Gluten Free Disney Archives - Page 4 of 6

August 22, 2014

Deliciously Gluten Free Lunch For Just Us Three at Epcot’s Tutto Gusto

As the second day of our vacation rolled around so did our time at Epcot. We love our days and nights at Epcot, with the amazing food and drinks, the feeling of all of the different cultures around you, and some fantastic rides scattered in there too. We had big plans for this day in Epcot, an early start at Soarin’, then meeting Mickey and his friends at the Character Spot, then hopping on Test Track, and finally heading over to start the World Showcase, all summed up with a ride on Nemo and a walk through the aquarium in the afternoon before dinner.

Mommy, Daddy, and Little Snow White too!

The highlight by far, as always, was meeting everyone at the Character Spot. My little girl just loves Mickey and his friends. With a running start, she charges over to each of them and embraces them in a huge hug, then quickly about faces and sits down on their lap for a picture. Nothing beats watching her hug each of them so warmly like they’re her best friends and then bid them an equally warm farewell wave. It’s moments like that that make me want to go back to Disney over and over just to let my little girl see her friends again.

By the time we had completed our morning rides, our little girl had drifted off to sleep, so instead of squeezing in the Mexico and Norway rides we took our time meandering around the countries and their stores. By the time we had reached Italy, we decided to have an early lunch at Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar. We happen to really love Tutto Gusto, although it isn’t on the dining plan, it’s a nice alternative for lunch in Epcot. Literally, the moment we pulled the stroller up to the restaurant our little one was in the midst of waking up from her nap, it’s amazing how they have such good timing.

We were given a great table right in the middle of the wine cellar where we could admire the wall of wine bottles behind us along with the gorgeous authentic Italian touches everywhere, all while enjoying the wonderfully cool and dark environment that was so welcomed after baking in the Orlando heat and humidity all morning. Our server quickly met us at our table along with the chef to go over my gluten free options. They have gluten free pasta which allows for any of the pasta options on the menu, however everything on their tasting menu, meats, cheeses, etc. are gluten free too. Much to my dismay though, the chef informed me that all of these other options are kept in a communal case where their paninis and such are stored too, so there is a chance of cross contamination there. I was warned that if I was very sensitive that the case contents were pretty off limits, even though that’s a bit disappointing I was completely okay with skipping out on the gluten exposure. I decided to go with my favorite dish, the gluten free pasta pomodoro with burrata cheese, that they really do so well there.

While we waited for our dishes, the server dropped off our recommended wines, I went with a sweet, bubbly Moscato along with a bonus plate of gluten free breads. There was a raisin bread and two other plain breads. They were all quite good but my favorite was the raisin bread, of which I really only had a bite or two since I didn’t want to ruin my lunch. Meanwhile, our little girl couldn’t get enough of the delicious looking, non-gluten free focaccia bread and crunchy breadsticks that were placed in front of her and my husband. She loved every bit of that bread plate and would’ve taken it all home with us if we could.

Gluten Free Pasta Pomodoro at Epcot's Tutto Gusto — Gluten Free Pasta Pomodoro at Epcot’s Tutto Gusto

Soon enough, our lunches arrived, my husband’s Tuscan pork ribs and my gluten free pasta pomodoro that would be split with my little bread monster. When we had visited Tutto Gusto before on our last trip, unbeknownst to me, the chef made me a dinner sized portion of the pasta which was way too much food and too expensive for lunch too, This time just confirmed my suspicions from before, as my tasting plate of gluten free pasta arrived and was just the right size (and price) for lunch and even to be shared with a little toddler. It was just as delicious as I remembered with whole roasted tomatoes scattered throughout, fresh basil, and creamy burrata cheese on top. Not to mention the pasta was phenomenal! It was cooked perfectly al dente and embraced all of the flavors of the sauce and cheese. Such a fantastic lunch option when you’re in Epcot, just gives you a little break from the fries, burgers, and sandwiches.

Okay, so what Disney meal is complete without a dessert? Our lunch at Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar was no different. My gluten free choice was the chocolate panna cotta with cherries on top. It was so soft and creamy, just how a panna cotta should be, and matched perfectly with the cherries. Needless to say, this dessert didn’t stand a chance in my group, even though I shared it with little one (who also happen to snag a few bites from Daddy’s dessert too), I’m sure the dish wouldn’t have been empty anyway if it had been left up to just me.

As our meal was coming to a close, I couldn’t help but look around and truly appreciate just how wonderful our vacations are together. Sure my little girl has her moments when her toddler age and impatience shows through but then there are plenty of those other moments too, where she’s all smiles and laughs, making Mommy and Daddy smile too. She’s a precious little gem our little girl and we couldn’t be more happy to share all of these exciting moments with her as she grows up.

So all in all, I can’t recommend Epcot’s Tutto Gusto highly enough. They offer delicious gluten free menu options, and non-gluten free ones too, that are sure to please everyone. The only downside that I did have was that I couldn’t get my hands on their recipes. Sadly, they weren’t really keen on sharing those which was really disappointing for me, seeing as Disney isn’t necessarily in my backyard and on my regular list of Friday night take out options. Even though I can’t recreate these exact dishes at home though, it just makes it that much more exciting and tastier when we get to go back!

