Just back from 8 days of eating gluten free...any questions?

We had some quick meals in our room but otherwise ate at the following:

Gasparilla Island Grill (few times)
Beaches Pool Bar and Grill
Capt Cook's
Sunshine Seasons
Electric Umbrella
Pizza Planet
Cosmic Rays
Columbia Harbor House
Be Our Guest (B)

Pirates & Pals Fireworks Cruise
Grand Floridian Cafe (D)
Kona Cafe (D)
1900 Park Fare (B)
Tusker House (L)
Sci Fi Star Wars breakfast
Mama Melrose (D, Fantasmic pkg)

We also enjoyed lots of treats throughout the parks including macaron ice cream sandwiches in France...yummy!

Let me know if you have any questions!

I would like to know a review of what you ate at the restaurants that was GF and how did you like it? Also how was the experience of having to talk to the chef?

Were they easy to deal with, did you feel like you had options? Did you take pics of your food??

Thanks!

Please give the details and your experiences in those places.

Gasparilla Grill was awesome. Lots of options and the managers/chefs were very helpful and friendly. We had pizza (OMG brand..so good!) and they will add any GF toppings you'd like. Allergy tenders, French fries, cheeseburger on a Local oven bun (yum!). Create your own salad...chicken, steak, romaine or spring mix, parmesan cheese, feta cheese, roasted peppers, lots of veggies...the only things not GF were the blue cheese, Asian dressing, Asian noodles, and croutons. I really wantd to try the Cuban sandwich on GF bread/bun but didn't this trip...maybe next time! OMG brownie, chocolate chip cookie, jello, and chocolate/vanilla soft serve ice cream for dessert. WE didn't have breakfast here but they had eggs, breakfast meats and potatoes, and Mickey waffles.

Beaches Pool Bar was good. My daughter loved her cheeseburger on a local oven bun. I had a grilled chicken sandwich with balsamic tomatoes on GF bread. The chicken was good but the Udi's bread was not toasted and completely fell apart. It came with house made thick cut potato chips from a dedicated fryer.

Capt Cook's was disappointing. The allergy menu listed cheeseburger or allergy tenders with fries as the options which is awesome but I was hoping to try the pulled pork nachos or pork sandwich but the sauce on both contained gluten, same for the dressing for their specialty salad. The chef wasn't overly friendly. He referred me to the cast member who was roaming the food court with menus (unfortunately I forget his name but he was super nice and from Philadelphia, PA). That cast member was awesome and pulled out the allergy binder and together we figured out that the beef and cheddar sandwich was GF with just substituting the roll. It came out on two GNI rolls (like sliders). The flavor was good but unfortunately the beef was thick and a little chewy and the rolls were just ok. My daughter didn't like her cheeseburger or the roll (also GNI, not heated). We both were happy with the fries.

Sunshine Seasons was delicious. We ordered the adult pork chop with mashed potatoes and asparagus; plus the children's salmon and mashed potatoes. My daughter doesn't like pork, salmon, or roasted chicken (another GF option there), so she ate mashed potatoes, fresh carrots (kids picks), and we got her something else later. Everything was very good. They also had white rice plus the usual refrigerated kids picks fruit. I had crème brulee for dessert and they had a good selection of GF cookies also available in a large box (Enjoy Life brownie cookies, crunchy choc chip cookies). The OMG brownies were sugar free here, just figured I'd mention as I know some people need sugar free while others avoid artificial sweeteners. Most other places had the regular OMG brownie.

Electric Umbrella was good. We had allergy tenders, cheeseburger, and fries. I think an OMG brownie also. The manager was helpful and friendly.

Pizza planet was awesome. We were able to order via the cashier rather than waiting for a manager. I don't mind waiting for a manager to keep things safe, but Pizza Planet had an allergy slip for the cashier to place the order and it saved time (helpful with 3 kids and a cranky 3 yo in tow!). The cashier was very knowledgeable said I could talk to a chef if I preferred. We had Udi's pizza...one cheese, one pepperoni. It was cooked very well...better than at home! I also had a side Cesar salad without croutons. OMG brownie or Enjoy Life choc chip cookies were available.

