"special" dietary requirements

[J_Carioca]

We will be at WDW in October (our May trip was cancelled) and I am very concerned about food. Please bear in mind that I have been to WDW many times and I know the restaurants fairly well. Essentially, I suffer from migraine and inner ear disorders and I have a special diet to try to avoid flare-ups of my condition (which are completely incapacitating and consist of vertigo, imbalance, nausea, headache). Disney treats this as “lifestyle diet” but that is not accurate in my case, because eating the wrong food can make me extremely ill.

It is super-important that I avoid salt. I also can’t eat cheese, chocolate, and the most difficult part, a lot of additives like MSG, autolyzed yeast, yeast extract, carrageenan, protein isolate, etc… This means that lots of things like sauces, gravy, dressings, etc…are off-limits.

I’ve emailed the people that deal with special diets, but I would like to turn to you fine people to give me ideas about restaurants that consist of FRESH food with minimal salt and additives. I like salads but I can’t live on that for a week! I am a brave eater and not afraid to try new things. I love spicy food, meat, fish, veg, fruit…I’m not picky by nature.

I’d welcome in particular QS ideas but am also interested in hearing about sit-down dining as well.

Here's a previous post I wrote about this topic: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/the-book.880046/#post-5936216

 

[PigletIsMyCat]

as for sit-down meals, call disney dining and have them note the reservations. something like all fresh ingredients without sauces/dressings? i've found that almost all restaurants i've sat down at in disney will cook up a side of steamed or grilled veg with nothing added - same for steaks, chops, etc. i'd think you'll probably want to steer clear of all buffets.

i'd think you might have good luck at sunshine seasons in epcot... honestly, i can't think of many other places. have you been able to speak to someone in the special diet or dining team, whatever it was called?

 

[jaklgreen]

I would also decide ahead of time where you would want to eat and then contact them directly with your list. Also print up some lists that you can hand to the chef as he prepares your food, maybe on an index card. Good luck to you.