Gluten, you won't stop me from eating at Disney!!

[3prettyprincesses]

This restaurant is gorgeous, it's out on the water off of the Grand Floridian. I think I could eat here every night!

I was really looking forward to this one, it has such a nice ambience about it and I was on such a good GF dining streak! Our waiter was simply amazing. The best waiter we had on our entire trip. He was extremely friendly and would talk like Mickey Mouse with my DD's, so cute! And he sounded just like Mickey too. Anyhow, he sent the chef out who was really awesome! I wasn't sure yet again what I felt like so he went through the whole menu with me and I settled on starting with the spinach salad, minus the blue cheese.

OMG, this was hands down the best salad of my trip. Delectable! It consisted of spinach, pears, grapes with a honey poppy seed dressing. Delicious!

Since the menu was a tad heavy on the seafood, I went with the filet. Again.

Amazing! This dish was perfect in every way and cooked exactly the way I wanted it. I still couldn't believe all this food was truly GF.

Dessert wasn't terribly appealing to me by this point, I was pretty full but the chef had highly suggested the double creme brulee. I reasoned that since we had the deluxe dining plan, dessert was included so I might as well try just a taste.

The one on the left is key lime and the one on the right is coconut. I didn't care for the key lime, it was very limey to me and a tad sour (as sometimes limes can be). But holy cow, that coconut one was to die for! And it had a GF coconut macaroon in the corner. I finished that one easily! DH thought it was hilarious because I'm not usually a fan of coconut or creme brulee. I wish that coconut macaroon had been bigger!

This was an excellent, excellent meal! Highly recommended and one I plan to include in every trip! Another GF success!

 

[3prettyprincesses]

Hi,
My dd is coeliac and we love disey as it means we can have safe meals as a family and she never feels left out or second best.

Yak and Yeti made her very poorly too so maybe there is an issue with knowledge at that restaurant!!

Loving reading this as it gives me a insight into what restaurants are a good for her.

Louise x

Hi there! Thanks for reading along.

We love Disney as well. I completely agree that they're excellent with GF dining. Not once did I feel I wasn't getting as good of a meal as my family. As I said earlier in the thread, I was VERY nervous about eating out for 8 days. Luckily I only had the one bad experience with Yak & Yeti which apparently your DD did as well. I hope it didn't last long for her though! It was a shame that Yak & Yeti turned out poorly for me too, I loved the decor and the food tasted wonderful. I think I'll stick with Tusker House for lunch at Animal Kingdom now!

Can I ask you a question? Is it difficult to eat gluten free in England? DH keeps talking about a European trip but I'm hesitant because of my celiac disease. I'm curious what celiacs eat in Europe!

 

[snorris49]

I can totally see myself polishing off my wife's sundae if she pushed it to the side.

I don't know much about gluten-free diets...can you have rice? Just wondering if sushi was an option for you at California Grill?

They can do sushi at California Grill. I was offered many different kinds (including California Roll). I had the sashimi, which is just sliced raw fish, sans rice, but all very good and super fresh!

This was an excellent, excellent meal! Highly recommended and one I plan to include in every trip! Another GF success!

Thanks so much for the review of Narcoosee's! I'm excited about eating here in May...and Chef Mickey's too...those Mickey Waffles are calling my name!!

 

[buzz for boys]

Hi there! Thanks for reading along.

We love Disney as well. I completely agree that they're excellent with GF dining. Not once did I feel I wasn't getting as good of a meal as my family. As I said earlier in the thread, I was VERY nervous about eating out for 8 days. Luckily I only had the one bad experience with Yak & Yeti which apparently your DD did as well. I hope it didn't last long for her though! It was a shame that Yak & Yeti turned out poorly for me too, I loved the decor and the food tasted wonderful. I think I'll stick with Tusker House for lunch at Animal Kingdom now!

Can I ask you a question? Is it difficult to eat gluten free in England? DH keeps talking about a European trip but I'm hesitant because of my celiac disease. I'm curious what celiacs eat in Europe!

Hi,
That made me chuckle so much!!
In the uk its fairly easy to eat out (not as good as Disney!) All supermarkets have a wide range of treats cakes and biscuits which is fab

When eating out we stick to places where they have a grill menu and I can say all of these places accomadate her needs. In other places where the menu is mainly brought in she will have a jacket potato with filling and you can guarantee at any place you stop to eat you will get a jacket potato.
Every restaurant has an allergens folder which they will bring to the table to show you!!
For us its dessert that proves to be problem but we usually have something stashed in a bag for my dd.

