Any and all gluten-free dining recommendations please!

[bwilcox]

My mother was recently diagnosed with celiac-sprue(?) and we are still trying to figure everything out. If you have experience with gluten-free dining at WDW, we would love recommendations. I know restaurants are accomodating if you let them know when you make the ADR, but can anyone tell me restaurants that have good gluten-free food? Also, any CS recommendations would be appreciated as we are on the dining plan. Thanks!

 

[steve76]

We went to Disney World last April/May, the first time since my sister had been diagnosed Celiac.

We ate table service at Kona Cafe (Polynesian) and Jiko's (Animal Kingdom Lodge). At Kona, the chef came out and talked use through the menu, pointing out which items she could have. At Jiko's, our server went through it with us. In each case, a couple of the items she could eat, some she could eat with some changes (changing what it was served with, for instance) and for some he offered to make special gluten-free versions (her own special sauce, for instance). From memory there were only 2 or 3 main course which she could not have. Obviously a lot of the desserts were out of the question but she did have options.

Overall they were very accommodating and couldn't do enough to help us. Unlike many restaurants outside of Disney World, they did actually seem to know what they were talking about and they clearly deal with it a lot. Just make sure you tell them you are celiac when you make ADRs, when you check in and when you meet your server. However, we didn't have reservations for Kona Cafe, but they were just as accomodating as Jiko's.

As for counter service, we did find that at Pizza Planet at the Hollywood Studios, they serve gluten-free pizzas (they are not on the menu, they have to ask). They are cooked especially and so take quite a while to cook. Tip - make sure they don't give you the pizzas for the rest of your party until the GF pizza is ready, otherwise they'll all go cold while you're waiting. The GF pizza is not great, but the consolation is that neither are the regular pizzas!

We ate a few times at Cosmic Ray's at MK - there are enough 'plain' options there (e.g. roast chicken, mashed potatoes and vegetables) that shouldn't be a problem for celiacs. We also had a baked potato for lunch from the stall in Liberty Square in MK.

One website we found helpful was http://allears.net/din/guestceliac.htm.

Overall, you don't have too much to worry about - eating out Gluten Free at Disney is much easier than in the Real World.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I would suggest going to the disABILITIES Forum and look at Post #3 of the disABILITIES FAQs. There is a large section in that post dealing with special dietary needs, as well as many related links. You can get directly to the disABILITIES FAQs by following the link in my signature.

This is a very common topic of discussion in the disABILITIES Forum.

 

[ClareH37]

I've got coeliac disease and GF dining at Disney is the best

My favourite TS restaurants for GF dining are the Grand Floridian Cafe (they made me a one-off GF flatbread - tasted amazing!) and the Blue Zoo at the Dolphin (pricey, but they really go that extra mile there). The only TS restaurant I experienced with very limited GF options (and they wouldn't go off menu) was the Rose & Crown in Epcot - at the time there was literally 1 starter I could have and 1 main.

For CS I like Pecos Bill - (GF burger buns), Toy Story Pizza Planet (great GF pizzas) and Columbia Harbour House - you can have the tuna sandwich but in a GF roll.

 

[bwilcox]

Thanks for all the advice and links!