Alice and the Hatter - A Free-For-all and a Gluten Free Taste of Wonderland!

[disneypofq05]

I've really enjoyed reading your reviews. Your pictures are great and everything looks delicious - especially the chicken pot pie!

 

[Kewz1]

Your whole report has been wonderful! Loved reading about your time at the GF. It's my ultimate favorite too. We were blessed enough to stay there for our honeymoon almost 22 years ago.

Thank you for taking us along on your trip to Wonderland!

Kristen

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Beautiful pictures of Citricos! I've had the crab pavé and chocolate banana tart and loved them both, and the tofu entree looks better than I expected.

 

[alicehatter]

That tofu looks AMAZING! I'm so glad I made a ressie! Loving the reviews...

It was really delicious! Sometimes Tofu is just served as an afterthought (a way to appease vegetarians), but this dish really had some thought put into it!

I've really enjoyed reading your reviews. Your pictures are great and everything looks delicious - especially the chicken pot pie!

Thanks so much! That pot pie was worth going back for!

Your whole report has been wonderful! Loved reading about your time at the GF. It's my ultimate favorite too. We were blessed enough to stay there for our honeymoon almost 22 years ago.

Thank you for taking us along on your trip to Wonderland!

Kristen

Your honeymoon must have been amazing! I've always looked up at those balconies at the top of the GF and wondered what it would be like to be able to stay there. I really think I could LIVE there!

Beautiful pictures of Citricos! I've had the crab pavé and chocolate banana tart and loved them both, and the tofu entree looks better than I expected.

Citricos is now probably in my top 5 - everything we had exceeded even our high expectations!

 

[alicehatter]

For this particular trip, we decided we would do something a little different and brave the world outside of Walt Disney.

We weren't sure what to expect, but I had seen a lot of amazing pictures of Universal's Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Seeing that both of us are enormous fans of both the books and movies (The Hatter dressed as Dumbledore for the midnight showing of the first film), we simply had to at least experience it once.

Before I get to my review of the tasty treats that the town of Hogwarts had to offer, I thought I would give you a bit of background on how the day progressed.

We left very early in the morning and arrived by way of Mears transportation before the park opened. There wasn't a huge queue like there can be at the parks in Disney, so I was hopeful. However, once they allowed us in, it was clear that everyone was heading in the same direction!

Prior to this, I had read enough trip reports to know that we absolutely HAD to go straight towards the Forbidden Journey ride. Rushing past the poor souls that stopped to snap pictures and sight see, I almost told them they were making a mistake - they could always take some photos later on. But greed got the best of me, and I snagged a place in line far ahead of the hordes of people gawking at the scenery. In fact, I was able to capture a few pictures from my stance in line, and I felt they turned out quite good!

Our wait in line was about an hour, which was slightly shocking, until we got off the ride and noticed that in the time we had been inside the walls, the wait had climbed to 2.5 hours! Phew - if we had seen that wait time I doubt we would have even bothered.

A word to anyone interested in experiencing Harry Potter Land - it's CROWDED. Almost to the point of not being fun. We weren't able to experience Ollivander's wand shop because the wait was over an hour (filled to the brim with pouting children), nor did we go through the hassle of standing in queue at any shop to make a purchase.

That is, until we arrived at Honeydukes - or Heaven, as I like to think of it. A candy-coated, gloriously sugar-laden Heaven.

 

[alicehatter]

Universal may be smaller, less magical, and overly crowded in Harry Potter-ville, but one thing they've done right is THEMING.

The theming of everything in Hogwarts and Hogsmeade was quite honestly unbelievable. Down to the very last detail, they had ensured that it would be as realistic as possible. Quite a feat when planning a theme park that will be visited by millions each year.

Honeydukes was much the same. The outside facade, complete with a roof practically sagging under the weight of snow, was so realistic one would think they were in a small village in England (had it not been for the pushing and shoving of other park visitors).

Once inside, the aroma of warm, melted chocolate and sugar-filled bon bons hits with a force of its own. The walls are painted in inviting candy hues, the floor is a fun black and white tile, and every inch of space is taken up by something that simply screams JK Rowling and her conjured up world.

Disney would be wise to take note of the effort Universal goes to with their theming. I noticed that each gift shop sold something different - which has been lacking in the Disney Parks over the last few years. Having merchandise that is more original to the shop and land its being sold in would do a world of good to their sales, I have no doubt!

