Not new to DCL...Just new to Gluten-Free

[Dug720]

I've just booked my 4th Disney Cruise - will be on the Magic in Feb!! - and am VERY excited to get back to my beloved DCL after 2 ok but not magical RCCL cruises. I'm super confident in pretty much all aspects of DCL, but...

I've been diagnosed with a gluten sensitivity, so that will be new on DCL for me. On RCCL at the beginning of July (about 3 weeks after my diagnosis) I would order my meal the night before for dinner, and in the buffet there was a specific side of one of the stations that was designated GF. How do things work on DCL regarding GF?

If all else fails for dessert, I believe Mickey Bars are GF, right?

And - I am almost afraid to ask, but better to know early - have I read correctly that Palo DOES make a GF chocolate souffle? Or should I just prepare myself for figuring something else out now?

Thanks all!!

 

[readytogotodisney]

My DH is GF and eats very well on DCL. Your server can you preorder your meal the night before with a GF menu, same with CC.
QS up on the pool deck they have plenty of options too. GF chicken fingers, pizza, burgers... it just takes extra time. The buffet, you can ask any of the waiters working and they'll find the right person to run through the buffet with you.
On the Magic last time, DH didn't really mess with that only bc he's been GF long enough to know for the most part what is safe and what's not, and what not to risk.
They can also bring you out a plate from the kitchen to avoid cross contamination.

 

[Sir William]

DW has gluten sensitivity and has very few problems with dining on DCL - and the Magic is our favorite ship (partly for this reason).

First, call DCL and have them add that you are GF (better than saying sensitive) to your reservation. Confirm with your servers when you go to the MDR the first night. Ours, especially on the Magic, usually ask us to confirm!

On our last 3 cruises, our servers have brought DW a menu for the next evening so that she can preselect her dinner. The galley will make her dishes all GF (she also has soy issues) so that she doesn't have to settle for whatever she can eat on the menu, or have them do multiple substitutions, or do a quick fix and a already prepared dish. They would also do this for breakfast the next morning if we told them we'd be dining in the MDR.

Bread seems to be the biggest problem. Sometimes she gets reasonably good GF bread, other times its hockey pucks. And, this can vary from one meal to the next. We've talked to the Food & Beverage Officer on most of the ships about this and they all say they are aware of the problem and are working to find better GF bread, pasta, etc.

She has been able to order GL waffles, French toast, and donuts for breakfast in the MDR, but again this is sometimes a hit or miss. Sometimes it's pretty good, other times its not. I will say that they are getting much better and more consistent over the last few years. When we provide our room number on entering, they look us up and confirm the GF. Our breakfast and lunch servers vary as to their GF awareness, but on the whole most are pretty good at helping her get something she likes. On one cruise we seemed to get 1 of 3 main servers each time we ate in the MDR for breakfast or lunch. They went out of their way to get DW GF meals that she'd enjoy.

Overall, Disney, whether at a resort or on a ship, does the best we've seen for her GF & soy issues, and we've sailed 4 other lines and stayed at other nice hotels and resorts around the world. You shouldn't have any problems eating GF on the Magic.

She likes to eat in Cabanas as there is greater selection. Typically, one of the chefs will come out and walk her though the line identifying what she can or can't eat. Sometimes, they will make her a GF version of something already being served on the line.

 

[Dug720]

Thanks! That helps!

I guess my one big concern is on Castaway. I keep reading that the special meals get delivered to one of the places at the Family Beach. Being a solo adult cruiser, Serenity Bay is my domain, and it seems a pain in the butt to have to go to the other side just for my meal. Since I am perfectly capable of eating a hot dog or hamburger "protein style" (or getting the steak they usually have there) can I just ask that they not bother making me a lunch that day?

 

[FigmentSpark]

Remember that some hot dog and hamburgers have filler in them. You're better off checking, if you're going to just wing it.

As an aside, my dad is celiac and when we first found out, my mom was diligently checking the ingredients in the ice creams (his treat of choice) wherever we went. One day, we finally clued in that, while we were carefully checking that the ice cream didn't have fillers, he was eating the cone.