I hope this is helpful so far. I'll write more later!

Wow! That is great to read about your experiences. I am finalizing my ADRs and this will help.
i look forward to hearing about the rest!!

Thanks for the reviews! Keep them coming! As the planner (but not he gluten free member of the family), concrete examples are much easier than trying to guess from the online menus!

My wife is GF as well, and Disney definitely just knows how to do it right....Unfortunately DLR wasn't nearly as up to speed as their counterpart in Florida.. Glad you had a great food trip..LoL

can't wait to hear more!! Needed some experiences with CS options, so that's great.

Cosmic Rays was great. The manager was super helpful and friendly. He was hanging out near the line so we asked about GF options while we waited so he called our order into a chef/manager in the back before we got to the cashier and then when we got to the cashier we entered our GF order and non-GF order without additional wait time. We had the chicken/rib combo and adult cheeseburger on a Local Oven bun (so good!) with French fries. My daughter is not a huge eater but we figured out that she much prefers the taste and texture of the adult burger versus the kids burger even if she can’t eat all of it. The meat on the kids burger looked more gray, whereas the adult burger looked like a regular burger, and some of the kids burgers came on GNI buns not heated which she didn’t like. Anyway, the combo platter and adult burger were great! We didn’t order dessert but they have GF brownies and cookies.


Columbia Harbor House has lots of options. I ordered the grilled salmon and steamed broccoli…very good! My daughter had the allergy-free chicken tenders with fries…she loved them. Other options include Amy’s mac and cheese (can also add lobster like the non-GF menu I believe), harvest salad with chicken. They also have OMG brownies/cookies and Enjoy Life cookies.


Be Our Guest breakfast…we really enjoyed this!! The kiosks have an option for allergies, then you click what you want to avoid and it brings up your options. For adult wheat/gluten free they offered most of the non-GF dishes but substituted millet bread for the bread/roll/puff pasty. Instead of a croissant donut they offered Van’s waffles and fruit. I can’t remember everything for kids, but I know they had eggs/bacon/fruit, Van’s waffle/fruit, and French toast sticks/fruit. They also had cereal on the kids menu and we asked a cast member who said it was Rice Krispies. Hmm…not GF. She insisted they were GF and her celiac sister eats the regular Rice Krispies all the time. Our only thought was maybe they’re the certified GF Rice Krispies and she didn’t realize that but I heard that Kellogg’s was discontinuing them. Or maybe Rice Chex and she got things mixed up. The cast member offered to check in the back but it was so crowded and we were hungry and anxious to eat so we thanked her but said we’d order something else. I had the open faced millet bread sandwich…2 slices of toast each topped with slice of brie, bacon, arugula, sliced tomato, and a poached egg. It came with a side of fruit, mostly melon with one strawberry and a few grapes. Very filling! My daughter had the kids eggs. It came with fruit and bacon (which she doesn’t like but I didn’t know they had sausage until my son’s breakfast came out…my husband had ordered his meal). So when the manager brought out our GF food, she offered to bring out the chicken apple sausage for my daughter also. Our GF meals also each came with a plate of GF breads from Babycakes…we each got chocolate chip, cinnamon, and lemon. They were a little dry but I thought they had a great flavor. For drinks I ordered coffee and a bottled orange juice thinking I’d need to pay for one, but both were included in my meal. Overall not a cheap breakfast, but it was fun to eat in Belle’s castle and be served rather than carrying trays like a typical counter service, plus it was very filling with the side of fruit and sweet tray.

