First trip dining Gluten Free

[Mom2aJessieGirl]

Well, I suppose an introduction is in order. I've been to "the World" a few times, but I've never done it while being gluten free. I'm lost as a n00b! Technically, we're Paleo at home, but when I travel I find I can live with everything except Gluten. I'd like to avoid wheat as much as possible, even if it means I have to eat white potatoes, rice and corn (among other things) as alternatives to wheat products.

While perusing the helpful threads here and across the web, I've formed a few questions.

1. So, it looks like dining used to offer a menu list of Gluten Free options but they don't anymore? Is that correct?
   
2. I've come across this site Allergy Eats/Disney. Anyone have experience to verify if it's legit? Seems like it would be a good resource.
   
3. Also, favorite Gluten Free QS meals? Got any suggestions?

Thanks so much!

 

[Lemonademouth]

Since discovering I have Celiacs last April I was worried about my Disney vacation that took place in Septembet until I found out you can add your allergy( or items you wish to avoid) to your ADR. When you arrive usually they flag your table in some way and you are unable to order anything until the chef has come to talk to you.

Quick service is similar, only when you get to the front you tell them your allergy and they call for a supervisor. They advise you what can be eaten and then take your order and make it in a seperate kitchen.

You can eat gluten free almost anything somewhere in the world. O'Hana has amazing gf bread. Boma( and the food court in Port Orleans anyway) have pretty good waffles. Kouzzina has amazing pita bread that you would not believe are gf. 50's Prime Time has a pretty good gf meatloaf.

As far as counter service goes in the magic kingdom most QS restaurants have a gf bun for their sandwiches and burgers. Pinocchio's Village Haus has a gf Pizza, it is the Amy's brand and I suggest you try one before spending the extra on it in the park as it was only so-so, but it is still pizza. We did not really eat cs at the other restaurants we ate at the electric umbrella? At Epcot and same deal as MK. Gf bread. All the cs we ate had a seperate dedicated fryer for French fries and a gf brownie or cookie as a dessert option along with the fresh fruit. I liked the cookie better than the brownie but most of the service people said they liked the brownie better so if you get the opportunity try both!

 

[sb682]

We are Paleo at home, too, and I haven't found very many reports about DW online from Paleo bloggers. Nom Nom Paleo posted her trip to Disneyland last year and there are photos of what she ate; it might be a good jumping off point. I do have physical reactions to corn and gluten, so I plan on avoiding that as much as possible. I have also seen on other message boards that some people let the chefs at TS restaurants know that they don't eat grains and they will gladly substitute extra vegetables for pasta or rice. I'm assuming you can order things like burgers on a bed of lettuce instead of a bun, but I'm not sure. I'm also planning on bringing Larabars and some homemade muffins and cookies on our trip, and either bringing things like almond butter and jerky from home or stopping at Publix. Garden Grocer will deliver groceries to your hotel for a fee, so that might work, too. Hope someone else has some other ideas, I'd love to read them!

 

[SDSorority]

As I type, I'm eating my coconut flour zucchini muffin that I made the other day

We're gluten free and soy free, and have been GF and SF at WDW (September 2011). It wasn't hard being gluten free... what WAS hard was being GF/SF AND vegetarian (review in my siggie). Now that we're no longer vegetarian, it'll be SO.MUCH.BETTER next trip. Seriously. Paleo folks shouldn't have a problem finding food. Snacks might be tricky, but that's tricky to find at home too, unless you make them .

We're *mostly* paleo at home, though we do eat dairy (raw cheese, goat milk yogurt, you know the drill) and rice or corn on occasion. But so far today, my eggs and greens omelet and my coconut flour zucchini muffin have all been paleo . When we go back in September, we're going to do the following things...

We're renting DVC points for a studio at BWV, so we'll have a small kitchenette. Keep fresh fruits and veggies in the fridge, and if the fridge works well, get some organic yogurt and eggs from Publix or Whole Foods. Bring a couple "real" bowls and plates in the suitcase to make microwave eggs. I've never done this (I don't own a microwave) but my dad does so I'll ask him how he does that.

Make and freeze coconut flour muffins for snacks. Keep in fridge in room.

