Gluten Free Dining at the Disneyland Resort: A Superthread

[StormyCA]

Gluten is in the darndest things! When I was diagnosed, there was wheat starch in Sunny Delight!

 

[hsmamato2]

I remember the Sunny Delight thing.... I raised a wheat allergic ds who is now 23, all his friends drank sunny delight and he couldn't! What I would have given for a thread like this back then..... things have changed a lot for GF eaters since we started....

 

[ashley0139]

Yes, Sunny D! I have been gluten free for 25 years, since I was 3. I remember not being able to have Sunny D when all my friends drank it. Also Cheetos and Doritos used to be made with wheat starch.

 

[Speechphi]

Does anyone know if the pommes frites are gluten free? Not sure what's in them/on them. But everyone talks about them all the time, so I'd like to try them. But I don't eat anything with garlic unless my wife does. Otherwise, she'll not be talking to me or near me for a day or two.

The pommes frites are not GF

Dd drools over them since she LOVES garlic fries!

Good to know about the hOT Cocoa. Just the one at carnation cafe? At least Starbucks is there! Both dd's get cinnamon hot chocolate there; just ask that they use cinnamon syrup instead of vanilla

 

[DahliaRW]

I would guess it's just the hot chocolate at Disney owned restaurants. Starbucks, from what I know, uses milk and syrup, not mix.

 

[Choirmom]

What is the best gluten free meal that you have had in the park recently? My DD19 and I are headed to the parks in just over a week. I have Celiacs and she is gluten intolerant. I know we can get gluten free nearly anywhere, but looking for something that really stood out!

 

[ashley0139]

What is the best gluten free meal that you have had in the park recently? My DD19 and I are headed to the parks in just over a week. I have Celiacs and she is gluten intolerant. I know we can get gluten free nearly anywhere, but looking for something that really stood out!

I had a great steak meal at Blue Bayou. I don't eat table service a lot so that was a treat for me. I like the chicken sandwich at Taste Pilots (can't remember the new name) for a quick meal. Jolly Holiday has great gf sandwiches.

 

[cmph]

What is the best gluten free meal that you have had in the park recently? My DD19 and I are headed to the parks in just over a week. I have Celiacs and she is gluten intolerant. I know we can get gluten free nearly anywhere, but looking for something that really stood out!

Stood out as in exquisite table service or something? Like a special occasion place? The priciest thing we did was the WOC dessert party - DH has celiac and really enjoyed his plate and the experience in general. Otherwise, we didn't really go to the "nice" places. We ate at Storyteller's twice (mostly b/c the kids were toast from the crowds and it was a relaxing break), Aladdin's Oasis for the PtN package, Plaza character breakfast, and the quick service place in the Grand Californian whose name escapes me. The one thing I remember my husband specifically mentioning was his salad in CA, at Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta. I felt bad for him b/c we had aimed specifically for Paradise Garden Grill, which was unexpectedly closed. He had the chef salad and said it was really, really good, so he ended up quite happy. I was kinda surprised, tbh, ha!

 

[Choirmom]

I had a great steak meal at Blue Bayou. I don't eat table service a lot so that was a treat for me. I like the chicken sandwich at Taste Pilots (can't remember the new name) for a quick meal. Jolly Holiday has great gf sandwiches.

Thank you. This is very helpful. We will probably try Jolly Holiday for the sandwiches. Haven't had a good sandwich in quite some time!

 

[Choirmom]

Stood out as in exquisite table service or something? Like a special occasion place? The priciest thing we did was the WOC dessert party - DH has celiac and really enjoyed his plate and the experience in general. Otherwise, we didn't really go to the "nice" places. We ate at Storyteller's twice (mostly b/c the kids were toast from the crowds and it was a relaxing break), Aladdin's Oasis for the PtN package, Plaza character breakfast, and the quick service place in the Grand Californian whose name escapes me. The one thing I remember my husband specifically mentioning was his salad in CA, at Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta. I felt bad for him b/c we had aimed specifically for Paradise Garden Grill, which was unexpectedly closed. He had the chef salad and said it was really, really good, so he ended up quite happy. I was kinda surprised, tbh, ha!

Thank for your response. I'm just looking for something that isn't standard gluten-free fare, like you can get anywhere. Or something they stuck on the menu so they can offer something gluten-free. It doesn't matter if it's TS or QS, just good! I love chef salad, so I'll keep that in mind!

 

[avalon451]

The pommes frites are not GF

I wonder what's in them that is not GF? If it's just the shared fryer, then DH and I are ok. My 3 daughters are celiac, but we are just somewhat sensitive, and in four years, have had no bad effects from shared fryers.

 

[DahliaRW]

Carnation Cafe can make eggs benedict gf. I also love the sandwiches at Jolly Holiday and had a wonderful experience at Blue Bayou (they had gf rolls!).

 

[cmph]

Thank for your response. I'm just looking for something that isn't standard gluten-free fare, like you can get anywhere. Or something they stuck on the menu so they can offer something gluten-free. It doesn't matter if it's TS or QS, just good! I love chef salad, so I'll keep that in mind!

