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**KatieB** · 01-29-2011, 12:53 PM

We used to take our two every February because my husbands business had a winter conference there. Then we'd take them in the summer because no matter how hot it gets, it truly is the happiest place on earth!! If the kids had a good time WE had a good time, lol!! From what I remember about the restaurants, you can pretty much order like you would anywhere else, sauce on the side, plain steak, etc. Buffets can be a problem because the waiters may not know what's actually in the food, but you can investigate and just explain that you have a LOT of allergies. They are SO accommodating that I'm sure you will be able to find someone to help you.
As far as the parks go, that will be hit and miss. I didn't even really have a hint of IC that I knew of (I pee'd a lot, but that's about it...oh and you'll always be able to find a clean restroom, BONUS) so I ate everything in sight and it was ALL good. Maybe you can look it up on the web and see if you can find out what types of food are available. We always got the food plan that had breakfast and dinner. And then we would have lunch in the parks. I'm sure someone has told you, or you know, that you should book "Character Breakfasts" early. You could probably book them now because they fill up SO fast but they are SO fun for everyone!! And the breakfast buffets are generally very IC safe foods!!
You guys will have SO much fun!! I truly miss the days of Disney World. Kids grow up FAST (mine are 19 and 21) so just research and ENJOY!!!

***Julie B*** · 01-29-2011, 01:45 PM

I agree with Katie, just go and enjoy. A couple of things that work for me in a pinch...(We go a couple of times a year....Disney Vacation Club members)

They sell Evian water, however, I take in at least one bottle of my own water to save a couple of pennies.

You can get peanut butter and jelly pretty much anywhere in the resorts. Just ask for the kid's menus. Their mac and cheese is also pretty good.

Japan in Epcot has a counter service WAY in the back of that property and I can get a big bowl of sticky rice that keeps me full for a long time. The Land also has a counter service where you can get plain rice and plain noodles. I have gotten chicken alfredo there occasionally and even a baked potato.

America in Epcot has hamburgers that you can get plain, McD's is also on the WDW property.

I like to eat a big breakfast of eggs, toast, and potatoes, eat a snack, then we have a bigger dinner.

At the Riverside resort counter service you can get HUGE sub sandwiches for something like $8. Hubby and I split a beef sandwich there all the time. We can pick our own toppings. Another good place for fresh hearty sandwiches is Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney.

Pretzels in Germany (OMG, you can't believe how good those are!)

You can buy bananas in a lot of places, restaurants and fruit carts in all the parks.

Fish and Chips in England

Tempaan Edo (sp?) in Japan has the grills and you can order your meat plain and get sticky rice. A GREAT alternative for a fancier meal and you can control the ingredients.

Canada in Epcot has a steak sit down restaurant where you can get a simple steak and baked potato with vegetable for a dinner. Their pretzel breadsticks are crazy amazing.

You can get a simple chicken, potato, veggie dinner in France.

Morocco has terrific baklava

Mexico has churros (can you tell I am on a dessert kick?)

Disney Rice Krispie treats are everywhere.

If you are in a bind, you can get skim milk almost everywhere, and a cup of milk can tide you over until you find something else you can eat.

Finally, if you get the meal plan (which we do quite often) you can tell them in advance what your primary allergies are. I always tell them strawberries, MSG, soy, and tomatoes. The rest I can work around. If there is a concern, your swipe card will alert the chefs and they will come talk to you.

One place that is really cool to eat is Boma, in the Animal Kingdom lodge. It is an African themed buffet, all you can eat. I usually don't get MY money's worth, but the rest of the family usually does. I get the same thing there nearly all the time.....roasted chicken or prime rib, baked sweet potatoes, green beans, white rice if they have it, vanilla pudding. The whole atmosphere there is worth it even if I do watch what I eat. The chef came out and talked to us in depth about my restrictions and my daughter's barley allergy. They were very thoughtful about it.

One thing I really would recommend is to get a temporary handicapped parking pass if you are going to have a car. I am ok now, but when I was first diagnosed, the handicapped permit was a lifesaver. The trams in the parking lots are really bumpy and could set my bladder off at the beginning of the day.........I haven't had to do that in a long time, but if I would ever need it again, I wouldn't apologize.

Take pyridium where ever you go.............

Ok that is enough.........I want to go with you!!!!!!

**glass1/2full** · 01-29-2011, 02:05 PM

Disney Dining

I have several tips:

1. When you get to the park, get the GAC (Guest Assistance Card) at Guest Services. One of my major problems is standing for any length of time -- both because of pain and because of frequency and urgency. The GAC will get you separate access with less waiting time in many cases; asking for it was the first time I publicly acknowledged my IC and FMS (I had just been diagnosed with the latter) but it made all the difference. I recognize that some people may look askance since our illness is "invisible." Don't worry about that: the "cast members" (Disney employees) and others are extremely gracious about understanding.

2. If you can afford it, get the Deluxe Dining Plan or the one that's one level down (where you get at least one table service meal/day). You will find that the chefs come out and speak to you whenever you are at table service (including buffets at Boma [which I also love, agreeing with the previous post] and other great places). The chefs will tell you what's involved in preparation but equally, they'll cook separately for you. I did not have them do this for me, but they accommodated my daughter who is allergic to eggs, dairy, wheat, and soy -- and those sweet, sweet people got her everything from "safe" Mickey waffles to her first filet at a restaurant where we really splurged, along with her first "real" dinner rolls. I cry when I think about it: we've been twice, and in large part the second trip was because it is the one place where I absolutely don't think twice about her diet. I share this because I know they will give you the exact same attention she has been given.