Our little Snow White giving her favorite princess some love!

After lunch, we were all refreshed and ready to tackle the rest of Epcot. We headed straight over to Germany to meet my daughter’s favorite princess, Snow White. The meet and greet went just how we expected, a huge hug, followed by being held for bit, and finally a goodbye hug and wave that made the line behind us aww in unison. After her meeting, we took our little Snow White through the rest of the countries and finally to the Nemo ride, which she LOVES! The ride itself is great, but the aquarium afterwards is a great experience that we all love. By the time we finished Nemo, it was time to head over to Hollywood Studios for dinner. Stay tuned for my most exciting gluten free news from our summer Disney vacation! I’ll give you a hint, it has to do with fried chicken!

Have A Magical Day,

Lindsay

August 19, 2014

A Chaotic And Cool Gluten Free Dinner On Night 1 In The Beast’s West Wing Of Be Our Guest

So I suppose it’s become somewhat of a tradition to spend our first day of our Disney vacation in Magic Kingdom. Right after we do our bag drop off at our resort we head on over to Magic Kingdom to start our vacation off with a trip through Fantasyland’s finest rides. This particular trip was no different, filling our first day with a tour through some old and new rides and finishing it off with a perfect first night’s dinner at Be Our Guest Restaurant.

After a long morning of travel and an afternoon of hot fun we were eager to get dinner underway. We had arrived right on time and were shown to our table in the Beast’s West Wing. It was dark and cool, with thunder and lightening causing the lights to flicker on and off, definitely recreating the mysterious and somewhat scary nature of the West Wing. With so much to see and hear we were pretty optimistic that our little one would either be plenty entertained or embrace the darkness of the room and succumb to her heavily drooping eyes. Needless to say our dinner ended up being a bit more chaotic to say the least, and I think Dan and I probably spent a grand total of 30 minutes together the entire dinner. At one point or another each one of us was up and walking with our overly exhausted 1 year old who had bigger and better plans then sitting down to a nice dinner. It had been a long day up to that point with no nap in sight so I kind of knew the probable outcome of the dinner, but still hoped that the castle would enchant her and help us through our dinner.

Well with no enchantment in sight, we made do with our fussy little one and managed to still get in a few bites of semi-hot food. For my dinner I decided to start off with the gluten free French Onion Soup, followed by the gluten free Strip Steak with Pommes Frites, and finish with a gluten free Raspberry Sorbet. I was most excited to dive into a big bowl of French Onion Soup with melted cheese on top, it’s been ages since I’ve been so lucky. Soon after placing my order with the chef, my soup came around the corner and I couldn’t wait to take my first bite.

Gluten Free French Onion Soup at Be Our Guest

The soup was delicious, overflowing with onions and topped with a thick layer of melted cheese. While I’m not the biggest fan of onions in general, I do however enjoy the flavor that they add to this soup and with the melted cheese, it was simply divine. It was an amazing start to the meal and done perfectly gluten free too!

Soon after our appetizers had left the table, our main courses were turning the corner. While Dan started on his dish, I decided to take our little girl on a walk around the castle to give everyone a break from the rambunctious toddler. Soon enough we had made our way back to our dining room and it was my turn to dive into my meal. By this point my steak had turned a little cold so that was a bit disappointing but I wasn’t going to let that deter me from enjoying the great flavors. Unlike our last visit to Be Our Guest, this time around it didn’t seem like they had cooked the steak in the garlic herb butter as there was only a side dish on the plate, none was actually melted on top. It wasn’t quite the same this way, as the flavor of the butter didn’t really have a chance to melt into the steak; however, the butter was just as delicious as before and did make a good dipping side for the pommes frites which were just as perfectly flavored as I remember. All together my meal was pretty good, the pommes frites were the star for me and for my little girl who quieted down instantly after one bite, while the steak just needed to be cooked in the garlic herb butter to absorb that amazing flavor.

lkjklj — Gluten Free Grilled Strip Steak at Be Our Guest

Soon enough the dessert cart was rolling up alongside our table and delivering our family’s amazing sweet selections, with my sorbet quickly following. Normally I order the gluten free Lemon Raspberry Puff but I was in more of a cold treat kind of mood that day. The gluten free Raspberry Sorbet was perfect, a cold and sweet finish to a tasty meal. I highly recommend this dessert as an alternative to their gluten free puff, it was a huge helping and just the right amount of sweetness at the end of the meal.

Gluten Free Raspberry Sorbet at Be Our Guest

All together our dinner on Day 1 was incredibly flavorful and filling, a great finish to a jam packed first day of vacation. After such a long morning of travel and a hot afternoon hopping on and off rides it was just great to enjoy a cool meal in the dark and stormy West Wing of Beast’s castle. With full bellies and an extra boost of energy, we tackled a few more attractions after dinner like Belle’s Enchanted Tales, the carousel, and the tea cups. Soon enough, all of our tanks were close to empty though and it was time to call it a day. We turned in a bit early that night making sure to be well rested for Day 2 of fun at Epcot. Keep an eye out for the great gluten free news that I received on the second day of our vacation!

