Celiac and QS dining

[megs1313]

My DD1 (11yo) was just diagnosed last week, so we're still very new at this. Our trip is coming up fast and our plan was to stick to mostly QS meals, though we do have one ADR for B&C. I've been reading all the articles I can find, but none seem more recent than 2013....I know when you eat at a TS, you can put in the special request and the chef will come out to the table (we also have a peanut allergic child.) I have absolutely NO idea how it works at a QS and how reliable the "GF" menu items might be. Can anyone share their experiences/advice? TIA!

 

[Jen95]

Hi! I'm celiac and going to disney in Feb. I found so much info on the internet. People have websites dedicated to eating gf at disney. Just Google different qs restaurants and gluten free menu.
Each restaurant will have an allergy menu upon request from what I understand..when you get there. And from all I've read..disney is the best place a celiac could go for vacation! I'm so excited to eat there and cannot wait! Disney springs has an entirely gf bakery too! Erin Mckennas. Good luck to you and your daughter. Believe me it'll get easier. I'm 3 years into my diagnosis and the number one thing is just read every label and ask questions!

 

[mckennarose]

I've been GF for 6 years and had several WDW vacations and I can say it really is the BEST place to vacation for GF eating.
I will say that if you can swing it, try for some table service restaurants because that's where Disney really shines with their GF offerings. With QS, you will have a lot of burgers and sandwiches with a GF bun and GF chicken nuggets. For me, it can get old really fast.

My experience with QS has varied. Sometimes they have a manager come over and go through the allergy booklet with me when I order, sometimes they will just tell me what is gluten free. There is always a longer wait for the GF food and a manager always brings it to me. They use a dedicated fryer for things like french fries and chicken nuggets.

With table service, a chef will usually come out and go over offerings and will often times make a dish to my liking. The best experience for this was Spice Road Table and the chef was super nice and very accommodating. (my worst was Chefs de France) With a buffet, a chef will take you through and point out the GF foods and/or bring you something else. My favorite buffet is Biergarten. With a family style restaurant, like Ohana breakfast, the server will bring a special platter so there's no cross contamination.

Erin McKenna was a disappointment for me. And $$$$. I LOVE the OMG It's Gluten Free Brownies you can find at some QS restaurants. I know they have them at Sunshine Seasons. Very good QS, BTW, and a must for each trip!

We've been to both F&W and F&G several times and I've enjoyed the GF offerings at the food booths. They clearly label which items are GF on the menu boards.

There are threads in the DISabilities board about eating GF in Disney and websites that are very helpful. GFinOrlando is a favorite of mine.

You'll have a great trip! Disney makes it easy and they're very helpful with answering questions.

 

[Jen95]

I've heard that about erin McKennas not being the greatest I hear Sprinkles had gf options that are good?

 

[KTR]

I have celiac disease and have done two Disneyland and one WDW vacation since my diagnosis six years ago. I have eaten almost exclusively at quick service. It does take longer to order and get your food, as you have to wait for a manager to place your order and then they have to prep it specially, but I have never been cross contaminated. There have always been safe options for me and I feel much less deprived at Disney than do at almost any other vacation spot.

 

[ConnecticutFlea]

I also have Celiac Disease. Disney is wonderful for gluten free options. Do except to wait an extra 5 to 20 minutes for QS. They have nutrition books that you can look at if you have questions, or you can just order what they tell you is gluten free. The order is handled separately and delivered by the manager.

They have GF chicken tenders, and gluten free buns. They fries are cooked in a dedicated fryer. They have gluten free pizza. The ribs and Chicken at Flame tree barbeque are gluten free. There are GF salad options. If you stay on site, the GF Mickey waffles are good.

I am not a fan of Erin Mckenna's Bakery.....it's gluten free, dairy free, vegan and dry and flavorless. Sprinkles (also in Disney Springs) has a GF red velvet cupcake which I really liked. I actually bought two to take with me on the plane ride home the following day and they were still fresh and yummy. They went in the back to get it; it wasn't in the showcase with their regular cupcakes.
I can't remember the name of the fish and chip place right across the bridge from sprinkles bakery, but they have GF fried fish and onion rings. Port Orleans French Quarter will make GF beignets.

I agree with the above poster that gluten free in Orlando is a good website. Alexis no longer lives in Orlando, but there is a lot of good information about GF in Orlando and Disney on her site. Another great one is gluten free dairy free in WDW. Sara writes reviews complete with pictures and menus.