Pick up some Larabars from Publix or Whole Foods. Hubs will want some GF bread (probably Udi's) so we'll pick up some of that, too. Whatcanyado.

Bring along some chia seeds, nuts, coconut, dried fruit, etc.

As far as eating at restaurants, we'll just stick to meat and veggies or salads but we'll be pretty relaxed about having a gluten free roll with dinner, or getting some Enjoy Life cookies as a snack since those are available in the parks. Breakfast will be in the room, we'll bring our own snacks and probably our own lunch, too.

 

[sb682]

Bring a couple "real" bowls and plates in the suitcase to make microwave eggs. I've never done this (I don't own a microwave) but my dad does so I'll ask him how he does that.

Microwaved scrambled eggs are so easy! I make mine in a pan most days, but you can grease a coffee mug with butter or olive oil, crack 2 eggs in it and scramble, then microwave for 30-60 seconds. Just make sure you grease that sucker or you'll be sorry later.

 

[firstwdw]

My DS age 7 and myself are gluten free and we had an awesome time at Disney! Oh my goodness....I don't want to vacation anywhere else. They catered to our needs so well and the gluten free foods did not cost more. My son loved the gluten free chicken nuggets and fries-a real treat for a kiddo who had never been out to eat! We did Chef Mickey's and Whispering Canyon Cafe and mostly ate quick service at Wilderness Lodge or in the parks. We also brought our own bread in our suitcase and larabars, protein bars for snacks and had Garden Grocer deliver an order to our room. Garden Grocer could even get gluten free cereals, almond milk and glutino pretzels for us.

 

[primrosea]

We are a gluten free family who has traveled to the World both as a gluten free family and a couple times before. We have had plenty of options at both TS and QS locations. Some of our favorites for QS were Sunshine Seasons, Cosmic Rays, Flame Tree BBQ and ABC Commissary. We also had no prblems eating at resort food courts and found plenty of options no matter where we went. There are a lot of gluten free sites that can help you plan but this one is the best I think: http://glutenfreedairyfreewdw.blogspot.com/
I am pretty sure that she is on DIS as well.


Also, the Dole Whip is gluten free, so you should be just fine

 

[Chelley00]

I'm wheat/dairy/egg free among others (boo) and I ate like a queen at WDW. My reviews are linked below in my signature and there is a directory in the first post if you are interested in reading about a particular restaurant. We were in Orlando for 14 nights, so there is a lot there.

 

[disfan07]

I am gluten/egg/soy/peanut/tree nut/shellfish/sesame/coconut/oat free and I ate soooooo well at Disney.

I literally ate until I was in pain some days! haha. There was just so much amazing food that I could eat.

Some of my favorite places were:
Crystal palace (salmon, beef, ratatouille, sweet potato chips, mashed potatoes, beet salad, cucumber salad,....plus more)
50s Prime Time (salmon with mashed potatoes and asparagus)
POP Century Food court (allergy free chicken tenders and mickey waffles and fresh sauteed veggies and gluten free pasta)

We also ate at the Plaza, 1900 Park Fare, and Sci Fi. ALl of our experiences were amazing!

 

[geffric]

I am Celiac and I called the WDW special diets folks at 1-407-824-5967; I spoke to John. He sent me a pdf and this email
"

Thank you for contacting the Special Diets Team at the Walt Disney World
Resort.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Food & Beverage team is committed to
offering a wide range of options to accommodate Guests with food
allergies or intolerances. When booking your dining reservations, please
be sure to advise the Cast Member of your special dietary restrictions.
If you book online, please make sure you include your dietary
restrictions on each reservation. If you have already booked your
reservations and you are not sure if you included the restrictions,
please contact our Disney Reservation Center at 407-WDW-Dine or
407-939-3463. Guests are also welcome to speak to a Chef or a Manager
on duty when arriving at the dining location.

Whether dining at a table-service or quick-service restaurant, Guest
food allergy or intolerance requirements will be addressed when brought
to our attention. Due to the large volume of meals we serve, vendors and
suppliers occasionally swap out product. Therefore menu items and
preparation is often updated.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts will use reasonable efforts to prevent the
introduction of the allergen of concern into the food through close
attention during our sourcing, preparation and handling processes.
However, it is ultimately up to the Guest to use his or her individual
discretion to make an informed choice regarding whether to order any
particular items. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts cannot guarantee that
allergens may not have been introduced during another stage of the food
chain process or, even inadvertently, during preparation. We do not have
separate kitchens to prepare allergen-free items or separate dining
areas for Guests with allergies or intolerances.

