Disney’s Big Secret!

Disney’s Big Secret!
by Jennifer Mahone

Let’s begin with what’s NOT a Big Secret and that is…

That Disney has some pretty AMAZING food! I won’t lie…this is definitely were most of our unwanted cheats come it! They just happen and it’s like a blur. One minute we’re in line and then all of a sudden there’s this empty paper plate in front of us and well…I just don’t know.

For the sake of helping you understand my weakness I’ll provide a visual…

I mean…come on…it has fruit on it! It’s definitely a healthy option. We’ll just “pretend” I don’t eat the waffle or AMAZING NUTELLA! Trust me…I suffer a bit afterwards and yet I still can’t seem to turn away. It’s so darn good!

Now that I have confessed let’s move on to the element of There’s Still Hope.

The BIG Secret!

This may or may not be a secret to you but you actually can eat healthier choices in the Disney Parks (and let me just add Universal Studios while we’re at it). There are so many selections to choose from and I am going to help you out with a BIG Secret (not so secret) if you will be willing to give it a try.

Picture this:

You have made a huge decision to eat healthier, get in shape, live a better lifestyle not only for you but your family as well and just take care of yourself all the way around.
You have just paid a significant amount for theme park tickets, hotel stays, dining plans and character breakfasts buffets. I can totally understand your reasoning for having to just throw all that dedication out the window for the length of your stay because you have to accommodate to your accommodations. Not at all true!
You paid for this trip so the trip will accommodate to you. Let me explain.

When we went to ‘Ohana Restaurant at the Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort a couple months back (which by the way is AWESOME) we reserved for the dinner time. Now this great restaurant serves its food family style all-you-can-eat. The food is brought out to you and whatever you want more of you just ask. So for instance, if we choose not to eat the potstickers and we would prefer more chicken wings, its a done deal. I love this because we can stick to our WOE (way of eating) and not feel obligated to eat the things we know are going to mess with our progress.

At the end of dinner they bring you a dessert. We do enjoy it in smaller portions since we share it. This particular evening we had mentioned that hubby was allergic to coconut. The chef immediately came out and informed him that the only thing containing coconut was the dessert. He was grateful for the info and declined dessert. We were so full from dinner anyway that it wasn’t really a big deal. The chef left the table and when we thought we were done he returned with a specially made brownie cake and ice cream. It was something so significant because it was not even on the menu but the dedication to make sure we received what we paid for was impressive.

That evening I realized something. As a customer sometimes we feel like we are inconveniencing those who are serving us. We pay for the service but we end up feeling like we have to sacrifice our lifestyle choices to make sure the service is easy on the server.

Here’s my thought on this. So many people are diabetic, have food allergies, have health conditions and yet they accept whatever is placed before them instead of taking care of themselves. Now the easy answer would be for them to just stay at home and prepare their own meals. And trust me…we’ve done that many of times because we fear the repercussions of eating out on the foods we know we can’t have.

The BIG SECRET is this…

They WILL prepare the food the way you ask for it. It is up to you to speak up and ask for what you NEED. At this point it is a NEED and you CAN make a request.

They do not want to lose your business
Is it really going to hurt them to remove the bread (or whatever item you can’t have)
You may have a food allergy or be diabetic and trust me, they don’t want that to be on them if something did happen.
You just may give them a new idea on how they can service others the same way they have you.
Here are some ways that I order when I’m out…

Could I please have the double stack burger with everything and BACON…no cheese and no bun (Remember…I’m dairy-free)
I would like the steak salad but no dressing. I would like just some olive oil and red-wine vinegar on the side.
Is it possible to cook my chicken in olive oil instead of vegetable or peanut oil. I have stomach issues with the others.
These are only a few examples. There is no limit to your ordering. You will be surprised at how many times you’ll hear a yes over a no. And don’t ever feel like you’re being too picky. I love taking on the challenge of looking over an entire menu and coming up with a plan that is going to help me stay motivated and on track and at the same time I get to still go out and enjoy a meal cooked by someone else.

I want to share with you one more Secret and it’s more of a tip…

This last trip we took to Disney we decided to reserve at one of our favorite Character Breakfast spots. If you haven’t been to The Tusker House at Animal Kingdom you are missing out on a GREAT thing! It is buffet style all-you-can-eat. They do have a little bit of everything from protein to veggies and definitely a spread of pastries and breads.

I tried something different this time. As I said before, when we have gone on vacation in the past we have always decided to just give in for the weekend and eat whatever and we would just get back on track on Monday. This time I decided to load my plate with all the foods I knew were on my WOE (way of eating). And boy did I load up. I’ll give you a visual of my plate…

So this plate consisted of bacon, ham egg and cheese frittata, hard boiled egg, scrambled eggs with curry chicken on top, sausage, ham of the bone and some nice arugula salad. First of all…No I did not eat it all…lol. But I came close. Just in case you were wondering.

And I am not even going to lie. I did go back for an amazing piece of zebra coffee cake but I didn’t even get to enjoy it much. I was so full from the first plate that I could barely get another bite in. A taste is all I ended up with.

So the greatest most effective tip I can give you is:

When you are on vacation and you’re tempted to just eat everything in site try this little trick that I most certainly will be using from this point forward. Fill your plate with all the things you have allowed yourself on this new healthier way of eating before you reach for the carbs and sugars. I guarantee you will be satisfied enough to not even need a taste.

So what was this BIG SECRET anyway?

To always remember that you have the ability to remain strong in your decision to eat better by just asking for what you want. They will accommodate you if you allow them to. I know I said it was Disney’s Big Secret but the truth is it applies to anywhere you go. You can continue on your weightloss journey and find success in any situation.

Don’t be afraid to ask. They want to help you if you will allow them to. Here’s to your goals and completing what you set out to do.

Jennifer