Travel, Dining Out

Six Flags food service – another thrill ride?

by on August 30th, 2010

While we remain in the midst of negotiating with Applebee’s to learn more about their food allergy beliefs and practices, I wanted to share a surprising and disappointing experience I had with my family last Thursday.

Summer vacation is just about over so my wife and I decided to take our older kids to Six Flags New England.  I haven’t been to a Six Flags in over 2 decades, nor am I a fan of roller coasters, rides where you drop, things that make you go upside down, or basically anything beyond what you would find in the Wiggles section (where I brave the 2mph cars with my 3-year-old).

In any case, when my wife and kids get tired of the thrill rides, and I start to accept the fact that my 8-year-old is braver than I, we decide it’s time to eat.

Six Flags New England has a lot of food kiosks, but one central food area – so we go there.  Of the many “cuisine” choices, we opt for good old reliables – burgers, dogs, fingers, fries, and pizza (not all my kids are food allergic).

One problem: we find out Six Flags cooks their fries and other foods in peanut oil!  Good thing I asked (which hopefully all of you do all the time).  Meanwhile, the serving area is like a high-throughput cafeteria.  You don’t give them your order and have it filled.  They simply pass plate after plate of whatever food they’ve just finished making to the front of the counter and you grab what you want.  That brings us to problem #2: they put fries on most plates and there’s food everywhere, so we can’t even take the dishes my two allergic boys could theoretically eat due to possible cross-contamination.

Anyway, the point of this entry is not to whine about our experience.  We were finally able to get the attention of someone behind the counter and have them make 3 hot dogs – no fries, no buns, no nothing.  Fortunately (or unfortunately), my kids are used to this happening occasionally and are really great about accepting that this is just part of their life.

What really surprised me was that a theme park that caters to a mass audience, 4% or so of whom must have food allergies, hasn’t figured out yet that peanut oil may not be the best idea for their foods (or their profits).  Further, as I walk the grounds of those braver than I, I realize that this is really a thrill seekers park aimed at older teens.  Now, my oldest just hit 13, so I don’t yet have teens of an age where they will go to Six Flags with just their friends; however, I’ve been told and read often enough that many food allergic teens don’t want to carry their Epi-Pens due to social pressure and fear of embarrassment.  Does anyone else see the red flags?

I told my kids that I don’t want to be there when they’re tall enough to ride the monstrous roller coasters because I don’t even want to watch.  Now I have to wonder if I can afford NOT to be there.

Anyone have thoughts on this?  Are all Six Flags similar in their cooking practices?  Are you surprised that this one uses peanut oil?  Is it true that teens will deliberately go out without their Epi-Pens?  Should I toughen up and get on those coasters?  (Oops, scratch that last question.)

Please click Reply or Comments below.  We want to hear from you!

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Comments

    Author:
    Cynthia
    Written:


    We went to Six Flags New england last year ( hope this hasn’t changed) and they were fabulous!! No peanut oil used by vendors, a few of whom I spoke to told me how they have allergy training sessions and very accommodating. My son has allergies to peanuts, nuts, dairy , egg, shellfish, lamb and on and on. I know he had burger and fries can not remember if he had bread on it or not, caramel corn (which we brought home) and fried dough. No problems! He really is very sensitive and dairy as well as peanuts and others will put him into anaphylactic shock. I am surprised at the change! we were planning in going in a few weeks. Now I don’t know

    Author:
    Jen
    Written:


    Hi, I do not have experience with all Six Flags Parks, however I did work at Six Flags Great Adventure numerous years ago. I now have a 4 year old with multiple food allergies and we go to Six Flags quite often, I will not allow him to eat anything there. I bring food for him every time we go. After seeing what goes on in their kitchens I do not trust that his food would be safe, plus I don’t think the majority of the employees at our park even care. I do find it disturbing that in this day and age of food allergies that they do not do anything to accommodate food allergies.

    As far as teens not wanting to carry their Epi-pen I am not there yet, but I do hope that it is not the case with most. I will be a nervous wreck.

    Thank you for your wonderful site. It is very much appreciated.

