Gluten Free Hollywood Studios Archives

April 9, 2015

Some Hollywood Studios Fun With A Few Jackets And Lots of Delicious, Gluten Free Food

In all of my Disney travels over the years I can never remember having to wear a jacket, let alone pants. But our 4th day in Disney was definitely on the chillier side so jackets and pants were a must. The short spurt of chilly weather in the middle of our trip was certainly a rarity for us on our Disney vacations but I have to say I preferred it over the sweltering heat that we usually have experienced on our summer vacations. So with sweatshirts, jackets, and pants on we were prepared for our half a day in Hollywood Studios.

We usually don’t spend too much time in Hollywood Studios seeing as there’s a ton for our little one to do but we certainly packed a lot into our shortened day. We started off with a bang and twisted and turned on the Toy Story ride, which our little girl happened to love this time, attempting to pull the string and play the game with her too big 3D glasses on. On the way to Daddy’s Aerosmith rollercoaster, we had to make a quick stop to give some hugs to Pluto and Chip and Dale. We were back in route again and Daddy was off to ride his ride while little one and I picked up a new pressed penny book and added some new pressed pennies. After a little rest for Mommy and little one a warm bench, Daddy soon reappeared and we were off to catch the Disney Junior show, which is always a winner, followed by some hugs, kisses, and a little dancing too with Sofia and Jake. The last adventure before lunch was our little girl’s first time in the Honey I Shrunk The Kids inspired land which she absolutely loved; anything that includes climbing ropes, running around, and conquering twisty paths and slides is a winner for our courageous little girl.

Gluten free lunch at Studio Catering Co.. — Gluten free greek salad lunch at Studio Catering Co..

Since we were right next door we decided on Studio Catering Co. for lunch which in my book is a huge winner for gluten free diners. In the past I’ve taken advantage of their delicious gluten free roll choice and enjoyed a sandwich and fries, take a look at the Gluten Free Italian sandwich, but this lunch I was more in the mood for a salad so it was a gluten free greek salad this time around. My salad was put together safely and in a separate space and I was able to watch every bit of it being put together making me feel a lot more comfortable. Soon enough all of our meals were delivered and I was enjoying a Gluten Free Greek Salad with my favorite, an OMG Gluten Free Fudge Brownie for dessert. It was a perfect lunch, just enough to tide me over until a little snack that afternoon, a strawberry macaron maybe?

We finished up our day at Hollywood Studios with the Little Mermaid show, another winner for little one and headed out as our little girl had fallen asleep. We’d never taken the boats from Hollywood Studios but we decided it was a great opportunity especially since we had dinner at Epcot a little later and we could probably keep little one sleeping a little while longer that way. So with that we got a tour via boat of some of the other resorts between Hollywood Studios and Epcot and finally arrived at Epcot’s back corner near France. Since little girl was still sleeping and we happened to be in the right neck of the woods, I enjoyed another Gluten Free Strawberry Macaron from the snack stand while we put our feet up to enjoy some peace and quiet over in England.

Gluten free dinner at Rose & Crown Pub in Epcot's England. — Gluten free dinner at Rose & Crown Pub in Epcot’s England.

As nap time came to a close we decided to try to sneak in for an earlier dinner in England since it had warmed up enough to maybe enjoy an outdoor seat on the lake. Lucky us we were squeezed in early and got a great seat by an outdoor heater with a great view of the lake and the hustle and bustle on the main street, plenty to occupy our rambunctious toddler. Our waitress was phenomenal and made sure all of us were well taken care of, especially making sure the chef, Chef Joe, was out and tending to my gluten free needs without too much delay. We’ve dined at Rose & Crown before so Chef Joe actually remembered us, even recalling my order of a Gluten Free Filet with Garlic Herb Butter, Green Beans, and Garlic Mashed Potatoes. It was great to see a familiar face in the ordering process, especially one that remembered us too. So without further delay our orders were all placed and our food was soon on its way.

A Rose & Crown Pub gluten free filet with crispy green beans and garlic mashed potatoes.