3. You can get bottled water, and if you are on the Deluxe plan, you get extra snacks each day (the water can count for that). Do NOT drink the tap water -- you can tell that it's not the best choice for those of us who battle IC.

4. Get a map before you go (I recommend downloading the maps and/or getting the Insiders' Guide and the Passporter editions). Identify where the restrooms are located. Go immediately when you get in the park -- I mention this because sometimes you can get swept in crowds and it can be harder to get to the restrooms. Also, the monorail and boat rides as well as shuttles/buses can be hard in terms of the bouncing -- if you're sensitive to this (as I am) it can be a little tough, and so going more frequently helps.

5. Again, if you can afford it, get a room with a jacuzzi tub. We all know better than to go in too much chlorine or hot tubs, but having the jacuzzi in your room will make you feel like you've got the treat all to yourself.

6. ENJOY: we splurge and do Disney "up" and we don't spend one ounce of guilt. It's a beautiful place at which everyone delights in magic; my husband really wants to vary our trips, but I can't help feeling like I'll find a way to sneak back again and again. It's that accommodating, that special, and that comforting.

Feel free to PM me if you have questions.

Again, enjoy!

***Julie B*** · 01-29-2011, 02:33 PM

Glass 1/2 full, you are right about the buses. They are very convenient, but I always insist on getting a rental car. A couple of years ago, we waited over an hour at Animal Kingdom for a bus to get back to our resort so we could go back to EPCOT to get our car (we thought keeping the car in the same place all day was smart........not!) The standing did me in and I was in near tears by the time the bus got there. (It finally came because several of us complained about the wait...) I felt like everything was out of my control and I told my husband never again. The anxiety wasn't worth it. We take the car everywhere.

Rides.......the Dinosaur and Safari rides at Animal Kingdom are VERY jarring to the bladder, even for healthy people. I don't go on the Dinosaur ride anymore but we always do the Safari. Try taking one of the last Safaris of the day. As the temperature goes down the animals get more frisky. They also feed the animals when the park closes, so they start to get restless, wanting to go back to their dens and barns. Makes for a very good show and if your bladder gets a bit fussy because of the ride, you can go back and rest (in the hot tub! lol) I hate to say it, though, if your bladder is already fussy, you might want to wait to go on the Safari.

And I agree, they are extremely accommodating about diet. I have no fears going there, and I also think that is one reason we go back over and over.

**suncaro23** · 01-30-2011, 12:38 PM

Wow! Thank you all so much for the great advice...I am really excited to get there, and I will use the tips you gave me. It is nice to know that the chefs will be accomodating, and I'm glad for the tips about ethnic food, which I would have totally passed on if I hadn't gotten your messages. When we are back, I will let you know how it was.
suncaro23

**DaffyDills** · 02-04-2011, 09:17 AM

We went to Disney right after Thanksgiving for a week. I've never been so well taken care of in my IC life! We made our reservations at least 2 weeks in advance for the dining rooms and I called to notify them that I had restrictions. The lady I first spoke with was fishing a little to see if I really had issues or just preferences. She wanted to know what happens if I eat those foods and I said intense pain for days or weeks. I stick to the Bladder Friendly column of the IC food list and from there I also eliminate eggs and anything starchy. I took a couple copies of the printed food list, condensed down to my allowed foods.

The chefs at the dining rooms were amazing. They'd come out to the table and review my pitiful list and come up with suggestions. If they looked a bit baffled at first I would suggest a meat and steamed veggies, and asked them to use plenty of olive oil, garlic, mushrooms, and red/orange/yellow bell peppers. Twice I had chefs come running back out to 'save' me from certain anguish when I ordered something off my menu (we were on dining plan so I always got a desserts but gave it to other family members). I took safe snacks with me (almonds, mild cheddar) and was ok with the bottled water using the snack allowances.

I had the best time I've ever had--and I prepared for a few weeks in advance by being SUPER vigilant with menu, and using Prelief and CystaQ religiously. I watched the clock and visited bathrooms regularly. I was able to ride the buses and boats, and even stand in a loooooong line twice without issues.

One evening I suddenly realzed that in the process of arriving early to get a good up close view of the parade, I had inadvertantly cornered myself in a tight crowd. I missed the parade bc I panicked a bit and had to fight my way through the crowd to get out of there. I had the emergency bathroom cards from the IC Network store, but they didn't help at the time bc when we tried to exit we wound up at a guarded No Admittance street. The guard didn't let us (or the vomiting child's family) pass that way and we both had to turn around and push/shove ourselves back through the crowd in the other direction. Thankfully, I had no issues, just a few moments of panic.

I told hubby that from now on I want all our vacations to be at Disney.

***Julie B*** · 02-07-2011, 07:16 PM

We just booked for September on the front end of Food and Wine. Got one of the tree houses in Saratoga Springs. My daughter/son-in-law and brother and his wife will share with us.

I was doing a little kid happy dance when I was on the phone with the reservation agent.

Love love love Disney.

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