Here in England the main problem for us that the chefs dont realise that cross contamination is an issue so whereever we eat we make a point of telling them that they need to use NEW pans utensils etc. So far we have maaged to eat out successfully ithout any reactions.
If you dod decide to come to the UK Id be more tha happy to send a few links to restaurant chains that we find very helpful and have good food!!

When we took a trip to France we struggled but that was down to a laguage barrier so honestly isnt fair to say that there isnt anything!! My dd spent the weekend eating macdonalds burgers with no bun and french fries purely because we couldnt get the waiting staff to uderstad what we were asking. Motto of that story is of course do some research on how to say gluten in french!
I have never been to Germany with my dd but I would say you would fare very well there as the food is generally meat based and its good quality meat so not likely to have fillers in!

Hope that helps a little x

 

[3prettyprincesses]

Thanks so much for the review of Narcoosee's! I'm excited about eating here in May...and Chef Mickey's too...those Mickey Waffles are calling my name!!

No problem. Narcoossee's was one of the best meals we had while at Disney. I can't wait to go back! And yes, Mickey waffles are calling my name too! Chef Mickey's was great. Darn, I just need to get DH to book another trip.

Hi,
That made me chuckle so much!!
In the uk its fairly easy to eat out (not as good as Disney!) All supermarkets have a wide range of treats cakes and biscuits which is fab

When eating out we stick to places where they have a grill menu and I can say all of these places accomadate her needs. In other places where the menu is mainly brought in she will have a jacket potato with filling and you can guarantee at any place you stop to eat you will get a jacket potato.
Every restaurant has an allergens folder which they will bring to the table to show you!!
For us its dessert that proves to be problem but we usually have something stashed in a bag for my dd.

Here in England the main problem for us that the chefs dont realise that cross contamination is an issue so whereever we eat we make a point of telling them that they need to use NEW pans utensils etc. So far we have maaged to eat out successfully ithout any reactions.
If you dod decide to come to the UK Id be more tha happy to send a few links to restaurant chains that we find very helpful and have good food!!

When we took a trip to France we struggled but that was down to a laguage barrier so honestly isnt fair to say that there isnt anything!! My dd spent the weekend eating macdonalds burgers with no bun and french fries purely because we couldnt get the waiting staff to uderstad what we were asking. Motto of that story is of course do some research on how to say gluten in french!
I have never been to Germany with my dd but I would say you would fare very well there as the food is generally meat based and its good quality meat so not likely to have fillers in!

Hope that helps a little x

Glad I could make you laugh! This info. is extremely helpful! I'll keep you in mind should we book a trip to Europe so I can get those links. England is definitely a place I would love to visit.

Cross contamination is difficult, isn't it? I think that's my biggest complaint about having celiac disease, it's so easy for that to happen. Back in Sept. we went out to eat and they brought me a salad with croutons all over it. I explained that I cannot have gluten so they said they could just take them off in the back. Um, that's still going to give me trouble! Sigh, I wish gluten wasn't in everything, it's so ubiquitous, isn't it?

Thanks again, you've given me hope that I can travel to Europe and actually be able to eat there!

 

[ambertides]

Nope, I don't care for seafood either. Never have! Rice has been a good friend to me since going GF, it helps settle my stomach when gluten rears it's ugly head.

DH got me a rice cooker for Christmas this year - best gift ever! I bought myself the Rice Cooker Cookbook. Most of the recipes are naturally gluten free or easily modified. I even make brown rice pasta in it. And no gluten is allowed in the cooker (I hand wash it with a clean rag every time), so I don't have to worry about cross contamination.

 

[3prettyprincesses]

DH got me a rice cooker for Christmas this year - best gift ever! I bought myself the Rice Cooker Cookbook. Most of the recipes are naturally gluten free or easily modified. I even make brown rice pasta in it. And no gluten is allowed in the cooker (I hand wash it with a clean rag every time), so I don't have to worry about cross contamination.

I love my rice cooker! Absolutely zero gluten is allowed in mine either!

Ok, how did I not notice you had a gluten free blog?? Heading over there to check out your reviews!

 

[that's nice]

WELL, Well, well....

Trying to sneak a dining review past us here huh?

Very interesting.

It was pointed out on my tread that you started a TR but it is 'just' a dining review....

I looked at a few pictures butI will be back later to comment. I didn't realize you and gluten weren't friends. My SIL has a SEVERE allergy to Gluten. We always adjust our menus when she is going to eat here. I will say that most Gluten free food is good just like regular food, but gluten is in so many products that you really have to read ingredients and know what each ingredient is made of.



Still waiting for that TR.....

 

[smileycrissy]

WELL, Well, well....

Trying to sneak a dining review past us here huh?

Very interesting.

It was pointed out on my tread that you started a TR but it is 'just' a dining review....


