Some specific gluten free questions (gluten free, dairy free vegetarian)

[BusyMom2Three]

As of yesterday, DD is on a gluten elimination trial diet, and our next trip to WDW is in 4 wks. She also cannot have dairy, and we are vegetarians (we eat eggs and some of us can eat dairy products, but no fish either). I have a few specific concerns about our dining plans, but I haven't had success w/ Special Diets lately.

Does anyone know if Port Orleans Riverside has gf/df pasta at the make your own pasta station?

I also want to find out if the potato gnocchi dish at Mama Melrose is gf/df.

I read some blurb in my search engine that the veggie burgers are gf. Can anyone confirm?

And, lastly (for now!), we usually get the tofu/noodle bowl as our CS lunch at Sunshine Seasons at Epcot. I am thinking they should be able to give her extra tofu and veggies and skip the noodles, right? But I know that stuff is all cross contaminated. I've seen how it all splashes and falls into each other. Any gf/df/vegetarians out there eaten here?

I know these are specific, but if anyone can answer any of these questions, it would be very helpful!

 

[6elginfans]

Email special diets at specialdiets@disneyworld.com. They will send you a document that lists all the GF foods that are available.

GF options at WDW and anywhere usual come down to a plain meat. I could not imagine what I would do without this option. I am not telling you to forfeit your lifestyle, but finding GF options away from home can be tough. Binders are what usually cause the problem. Most contain Gluten.

 

[clanmcculloch]

I completely disagree that GF options at WDW come down to plain meat. We've had so much variety of options for gluten, dairy and so much more free. Yes, some restaurants that's true but those tend to be places like steak houses or places with limited menus to begin with. One of my favourite meals I've had at WDW (probably top 5) was a vegan GF lo mein dish custom made for me by the chef (well, it could have been vegan but he offered to add some shrimp for me; it was filled with some amazing veggies and he would have used tofu had I prefered that but I love well cooked shrimp). If chefs are given a bit of freedom, they seem to love coming up with amazing and creative dishes. WDW does seem to draw chefs who have a passion for special diets.

Does anyone know if Port Orleans Riverside has gf/df pasta at the make your own pasta station?

Not at the pasta station but when you speak with a chef, you can ask him to make up a dish of pasta and whatever available toppings suit your fancy which is IMO the same thing only safe from cross contamination.

And, lastly (for now!), we usually get the tofu/noodle bowl as our CS lunch at Sunshine Seasons at Epcot. I am thinking they should be able to give her extra tofu and veggies and skip the noodles, right? But I know that stuff is all cross contaminated. I've seen how it all splashes and falls into each other. Any gf/df/vegetarians out there eaten here?

I haven't had this myself, but what I suspect would be done is that the chef would cook up some GF pasta to serve with your tofu or give you the option of an additional side/vegetable or rice as an alternative. You will not be given the option of additional protein which is what the tofu is. You'll probably have a 20ish minute wait because the pasta will have to be cooked but it should be an option; a tasty option at that. That being said, when I get the seared tuna which is normally served over pasta they give it to me over a large salad (the salad it used to come with) rather than cooking up pasta but I prefer the salad; they'd likely cook up some pasta if I ever asked but as I said, I really like that salad.

 

[gleegirl]

The gnocchi does contain gluten and dairy. That and the calamari are the only dishes that cannot be made gluten free I've been told.

 

[BusyMom2Three]

One of my favourite meals I've had at WDW (probably top 5) was a vegan GF lo mein dish custom made for me by the chef (well, it could have been vegan but he offered to add some shrimp for me; it was filled with some amazing veggies and he would have used tofu had I prefered that but I love well cooked shrimp).

This sounds great! What restaurant was it at? Thanks for the info on POR & Sunshine Seasons!

The gnocchi does contain gluten and dairy. That and the calamari are the only dishes that cannot be made gluten free I've been told.

Thank you! I think I will change that ADR.

 

[BusyMom2Three]

Does anyone know if we'll have luck at Chef Mickey's and Crystal Palace? I have ADRs at those. They both have plenty of vegetarian options, but if I remember correctly, a lot of those were gluten foods. Thanks again.

 

[clanmcculloch]

The lo mein was in the food court at Pop Century.

Chef Mickey is a weird one to me. The reviews all over the restaurant and other boards are that the place is generally mediocre at best but meanwhile every review on THIS board seems to be great. We had an amazing allergy experience there when we ate there a couple years ago. I don't know if the allergy cupcakes are vegan or not but I do know they're gluten, milk and egg free (the only way they wouldn't be vegan I would think is if they use lard as the shortening since they're also soy free; the chef would have to tell you one way or the other).

Crystal Palace is somewhere that people around here either love or hate. Experiences seem to be very polar. Several of us have had scary experiences with unsafe items being served to us (unsafe for our particular allergies that is) while others LOVE CP and go back every trip because of how great they are. At CP more than at many other places, the chef working at the time makes a HUGE difference. I'm among those who have had bad experiences (thank goodness I knew enough to question what the chef said so nobody got sick) but meanwhile I'm still considering trying them again because of the great reviews by others (plus that brownie which is one of the few baked goods my 14yo can eat at WDW because of her particular list of allergies). You do have to be vigilant here though.