There is an allergy Kiosk in AK. They have a gluten free section at Sunshine Seasons in the land. I heard they will make GF pasta there on request, but I've never tried. I like the rotisserie chicken there. When I was there in October they had a GF creme brûlée and a GF rice pudding. Starbucks has a GF rice crispy treat.

Needing to adjust to a GF diet seems overwhelming at first, but gets easier with time. Disney makes it very easy. Don't worry and enjoy your trip.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Just got back from a gluten free trip to Disney. I was diagnosed with Celiac 10 years ago and so far, Disney is the best place to be gluten free. I've been 5 or 6 times since I was diagnosed.

That said, there aren't many options, there used to be more. Basically, at quick service you have choice of a burger with or without cheese/bacon, chicken fingers with fries or broc and maybe some sort of salad. Some places offer pizza, that I am guessing is Udi's.

Few and far between, you can find things like ribs or chicken, a sandwich on an Udi''s bun or a baked potato with butter, sour cream and cheese. Some places have pasta or rice. But you are more likely to find pasta at a table service restaurant.

Cooke's of Dublin is a counter service at Disney Springs. It is connected to Raglan Road and does a wonderful job with gluten free. They offer most of their fried foods as gluten free. Just remember to look for the green specks in the batter. They put parsley flakes in the mix so you know your meal is gluten free. Their skinny fries are out of this world.

The gluten free bakery at Disney Springs is as others have said, also dairy free and vegan. The cupcakes and, in fact, all of the baked goods are very heavy with an aftertaste. It is because they use only coconut oil. You must keep their baked goods in the fridge, otherwise they will melt. I don't mind them, as long as I have something to drink. Otherwise the flavor never leaves.

You can stop by Terra Treats at Animal Kingdom for some gluten free snacks. They will have Udi's muffins, bagels and I think, cookies. They also have bagged rice chips. They do not have cupcakes or hummus. Both are on the menu. They also carry gluten free beer and cider. But I am sure you aren't interested in that for your little girl.

I keep up with 2 different blogs. One blogger lives in Orlando. One just moved from there to an area near Disneyland. You can find those blogs here and here. The second link, Sara, is also dairy free.

It has been very safe for me to eat at Disney. I've only been hit once, and we knew it right away because the server, then the manager, came right out and told me, before I even had a reaction. There was a blip in their procedure, but they have fixed it.

 

[Dug720]

I've heard that about erin McKennas not being the greatest I hear Sprinkles had gf options that are good?

I live in NYC and was UNDERWHELMED with Babycakes - now called Erin McKenna's - here. I cannot imagine transferring it to Orlando improved things.

 

[cmph]

DH has celiac, and he would prefer to order pretty much anything other than chicken nuggets/burgers/pizza type of foods. He's safely eaten a good number of more interesting QS options in Epcot - Sommerfest, Tangierine Cafe, Sunshine Seasons. In all of those cases, the extra wait time was pretty minimal. MK is not as exciting. He is stuck with a burger in Tomorrowland b/c there just isn't anything else nearby, and that usually means a long wait while they changed gloves, clean up, etc. Same with Pecos Bill. I think the key to speed is generally picking places that have "safe" foods as-is (like Sunshine Seasons) b/c you just need a person to clarify which items are ok as prepared rather than starting from scratch. Places that are subbing in GF buns or ingredients seem to take longer. BOG is actually a great option for GF, b/c you can pre-order online, so you have no additional wait. A separate CM brings the allergy-flagged foods, which I mean literally - with little toothpicks in them. In AK - safely eaten at Yak and Yeti. In HS - safely eaten at ABC Commissary and elsewhere, blanking where else b/c nothing there seems to register much excitement for us.

You're going to want to talk to a chef everywhere you go for your peanut-allergic child, anyway, so really - it's just having each chef check for both issues. They're used to it. Just ask when it's your turn at the register.

Oh, and definitely go over menus in advance! That can help you narrow down your best bets, and you can then do specific google searches for eateries.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

My DW considers the GF fish and chips and onion rings at both Cooke's of Dublin and Raglin Road as the best she's had anywhere.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

My DW considers the GF fish and chips and onion rings at both Cooke's of Dublin and Raglin Road as the best she's had anywhere.

I have to agree.

They are a must on every trip to Disney.