    Author:
    KHolt
    Written:


    Our allergist, Dr. Burks at Duke, informed us that industrial peanut oil, like the kind used to fry foods at fast food restaurants is safe for our extremely peanut allergic daughter. Apparently the allergenic protein has been denatured. The same is NOT true for cold-pressed peanut oil. The kind that is in the international aisle at the supermarket and smells like peanuts.

    Near us, Chik-fil-A fries everything in peanut oil and Dr. Burks told us that when they have kid come in from a reaction at Chik-fil-A the first thing they know is that this is categorically not a peanut reaction. Probably dairy or wheat, could be others, but definitely not peanut. Certainly since that appointment we have eaten at Chik-fil-A several times with nary a hint of a reaction.

    I would guess that Six Flags is acting on this information and thus isn’t worried about their oil vis-a-vis the nut allergic community since the percentage of people who react to this type of oil is so small, even within the peanut allergic community.

    From FAAN’s website:
    “Studies show that most allergic individuals can safely eat peanut oil (not cold pressed, expelled, or extruded peanut oil – sometimes represented as gourmet oils). If you are allergic to peanuts, ask your doctor whether or not you should avoid peanut oil.”

    I am so sorry that your family had this experience and triply sorry that your child is so sensitive that s/he can’t consume industrial peanut oil. I find it hard enough with the relatively extreme sensitivity we have in our household.

    Author:
    SR
    Written:


    I remember the peanut oil problem from my last several visits to topsfield faire, though it was very well labeled. (peanuts are one of the few things I’m not allergic to, go figure)

    My experience at all these faire type places is that the little venders with the dedicated criers are your best bet. They know what they are cooking, and you can hunt around until you find one cooking something safe, or that can be made safe. Usually sausage and peppers with French fries if you’re me.

    Author:
    KimberlyG
    Written:


    Hmm, I think the whole thing about teenagers not carrying the epi-pen is interesting and scary. I do not have children with allergies, I am the one with allergies but if I did, I would be concerned that they would neglect to ask vital questions. If they are embarrassed to carry a pen then they would most certainly be humiliated about asking the way something is cooked and ingredients.
    I don’t know if it would do any good but perhaps we should start having allergy sensitivity classes that teach children what can happen when they tease others with allergies. That they are not freaks because they are different and so forth. It may be worth a try and if it prevents at least some kids of the ridicule and maybe worse, then I think it would be worth it.

    Author:
    Valeria
    Written:


    Funny you talked about Six Flags . We live in New England as well. I have a 10 year old , not allergic that is dying to go but I am scared for my 4 yr old that is allergic to peanuts, nuts and shellfish. I saw Canobe Lake Park said they cook in peanut oil so did not want to go there, my choice was Six Flags… well now I am scared as well..

    Author:
    AEPaul
    Written:


    A few thoughts:

    1) Cynthia, I was very surprised reading your post. I wonder why they would have changed? I did have it confirmed by more than 1 person that they used peanut oil, but this was at the central food site rather than the individual vendor stations. Can they be different?

    2) KHolt, that is fascinating info that I’ve never heard. That said, I think I’d still rather not take a chance… though I’ll check with our allergist as well.

    3) Valeria, I don’t mean to freak you out. I would simply recommend that you bring food to the park or at least call in advance to see if the vendor stations might be different (or both). We did have a great time.

    Author:
    AEPaul
    Written:


    And from our Facebook page…

    Tricia Marshall Hidell I’m surprised they still use peanut oil since I thought is was the more expensive option. What about their other fried foods? In peanut oil again?
    I grew up with a peanut allergic brother in the 70’s. McDonald’s fried their burgers then in peanut oil on the grill. The ER doctor’s referred to the havoc that caused as “Big Mac Attacks.”
    I too have heard that about teens not wanting to carry their epis. That was in large part what drove them to design the Twinject epi as they did. They made it look more like a pen with teenage boys in mind.
    We attended a lecture at South Shore Hospital back when our daughter was diagnosed with a nut allergy and the lecturer, mother to 2 teenage boys, had much to say about the emotional effects of food allergies on kids as they age. With the recent rise in food allergies they are beginning to see that it takes a real toll on the kids socially/emotionally. Not enough research has been done to address this in schools etc. The focus has been on safety and they are finding this other component that has yet to be addressed.
    She said that they are finding that teens often hit a point when they start engaging in “risk taking behaviors” with their food allergies — ie: not carrying epi’s, eating that hamburger bun with sesame seeds just because everyone else is…
    She basically scared the heck out of us and left us wondering how we can help her build up her self esteem so that she doesn’t fall into the traps of trying to fit in. I think that’s something we all as parents need to find out more about.

