, it's really great that they've got this whole process
16:11
set up and you should know when you order exactly what you need
16:14
to do, where to go. I love being able to just sit
16:17
and hang out until it's ready because sometimes it takes a
16:20
little longer to prepare things because they want to make sure
16:22
that everything is clean and it's it's, it's very
16:25
straightforward. So likewise, when you are
16:29
visiting table service restaurants, you also will have
16:32
the ability to speak to either a manager or a trained cast member
16:36
or the chef about your concern. So you definitely want to let
16:39
your server know and they will almost always ask like they're
16:43
going to seat you or you're going to get seated by the
16:46
Hostess. And then when the server comes,
16:48
they're going to take your drink order and like double check
16:50
about any allergies or, or special dietary needs and things
16:53
like that. You can also note these on your,
16:56
if you're doing an ADR and advanced dining reservation, you
17:00
can note it in that reservation. There is a special, a little
17:04
place where you can put like special dietary needs.
17:06
Granted it's not full encompassing.
17:08
It typically just lists those 9 categories that Stevie told us
17:12
earlier. So I think there's probably
17:14
another if I had to guess, but I don't remember off the top of my
17:18
head in that listing, what all is there and available for you
17:21
to use. And then you can also do the
17:24
same and make sure that it's in there whenever you check in.
17:28
So typically check in happens on your app and it will again ask
17:32
you about dietary needs. It should pre populate anything
17:35
that you entered when you made the reservation and so you can
17:38
double check that it's in there. And then when you're when you
17:42
are seated, the little like slip that the Hostess gets and then
17:45
transfers to the server should have that listed on there for
17:49
them to have as well. So that way they have access to
17:52
see that. So you don't have to necessarily
17:54
explain everything if it's already in the app for them,
17:57
which is nice. And again, the server will note
18:00
any of that and they will help determine what types of
18:03
conversations with the kitchen need to happen.
18:05
So it may not be a hey, we have to immediately bring the chef
18:09
out to speak to you kind of deal.
18:11
It may be something thing that your server can help take care
18:13
of for you if it's one of the more quote UN quote normal or
18:18
typical allergies that they see and that they're prepared for in
18:21
their kitchen. But it really just depends on
18:23
the situation. Again, you can always ask to see
18:26
those ingredient list because they're going to have them at
18:28
your table service restaurants as well.
18:30
So if you're concerned or if you know the cast members that are
18:35
serving, you do their best, but they don't know everything.
18:37
So if they're not sure or you're not sure if they're sure, just
18:42
ask to see the list. You know you want to be more
18:45
safe than sorry. And they'll probably also
18:47
suggest that as well because like we said, Disney is really
18:50
great. They train, especially their
18:51
food service cast members really well with all of the allergy
18:55
needs and things like that. And just a quick note, if you
18:58
are at a table service that is a buffet, it gets a little tricky
19:02
there depending on what your allergy needs are.
19:06
But typically what will happen is either the manager or the
19:09
chef can walk around with you and and point out different like
19:14
dishes that are safe. If it's a severe allergy and
19:18
you're worried about cross contamination, most of the time
19:21
they're going to just make you something in the back and then
19:23
bring it out to your table. So that way you don't have to go
19:26
through the buffet. You don't have to worry about if
19:28
this spoon crossed into this dish and all that kind of cross
19:32
contamination when it comes to allergies.
19:34
So a couple differences with buffets, but either way they're
19:38
still equipped to take care of you there as well.
19:40
I do want to add that I would still take a look at buffets at
19:45
what the existing items are and you'll get an idea of whether or
19:51
not it's something that they may be able to substitute or not.
19:55
When we ate at Chef Mickey's some time ago on a trip
19:59
together, I they provide Mickey waffles as a part of the buffet
20:03
which means that they can make gluten free Mickey waffles in
20:06
the back. And I think the chef
20:08
underestimated how hungry I was and was only making like.
20:13
One at a time. And there's like small and I
20:15
think that the they're just, they're not big.
20:18
And there wasn't much else that I could eat besides some fruit.
20:21
And he kept like coming back and he almost seemed like annoyed.
20:24
And I'm just like, listen, I am a hungry person and we're on a
20:27
Disney trip. Like I don't.
20:29
And so that was something that like, I know now like I might
20:32
want to like prepare them that it's just like, this is
20:35
primarily what I'm going to be eating.
20:36
I won't be eating any meats because I'm a vegetarian.
20:39
Therefore, please keep that in mind and you won't have to make
20:46
like several different batches over and over again and then
20:49
have to talk to me every time. If you just make me, I don't
20:53
know, 8 or 9 at once. I've been in other table service
20:58
restaurants where that's not been a thing, where it's not
21:01
been an issue. It's just been, it was at that
21:03
buffet. And I'm going to be honest, I
21:05
have not gone back to a buffet only because it's just there's
21:09
so few things that I can eat that it usually doesn't justify
21:12
the cost of a place for me. So that that makes a big
21:17
difference too when you're kind of weighing where you do want to
21:20
go or don't want to go. And so I found that if we're
21:22
doing a sit down restaurant, I'm better off doing table service
21:26
than I am trying to do a buffet. Yeah.
21:28
And that's a really good point because if you're looking at the
21:31
list also for buffets, you're going to be able to see the
21:35
generally the offerings they don't provide like every item on
21:39
the apps that you can find for those buffets.
21:41
So somewhere like Crystal Palace or Chef Mickey's or any of those
21:45
other other ones are going to give you a general idea, but
21:48
it's not going to list everything on there.
21:51
But you can get a good idea of looking at what their main
21:54
dishes are, determining whether or not you're going to be able
21:57
to eat it. And that may help you decide
21:59
whether or not you even want to go.
22:02
Because I mean, for various reasons, Disney is not going to
22:06
discount your meal just because of that.
22:11
And we're not going to get into whether they should or not.
22:13
That's not why we're here, but they're not going to.
22:16
So you're still going to be paying the same price as
22:18
somebody who's eating everything off of the buffet to eat what
22:21
other whatever foods are safe for you.
22:23
So again, something to consider when you're looking at
22:25
especially buffets table service, more of your standard
22:28
table service is going to be a lot easier to justify cost
22:31
because they should have some additional options depending.
