My first pleasant surprise was a phone call I received from the chef at the Kona Café (I am not sure how to spell his name, but it sounded like Dilan) about three days before my arrival. He took the time to discuss the menu with me and determined my best food choices. He also arranged to make a special dessert (a special apple brown betty) since none of the available desserts fit within my dietary needs.
My first meal was dinner at the Seasons in EPCOT where the chef was able to combine items from a number of different stations into a plate that was both tasty and fit within my needs.
The next morning (18-Nov) at the Crystal Palace, the chef prepared special items (waffles, eggs, and a roll), which I could combine with safe food from the buffet (bacon and fruit) for a complete brunch though, sadly, I couldn't get Mickey waffles (they used to be my favourite, along with the Mickey shaped pasta, which is also now a no-no).
We had an early dinner reservation at Le Cellier, so planned to go from a late breakfast at the Crystal Palace until dinner. Luckily, I was able to find "Mecca" at the Main Street Bakery and have my fill of snacks (the brownies were particularly yummy). Dinner at Le Cellier was excellent as the chef was able to adapt the menu items slightly for me.
Breakfast the next morning at the ABC Commissary again involved the chef preparing me a special plate of bacon, eggs, and potatoes, which was much appreciated.
My traveling partner wanted to eat lunch at Mama Melrose, which I was somewhat nervous about, since Italian food does not generally go well for someone who can eat neither gluten nor dairy. However, my worries proved to be unfounded. The chef was able to prepare the tomato stacks without cheese, cheese-free pizza on a gluten-free crust, and rice ice-cream with fresh fruit. I definitely left the restaurant very full!
Dinner that night was the much anticipated Kona dinner. I was on my own for the Kona dinner since my travel companion left that afternoon. Matt, the chef on that night (19-November) came out to my table to discuss my order, and he had obviously been prepared by Dilan. With his advice, I ordered the Kona Salad (minus the cheese), the Asian noodle dish (with wheat-free soy sauce) and my pre-arranged apple brown betty. He also provided me with tapioca rolls so that I could enjoy the olive oil and balsamic vinegar that other tables were enjoying. While waiting for my appetizer, Matt came out to apologetically tell me that my apple brown-betty had accidentally been served to someone else and could he prepare something else for my dessert. He offered to make me grilled pineapple with toffuti and a caramel sauce. Both my appetizer and entrée were very good. The dessert was truly excellent; I'd suggest adapting it (maybe using fresh pineapple) and adding it as a regular option.
My morning at the Animal Kingdom (20-Nov) was my only disappointment of the trip as I was unable to find any breakfast that I could eat and the chef at Tusker's was unable (or unwilling) to prepare lunch food early (it was about 10:15am when I tried). When lunch food was available, I did get food at the Tusker House, and the chicken, vegetables, and French fries were very good - though the kitchen seemed less organized and able to deal with special requests than the other places I ate at. Perhaps I caught them at a bad
time (it was very busy). Having said that, WDW set a very high standard and Tusker's House would still be better than 95% of restaurants I've eaten at outside of WDW.
My final meal was from Hurricane Hanna's at the YC which was a perfect pre-departure meal.
