Gluten Free?

[ghgeckos]

I was wondering how well Disney accomodates for someone who has to eat Gluten Free. does anyone have experience with this on Disney?

[mom x4,grandma x4]

I personally havn't had the problem but friends did.

They called DCL and explained and they notified the ship ahead of time so they had glueten free foods for their daughter to eat.

 

Also fill out the medical form and send it to DCL per instructions on the sheet.

 

If this person is a child, make sure the kds club counselors know the situation so they dont offer a snack to them.

 

we did this with a dairy allergy for a grandchild and they had soy milk for him and even a soy ice cream for dessert each night after dinner.

we just had to let them know ahead of time so they would order it.

 

You might want to bring some cookies or snack items the person can eat too, so if they want a snack you will have it.

[Zoolander]

As a Lifestyle and Wellness Coach who also struggles with Gluten Intolerance, I can tell you if your child has Celiac's Disease, you may want to think twice about cruising. The challenge is cross-contamination, and if the cooks don't understand this issue, you will never know how gliadin free the food is until there is an episode. Which is too late.

 

In all honesty, if you look at the list of things that gliadin can be in now, unless you are only eating foods in their natural state, you are rolling the dice to exposure.

 

It could be very difficult to find foods without Vinegar, Artificial Coloring, Artificial Flavoring, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, and even Chocolate Syrup, on a cruise. And ALL of these could be a challenge, including a long list of other things, it isn't just wheat, rye and barley as the primary offendors anymore.

 

I guess it comes down to this: how sensitive is the issue? If it is Celiac Disease I would be overly leary, but if it is just an intolerance, inform Disney of the dietary restrictions, but you would still need to watch it as there is a good chance you know more about Gliadin/Gluten than they do.

 

My two cents. Thanks.

[atinkerbellmom]

DCL stocks GF/CF food on the ship always. We have MAJOR food issues in our house. All of the soy products are stocked without asking. There is even Rcie Icecream available without prior notification. They keep it stocked. The gluten free choices are stocked as well. They are not as good as WDW, but they do have it routinely stocked. Now if it involves your DD, then I would 4sure fill out the medical form. It is not so that they have the food as much as to make sure the Kids club CM are aware ahead of time. So if your DD is a child, then be sure to have yourself and your MD fill out the medical form...;)

[ghgeckos]

Yes, it is Celiac's Disease that my DS has so I know about how much gluten is in everything. We will be at our time share pre-cruise and usually bring a soft cooler packed full of GF food when we travel. I just wanted to be sure if they can accommodate a GF diet. Also does Disney mind if you bring in a cooler full of GF snack foods. I need to have GF foods for port days. So if anyone else has had personal experience with this topic please let me know about your experiences.

[atinkerbellmom]

Yes, you can bring food on the ship due to dietary restrictions. You for sure need to have your medical form filled out and signed by your son's doctor. This way, there is no questions asked. They never check anyway, but better safe than sorry in my opinion. The only thing is it HAS TO be manufactory food and sealed in the orginal factory wrap. The biggest caution is on your way home. Make sure that ALL of your food you carry off the ship through customs is SEALED and in the original FACTORY SEALED wrap. If you have an open bag of crackers or homemade treats, it can cost you $10,000.:eek: You are not allowed to bring fruit either through customs. So make sure everything is factory sealed and no fruit on the way home and you are good to go.... Happy cruising. Your son will be fine. I do suggest taking him out of the clubs for all of your meals. The staff says they are okay with our kids, but better to manage it yourself. You will be forced with eatting only in the dining rooms and not at poolside, but they survive. The only thing that is GF at the poolside would be your french fries, your hard shell taccos and fruit. You get plenty of choices at the buffet, and resturants though. You have not mentioned how old your son is, but you will find, he will have to stick to the adult menu at meals. The kiddie menus are a lot of gluten, except for things like your fries and fruit. He CAN mix and match off of both menues if desired. My kids do fine with a little extra planning.... BTW, your Head Server will be your resource for the cruise, so be preparred to tip them over the amount. This is the Head Server, not your standard server and assistant server. We always go waaaaaay over the suggested amount for ours as they can make or break your cruise when you have dietary restraints..... Just an FYI.... So that you can plan...;)

[ghgeckos]

atinkerbellmom thank you for all of your advice. We will be sure to bring small prepackaged items and get the doctors note signed.