Gluten Free in Disney

[mckennarose]

I am just starting my first trip since realizing I have a gluten sensitivity (luckily not celiac). I have significant digestion issues and it spikes my blood pressure through the roof. I have read that Raglan Road in Disney Springs is excellent with Gluten free and they can even do fish and chips. I have seen many allergy menus listed on various sites for Disney TS. I am looking forward to having gf mickey waffles!!!! Oh and I read that Dole Whip is gluten free and that they even have gluten free churros. Don't cancel your ADR at Tusker House. I read that a chef will come out and go over the buffet with you to explain what is gluten free. In general Disney sounds like a wonderful place to be gluten free. Now if they just had a gf Mickey Pretzel !!!!!

Tusker House is great, as is Raglan Road. They do have gf fish and chips, if my favorite there is gf fish and onion rings! They were so good my gluten eating family kept trying to steal bites. Cooke’s of Dublin, the qs side of the restaurant also has the gf fish, chips and onion rings.

My other favorite restaurants are Sanaa, Spice Road Table, Biergarten and Bongos because a lot of dishes are naturally gluten free. I don’t like Erin Mckennas, as I mentioned before, and there are so many other great options. I far prefer the OMG it’s gluten free brownies you can find at several qs places over anything from EMK’s.

OP, My advice to your sister, as someone who has had to eat gf for several years, is to not focus on trying to replace gluten items with gf items (like breads, baked goods and pasta) right from the get-go because she will be disappointed in the taste and texture of a lot of products. The better approach is to look for items that are naturally gf.
When I first had to eat gf there was nowhere near the amount of info or gf products out there as there is now. Part of it is because it’s become trendy to eat gf for people that have no medical reason, which I really don’t understand. What I wouldn’t give to have ONE slice of Italian bread from our local Italian bakery!

I posted in the disabilities board about my disappointment on the upcoming F&G menus only having 7 gf items out of 48 total food items. It was the same amount as last year and I keep hoping for more. In spite of that, I’m looking forward to our upcoming trip because there are so many things I can eat in WDW.

 

[Tiggr924]

I was diagnosed with celiac's disease 2 years ago and I am extremely sensitive to cross contamination. There are many wonderful GF options in Disney. One of the main reasons we continue to go to Disney is because how great the food options are for me.

Your sister really needs to advocate for herself. Mark GF when making reservations. Ask to speak to a chef for TS. Most chefs are really accommodating and you will sometimes find things can be made GF that aren't listed as GF on the menu. For buffets, ask them to bring food from the back instead of taking it off the buffet. As a PP mentioned, make sure they have dedicated fryers for fried good. Raglan Road and Cookes of Dublin are delicious. For QS, we love Satuli Canteen and Pinocchio's Haus. Also, have patience, the GF meals tend to take longer.

There are excellent sites that provide reviews and menus. There's also groups on FB that provide good feedback if you have questions about particular restaurants or GF dining in general. Have a great time!!!

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I am just starting my first trip since realizing I have a gluten sensitivity (luckily not celiac). I have significant digestion issues and it spikes my blood pressure through the roof. I have read that Raglan Road in Disney Springs is excellent with Gluten free and they can even do fish and chips. I have seen many allergy menus listed on various sites for Disney TS. I am looking forward to having gf mickey waffles!!!! Oh and I read that Dole Whip is gluten free and that they even have gluten free churros. Don't cancel your ADR at Tusker House. I read that a chef will come out and go over the buffet with you to explain what is gluten free. In general Disney sounds like a wonderful place to be gluten free. Now if they just had a gf Mickey Pretzel !!!!!

Yes, they can and it is soooo good.

I recommend dipping it in red wine vinegar. (Malt is off limits) I actually take little packets with me. It tastes just like it is suppose to.

The gluten free churros were also great. They are served with two dipping sauces.

After 11 years of gluten free, there isn't anywhere else I would rather vacation.

