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Gluten-Free Quick Service Dining at Disney World

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff Leave a Comment

During our recent trip to Walt Disney World, I planned many of our meals in advance by making dining reservations and noting my gluten-free requirements so I could be sure that one, we were able to get a table; and two, that they were prepared for me.

So tackling the quick service environment felt a little bit more unpredictable since there were no reservations made, and they are pretty packed with people wanting their food fast.  Not the environment you think of as being able to serve you safely and cross-contamination friendly.

Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe

For our first lunch, I was prepared with a list that Disney provided me ahead of time, of certain items that would be safe around the park from snack cart items to sit-down restaurants.  We decided to eat at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe in Tomorrowland.  I went to the counter and told them I needed to eat gluten-free and they told me a manager would be right out to speak with me.  Even though it was during a busy lunchtime, the manager was out within minutes.  He explained most of the sandwiches would be safe with a gluten-free bun, and that the fries were not safe as they are fried with gluten-containing products and they have gluten-free brownies.  I decided to get a veggie wrap, but on a gluten-free bun, rather than in a flour wrap, the Greek salad, and a gluten-free brownie.  The manager placed my order personally and made the kitchen aware that it was a gluten-free order. They all seemed to take it very seriously.

My husband ordered a regular veggie wrap, which was huge and looked pretty tasty.  However, in comparison, my version was much smaller, and my gluten-free bun – once again by Ener-G, was cold, sticky, and fell apart.  I can say that out of all the food I had at Disney, this was the most disappointing.  The veggie wrap was full of hummus and veggies, but with a cold bun falling apart, it just became a mess.  My husband really enjoyed his gluten-filled version.  The salad was much more enjoyable.  I ended the meal with the gluten-free brownie, which was made by French Meadow Bakery, and delicious! I did find though that nowhere in the restaurant was it noted they had gluten-free items or substitutes, you had to ask for them specifically, but thankfully, I was not charged an additional fee for the disappointing cold bun.

I think that by now, being on my third meal of having an Ener-G bun, I went from ecstatic to a bit bored with it, but all in all, I was thrilled it was an option. I also came to the conclusion that it is only enjoyable when warmed.

Sunshine Seasons Food Fair

We were in Epcot on our second day and decided to have lunch at the Sunshine Seasons Food Fair, the food seemed a lot more interesting than the quick service the day before, and I definitely wanted to order something that didn’t come with an Ener-G roll this time. We happened to get there right at the height of lunchtime, so that made me a bit weary, and there was so much available and it all looked really good, it was difficult to know where to start.  I asked someone at the counter to point me in the right direction and luckily it happened to be the chef, so she stepped aside and walked me through the areas and told me what was safe, and was extremely patient with me and all of my questions. I even went back to her at one point to ask her some more questions and she made sure I felt comfortable with her answers. There is a grilled foods section and I was surprised that she said it was all safe, even the gravy for the mashed potatoes, for which they use corn starch.  I decided on a roasted beet salad with goat cheese and candied pecans, and the Nicoise sustainable fish (again Mahi Mahi) served with an olive dressing on top of green beans and diced potatoes topped with pine nuts. And of course a gluten-free brownie, by French Meadow Bakery, for dessert.  The chef put it together personally, right in front of me.  The salad normally comes with flatbread, but she was careful to use clean gloves and to leave the bread away from my plate.    This time the brownies were on display, and I didn’t need to ask for them.

I was extremely impressed by this experience and the food.  My husband and I shared the two dishes and both were fresh, creative, and tasty and not what I would have expected from a quick-service restaurant at a theme park.  I would definitely have this meal again.

For more reviews on Disney read my introduction to gluten-free eating at Disney World,  my review on Kouzzina by Cat Cora, dinner at Kona Cafe at the Polynesian resort, dinner at Epcot’s Restaurant Marrakesh, our character breakfast at the 1900 Park Faire at the Grand Floridian, and my review of BabyCakesNYC at Downtown Disney.

Eating Gluten-Free at Universal Studios

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 5 Comments

It’s been several weeks since I got some very unfortunate news from a reader about an upsetting situation her family encountered at the Universal Studios theme park in Orlando, FL. Her young son cannot eat gluten and is a huge Harry Potter fan. He wanted to order some Butterbeer just as any other fan would. Obviously, the gluten-free status of the drink had to be checked before anything was ordered.