22:34
Again, always look at those menus to see what options you
22:36
have before you go. Well, and that's something that
22:39
I always think about because when we go to table service
22:41
restaurants, if I can eat something beforehand or, you
22:45
know, I've got or eat something after, if we're doing like
22:48
snacks and just like going or making our way around Epcot or
22:50
whatever. And it's not, I'm not paying to
22:53
be there to enjoy the company of my friends even though I'm not
22:56
eating anything. And that is the struggle with
22:58
the faith. I can't just come for the
23:00
atmosphere in the character dining.
23:02
I'm still paying $50.00 to watch people eat, which is not really
23:06
a fun experience. Right.
23:07
Yeah. You want to look out for those
23:09
prefix menus or preset prices that people are going to pay and
23:14
you'll be able to see that on the menus.
23:16
When you look at that online, you'll be able to see that it
23:19
just gives you one generic price for adults to dine there rather
23:23
than individual prices for the dishes that are on the menu.
23:26
So something else to note, depending on what your needs are
23:29
and how severe they are, that can definitely be a good
23:32
indicator for what style of restaurant you're going to be at
23:35
if you take a look at the menu. And while table service and
23:40
quick service restaurants are pretty accommodating when it
23:42
comes to substitutions, carts and kiosks unfortunately are
23:46
not. They are just not equipped to do
23:49
that. It is predetermined snacks at
23:52
that cart, like a churro cart. Like they can't just go in the
23:55
back and make you a gluten free churro because they just have
23:58
the stock that's at their individual kiosk, which is sad.
24:03
It's part of what makes the Port Orleans restaurant in Walt
24:06
Disney World. So wonderful that resorts
24:08
because they offer beignets and those are attached to a kitchen
24:12
so you can order gluten free beignets and that's absolutely
24:15
wonderful. And I love that so, so much.
24:18
It was very, I would love to see someplace in the future offer
24:21
churros like attached to a kitchen so that way I could get
24:24
to eat a gluten free churro. But it's something to keep in
24:27
mind. So festival kiosks, if you're
24:30
eating your way around Epcotch during Food and Wine or flower
24:34
and Garden or you know, popcorn carts, they just may not be an
24:38
option for you, which is unfortunate.
24:41
And I feel your pain if you're listening to this and, and not
24:44
something that you're dealing with too.
24:46
Cassie just made a very good point that she asked for the
24:50
eggs Benedict at a kiosk without salmon at a festival booth and
24:54
they asked if it was an allergy or a preference, which is great.
24:58
So that is something to keep in mind that depending on how the
25:01
food is made, they may be able to take something off if it's a
25:04
preference. And for me with like wheat, for
25:07
example, I can come into contact with it.
25:10
It's not like I have celiac and it's a, you know, getting
25:13
gluten. It's just a digestive thing.
25:15
So if it's cooked on the same surface, I'm not going to have
25:18
an issue. And so, you know, if I ask for
25:21
something without it, as long as it's not frozen that way or
25:25
baked into it, you know, they can usually still accommodate in
25:29
that specific way. But that that may require some
25:32
questions to figure out how it's made and whether or not it's an
25:35
option. Yeah, so like a sauce or
25:37
something like that, that could be that you see them physically
25:40
putting on right before they hand it to you could potentially
25:43
be left off. Again, you just have to ask and
25:46
talk to the cast member and talk when you're ordering.
25:49
Don't wait till you get up to the kitchen window if you can
25:51
avoid it just because they're trying kind of get through
25:54
people, but speak to the cast member when you're ordering at
25:56
those kiosks, especially like the festival booths are probably
26:00
more likely to do that. Popcorn carts, churro carts
26:03
probably not as likely because a lot of that just comes to them
26:06
pre made and then they they dish it out to the the guests.
26:11
Yes, absolutely. And depending on your allergies,
26:14
you may also be able to find safe prepackaged snacks in some
26:17
of the gift shops. And what's nice about that is
26:21
they've got all of the nutrition facts on the back.
26:23
So if you're over stimulated and you don't want to talk to
26:25
anybody you can just do reading yourself and and maybe even
26:30
check out on your phone and not have to really engage with the
26:33
cashier and you could just show them on your phone when you
26:36
check out. Yeah, and Disney has done a lot
26:39
lately with introducing some like well known either vegan
26:44
brands or allergy friendly brands for a lot of stuff.
26:47
So if you go into either, like depending on the resort you're
26:51
at, sometimes they have that stuff in like little center
26:53
islands in the actual, what's the word I'm looking for inside
26:57
of where the kitchens are, right.
26:58
Like when you're going to the different lines to get things,
27:00
sometimes we'll have them right inside of there and other times
27:03
it'll be in the gift shop. But they they do have a lot more
27:06
of the kind of allergy friendly prepackaged stuff now than they
27:10
used to even just five or six years ago.
27:13
The other thing to keep in mind is that everything that we've
27:15
said here today also applies to any sort of like bakery cases
27:20
that you may see. So like if you're going into the
27:22
confectionery at Magic Kingdom and you want to try to look for
27:25
a treat, but you're concerned about allergens, again, ask a
27:29
cast member. They're going to have the same
27:31
kind of policy and procedure as a lot of the restaurants are.
27:35
They're going to find either a manager or, you know, if it's
27:38
the head Baker, I don't know what they call them.
27:40
Sorry, cast members, I love you. Whoever it is that can give you
27:45
that information, they're going to, again, radio to them, have
27:47
you speak with them about what your concerns are.
27:50
So anything like that. And the same thing applies for
27:52
if you're getting like a baked good out of a like case in any
27:56
of the other like quick service places, that information is also
28:00
going to be on the iPads or in the books or wherever you're
28:02
getting the information. So even if you're not ordering
28:05
like made to order stuff and you're just grabbing stuff
28:08
that's pre made out of cases, they're still going to have that
28:10
ingredient list as well. So anything you can come into
28:13
contact with, Disney is going to have the ingredient list for
28:16
you. And that includes at Epcot in
28:19
individual countries. I was at the stand in Germany,
28:24
the Carmel shop, and they were able to pull out a binder
28:27
because we were trying to determine whether or not
28:29
something had egg in it for my husband.
