Gluten Free Animal Kingdom Archives - Gluten Free Mom To Be

April 17, 2015

Warmer Days Were Ahead In Our 2015 Disney Adventure, Starting With Some Animal Kingdom Fun!

We love our Animal Kingdom days not only for the park itself but also the sheer fact that they are hands down much more relaxing and slower paced than any of the other days in our vacation. This time around our Animal Kingdom day was no different and was perfectly timed right in the middle of our trip. So with a little extra sleep under our belts and a slightly later breakfast we were off to indulge my little animal lover in one of her favorite adventures in Disney.

First on our schedule was the safari which I know some say is off limits when you’re pregnant but having ridden the ride before when pregnant I felt more than comfortable. We requested the front row in our vehicle so it was slightly less bumpy for this expecting mommy and we were off to enjoy the safari. We all loved this ride, by far one of our favorites in Animal Kingdom and if you haven’t heard this recommendation before, I highly recommend hopping on this one first thing as most of the animals are up and about. After our safari ride we wandered the shaded, curvy paths, letting our little girl get some energy out in a less congested venue while seeing some her favorite animals. With animal watching checked off the itinerary it was time for some snacks, a gluten free, frozen chocolate and nut covered banana for mommy and a Mickey pretzel for little one while we headed off to watch some of the best shows Animal Kingdom has to offer and Dan hopped on a rollercoaster. P.S. I love the frozen banana, such a delicious gluten free treat!!!!

With a full morning of fun we were more than ready for some lunch. Now this was an adventure to say the least. Just a word of warning if you’re visiting Animal Kingdom right now, there’s a lot of construction going on in certain areas so that means a lot of walls which isn’t a huge deal. Unfortunately though, our all time favorite lunch location in this park, Flame Tree Barbecue, has been closed for refurbishment since earlier this year so it too was walled up and missing. Good news is that you can still order some of their amazing barbecue offerings at other stands nearby and even dine at some of the pavillions towards the river but for the gluten free vacationer things are a bit more complicated than usual. Thankfully I could still order myself some gluten free pulled pork with a manager who was called to the stand, but the portion was much smaller than usual and you were limited to only getting a bag of chips for a side rather than the delicious fries that I love so much at Flame Tree. The meal was delicious as always of course but I just could have gone for a lot more pulled pork than what I actually got. I for one can’t wait until the refurbishments are finished and I can enjoy some gluten free barbecue in all of the splendor Flame Tree is known for!

While lunch was a little different than always, it was a huge relief that I could personally still enjoy my usual but sadly there was an even bigger disappointment in store at Animal Kingdom for the gluten free folks. One of my all time favorite perks of visiting Animal Kingdom is indulging in a BabyCakes breakfast treat, courtesy of the allergy stand, but unfortunately the menu has changed a bit and there appears to be little to no BabyCakes gluten free treats at the allergy stand any longer. I had heard that the product offerings had changed but crossed my fingers and hoped for the best anyway that maybe that day would be my lucky day. Sadly, it wasn’t, they no longer seem to offer my all time favorite gluten free treats by BabyCakes, their delicious and perfect donuts. I believe they still offer the cupcakes but I can’t tell you how disappointed I was that instead of the fresh BabyCakes breakfast treats they now offer the donuts by Kinnikinnick. I’m hoping that one day I’ll be lucky enough to witness a return of BabyCakes gluten free donuts, and maybe even more products, to the Animal Kingdom allergy stand and hopefully even more locations throughout Disney.

Overall our day in Animal Kingdom was fantastic as always with a few hiccups dining wise but with an early dinner scheduled at a new dining location for us we couldn’t have been more excited for our meal to come. So we called it an early afternoon and took a short bus ride over to Animal Kingdom Lodge. We’d never dined at any restaurant at Animal Kingdom Lodge before but we’ve always wanted to take a peak at the stunning resort and dabble in some of the eats, Dan more so than I seeing as I’m much more of a conservative and less adventurous diner. So this vacation we thought it would be a great time to dine with the animals in clear view and enjoy some new cuisine at Sanaa.

Gluten Free Naan at Sanaa! — Gluten Free Naan at Sanaa with three accompaniments!