But back to the edible delights.

The line here - like everywhere else - was very long. Jeremy knew this was where I wanted to spend our money for the day, so he went to take his place in line while I shopped like the crazed, candy-loving person I am. I dodged other shoppers, pulled things from over little heads, and dove under taller people in my effort to secure the items I felt were crucial.

But here I had to pause. The Bertie Botts tower of Jelly Beans was simply something to stand in awe of. How beautiful! It all was, really. But I had to continue on my way, filling a bag full of fun treats that were sold by the pound, grabbing a chocolate frog, and debating the need for a Chocolate Cauldron, before handing it all to Jeremy.

While he paid I snapped photos. It was all so realistic!

Next to Honeydukes was Zonko's, the Joke shop. The two spaces were open to one another, so we headed in that direction and looked around before making our way back into the mayhem and heading towards the good stuff - Butter Beer and Pumpkin Juice.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I agree about the shops! You can't find that much unique stuff in the shops anymore. And it used to be you could only find Epcot branded stuff in Epcot, but now you can find Epcot stuff in all four theme parks.

 

[scribega]

With that said, doing both will be tricky, but I know that certain places will be easier than others. For example, anywhere there are Mickey Waffles for breakfast, you'll be able to feast on those! The batter they use is both vegan and gluten free. I know they have changed the breads they use in restaurants now, so you may not be able to get rolls (they have two versions - one is gluten free with eggs, and the other is vegan but has gluten). I have no idea why they did this!!

My DW and DD are gluten free and when we do breakfast at WDW they always bring them special mickey waffles. I am guessing you are talking about those being gluten free and not the waffles that put out on most buffets. Correct?

 

[alicehatter]

My DW and DD are gluten free and when we do breakfast at WDW they always bring them special mickey waffles. I am guessing you are talking about those being gluten free and not the waffles that put out on most buffets. Correct?

Yes! The special ones the chef brings out - they are so good! I believe they are gluten and dairy free, and vegan!

 

[DW2010]

Amazing reviews! Does Alice and the Hatter dine at 1900 Park Fare for breakfast by chance ?

 

[KristenFNJ]

I'm very much enjoying this report, thanks for sharing it! My DH & DS1&2 are gluten free. I'm very eager to hear about your GF dining experience at Universal. We gave it a try back in 2009 and were not very impressed with their knowledge and offerings. I'm hoping to hear that things have changed! If you wouldn't mind sharing what information you were able to get from the park in advance and how much detail (and how accurate and complete it was), I would be very interested!!!

Thanks so much!!!

 

[alicehatter]

I'm very much enjoying this report, thanks for sharing it! My DH & DS1&2 are gluten free. I'm very eager to hear about your GF dining experience at Universal. We gave it a try back in 2009 and were not very impressed with their knowledge and offerings. I'm hoping to hear that things have changed! If you wouldn't mind sharing what information you were able to get from the park in advance and how much detail (and how accurate and complete it was), I would be very interested!!!

Thanks so much!!!

I'm so glad you're enjoying it, but I feel I'm going to sorely disappoint you now! I didn't contact Universal, because I had heard they just couldn't even be compared to Disney. I stuck to candy while I was there, and when we went to eat at Margaritaville in City Walk, I just got a hamburger with no bun...I know, so boring!

 

[alicehatter]

Amazing reviews! Does Alice and the Hatter dine at 1900 Park Fare for breakfast by chance ?

Yes! This is a staple of ours every time we go! We never miss it!

 

[alicehatter]

We had planned to stay at Universal until 3pm, when our Mears shuttle would be back to pick us up. But in all honesty, we just didn't want to stick around that long! We loved The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but it was too crowded for us. I hated the claustrophobic feeling I kept getting everywhere we went! The rides in the other lands were just ok for us - it just lacked that Disney specialness, you know?

The Comic book section would have to be an exception, however; once again, Universal themes their areas very well!

We left around noon and headed over to Margaritaville for a drink and some much needed sustenance. I may have had a feast for the eyes at Honeydukes, but I had yet to eat anything substantial since my very meager breakfast in the wee hours of the morning. It was time to dig in!

(As a warning ahead of time, I will have to admit that I failed to take photos of our entrees during this meal! My apologies!)