The filet with the garlic, herb butter sauce was just as delicious as before, Chef Joe really did me proud. Each bite was just as tasty as the last and even though this pregnant mommy has really been off of meat this pregnancy I managed to eat a huge portion of my filet. I should mention that the accompaniments were just as delicious as the main star on the plate. The string beans were fresh and crispy and the garlic mashed potatoes were so creamy and had just the right amount of garlic. My main dish was delicious but I definitely was looking forward to a sweet treat at the end.

Rose and Crown gluten free English trifle with layers of fruit and custard, hold the cookie. — Rose & Crown gluten free English trifle with layers of fruit and custard, hold the cookie.

Per Chef Joe’s recommendation, I went with the Gluten Free English Trifle, sans the cookie, which is layers of fruit and custard. The custard was phenomenal and the strawberries were a perfect match. While I certainly enjoyed my dessert it was even better watching our little girl, who ordered the same treat I had but with the cookie addition, enjoy hers even more. Spoonful after spoonful elicited that grin and “mmm” sound making all of us smile along with her enjoyment.

All in all, I can’t say enough great things about dining gluten free at the Rose & Crown Pub. My whole family, along with our little girl, loves dining here each and every time, this time being no exception. Our meal outdoors, even though it was chilly, was so fun and made even better by our waitress who our little girl just loved talking and playing show and tell with. While the staff are truly fantastic as a whole, the highlight for us was the attentiveness of the chef. The chef himself brings out your meal and dessert and even checks on you to make sure all was to your liking. Chef Joe does a fantastic job catering to any request and deserves a huge thank you from my family and probably many others for the great work he does behind the scenes.

It was a perfect day in Disney, a little chilly, but from start to finish filled with good food and lots of fun. We had a great day in Hollywood Studios and an even better night in Epcot which we topped off with few rides. What we love about each of our Disney trips is that every day in Disney is special and holds so many different memories. This trip was no different and by Day 4 we had already created so many special memories and we couldn’t wait to enjoy even more the next few days!

Stay tuned for some Animal Kingdom fun!

Sincerely,

Lindsay (27 weeks)

March 16, 2015

Doing Disney World Gluten Free & Pregnant: Our First Adventures

Not too long ago, pre-babies, Dan and I ventured to Europe and Disney World while I was pregnant with our first little one. We created so many amazing adventures with little one in my belly, ones that she’ll surely love hearing about down the road. Although they were both difficult for completely different reasons, they were so worth it for us to add to our memory book. Just as we were trying for our second baby we had been in talks for our 2015 vacation. We knew we wanted to do another Disney trip but the timing was of course a question. With no luck on the positive pregnancy test front yet we bit the bullet and booked our vacation for spring and two days later learned the excited news. We were so thrilled about the positive test result that we had almost forgotten we had planned a vacation that would put me nicely in my third trimester which for me was a no go. The next day we bumped up our vacation to a new time of year we hadn’t experienced in Disney yet and signed ourselves up for another vacation while expecting.

As the one who was actually expecting, I couldn’t have been more excited to be pregnant and bring my family to Disney again but I have to admit my constant nerves about the unexpected. You just never know how your pregnancy will go and planning a vacation, especially one like Disney where the weather can be really hot and uncomfortable and the intensity level is well, less than relaxing, is a pretty nerve wracking undertaking. Nonetheless, this mommy-to-be was Disney bound with our little toddler who’s surely a Disney baby and our new little one who would get to share a similar story with her sister of her visit in mommy’s belly, how cool?!?! I couldn’t help but be so excited for the vacation ahead, to experience the magic of Disney, create more family memories that will last a lifetime, and enjoy one last trip as a family of three before our new addition makes her appearance.

Day 1 — Disney World at 22 weeks with Baby #2

So as I turned into my 22nd week, I packed my maternity attire and emergency supplies and we were off to experience the magic of Disney. We headed out nice and early for the first flight of the day so we could get in a nice full first day. We all made it through the flight in one piece and were greeted in Orlando with warm and sunny weather, a stark difference from the impending snowstorm in the Northeast. We quickly switched into some summer clothes and were greeted by the Magical Express who whisked us away to our home away from home, the Wilderness Lodge. With magic bands on our wrists, we were ready to start our Disney adventure and couldn’t wait to head over to the Magic Kingdom to ring in our trip.