Also, just to add, my mom uses Chinese rice noodles for pasta and they are quite good. My dad came from an Italian household, so going without pasta was not an option.

 

[Dug720]

Remember that some hot dog and hamburgers have filler in them. You're better off checking, if you're going to just wing it.

As an aside, my dad is celiac and when we first found out, my mom was diligently checking the ingredients in the ice creams (his treat of choice) wherever we went. One day, we finally clued in that, while we were carefully checking that the ice cream didn't have fillers, he was eating the cone.

Also, just to add, my mom uses Chinese rice noodles for pasta and they are quite good. My dad came from an Italian household, so going without pasta was not an option.

I may just pack a Luna bar for lunch that day then. IMHO it is unfair for adult-only parties who know they will be at SB all day to have to go back to the area they are not - this sacrificing a lot more beach time than anyone else has to.

As for ice cream, thankfully I always found cones disgusting. Haha!

 

[Shanti]

I've been diagnosed with a gluten sensitivity, so that will be new on DCL for me. How do things work on DCL regarding GF? If all else fails for dessert, I believe Mickey Bars are GF, right? Thanks all!!

Start by calling DCL and having them add the fact that you are gluten-free to your reservation notes. At your first dinner, remind your server that you are gluten-free, and he'll go over gluten-free menu options with you. He'll give you the opportunity to choose your entree for the next night's dinner, so that the special preparation won't take too long.

At buffets, you have to tell a server that you're gluten-free, and they'll send the chef out to show you which items are gf.

For dessert, there will be some kind of gf option available. Limited choices, because most regular DCL desserts are cake or otherwise gluten-based.

Yes, Mickey bars are gf, & you can always tell them you want that in place of your dessert choice. You can also order them from room service.

On the Magic, you can ask them to make you gf pizza at the pizza shop on deck. That was my favorite gf offering, as I wasn't crazy about most of the other gf options during the cruise (although part of that might have been that I just wasn't used to "cruise food", as it was our first cruise ever).

But you'll never have to worry about going hungry. Disney will take care of you.

 

[cgolf]

My DH is GF and eats very well on DCL. Your server can you preorder your meal the night before with a GF menu, same with CC.
QS up on the pool deck they have plenty of options too. GF chicken fingers, pizza, burgers... it just takes extra time. The buffet, you can ask any of the waiters working and they'll find the right person to run through the buffet with you.
On the Magic last time, DH didn't really mess with that only bc he's been GF long enough to know for the most part what is safe and what's not, and what not to risk.
They can also bring you out a plate from the kitchen to avoid cross contamination.

Unfortunately the GF chicken fingers aren't possible at the quick serve location up top on the Magic like on the Fantasy that has a dedicated GF fryer, the magic is too small. I was able to get them in the buffet though.

We have had good luck with the sit down lunches, and they even made me fried chicken one year. You can also get doughnuts at the buffet for breakfast if you ask. I am also gluten sensitive and always have a chef walk me through the buffets, you will be amazed how much you can eat. A lot of the soups are GF too.

For CC your head server will give you an idea of what is safe to eat if you ask, and we ate at Serenity bay last January. The only thing they haven't made me that I asked for as beef Wellington.

 

[Shanti]

Thanks! That helps!
I guess my one big concern is on Castaway. I keep reading that the special meals get delivered to one of the places at the Family Beach. Being a solo adult cruiser, Serenity Bay is my domain, and it seems a pain in the butt to have to go to the other side just for my meal. Since I am perfectly capable of eating a hot dog or hamburger "protein style" (or getting the steak they usually have there) can I just ask that they not bother making me a lunch that day?

Hot dogs, in particular, usually have gluten fillers, so avoid those unless they're labeled gf. Hamburgers without the bun are more likely to be gf, but not guaranteed unless you talk with the chef.

