Gluten Free and DCL

msmama

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
I've done a lot of searching and found some info, but still have questions.
Still kind of getting used to the gluten free thing. And sometimes it's worth the discomfort to eat something tasty (beignets at Tiana's place, I'm looking at you) but I would like to minimize any reactions, obviously. I'll be on the 2 week Panama Canal cruise on the Wonder so there's a lot of opportunity to feel sick.

I'm pretty okay with the MDR menu's. I have noticed that a lot of the menu's don't have very many GF options (according to what I've seen on line) but it tends to be the older ones that have no options. Are they getting better? I know they'll show me the menu the night before. So...can I ask for anything to be made GF, then? I don't have to stick to a GF option? And it sounds like most people have success? I'm fine with saying, "I'd like X if it can be made GF, but if it can't I'll have whatever is actually labeled GF." Or is that worse for the server/chefs? I figured I'd just leave dessert up to the server and ask them to bring me whatever is GF (and fruit is fine).

Quick service - I can order GF pizza? Is it like a personal sized pizza or a big one? Do they have GF buns for hamburgers? Bread for sandwiches? I hear they have GF chicken tenders? Do they have a dedicated fryer for french fries? (I usually deal fine with possible cross contamination but if there's too much of it, I may have to be more careful). What about the ice cream?

Cabanas - In the past we've eaten breakfast and lunch here. The thought of having someone come out and talk to me every day seems annoying (to them, not me). Are the hash browns GF (Because I could eat nothing but those for the whole trip)? I could switch to eating at a sit down restaurant for lunch but, again, those menu's didn't seem to have a lot of GF options (Feel like I'd rather take my chances with Cabanas). Are there any major surprises on the buffet?

I've read tons about Palo and GF, but that's not my thing, lol. Thanks for the help!
 
I know that they had GF pizza crust when I was on the Fantasy a couple of months ago at the pool area. I don't know about the hash browns. Just because the GF options are not listed on the online menus, does not mean that they don't have options for them. I know they have GF bread, pasta, and pizza crust just from my observations. I don't think that any ice cream has gluten in it. You should contact the cruise line ahead of time about being GF. I know they stock things according to how many requests they get and people have posted that others were asking for it without telling the cruise line ahead of time and they were running out of GF stuff. They will bend over backwards to get you things that you can eat. Have a fun cruise.
 
Not long off the wonder cruise to Alaska. My husband has coeliac disease so I can give you some advice. First off, let DCL know in advance. As soon as you get on board, go and speak to a head sever and check it is noted on your reservation.

MDR: let server know if you would like anything made GF, even if not listed. My husband had some soups without croutons and chateaubriand which was not marked as GF. You will get GF rolls with your meal. ( Have heard you can get beignets GF but can’t confirm as DH is not a dessert person! Most nights he had a sundae)

Quick service: you can order whole GF pizza, it takes around 10 mins. You can also get GF buns with your burger and the fries are done in dedicated fryer. We also discovered this cruise that you can get GF sandwiches at Daisy Delights. There is a bit of a wait though. It looked like a lot of the things at the build a bowl station would be naturally gluten free such as rice and quinoa, but always worth checking.

Ice Cream: soft serve is GF, use a cup from drink station instead of a cone. Also a lot of the proper ice cream at Cabanas at lunch is GF. Just ask a CM and they will check.

Cabanas: Hash Browns are GF. You can also get GF toast no bother. For lunch my husband usually stuck to carving station with veggies and potatoes/ rice/ fries. He also finds it annoying to have someone walk through. Instead he usually takes something which is obviously GF, or if he is unsure asks someone. There is always a risk with cross contamination. We always try to get to the buffet fairly early to avoid the risk as much as possible. I really which DCL would mark their buffet items GF. It would make things easier.

We have done 3 DCL cruises and my husband has never been sick once. My advice is to take the precautions you would at home. I can recommend Melvin from India as a server. He had a great understanding of GF.