 

[DizneyLizzy]

OP, My advice to your sister, as someone who has had to eat gf for several years, is to not focus on trying to replace gluten items with gf items (like breads, baked goods and pasta) right from the get-go because she will be disappointed in the taste and texture of a lot of products. The better approach is to look for items that are naturally gf.
When I first had to eat gf there was nowhere near the amount of info or gf products out there as there is now. Part of it is because it’s become trendy to eat gf for people that have no medical reason, which I really don’t understand. What I wouldn’t give to have ONE slice of Italian bread from our local Italian bakery!

.

This is great advice. I am going to tell her this I guess she will have to replace beer with wine and liquor - which will be hard for a 22 year old college senior! My one GF friend says it's hard to find GF beer except in nicer places.

 

[mckennarose]

This is great advice. I am going to tell her this I guess she will have to replace beer with wine and liquor - which will be hard for a 22 year old college senior! My one GF friend says it's hard to find GF beer except in nicer places.

Angry Orchard Apple is a gluten free hard cider, which can be a nice alternative. Not all ciders are gf though. Some are made with malt. Our local Wegmans has a couple of gf beer choices. I'm not a beer drinker so I'm not much help there, sorry!

 

[Denine]

My 15 yo has celiac, been to WDW many times in the 5 years since her dx. Do not miss the fish and chips and onion rings at Raglan Road. Boma is also amazing. My daughter is super sensitive to cross contamination, so we do not eat out at home. She has been fine in Disney. She likes the cupcakes at Erin McKennas but not the OMG brownies they frequently give out as a dessert. While she can be in the same room as gluten, she will get sick if she touches something that someone eating gluten with their hands has touched if she gets it in her mouth. We preach to always wash her hands before eating. We also wipe down all touchable surfaces on the plane. Who knows who ate what at that tray table. Be careful of touching serving spoons at the buffets and then eating without washing hands. Same with touching ketchup bottles on tables.

 

[reluctantredhead]

OP, My advice to your sister, as someone who has had to eat gf for several years, is to not focus on trying to replace gluten items with gf items (like breads, baked goods and pasta) right from the get-go because she will be disappointed in the taste and texture of a lot of products. The better approach is to look for items that are naturally gf.

I couldn't agree with this more.

My D has several food allergies, and at one time it was suspected that wheat and gluten were among them, so she had to eliminate them from her diet for a couple of months. She pretty much HATED everything that was a replacement GF item (with the exception of Glutino pretzels, lol) at first...it took her a while to get used to them. And some of them she never got used to.

I know that several people have said that they don't like Erin McKenna's Bakery, and while I don't love every single item they sell, here's the thing. To my D, who was devastated about her food allergies diagnosis and really tired of going to restaurants/bakeries/etc and seeing so many items she COULDN'T have, it was like heaven to be in a bakery where she could order ANYTHING because it was all vegan, GF, and soy-free (a tough one to find). Kids (and many adults, I think) so desperately want to fit in and feel "normal," and though she appreciated all the special meals that were made for her at Disney, she would've rather not had the attention that necessarily came with it. But at Erin McKenna's, she was just another customer ordering a cupcake...or a brownie...or a donut...or all 3, lol. We actually bought a ton of different items because we assumed we wouldn't like every single one...our faves were the chocolate chip cookie sandwich with the icing in the middle, the brownie cupcakes, and the donuts.

 

[squeezle]

I just want to add my vote for GF Fried Chicken at 50s Prime Time Cafe. I actually cried tears of joy to be eating REAL fried chicken (a favorite food from my life before). It helps to email Special Diets before your visit to inform them of your reservation date/time, your dietary needs, and the fact that you want to order GF fried chicken so they can be sure to have the oil in the dedicated fryers ready for you. It is worth the extra effort if you are a lover of fried chicken.

OP, My advice to your sister, as someone who has had to eat gf for several years, is to not focus on trying to replace gluten items with gf items (like breads, baked goods and pasta) right from the get-go because she will be disappointed in the taste and texture of a lot of products. The better approach is to look for items that are naturally gf.