Before the family headed to Universal, the mother checked online to see if Butterbeer is gluten-free and it appeared that it was. Someone who worked in guest services at the park also confirmed this and mentioned how accommodating their restaurants are to people with special dietary needs. Once in the park, the family ordered the Butterbeer and once more are told it was gluten-free. The order is served and the child starts to drink it just as the manager comes running out and tells him to stop because it’s not safe. At least, it seems that the topping is not safe. Below is the rest of the story, posted with the reader’s permission.

She [the manager] says the drink topping is prepared in an area that there is a very high risk of cross contamination and it is not celiac safe–after she discussed it with her colleagues. So, she kindly offered him one without the topping, he was still delighted and furthermore–told my husband just to remember to ask for it that way whenever he returns.

The following day at the park, the following happened:

The staff tells us Butterbeer is a trademark item and can’t be prepared without the topping, sorry about your luck. We [the parents] spoke with management, went to guest services, and spoke with someone who said she was the head of food services.  No change.  They told us the manager on Monday was wrong to do what she did.

The family has since reached out to everyone in management at the theme park they could think of contacting and the answer is the same from everyone they’ve encountered. Butterbeer cannot be prepared gluten-free because it can’t be made without the topping due to the contract the park has with J.K. Rowling. My attempts to get a statement from Universal Studios have been unsuccessful. At first, I assumed the customer service representatives were just slow in responding to e-mail requests, but it appears that no one at the park has plans to reply to my question. As always, I let them know up front I’d be writing about the situation.

Contracts are legal agreements so if Universal Studios has one that states they can’t alter Butterbeer in any way, disappointing countless kids visiting the park, they have to abide by it. However, this seems like a very strange agreement to me, and one that limits the sales of Butterbeer which there is likely a huge profit on. How in the world does that make good business sense? In my opinion, it simply doesn’t.

If you’d like to check out Universal Studios, you can now check out the official Universal Studios gluten-free list and their parent’s guide to gluten-free eating at Universal Studios.

Gluten-Free Holiday at Walt Disney World, Orlando

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 7 Comments

Last week my family and I headed to Walt Disney World for a much-needed vacation to celebrate my daughter’s birthday. I had been looking forward to this trip for a year, which is how long we had been planning this.  But as with any adventure outside the comforts of home, one who is gluten-free will have validated concerns about cross-contamination and avoiding being sick, especially on holiday.  The last thing anyone wants is to get sick away from home and put a damper on a family vacation.

A few months before the trip I started to research about eating gluten-free at Disney World and tips and advice so that I could spend my time at Disney enjoying the rides and focusing on my family and not stressing about my next meal and getting ill.

It is not surprising that an abundance of information was available on this topic.  It makes sense since Disney hosts millions of visitors a year.  And with so many people, especially children, being diagnosed with gluten and other intolerances it is no wonder that Disney wants to cater to everyone to assure they really remain the “most magical” place to visit. There are endless blogs with posts that feature this exact concern.

A couple of months before our vacation, I contacted Disney at specialdiets@disneyworld.com and they made sure to mark all of my dining reservations as a “special diet”.  As a result, when you arrive at your reservation for a sit-down meal, the host/hostess will then alert your server, who will then have the chef come out and speak to you, personally, about what you can eat safely.  I found that all the chefs were very patient and extremely knowledgeable about the gluten-free diet and cross-contamination.  As a bonus, at every sit-down meal, when bread was brought to the table, I brought my own basket of gluten-free rolls or pita, depending on the restaurant where I was.  They would even offer to bring separate dishes of butter or olive oil for dipping. Usually, my husband would also take gluten-free bread, so we didn’t have to worry about any stray crumbs.

When eating a quick service meal, which does not require a reservation, it can be just as easy. When you arrive at the location, just mention to a staff (cast) member that you have dietary needs and they will get the manager or chef for you, and again, they will go over your options, and usually serve and bring you out your meal personally.  One thing to note is that most of the quick-service eateries do have gluten-free buns, rolls, and brownies, but they may not be listed, so you have to know to ask for them.  And the bonus, there is no extra cost!  The same at sit-down restaurants, you can eat gluten-free roll after roll, and you won’t be charged for it.