Have a great cruise!
 
Definitely let them know in advance. Cruise ships order based on self-reports plus a small percentage over for those who don't, but too many who don't report and they can run out of things.

Many of the things on the menus that are not labeled gluten free can be made gluten free by changing out a side or leaving off a sauce. They did not offer gf beignets in February (no huge loss IMO as I have tried them in my pre-gf life and did not see what the big deal was...it's just fried dough) - they may have changed that, but I would not count on it. Desserts were generally the weakest - Mickey bars are gf and you can always order those for dinner.

In addition to things mentioned above, Mickey waffles and the pancakes can be done gf in the sit-down restaurant AND at Cabanas. Chicken fingers and fries can be done gf at Cabanas and on deck.

My guess is they do not label the buffet items as such because of the cross-contamination risk. I know RCCL (whose menus are horribly wrong in some cases - they have a faro dish labeled as gluten free) has a "gluten-free station" in their buffet, but I've also seen with my own eyes kids run over there and drop biscuits on the bacon and pick them up (just as one example - anyone can go to that station, so even being labeled it is not 100% cross-contamination free). I told the crew member working in the station and he immediately removed that pan and got a new one, but if I or someone else had not seen and reported it, that whole tray was contaminated for anyone very sensitive.

As others have said, Disney is AMAZING with allergies!! Definitely my trusted, go-to vacation provider for land and sea.
 


We sailed with a friend that was celiac on a TA cruise a few years ago. We had breakfast in Cabanas every day and she normally got her breakfast quicker than we did. What she worked out with our head server was that at dinner the night before, she would tell him what she would like for breakfast and the approximate time we'd be in Cabanas. She'd catch up with whichever head server was on duty in Cabanas, let them know our head server had put in an order for her and they would go and find it for her. She got what she wanted for breakfast (eggs cooked however she wanted or whatever - not necessarily just gluten free versions of what was on the bufffet). She was sure it was gluten free with no cross-contamination and we could have breakfast together. She was more flexible with lunch and would either get gluten free from the QS or pursue the buffet and pick a few options and then speak to the Head Server on duty to ensure they were prepared gluten free (that's why she'd pick a couple different things, just in case her first choice had a surprise ingredient) and he'd get her plate prepared with her choice(s) in the kitchen to ensure no cross contamination.

They really did a great job in giving her options. She has been celiac for decades and she said DCL cruising was one of her easiest travels, foodwise.

Just know that DCL will not serve you something that they are not sure of the ingredients - if they use a canned sauce, gravy, etc. and they cannot confirm it does not contain gluten, they will err on the side of caution and not serve it to you - even if you insist it is okay. So for the beignets, if they don't have a GF version, expect them to say they cannot provide them for you. Now if a family member orders a second batch and you want to risk it, that's on you. But I will warn you that one time our head server almost leaped over the table when I was eating a dessert that contained something my sister was allergic to - we are often confused as twins we look so similar. So if you sneak something you shouldn't - you've been warned that you may be causing cardiac arrest to a perfectly innocent person (we still feel bad for scaring Roberto so badly but we had no idea!)
 
Just know that DCL will not serve you something that they are not sure of the ingredients - if they use a canned sauce, gravy, etc. and they cannot confirm it does not contain gluten, they will err on the side of caution and not serve it to you - even if you insist it is okay. So for the beignets, if they don't have a GF version, expect them to say they cannot provide them for you. Now if a family member orders a second batch and you want to risk it, that's on you. But I will warn you that one time our head server almost leaped over the table when I was eating a dessert that contained something my sister was allergic to - we are often confused as twins we look so similar. So if you sneak something you shouldn't - you've been warned that you may be causing cardiac arrest to a perfectly innocent person (we still feel bad for scaring Roberto so badly but we had no idea!)

