My daughter suffers from severe food allergies. Eating out has always been difficult. She went to culinary school and became a chef not only to make her own life easier but also to be able to help others with food allergies. She has a big passion for creating foods for children so that they don’t feel “left out” when it comes to eating out. My daughter will be one of the chefs demonstrating allergy food preparation at the convention in November. I am also pleased and honored to be one of the bloggers that will be supporting and reporting on the convention.

Walt Disney World has always been a great vacation for our family because of the resorts commitment to helping food allergy sufferers. Each restaurant on property will make special arrangements for a guest with allergies. There is also an APP available to help food allergy sufferers while at Walt Disney World – Sarah Norris, one of the creators of the upcoming convention, has run a very informative website for a long time – Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW. This site was a wonderful asset for my family when we would travel to WDW. In early 2014, Sarah helped create an APP – YoDish. Shortly after the APPs release, my daughter and I traveled to WDW using YoDish to find the best spots for my daughter to eat along with reviews of the food. What a great APP. If you suffer from food allergies you should not travel without it! Read my previous posts about the APP: Gluten Free/Dairy Free Dining at WDW – Now There’s an APP for That! and a follow-up report after using the APP: Follow-Up – Outstanding Tool – Gluten Free/Dairy Free Dining at WDW – Now There’s an APP for That!

Food Allergy & Celiac Convention to be Held at Coronado Springs Resort & Convention Center in the Walt Disney World® Resort on November 22, 2014

Families and individuals in the special diets community are marking their calendars for the first Food Allergy & Celiac Convention, held at Coronado Springs Resort & Convention Center in Walt Disney World, Florida. Saturday, November 22, 2014 is slated to celebrate food allergies and celiac disease at one of the top food allergy and gluten free locations in the world.

Co-hosts Sarah Norris and Laurie Sadowski are dedicated to raising awareness for consumers of all ages. The convention will feature a vendor expo, culinary demonstrations and speaker sessions, a kids corner, and other events. “We really wanted to offer guests a variety of activities to choose from” says Sarah, owner of the website Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW. “We have added that ‘Disney touch’ with Extra Magic, with elements that you don’t see at every expo.” Food allergy and gluten-free cookbook author Laurie agrees: “Disney offers so much for guests who have special dietary needs, and we wanted to highlight this unique experience for those attending the convention. We’re thrilled that the Disney Culinary Team is working with us to provide culinary demonstrations, speaking panels, and, of course, food.”

The vendor expo will also give guests a chance to see both new and emerging gluten free and food allergy companies and organizations. All vendors will have gluten free offerings and many will cover multiple special dietary needs, including the top 8 common allergens. Tables will be equipped with signs indicating each company’s allergen and cross-contamination procedure.

The cost to attend the Food Allergy & Celiac Convention is $15 for adults and $5 for children ages 3-12. Advance ticket purchases are also available at a discounted rate. The ticket price includes the vendor expo, kids corner, various staged presentations, culinary demonstrations, speaking panels, and more.

To purchase tickets or obtain additional information about the event, visit celebrateawareness.com.

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The Food Allergy and Celiac Convention is hosted by two individuals with extensive knowledge about celiac disease, gluten-free awareness, and food allergies: Laurie Sadowski (lauriesadowski.com) and Sarah Norris (glutenfreedairyfreewdw.com) are also experienced in dealing with food allergies at WDW, and have developed relationships with the Special Diets, chefs, and event planning teams there. Focused on building awareness on health and lifestyle, not just the food, but definitely the food–the convention is set to highlight awareness at the most magical place on earth! Food Allergy & Celiac Convention is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

Guests attending the Food Allergy & Celiac Convention (FACCWDW) at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort and Convention Center this fall can now take advantage of extra magical discounts and perks through FACCWDW’s official travel partner: Destinations in Florida.

Destinations in Florida, a Florida based travel agency with offices in Orlando and Jacksonville,
specializes in Disney and Central Florida vacations. They are an Authorized Disney Vacation
Planner agency having earned the title of EarMarked Agency by Disney, a specialized distinction
from the Disney Company.

“The team at Destinations in Florida offers professional service with exceptional attention detail,”
says Sarah Norris, cohost of the event. “From their ability to assist guest with special dietary
needs, to extra perks and fabulous rates, this agency sprinkles pixie dust on every vacation that
they help plan.”

Destinations in Florida is offering Food Allergy & Celiac Convention guests discounted group
rates at three Disney resorts: Pop Century, Coronado Springs Resort and Convention Center
(FACCWDW’s headquarters), and Animal Kingdom Lodge, starting as low as $104 plus tax. The
agency also has special rates at an off-site location, making vacation planning affordable and
customizable for every FACCWDW guest.