My family and I attended the opening night of Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland Park. My older child has severe food allergies, and it is always hard to take him trick-or-treating. As parents of an allergic child, we are always concerned knowing that there are peanut candies being passed out, and the possibility of him coming in contact with one.
As my son has gotten older, I have learned that secluding him from activities that are food related just causes him to have animosity about his allergies instead of embracing them. I learned that I cannot shelter him from the peanut world, and that education is a better tool than avoidance.
These are some tips that I did while bringing him to enjoy the trick-or-treating at Disneyland:
*I prepared Andrew ahead of time by telling him that there will be peanut-type candies being handed out during the trick-or-treating.
*During the trick-or-treating part of the Halloween Party, Andrew had a parent accompany him the entire time while he was trick or treating. We walked with him to every trick-or-treat station to ensure that no peanuts went into his treat bag.
*We encouraged Andrew to select the “allergy-friendly” food options from the treat stations. They had a considerable amount of healthy options such as carrots, sliced apples and dried fruits.
*Before going to Disneyland, I secretly packed a bag of “safe candy” for Andrew. When he was done trick-or-treating, I replaced his collected candy with “safe candy”.
*We talked with Andrew before going to Disneyland and reminded him many times during the evening not eat anything without first checking with Mom and Dad.
*For younger children, parents can make a button or t-shirt that says, “no peanuts” as a precaution.
By implementing these few small tips, Andrew was able to enjoy a fun evening of trick-or-treating with his friends at the Happiest Place on Earth. Disneyland works hard to accommodate food allergies for all their visiting guests.
Families that are planning to visit Mickey’s Halloween Party with children that have food allergies can also dine at the park without concerns. Prior arrangements can easily be made for dining at restaurants inside of the park by calling one of the Disneyland restaurants in advance.
All children, regardless of their disabilities can enjoy Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland this year.
