From our local CBS station in Boston:
Eat At Your Own Risk: Disney World
A CBS4 Special Report
Feb 12, 2004 1:25 pm US/Eastern
The upcoming Presidents' Day week is one of the busiest times of the year at Walt Disney World Resorts, when thousands of families head south for their February break for fun in the sun. But how safe is the food?
In an exclusive Eat At Your Own Risk investigation, CBS4 takes a look at dozens of Disney restaurant health inspection records, uncovering critical health code violations.
"This year plan a gathering with your circle of loved ones," the Walt Disney World commercial said during the Super Bowl.
It was a commercial like this that brought Dr. Bruce Boyd and his family to Walt Disney World last May, a promised trip to one of his seven-year-old twins for having her tonsils out.
"Well, it was fun at first but the time when daddy got sick it was boring," recalls Sarah Boyd.
The Boyds say their long-awaited vacation to Walt Disney World was cut short when dad got sick after eating at a restaurant in Epcot. "I was pretty much laying in bed the whole time and doubled over with cramps and about every 45 minutes I was in the bathroom," Bruce Boyd remembers.
Children of all ages will see their dreams come true by getting a magical Disney World vacation this February break. There's an adventure for everybody and a whole kingdom of restaurants to delight in, but could your lunch turn your stomach more than the twirling teacup ride?
In an exclusive Eat At Your Own Risk investigation CBS4 examined the health inspection records of over 150 Walt Disney Resort eateries and found half had at least one critical health code violation in 2003. Violations health officials in Tallahassee say can make you sick.
"Keep your hands clean, keep your working surfaces clean, keep correct temperatures. They are very basic things but can avoid food-borne illness," says Geoff Luebkemann from the Department of Business & Professional Regulation.
Disney promises lunch fit for a princess at Cinderella's Royal Table, tucked away the inside of the magical castle, but when inspectors were there last August they found two critical health code violations lurking. The turkey, the ham and the cheese were all held at dangerous temperatures, which experts say can lead to the growth of harmful bacteria.
"Bacteria causes food-borne illness or can lead to it," Luebkemann says. The 'Tower of Terror' isn't the only thing that may be dishing out upset stomachs at the Disney resorts. Beyond the critical health code violations, the state of Florida received eight complaints in 2003 from Disney guests of food poisoning.
"I don't tend to complain," Boyd says. But he was so ill he filed a complaint with the state, saying he got a serious bout of food-borne illness at the Coral Reef Restaurant in Epcot Center.
Test results confirmed Boyd had salmonella poisoning. "I'm no public health expert but apparently they have some contamination going on," Boyd says.
When inspectors visited the Coral Reef Restaurant last May they found no violations related to Dr. Boyd's food-borne illness complaint but they did find another violation. Vegetables, couscous and sausage all being held at unsafe temperatures.
"We are very proud of our food safety record and certainly one guest who has a bad experience here is one too many," says Disney spokesperson Jacquee Polak.
Polak proudly points out they serve more than 100 million meals a year and says they're a leader in food safety. "The USDA, the FDA and other local health officials have used us for their training ground and we think the system we have in place is effective and when there is an error we make the correction."
They insist they work hard to avoid violations and try to correct them immediately. "Of the millions and millions of guests who visit us every year, eight of those guests filed a health complaint and we think that is outstanding," Polak adds.
But it was no fun for ten people at the Disney Beach Club Resort last July. According to state records, after digging in to the clambake at the Cape May Café they reported classic symptoms of food poisoning, including nausea, diarrhea and the chills. They called the state and blamed the steamed clams but when inspectors showed up two weeks later, they say they found no violations.
"These specific guests who had a bad experience here it wasn't prolific with the dining experience and if you had a problem we certainly would make sure it was addressed correctly," Polak tells CBS4.
A New Jersey woman who says she was sickened after eating chicken and pasta at The Brown Derby Restaurant in MGM Studios last October complained directly to Disney but when CBS4 tracked her down she wouldn't appear on camera because she says Disney paid her cash not to talk.
"Is it a common practice to sign confidentiality agreement?," Cole asked. "It's an agreement, this is basically to cover and protect both parties," Polak answered. But when inspectors investigated the chicken and pasta complaint they uncovered diced chicken held at potentially hazardous temperatures, just one of 77 Disney Resort restaurants to have critical, dangerous violations in 2003.