    Sara Breen Bessemer dorney park in PA uses peanut oil and so does dutch wonderland in lancaster, PA..

    Tricia Marshall Hidell Regarding destination spots that cater to kids being behind the times on food allergies – I was surprised by the food options available at both Museum of Science & The Childrens Museum in Boston. Lots of nuts in both locations and we had t…o really work to flag someone down to inquire about ingredients. Ultimately, both places cooked something separately, but it’s a difficult process in such high trafficked areas.
    Then who knows what is all over every touchable exhibit when nuts are served in the cafeteria. I breathed better once we were on our way home.

    Joyce Mason Davis Wow, I am shocked! We live right near the Six Flags in Gurnee, IL and I have to admit that we did not ask when eating there…we made the (very wrong) assumption that they wouldn’t use peanut oil. Now I’m racking my brain trying to remember what we ate! I’ll be very curious to learn if they use peanut oil as well….an EXCELLENT reminder to always ask every time! Thank you!

    Robin Wilson Gentile One of the best parks on the East Coast for those with food allergies is Hershey Park. On the HP website, you can download every food item and their ingredients. Every year we go, and I print off this (large) list and carry the list thru out the park. We can plan where we will eat ahead of time -I still ask questions just to be sure!!!

    Brenda Caruthers Peanut oil has a higher flash point so it is the preferred oil in deep fryers. I am certain it does not make sense to these huge amusement parks to change their policies for a minority. But they should have clearly posted signs regarding their oils, etc. This is another reason why it is so hard to have a “normal” life when you have food allergies.

    Yael Walters Kozar great write up! Thank you as our family was just talking about going to Six Flags Magic Mountain here North of Los Angeles. You are absolutely right about your thoughts. Many teens do not carry their epi-pens and even think that EMT’s ha…ve them-which only Paramedics carry and can administer in CA. Just talked to another teen yesterday that developed an anaphy. allergy to peanuts when she started college so these allergies are developing out of no where. It’s not just a rising prob. with kids under the age of 10. The thought of a life-threatening reaction on a rollercoaster -OMG!

    Laurie McDowell Senio I was impressed wit the Shark Underground at Sea World – they told me they used to get a grant from the peanut industry but so many people with food allergies came and it became more of a hassle than a help. They even have a special fry daddy (bought at Target) to fry fries safely and gave those to my daughter since she could not have the rools. Jade our chef went out of her way and even made a special dessert for ALL my kids.. Wonder what other parks get grants from the peanut industry….

    Author:
    Heather
    Written:


    That’s interesting about the differences in peanut oils. I was devastated when I was 10 and found out Chik-fil-a decided to move to peanut oil. I had a small problem with it, and my parents monitored me all night for a reaction. I’d started eating it without checking (my parents didn’t even check).

    I would think most places like Six Flags would get rid of the peanut oil. I don’t even have a problem at my local fair and the elephant ears/funnel cakes. I know when I was at Six Flags Chicago, there was no peanut oil in the funnel cakes. I always ask just in case.

    Author:
    Lori N
    Written:


    Hmm, I was just there a week ago and had a completely different experience. We stopped at Johny Rockets and not only did they show me the ingredients of everything that went into the fryer (we’re worried about peanuts, tree nuts, eggs and sesame) but the woman called her manager and had her read the ingredients of the french fries off the bag because the location I was at did not have the original bag. Both the fries and the chicken nuggets were fine for my son. (The oil was soybean oil.) Granted, we were eating at an independent vendor’s stand & I did have to walk away from the first place I checked because when I was talking to one of the workers he kept insisting that there were no eggs in the nuggets & fries and showed me a plate of nuggets and fries to me to prove it. (I think there’s a bit of an education gap as far as food allergies go.)