Still waiting for that TR.....

Yeah, yeah - that's my faut. I peaked at Molly's siggie to see if she had any links because I thought she might've started while I was MIA and got all excited when I saw one.

But on the bright side I'm learning all about the gluten free food at Disney. I have a friend I am trying to convince to come down and visit me (yes, I'm trying to convince everyone) and I'm going to point her to your thread so she can see all the gluten free food she can enjoy.

 

[3prettyprincesses]

WELL, Well, well....

Trying to sneak a dining review past us here huh?

Very interesting.

It was pointed out on my tread that you started a TR but it is 'just' a dining review....

I looked at a few pictures butI will be back later to comment. I didn't realize you and gluten weren't friends. My SIL has a SEVERE allergy to Gluten. We always adjust our menus when she is going to eat here. I will say that most Gluten free food is good just like regular food, but gluten is in so many products that you really have to read ingredients and know what each ingredient is made of.

Still waiting for that TR.....

Hey Tim! Thanks for popping over! Yes, it's just a dining review! I'm planning a regular TR too, it's the works right now (I even have my 1st part written).

Oh yes, gluten is most definitely NOT my friend! Eating out can be a challenge. I didn't realize you had a GF sil, poor thing! Let me say that I think it's wonderful how you adjust your menus for when she's eating there. That probably means alot to her, it would to me! There is plenty of GF food out there that tastes pretty darn good. Some of it tastes weird though so it's an adjustment. But I was thrilled with Disney because they made me GF Mickey waffles!! Good stuff! And yes, you have to read every stupid label which is why I get so excited if something actually says gluten free on it! I feel like a detective when I go food shopping, scrutinizing ingredients. Sometimes DH will come home with something he bought for me simply because it said gluten free!

Yeah, yeah - that's my faut. I peaked at Molly's siggie to see if she had any links because I thought she might've started while I was MIA and got all excited when I saw one.

But on the bright side I'm learning all about the gluten free food at Disney. I have a friend I am trying to convince to come down and visit me (yes, I'm trying to convince everyone) and I'm going to point her to your thread so she can see all the gluten free food she can enjoy.

Hi Crissy! I laughed when I saw that on Tim's thread! I thought, great, she'll come over here expecting an actual TR and then see it's just a dining review! I am planning a TR though, working on it tonight and hoping to get it posted soon.

Oh please tell your friend that Disney is phenomenal with gluten free food! Seriously amazing, I haven't eaten that well in awhile! I'm driving DH crazy because I keep asking when he wants to go back. Unfortunately he keeps saying next year, as in 2012. Ya, that's not going to work for me.

Thanks for stopping by!!

 

[brookelizabeth]

Wonderful reviews! What a relief to have so many perfect GF experiences. I'm always amazed at how well Disney accommodates people's allergies!

 

[3prettyprincesses]

Wonderful reviews! What a relief to have so many perfect GF experiences. I'm always amazed at how well Disney accommodates people's allergies!

Thanks Brook! It was an enormous relief to have had such a great experience. Disney is incredible with food allergies, DD11 also has allergies to tree nuts, coconuts and shellfish and she had safe meals everyday. Amazing trip! I want to go back, I want to go back!

 

[3prettyprincesses]

This is such a beatiful restaurant, so much detail!

Our waitress stopped by with of that lip-smacking delish Jamba juice and said she'd send the chef right over. It was a little bit of a wait but we weren't in any hurry so it was no biggie. The chef was this very personable lady, I can't recall her name but she was so nice. We walked the buffet (I was becoming a pro now at this!) and she pointed out what was safe. The carved meats were fine but the sauces were not, one of them had soy sauce which wasn't GF. Didn't matter to me, the meats were fabulous without them!

Here's my first plate.

It was ALL good, very tasty!

And here's the plate the chef made herself for me, including fresh Mickey waffles and muffins!

I see crumbs here so I think I must have eaten at least one Mickey waffle before I remembered to take a pic!

Oh my, everything I had here was delicious! Completely yummy! And the chef was so sweet and helpful. We plan to return for sure, it's an awesome breakfast!

 

[3prettyprincesses]

So I didn't take a single food pic here. I don't know why, maybe I was too ravenous and my only thought was eating? Whatever the reason, sorry for the lack of pics.

The waiter we had was very professional. He had a thick accent too, I can't recall where he was from but at times we had trouble understanding him. However, he saw my allergy noted and sent the chef over. The chef was this young guy (I swear he looked about 19!) and very friendly but a little unsure of himself I think. He explained what I could have. I went with the warm tapioca rolls and sea salted butter to begin. Followed by a caesar salad with GF dressing. My entree was steak (yet again!) without the red wine sauce, mashed potatoes and green beans and carrots. For dessert, I had the chocolate fondue with fresh fruit (bananas and strawberries).

