How do I order a GF birthday cake?

[squirk]

I've done it in the past. I just cannot remember how.

I see that we still have to go back to the dinosaur times, fill out a form with pen and paper and fax it in.

Is there a special form I need to use for the GF request? Something tells me that last time, I literally had to write "need cake to be gluten-free" in the margins of the form. If so, is that still the way it must be done?

Thanks!

 

[Sytrace]

Still the old fashioned way of faxing or snail mailing it in. I don't see a place for GF anywhere, so I guess put it in BIG, BOLD letters wherever there is room.

 

[squirk]

In case anyone is reading this for an answer, my recollection is correct. I just called DCL and they confirmed that you have to hand-write "must be gluten-free" on the form and fax it in.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

@squirk : Do you know if the ingredients are available for a GF cake? Do you know if they use rice flour, just curious?

 

[squirk]

@squirk : Do you know if the ingredients are available for a GF cake? Do you know if they use rice flour, just curious?

Sorry, no idea. The CM had to do a bit of digging simply to confirm how to order the cake. I can only imagine the hoops she would have to jump through to get an ingredients list.

The GF Mickey cake we had a few years ago was good ... for a GF cake.

 

[Dug720]

Thanks for the info! We are not celebrating a birthday, but I may order a cake just so I will have an option for desserts beyond pudding or mousse or Mickey bars.

 

[squirk]

Thanks for the info! We are not celebrating a birthday, but I may order a cake just so I will have an option for desserts beyond pudding or mousse or Mickey bars.

I would describe the cake as "serviceable". It's decent enough, and will break up the monotony for you, I think.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

Thanks for the info! We are not celebrating a birthday, but I may order a cake just so I will have an option for desserts beyond pudding or mousse or Mickey bars.

Can anyone off the top of your head remember if there options for GF desserts in the MDR besides ice cream pudding etc?

 

[squirk]

Honestly, I think it's pretty much pudding/mousse, ice cream/sorbet, crème brûlée and Mickey bars w/o sprinkles. I think I've occasionally seen flan and flourless chocolate cake, too, but not regularly.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

Can anyone off the top of your head remember if there options for GF desserts in the MDR besides ice cream pudding etc?

If you tell your server that you are observing Gluten Free, they will try to accommodate you as best they can, depending on your tastes. For my wife, who was Gluten and Dairy free they brought her big plates of fruit every night. Mangoes, Guava, berries, etc. Something different almost every night. Much more than she could eat alone, so she shared it with the rest of us, but it made her feel special, as well as gave her some variety of desserts.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

@Anchors Away 2016 Yum yum yum!! Thank you for the info! @squirk Creme brulee is my fav; so, good to know. I try to not ask for special requests ahead of time, bc I am not trying to substitute rice flour for example for wheat flour (which is often done); I try instead to just avoid altogether (sauces are difficult tho) so I will ask my head server? (I hesitate to note it ahead of time in my profile bc I am not looking for substitutions). Is telling my head server the first night enough of a heads up do you think? Will they know the menu ingredients is what I am wondering. Trying not to be a bother. Thank you!

 

[Dug720]

@Anchors Away 2016 Yum yum yum!! Thank you for the info! @squirk Creme brulee is my fav; so, good to know. I try to not ask for special requests ahead of time, bc I am not trying to substitute rice flour for example for wheat flour (which is often done); I try instead to just avoid altogether (sauces are difficult tho) so I will ask my head server? (I hesitate to note it ahead of time in my profile bc I am not looking for substitutions). Is telling my head server the first night enough of a heads up do you think? Will they know the menu ingredients is what I am wondering. Trying not to be a bother. Thank you!

Pretty sure that as soon as you mention afood allergy or intolerance it is special treatment time. So if it is a must for you you SHOULD let them know ahead of time - especially if you don't want rice flour stuff instead.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

try to not ask for special requests ahead of time, bc I am not trying to substitute rice flour for example for wheat flour (which is often done); I try instead to just avoid altogether (sauces are difficult tho) so I will ask my head server? (I hesitate to note it ahead of time in my profile bc I am not looking for substitutions). Is telling my head server the first night enough of a heads up do you think? Will they know the menu ingredients is what I am wondering. Trying not to be a bother. Thank you!