Have A Magical Day,

Lindsay

August 18, 2014

A Vacation Filled With A Little Family, Food, And A Lot Of Magic!

And we’re back! Another Disney trip has come and gone already, it seems like it was just yesterday we were in the midst of planning this one. Kind of sad how quickly it all seems to pass but that just means now we get to enjoy the memories and begin plans for more in the future.

This vacation was a little different with Nanny and Pop Pop, aunts and uncles, and cousins in tow but just as much fun as always. With an extra early bed time the night before, we were on our way bright and early to catch the first flight of the day, A somewhat short flight later and we had arrived in hot and humid Orlando, ready to start our adventure. I just love that once you land you start feeling the magic of Disney World almost immediately, from the magic bands that we promptly donned ourselves in shortly after landing to our magic carpets, in the form of the Magical Express buses, ready and waiting to take us to our resort in Disney style.

Shortly after landing, we plopped our tired butts in our Magical Express seats, watched the Disney vaca video, and soon enough we were being dropped off at the foot of Disney’s Art Of Animation resort. Thanks to checking in online prior to our arrival, we quickly dropped off our bags at the front desk and made our way to the bus stop to wait for our transportation to Magic Kingdom for Day 1’s excitement. Only a 10-15 minutes bus ride later and we had arrived at our destination, a little tired but super excited to walk down Main Street and breathe in the magic that awaited us in Disney’s Magic Kingdom.

First on the agenda, we were all beyond starving so we decided on a quick quick service lunch at Cosmic Ray’s in Tomorrowland. In the past, we’ve always had great gluten free success at this one so I for one was excited for a delicious turkey sandwich with those tasty Disney fries. While I certainly anticipated ordering to be more complicated for my group, as it always is thanks to the special diet request, on this particular day, it was beyond complicated. Besides unluckily picking the wrong line that barely moved, it took forever for the manager to make her way over to take our order. Once we placed our order, it took an additional 25 minutes or so to receive our food, which mind you I ordered a cold sandwich and fries so there wasn’t too much cooking involved. Finally, when we did receive our food a few things were wrong and missing so all together the entire ordering process was not very much fun.

Cosmic Ray's Sad Sandwich — Cosmic Ray’s Sad Gluten Free Turkey Sandwich

Sadly, by the time we finally sat down with our food, the rest of our family was well underway on enjoying their lunches. Nevertheless, all of the waiting and watching others eat just made me that much hungrier and eager to enjoy my turkey sandwich. But after just one bite, my bread literally disintegrated before my eyes and my sandwich was no more, leaving little to no more excitement about my first gluten free lunch. I was left with bits and pieces to nibble on and a delicious plate of fries but definitely not the tasty lunch that I had hoped I was in store for.

Since last time I tasted this sandwich it was filling, delicious, and stayed perfectly intact while I enjoyed it, I couldn’t help but to check my Magic Kingdom Gluten Free Guide to see what the disappointing change in bread might be. It appears that on my previous trip, Cosmic Ray’s used the Udi’s gluten free hamburger bun which I happen to really enjoy, especially since it reliably stands up in any kind of sandwich. This round though, I know for certain that this was no Udi’s bun but instead a GNI gluten free burger bun. Sadly, I am not a huge fan of the switch to this substitution so hopefully it was temporary and they return to my favorite standby by Udi’s.

Even though my lunch was a little disappointing, it did the trick and held me over through our afternoon packed full of fun. Stay tuned for an update on our dinner at Be Our Guest that first night!

Have A Magical Day,

Lindsay

August 5, 2014

Disney World Here We Come!

Deliciously juicy turkey legs, strip steak with garlic herb butter and pommes frites, pulled pork sandwiches, and refreshingly sweet Dole Whips, in such a short time we’ll be basking in Orlando’s hot sun and humidity, enjoying all of Disney’s finest gluten free foods. As our trip inches closer I can’t help but get more and more excited, not only for the gluten free yumminess, but also for more fantastic Disney memories that we’ll create with our little one.

It’s funny to think back on our first trip to Disney as a family less than a year ago and how much things have changed. Our little girl is now a toddler who grows more and more as each day passes. While on our first trip she definitely knew Disney’s main characters, so much so that she smiled, laughed, and hugged each one, but for this one she’s so much more excited to see her now best friends that she calls by name and plans on giving each a running hug and kiss. She’s grown to love Disney as much as her Mommy and Daddy do which is so heartwarming to see.