Everything was very tasty! The rolls were warm and soft. The salad was good, very fresh. My steak was cooked perfectly as were the vegetables. Dessert was ok, the chocolate sauce reminded me of Hershey's syrup which isn't bad but not quite what I expected. Overall, this was a wonderful GF dinner, we'll try it again next trip!

 

[3prettyprincesses]

I love this breakfast, I really really do! And eating here GF was a cinch!
Our waiter was really funny and very quick about getting us anything we needed. The chef came over and he was the same one from our Ohana dinner, chef Brad. I was so happy because I knew he'd take good care of us!

He promised to cook everything himself and bring out the food himself as well. Here's my fresh fruit plate and you can see that scrumptious Polynesian juice as well!

This was sooooo ridiculously fresh tasting. I ate almost all of it!

Chef Brad then brought out my separate platter with all GF food!

OMG, this was fantastic! Cooked perfectly! And chef Brad told me to let him know if I wanted more! That made me laugh because there was NO way I could finish the platter he'd brought out! I made a dent in it but there was still food left over.

This was one of my favorite GF breakfasts. I'd eat here twice in one trip! Awesome service, safe food and amazing restaurant!

 

[3prettyprincesses]

Apparently my family really likes this restaurant! So much so that we canceled Le Cellier lunch for it! I know, it's ridiculous!

I didn't bother with food pics since I ordered the same thing as before! Now there were a few problems here though. First off, our waitress, while very sweet, didn't understand what we said to here. We ordered drinks and she brought all wrong ones. Then I asked to see the chef for my allergies and she said she could just tell him for me! Um, no thanks. So she had the chef come out. He was the same one as before. I told him I was allergic to gluten and avocado. Ok, no problem he said and I ordered the same lunch entree as before and he promised to bring me GF chips and salsa. When he returned with them, I took a chip and was about to dip it into the salsa and saw that it was a brighter green than last time. I quickly asked him if it avocado in it. It did! He was so upset with himself for forgetting and quickly took it away and brought me non-avocado salsa. I was a little nervous after that since my allergy to avocado makes me vomit violently. So I passed on the salsa and ate only the chips, just to be safe! I didn't order dessert mostly because I was a tad freaked that something might go wrong with my order again.

While I love this restaurant because of it's ambience, I don't know that I'd rush here again. I'm sure it was just an oversight on the chef's part but it just reminded me that even though I was at Disney, I had to be diligent about my allergies.

 

[3prettyprincesses]

I switched our reservations around and was able to score an Ohana dinner one night beforehand! I was excited since I'd been having such a great GF experience with both breakfast and dinner already.

We checked in and were seated pretty quickly, our table had a view of the castle too! The waiter was nice but seemed extremely frazzled and even more frazzled by my allergies. He said the chef would stop by, sounds good to me.

Let me tell you, the chef here that night was amazing. Her name was I think Katrina? Anyhow, she was so unbelievably friendly. She told me that the salad was ok, she'd bring me out my own wings and my own platter of skewered meats with rice and sauces. Yup, keep it coming! Here's my amazing platter!

The white thingys in the middle were GF rice noodles which were pretty darn good! This whole platter was incredibly delish! I loved everything about it.

For dessert she brought me out a warm brownie with ice cream and fudge. I ate some of it but honestly I was getting full off of that platter before! She came around to check on us and I told her how I appreciated my meal. We started chatting and she said that she sees a ton of food allergies every night she works. That's her only job, to go from table to table and handle food allergies. What she said next really touched me and showed how serious she takes her job. She said that she takes food allergies very seriously, it's her responsibility to ensure a safe meal because guests were putting their trust and safety in her hands. I can't say enough good things about this chef or Ohana! I plan to eat every single trip, heck probably twice if I can swing it. One of my best GF meals! Highly recommended!

 

[Kari-B]

I have really enjoyed reading your reviews. It is so helpful and great to know how well Disney handled your food. I was originally very nervous about going on vacation and having to worry about food, but after reading countless people say how great Disney is for Gluten-Free I am actually excited to eat out!

 

[brookelizabeth]

That meal from 'Ohana with the tower of noodles looks amazing! How pretty!!!

 

[snorris49]

Once again more great reviews! Reminds me how much I love Boma and Ohana! YUM!

I've had Chef Katrina before at Kona and she was very good (although she accidentally gave me butter the first time and she felt pretty bad about it) and very friendly. Those pictures sure make me wish I'd have added Ohana for my May trip!!