Pirates and Pal Fireworks Cruise was so much fun! This was a splurge but a great experience. We met up with friends from home which made it even more exciting. When I booked I mentioned the allergy and she noted it but wasn’t sure what they’d offer in place of the cake and pretzels that aren’t GF, but said that come of the other food (all included in the prices) was GF such as Smartfood popcorn, chocolate coins, apple slices, whole oranges, drinks. The cast member on the phone said they have Mickey premium bars so we were excited about that. Well, they didn’t have Mickey premium bars and the cast member at Pirates and Pals apologized but said they never have them due to the carpet (you start out in a conference room before the cruise) and messy chocolate. They had a small freezer with Mickey ice cream sandwich (not GF), strawberry bars (has artificial sweeteners which we try to avoid), Olaf strawberry lemonade bars, and orange creamsicle bars (yum!). My daughter was also happy with the popcorn and we asked a cast member about GF stuff and they brought out Enjoy Life chocolate chip cookies and gummy candies.

For our table service…a little out of order from the list above but I’ll start with Kona since we ate there the evening we arrived. We ended up canceling some of our ADRs because we wanted to free up our schedule for more pool time and the freedom to leave the parks when we wanted…plus our 3 year old doesn’t sit very well for meals when he doesn’t nap.

Kona Café was so good. They have an allergy-free menu which you can google and find online…lots of options. We were all very hungry after traveling and I was also excited to have so many GF options. GNI rolls heated very well with butter…so delicious and a treat to get GF bread out our first night since many restaurants at home don’t have it. I ordered the Kona salad…very good. I also had the Pan-Asian noodles with vegetables and shrimp…I loved this. I had some leftover noodles and veggies so I took them back to the villa and enjoyed them just as much reheated two days later. Everyone was exhausted after our entrees so I ordered the Kilauea Torte Chocolate Cake with a molten center to go and enjoyed it after the kids went to bed. Other desserts included crème brulee, fruit, sugar free cheesecake, and ice cream sundae for kids. My daughter loved the rolls and butter but didn’t not like her cheeseburger and bun (I also think they were GNI? but not heated…so this was her first experience not liking the burger. At first we thought it was because she was tired and she can be a little “selective” aka picky, but after ordering it a couple of times we figured out it was just the kids burger she didn’t like…the meat itself and also the bun, I think GNI because it was smaller, whereas the adult burgers came on a Local Oven or Udi’s bun which she much prefers). So if we go here again (I'm sure we will), we’d get her an adult burger and ask them to heat the bun or she could try something else. I loved my meal here though and would highly recommend Kona Café.

Grand Floridian Café for dinner was fantastic. The chef was so friendly and said he could modify most menu items if not already GF. My daughter and I got heated GNI rolls and butter. I ordered the seasonal soup…potato and corn chowder…as an appetizer…SO, SO rich and delicious. A real treat to have such a yummy soup that is GF. I had the burger with red onion marmalade, arugula and lobster...plus a side of housemade chips. I ordered the bun on the side and at half with and half without. It think it was Local Oven (?) and very good. My daughter ordered a kids cheeseburger (we thought she’d like it because she liked the one at the Grand Floridian’s Beaches Pool Grill), but unfortunately it was similar to Kona Café’s kids burger on a non-heated GNI(?) bun, which she didn’t like. I might be getting the names wrong but it was definitely a different and smaller bun than my bun. After this we started asking what buns each place served and if they could heat them. I felt bad asking since it’s so awesome they have GF options, but I also wanted her to eat her meals. We didn’t order dessert since we were heading to the Pirates and Pals cruise, but they had chocolate fondue with fruit and could sub GF brownies. Also ice cream sundae with gummy worms for kids, maybe others too, but we were too excited about the cruise to ask.