We arrived early afternoon to hopefully explore the resort a bit while little one napped. The nap part was successful but instead of exploring we/I decided to rest our feet on a beautiful, shaded porch where we could watch giraffes, birds, and zebras wander by. It was the perfect, relaxing nap time with amazing views of all Animal Kingdom has to offer but the views from the porch were nothing compared to the front row seating at Sanaa itself. We checked in early and managed to snag a perfect seat right in front of a window allowing us to see all kinds of wildlife pass by. Little one was in rare form to start the meal so things were a bit chaotic at the beginning but thankfully they calmed down a bit allowing all of us all to take in the beauty of the experience.

Normally I’m hesitant to try new things but while pregnant I’m even more so mostly because of my extraordinarily sensitive palette and stomach. The gluten free menu had a huge selection but I decided to go simple and start with the gluten free version of the bread service that I’ve been reading so many phenomenal things about and try the tomato soup for my main dish. Along with the gluten free naan I chose three accompaniments including the Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus, Mango Chutney, and Cucumber Raita.

I cannot say enough fantastic things about the gluten free naan. It was AMAZING!!! While I’m not sure what regular naan is supposed to taste and feel like, the gluten free version is beyond phenomenal. I only wish I could indulge in the soft and chewy textured bread service while at home but that’s why vacations are special right! As far as the three accompaniments, I mostly chose them because the chef suggested them as the non-spicy options and I’m so glad that she did. The hummus and raita were by far my favorites, the mango chutney wasn’t really up my alley mostly because of the sweetness but Dan personally loved it. Thanks to the gluten free bread service alone at Sanaa we’ll definitely be back in the future, and I may even order my very own bread!

While Dan and little one’s main dishes arrived, my tomato soup had as well. The tomato soup was perfectly seasoned with a few pieces of cheese floating around as well, making it a perfect little dish. Even though the soup was definitely tasty, one of my least favorite pregnancy ailments had been large and in charge that day of our vacation so thanks to my acid reflux I only could enjoy a little bit.

I just couldn’t get over the amazing view we had while we were eating dinner. Most of the animals we were able to see grazing around and occasionally walking by but we were fortunate enough to have a closer visit from a little someone. Excuse my lack of knowledge of wildlife but we liked to call him the funny haired, tall bird who seemed to really enjoy the restaurant diners, coming over repeatedly and pecking at the windows where we were seated, definitely brought a few smiles to our little girl.

Gluten free Kulfi! — Sanaa’s Gluten Free Coconut Kulfi!

Dinner at any Disney restaurant isn’t complete without dessert so after rave reviews of all of our main dishes, we were ready to enjoy something sweet. I opted for the gluten free Kulfi which happened to be coconut that evening with some fresh fruit. It was certainly a delicious dessert but I’m personally not a huge fan of coconut so I only took a few bites and shared my fruit with little one who seemed to prefer mommy’s dessert over her own s’more sundae, certainly not what her mommy would’ve chosen out of the two. I’ve read that the Kulfi flavors do change so I’m certain I would’ve loved a different flavor but for me this one was just too much coconut.

sdfsd — Ending a peaceful Animal Kingdom day with a little Magic Kingdom fun, parade, fireworks, and some more night time splendors!

Our day at Animal Kingdom and dinner at Animal Kingdom Lodge were fantastic! It’s still one of our favorite days during our vacation and I can officially say after rave reviews from Dan and nearly finished portion of naan pizza by little one that we’ll be dining again at Sanaa. I’d say this Disney day was a success and I’ll be dreaming of that amazing gluten free naan until we meet again!

Sincerely,

Lindsay (28 weeks)

February 23, 2015

Disney World Here We Come, Well Almost!

With Disney just around the corner, my weeks just keep getting busier and busier. On the top of my to do list this week is to share my belly pics from the last few weeks. I can hardly believe I’m 21 weeks right now, even though my belly and baby movement confirms just that. So needless to say I have some catching up on here to do. On top of sharing my pregnancy moments in time with you, I also wanted to go over my dining agenda for our Disney vaca coming up very soon. With my appetite halfway back to normal I’m so excited to dine at Disney and share with all of you my gluten free Disney dining plans! So for my Happy Monday post I thought I’d sprinkle my blog with a little Disney magic and share our dining plans!

We’ve taken a number of trips over our years together and the planning is always one of my favorite parts. No, we don’t have typed out itineraries planning every detail down to scheduled bathroom pit stops, but we do make sure we have a plan for each of our days figured out before we go. Thankfully, this practice came in handy when vacationing gluten free because there’s certainly no better way to travel gluten free then with a plan. Our Disney vacations are no different, in fact Disney themselves make it so you almost have to plan out every detail of your vacation before you even go, from dining 6 months out to picking your ride fastpasses 60 days prior to leaving. Yes, it takes a bit of the spontaneity out of your vacation which we still try to maintain with open-ended lunch locations and a dinner or two along with our park hopper passes, but for this Gluten Free Mom To Be planning most of my meals ahead is a must.