Our highlights for our upcoming adventure are definitely the Frozen Summer Event at Hollywood Studios, the Disney Junior show starring all of little one’s favorite friends, the Electrical Parade of course, and some of our all time favorite rides like Peter Pan, it’s a small world, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Pooh, and Little Mermaid. While our little girl isn’t quite tall enough to enjoy the Mine Train, Dan and I are surely going to be checking that one out too while Nanny and Pop Pop are on baby watch. Now for the spectacular foods that I’ve been dreaming about in anticipation, we’re definitely looking forward to dinner and lunch at Be Our Guest, the turkey legs, our first family experience at the Hoop Dee Do Review, and hopefully another stop in at Tutto Gusto.

So there you have it, a quick run down of our Summer 2014 Disney Vacation. Stay tuned on twitter for updates on my gluten free food adventures as they come and I’ll be back on my blog soon with some great reviews and pictures to share!

Have A Magical Week,

Lindsay

July 28, 2014

A Gluten Free Guide To Navigating Disney’s Hollywood Studios

During our last few Disney vacations, our Hollywood Studios’ days have typically been cut very short. Usually, we only designate one day and maybe one or two dinners of our trip to Hollywood Studios. While my husband loves the thrill rides, as a family we typically enjoy the Toy Story ride, Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast show, Studio Backlot Tour, and a few other attractions. Sadly we’ve barely touched the iceberg of Hollywood Studios it seems the past few years, thanks to my pregnancy sciatica flareup and little girl’s ear infections on our last trip.

Coming up very soon, we’ll be revisiting Disney for our entire family vacation. I for one am crossing my fingers that this trip is uneventful in the health department and that we get to enjoy an entire day in Hollywood Studios. My little one would just love to see the Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast shows again, not to mention the spectacular Frozen attractions going on this summer.

As far as our dining plans at Hollywood Studios are considered, well that’s where my guide will definitely come in handy. Using lots of reviews and past experiences, we pre-planned our dinners as always, but now we’re left with the ever so intimidating meals and snacks on the go. I for one am a planner, so even though lunch reservations aren’t made, I still like to have an idea ahead of time of what locations are best able to cater to the gluten free diet. This guide, as well as some reviews online, will help me to pick the best locations for us that offer my favorite gluten free products.

Gluten Free Guide To Disney's Hollywood Studios. Click to enlarge. — Gluten Free Guide To Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Click to enlarge.

After a long morning of Hollywood Studios fun, it’s time to refuel and find the best lunch spot. In the past, I’ve tasted some amazingly good gluten free chicken strips at the Backlot Express, which according to the guide are offered in a couple of other spots too. They were so crispy and delicious, not to mention the legendary Disney fries that accompany them. Not the healthiest lunch I know, but we’re on vacation and how often can you order some crispy chicken strips at a restaurant at home? For me, never. So why not enjoy Disney’s unbelievable abilities to pamper the dietary restricted guest.

While the chicken strips are pretty darn good, I’ve read some great reviews on gluten free dining at the Studio Catering Co.. According to my research online, it appears that they offer some gluten free salad and sandwich options, a welcomed departure from your typical theme park food. Using Udi’s gluten free bread, as stated on the guide, they should pretty much be able to put together any of the items on their menu, sans some ingredients that may have gluten lurking in them. I for one am very excited to give this one a try for lunch on our upcoming trip!

When it comes to dinners though, there’s no denying one of our favorite dining locations is 50s Prime Time Cafe. From gluten free milkshakes and a scrumptious ice cream brownie dessert to gluten free fried chicken, this restaurant straight from a 50s kitchen had a stellar track record for gluten free diners that was undeniable. Sadly, if you didn’t catch my review from our previous trip, we were sorely disappointed in the entire dining experience resulting in a sad salad and even sadder mommy whose belly was not filled with crispy and delicious fried chicken. Since our encounter a few months back, I’ve heard from some of my readers that many have still successfully enjoyed the gluten free fried chicken at 50s Prime Time Cafe, so it appears that your success depends greatly on which chef is present that night in the kitchen. Despite our last experience, we’ve decided to give it another shot on our next trip, making sure to give ample advance notice, and hopefully the right chef is there that night too because this mommy needs a gluten free fried chicken fix.

While you can tell which places are some of my favorites, just wondering which are yours? We’ve tossed around dining at the Hollywood Brown Derby and Hollywood & Vine, anyone have gluten free success there?

Hollywood Studios offers so many great spots to grab your favorite eats and treats, so make sure you scope out some possibilities ahead of time and pin or print this guide too for on the go choices.

Sincerely,

Lindsay

July 22, 2014

Gluten Free Guide To Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Lots of animals, good food, great shows, and some rides mixed in (along with lots of shade!) makes for a great day in Disney’s Animal Kingdom for our little girl. She LOVES animals, laughing at everything they do, pointing and talking to them, and always saying hi and bye when we see each of them. Animal Kingdom for us is a great, relaxing day of our vacation where we can wander through the park on shady paths spotting different animals throughout and even experience some entertaining shows and a few rides along the way. Let’s not forget that in that schedule somewhere though we manage to squeeze in some great food too!

