We just got back from 5 magical days at Disneyland and it was terrific. My dd is
6 1/2 with PA/TNA and sesame and they were very helpful before the trip and while we were visitng.
I spoke with Chef Ricky (California Adventure) 714-817-3142
Chef Chris (Disneyland) 714-781-3569
They were both so helpful and gave me good pointers about where to go, who to ask for and what to say.
I also had a chef's card that had all her allergies, cross contamination etc and I always handed it to the waiter- Usually the chef from a particular restaurant would come out to talk to us.
A few times when we ate at the park and a fast food type place they had a recipe book with all the choices that were availble and you could look at your selection to see the ingredients.
I was pleased with it all and felt like everyone was very aware and they knew what a serious issue it was!!
Just thought some you you folks may like these contact people!!
Thanks,
Gwen
what is a chef's card and where can I get one? thanks for the info-we're going in a few weeks.
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[b]~Gale~[/b]
Gale,
It is a bright red laminated card that I made to have for restaurants. If you want all the specifics I will gladly list for you!Basically it lists dd allergies and list other names for pn/tn etc- it seems to make them take it very seriously!
They usual;ly take it to the chef and let them decide if food is safe or not!
oh I'd love to have something like that to print and take with us!! thank you!!
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[b]~Gale~[/b]
I take our two year old PA son to Disneyland all the time. We usually don't eat in the park, because I am so afraid. Please tell me the snacks that you ate and the fast food places that you ate at. We do eat at the hotels, and you are right, they have always been wonderful.
I spoke with chef chris but he didn't actually tell me where to go or where not to go. He did say to avoid the bakery and said to make sure to let the manager know at every place we ate at about dd's allergy. He also said they use separate surfaces, utensils, etc that are all color coded to avoid cross contamination. I am still very nervous but we have to eat and from what I've heard, disney is as safe as anywhere else.
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[b]~Gale~[/b]
This is the same exact conversation I had with Chef Chris this week. I honestly don't feel any better. I would love to get a detailed menu of certain restaurants though I wonder if that's possible? I want to know ahead of time what restaurants will be safe. I'm a planner LOL....with 6 kids, one with High functioning Autism and peanut allergy, a toddler and preschooler too I have to be. My older 3 will be fine....it's the small ones that can't be ran around trying to find a safe place to eat if you know what I mean [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]
I think Mouseplanet.com has reader submitted restaurant reviews that usually include menu information. It may be a good place to start or for basic overview information.
Too bad there isn't a site as detailed as Allears for Disneyland.
Reraising for Corvallis Mom
Thank You, Gwen!
Do they seem to understand cross-contamination on the sheer scale of what we worry about? I mean, will the chef think to check the label on a can of tomato paste or something?? I just don't think I can do it. (Letting them feed DD, I mean... she's soooooo sensitive that even people who DO totally get it have screwed up big time from time to time...and there are several unrelated allergens to worry about at that trace level.) We know of so many products which bear NO warnings and are cross-contaminated with one of her allergens. Nope. Can't do it. Not a thousand miles from home. We get burned even at restaurants we know well and fast food places that we trust... I know we're unusual, (even here) I know.
We just want to give our daughter this ONE thing like every other kid. Just once to let her feel like she's just another little girl. (raging) Is that so much??
What we are hoping for is someone who can answer very basic questions about food policies within the park itself and ways to make risks minimal to DD. For example-- eating food in lines? What do we do if this is a problem for DD who is contact and aerosol sensitive to multiple allergens? Is there any way for one of us to wipe down contact areas on rides? Are there places to definitely avoid? (Thinking of stir-fry style cooking with allergens) What is the best way to summon emergency medical assistance within the park? the resort? Can we safely have a restaurant reheat food for DD without contamination?
You know-- all the little questions that we would like to be able to ask a disability services coordinator. We are not going to drive two days only to find out that many things aren't going to work out. They have actually said that they can't "pre-approve" us taking our daughter's food into the park, but that a physician's note "may be helpful!" DH was also told that we couldn't bring our own tiny microwave into the hotel after they claimed that they have 1 (for hundreds of rooms!) and it's first come, first served... they won't reserve it for us...
Who ARE these people? I don't see that we are being very unreasonable here, and they are making this more difficult every time he talks to them. We were willing to spend the extra cash to stay on the property since it grants extra hours of access, but geez louise.
Sorry, rant over.
The reason I posted in Main is that I am really hoping to hear from people who have a similar situation to ours about their Disneyland experiences. It isn't that I don't appreciate the contact info- I do. It is just that I don't see anything from other people like us who are CRAZY careful and dealing with multiple ubiquitous low-threshold triggers to the point there just isn't any way for someone else to feed your kid. (Not saying anything about other comfort zones-- you got your reasons and we have ours, that's all) [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/wink.gif[/img]