Lastly, there are the infamous character meals, which seem to be mostly buffet-style.  I don’t think since being diagnosed I have eaten at many buffets for fear of easy cross-contamination with shared utensils, or one dish spilling/dripping into another.  Thankfully at Disney, the chef will come to speak to you, personally, walk you through the buffet to show you what is possible for you to eat, and then make you your own plate from the back if that is what you would like, which is what I requested.  I even received some specially made gluten-free Mickey waffles, but more about that in a future post.

I also received many forms by email which helped me plan to eat for our trip, these included safe menu options for most of the restaurants; no gluten-added products used throughout Disney World at snack carts and quick service locations; a dietary request form where you can submit all your specific dietary needs; and where to find certain gluten-free items.  I found that most dining options have gluten-free substitutes such as, but are not limited to bread, desserts, soy sauce, chicken nuggets, mac n’ cheese, pasta, and pizza.

Reservations are not required to eat gluten-free, but it definitely made everything go smoothly and stress-free, and without a reservation, it may be difficult to get into a sit-down restaurant when many people make reservations up to 6 months in advance, especially for the character meals and some of the more popular eateries.

Since being diagnosed with celiac, traveling has always felt a bit tricky, trying to research the dining options at my destination in advance and stocking up on snacks.  So when I heard that eating gluten-free at Disney was easy, I was eager to learn more.  Of course, I was still a bit skeptical until I experienced it for myself.

Now, I can say with total confidence that it really is easy to safely eat at Disney World.  With a little planning, my trip was stress-free, and not once did I have to worry about getting sick.  It made the trip that much better I could once again feel like a “normal” person, it was truly a pleasurable experience.

I had a feeling it was going to be easy shortly after our arrival when I took a walk on the Boardwalk, next to our hotel, and came across Minnie’s Bake Shop gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, pictured above to the right.

This next week, I will be featuring a series of articles on my trip to Disney, and specifically reviewing certain eateries including BabyCakes NYC’s new outpost at Downtown Disney which is 100% gluten-free.

For more of my reviews on our recent Disney trip, read my review on dinner at Kouzzina by Cat Cora, dinner at the Polynesian’s Kona Cafe, Disney’s quick service gluten-free options, dinner at Epcot’s Restaurant Marrakesh, our character breakfast at the 1900 Park Faire at the Grand Floridian, and my review of BabyCakesNYC at Downtown Disney.

Review: Gluten-Free Dining at Disney World

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff Leave a Comment

Walt Disney World has always been one of my most favorite places to go on vacation, even as an adult. Soon after our daughter was born in 1998, we moved to south Florida, and began to enjoy many yearly treks to the “most magical place on earth”. There’s little else that warms my heart more than a few days of throwing cares to the wind and just having fun with the family – especially when it involves Disney, and especially when it’s around the holidays.

One of the only stresses of visiting Walt Disney World for me, however, has been figuring out what to eat while I’m there. Our tradition became scheduling meals “around the world” for lunch and/or dinner each day in the World Showcase at Epcot. I became accustomed to just eating in spite of my issues (who can’t at a place like Disney?) and suffering the consequences, having not the slightest clue that gluten was the culprit.

Our last trip occurred before I had a firm diagnosis from my doctor. I had gone gluten-free to test the waters, so as we planned, I called Disney to inquire about my gluten-free options. They were extremely helpful, explaining that they would make a note of it on each of our reservations, but that I would obviously need to remind them at each location. I was skeptical, having encountered obstacles every single time I’d eaten out since going without gluten.

We arrived, checked into our favorite resort, and soon made our way to our first meal reservation at the Nine Dragons Restaurant at Epcot (China, in the World Showcase). As we were seated, I reminded the hostess that I needed to see a gluten-free menu, and she told me the chef would be with me shortly. I laughed. “The chef? Surely she’s mistaken!” She wasn’t, and so began a wonderful few days at Disney. In each location, the chef would eagerly visit our table, talk to me about what my needs were, and assure me that he would be preparing my food separately.  I was never once disappointed, nor did I get sick.

We ate not only in China but also in Japan, at Teppan Edo. We ate in Canada, at Le Cellier Steakhouse, and in France at Le Chef’s De France, and I even ordered a gluten-free pizza at one of the fast food locations (I did have to order that a little ahead of time). When we visited Magic Kingdom, I was able to get a gluten-free meal at Tony’s Town Square, and our last morning may have been the most glorious when we ate breakfast at Boma. (located in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge) I figured this would prove to be much more difficult since Boma is a huge buffet – an incredible, very large one. I was assured, however, that I should not worry and that I would be well taken care of. Soon after arriving, the chef – as I’d come to expect – came to visit our table. She explained to me what areas of the buffet I would need to steer clear of, and what areas would be safe, then asked me to take a look and let her know what else I’d like. I told her I’d make do with what was on the buffet, and she wouldn’t hear of it. She offered to make pancakes, I agreed, and she brought me the biggest stack of pancakes I’d ever seen. They were fabulous.