Eat At Your Own Risk: Disney World
A CBS4 Special Report
Feb 12, 2004 1:25 pm US/Eastern
The upcoming Presidents' Day week is one of the busiest times of the year at Walt Disney World Resorts, when thousands of families head south for their February break for fun in the sun. But how safe is the food?
In an exclusive Eat At Your Own Risk investigation, CBS4 takes a look at dozens of Disney restaurant health inspection records, uncovering critical health code violations.
"This year plan a gathering with your circle of loved ones," the Walt Disney World commercial said during the Super Bowl.
It was a commercial like this that brought Dr. Bruce Boyd and his family to Walt Disney World last May, a promised trip to one of his seven-year-old twins for having her tonsils out.
"Well, it was fun at first but the time when daddy got sick it was boring," recalls Sarah Boyd.
The Boyds say their long-awaited vacation to Walt Disney World was cut short when dad got sick after eating at a restaurant in Epcot. "I was pretty much laying in bed the whole time and doubled over with cramps and about every 45 minutes I was in the bathroom," Bruce Boyd remembers.
Children of all ages will see their dreams come true by getting a magical Disney World vacation this February break. There's an adventure for everybody and a whole kingdom of restaurants to delight in, but could your lunch turn your stomach more than the twirling teacup ride?
In an exclusive Eat At Your Own Risk investigation CBS4 examined the health inspection records of over 150 Walt Disney Resort eateries and found half had at least one critical health code violation in 2003. Violations health officials in Tallahassee say can make you sick.
"Keep your hands clean, keep your working surfaces clean, keep correct temperatures. They are very basic things but can avoid food-borne illness," says Geoff Luebkemann from the Department of Business & Professional Regulation.
Disney promises lunch fit for a princess at Cinderella's Royal Table, tucked away the inside of the magical castle, but when inspectors were there last August they found two critical health code violations lurking. The turkey, the ham and the cheese were all held at dangerous temperatures, which experts say can lead to the growth of harmful bacteria.
"Bacteria causes food-borne illness or can lead to it," Luebkemann says. The 'Tower of Terror' isn't the only thing that may be dishing out upset stomachs at the Disney resorts. Beyond the critical health code violations, the state of Florida received eight complaints in 2003 from Disney guests of food poisoning.
"I don't tend to complain," Boyd says. But he was so ill he filed a complaint with the state, saying he got a serious bout of food-borne illness at the Coral Reef Restaurant in Epcot Center.
Test results confirmed Boyd had salmonella poisoning. "I'm no public health expert but apparently they have some contamination going on," Boyd says.
When inspectors visited the Coral Reef Restaurant last May they found no violations related to Dr. Boyd's food-borne illness complaint but they did find another violation. Vegetables, couscous and sausage all being held at unsafe temperatures.
"We are very proud of our food safety record and certainly one guest who has a bad experience here is one too many," says Disney spokesperson Jacquee Polak.
Polak proudly points out they serve more than 100 million meals a year and says they're a leader in food safety. "The USDA, the FDA and other local health officials have used us for their training ground and we think the system we have in place is effective and when there is an error we make the correction."
They insist they work hard to avoid violations and try to correct them immediately. "Of the millions and millions of guests who visit us every year, eight of those guests filed a health complaint and we think that is outstanding," Polak adds.
But it was no fun for ten people at the Disney Beach Club Resort last July. According to state records, after digging in to the clambake at the Cape May Café they reported classic symptoms of food poisoning, including nausea, diarrhea and the chills. They called the state and blamed the steamed clams but when inspectors showed up two weeks later, they say they found no violations.
"These specific guests who had a bad experience here it wasn't prolific with the dining experience and if you had a problem we certainly would make sure it was addressed correctly," Polak tells CBS4.
A New Jersey woman who says she was sickened after eating chicken and pasta at The Brown Derby Restaurant in MGM Studios last October complained directly to Disney but when CBS4 tracked her down she wouldn't appear on camera because she says Disney paid her cash not to talk.
"Is it a common practice to sign confidentiality agreement?," Cole asked. "It's an agreement, this is basically to cover and protect both parties," Polak answered. But when inspectors investigated the chicken and pasta complaint they uncovered diced chicken held at potentially hazardous temperatures, just one of 77 Disney Resort restaurants to have critical, dangerous violations in 2003.