One of our topiaries last year! Wish we could've taken it home for our Bambi nursery! — One of our favorite topiaries last year! Wish we could’ve taken it home for our Bambi nursery!

This time around we’re venturing to Disney in a cooler season than we had originally planned thanks to Baby #2’s arrival early to mid- summer, but we’re so excited because we’re going to be there for the Flower and Garden Festival, an amazing Epcot event that we were able to catch at the very end last Spring. On top of the gorgeous floral topiaries, we’re so excited to revisit the butterfly garden with our little butterfly lover. enjoy some of the music that’s supposed to be there that weekend, and finally make a few pit stops to some of the food stands throughout the countries, which I’m crossing my fingers that there are some gluten free and pregnancy friendly treats for me to enjoy. But on top of the special event that we’re going to be around for, we’ve got some really exciting meals planned, some are favorites that we do every time, some are occasional meals that we like to enjoy here and there, and some are brand new places for us!

Day 1: We always try to head straight over to Magic Kingdom our first day after we arrive and sneak in a lunch and a few rides before an early dinner. We have an early dinner reservation at 50s Prime Time Cafe, which has kind of turned into a tradition of doing on the first night. What can I say, I look forward to that fried chicken for months before so why not ring in your vacation with as a great a gluten free dish as this one.

Disney Summer 2014 (12) — 50s Prime Time Cafe gluten free friend chicken.

Day 2: We’re heading back to Magic Kingdom to enjoy some more of our favorite rides, characters, and parades until our dinner at Ohana at the Polynesian. We haven’t been to Ohana the past few trips but we think our little girl will really like the food not to mention everything going on around her this time around. I just wish they could do a gluten free lomein when they bring that delicious looking bowl full of the gluten filled version but I’ll just be happy with that amazing salad to start!

Our first Ohana visit when I was pregnant with our little girl!

Day 3: One of our favorite stops when we’re in Disney World is Epcot, and especially now with the Flower and Garden Festival going on. With most of this day spent in Epcot, we planned a new dinner for us at the Hollywood Brown Derby in Hollywood Studios. It’s a two meal dinner so it’s a splurge but the menu is definitely up Dan’s alley and their infamous Cobb Salad is right up mine. I couldn’t resist trying it this time around thanks to the amazing reviews by Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free in WDW & Gluten Free in Orlando. So excited for this one!

Day 4: Hollywood Studios is usually our shortest day so we’re planning on doing a morning at that park and then maybe some pool time if it’s warm enough before our dinner at the Rose & Crown Pub in Epcot. Dan loves the Rose & Crown food, I’m more of a fan of the actual restaurant and the outdoor seating right on the lake even though they have made a delicious steak with garlic mashed potatoes.

Day 5: We’ve always wanted to see Animal Kingdom Lodge but truthfully haven’t made it over there because it’s kind of out of the way. We figured there was no time like the present and we’d take advantage of our Animal Kingdom day and just head straight over to Animal Kingdom Lodge for a new dinner. Our little girl loves animals so Animal Kingdom is always a highlight of her trip so we figured a dinner at Sanaa would be a real treat for her, especially if we catch a glimpse of animals grazing by while we eat. Even though I’ve read pretty good reviews on the dining here, I’m still a bit nervous because the cuisine is not necessarily up my alley but Dan is beyond excited.

Day 6: Time for our second Epcot day! While I’m not too keen on all of the walking that Epcot entails while I’m pregnant, I am really happy that this trip we’re not going to be doing the trek in 110 degree summer heat like we’ve done in the past. We decided this day to either take advantage of the food stands or do a delicious dinner at Tutto Gusto wine cellar in Italy. I’m leaning towards a nice sit down dinner where I can get my favorite gluten free Pomodoro Pasta or maybe something new!

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

Day 7: We always try to do a character breakfast every trip, especially since we have a huge Disney lover on our hands. This time around we decided to do an early breakfast at the Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom where you can meet Winnie the Pooh and friends. We’ve done this breakfast before and little one loved the humongous squishy characters who she couldn’t get enough hugs from, but now she knows who they are so I think it might be an even bigger hit.