As we often do when hungry and presented with a large menu, we started off with an appetizer. The Hatter simply adores Spinach dip of all flavors and sizes, so we were going to choose the Crab Dip, when we realized it was served with garlic bread instead of tortilla chips. Jeremy isn't a bread person, and instead of asking for a special order, we instead opted for the Nachos. I'm so glad we did! They call them "Volcano" Nachos for a reason - they were piled sky-high with everything a nacho should be. Chili, Cheese, Guacamole, Sour Cream, Jalapenos, and Tomatoes - it was the perfect combination of flavors.

Jeremy then ordered the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, which was fried in wing sauce. It wasn't too spicy, but it wasn't weak either. The blue cheese dressing that accompanied it made the dish, according to him.

I opted for a burger, deciding that going bunless was the route I needed to take in order to stay safe. I chose the Mexicali burger for its Jalapenos and fire-roasted salsa. Apparently I was in a very spicy mood that day! It was very good. Would it have been better with a bun? Of course - but I took what I could get

When we were done we did a meandering stroll back to the shuttle drop off location, and didn't have long to wait before a Mears bus showed up. They were willing to take two passengers along with them, so we hopped on and headed back to Wonderland - where we belonged.

 

[alicehatter]

Goodness, I've been gone quite some time now! There were vacations, end of semester papers, and a surprise from the doctor confirming we will be having a little Alice or Mad Hatter of our own in December!

Life has a way of taking drastic turns, does it not?

With all that said, on to the report!

For dinner that evening, we really wanted to do something low key. Originally, we had reservations at The Wave. But it seems that every time we go to Disney, we make reservations for this restaurant and then cancel at the last minute! I think it has something to do with having heard that this restaurant has no windows. Can anyone confirm this? The thought makes me feel closed off without even setting foot inside! Unfortunately, I've heard the food is very good and really healthy, but something always stops me before I can try it out.

So we wound up at the bar in Narcoossee's - perhaps one of my favorite locations in Disney! It is a great spot to view the Magic Kingdom fireworks, from a setting free of screaming children or lots of commotion.

The servers were extremely nice, and brought us out some bread, giving me the option of Tapioca rolls. This was the moment I found out that Disney would very soon be changing to a different allergy-friendly bread. I was very upset, and it seemed the chef who brought them out was much the same! He informed me that it was not their (the Disney chefs') decision, but a corporate arrangement. Here's hoping the new bread is just as good. Anyone who has tried it, please let me know!

We looked over the menu and decided it was the perfect night to simply split some appetizers. It was a little late once we arrived, and I had eaten another of those BabyCakes donuts before making my way out of the hotel.

So with that still sitting contentedly on my stomach, we looked over the menu and made our selections. (This is a perfect thing to do if you want to go to some of the signature restaurants, but not use two of your dining points! - anywhere that has a bar is fair game!)

First up, Cheese - a classic, don't you think? I feel it's one of the things people get when they just don't know what to get, but it's always so good, anyway! This particular platter had five different types, and was accompanied by the usual accoutrements.

Jeremy decided on the Shrimp and Crab Chowder - he's such a soup guy. Of course, I love soup as well, but I was fairly certain I couldn't have this particular one. He absolutely loved it, though! It was creamy goodness all the way, and large enough to make a meal when using the bread to sop everything up with.

I had my eyes on the Prince Edwards Island Mussels. They come out in a very large bowl filled to the brim in warm, delectable mussels. The broth it's all soaked in is rich and buttery, and I certainly did my own fair share of sopping, as well!

Soon the fireworks began, and the lights were dimmed so everyone could take in the splendor. It was a fantastic evening - low maintenance yet elegant. I believe we're going to do this again on our next trip!

 

[deenbrad]

Congratulations on the new addition!!

 

[alicehatter]

Congratulations on the new addition!!

Thank you so much! It was a bit of a shock, but I'm finally wrapping my head around it all - looks like next year will be a different Disney experience all together!

 

[deenbrad]

Thank you so much! It was a bit of a shock, but I'm finally wrapping my head around it all - looks like next year will be a different Disney experience all together!

Being a mother is the most amazing difficult experience. I never believed what they say about the love for your child being so different from any other...but it's very true!! Hope you have a terrific pregnancy!

 

[CanadianPaco]

Fantastic pics! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Libby_Darling]

Fabulous post! Congratulations on your pregnancy, so pleased for you!