28:31
And so that some places do not necessarily have the iPad.
28:34
Some places are still working off of that binder.
28:37
But I I mentioned that because third party vendors will
28:40
sometimes function a little differently at Disney and it can
28:44
be kind of hard to tell what is or isn't a third party vendor.
28:47
For the most part that really just means locations that are at
28:51
Disney Springs or Downtown Disney in Disneyland.
28:55
They generally follow the same guidelines, but I found it's not
28:59
as consistent of a process as it is on Disney property.
29:03
They seem to be aware that this is something that Disney offers
29:06
and it's usually part of their process, especially if they ask.
29:09
Like they are accustomed to people being used to doing this
29:13
on Disney property that they're prepared to accommodate it.
29:16
However, the procedure might look a little different.
29:19
I definitely would make sure to double check a little more
29:23
carefully than you already are when it comes to 3rd party
29:26
vendors. And again, most of the time this
29:30
is not specifically in the Disney park.
29:33
The exception would be like the Joffrey stands that are in some
29:36
of the parks. However, there are some of those
29:41
stands within the parks themselves that I believe are
29:44
trained in the same way that Disney is.
29:46
So for example, Joffrey's is technically third party like I
29:49
said, but whenever I've had questions, they've always
29:51
interacted with me the same way that like they do at the bakery
29:54
or anywhere else. So they're either trained the
29:56
same way, familiar enough with the way everybody else
29:59
interacts, or I've just always gotten really lucky with the
30:01
cast members that I've interacted with and they're
30:03
accustomed to being asked and are happy to help.
30:06
So it's just something to keep in mind as you kind of navigate
30:10
through all of this and you'll. Start to learn the way things
30:13
function, especially, you know, the second or third day into
30:18
your trip if you're there for a little longer.
30:19
Yeah. And I think somewhere like
30:21
Joffrey's, because they are inside of the parks, I think
30:25
that makes a huge difference with their partnership with
30:27
Disney. They're basically like, they're
30:29
basically cast members other than the fact that their
30:31
paycheck doesn't come from the Mouse, right.
30:33
So they they're still cast members, right.
30:36
Exactly. Like they training looks a
30:38
little different for them, yes. So they're going to follow very
30:41
similar procedures. They may not have the iPad, but
30:44
they're probably going to have a book or a sheet or a something.
30:47
You know, they've less ingredients at a coffee stand.
30:49
Then you have it like a quick service restaurant, obviously,
30:52
but they're going to be able to tell you what they have.
30:54
And the other nice thing is that a lot of Joffrey's now will
30:57
offer more like alternative options for like milk and sugar
31:01
free and things like that too. So Joffrey's has definitely kind
31:06
of followed Disney's lead when it comes to their offerings as
31:09
well, well. And I've noticed that some of
31:12
those cast members will even be able to answer some of those
31:14
questions off the top of their head because they get it so
31:16
often. And they will still provide you
31:17
the ingredients if you want to see.
31:19
But like if I will just ask like, hey, do you know if this
31:21
is dairy free? And they'll be able to like tell
31:23
you. And so for me, when it's a
31:26
digestive thing and not an allergy, it's just really nice
31:28
that I can just kind of like pop over and know really fast,
31:31
especially because Joffrey's offerings are pretty standard
31:34
from park to park. So I can ask at one park because
31:36
I want to know what I can eat for a snack the next day.
31:39
And I can go in and prepare for that and set my expectations
31:43
around whatever treat I'm going to get.
31:45
Yeah, for sure. All right, I think we've got
31:47
some additional advice and tips to share.
31:50
What else do we have? Yes.
31:51
Just to make this process smoother, there are some foods
31:55
that are easily googleable for major ingredients.
31:58
So for example, Dole Whip for the most part is dairy free as
32:01
long as you don't get it combined with the soft serve.
32:04
Whenever there's a new flavor for different seasons, I'm
32:07
usually able to find the answer online.
32:09
So if there's something that you've heard talked about online
32:12
or you've seen scrolling through TikTok that there's a new snack
32:15
that everybody's obsessed with for a lot of those major
32:18
ingredients, there's usually some Blogger that has that
32:21
information somewhere and you can kind of get an idea and
32:24
prepare that way, which I find really helpful that there's so
32:27
much that's easily Googleable these days.
32:29
Yeah, and Dole Whip especially, like if it's a name brand,
32:32
you're going to be able to find their allergy stuff online for
32:35
the most part. Now, you may not always know
32:37
what brand of food Disney is using, but for something like a
32:41
Dole Whip, that's a little more obvious for you to look up ahead
32:46
of time, yes. And in terms of more tips, in
32:49
terms of making this process go smoothly, my #1 tip is to plan
32:53
in extra time for your meal breaks because your meal breaks
32:58
will include talking to the chef and sometimes waiting for them
33:01
to be notified. And it can still take longer
33:05
than if you were just ordering off of the menu.
33:07
They want to keep you safe. That's why the process is what
33:10
it is. Disease improved this process in
33:12
the last 10 years about how efficient this goes, but it's
33:18
your personal experience. I have noticed how much longer
33:22
it can sometimes take just because sometimes they're
33:25
understaffed, sometimes they're really slammed and they're doing
33:28
the best that they can. But sometimes, especially in
33:32
cafeteria settings at the resorts, the cast member will
33:36
have to page a chef in the back. And that paging system has not
33:41
always been reliable. And then sometimes they have to
33:43
find send somebody physically back there to go on a like a
33:46
foot chase to kind of track down wherever the chef is.
33:50
And so sometimes I would wait more than 10 minutes just to
33:52
order my food. And then they would still have
33:55
to like cook it and bring it out to me and all of that.
33:58
And, and I'd be waiting for it to be made.
34:00
So I've waited anywhere from like 20 minutes to the worst
34:04
case scenario, an hour and a half for literally just pasta
34:07
because the communication process was not clear.
34:10
The cast members were not really set up for success from that
34:14
order from showing up at the counter to the chef request
34:17
point. I that length of time is not the
34:20
norm. I don't know whether or not they
34:22
forgot about me, but I I just, I bring it up because I think it
34:25
illustrates how well they've standardized the process over
34:27
the years. It was a while ago that this
34:29
happened, but it the format was still theoretically the same.