No bother. Happy to share our experiences. That is why we are all here. I got so much help from the people on this board before our trip.

Since you are interested, I can give you many more details.

The first thing our head server asked my wife was the nature of her aversion to gluten and dairy. He wasn't trying to judge or pry, but he explained that there are, generally speaking, two types of people who ask for gluten/dairy free and they are handled differently. If you have a true "allergy" to the substance, and can not tolerate ANY of it, they are much more strict and cautious. If you are just trying to avoid it for personal reasons, ( a sensitivity, etc.) then they will tell you your options and let you decide. In my wife's case, it was the latter, not life threatening.

Nonetheless, they accommodated her. Each night, after the main course, they would bring out the menu for the next night. She would pick the items she wanted, the server would check with the kitchen to see if that dish could be made to suit her. Most dishes could. A few could not. The whole process was quick and easy. He was clear that they do this for a lot of people, so on any given night several people were getting the same modification. Some nights we used the Navigator App to look at the menu for the next night, so that he didn't need to bring out the menu.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

That's the issue; It's not a true allergy; just an unbearable intolerance. I feel like they will try to give me substitutions if I note it, and then I'll have even more explaining to do. Not sure...

ETA: Okay, thank you@Anchors Away 2016. Very good info; thank you!!

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

To each their own. If you don't want any accommodations, they are happy to just point out which meals to avoid, but you are right, they will probably try to accommodate you. LOL Darn that Disney hospitality.

 

[Shanti]

The gf dessert menu was very limited for us on the Magic last year. We asked about alternatives to the menu & weren't offerred any alternatives beyond Mickey bars.

 

[Dug720]

That's the issue; It's not a true allergy; just an unbearable intolerance. I feel like they will try to give me substitutions if I note it, and then I'll have even more explaining to do. Not sure...

ETA: Okay, thank you@Anchors Away 2016. Very good info; thank you!!

If it is "intolerable" why would you not want substitutions? If it is so painful it is "intolerable" I liken that to an allergy.

Allergic reactions do not have to be anaphylactic - mine to peanuts is not, but I do not feel like itching and wheezing and getting rashes on vacation so I treat it as if. Gluten lowers my air flow and increases the need for my inhaler - so while I am not celiac I sure as heck do not want to deal with that on vacation.

They are used to dealing with allergies and intolerances. That is what they are there for - to make your experience the best it can be. It is far better to be upfront than "do it yourself" and end up with an "intolerable" reaction - when, if that happens, will end up FAR more scrutinized than if you are up front. (Also putting it on your reservation helps them ensure they have enough GF things for all on board.)

 

[Cackyschmackers]

@Dug720 I do not "do substitutions" because rice does not agree with me and that is usually what they use in substitution for wheat flour (think bread, pasta or hamburger roll). I eat whole foods, and on DCL it is EXCEEDINGLY easy to do that. Hidden ingredients is what trips me up (most usually in sauces). So, in my experience, when I go out to eat and look for GF dishes, many times they are not what I would eat anyhow. So I didn't want to write GF on my profile then have to back track and re-explain myself if what they offer is not what I would normally eat.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

The gf dessert menu was very limited for us on the Magic last year. We asked about alternatives to the menu & weren't offerred any alternatives beyond Mickey bars.

Funny how experiences differ so much by server. Do you like fruit? Next time you ask them for some fruit for dessert, and I bet you'll get more than enough.

 

[Dug720]

@Dug720 I do not "do substitutions" because rice does not agree with me and that is usually what they use in substitution for wheat flour (think bread, pasta or hamburger roll). I eat whole foods, and on DCL it is EXCEEDINGLY easy to do that. Hidden ingredients is what trips me up (most usually in sauces). So, in my experience, when I go out to eat and look for GF dishes, many times they are not what I would eat anyhow. So I didn't want to write GF on my profile then have to back track and re-explain myself if what they offer is not what I would normally eat.

That was not made clear in your first post - you didn't indicate that you do "whole foods". It read more that you are gluten free and just don't like rice flour. There is certainly no reason you could not have your profile marked GF AND Rice-free.