Food Allergies at Epcot Food and Wine Festival

[smartmouse]

My DD has a food allergy and this is her first Food and Wine festival. Does each booth have a list of ingredients for the choices like a quick service restaurant or the concession carts? Any experience with a non top 8 allergen at Epcot's Food and Wine festival would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[ImmyBaxter]

Short answer is that there is apparently a book that lists the ingredients of the food items that is shared between the booths.

Long answer: I have some serious food allergies and some minor ones, including shellfish, salicylates, ginger, turmeric, sulfites, etc. I will admit that the Food & Wine Festival sucked for us because the ingredients of each booth are not listed. We asked a CM at one booth if they knew the ingredients or if there was a book or something that listed them after multiple reactions to things that seemed okay based upon their descriptions. That CM said nothing like that existed so I basically just stopped participating in the festival.

After I returned home and contacted guest services to leave feedback suggesting that they create a book of ingredients for those of us with food allergies, I learned directly from the Special Diets Team that a book does indeed exist. There are apparently a few books shared amongst the booths, so not every booth has one, but they should be able to get one for you to look at. If a CM says that it doesn't exist then they are mistaken and just try to ask a different CM.

 

[smartmouse]

Short answer is that there is apparently a book that lists the ingredients of the food items that is shared between the booths.

Long answer: I have some serious food allergies and some minor ones, including shellfish, salicylates, ginger, turmeric, sulfites, etc. I will admit that the Food & Wine Festival sucked for us because the ingredients of each booth are not listed. We asked a CM at one booth if they knew the ingredients or if there was a book or something that listed them after multiple reactions to things that seemed okay based upon their descriptions. That CM said nothing like that existed so I basically just stopped participating in the festival.

After I returned home and contacted guest services to leave feedback suggesting that they create a book of ingredients for those of us with food allergies, I learned directly from the Special Diets Team that a book does indeed exist. There are apparently a few books shared amongst the booths, so not every booth has one, but they should be able to get one for you to look at. If a CM says that it doesn't exist then they are mistaken and just try to ask a different CM.

ImmyBaxter this information is perfect! Thank you so much! I'm glad to know that there are not binders at each booth, but the information can be found with some effort. We are going on a Wednesday afternoon. I'm hoping crowds will be low so I don't disrupt work flow too much.

Thank you again!

 

[ImmyBaxter]

Glad to help! I am going back November 6th to the 9th to try again, so please update me on how well the advice from Special Diets works. Hope you have fun!

 

[Herdman]

I would assume the same thing would exist for the Flower and Garden festival in the spring? My wife has a shellfish allergy so it would be nice to have something for her to check when we go in May.

 

[ImmyBaxter]

I would assume the same thing would exist for the Flower and Garden festival in the spring? My wife has a shellfish allergy so it would be nice to have something for her to check when we go in May.

It is my assumption that they probably have a book for each of the festivals. I'll be down for the Festival of Holidays and probably the Arts Festival as well, so I can double check then and will report back here.

On another note, I am sure you are aware that a shellfish allergy can be rather troublesome as the protein that causes the allergic reaction is released into the air while cooking. If there is a booth during the festival that is focused solely on shellfish and seafood then she will need to be very careful in that area of the park. First thing in the morning it wasn't that big of a deal for me, but by the end of the day after all that time of the fish cooking I couldn't even go near the Coastal Eats booth area without having an allergy attack.

 

[Herdman]

It is my assumption that they probably have a book for each of the festivals. I'll be down for the Festival of Holidays and probably the Arts Festival as well, so I can double check then and will report back here.

On another note, I am sure you are aware that a shellfish allergy can be rather troublesome as the protein that causes the allergic reaction is released into the air while cooking. If there is a booth during the festival that is focused solely on shellfish and seafood then she will need to be very careful in that area of the park. First thing in the morning it wasn't that big of a deal for me, but by the end of the day after all that time of the fish cooking I couldn't even go near the Coastal Eats booth area without having an allergy attack.

Yes, thanks for the thought. She almost always takes a preventative Benadryl when we eat somewhere that cross-contamination might be a concern so she might need to do that at Epcot also. I'm not sure her allergy is severe enough to be affected by allergens in the air, but better safe than sorry. I wouldn't have even thought much about it in an open air area.as opposed to an inside kitchen.

 

[smartmouse]

Glad to help! I am going back November 6th to the 9th to try again, so please update me on how well the advice from Special Diets works. Hope you have fun!

We gave up after two booths. One food we had hoped to try was sold out (the gingerbread cookie) and the other booth was not very helpful in finding the information in a way that was reassuring.

Did you have better luck on your second trip?

 

[ImmyBaxter]

We gave up after two booths. One food we had hoped to try was sold out (the gingerbread cookie) and the other booth was not very helpful in finding the information in a way that was reassuring.

Did you have better luck on your second trip?

I wish that I did, but it just didn't work out. Once again I experienced CM's that seemed to have no clue what I was talking about. Disheartening and I, too, gave up after a few booths. I guess the Food & Wine Festival just really is not allergy friendly in any manner.