34:33
You walk to the counter, you notify the cast member, the cast
34:36
member gets the chef, the chef comes out and talks to you.
34:38
Chef makes the food, Chef sends it to the cast member and then
34:41
the cast member notifies you that you can pick it up.
34:44
Lots and lots of steps, obviously, and they want to keep
34:47
you safe. And I'm never bothered by that.
34:49
But it it, it does mean that it is a longer process and you
34:54
should definitely plan that. If you know that you're going to
34:57
have to speak to a chef and you can't order straight off of the
34:59
menu to a lot, a little extra time in there.
35:02
Yeah, especially because they don't pre make any allergy
35:05
meals, right. You know, if you're ordering off
35:08
the menu, chances are good they've already started what
35:10
you're ordering because they just go they go through that
35:14
many during the meal time when you know, Disney knows how many
35:17
generally speaking, per hour they have to make and all that
35:20
kind of stuff, but they don't pre make anything.
35:24
You know, one of my last trips I was at ABC commissary and I was
35:27
getting a just a chicken sandwich and it had to be the
35:30
chicken had to be made completely from from not unmade,
35:35
you know, like it it just it had to be.
35:37
That was a really great. Chickens are on a coop over in
35:39
Garricky's Edge. I got to go chase it down.
35:44
But they couldn't just put on the pre made seasonings and
35:47
stuff because it had garlic in it.
35:48
So I had to wait essentially for as long as it would take me to
35:52
cook a chicken breast. So that's what I had to wait for
35:54
them to do. And that was after speaking to
35:56
them and after making sure and after placing the order, then I
35:59
had to wait. So that definitely makes sense.
36:02
And it happened at Art of Animation.
36:04
And I can remember like being in because I was already so hungry.
36:07
So what Part of the allotting for time is not just the time it
36:10
takes out of your day, it's anticipating your own hungry
36:13
cues and knowing that if you are very hungry, you are still going
36:16
to have to wait a little longer. And so keep in mind in terms of
36:19
bringing snacks with you or just not waiting so long to go get
36:23
food if you notice that you're starting to get hungry.
36:26
I will say Art of Animation, I about cried the last time that
36:30
we went most recently because they had a dedicated area in the
36:35
cafeteria where you walk up and there are two stanchions there
36:38
that you stand between and that is the line that you wait in.
36:41
That is also the place that you can pick it up.
36:43
It is so much more simple than just picking one of the seven
36:46
different windows and finding a cast member.
36:48
Like there is a procedure. There is a chef that's like
36:51
dedicated to doing that, that is very accustomed to interfacing
36:56
with people about allergens. Now, the chefs always had been,
36:58
but with the iPad, it just seems like they're setting the chefs
37:02
up for success too. And so because of that, the chef
37:06
that I spoke to, I like, I was just so overflowing with
37:10
gratitude. And I think that they've started
37:12
to understand the stress with which people with allergies are
37:16
under when they're making this trip.
37:17
And they're just, she was very happy that I was so relieved
37:21
that I found things that I could eat and was happy that she could
37:24
help. And so it Disney is learning and
37:27
definitely takes feedback and is adapting.
37:29
So I love knowing that they're paying attention to that kind of
37:33
thing as well. And they're trying to find
37:34
better ways to improve the process.
37:36
Yeah. And again, waiting 40 minutes
37:39
plus is not the norm, is not the norm at all.
37:43
I think, you know, my chicken probably took 20 minutes, which
37:47
is longer than you're used to waiting at those quick service
37:50
restaurants because they're typically so efficient and so
37:52
quick. So it's going to feel long.
37:54
But it's really not again, any longer than what it would take
37:57
you to probably prepare and boil your gluten free pasta at home.
38:01
You know, because that's exactly what they're doing back.
38:03
It just feels longer if you're hungry and that's why you need
38:06
to prepare. So the next smoothing tip that I
38:10
have, if you've been to 1 Disney Park on one part of the country
38:15
or in one part of the world, and you are going to a different
38:17
Disney park for the first time, I need you to know that not all
38:22
of the basic food items are the same between each park.
38:25
Now that might sound obvious when you're thinking about Walt
38:28
Disney World and Disneyland Paris.
38:30
Of course, they're in wildly different countries.
38:32
However, I need you to learn from my experience that Disney
38:37
World and Disneyland do not source their things from the
38:41
same places. So I knew that I could have the
38:43
gluten free pizza crust at Walt Disney World.
38:45
I had done it for years. And so when we went to
38:48
Disneyland, I was very excited. I was like, I'm going to get my
38:52
pizza. It's going to be great.
38:54
I ordered it and didn't think anything about it and I got it
38:57
and fortunately I did not take a bite of it.
39:00
I and again, it's not a lethal allergy.
39:03
My throat would have just been itchy if I had it and I
39:06
obviously I don't want to deal with that.
39:07
However, I could see that it was not the normal crust.
39:12
It was much thinner and there was stuff in it.
39:13
And obviously garlic has a smell to it as well.
39:16
And I was like, this is not, this is not what I thought I was
39:19
going to get. And I went and I talked to them.
39:20
I was like, is this something that we can do a substitute with
39:24
or whatever? Garlic is pre baked into the
39:27
crust in Disneyland. So I just can't have pizza when
39:31
I'm over at Disneyland. Which was just a wild thing for
39:34
me to learn because to me, there's so much that Disney
39:37
standardizes and there's so many things that are similar between
39:40
the way that restaurants in particular are run at Disneyland
39:43
and Disney World. And it never would have occurred
39:45
to me that there's some things that are different, especially
39:48
because there's some things that are absolutely the same.
39:50
Like I would like to believe that the fries are just like the
39:53
same everywhere in the US because they're French fries,
39:57
but that's not necessarily the case for everything.
40:02
And it's just something to keep in mind that you will have to go
40:06
through the process all over again.
40:08
And if it's been several years since a previous trip, you
40:11
should still go through the process all over again because
40:13
they may have changed their where they're sourcing their
40:17
ingredients. And another place that is really
40:19
good too if you're Googling and you can't really find what
40:22
you're looking for or you just want some more advice or
40:26
experience. Facebook groups for allergies at
40:30
the parks. I am positive they exist.