Animal Kingdom is home to so many unique dining experiences, but one of my favorites is Flame Tree Barbecue. Here you can get barbecue of all kinds, from ribs, to pulled pork, to chicken, each as delicious as the other and gluten free! I usually prefer the pulled pork sandwich with Disney’s fantastic fries along with the OMG cookie as a dessert and let me just say it is a perfect lunch. We just love lunch at Flame Tree Barbecue, where you can hide away from Florida’s hot sun at a table nestled in the shady grove right by the river. All in all, it’s safe to say that it’s our favorite place to have lunch and thankfully offers so many gluten free and allergy free menu options along with some of my favorite gluten free products like the OMG cookie. But Flame Tree Barbecue isn’t the only location where you can grab OMG snacks, Enjoy Life Cookies, Silk Soymilk, or even BabyCakes treats. Check out my Animal Kingdom Gluten Free Guide to see where you can grab your favorite gluten free products.

Animal Kingdom Gluten Free Products. Click to enlarge.

Along with lunch at Flame Tree Barbecue, we’ve found another great gluten free dining spot offering fantastic snack and quick breakfast options. Animal Kingdom’s Garden Kiosk, located right by Flame Tree Barbecue, is a Garden of Eden if you will for the allergy folk. As you can tell on my guide, they offer everything from sweets and salty snacks to fresh produce and even gluten free alcoholic beverages. One of my personal favorite snack/breakfast options at this stand is the BabyCakes chocolate donut, it’s divine. Take a peak at my review to catch a glimpse of this amazing breakfast treat, along with my go to lunch at Animal Kingdom.

The addition of the Garden Kiosk to Disney’s Animal Kingdom was a fantastic decision on Disney’s part and I’m hoping that they follow suit and add a similar stand to all of the other parks as well. It’s just nice to have a stand that’s made just for you and has a menu filled with all gluten free products. Fingers crossed!

So next time you’re headed to Animal Kingdom print or pin this guide so you know exactly where you need to go to grab your favorite gluten free snacks, rolls, drinks, and even a quick breakfast. But don’t forget that this list only tells you what gluten free brands they offer in Animal Kingdom, not necessarily the menu options that are available, which are many many more.

TIP: If you’re planning on dining at Flame Tree Barbecue for lunch get there a little before opening time. The lines can be very long and when you’re ordering gluten free and requiring a manager’s help the wait can be pretty painful. We arrived at about 10:40 and stood in the shade while our little one napped. At 11:00 the counters opened and we were first at our register to place an order. Getting there early was a must for us, especially since the lines can get pretty tight and partially in the sun.

Sincerely,

Lindsay

July 15, 2014

Gluten Free Guide To Navigating Disney’s Epcot

Personally my little family loves dining in Epcot. We always enjoy meandering around the World Showcase and ending a few of our vacation days with a dinner in one of the countries. While my husband would certainly love to hop between the different cuisines, we usually make our dining decisions based on the gluten free offerings at each restaurant. Although we haven’t dined at nearly all of them, out of those that we have, some are certainly better than others at putting together a tasty and diverse gluten free menu.

A day in Epcot for us usually starts bright and early and begins with ride hopping through Future World. My little girl’s favorite is Nemo and Friends and the amazing aquarium that surrounds the ride, not to mention her meet and greet with Mickey, Minnie, and some of their pals at the Character spot. After a full morning of meeting friends and riding rides, we either grab some lunch in Future World or head straight over to the World Showcase and grab something to eat later on our walk.

Lunch for me is always our hardest meal, mostly because dinners are organized and planned months in advance but lunch is on the go and we’re stopping in to restaurants that haven’t been notified ahead of time of my gluten intolerance. No fear though, Disney has made things so simple for allergy diners these days that all you really have to do is request to speak with a manager at any dining location that you choose and review your options with them. Also, thanks to Disney I put together a Gluten Free Guide To Epcot Dining that shows you what gluten free products they offer in the park and where they can be found.

Epcot Gluten Free Products. Click to enlarge.

As far as gluten free dinners go, with our advance dining reservations we’ve enjoyed a couple of meals, that you can check out my reviews on by clicking the restaurant names, at Rose and Crown Restaurant in United Kingdom and La Hacienda de San Angel in Mexico. Each was delicious in their own way and we definitely plan on returning to both in our future vacations. While these dinner’s were fantastic, it makes me wish that I could place advanced notice for quick service locations too. However, even though lunches are more spontaneous, after scouting out great places ahead of time, I’ve never had an issue finding something good and safe to eat in any of Disney’s parks, hence where my guide comes in handy.

For a midday meal, this guide will certainly be even more valuable to the gluten free diner. You can spot where your favorite rolls and sandwich bread, as well as desserts are located in both Future World and the World Showcase. When we traveled to Disney pre-baby, actually baby was in Mommy’s belly at the time, we had our little food allergy nephew with us at the time. We decided to have lunch at Sunshine Seasons in Future World on our Epcot day and I just remember how excited he was to find out that they had his favorite Enjoy Life Chocolate Bar (one of the only sweets this little boy can enjoy). Using this guide, you’ll know exactly where you can snag your favorite gluten free drinks, treats, pastas, breads, and chicken fingers (Note: a lot of these are free of many other allergens as too).

