City Walk, Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Orlando

[HJK]

Does anyone have any good restaurant experience at Orlando's City Walk, Islands of Adventure, or Universal Studios?

Whenever I call one of the individual restaurants, they usually suggest we go elsewhere. I haven't hit on one of the restaurants that will give you a warm fuzzy about accomodating us.

Any suggestions will be incredibly helpful. Thank you!

[hezzier]

We ate at Margaritaville.  They have a gluten free menu so DS ended up having a cheeseburger (no bun) and fries (dedicated gluten free fryer). 


The other place we ate was Mythos which I just quickly looked at their menu and they've added a CYA statement about nuts.  It's been a couple years since we were there so things have changed.  DS again ate a cheeseburger with no bun, but I think we skipped the fries.

[spacecanada]

We stayed at the Royal Pacific Resort on-site and the restaurants there were accommodating.  Worth the walk or boat ride there to eat.  Make reservations with the allergy note.  Hard Rock was also good to us.  One place in Harry Potter land (Three Broomsticks) said they could accommodate allergies too, but by the time we came back for lunch the place was really busy so we opted to wait a bit and go back to the hotel to eat.

Most anywhere else we tried didn't give us any warm fuzzies.  Mythos can accommodate some allergies, but we weren't happy with how they handled our request - it could have been the person we dealt with at the front.  Even Papa John's now has nuts and/or peanuts in their pizza dough, which scratched off our usual safe order in place. 

Overall, not the best place to eat with allergies, so it's good that you are investigating now.  Bring lots of safe snacks with you.

[HJK]

Wow...Papa Johns is no longer safe now? The online menu needs to be updated as they're still not listing those allergens as being included in anything. Thank you for the heads up!

Thanks also for all the additional information. You pretty much confirmed my suspicions. I'm glad to know it wasn't just me feeling the lack of concern.

[spacecanada]

The Papa John's we called from our hotel in Universal FL said they were no longer safe for PN or TN due to a warning on their flour.  They weren't sure if it was just their local supplier or nation-wide.  We talked to the manager and expressed our concerns.  He said he wasn't happy with the switch either, and cautioned us that other locations may not be safe any more either so always ask and be careful.  He was very knowledgeable, genuinely concerned, and even apologetic.  So take that as you will... the website FAQs say it should be safe, so they may have changed back, but last year at the particular location we called it wasn't safe.  Another reason we always have to ask, every time.

Universal in California is way worse... cross contamination everywhere!  Universal Florida was pretty good in comparison, once we found two key places to eat. 

[Macabre]

Today we did Islands of Adventure. We had Butter Beer (frozen and regular) and pumpkin juice on the street in Hogsmeade and the pear cider at the Three Broomsticks. Most everything at Honeydukes was unsafe for peanut butane the cotton candy (we didn't get any). We are the Three Broomsticks. DS had a baked potato (he said it was very good) and a side salad with bleu cheese.  The Mac and cheese would have been safe and the corn on the cob (fab--I had a bite of DH's). I has a shepherd's pie and a salad with ranch.

In Comic STrip area DS had cheese pizza.  I had a Nathan's kraut dog with no bun.

There is a Moe's in Citywalk with a Panda Express but separate prep cooking and serving entirely--just same room.

More later

[HJK]

Funny, we just returned yesterday from our trip to Orlando.

As always, Disney is very accommodating. We love visiting them! 

As for City Walk...the chef at Margaritaville was extremely accommodating. We ate there twice (same chef both days) and had an excellent experience.

Another good experience for us was at Unos on Apopka Vineland Road/535. Kathy (restaurant manager) and her staff were extremely helpful and accommodating.

[Macabre]

Here's more: The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade was great about FA. The hostess sends you tons cash register, and you order there. We mentioned FAs, and the hostess sent us to a particular cashier whom she said was the best with FA. She asked the chef about sesame with shepherd's pie. She was great. They have a book to look at, but she also got the possible XC between their fish and chips and shellfish earlier in the supply chain. I didn't explain it to her.

There are stands that sell pumpkin juice that also sell PB ice cream, but not all of them do.

We took some clementines in a cinch sack, which wasn't searched carefully. But their website says food can be brought in for people with FAs--DH said. Bags can be put in a locker for free right before every major ride. You do it with a finger print scan, so take plenty of WetOnes packets.