40:32
I don't. I'm not in one, but I'm positive
40:35
that they exist for all of the parks in the world probably.
40:40
And even places like Reddit threads may be super helpful for
40:43
finding other people's input and other people's experiences with
40:47
either similar dietary needs or just allergies in general at
40:51
specific locations. You know, chatting with kind of
40:55
other Disney people about their experience can be really
40:58
helpful. So take some time to kind of
41:01
look around and see what you can find on there.
41:04
Now, take it with a grain of salt because these are strangers
41:07
on the Internet that you're hearing from, but it may give
41:10
you at least some basis to go off of.
41:13
If you can combine that with knowledge from the Disney
41:16
website, you know, and they they both check out, you're probably
41:20
in good hands when they're together.
41:22
Yes, Yeah. I exactly, I will say I am going
41:25
to touch on some of the international parks at the end.
41:28
I have found that on the for the stateside parks, Reddit is
41:33
usually a little more helpful. I've not found a consistent
41:36
Facebook group that I like for Disneyland or Disney World.
41:40
That's not to say they don't exist, I'm sure they do, but
41:43
Reddit is is usually where I've been able to find the type of
41:47
information I'm looking for. Yeah.
41:50
And then just another advice that I found helpful for these
41:54
last two trips when I went to Disney with my newly discovered
41:57
allergies, because the last two trips I took were the first two
42:00
that I went knowing that I had kind of an allergy to garlic and
42:04
some other dietary things. But making a list of your safe
42:08
foods. So that way ahead of time.
42:11
So that way it will alleviate some of that stress that we
42:13
talked about earlier when it comes to ordering early enough
42:16
and not letting yourself get hangry while you're waiting for
42:19
your food. But making a list of your safe
42:23
foods that you know you can have in the parks.
42:24
That way, if you get to a point where you're hot and you're
42:27
hungry and you just are frustrated because I know I get
42:30
that way. Eating has always, and I've
42:33
talked about this a little bit with our mom St. community, but
42:35
eating has always just been kind of stressful for me because I'm
42:38
a very picky eater. And so now adding dietary needs
42:43
and and allergies on top of that, I get very easily
42:46
overwhelmed when I'm looking at menus in the moment.
42:50
So I almost always will plan out ahead of time where we're going
42:54
to eat and plan out ahead of time what I'm going to order.
42:57
So that way when it comes to it and it's crazy and chaotic and
43:01
you're after, you know, you've been in the parks for 5-6 hours.
43:04
I know what I'm going to order and I know that it's safe and I
43:07
don't have to second guess it or I know what I'm going to order
43:09
after I talk to the chef, whatever that looks like for
43:12
you. But making that list, I think is
43:14
really helpful to alleviate some of that stress.
43:17
If you are anything like me and Stevie, making that list ahead
43:22
of time can be really helpful, especially if it's your first
43:25
time going to the parks with that allergy.
43:27
And This is why I said at the beginning of the podcast that
43:29
allergies at the Disney parks are near to my heart.
43:32
They are not dear to my heart. It is not fun dealing with this.
43:36
I empathize with anybody else that is trying to prepare.
43:39
I understand how difficult it is to navigate through the world in
43:42
general. And that's again why I like
43:45
being Disney so much, because it is slightly less stressful than
43:48
it is everywhere else. Because it's easier to set my
43:51
expectation. So now, if we're still worried,
43:56
what else can we do? If you are still worried about
43:59
finding food, there are some tips that we have for you.
44:02
I might. One of my favorite things to do
44:05
and the safest things for me to do if I'm really stressed about
44:08
what to do and finding food is to use an app like Instacart for
44:13
Amazon Prime, Target, Garden Grocer to deliver food to your
44:16
hotel so you don't have to worry about bringing food with you or
44:19
taking a lift to the store. If that works in your schedule,
44:24
that means that you can maybe eat breakfast in the food.
44:27
It eat breakfast in the food eat breakfast in your room before
44:31
you leave, which is something that Mom St.
44:33
USA recommends regularly. It makes things go a lot more
44:36
smoothly if you don't have to worry about stopping for food
44:40
when you're trying to rope drop rise resistance.
44:44
And same thing for packing snacks or packing whole meals
44:48
specifically IA lot of times I will bring food down with me,
44:52
which is great because I will eat through it and then I have
44:54
room for souvenirs on the way back.
44:56
And I love bringing the pre made oatmeal cups and using hot water
45:02
via the Keurig that's in the room or going to the cafeteria
45:07
at the resort and using the microwave to just get hot water
45:11
and then hot water can make so many meals out of more food.
45:15
You could also use that for noodle cups.
45:18
Keep in mind that the cafeteria will likely have hours that
45:20
they're closed that you won't always be able to depend on that
45:23
being an option or heating something up in the microwave.
45:26
If you have prepackaged cereal cups, that's another thing that
45:29
I love bringing down or something that you could
45:31
Instacart. I find that there's usually
45:33
single serve soy milk containers in the hotel cafeteria fridges
45:38
that you can buy. And so I will fly down with
45:42
cereal cups that I bought at Wegmans and then just get the
45:44
milk when I'm there. And it it works out really
45:47
great, especially because I will go maybe when we first check in,
45:51
I will buy milk for that week. And then I just keep it in the
45:54
fridge in the room and I can eat it in the morning, which is
45:58
works out great. And it is so much less stressful
46:01
when I know that those are the meals that I know I can depend
46:05
upon. There is something in my stomach
46:06
to build a foundation for the day.
46:08
Yeah, I think breakfast is super important for anyone in general,
46:12
but especially for people who are concerned about finding food
46:14
in the parks. Because if you can start your
46:17
day off right and know that you have food in your room that you
46:20
can eat, I think it makes a. World of Difference?
46:22
Absolutely. I do wanna touch on the
46:24
international parks before we wrap up.
46:26
I can only speak to Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disney.
46:30
I do plan on visiting Hong Kong and Shanghai at some point in
46:33
the future one day. So at Disneyland Paris, there is
46:37
a grocery store within a 5 minute train ride of the park.
