When Disney disappoints
Posted on : 04-03-2013 | By : Allergy Free Mouse | In : Misc
Tags: Caribbean Resort, DIsney World, Food Allergy
We were recently contacted by a guy named Gary, who was planning a Disney World trip with his granddaughter, who has genetic disorder. He needed Silk Soy Milk available for her on the trip. Since they were flying to Orlando and the quantity was above the TSA guideline for carry-on liquids, he wasn’t able to take it on the trip. Disney recommended Goodlings Grocery as one who will deliver. However, their minimum order was way above the quantity he needed. We checked with GardenGrocer.com and, while their minimums are lower, it was still too much to justify when his needs were only 2.5 gallons of soy milk. We even found the product on Amazon.com. However, the option there was for a large quantity of single-serve soy milk — again a bit much for what he needed.
We recommended that he call Special Diets again, requesting to speak with the head chef at the Caribbean Resort where he was staying, and ask for his or her assistance. When the need arrises, a Disney Cast Member will typically go above and beyond for you, if you simply ask and it’s not extravagant. He did just that, and the chef said he would arrange to have plenty of Silk Soy Milk available when arrived.
He even followed up just before leaving for the trip, and all was set.
Unfortunately, when Gary arrived with his family, no one at the Caribbean Resort was aware of the arrangement. They had no record of the request at Special Diets, either.
Out of desperation, Gary rented a car and purchased the Silk Soy Milk for his granddaughter.
We were heartbroken to hear this news. It was a real surprise to us, after all the wonderful stories we hear about Disney, and the experiences we have had while at Disney World and on our Disney Cruise. Had we been in this situation, we probably would have done the same thing, or possibly even paid the price to have a GardenGrocer.com delivery.
Just a few days ago, we learned of another option, Orlando Theme Park Shoppers, who provide a personal shopper service, including special dietary needs. They are a much more economical option. Unfortunately, we were not aware of this service until Gary already had his plan with Disney.
So what went wrong with the plan at Disney? No one will ever know. Disney often delivers magical moments, and are known for their protocol for doing so. They have systems in place that work within the logistics of a massive food service organization. And Joel Schaefer told us that he implemented a protocol for dealing with food allergies, within this giant food service organization, that makes a special dietary need a red alert priority. Everyone takes it very seriously and the operation adjusts accordingly to ensure extreme care is taken. We feel like Gary’s request fell outside of the protocol. It was essentially promised by someone, outside of the normal procedures, and the massive logistical operation at Disney possibly overlooked this promise, since it was not part of the normal process.
It’s a real shame that it happened, but Disney is a huge operation run by people. And people make mistakes and forget things. Therefore, it’s always a great idea to have a backup plan with food allergies. We still do it, but it’s much “lighter” than it used to be. Disney has never let us down, but we still have a plan for it. In fact, we’ve booked our next Disney Cruise, even after the Carnival Triumph. And while we don’t expect any issues like that, we’ve decided to take a week’s worth of dairy-free supplies, just in case. Nothing fancy, but enough for our daughter to have in case things don’t go quite as planned.
Has anyone else ever needed something and found a solution with or without Disney’s help? We’d love to hear about it in the comments section.
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The chef came out and went over everything at the buffet that had nuts or peanuts in it, so my husband or I did not take anything with nuts. Then asked my son what his favorite foods were and told him that he would make him anything he wanted. They brought him chicken fingers, mac and cheese, fries and veggies. All prepared safe and separate. It was so great that they gave him a variety of things and made him feel like he was eating at the “buffet”, too! Then they made him a safe very special dessert!!
This was our favorite gluten free dining of our trip! We loved 50′s Prime Time. We eat gluten free, and we were amazed at our options here. They offered to make my husband gluten free fried chicken. He loved it! My child ordered gluten free chicken nuggets and allergy safe fries cooked in a dedicated fryer. They both devoured their meals, and got their “clean plate club” stickers. 
. For dessert my son had a gluten free brownie that was made in-house. It was thick and like a flour less chocolate cake. He loved it! My husband had Dad’s Brownie Sundae, with the gluten free in-house made brownie, ice cream, fudge and caramel corn. It was incredible! We will be returning to 50′s Prime Time on all future Disney trips!!
We loved our dinner at Flame Tree. We informed the cashier of our gluten allergy and she immediately sent over the manager. The manager was friendly and immediately brought out the ingredient book. My husband and youngest son are on a strict gluten free diet due to Celiac Disease. My husband ordered the ribs and beans and he ordered the gluten free brownie (OMG brand) for dessert. They gave my son a plate of Grilled Chicken. He was given two chicken legs, a package of grapes and allergy safe French fries that were cooked in a dedicated gluten free fryer. He had the gluten free chocolate chip cookie (Enjoy Life Foods brand) for dessert. It was a delicious meal, and one we look forward to again.
If you’re going to be at Disney World this week, and like to win stuff, watch this site! Or, if you know someone who will be there, pass this along. We’ll be at the World from December 14th through the 21st and, as usual, we’ll be playing 
One fabulous find, this trip, was Le Chefs de France. They make their own sorbet, and have dedicated equipment with no cross-contamination with dairy. They also make their own French rolls, again without dairy or cross-contamination. Our daughter enjoyed eating fresh French bread for the first time. More about this later when we write the review.
