Non-Gluten Diet

[sardan]

I have a friend who's wife suffers from celiac's disease and will be traveling to Disney. He would like to know if anyone who is on a non-gluten diet has traveled to Disney and has any experiences to share. His wife avoids all gluten and eating out is difficult. Can anyone share their dining in Disney experiences with this situation.

Thanks!

 

[CEDmom]

I don't know any personally but I have read trip reports of people with this condition who did fine at WDW. Anyone with special dietary needs should make this known when calling for PS and again when arriving at the restaurant. WDW should also be able to give you the direct numbers to the restaurants to speak with the chef before the visit. Also, the manager at most counter service places should be able to help as well.

 

[mirlow]

Here is someone's experience

 

[SnowWhiteIsDreaming]

mirlow, that is great information. I wish I had seen that before I went last October.

sardan, I have celiac also, and I totally understand what your friend has to go through. Disney is the BEST place to eat with this problem. When making each PS, I told the person to note that I had an 'allergy' to gluten. They noted it on the PS, and gave me a phone number (of the chef) to call at least 24 hours before my PS. Every restaurant was wonderful! Every chef came out and talked with me personally, walking me through the buffet lines or going over the menu (pointing out what I could and couldn't eat). Also, they all offered to cook me whatever I wanted. I always had much more than I could ever eat. The chef at Chef Mickey is my favorite. I remembered him from my last trip (2 years ago) and he makes me a great gluten-free cake! Also, I love having breakfast at Disney restaurants: CRT, PSB and the CP all made me gluten-free pancakes! LTT made me gluten-free stuffing and gravy for my mashed pototes... for anyone who has celiac, you would know that stuffing is quite a treat!

The only place I had an issue is when the Whipsering Canyon chef told the waiter he could put my pork chop on a piece of toast. I knew right away it was wrong, and sent it back. They cooked me a new pork chop and didn't charge me for my dinner.

I love Disney!!!!
-Karen

 

[ZachnElli]

Thanks for posting that link! My friends daughter was just diagnosed and I emailed it to her!

 

[mrsboz]

I love Disney! My son is a celiac and they are over accommodating, if anything. The best experiences we had were:

Cape May Cafe - he would make my son anything he wanted: gluten free pancakes, waffles, cereal. He also brought us around the buffet. They were more than wonderful.

Crystal Palace - also accommodating made him anything he wanted.

Tony's Town Square - were awesome. They made him GF pasta and rolls. I can't remember what he had for dessert.

I didn't find Chef Mickey's to be over accommodating.

O'hana's - pretty much everything on the regular menu he could have. Nice that everyone could have the same thing.

Can't remember about the others but I know we were so relieved and felt so welcome. The extra attention that they have shown my son was well worth the money for the meal. We make priority seatings every day for breakfast and dinner. Is very costly but so worth it for my piece of mind and my son's smile. Tell your friend not to worry at all. But, do make sure when you make a ps you tell them and a week ahead of your arrival make sure you speak with a chef that way they will be able to accommodate her. GOOD LUCK

 

[travelbug]

Last year, my sister was on a gluten free diet and she was SOOO impressed with how accommodating Disney was. Especially good experiences at 50s Prime Time and SciFi at MGM. The chefs came out and talked with her personally and made suggestions on what they could fix for her. She was so pleased and relieved to find that her dietary needs could be met.

She also found enough choices at the counter service places we chose, and so those were not a problem.

I hope your friends have an equally positive experience when they go.

 

[Mainebound]

My mother is a celiac who was diagnosed days prior to our trip last March. We had many PS's but had not listed her allergy to gluten and wheat on any of them. It didn't matter -- we would tell the hostess, and within minutes the chef came out to our table to talk with her, to make her something special from the kitchen (even at Boma, a buffet) or to walk her around the buffet pointing out what she could eat. This is a major reaosn we are going back in 16 days!

 

[sardan]

Wow! Thank you to everyone for such great responses. I have forwarded this information to my friend for his wife to check out. Thanks again!