I also concur! There are some 'substitute' items I actually enjoy (like lentil pasta), but, like you said, I mostly just focus foods that are naturally gluten free. Disney vacations are one of the few times I eat things like GF bread, but only because I get sad when everyone else has bread and butter to enjoy and I am sitting there hangry.

.our faves were the chocolate chip cookie sandwich with the icing in the middle

YES! YES! YES!

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I just want to add my vote for GF Fried Chicken at 50s Prime Time Cafe. I actually cried tears of joy to be eating REAL fried chicken (a favorite food from my life before). It helps to email Special Diets before your visit to inform them of your reservation date/time, your dietary needs, and the fact that you want to order GF fried chicken so they can be sure to have the oil in the dedicated fryers ready for you. It is worth the extra effort if you are a lover of fried chicken

Oh my gosh, I totally forgot to mention the gluten free fried chicken. It is so good.

I first had it a few years ago. The chef came out to see me enjoying it. It was overwhelming. Like you I cried.

 

[mfly]

Quick service might take a couple minutes longer and you won’t be able to use the MDE app to order ahead where it’s allowed. I wouldn’t avoid it but we do mostly TS our of personal preferences and because there can be more variety to the allergy choices. Dluxe Burger, Satu’li Canteen, and Blaze Pizza are good QS wih Gf options for example. And all the resorts will have GF choices.

Just wanted to comment that unless the Blaze Pizza at Disney Springs has different practices than the other Blazes I’ve been to, I would not recommend it for someone with celiac. They use all shared equipment/food lines.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Just wanted to comment that unless the Blaze Pizza at Disney Springs has different practices than the other Blazes I’ve been to, I would not recommend it for someone with celiac. They use all shared equipment/food lines.

Obviously a pizza place is a little different if they make their own dough, but unless a restaurant is a dedicated gluten free restaurant, they all use shared equipment/food lines.

It all comes down to how clean they are and how much they clean before preparing your meal.

 

[Dug720]

Yes, Nomad Lounge has them. And they are incredible.

But I have to say, I am not impressed AT ALL with Erin McKenna's. She uses bean flours in the baked goods and coconut oil in the frosting. I don't like either. It is great if you have multiple allergies or are vegan. But if you have to avoid gluten, there are much better options out there.

I so agree with you on Erin McKenna’s. I didn’t like her stuff when she called it Babycakes, and I still don’t like it with the rebranding. We have a much better small bakery in NYC (Tu-Lu’s) that is so much better - and much more used by people here. I will forego dessert before I eat her stuff.

 

[Alice Sr.]

I strongly recommend that you email special.diets@disneyworld.com. I had a question regarding whether my DD would be charged if she did not eat at 'Ohana's as she cannot tolerate gluten or soy. They have a very comprehensive reply with great up to date information, links and tips that will be delivered to you within 24 hours based on your intolerance and/or allergies. I would have posted it here in its entirety but there is a Privileged and Confidential disclaimer at the end of the email. We follow and greatly appreciate the info on the DIS and blogs dedicated to helping with these issues but were really happy to get the very well thought out (canned of course but it would be impossible and not necessary to address individually) instructions and information directly from Disney. I hope it helps and you find it as interesting as I did.

 

[mfly]

Obviously a pizza place is a little different if they make their own dough, but unless a restaurant is a dedicated gluten free restaurant, they all use shared equipment/food lines.

It all comes down to how clean they are and how much they clean before preparing your meal.

Out of curiosity, have you ever been to a Blaze?

According to Blaze’s website: “we use the same oven and dough press for both gluten-free and standard dough.” Additionally, they use their serving utensils to spread the sauce around the dough, and then put that spoon back into the sauce.

This is not a situation where cleanliness is going to have an effect on how much cross-contamination exists. There is an extremely high level of cross-contamination here. Blaze recommends their GF crust for people who are: “simply looking to reduce the amount of gluten in your diet.”