46:41
And so if you're not familiar with the setup of Disneyland
46:43
Paris, the park is just like Disneyland where they're right
46:47
across from each other. And then if you exit that little
46:51
entryway, there is a train station that literally runs
46:55
right into the park. And so you could be visiting in
46:57
Paris or you could be staying on Disney property and you can go
47:00
to and from the city center and Disneyland Paris with relative
47:04
ease. It was absolutely wonderful when
47:06
we were there. And so we did that a couple
47:08
points during our trip. We would take our reusable bags
47:11
and there was a big mall and partially outdoor, partially
47:15
indoor. It's called Valdezio up Valdez
47:18
Europe if I'm using my American accent.
47:23
So that is the name of the Plaza that has lots of stores.
47:26
There's a little food court where we were able to eat before
47:29
we went grocery shopping, but the supermarket that I liked
47:32
because they had a pretty solid gluten free section.
47:36
There was like a whole aisle where I could get gluten free
47:38
muffins and gluten free crackers that I could put peanut butter
47:41
on top of. Just like all kinds of things is
47:44
called Ashan. It's spelled AUCHANA Chan.
47:49
If I'm using a hard Americanized accent.
47:54
They actually had a whole second floor of the store and so we
47:58
grabbed some spoons and stuff there because I didn't think I
48:02
should have. Pro tip, pack if you're bringing
48:05
food with you. If you plan on doing this,
48:07
either grab some reusable silverware from a dining area at
48:12
your resort or just bring that with you from home.
48:15
I didn't think about it. So I have a spoon in my kitchen
48:17
that I bought at Disney Paris. It's great.
48:20
It's got a little wooden handle. It's very cute.
48:22
And I was like, oh, I'm buying this and then I'm keeping it.
48:26
But I, I, I bring this up in particular because I feel that
48:30
going grocery shopping at Disneyland Paris is probably
48:33
your best bet to stay fed, especially if you're avoiding
48:36
gluten. I do not have celiac disease,
48:39
but in my quest to avoid wheat, I have learned how very, very
48:43
difficult it is to find celiac safe options at Disneyland
48:47
Paris. I did find a very wonderful
48:49
Facebook book group called Gluten Free Disneyland Paris,
48:52
and they stay pretty up to date with Disneyland Paris's very
48:55
minimal options. I am very fortunate that I can
48:59
still have food that is prepared on the same surface as wheat,
49:02
and so some of the food stands are willing to make
49:05
substitutions, some of them are not.
49:08
Every food stand at Disneyland Paris seems to have a different
49:10
process and it's very affected by the cast member that's
49:14
managing the booth. There's not a lot of consistency
49:17
between the quick service locations.
49:20
I knew to expect that inconsistency going in because
49:23
they talk about it in the Facebook group all the time, and
49:26
it was still very frustrating. And that included with cast
49:29
members that were fluent in English, it was hard for them to
49:34
understand that I could still have something that was prepared
49:37
on the same surface. And buckwheat and wheat are not
49:40
the same thing. And that there's there's just so
49:43
many variables. And there are some cast members
49:46
that are prepared to take you at your word.
49:48
And there are others that are just very concerned that they're
49:50
going to have an angry guest yelling at them after they've
49:54
eaten or after they try to eat and they just don't want to
49:56
serve you at all. I understand, I respect it.
49:59
It does make it very hard to stay prepared, which is why I
50:03
really, really, really recommend grocery shopping because it will
50:07
make sure that you can at least get something.
50:10
And you will see in that Facebook group if is the thing
50:14
that you're trying to avoid the anecdotes that people have of
50:17
the circles that they've gone through.
50:19
So I, it's really something that you need to build into your
50:22
schedule. If in my opinion, to just plan
50:24
on maybe the day that you get in, you check into your hotel,
50:27
you drop off of your stuff and then you take the train over.
50:30
That was what we did. It was great and then we just
50:32
went to bed. Once we got back from the
50:35
grocery store, we actually got back at around like 5:00 PM.
50:37
Then I think I slept for like 15 hours and thought I found my
50:40
sleep. So it worked out really great in
50:42
terms of avoiding jet lag. I woke up the next day and I was
50:44
fully on Paris time. Well, and I think that's just an
50:47
issue at Disneyland Paris in general, unfortunately, is that
50:50
food service over there in the most recent years seems to be a
50:55
struggle for them. They've a lot of places that
50:57
will just kind of close unexpectedly and processes are
51:01
not completely ironed out. So I think just food in general
51:05
is something to prepare for, let alone allergies over there.
51:09
I did learn that the hard way. They are theoretically.
51:13
They theoretically had a dairy free like ice cream bar that you
51:18
could get from most of the food locations.
51:21
However they were sold out of it park wide.
51:24
But their system in the app, in their mobile orders and at the
51:28
register was, was not updated. And they were like, oh, yeah, we
51:31
have that. And I spent 25 or 30 minutes
51:34
waiting at a couple different restaurants because they're
51:36
like, no, no, we have it. And they would search and they
51:38
would be like, sorry, like, or not even apologizing, like we
51:41
don't have it. And like I, which was
51:44
frustrating because there seemed to be no sympathy for the fact
51:47
that I just stood there and waited for 30 minutes where they
51:49
told me, yes, yes, we absolutely have this.
51:52
And they're like, no. And I'm just like, OK, that's
51:56
frustrating. I don't expect to guest recovery
51:59
by any means. But every time there's ever been
52:02
a process like that in Disney World or Disneyland where
52:05
they're telling you and they're convinced of one thing and then
52:08
that isn't what happens. They're like, can we get you
52:11
like a drink or something? Like, can we do something to
52:14
like as an apology for all of this confusion?
52:17
Again, not something I expect, but there was just no sympathy
52:22
whatsoever. And it was just frustrating to,
52:25
you know, be told one thing and see it in the app and be able to
52:28
make the order and then then having to void the request out
52:31
once you got further along and they discovered that they didn't
52:34
actually have it. So it's it's, it's a whole
52:37
thing. Yeah.
52:39
Now when you visited the grocery store in at Disneyland, well not
52:43
at Disneyland Paris but near Disneyland Paris, you were you
52:46
able to find ingredient lists that were all in English on the
52:49
items that you were purchasing. That is an it wasn't period
52:52
question. It is varied.
52:55
It depends on the distributor for the food.