1900 Park Fare breakfast was awesome. The chef was so nice. She walked us through the buffet and also offered to bring anything we wanted from the kitchen to avoid cross contamination. They have an omelet station, a great fruit selection (blueberries, strawberries, melons, grapes, pineapple)…the freshest looking fruit I’ve seen at any Disney buffet. The cold strawberry soup was so delicious! The oatmeal on the buffet is certified GF...the chef said it just makes things easier for them to only have GF oats. Other GF stuff on the buffet…scrambled eggs, cheesy eggs, bacon, sausage, maybe ham, cheesy grits, lox (didn’t try this but wanted to mention it), and gummy worms (apparently it’s a tradition there!). The chef made GF Mickey waffles in the back and brought out regular syrup for my daughter and maple syrup for me to avoid cc. She also brought out a Kinnikinnick glazed donut and cinnamon sugar donut for us to share. We left completely filled and really enjoyed this breakfast. Super cute atmosphere and characters also…although Piglet was there instead of Mad Hatter which was a little bummer as we heard funny things about Mad Hatter, but we’ll definitely go back to 1900 Park Fare for breakfast.

Sci-Fi Star Wars Galactic breakfast was great. Another splurge for sure. We had a lot of fun though, plenty to eat, and wanted to try one of the SW character meals since we have never gone during Star Wars weekend events before. I’ll try to post a picture of the allergy menu from my phone later but there were lots of options. My daughter and I each received a plate of GF sweets…Udi’s chocolate muffins, blueberry muffins, and a donut (I think cinnamon sugar?)…it was good, whatever kind we got! Then you pick fruit salad or yogurt and berries…we got one of each. Both had a Yoda shaped honeydew melon on top…super cute. I ordered the beef tenderloin over spinach and sliced tomatoes, bacon/cheddar egg custard (basically tasted like a crustless quiche), and fingerling potatoes. Very good and filling (we had a 10:30 ADR and sat down closer to 11, so I was interested in lunch type food also). My daughter ordered waffles and sausage…they were Van’s which we never buy at home because we’ve never really liked them but they were heated really well and my daughter really enjoyed her breakfast. She could have ordered them with bananas, brown sugar, and whipped cream, but she preferred them plain with syrup. I also ordered a Mimosa which was great!

Mama Melrose Fantasmic dinner was so good, too. The package includes an appetizer and dessert. I ordered the Caesar salad (no croutons), Seafood Arriabbata with GF pasta (this was perfect!!), and GF chocolate cake to which I added a scoop of vanilla ice cream after reading the suggestion on gfinorlando’s blog. My daughter had carrots/celery, spaghetti with tomato sauce which she loved (she could have ordered meat sauce but the chef said that sauce has tomato chunks which my daughter doesn’t really like) and ice cream. We also had GNI rolls with oil/seasoning (butter for my daughter). Everything was delicious! Other options include pizza/flatbread, other pasta dishes, and some meat dishes.

We love Tusker House breakfast but decided to try lunch this time. The food was great but it was SUPER busy and we waited over 20 minutes for a chef to come to our table and walk us through the buffet. She was nice but obviously rushed (understandably) and not overly friendly or offering to send anything from the kitchen like the other chefs. Plus we missed seeing several characters while at the buffet with her and had a cranky 3 year old, so the meal wasn’t quite as relaxing as we hoped, but that happens. Lots of GF options for me, my daughter wasn’t quite as thrilled but she found enough to eat. They had top sirloin, pork, roasted chicken (white and dark meat), salmon, two rice dishes, mashed potatoes, several GF salads (tomatoes/feta, stuff like that), several veggies like green beans, fruit, hummus/jams (the chef sent out Udi’s bread after I asked if they had anything to dip in the hummus or jam). Some of the green salads had croutons mixed in, I’m guessing I could have asked for something in the back but I had plenty of other options and the chef was super swamped. My daughter had a slice of deli turkey, some pickles (I think?), mashed potatoes, and some fruit. The curry dishes were not GF, as well as the gravy, sweet and hot mustard sauce, couscous, and a few other things. The only GF dessert was a small chocolate shell/cup with strawberry mouse. It tasted just ok in my opinion. My daughter doesn’t like strawberry mousse so I asked if they had other options and the chef said they only have packaged Enjoy Life cookies. I was a little surprised since many locations have OMG brownies (or ice cream at some TS locations). It’s awesome that Disney has so many GF options, but I felt that the GF desserts at Tusker House were lacking especially when compared to all of the gluten desserts that take up the whole middle buffet display and compared to other Disney restaurants…even counter service tha thas cookies or brownies. Then my husband saw a sign about Kinnikinnick donuts for breakfast so we asked about that and they brought out a cinnamon sugar donut for my daughter which she loved. Although we thanked both of them several times, the server and chef didn’t seem overly friendly about it. Again, they were busy, so I get it. Overall a great meal for me and ok for my daughter. The characters were great as always!