Yes, they are hyper vigilant. I am ingestion-only allergic to peanuts (as in I have to physically eat the peanut (or peanut butter or peanut flour) to react) - I'm ok with "prepared in the facility with. Our first cruise (before I was gf) I had the Cookies and Cream Sundae in AP and the rum-soaked chocolate cake on Pirate Night with no issues. My second cruise I ordered it and they were like "I don't think we can do that." so they made me a very weird sundae that didn't even make sense. Same cruise I ordered the cake on Pirate Night (again, pre-gluten-free) and they were so iffy because it's in the same vicinity. Finally my sister (crew member who was dining with me) said "She ate it before being allergic to peanuts and had no issues. I will take responsibility for explaining to our parents if anything weird happens." I got the cake and was fine. And we went to Guest Services and had peanut allergy removed from my DCL record since it's ingestion only and I'm an adult and capable of asking if something has them.
 
As for dessert, if you want good gf dessert you have to be proactive. My first cruise I got sorbet every night. I'm not a huge fan. My 2nd cruise I let my server know that I don't like sorbet, I prefer ice cream, and that I love creme brulee. I received a creme brulee of some type nearly every night. He'd go get it from another mdr or even have one saved for lunch. So my last cruise I did the same thing and received creme brulee quite a bit too! I even asked if they had the banana fosters creme brulee on the menu in any of the mdrs that cruise. They did not, but my server had it made and brought to me 2 nights in a row. Point being, speak up. Tell them what you do and don't like. They will do what they can to make you happy.
 


Also, Palo is amazing for gluten-free - they can do all the pastas (except lasagna at brunch) gluten-free, they can do the chicken parmesan at brunch gluten-free (also the flatbreads and other things on the menu other than the lasagna as I mentioned), and best of all at dinner they can do the chocolate (or amaretto...but why bother with that when there is chocolate) soufflé gluten-free!!
 
I've done a lot of searching and found some info, but still have questions.
Still kind of getting used to the gluten free thing. And sometimes it's worth the discomfort to eat something tasty (beignets at Tiana's place, I'm looking at you) but I would like to minimize any reactions, obviously. I'll be on the 2 week Panama Canal cruise on the Wonder so there's a lot of opportunity to feel sick.

I'm pretty okay with the MDR menu's. I have noticed that a lot of the menu's don't have very many GF options (according to what I've seen on line) but it tends to be the older ones that have no options. Are they getting better? I know they'll show me the menu the night before. So...can I ask for anything to be made GF, then? I don't have to stick to a GF option? And it sounds like most people have success? I'm fine with saying, "I'd like X if it can be made GF, but if it can't I'll have whatever is actually labeled GF." Or is that worse for the server/chefs? I figured I'd just leave dessert up to the server and ask them to bring me whatever is GF (and fruit is fine).

Quick service - I can order GF pizza? Is it like a personal sized pizza or a big one? Do they have GF buns for hamburgers? Bread for sandwiches? I hear they have GF chicken tenders? Do they have a dedicated fryer for french fries? (I usually deal fine with possible cross contamination but if there's too much of it, I may have to be more careful). What about the ice cream?

Cabanas - In the past we've eaten breakfast and lunch here. The thought of having someone come out and talk to me every day seems annoying (to them, not me). Are the hash browns GF (Because I could eat nothing but those for the whole trip)? I could switch to eating at a sit down restaurant for lunch but, again, those menu's didn't seem to have a lot of GF options (Feel like I'd rather take my chances with Cabanas). Are there any major surprises on the buffet?

I've read tons about Palo and GF, but that's not my thing, lol. Thanks for the help!
They do have GF pizza on the pool deck. They'll make it for you, and it will take about 10 minutes for them to heat up.

They don't have a GF version of everything on the menu. Since the meals are mass-made, you can't just special order a GF version of an MDR meal. However, they will work with you & try to help you find things you want & like. Feel free to ask.
 