Ah, got it! Storyteller's has a good gf menu. We didn't eat breakfast there (one character breakfast buffet per trip is enough for us!) but we had lunch and dinner. For dinner, he had the gf version of the appetizer quesadilla and really liked that, and the pork chop for his entree (as described on the regular menu); he liked the pork chop but not nearly as much as the quesadilla. He had a burger for lunch, which probably doesn't count as being unique, but it was definitely nicer/ better than a QS burger for not much more, considering park prices. He had fruit with it, probably b/c the fries weren't ok but honestly he would normally pick fruit anyway so I can't be sure. Aladdin's Oasis has a very limited menu for anyone, but he had the grilled chicken which came with veggies, a salad, and some kind of packaged gf dessert. Definitely healthier and better for you than typical QS stuff. It was a good option for lunch b/c it wasn't as pricey as regular TS but you could still note the allergy/intolerance issue in advance. It's such a pain at most QS places to wait and talk to someone, then wait longer for it to be prepared, etc. His food came out just as fast as the rest of ours since they knew we were coming.

 

[hanna-nana]

I was really bummed that at such a pricey place, I had to order roasted chicken at BB. However, I LOVED IT! I craved it and tried to duplicate it for several months after our trip. I did ok on the risotto but never came close to the citrus marinated chicken. And my daughter was eating my rolls they brought instead of the regular ones. I liked the, so much I emailed dining to see where they were from. I've struggled to find breads I like and Disney succeeded. I don't recall what I had at storytellers but it was amazing too. And the flatbread was really good too. I liked my burger at tangaroa terrace enough to order it three times in the week. The pineapple one. The slaw was amazing too.

 

[hsmamato2]

I wonder what's in them that is not GF? If it's just the shared fryer, then DH and I are ok. My 3 daughters are celiac, but we are just somewhat sensitive, and in four years, have had no bad effects from shared fryers.

I wonder this also..... for those of us who intolerant of gluten, but not celiac, it's a good question.(b/c I can tolerate cross contamination,my DS can't)

 

[gottalovepluto]

...Jolly Holiday has great gf sandwiches.

Can orders at Jolly Holiday be modified now? No sauce, no pickle, etc. We tried it when they first opened and were told "no modifications, none" and all ended up getting salads that we threw out half of because it had that spicy lettuce in the salad mix and no one in our family likes that lettuce. Obviously an awful experience, but we have a GF eater and more options for her are always nice. But like the rest of us she always modifies her sandwiches, usually to leave of sauce/spread.

 

[ashley0139]

Can orders at Jolly Holiday be modified now? No sauce, no pickle, etc. We tried it when they first opened and were told "no modifications, none" and all ended up getting salads that we threw out half of because it had that spicy lettuce in the salad mix and no one in our family likes that lettuce. Obviously an awful experience, but we have a GF eater and more options for her are always nice. But like the rest of us she always modifies her sandwiches, usually to leave of sauce/spread.

I'm not sure, I like everything on my sandwiches (especially sauce/spread haha). I do take off the tomato but I just do it myself

 

[DahliaRW]

I was really bummed that at such a pricey place, I had to order roasted chicken at BB. However, I LOVED IT! I craved it and tried to duplicate it for several months after our trip. I did ok on the risotto but never came close to the citrus marinated chicken. And my daughter was eating my rolls they brought instead of the regular ones. I liked the, so much I emailed dining to see where they were from. I've struggled to find breads I like and Disney succeeded. I don't recall what I had at storytellers but it was amazing too. And the flatbread was really good too. I liked my burger at tangaroa terrace enough to order it three times in the week. The pineapple one. The slaw was amazing too.

You can get more than chicken gf at BB. Did you ask? They told me most everything on the main dish side could be made gf. I had the salmon.

Can orders at Jolly Holiday be modified now? No sauce, no pickle, etc. We tried it when they first opened and were told "no modifications, none" and all ended up getting salads that we threw out half of because it had that spicy lettuce in the salad mix and no one in our family likes that lettuce. Obviously an awful experience, but we have a GF eater and more options for her are always nice. But like the rest of us she always modifies her sandwiches, usually to leave of sauce/spread.

I don't know about salads, but the sandwiches can be. It's possible the salads are pre-made.

 

[SMD]

Can orders at Jolly Holiday be modified now? No sauce, no pickle, etc. We tried it when they first opened and were told "no modifications, none" and all ended up getting salads that we threw out half of because it had that spicy lettuce in the salad mix and no one in our family likes that lettuce. Obviously an awful experience, but we have a GF eater and more options for her are always nice. But like the rest of us she always modifies her sandwiches, usually to leave of sauce/spread.

When they first opened, all sandwiches were pre-made in the case. Now they come through the window. But I suspect that they're pre-assembled and something like no pickle would just have the pickle being take off. That's what they do with monte cristos too. No ham means they just take the ham off sandwich before frying it. Jolly Holiday does have GF baked items that aren't in the case that you can ask about, so it might still be worth a visit and you can ask if a modified sandwich is made on a dedicated surface.

 

[ashley0139]

You can get more than chicken gf at BB. Did you ask? They told me most everything on the main dish side could be made gf. I had the salmon.

Yeah, I had one of the steak dishes. It was so good.