Hey everyone, it’s been a busy week with the RTQ Database and Food Allergy related Disney news. I did finally get my computer back from repair, and my first priority was getting the promised updates done for the RTQ Database.
Table of Contents
Mini Blog Update: RTQ Database
I spent Wednesday getting the “old format” updated to display current information, and then Thursday completely overhauling the format and setting up the new park-specific pages with the clickable table of contents, and updating navigation systems. This is not the final update to the format of the database, but is a stepping stone on that path, that should make it much easier to find the information for each individual ride.
New Food Allergy Resource
Today, my focus has been on getting this new resource up that will hopefully make it a little easier for Walt Disney World guests with food allergies to find which restaurants on-site are owned and operated by Disney, and not contractors.
Why It’s Important
Walt Disney World is often considered the “best of the best” when it comes to providing safe options for guests with food allergies. But, not all restaurants on property are held to the same standard protocol for dealing with those food allergies. The protocols that make Disney Parks such a popular destination for guests with special diets and food allergies are the ones followed by the Disney owned & operated restaurants.
In the wake of a tragic anaphylactic incident at Disney Springs, where most restaurants are contracted companies, it becomes even more important that we make sure, when we are speaking about allergy-friendly dining at Walt Disney World, to explain the difference between these two categories of restaurants on the property.
What is the “Food Allergy Protocol”?
This is not an official term used by the Disney Parks, to my knowledge, but it is used in Disney-related Food Allergy communities. There are many safeguards put in place by the Disney Culinary team that ensures attention to detail and strictly limits cross contact opportunities for guests with food allergies at the Disney owned and operated restaurants.
Special Diets Team
Guests with parties that include more than 1) one party member with a special dietary need (allergies, celiac, pureed foods, etc) or 2) one party member with more than three allergies are encouraged to email the Special Diets team up to 14 days before your trip. When you email, they send you a form to fill out where you can list each allergen for each party member, and provide a list of restaurants that you plan to eat at. The Special Diets team then passes that information on to the chefs at the restaurants you indicated, and if they have any questions or concerns, the chefs are able to reach out to you ahead of time. This means that the allergy chef at the restaurant who will handle preparing your food will have advance notice, and may be able to work out a plan that might accommodate you ahead of time.
At Table Service Restaurants
When you arrive at the restaurant and are seated, you should let the server know that your party has food allergies. They should offer to send the Chef to the table to speak with you and make a plan for what you will eat. If they offer, absolutely request to speak to the Chef. The Chefs have devices with ingredient listings for everything served in the restaurant, and can walk you through what they do to prevent cross contact of your food. At the buffets, the Chef is also able to bring food out from the kitchen, before it makes it to the buffet line, which also helps to limit opportunities for cross contact with allergens.
At Quick Service Restaurants
Mobile Ordering is not recommended for guests with Food Allergies. The app only allows you to select one allergen per dish, and that isn’t an option for guests with multiple allergens or allergens outside of the Top 9. When you arrive to the restaurant, you should ask to speak to the allergy coordinator. They have a big binder at each location with ingredient information available, and they can also walk you through what they’ll be able to do for you.
At Kiosks, Stands, and Festival Booths
This is a little more complicated because these locations don’t typically have their own kitchens. They will have an allergy binder, but for some items, they may need to call the kitchen preparing the items to verify information. This is particularly common for the festivals.
Allergy Picks and Purple Trays
When food is brought out for a guest with food allergies, it has a wooden pick with “ALLERGY” printed on it. More recently, they have also begun using purple trays to denote food allergy items as well. This is to prevent any mix-ups that may occur. If you order food with a food allergy, and something comes out without an allergy pick, that is a sign that there was some type of breakdown in communication and preparation in the kitchen, and I would not feel safe eating that food.
How is this Different for Contracted Restaurants?
Some restaurants (a couple in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, several at EPCOT, and the vast majority at Disney Springs) are owned by companies other than Disney, and rent space within the parks or at Disney Springs where they operate their own restaurants. They are not required, to my knowledge, to follow any of the steps I detailed above. Many contracted restaurants will not send the Chef to the table, and some may tell you that they are just unable to serve you anything safe. I believe some of them do use allergy sticks, but I’ve also heard that this isn’t always consistent. When we’re talking about anaphylaxis, consistency and a thorough understanding of the process is super important, which is why my family sticks with the restaurants on the resource I’m about to share with you.
What is this Resource
Last year, I was working on a project focused on allergy menus on property. It’s time-intensive, and a huge undertaking, and I wasn’t able to finish it before I had to “pause” blogging.
But… in pulling that project together, I was able to create a list of most Disney owned and operated restaurants at Walt Disney World. It’s not comprehensive: most kiosks, lounges, and stands, and all festival booths, are not included. This is meant to be a jumping-off point for a newer Walt Disney World visitor with food allergies who may not know which restaurants are run by Disney and which are run by contracted companies. These are the restaurants my family is comfortable eating at (for the most part. I have two personal exceptions – with my ANA fish and shellfish allergy, I will not step foot into Columbia Harbour House, a seafood-focused quick-service restaurant in Magic Kingdom, or the Cape May Cafe seafood buffet at Disney’s Beach Club Resort.) Anything with an asterisk (*) my family has eaten at before safely – and again, Columbia Harbour House is on this list because my wife (who has celiac disease) has eaten there safely, but it’s not suitable for guests with seafood allergies.
The Resource
Click here to open Disney Owned & Operated WDW Restaurants List in a new page.
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