At the buffets, be sure to wait for the chefs. Don't just grab food off the buffet. The chefs will get you safe versions of the foods from the buffet from the kitchen and in many cases will special prepare the food for you without the additional allergens. At CM the chef prepared foods for my kids that were completely different from what was on the buffet. While the salmon my DH hate off the buffet had been sitting under a heat lamp and had a sauce, the salmon my kids were served were fresh cooked and without sauce; only seasonings that beautifully complimented the fish. The chef gladly grabbed veggies and deli meats from the kitchen as well since those were sitting right beside the rolls on the buffet meaning most likely the same tongs were used to grab all of these items that were out. He even baked up some chicken wings for them which is something not found on the buffet (they like them plain like this so it was perfect and exactly what they wanted). At CP the chef even went over to Casey's to grab some hot dogs for my kids since the options on the buffet at the time were fairly limitted due to the particular allergies (unfortunately there was a lot of lemon in the dishes that day and both my kids are allergic to citrus fruit). Wait for the chef every single time; you never know what ingredients may be found in a dish and the chef will walk you through everything.

 

[SDSorority]

Hello! GF Vegetarian, here.

Here's my dining review from last September:

http://anniessimplelife.blogspot.com/2011/09/going-home-food-of-trip.html

We're not dairy free, but the dishes you see could absolutely be made without cheese, or sub cheese sauce for red sauce or just with plain olive oil. I have brought my own coconut oil with me in a little container to use as 'butter' for the GF rolls (that are also dairy free.... at least they were, but I'm not sure if they still are because I think they switched to Rudi's brand... or Udi's brand... I can't remember), and you can always ask for your noodles to be plain and bring in your own olive oil, or bring in your own bread...we bring a lot of our own stuff

Also, do NOT miss Babycakes. http://www.babycakesnyc.com/babycakes-at-downtown-disney-menu.html LOOOOOVE them. LOVE.

 

[BusyMom2Three]

Chef Mickey is a weird one to me. The reviews all over the restaurant and other boards are that the place is generally mediocre at best but meanwhile every review on THIS board seems to be great. We had an amazing allergy experience there when we ate there a couple years ago. I don't know if the allergy cupcakes are vegan or not but I do know they're gluten, milk and egg free (the only way they wouldn't be vegan I would think is if they use lard as the shortening since they're also soy free; the chef would have to tell you one way or the other).

Crystal Palace is somewhere that people around here either love or hate. Experiences seem to be very polar. Several of us have had scary experiences with unsafe items being served to us (unsafe for our particular allergies that is) while others LOVE CP and go back every trip because of how great they are. At CP more than at many other places, the chef working at the time makes a HUGE difference. I'm among those who have had bad experiences (thank goodness I knew enough to question what the chef said so nobody got sick) but meanwhile I'm still considering trying them again because of the great reviews by others (plus that brownie which is one of the few baked goods my 14yo can eat at WDW because of her particular list of allergies). You do have to be vigilant here though.

Thanks for all the great info! I'm used to being vigilant about various dietary issues, so no prob there, but I'm still worried about these 2 places. There aren't any good alternatives available this close to our trip, though, so I'm hoping it will be okay. My kids will be fine with any basic thing, and at least they will be excited to see the characters, so I guess it will be fine. Hopefully, I will be pleasantly surprised!

Hello! GF Vegetarian, here.

Here's my dining review from last September:

http://anniessimplelife.blogspot.com/2011/09/going-home-food-of-trip.html

I'm glad to see your review of La Hacienda! I just switched our ADR from San Angel to there, and it looks like it will be a great meal!

 

[ls15]

Hi there! I am a celiac and have a dairy allergy, and my mom is dairy, egg, gluten, and soy-free. I'm also a vegan.

There are LOADS of options. It definitely has gotten more difficult, I think, with the change in some of the products, but you'll be fine.

I did a really detailed gluten-free/dairy-free/vegan review on my blog, and you can see exactly what I ordered and how the chefs were everywhere. We went for 11 days so there are a lot of reviews.

I'm leaving again in 2 weeks for 15 days there, so I will update then, as well (and then I'll see how the new changes are).

 

[BusyMom2Three]

Hi there! I am a celiac and have a dairy allergy, and my mom is dairy, egg, gluten, and soy-free. I'm also a vegan.

There are LOADS of options. It definitely has gotten more difficult, I think, with the change in some of the products, but you'll be fine.

I did a really detailed gluten-free/dairy-free/vegan review on my blog, and you can see exactly what I ordered and how the chefs were everywhere. We went for 11 days so there are a lot of reviews.

I'm leaving again in 2 weeks for 15 days there, so I will update then, as well (and then I'll see how the new changes are).

I love your blog! I came across it a couple of weeks ago and said, "That sounds like a lady on the disboards" because I had read some of your dining reviews here before. I love your recipe index. I've made a couple of them already and have saved a few more in my "to try" folder.

 

[ls15]

I love your blog! I came across it a couple of weeks ago and said, "That sounds like a lady on the disboards" because I had read some of your dining reviews here before. I love your recipe index. I've made a couple of them already and have saved a few more in my "to try" folder.

Thank you!!! I try to be as thorough as possible because before I went, I spent so much time researching so we would be able to eat safely. I am going to have to update it again now that the majority of the chefs have called me before my trip (and we changed two reservations).

I try to update it more often but am building a website for my book, and it is difficult to balance everything. I have tons of recipes in the queue, but shrinking the photos takes so long I hardly post them! I need to get on that

 

[clanmcculloch]

You know, I've only heard from 1 chef for our upcoming trip and based on that email I'll be cancelling the ADR (not that I think they won't provide safe food but the list of safe options the chef sent is just so limitted that I don't think my kids will be happy). The majority of the ADRs are restaurants that we've eaten at before so no big deal but it is a surprise to me. I didn't actually ask any questions about the restaurants so I'm guessing that's why I haven't heard from anybody. We'll be fine without having heard from anybody. The rest of our ADRs are restaurants that I know have plenty of options for us so I have no worries about them.