For us, they delivered our meals to either Cookies or Cookies, Too. Can't remember which one several months later, but can remember that our server had accidentally told us to go to the wrong one, so we had to backtrack, then it took them an additional 30 minutes (literally) to have it there & ready while we sat & waited, even though we had been told "your special meal will be there waiting for you". PITA, and when the food arrived, it was extremely disappointing: overcooked ribs with no seasoning or sauce, and bowls of plain kidney beans (I had asked for bbq ribs & baked beans). This CC lunch experience was the biggest downer of our trip, but as it was a great trip, we looked past it & moved on. I definitely don't recommend ordering gf bbq ribs & baked beans on the Magic, though. They clearly don't even know what baked beans are.

 

[Dug720]

Hot dogs, in particular, usually have gluten fillers, so avoid those unless they're labeled gf. Hamburgers without the bun are more likely to be gf, but not guaranteed unless you talk with the chef.

For us, they delivered our meals to either Cookies or Cookies, Too. Can't remember which one several months later, but can remember that our server had accidentally told us to go to the wrong one, so we had to backtrack, then it took them an additional 30 minutes (literally) to have it there & ready while we sat & waited. PITA, and when the food arrived, it was extremely disappointing: overcooked ribs with no seasoning or sauce, and bowls of plain kidney beans (I had asked for bbq ribs & baked beans). This CC lunch experience was the biggest downer of our trip, but as it was a great trip, we looked past it & moved on. I definitely don't recommend ordering gf bbq ribs & beans on the Magic, though.

Good advice. Looks like it will be a Luna bar for lunch that day. I'm sorry, but I refuse to leave SB and schlep to the other side of the island and all the way back. No problem though - it will be good for me to have a very light meal at least one day on the cruise!

 

[cgolf]

Good advice. Looks like it will be a Luna bar for lunch that day. I'm sorry, but I refuse to leave SB and schlep to the other side of the island and all the way back. No problem though - it will be good for me to have a very light meal at least one day on the cruise!

Don't be afraid to ask at Serenity Bay, they grill the steaks and burgers right there so they should be able to tell what is safe, it may take a little bit to find out, but I was able to eat there. I would still have the Luna bar with you in case they changed brands of food and it is no longer GF. This happend with the Gyro, one year it was ok, the next it was not due to a change in suppliers.

I have to say you will need a bit of patience too when eating at the buffets, while they do their best to get a chef to walk you through the line, it sometimes takes a bit for them to get them out to you.

 

[Dug720]

Don't be afraid to ask at Serenity Bay, they grill the steaks and burgers right there so they should be able to tell what is safe, it may take a little bit to find out, but I was able to eat there. I would still have the Luna bar with you in case they changed brands of food and it is no longer GF. This happend with the Gyro, one year it was ok, the next it was not due to a change in suppliers.

I have to say you will need a bit of patience too when eating at the buffets, while they do their best to get a chef to walk you through the line, it sometimes takes a bit for them to get them out to you.

Thank you! Thankfully with it being just me I'm on no one's schedule but my own! That makes waiting a little easier!

 

[Sir William]

Thanks! That helps!

I guess my one big concern is on Castaway. I keep reading that the special meals get delivered to one of the places at the Family Beach. Being a solo adult cruiser, Serenity Bay is my domain, and it seems a pain in the butt to have to go to the other side just for my meal. Since I am perfectly capable of eating a hot dog or hamburger "protein style" (or getting the steak they usually have there) can I just ask that they not bother making me a lunch that day?

On our last two stops at CC, our MDR servers asked us where we'd be having lunch. We told them Serenity Bay and the ship prepared and sent a GF meal SB for her. It was kept separate from the regular food.

We've never been overly impressed with the meals at CC (tends to be dried out), and her GF meal was no better or worse than I had. They did send some GF bread but it was the hockey puck variety so she didn't eat it. She made up for it with lots of ice cream.

 

[Dug720]

On our last two stops at CC, our MDR servers asked us where we'd be having lunch. We told them Serenity Bay and the ship prepared and sent a GF meal SB for her. It was kept separate from the regular food.

We've never been overly impressed with the meals at CC (tends to be dried out), and her GF meal was no better or worse than I had. They did send some GF bread but it was the hockey puck variety so she didn't eat it. She made up for it with lots of ice cream.

So the ice cream without cone is GF?? Yay!!