City Walk is between the parking and both parks. There were many restaurants that did shellfish, so we opted for Moe's, which works for our fAs.

Going to Universal Studios in a few days. Will report more then.

[Macabre]

HJK did you go to Universal?

[HJK]

Yes we did, but we didn't eat inside the park. We ate at Margaritaville.

However, I think I remember someone posting either here or at the old site that they had a pretty good experience with the Irish Pub inside Universal Studios. I'm sorry I can't think of the official name at the moment, but I think it is over by the Disaster ride. I glanced at the menu before we left this time and it appeared as though they had some good options.

Have a good time!

[Macabre]

We we went to Universal today. I'll post about food first and then about customer service, but I may not get to that tonight. Do read it if you are going to Orlando--and my general park recs.

The Disaster place is in San Francisco, and there are several seafood places there, sober obviously did not eat there    

We did see an Irish place ("We serve authentic Irish American food.") in the NYC area, across from the Blues Brothers area. But they had broiled shrimp and a seafood shepherd's pie (with shrimp). I would have gotten the regular shepher's pie and so we did not go there. There was a veggie burger for DS. I don't know if it was MSF, but since we didn't eat there, I didn't pursue it.

We ate across the street at Louie's an "Italian" place. They had pizza and pasta. dS had the veggie pizza a d I had chicken fettuccini. Both DH who got spaghetti & meatballs) would have been wiser to get pizza. Mine wasn't very good, but it was under $7 and safe, so it was fine.

We went back over to Islands of Adventure and had another butterbeer. Most everything at Honeydukes was off limits. And they do have chocolate and peanut covered apples in a case. BUT We learned the Evwry Flavored Beans in the dispensers on the wall (and NOT the boxes versions) are Jelly Belly.  You pay for them by weight. So DS got some.  The Dark Mark lollipops were also fine (we trusted the label. It and the candy floss and the beans I meantioned were the only things that did not have a peanut warning.).  He has eaten the lollipop and some jelly beans.

In Seussland, there is a popcorn vendor that sells popcorn and almonds as a combination.

We ate again at Moe's in Citywalk, and I had the tofu for the first time.  DS gets tofu all the time, but I had never had it. It is marinated in a Southwest Viniagarette which does not contain sesame (they checked). Moe's is always good about changing gloves for DS to keep his meal vegetarian.
I'll write more tomorrow.

[allerav]

Bumping this for more recent information.  Any updates on whether the butterbeer has egg as part of the topping?  Any other new recommendations on restaurants? We are PA, TNA, EA, SA and sesame.

[cashew]

Hi - I just got back from Universal.  I was only there for a day but felt compelled to write something because I definitely think they've gotten a bad rap about allergy awareness over the years.  Maybe they've improved recently, I'm not sure, but I was totally shocked at how incredibly safe I felt the entire time.  I'm severe PA, and EVERYONE at Universal, whether in the park, the hotel or in Citywalk was totally informed and prepared when it came to peanut allergy awareness.  Multiple places told me that they don't use peanut oil (and a few seemed to indicate this was a current practice across the property - not sure if that's true) and every place I ate sent the chef or manager out to assure me.  I ate at Vivo Italian Kitchen in Citywalk, the brunch place in the Portofino hotel (Trattoria del Porto) and Confisco Grill in Islands of Adventure.  I also easily ate dippin dots at the carts in the park (no peanut flavor).  I didn't ask about the butterbeer so not sure about that.  But thought the board would be interested since I was happily surprised with my visit!

[Macabre]

Bump

[hezzier]

Ok, so first let me say the new Harry Potter Diagon Alley was amazing!  I think we spent a couple hours just checking it all out!  DD wanted to try the regular butterbeer, but their machine was giving them problems so we had the frozen kind...tasted good on a hot day.

They have new spots (about 18) where you can stand and wave your wand to do a spell.  We never checked if you needed the new wands to do it. We just enjoyed watching other people do the spells...my kids didn't care if they were doing the spell.

Universal does not predict wait times as well as Disney so often times we waited longer than it said at the start of the ride.

We ate at Margaritaville...I feel like the foods has gone down a notch since we were there last time.  If we ever go back, we will eat somewhere else.

We had no issues bring in a backpack filled with sandwiches and snacks...the security bag checkers didn't even look twice at the food.