In every single instance during our visit to Disney’s restaurants, the food prepared especially for me by the chef was delicious and gluten-free. I cannot begin to tell you what a difference it made for us to be able to go on vacation and not have to worry about my eating and subsequent illness.

If you’ve been considering a trip to Disney, but have been hesitant because you or your child have celiac, I highly recommend you give them a chance. You may have to eat a few more meals sitting down, but I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised – and maybe, just maybe, you’ll feel a little bit of that magic again like I did.

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**Visit Disney’s FAQ dining page for more details and contact information.

This article was contributed by Tami Nantz, who loves all things food. After finally being diagnosed with Celiac Disease in August 2010, she is having to learn to navigate the food world in a completely new way. She’s attempting to embrace the gluten-free lifestyle and all of its challenges and seeks to help educate others along the way.

Gluten-Free Vacation Tips

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 1 Comment

Schools here let out for summer last week and for many families, that means summer vacation is around the corner. If you’ve read much of my work before, you know I love traveling and eating out. Gone are the days when those activities came to an end when someone found out they could not eat gluten. Even though I love fabulous salads, don’t think I’m going around settling for salads when I’m dining out. We now eat better than we ever did in our gluten-eating days and that includes when we dine out. Like anyone, in a pinch, I’ll order a boring salad (or maybe even a fancy gourmet one), but those times are exceptions for me – not the rule.

It always kind of saddens me to read listserv posts from people who are super anxious about having to travel for work or play. Oftentimes, people are looking for information on where to buy gluten-free foods in the areas they are traveling to. Though that is good information to have – so is info about where the best options for gluten-free dining are. Far more people are now asking where others have had success eating out than those who just ask about buying gluten-free food. And that is excellent progress from four years ago, in my opinion.

Below are my personal gluten-free travel tips. Many people have told me they work for them too so I thought I’d list them here for those who might be taking their first gluten-free summer vacation soon. First off, know you can do it successfully if you set your mind to it. That would be true about almost anything, of course.

  1. Google the city/area you’re going to with ‘gluten-free dining’ to find restaurants with gluten-free menus, shopping info, and other helpful information.
  2. Search online for the local gluten-free or celiac support groups in the area. Such groups often maintain a gluten-free restaurant (and shopping) guide right on the websites. For instance, the Alamo Celiac group even posts helpful restaurant reviews on their site.
  3. Look for gluten-free blogs in the area you’re going to. Some might offer nothing but recipes and won’t be helpful in terms of gluten-free dining options. Others might offer extensive restaurant reviews, noting the signature dishes of the places reviewed.
  4. Look for accommodations that offer a complete kitchen if possible. You can save a lot of money by eating at least breakfast in the room. Plus, most places are not going to offer you gluten-free pancakes or toast and it gets old eating meat and eggs every morning.
  5. If your budget allows, order the Restaurant Guide and dining cards. For international travel, I love Let’s Eat Out with Celiac/Food Allergies. When traveling to places where your language is not the native tongue, you really need some type of translation dining card. Even if you have to make your own – don’t leave home without something to help explain your dining needs.

Obvious tips include packing at least some shelf-stable food for any trip. Having plenty to eat on airline flights is key for me. Don’t overdo the food packing for the actual vacation though. We went to London and Paris with a backpack full of food. It was 3/4 full when we returned home and my husband ate as much of the snacks I’d packed as I did. In NYC where gluten-free options abound, we took much less of our own food. Generally, forums on Trip Advisor can offer help with information on destinations. I like to look for gluten-free restaurant options that support groups suggest and compare them to Trip Advisor ratings. It doesn’t really matter to us if “XYZ cafe” has a gluten-free menu if the locals think it’s by far the worst place to dine in the area.

Last but not least, if you want to sit back, relax and let someone else do all the research for your trip, consider taking a gluten-free adventure with Bob & Ruth’s Travel Club. They do all the work – guests just show up and enjoy the incredible gluten-free offerings – and scenery and culture as well!