By the time we had checked in and caught the boat over to Magic Kingdom it was lunch time so we grabbed little one a quick lunch and mommy a little snack too from Roaring Fork at Wilderness Lodge and decided to hop on a few rides first before we lunched on something more substantial. Since our little girl’s favorite attractions are by far those in Fantasyland we headed that way first and caught a few Disney staples before this mommy-to-be was in desperate need of sustenance. For the first lunch of our trip we decided on one of my all time favorites, the Turkey Leg from the Frontierland cart over by Splash Mountain which is also conveniently located right next to a Mickey Pretzel stand that was music to our little girl’s ears.

I manned the pretzel stand and grabbed our little girl her very own Mickey pretzel, which are sadly not gluten free, while Dan checked over the turkey leg ingredients and picked up lunch for us. I’m normally not a huge meat eater, especially while pregnant, but just the thought of a delicious, juicy turkey leg made my mouth water so I knew it would be the perfect fit for lunch for me. And it was just as delicious as in my memory, thanks to the smoking it was a juicy cross between ham and turkey that is a hugely satisfying lunch for anyone out there. Since I hardly ever put a significant dent in a Disney turkey leg Dan agreed to share one for our lunch especially since we were eating an earlier dinner at Hollywood Studios. With both of us devouring the turkey leg, after some time sitting in the shade the turkey leg was no more and the Mickey pretzel, well didn’t really resemble Mickey too well after my little girl was through with it. With Daddy’s finishing touches on the pretzel we were off to enjoy a bit more of Magic Kingdom before a little afternoon nap.

We had a fantastic couple of hours in Magic Kingdom to kick off our vacation and were really looking forward to a perfect first dinner at 50s Prime Time Cafe. We caught our bus over to Hollywood Studios without too much of a delay and arrived for our dinner more or less on time, checked in, and waited a bit too long for our table to be ready. Our little girl was less than patient waiting for our table, pure exhaustion was setting in, which made the waiting a lot more painful, but thankfully we were called back and settled in without too much trouble. I requested to speak to the chef since our waitress hadn’t heard anything about my allergy free fried chicken pre-order which unfortunately was the same response from the chef. Despite my ordering ahead of time via email and phone, the chef told us that he hadn’t heard anything about the allergy order, which was so frustrating for me especially since I had taken all of the extra steps to make dinner easier. Last time this had happened the chef told us he couldn’t make the chicken for me but thankfully this chef was so accommodating and just told us it would take a little while but I could absolutely enjoy the chicken. So without too much delay my Gluten Free Fried Chicken had arrived piping hot and with an allergy pick sticking out of it.

50s Fried Chicken — Hollywood Studios, 50s Prime Time Cafe Gluten Free Fried Chicken

The chicken was just as tasty as I had remembered, crispy coating covering the juicy, tender meat inside. It was perfectly complemented with a garlicky mashed potato and crispy green beans, which my little girl was appreciative of enjoying as well. All together my entree was delicious but I do wish that my extra homework ahead of time paid off and not only guaranteed me my meal but also limited our wait too. Thankfully this dinner we got lucky and had a great chef who looked just as frustrated as we did when he heard what had happened but nonetheless put together a great gluten free meal for me.

Hollywood Studios, 50s Prime Time Cafe Gluten Free Dad's Brownie Sundae — Hollywood Studios, 50s Prime Time Cafe Gluten Free Dad’s Brownie Sundae

We certainly couldn’t finish our dinner at 50s without a Gluten Free Dad’s Brownie Sundae so it was one sundae for us three to split and trust me there’s more than enough to do just that. A perfect gluten free brownie smothered in all kinds of fixings, from hot fudge to vanilla ice cream and a mountain of whipped cream to all kinds of candies. It was perfection, my only complaint was the missing popcorn topping which may or may not still come on the sundae, not sure about that one, but that aside, the sundae was delicious!