Like everyone says, Disney is AMAZING for food allergies. Most of the wait staff is VERY knowledgeable about the food allergies as well. I never had a problem finding food to eat at lunch (Shawarma on rice and pizza can't be beat)
DEFINITELY call ahead and notify them that you are GF. If they know before the cruise, they can prepare and have more goodies and pair you with a knowledgeable wait staff.
Have a conversation with your server and then just trust them! On my cruise last year, I really stopped worrying about food by night 2. Our servers would ask if there was something I really felt in the mood for and if not, they just went to the kitchen and had the chef work magic for me. Some of the best eating I've ever done on a cruise. I agree with the desserts being a little sparse, but I was VERY lucky to have a knowledgeable chef on my cruise who mixed it up for me every night. I think I only ate dessert off of the actual menu once.
I would say, don't be afraid to ask, but don't get your hopes up because things do change. The good news is that you are on a 2 week cruise, there is PLENTY of time to work out the kinks and have a great experience. :)
(also, you can generally get GF donuts if you ask for them in the morning both in the MDR and Cabanas. They are Kinnikinnik brand)
 
They do have GF pizza on the pool deck. They'll make it for you, and it will take about 10 minutes for them to heat up.

They don't have a GF version of everything on the menu. Since the meals are mass-made, you can't just special order a GF version of an MDR meal. However, they will work with you & try to help you find things you want & like. Feel free to ask.

As long as you order the night before, they can make a vast majority of main dishes GF. There are just a few they cannot, like the beef wellington or ravioli.
 
As long as you order the night before, they can make a vast majority of main dishes GF. There are just a few they cannot, like the beef wellington or ravioli.
They can often make GF substitutes of the main dishes, which are not as flavorful as the regular dishes due to lack of seasonings and sauces. I don't consider that to be the same dish, when it tastes so different & is not made the same way.

I know this because my son used to be GF & I was not, & I'd sample his version of what I got. This problem was especially bad on the classic ships. We found the best solution was to order the items that were made to GF, because the altered items were typically second rate.
 
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They can often make GF substitutes of the main dishes, which are not as flavorful as the regular dishes due to lack of seasonings and sauces. I don't consider that to be the same dish, when it tastes so different & is not made the same way.

I know this because my son used to be GF & I was not, & I'd sample his version of what I got. This problem was especially bad on the classic ships. We found the best solution was to order the items that were made to GF, because the altered items were typically second rate.

I've never felt that my made to order items were second rate to what the rest of my family received. I do ask about what about the dish would be altered when making my decision (so I know if it's going to be good or just lacking), so that may be the difference. I've also sailed my last 2 in Europe, and their suppliers are different than the Caribbean cruises, so that may make a difference. The only disappointment I had on my last cruise (magic 11 night in Europe) was that they couldn't guarantee the horseradish with the prime rib was gf and wouldn't serve it to me. However, I could have the au jus that they made gf for me and it was really good and made up for that a bit.
 
My dd is celiac and we do DCL because it’s safe. You have lots of info above. Don’t forget they do GF cookies too by room service if you ask. Much nicer than the packaged ones.

The only problem we found is they actually make too much fuss! Which is a weird thing to say, but our head waiter would bring out deserts for our daughter the chef had made and it was a pressure on her to like them, they were brought out with ceremony and their pride, placed in front of her, which as a young teen, she found a bit overwhelming. All she wanted to be was the same as everyone else!

We usually had the menu the night before and her order was put in. We also ate breakfast in the MDR was she could get GF Mickey waffles.
 
I eat gluten-free and dairy-free and just got off the Fantasy. I had plenty of choices and options. Only one time was there a complete fail, the chicken schnitzel. It was replaced quickly. I ate breakfast at Cabanas and they met me at the door and I was able to order. They had gluten-free pancakes and Mickey waffles (and dairy-free butter). The muffins were good and the doughnuts ok. Desserts were mostly good with the chocolate soufflé at Palo being the standout.
 

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