A newer dining location that wasn’t indicated on this guide, but can absolutely accommodate a gluten free diner, is Italy’s Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar. They’re open for lunch and dinner without dining reservations, so anyone can just stop in and get an authentic Italian dish along with a wonderful glass of wine off of their a humongous wine list. Check out my gluten free lunch at Tutto Gusto from our most recent Disney trip! It was a such a refreshing sit down lunch experience, a little different from your standard quick service, and I for one fully intend on stopping in again for a lunch or dinner on our next trip coming up later this summer.

So make sure you pin or print this guide for your next Disney vacation so you’re armed and ready to tackle Disney dining in Epcot. There are so many dining locations to choose from in Epcot, but with a little homework of reading restaurant reviews online and this handy guide by your side you’ll be good to go. My recommendations, go for a quick service lunch at Sunshine Seasons and maybe a dinner at Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar. Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Lindsay

July 11, 2014

Gluten Free Guide To Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park

Today marks the beginning of a series of posts that I’ll be doing highlighting some truly fantastic information that I received from Disney. Thanks to the power of the internet, traveling with any kind of dietary restriction is much less overwhelming than it once used to be. When traveling to Disney World though, guests can be reassured of safe dining in their upcoming travels by not only Disney’s fantastic reputation but also by the countless allergy free dining reviews that are scattered online. I for one scour the internet before choosing my Disney dining reservations and tend to choose restaurants that other gluten free diners have had overwhelming success at. While reviews are incredibly helpful, not to mention reassuring of Disney’s impressive abilities to accommodate all of its diners, it’s always nice to have a list of some sort to guide you through the parks to your favorite gluten free products. I for one know that after a morning of trekking through the parks, it would be so great if I could easily get my hands on my favorite brand of gluten free chicken fingers, pizza, rolls, and the best one yet cookies or a brownie. Disney has shared their go to allergy free brands and where you can find these products throughout the parks. I’ve condensed all of this info into park or resort specific guides that you can print or pin so they’re on hand at all times.

Magic Kingdom Park Gluten Free Products, Click to enlarge.

Check out my first guide of Magic Kingdom’s go to gluten free products! As you look through the table, remember this isn’t necessarily a menu but rather a list of only the specific gluten free brands of items that they carry at these table service and quick service locations; this list does not include menu items that are inherently gluten free or that can be made to be gluten free, i.e. a hamburger, hot dog, turkey sandwich, salad, and drink. Thanks to this list, now I know where I can grab a sandwich on my favorite Udi’s bread or rolls, at either Be Our Guest in Fantasyland or Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe in Tomorrowland, and my favorite gluten free brownie or chocolate chip cookie by OMG, also at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe in Tomorrowland or Pinocchio Village Haus in Fantasyland. Now with this guide, just pick out your favorite gluten free eats and you can easily navigate through dining in Magic Kingdom to find them. Enjoy! Note: The products listed in this post and future posts in this series consist of items that may be available at these specific dining locations. Disney does state that product offerings are subject to change at any time without notice, so that being said some products may not be available at the location that is suggested on this table. For a dinner reservation, you’ll always want to note your allergy ahead of time in your reservation, but also you can ask to speak with the restaurant directly, see if a specific product is available, and if not, maybe put in a request. As far as lunch, just ask at the counter before ordering just to make sure that they have your favorite products on hand. From personal experience, I do know that while I’ve enjoyed a sandwich at some locations on one type of roll on one trip, the next one I may enjoy it on another type of roll that is listed, it all depends on availability I suppose. Nevertheless, start your dining search using this guide to navigate you through Magic Kingdom Park and pick out some great dining locations. Sincerely, Lindsay

June 6, 2014

What’s More Magical Than A Gluten Free Dinner In Cinderella’s Castle On Your Last Night?

The last night of our family vacation was finally upon us. It was a fantastic trip with a few hiccups along the way, that I honestly could’ve done without, but also some great memories that we’ll never forget. Every time my husband and I, and now my daughter too, take an adventure somewhere I realize just how much I love my family. They truly are my world and my reason for being and I wouldn’t have it any other way. This week was another incredible adventure for our family, filled with lots of smiles and laughs and a few tears along the way (from mommy and baby). My little girl is growing so quickly and just seeing this little 1 year old baby truly love her Disney family as much as she does is amazing. So I couldn’t think of a better way to end this trip than to say hello one last time to a few of her favorites at Cinderella’s Castle.

After an afternoon of swimming and relaxation, our little one was dressed in her Snow White outfit and ready to dine with some of her favorite princesses. We arrived a bit early for our reservation but they were incredibly accommodating and were able to seat us within a few minutes, which was great because we were all very very hungry after an early lunch that day. Cinderella was out to tea when we entered the castle so we were seated first and met the rest of the princesses while we dined. Literally as we were sitting down Snow White, my little one’s favorite, approached and couldn’t get over the miniature Snow White that was walking towards her waving and smiling. My little girl embraced Snow White with a huge hug and turned back with a big smile and wave at her mommy, a moment that just makes me tear up thinking about. Each princess that followed was equally as exciting and I think was the icing on my little girl’s trip.