We have included a attachment which lists some of the products that you
may find available at the food and beverage locations that may suit your
needs. Please know this is not a comprehensive list of all the options
that are available, but represent many of the special dietary products
offered across the Walt Disney World Resort. If a location is not
listed, this does not mean they are not able to accommodate your
request; however, some of the products that are found at other locations
may not be available. As always, we encourage you to speak with a chef
or manager when you arrive at any dining location for the most recent
information.

Table-service restaurants that accept reservations at the Walt Disney
World Resort can accommodate most food allergies or intolerances.

Common Food Allergies include:

- gluten or wheat
- shellfish
- soy
- lactose or dairy
- peanuts and tree nuts
- fish
- eggs
- corn

If a member of your party has any of the common food allergies listed
above, please speak with a Chef or Manager on duty when arriving at the
dining location. They will be happy to assist with your selection and
provide product labels and ingredients for menu items.

The quick-service locations listed below have menu items or products
that, upon request, may accommodate common food allergy or intolerance
requirements.

Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park:
- Restaurantosaurus
- Flame Tree Barbecue
- Pizzafari

Disney's Hollywood Studios:
- Backlot Express
- Studios Catering Co.
- ABC Commissary
- Toy Story Pizza Planet

Epcot:
- Liberty Inn
- Sunshine Seasons
- Electric Umbrella

Magic Kingdom Park:
- Be Our Guest (Lunch Only)
- Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café
- Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Café
- Main Street Bakery
- Columbia Harbor House
- The Pinocchio Village House
- Casey?s Corner

Most quick-service locations in the Walt Disney Resort Hotels are able
to accommodate special dietary needs and provide menu items and
ingredients upon request.

For prepackaged items, we recommend that Guests read the ingredient list
on the label before purchasing any product.

All Chefs in our Theme Parks and Resorts are trained to handle allergies
and take every precaution against any cross contact. As mentioned
previously, due to the large volume of meals we serve, vendors and
suppliers occasionally swap out product. Therefore, menu items and
preparation are often updated. We stress that you ask to speak to a
Chef or Manager when you arrive at each location. They will be happy to
assist with your selection and provide product labels and ingredients
for menu items.

The restaurants will do their best to accommodate Guest dietary
requirements, but cannot guarantee they will be able to meet all
requests. For additional information, we encourage you to visit our
website
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/dining/

We look forward to your visit!

Sincerely,

John Mannis
Special Diets Team
Guest Experience Services
Walt Disney World Resort

 

[Cuddlemama]

Could I please get a copy of the PDF emailed to leigh@simpleleigh.com?

 

[geffric]

Could I please get a copy of the PDF emailed to leigh@simpleleigh.com?

sent check your email.

 

[2plus2equalsus]

Thank you all for your posts and suggestions. Very helpful as we have the same question.

 

[Mom2aJessieGirl]

Thank you all for your posts and suggestions. Very helpful as we have the same question.

I've had a few meals and they have all been delicious and just what I need!

 

[ffindis]

Hey Geffric,
I would love a copy of that PDF also. Could you please send it to ffindis@aol.com.
Thanks in advance

 

[evedein]

Is a gluten free breakfast available at the Kona Cafe? If so, what choices are available? I'm traveling with a Gluten free adult friend & don't want to steer her wrong.

 

[itradehilton]

Yes, my DS loved the mickey waffles. We had a reservation right when they opened and the chef made my DH a GF holendaise (sp) sauce for his eggs. It was a great experience.

 

[elmo2200]

Thank you itradehilton!!! I really enjoyed your reviews!

 

[NOLAdisneymom]

Could I please have that PDF also please? I had a really unhelpful CM who told me to just ask when I got there about GF options..

angelaoxford77@yahoo.com


Thank you!

 

[itradehilton]

Thank you itradehilton!!! I really enjoyed your reviews!

Glad you enjoyed them we are headed back to Disneyworld this June. No dinning plan this time but I have one TS reservation each day. We are going to to try the TIW card this trip.