Under 2 Buffet w/ Allergies

[DrummerAlly]

My youngest will be 20 months old when we go to WDW and he has significant and serious food issues. He has an allergy to all dairy and soy products (soy is in everything) and has a swallowing disorder that limits some types of foods and drinks for him. My worry is the restaurants - we plan on eating mostly at buffets. I know if I call ahead they can cook separate food for people with allergies, but will they do this for a child who you aren't technically paying for, or can they just charge me some sort of a la cart fee? For buffets, do you still call ahead with dietary restrictions or is this dealt with more on the spot?

 

[Disney Lover Addie]

I think Disney has options for people with dietary needs if I’m not wrong, and many of the chefs can make an item if you ask. I’ll look at it!

 

[Disney Lover Addie]

Here’s a link to what Disney says, and I think it goes with the buffets as well.

 

[Disney Lover Addie]

You are also allowed to bring in your own food into the parks, if they won’t give the Food they can have without charge.

 

[RememberWhen]

I think you should be fine. I would call the allergy people before the trip, letting them know where you’re eating and when, and talk to them about it. Disney does a good job dealing with food allergies. They shouldn’t give you a hard time about him not paying for the buffet.

 

[dreamfinder]

If you have multiple allergies at once, or unusual allergies then special diets will gladly work with you. But if you only have one or two, then you simply would ask to speak with the chef. It sounds like you may get luck working with special diets due to your needs. They are very accommodating.

 

[Figgy1]

First calm down and relax. Eating dairy and soy free is very easy at Disney as they're considered a top allergens and the chef will walk you through the buffet to let you know what is safe. Almost every restaurant has special menus for those with allergies and if you're really worried the chef will bring you out something for your child at buffets. The only places I would be concerned about and would make special calls to are the ones not owned by Disney. My group has multiple and different allergies and buffets were extremely easy to deal with

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Special Diets requires you to have 4 or more common allergies, an uncommon allergy or a metabolic disorder to get their help, but it can't hurt to reach out to them.

Beyond that, when you book your ADRs, make sure you add the allergies. Soy and Dairy come up as the common allergies you can check off, so you should be good there.

When you check in for your meal, confirm with the host that it's noted on the reservation. Confirm this again with your server and while I would have them bring you the allergy menu for the buffet, tell them you'd feel more comfortable speaking with the chef. The chef will typically come out and walk you through the entire buffet and tell you what the person can and can't eat...regardless of age.

They sometimes have special things in the back too...but it varies. My older one is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. We've had chefs make special things for others that would also be OK for her and offer us some of that food...like a gluten free cake that happened to be safe for her. We had another find special donuts for her that didn't have any cross contamination exposure risk. So, it just really varies...but it's good to work with the chef while you're dining if possible.

 

[DrummerAlly]

First calm down and relax. Eating dairy and soy free is very easy at Disney as they're considered a top allergens and the chef will walk you through the buffet to let you know what is safe. Almost every restaurant has special menus for those with allergies and if you're really worried the chef will bring you out something for your child at buffets. The only places I would be concerned about and would make special calls to are the ones not owned by Disney. My group has multiple and different allergies and buffets were extremely easy to deal with

Well, I wasn't really super worked up about it, but thank you - I'm relaxed. I'm glad to hear that eating dairy & soy free is easy at Disney - it's tough out here in the real world. I knew they'd be able to accommodate, just wasn't sure if I should plan differently to pay a la carte somehow or if they'd just be fine with him being "free" in the buffet and would whip something separate up on the spot.

He can't eat or drink thin fluids (water, soups, juicy fruits), so I need to carry food thickener with me anyway where ever we go. I'm glad to hear they won't be too bothered if I bring something in for him.

 

[DrummerAlly]

Thanks everyone!

 

[Disney Lover Addie]

Thanks everyone!

Have a great trip!