Between all of our visitors, the chef came out to review the menu with me. I decided to order the cheese plate for an appetizer, the steak for my main course, and a cookie sundae for dessert. I was a bad blogger again this dinner, but in the midst of the princesses stopping by I forgot to photograph the dishes that came out. But anyway, the cheese plate arrived with a blue cheese, a brie cheese, and a few others along with a plate of gluten free rolls that were heated to perfection. After little one nibbled on cheese, grapes, and bread and Dan and I ate some of our appetizers, we were then escorted to go meet Cinderella.

With the room all to ourselves, Cinderella came over to greet my little one and walked her back to her seat hand-in-hand. She spent a good ten minutes talking and playing peek-a-boo with her, getting some great smiles. Nothing beat her face though while Cinderella gave her a warm hug!

Little one scooted down off of Cinderella’s lap to be on the move again and then turned and walked back to start talking to her as she then sat down on the floor to be beside her. We’re so grateful that she could spend so much time with Cinderella, a rarity when you’re doing the meet and greets. Someday, when my little girl is all grown up, I’ll be able to share all of these pictures but also the memories that went along with them of how she would wave frantically saying hello to each character only to run up when it was her turn to give a huge hug, when she walked hand-in-hand with Snow White at her wishing well and Cinderella at her castle, talking to both, only to be snuggled a few moments later, and finally my favorite, when she met Mickey and friends, greeting each with a running hug! Such great memories!

With her last princess met, we headed back upstairs to finish our dinner. After a little while longer, our main courses were being delivered. My steak was cooked perfectly but my favorite on the dish was the gluten free creamed spinach. I love creamed spinach and can rarely order it when eating out, so it really stole the show for me. Only moments after our final bites of our meals did our desserts arrive. They were out of the gluten free cake that I had wanted so I ended up with a gluten free cookie and ice cream sundae, which I did happen to remember to take a picture of.

Cinderella's Royal Table gluten free ice cream and cookie sundae. — Cinderella’s Royal Table gluten free ice cream and cookie sundae.

It was pretty good, and although I really wanted to try the cake, it was nice to enjoy a substitute of some kind. All together, our dinner at the castle was a great ending to our trip, both in experience and food. As far as my gluten free dining experience, I consider any meal a success when the chef meets any request that I have and can give me an appetizer, entree, and dessert that nearly match their description on the menu. The chefs at Cinderella’s Royal Table did a fantastic job, and this gluten free mommy is looking forward to returning again!

After our dinner we hopped on a few more rides before picking out a spot on Main Street to catch the last Electrical Parade of our vacation. While I sat and occupied our little one, Dan went to retrieve a few snacks for us. My daughter loves the Mickey pretzel, I think probably more for its shape, but she did seem to love nibbling on it too. Sadly, the Mickey pretzel is not gluten free, but some of my favorite gluten free Disney snacks are the Dole Whip (This is actually by far my favorite when I’m in a sweet mood!), the roasted nuts, the chocolate and nut covered banana, and the popcorn, each of which I enjoyed on this trip thanks to our dining plan! For our last night, I decided to go with the popcorn, which as always had just the right amount of butter and salt on it!

Soon enough, the lights dropped down, the music started, and the parade turned the corner as my little girl began to clap. As I held her and bopped around to the music she waved to all of the passing characters and floats. Goofy, Minnie, and Fairy Godmother blew kisses to her but being dressed as a little Snow White attracted some extra special attention from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

As Dopey led the gang he waved and played peek-a-boo with little one as she waved back (melts my heart). Quickly following, Snow White danced with a couple dwarves behind her and as she danced to the opposite side of the street, she turned around and ran over to our little girl and gave her a huge kiss on her cheek, causing a huge eruption of cheers from the crowd behind us! The dwarves that followed all blew kisses to the little Snow White in my arms, truly topping off our trip. As the parade came to a close, exhaustion settled in and little one was not too keen on the crowds of people swarming around her, so we tried to scoot over to an emptier space to take a picture of the kiss before she wiped off too much of it. And here you go!

A Snow White kiss for my little Snow White!

What a way to close our last night in Disney! Soon after this picture, little one was strapped into her stroller and passed out in about 5 minutes; so although we didn’t get to see any fireworks this trip, I don’t think it could get any better for her, and us, then to meet all of her friends and get kissed by Snow White during the parade!

After spending the next morning in Magic Kingdom, we found ourselves back at the airport, with the magical vacation having come to a close. It was an amazing trip to say the least, and even though I could’ve done without my little girl and my sick days, it just makes all of the happy and smiley moments that we captured that much more magical!

Have A Magical Day,

Lindsay

June 5, 2014

A Great Disney Day In Animal Kingdom From Safaris to Gluten Free Donuts to Some Barbecue!