I just would hate for someone with celiac (like the OP of this thread) to show up to Blaze expecting a GF option only to be disappointed. There are so many other restaurants, both owned by Disney and not (e.g. Raglan Road), who do GF cooking much more carefully and use dedicated cooking tools and utensils for GF food.

 

[cmoliver5]

My DD is gf and we had a great experience both at QS and TS on our last trip. She’s still little so she had a lot of the gf chicken fingers but they are IMHO some of the best chicken fingers I’ve had, gluten or otherwise. Also, gf Mickey waffles are super good and easy to get.

Id also through in a recommendation for Whispering Canyon. We shared the family platter and they were able to sub out for gf corn bread and roasted potatoes as the normal wedges were dredged in flower. It was all delicious! They even had a gf chocolate cake for her to have for dessert.

 

[DizneyLizzy]

My DD is gf and we had a great experience both at QS and TS on our last trip. She’s still little so she had a lot of the gf chicken fingers but they are IMHO some of the best chicken fingers I’ve had, gluten or otherwise. Also, gf Mickey waffles are super good and easy to get.

Id also through in a recommendation for Whispering Canyon. We shared the family platter and they were able to sub out for gf corn bread and roasted potatoes as the normal wedges were dredged in flower. It was all delicious! They even had a gf chocolate cake for her to have for dessert.

Thanks! My sister is 22, but would definitely enjoy some chicken fingers I'm sure The funny thing is, we've always bought the frozen GF Perdue chicken tenders at home for our kids even though no one is our home is GF because the texture is so much better.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Out of curiosity, have you ever been to a Blaze?

According to Blaze’s website: “we use the same oven and dough press for both gluten-free and standard dough.” Additionally, they use their serving utensils to spread the sauce around the dough, and then put that spoon back into the sauce.

This is not a situation where cleanliness is going to have an effect on how much cross-contamination exists. There is an extremely high level of cross-contamination here. Blaze recommends their GF crust for people who are: “simply looking to reduce the amount of gluten in your diet.”

I just would hate for someone with celiac (like the OP of this thread) to show up to Blaze expecting a GF option only to be disappointed. There are so many other restaurants, both owned by Disney and not (e.g. Raglan Road), who do GF cooking much more carefully and use dedicated cooking tools and utensils for GF food.

I haven't. I have too many great gluten free pizza places where I live to bother with a pizza at Disney.

But cleanliness is what eliminates the problem of cross contamination. So if they aren't clean, it is a problem. Which is why I said it depends on how clean they are and how much they clean before making your meal.

I have gluten in my kitchen. Gluten free items are simply too expensive and they just aren't as good as their gluten filled cousins, for us to have them for everyone in the house. So, I am very particular about how I clean my kitchen. And I am very particular about who cooks in my kitchen.

If someone has a question about gluten free at the Blaze, here is a review from Sarah at Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW.

 

[mfly]

I haven't. I have too many great gluten free pizza places where I live to bother with a pizza at Disney.

But cleanliness is what eliminates the problem of cross contamination. So if they aren't clean, it is a problem. Which is why I said it depends on how clean they are and how much they clean before making your meal.

I have gluten in my kitchen. Gluten free items are simply too expensive and they just aren't as good as their gluten filled cousins, for us to have them for everyone in the house. So, I am very particular about how I clean my kitchen. And I am very particular about who cooks in my kitchen.

If someone has a question about gluten free at the Blaze, here is a review from Sarah at Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW.

Interesting! Thanks for sharing that review. It sounds like the Blaze at Disney Springs does potentially handle cross-contamination much better than other Blaze locations. Good to know!

 

[Denine]

Thanks! My sister is 22, but would definitely enjoy some chicken fingers I'm sure The funny thing is, we've always bought the frozen GF Perdue chicken tenders at home for our kids even though no one is our home is GF because the texture is so much better.

My 15 yo never liked chicken fingers until she had the allergy ones at WDW.

 

[Alice Sr.]

I totally agree their GF chicken strips are the best. That is not something I would ever order but I had a bite of my DD's because she was raving about them. I will definitely order them when we are back next month.