Crystal Palace Breakfast — Crystal Palace gluten free breakfast in Magic Kingdom

After our breakfast at Crystal Palace we’ll spend our last full day in Magic Kingdom, day and night, with a break at dinner time for one of my favorite dinners at Kona Cafe in the Polynesian. This has become an every vacation tradition, and usually ends up being our last night’s dinner because we LOVE this dinner location! Anywhere where I can get a humongous bowl of their gluten free noodle dish with grilled chicken that reminds me of my favorite lomein of years past is phenomenal in my book!

Large bowl full of Kona Cafe's gluten free Pan-Asian Noodles! — Large bowl full of Kona Cafe’s gluten free Pan-Asian Noodles!

Day 8: Our last day in Disney is bitter sweet, we usually book our flight for later in the day/night so we can enjoy a fuller day at the end. We squeeze some of our last favorite rides, sit down for a nice lunch, and just relax back at the resort until our not so Magical Express arrives to take us to the airport.

We’re so excited to explore Disney one last time as a family of three but also with our second little one in tow in mommy’s belly makes it even more special. We vacationed in Disney in the heat of the summer when I was pregnant with our first little girl and we just love telling her that she was in Disney before she was even born and now we’ll get to do the same for this little one. Since we’ve had some hiccups the past few vacations, my fingers are crossed extra tight that we’re all happy and healthy for this adventure. We’re so excited for our big vacation, and as always I’ll be sharing my delicious meals with you when I get back so stay tuned to see how the dining goes but also to find out if our little girl will have a new brother or sister!

Sincerely,

Lindsay (21 weeks)

September 16, 2014

A Light, Gluten Free Dinner Along The Canal At Epcot’s San Angel Inn Restaurante

Since I was slowly on the mend from my bout of heat exhaustion, our slower paced day in Animal Kingdom and light dinner at the San Angel Inn Restaurante in Epcot’s Mexico were a perfect fit. By the time we had made our way through all of the scenic and shaded trails of the park, hopped on a few rides here and there, and nibbled on a Gluten Free BabyCakes Donut and Flame Tree Barbecue Pulled Pork my appetite and energy level were pushed pretty close to the limit, but after a little resting at the hotel, we were on the bus again and headed over to Epcot for dinner. On our trip last fall, we had eaten at San Angel Inn and Dan couldn’t talk highly enough about the margaritas and other spicy dishes that he enjoyed. I, on the other hand, was not a huge fan of my spicy entree, even though my dear husband took a bite and swore that it wasn’t spicy at all, for my dainty little mouth it felt like there was a fire in there. So needless to say this restaurant didn’t necessarily take it all for the food for me but for the ambiance it was five stars. We loved the dark, nighttime feel, not to mention the fact that the restaurant overlooks the canal where the ride passes through.

Since Dan loves the food here and I the environment, this trip we had decided to revisit this restaurant. This dinner couldn’t have come on a more perfect day in our vacation either. At our last visit, on top of my too spicy entree, I tried the gluten free Sopa Azteca, a delicious bowl of traditional tortilla soup, hold the pepper. I knew that this would be the perfect light dinner given my sensitive condition at that point in our trip.

San Angel Inn Restaurante in Epcot's Mexico — San Angel Inn Restaurante in Epcot’s Mexico

After checking in, we were escorted to our table nestled right along the water. It was the perfect table for our family of three with the best view in the house. Soon after being seated, the chef joined us and took my order for my gluten free soup. While we waited for our orders, our little girl couldn’t get enough of the riders passing along below us. In fact she even gave most of them an extra treat, waving and saying hello as the boats passed by, even getting lucky to get a few waves back. She is such a little sweetheart and so friendly too!

Soon enough, after only waiting a few minutes, my bowl of tomato soup with gluten free tortilla strips, avocado, and cheese was placed in front of me. It was just as delicious as I remembered and filled the little vacancy in my stomach. Sadly, I didn’t do the soup justice and left quite a bit behind, but I was incredibly glad that my stomach cooperated so I could enjoy some of it at least. Just as before, our experience here was amazing and our little girl loved every bit of it, food included, so it seems her palate may be more similar to her Daddy’s.

So, if you love spicy food, there are so many gluten free options at San Angel Inn, not to mention some pretty tasty dessert choices too. Make a reservation for this restaurant as far in advance as possible because it books up pretty quickly. Also, if you want to snag a seat like we had, try to get an earlier reservation and request a table along the water when you check in, you’ll have a better shot earlier in the dinner service I think.