Other than that we enjoyed lots of treats throughout the parks...popcorn, Mickey premium bars, creamsicle, Dole whip, Dole whip float (in MK and at Poly). The macaron ice cream sandwiches at L’Artisan des Glaces in France were great. My daughter loved the chocolate (I tried a bite...very good!) and I got the strawberry macaroon that comes with vanilla ice cream and strawberry sorbet. My non-GF son loved it, too. Lots of GF ice cream options...they have a chart you can check for allergens. Others have mentioned risk of cc but my daughter and I were fine...but they do have gluten containing ice cream so take that into consideration.

We are eating at Grand Floridian Cafe and 1900 Park Fare...on your list. My wife is gluten/soy/dairy free. WDW does an excellent job in getting her food that is palatable and I am impressed. Glad to see your report.

Thank you so much for these details. As of this morning I switched over to 1900 Park Fare breakfast based on your review. I really appreciated the quick service reviews too!

Just to add, my DW and us as well had a great experience at 1900 PF. From the food that we ate, to the overall atmosphere, to the character interaction....Good luck on your upcoming ADR's

Thank you so much for your reviews!!!!! I'll be going to WDW in August, and it'll be my first trip there since being GF. I've been reading so many great reviews.

I was just tested for Celiacs but haven't received results yet. Even if they are negative, I'll probably try a gluten free diet for a bit to see if my crazy symptoms disappear!

So they are able to make gluten free Mickey waffles and pancakes? I'm mostly sad about no cupcakes do the restaurants have whole grain gluten free breads? I've heard mainly about white bread.

Yes, we had gluten free Mickey waffles! Not all locations have them (a few have Van's) but I know 1900 PF, 'Ohana, Gasparilla Island Grill have them and I know other locations do also. We had Udi's whole grain bread at most locations. As for cupcakes we didn't come across any of those but I've heard that the allergy kiosk in AK carries Babycakes cupcakes. Good luck to you!

goofy4wdw2 said:

Yes, we had gluten free Mickey waffles! Not all locations have them (a few have Van's) but I know 1900 PF, 'Ohana, Gasparilla Island Grill have them and I know other locations do also. We had Udi's whole grain bread at most locations. As for cupcakes we didn't come across any of those but I've heard that the allergy kiosk in AK carries Babycakes cupcakes. Good luck to you!

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Thank you! We are on the regular dining plan (free dining) so we will be receiving dessert at lunch and dinner - i'm hoping each place has at least 1 gluten free dessert offering for me!

I would say that most or all places had gluten free cookies (Enjoy Life, sometimes OMG) and usually brownies (OMG) also. Some TS locations have flourless chocolate cake or creme brûlée or ice cream also!

goofy4wdw2 said:

Yes, we had gluten free Mickey waffles! Not all locations have them (a few have Van's) but I know 1900 PF, 'Ohana, Gasparilla Island Grill have them and I know other locations do also. We had Udi's whole grain bread at most locations. As for cupcakes we didn't come across any of those but I've heard that the allergy kiosk in AK carries Babycakes cupcakes. Good luck to you!

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Did you have any sandwiches anywhere? I am trying to find somewhere that I can have a gluten free sandwich...thank you!