Our last full day in Disney had arrived and we super excited to head over to Animal Kingdom. With extra magic hours starting at 8, we were up early, fed, and ready to go by about 7:15 to catch a bus over to Animal Kingdom. I went a bit light on breakfast that particular morning as I was planning on trying out their new allergy stand that offered BabyCakes products (yay!). We arrived just as the park was opening and went straight back to the Safari, one of our favorite rides in the park!

The safari is always a great experience; our little girl just loved seeing all of the animals so close, waving and saying hi to each one as we went by. After the safari, we decided to head back towards the allergy stand, being sure to take the small and twisty paths along the way. Animal Kingdom is such an amazing labyrinth of scenic paths that lead you between each section of park allowing you to see animals of all shapes and sizes. Before long, we had arrived at the allergy stand and I could not wait to dive into one of the BabyCakes’ products that I’ve read so much about!

Babycakes Chocolate Donut — BabyCakes Gluten Free Chocolate Frosted Donut

Seeing that they offered BabyCakes donuts, it was a no brainer what I’d be trying out that morning. It was a chocolate frosted gluten free donut for me and it was DELICIOUS! The best part about these donuts, aside from the taste, is that they are free of wheat, gluten, dairy, soy, and eggs, so so many others can enjoy these as well! Check out BabyCakes allergy statement for more details and click around on their site to see what other products they offer (you can order online too). As far as the actual donut is considered, the texture was amazing, cakey but not crumbly or chewy, very much like Entenmann’s cake donuts. And taste wise, yum! They were truly an amazing way to start the day. I highly recommend stopping in at this great allergy stand. I only hope that a similar allergy spot appears in each of the other parks in the near future, offering BabyCakes fantastic products!

After finally tasting BabyCakes donuts that I’d been reading about for so long, we headed out to explore some more of the hidden trails and squeeze into a show or two. First up was the It’s Tough To Be A Bug show and then on to find the tigers, bats, and gorillas. Awhile into our walk, we decided to let little one stretch her legs and discover a bit on her own. She loved being able to run along the paths and spot animals big and small. Her favorites were the tigers, who were sleeping incredibly close to the viewing area so she was really able to get a good look at her level.

Soon enough we had made our way over to my husband’s favorite ride of this park, Expedition Everest. While little one and I watched the apes swing around and hoot and holler, Dan bid us farewell and headed over to ride the roller coaster. A short while later, he rejoined myself and now our sleeping baby and we decided to see if we could catch the Nemo show before lunch. Sadly, no sleeping babies in strollers allowed and we certainly weren’t keen on waking her up by taking her out of the stroller, so it was an early lunch for us.

We absolutely love Flame Tree Barbecue so we decided to pop over there early and get in line as it can become extremely crowded quickly, creating a more difficult ordering situation for those with allergies. Being there for its opening though we didn’t have any problems ordering. I told the cashier that I had an allergy order and she called for a manager to come to the window. He reviewed my options and I went through the allergy binder with him and I decided on my favorite, the Pulled Pork Sandwich which was put on an Udi’s roll.

I pushed our sleeping baby ahead and found seats in the shade along the river, while Dan waited for our food to be ready. It wasn’t long when I saw him come around the bend with two different colored trays in hand. One was with the allergy food and the other had Dan and our little girl’s meals on it. No sooner did we sit down with our food did our little girl awaken. Thankfully she did though, because there were tons of ducks and birds waiting to say hello to her, which she loves to do. So while she ate her uncrustable and watched the wildlife around her, I dove into my pulled pork sandwich which looked very tasty!

jlj — Flame Tree Barbecue’s Pulled Pork Sandwich on an Udi’s roll.

The pork was incredibly juicy and perfectly seasoned. Also, there was a generous amount of pork on the sandwich too, which is always nice to see that they’re not being too stingy with their portion sizes. I just love this sandwich and look forward to it every visit to Animal Kingdom. It’s a fantastic gluten free option for us allergy, Celiac, and non-Celiac gluten sensitivity folks. I have to also mention that along with the pulled pork sandwich I received DIsney’s delicious fries, and they as always did not disappoint, but also a huge, packaged OMG…It’s Gluten Free (and Dairy Free) Chocolate Chip Cookie.

OMG...It's Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie — OMG…It’s Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie

I didn’t quite have enough room for dessert then so I enjoyed it later on but let me tell you these products are delicious. I’ve had their brownies which are the perfect balance between fudgy and cakey and their cookies are huge ad soft, only crumbling apart if you leave it in your bag and it gets bumped around too much after a long day in the parks. These aren’t just offered at Flame Tree Barbecue either, I’ve spotted them in almost all of the parks at a lot of the quick service lunch locations. FYI they were also at our quick service location, Roaring Fork, at the Wilderness Lodge where we ate breakfast daily and an occasional lunch.

After a filling lunch, we were all off to meet Mickey and Minnie, check out some of the stores, and then head back for an afternoon swim at the resort. It was a great day at Animal Kingdom ending with some relaxing and fun pool time at the Wilderness Lodge. Stay tuned for my last Disney bites including dinner at Cinderella’s castle and my favorite gluten free snacks.

Have A Magical Day,

Lindsay