    We also stopped for ice cream and the counter workers pulled the soft serve boxes for me to read as well.

    I left 6 flags very satisfied with our experience.

    Author:
    AEPaul
    Written:


    Lori, I’m very glad you had a better experience. As I said, we went to the main dining area, but now I know to try Johnny Rockets instead. They’re independently operated at the park under their own typical procedures.

    Thank you for sharing this experience!

    Author:
    Belinda
    Written:


    Storyland in Glen, NH was a great experience for us w/ vendors all having books with all ingredients listed. People were very helpful when we were there in 2008 and I’ve heard from many other New England families w/ food allergies that they had similarly positive experiences there.
    The Storyland website actually lists all their foods and ingredients (color-coded!) on their website so we were able to look through that before going and better plan our trip, avoiding the “sorry, you can’t have that” response that always makes my son so sad/mad. We doublechecked everything on site too and people were friendly and helpful about it. They don’t use any peanut oil.

    http://www.storylandnh.com/pdfs/2010ingredientguide.pdf

    Author:
    valerie
    Written:


    I think this 6 flags experience is typical of amusement parks unfortunatley. I’ve contacted some and before going on vacation where they’ve allowed us to bring a microwaveable allergy free meal packet in and heated it up for my allergic child (Ft wayne children’s zoo just said call the day before and we’ll remind our staff that you’re coming go to the dairy queen in australia section). but most amusement parks have told me that I can’t bring any food in even for a highly allergic child and some dont’ even have benches outside where we could go outside and eat near the cars.

    we’re going to pigeon forge next year and Dollywood will not be on our agenda because the food rep there acknowledges peanut allergies and says they have peanut areas of the park and peanut free areas of the park. but she does not acknowledge that other allergies such as wheat, gluten, milk, exist and won’t discuss whether there is anything safe on the menu that my daughter can eat and says we are not permitted to bring anything in for her to eat. they also don’t have a picnic area outside the park either. I refuse to go to a park where i can’t bring safe food and I can’t know if there’s anything safe to eat inside. With gluten, wheat, peanut, milk, and food dye allergies plus corn intolerences in the family I have to assume that unless I plan ahead there isn’t anything safe.

    Author:
    Melonee
    Written:


    This is a great blog with very helpful comments. My daughter is highly allergic to peanuts, dairy and egg. And though it seems odd, she does tolerate peanut oil very well. Six Flags french fries turned out not to be a problemm, its just everything else. Getting info from the workers was like pulling teeth. I’ll try Johnny Rockets next time we visit, like one of your posters suggested. Hopefully they’ll be willing to discuss ingredients list.

    Author:
    Colleen
    Written:


    My 4 year old girl has an epi-pen for egg allergy. At least girls can put it in a purse or something but maybe your son can wear cargo pants – those pockets with closure on it should be big enough and he wouldn’t even need to take it out on rides as long as it zippers or buttons closed. His friends never need to know.

    Author:
    Theresa
    Written:


    Hi, I have been going to six flags great America Chicago for the last 3 years. The park allows food allergic patrons to bring in a cooler of food for them. You just have to go to guest services and they will put a special sticker on the cooler. I have a daughter with multiple allergies, so this is a blessing.

    Author:
    Jarred
    Written:


    I live in gurnee Illinois right by sixflags Great America, we go all the time and this year I want to get the dinning oss but I cannot find a list of ingredients for any of there food on sixfakgs website, I searched everywhere, I even emailed them and I was told I couldn’t be given a list but I can ask for a list at any restrung there. The thing is we are out heading our passes online and if I’m going to get the dinning plan I want to but it with my pass before the park opens for the season, if anyone works there or has access to a list of ingredients could you please tell me or tell me where I can find them or the company that socflags purchesses it’s food from..?, it would be very much appreciated..!

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