The elusive Dole Whip... for the dairy allergic... About This Page:

[Starwind]

We are at WDW this week, and one of my favourite pre-dairy allergy snacks was a Pineapple Dole Whip (straight or in a float).

So I *really* wanted one this trip, my first since developing a dairy allergy with zero tolerance in the last year (the last couple years I could handle trace amounts... no more! )

I did my research: I know that the manufacturer now makes the Pineapple (and orange) Dole Whip mix with no dairy and in fact it contains none of the "Big 8" allergens (see: DOLE® Pineapple Soft Serve Mix - Naturally & Artificially Flavored from Kent Precision Foods ).

I wrote to WDW Special Diets, to confirm their pineapple Dole Whip was safe, and they told me ask at the location (how useless Special Diets can be sometimes...).

My very confusing experience this week:

(1) MK Aloha Isle:

The Cast Member told me that Pineapple Dole Whip contains a casein derivative and is therefore NOT dairy-free. I said, really? the manufacturer says that isn't true, that the pineapple is now dairy-free. He repeated what he said. No Dole Whip for me !! as I will NOT take the chance and go against what a CM is telling me when they are saying a food is not safe to eat. Not. Worth. The. Risk.

(2) Polynesian Captain Cook's

The manager said the Pineapple Dole Whip is dairy-free. She emphasized ONLY the pineapple, as the vanilla has a dairy ingredient. I explained what happened at Aloha Isle. She said, I'll go get the box. She went and got the box and we read the big yellow ingredient label on the box together. No dairy ingredient, no dairy warning. Safe I thanked her profusely. And had myself a huge, towering Pineapple Dole Whip !!!

And went back yesterday for another one while my sister did the Sorcery card-thing at MK I sense there will be at least one more in my future.


Now, what I am confused about is why Poly's is dairy-free and Aloha's is allegedly not.

I am therefore going to write to Special Diets AND WDW's complaints people and ask them if they can please sort this out; preferably with an answer by the time we get back from our Disney Dream cruise for our last day at the parks.

My guess is Aloha Isle is either cross-contaminating their products, using very old stock (except they go through it so fast that doesn't really make sense; and, the Poly has the new stuff), or are relying on old information and have not been informed of the manufacturer's ingredient change of a number of months ago. Hopefully a reasonable explanation can be determined, and if there is an error being made, it can be corrected quickly.

I hope this helps someone !!

And, always remember: CHECK THE INGREDIENTS EVERY TIME !!!!!! Things change. Do not rely on this report or the last time you ate something to think something is safe. Check. Every. Time.


-SW

[Her Dotness]

I'm inclined to think that since you didn't have the opportunity to examine the box's ingredients list at Aloha, the CM could have been correct, wasn't positive but decided to play it safe and tell you the pineapple isn't dairy-free, was mistaken--who knows?

That you had no problem with the pineapple is heartening for those needing or simply preferring to avoid animal products.

And you are quite correct that someone allergic must check EVERY time.

[Starwind]

Yes, the line was VERY VERY long (and in the heat... as an aside, although I love the next-to-no-crowds of this time of year, I am *never coming back in hot-September* I much prefer late-January/early-Feb with similar crowds but oh-so-cooler :-) ) so I was not about to demand to see the ingredient list at Aloha; we are going back to MK a couple times, so if one of those times the line is a lot shorter, I will ask for it.... That said, the CM was very insistent and sure of himself re: casein...

Hopefully Special Diets/Customer Complaints can resolve the issue behind the scenes.

Always better safe than sorry, and ALWAYS check, yep.

And yep, good to know that there is an option for those with allergies and for vegetarians/vegans and others even if it means a trip over to the Poly -- which as long as the monorail and boats are behaving themselves is a nice little jaunt to a beautiful resort :-)

-SW

[Eeyore Tattoo]

I would also talk to someone else at "Aloha" Because I am sure they both use the same mix at both locations... Let us know what you learn.

[Starwind]

Alas, we didn't get the chance to go back to Aloha Isle when it had a short line, so I will have to rely on getting some kind of reply out to WDW complaints...

Will update if I learn anything.

-SW

[SorcererBeth]

Thanks for letting all of us know! I'm not allergic to dairy, but I'm lactose intolerant, so whenever I've had a yummy Dole Whip, I've always taken a Lactaid pill just to be safe. But maybe now I won't have to!