52:59
So and that being said, that meant that sometimes it was in
53:04
French and Spanish on the package, sometimes it was French
53:07
and English. The Google Translate app on your
53:10
phone is your best friend. You don't need to type anything
53:13
in. There is a little camera setting
53:15
on Google Translate and you can hold your phone over a label and
53:19
it will translate it for you. But also came in very handy in
53:22
Tokyo. Tokyo usually, well, I guess I
53:25
take it back, depending on where we were, they would have English
53:29
information there just because it's a tourist language and
53:32
Japan is trying to be very accommodating to tourists,
53:35
whereas the culture is just very different in different
53:38
countries. And Paris is not necessarily
53:40
like that. So Google Translate again, your
53:43
best friend, bring a portable charger for your phone if you
53:46
think it's going to drain your battery.
53:48
But I did stand there for a solid 45 minutes in that aisle,
53:51
just holding my phone over different things to figure out
53:54
what I could eat and then putting it in my little basket.
53:57
So. Yeah.
53:58
And if you're, if you're someone that has maybe one or two
54:00
allergies, you know, maybe look up the, the name of them in
54:04
French or you know, Japanese or whatever it, you know, whatever
54:08
language of wherever you're visiting, maybe just look up
54:11
that word and save it somewhere in your phone.
54:14
It's different if you're looking for a 5-6 or seven different
54:17
things to have it all kind of ironed out and a Google
54:20
Translate is probably better in that situation.
54:22
But do a quick little prep if you're looking for just one or
54:25
two ingredients. That will probably save you some
54:28
time. Absolutely.
54:29
For example, my husband is just avoiding eggs because he's
54:32
allergic and he just needs to know if like that's, that's
54:35
that's all he's got to know when he's reading through something.
54:37
And because it's one of those major ingredients, they will
54:40
usually pull that out and it's a lot easier to find immediately
54:43
or it's bold hold it or something else.
54:45
Whereas like, I'm looking for, I don't know, maybe 35 different
54:49
things that might show up that would make me sick, right?
54:52
Exactly, yes. So Speaking of Tokyo, what can
54:55
you tell us about allergies in Tokyo?
54:57
Tokyo is. Wildly different, but also
55:02
easier to plan for. So I I will start by saying the
55:06
Tokyo Disney, they have a small grocery store in their version
55:10
of Downtown Disney or Disney Springs.
55:12
That area of Tokyo Disney is called Expiari.
55:16
They have a small little market in that center in that Plaza.
55:21
It is wonderful. I loved being there so much.
55:25
And that to me is the best way to ensure that you have food to
55:30
eat because the culture in Tokyo Disney is that they will not
55:34
make substitutions for allergies.
55:37
So they if you wanted to, if you needed to avoid gluten and they
55:42
had pizza, you would not be able to order a gluten free pizza.
55:45
They have a dedicated allergy menu that you can order from.
55:49
And if you can only order from that menu as is, so it's they,
55:55
it's I, I, I don't know if it's a culture thing.
55:57
I'm not sure if that's something that happens at restaurants in
56:01
Japan outside of Disney property.
56:04
I think it's just a way to be consistent to help ease the
56:08
burden of what's going on in the kitchen because of the foot
56:10
traffic that they have coming in.
56:12
However, conversely to Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disney
56:15
does have all of their ingredient information.
56:18
Well, they're very clear online about a lot of their
56:21
ingredients, and you can find all of that information online
56:25
while you are still in the US, which is absolutely wonderful.
56:29
I am not really even able to do that to the same extent for Walt
56:32
Disney World or Disneyland. And so Japanese law has a
56:37
different list of major ingredients.
56:40
The again, the major ingredients in the US are milk, eggs, fish,
56:44
crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans.
56:49
And in Japan, those their major allergens still include dairy
56:53
products, eggs, peanuts, walnut, walnuts.
56:57
But it also includes shrimp and crab, which maybe falls under
57:01
crustacean shellfish. I don't know.
57:04
We'll leave that to the experts, wheat and buckwheat, but Tokyo
57:09
Disney's website Alter Filters, also filters by what they refer
57:13
to as 20 major allergens for which labeling is recommended.
57:17
And so that includes, and I'm going to take a deep breath
57:20
here, almonds, abalone, squid, salmon, caviar, oranges, cashew,
57:26
Kiwis, beef, sesame, salmon, mackerel, soy, chicken, bananas,
57:33
pork, matsutake, mushrooms, Peaches, mountain yam, apples
57:38
and gelatin. Whoa, that's.
57:41
Crazy many allergens. And So what I appreciated being
57:45
that fructose is very prevalent in naturally occurs in apples
57:50
and apples are very frequently used as a sweetener for all
57:53
kinds of things that you wouldn't necessarily expect it
57:55
to be. And so I loved that I could just
57:58
look through and filter by all of these different ingredients
58:02
that I was trying to avoid and it would give me specifically
58:05
what was left throughout either of the park.
58:08
If you Google Tokyo Disney allergies, their main website
58:11
will come up and you will have to like check that you like
58:14
agree to their legal terms that about, you know, all of the,
58:18
like we said at the beginning of the show in terms of like you're
58:21
in charge of your own medical needs in your body.
58:22
This is just the information we're providing to you, but it
58:27
was so nice to plan that way from the comfort of my own home
58:30
and not be trying to make decisions on the fly.
58:32
Especially because they won't do any substitutions whatsoever.
58:36
So while it is far more labeled, they can't cater the meal to a
58:40
like specifically what you can or can't have.
58:43
So keep that in mind when you're planning.
58:46
That's so fascinating to me that they have that many more labels
58:52
that they'll put on things. That's really nice.
58:54
It's really nice. And I I.
58:55
Wish that it was something it was.
58:57
I wish that it was the way that Disney World and Disneyland
59:00
functions because then you can look property wide at all of the
59:04
foods you could possibly eat and plan your day.
59:07
Like if you like, oh, we're hungry.
59:09
We could go in any different direction.
59:11
Where do we want to go? Like I can see, oh, OK, I know
59:15
that, you know, my husband wants to eat here like this is what we
59:18
might do. And so it's it, it made it made
59:21
things a lot easier in terms of planning and making a list of
59:24
safe places that we could eat. I do want to add we've talked a
59:28
little bit about Tokyo. I will we will be doing Tokyo
59:32
episodes in the future. Do you want to add if you're
59:33
worried about Tokyo Disney food, they have plenty of food that
59:37
you would be familiar with. They have the standard like
59:40
American fare, burgers and French fries.