Keep me posted on your gluten free selections here and any other Disney restaurant!

Have A Magical Day,

Lindsay

September 8, 2014

It Was A Shady Day In Animal Kingdom, Perfect To Get This Gluten Free Mommy Back In The Game

After hibernating a bit the day before, I woke up to feel a tad bit better on our Animal Kingdom day. I managed to get down a few bites of breakfast and we were off to walk the wonderfully shaded trails of Animal Kingdom, certainly a great choice in my book for this day in particular. We moved a bit slower and found quite a few benches but we still managed to see all that we had hoped.

With fastpasses for some of the more popular rides, we headed straight back to Dinosaur where our riders barely had to wait. I was hoping to maybe get on this ride this trip as I hadn’t yet been, but instead, I happily sat out with my little non-rider and took advantage of a few more minutes of rest. Once all of the group was out of the Dinosaur ride, we made our way back to the safari for our fastpasses.

In route to Asia, we passed the Allergy Kiosk, you know the one I raved about last trip, that stands conveniently towards the front of the park by the Bug’s Life show. Since this time I was totally not my usual hungry self by mid-morning I wasn’t really in the mood for anything BabyCakes, but since we had some snack credits to use and I hadn’t eaten but two bites of toast that morning I decided to pick up a gluten free chocolate glazed donut like last time (check out my review here from before). Throughout the morning, I nibbled on the donut and managed to eat most of it, that’s how you know the donut was that good seeing as I had zero appetite but managed to convince myself to eat most of the sweet treat.

Babycakes Chocolate Donut, Spring Disney Trip — BabyCakes Gluten Free Chocolate Donut, Spring Disney Trip

Soon enough we had arrived at our destination and hopped on board for the morning safari ride. Our little girl was so tuckered out already that she decided on an early nap for herself (little did she know that Mommy would’ve gladly joined her). The animals were all out and about, grazing along happily and giving us some great picture worthy moments. When the safari came to a close, in the transition from arms to stroller little one woke up after her cat nap and was ready to explore the Pangani Forest Trail, one of our favorite things to do in Animal Kingdom.

The trail let out near Camp Minnie and Mickey where we decided to stop in since the line was on the shorter side. After some hugs and pictures we were off to experience the Kali River Rapids. This was another ride that I hadn’t been on yet, so Dan and I were excited to maybe get to go on this one together while little one was out with her cousin, Aunt, and Nanny. It’s no surprise that we managed to get ourselves in the wet seats, Dan more so than me, but it was certainly a welcomed cool down since it was so hot. This really was a great ride and I can’t wait to take our little one on here someday.

Another trail walk later and we found ourselves in a rain shower under the awning at Flame Tree Barbecue for lunch. While Dan managed the ordering, I headed down to snag tons of dry seats for our group under some coverings along the river overseeing Expedition Everest, a view that the kids loved. I was kind of disappointed that one of my favorite lunch spots in Disney happened to fall on a day that my stomach was still not right but don’t worry I did manage to squeeze in a little bit of my favorite barbecue dish here. That day I decided to order the pulled pork, sans bun, with the usual accompaniments. The pork was deliciously tender and juicy, just how I remembered, and hit the tiny pang of hunger that I was starting to feel (Sorry no recent picture on this one either, I certainly didn’t want to even look at food let alone take pictures of it.). To give you a little reminder though, here’s a picture from our last trip that certainly portrays just how tasty the pulled pork is.

Flame Tree Barbecue, gluten free pulled pork, Spring trip — Flame Tree Barbecue, gluten free pulled pork, Spring Disney trip

After eating some of the pulled pork, enjoying a nice cold drink, and waiting out the rain, we wandered around the park a little while more checking out wait times on other rides and shopping a bit too. After a busy morning I for one was ready to head out and rest a bit before our dinner that night in Epcot’s Mexico. It was a fantastic day in Animal Kingdom, and even though I wasn’t feeling the best, I’m so glad I decided to not stay in and miss out on some great memories. It was just the kind of day I needed to get going again without baking in the sun all day. And may I just say, seeing as the first real bites of food that I managed to squeeze down in my sicky state were at Animal Kingdom, I think it’s safe to say that the gluten free eats that I’m able to get here, from the BabyCakes treats at the Allergy Kiosk to the Flame Tree Barbecue pulled pork, are some of my favorites by far.

Have A Magical Day,

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

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