59:42
There are all kinds of things as well as food that's more native
59:45
to Tokyo and Japan in general. So keep that in mind.
59:50
It's not all food that you, I don't know, that may or may not
59:54
be unfamiliar to you or is, you know, it's not something that's
59:58
just like wildly different than what you're accustomed to in
1:00:00
Disneyland or Disney World, so. Another just like food note
1:00:04
there. I will say I was able to manage
1:00:08
on this trip because our hotel, the Ambassador Hotel, which is a
1:00:11
Disney, a Tokyo Disney Resort, had a kettle in the room and the
1:00:15
kettle would bring the water to a boil as a kettle should.
1:00:18
But it meant that I literally made penne pasta for myself in
1:00:22
the room. I bought a package of pasta at
1:00:24
the market, and I bought a bowl at the Sanrio store, a Hello
1:00:29
Kitty bowl, because it was ceramic and I knew it could,
1:00:32
like, handle hot water. And I put the pasta in the bowl
1:00:36
and waited for the water to boil.
1:00:38
And then I used the tray that the ice bucket was on as like, a
1:00:42
makeshift lid. And I would just let it sit
1:00:44
there in the bowl in the water until the water cooled off.
1:00:48
And then I repeated that process three more times.
1:00:50
And so I ate pasta for lunch every day because I made myself
1:00:54
in the room. Hey, she's nothing but but, you
1:00:57
know, inventive when it comes to making food in the hotel room.
1:01:01
And I'm darn gum tree. I want to bring it up because
1:01:04
it's just, if you get creative, there are definitely options
1:01:07
that you have, especially if you are really concerned about being
1:01:11
able to control some of those things yourself.
1:01:13
It's I, I was overjoyed when I saw that we had a cuddle because
1:01:17
then I was like, wait a minute, I have so many more options now
1:01:20
if we have a kettle cuz the Keurig and the other like coffee
1:01:23
makers don't necessarily spit out water that is that hot.
1:01:27
So it was. It was very exciting for me and
1:01:29
passage. Can confirm, I got a text
1:01:33
message from Stevie about the room pasta experience while she
1:01:39
was in Tokyo because she was very excited about the fact that
1:01:43
she had figured out to make pasta.
1:01:45
How to make pasta in her room? It's great.
1:01:47
I felt very proud of myself. I was like, I am so smart.
1:01:50
I am doing nothing but on that is the anecdote that I'm going
1:01:54
to close us out on is my my pride in cooking on the fly.
1:02:02
I love it. Well, we hope that the
1:02:04
information has been helpful to you guys.
1:02:07
Again, we probably didn't cover everything, but we did our best
1:02:11
to kind of touch on the basics and give you guys a layout of
1:02:15
kind of how allergies work mostly at the US based park.
1:02:19
There's also a little bit at the international parks as well.
1:02:22
CV What final thoughts do you have for us before we wrap up
1:02:26
completely? Never be afraid to advocate for
1:02:29
yourself and for your needs. If something feels wrong in your
1:02:32
guts, if you're worried that somebody doesn't truly
1:02:35
understand you, go with that feeling.
1:02:38
You are on vacation. You do not want to risk being
1:02:41
sick or worse, a hospital trip. That is not not something that
1:02:46
anybody needs to play around with.
1:02:47
So trust your guts, you know, don't be afraid to speak up for
1:02:51
yourself. If you are traveling
1:02:52
internationally, you can print out a card that has your
1:02:56
allergens on it. Obviously that works for places
1:02:59
that can do substitutions or if you need to ask a question about
1:03:03
something that you're not necessarily able to find online,
1:03:06
you know, they may have to tell you like, Oh no, you can't have
1:03:08
that. It does have that food
1:03:10
ingredient and maybe can't, you know, find work with you in that
1:03:13
way. But it can ease the process and
1:03:17
provide another Ave. for you to make sure that they understand
1:03:21
what you're trying to communicate with, communicate
1:03:24
about. Yes, love that.
1:03:27
And you know, if all else fails, we live in a world of DoorDash
1:03:31
and Uber Eats. So, you know, take care of
1:03:33
yourself. Make sure you find food, find
1:03:36
enough food. Make sure you are paying
1:03:39
attention to what you're eating while you're in the parks,
1:03:41
especially if it's hot out. You want to make sure that you
1:03:44
have enough to keep your body safe and healthy in the parks.
1:03:47
That's my mom. A moment to end this is take
1:03:51
care of yourself and do what you need to do to make sure you have
1:03:54
food to eat. Absolutely and.
1:03:57
Sporty, Yeah. So all that being said, again,
1:04:00
we hope that this was helpful. I do just want to briefly talk
1:04:03
about next episode on Mom St. what we're going to be doing.
1:04:07
And ironically enough, it's more food.
1:04:10
We are sticking with our hub episodes.
1:04:13
We're going to be back with Duck and Jess on our next episode and
1:04:16
we are wrapping up hopefully the final episode in our Universal
1:04:20
series, which is part five of our Universal is Universal right
1:04:25
for me series. And we're going to be talking
1:04:27
about food. So Universal food is coming your
1:04:30
way next on our next episode of Mom Streets.
1:04:33
But until then, thank you guys so much for joining us.
1:04:36
If you've got additional questions or need some input or
1:04:40
have thoughts and opinions, please feel free to reach out to
1:04:43
us. You can find us at Mom St.
1:04:44
usa@gmail.com. You can also find us on our good
1:04:48
friend Kirk at Walrus Carp on his Discord.
1:04:50
We've got a Mom St. channel on there that you're welcome to
1:04:53
post questions on there. And any of us or our lovely
1:04:56
community can give you our input and experience on.
1:05:00
And you can also find us at Mom St.
1:05:02
USA on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, all those good
1:05:07
places. So please feel free to follow us
1:05:09
on there and reach out if you've got questions.
1:05:13
But until then, thank you for joining us and we will catch you
1:05:17
on the next episode of Mom St. USA.
1:05:19
Bye everyone.