Our first day of our Disney vacation was certainly a magical one filled with lots of smiles, delicious gluten free and non-gluten free food, and an extra special purple Mickey balloon for an extra special little girl. After so much excitement on our first day we called it an early night and relaxed back at our room only to find the biggest surprise of all, our room was in perfect view of Magic Kingdom’s firework show. With such an amazing surprise, we pushed off bedtime a bit and snuggled together on our balcony to enjoy the amazing firework show. Can’t ask for a better ending to our first day than that! Stay tuned for more Disney updates from our 2015 Disney vacation!

Sincerely,

Lindsay (24 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)

August 28, 2014

We Did It! We Survived A Day In Hollywood Studios!

So after one of our favorite dinners on our summer Disney vacation, you know the gluten free fried chicken that captured my heart, it was time for our day in Hollywood Studios. We finally survived a full day in this park after a few others in the past that didn’t quite go as planned. Check out my guest post on Sarah’s Gluten Free & Dairy Free WDW blog to hear all about our day, from the Frozen Summer event to our first lunch at Studio Catering Co.!

Sincerely,

Lindsay

August 26, 2014

Finally Tasted Gluten Free Fried Chicken Thanks To 50s Prime Time Cafe

After a great day in Epcot, we headed over to Hollywood Studios for dinner. On our travels, nestled snug in my arms, little one fell asleep for a much needed nap, and I have to admit that I wished I could fall asleep along with her too. Soon enough though we pulled up at the bus stop and quickly unloaded. It was back into the stroller for our little girl and thankfully the transition didn’t wake her up.

Since we arrived a bit early for our reservation at 50s Prime Time Cafe, we decided to grab a few cups of water (which by the way you can get for free at any stand!) and meander through the air conditioned gift shops. I can honestly say that I don’t think I’ve ever been so thankful for air conditioning in quite awhile. It just felt heavenly walking through those stores, not to mention it made nap time a lot more comfortable I’m sure for a certain little girl. After looking through all of Disney’s merchandise, and snagging a Mickey pretzel magnet that our toddler would just love, it was time to head over for dinner.

A short wait later and a table that would fit our group of thirteen was ready. Thankfully, there was enough room to push our stroller in with sleeping baby inside and not interrupt nap time. The chef joined us moments later, took our allergy free orders (gluten free fried chicken of course and the brownie sundae), and politely obliged to our gluten free fried chicken request and in fact shared that the chicken was almost ready, yay!!!! I couldn’t have been happier to be one step closer to tasting the deliciousness of their gluten free fried chicken again.

A little Mommy and Daddy time while little one sleeps.

Now, how did I seem to accomplish the impossible, seeing as last time I was less than successful at 50s? Well I sent my gluten free meal request via email to Special.Diets@DisneyWorld.com, 2 weeks before we left for our trip, where they then passed it along to the restaurant. It seems so silly that this is necessary, but trust me, if you want to enjoy this gluten free item I highly recommend doing this. In one of my many discussions with Disney’s Special Diets department I was informed that the restaurant no longer keeps all of the ingredients on hand at all times so they need ample notice ahead of time of a request to get everything. Better safe than sorry and from now on I’ll only ever order this dish in this way, hopefully to always have the success that I did that day!

Okay, so now that all of the instructions for ordering are out of the way lets get to the good stuff. Since our gluten free fried chicken was almost ready when we talked to the chef (thanks to my pre-ordering!) our wait was cut down significantly, unfortunately though not enough for our little girl. In fact, just as our meals were arriving our little one stirred, I’m telling you they have amazing timing, and didn’t wake up in the best of moods. Seeing as I have an amazing husband who knows how much I had looked forward to this meal he offered to take our little girl outside for a walk so I could quickly gobble my hot and crispy gluten free fried chicken down. I don’t know how they do it but the crispy gluten free fried chicken with a side of garlic mashed potatoes and string beans hit the spot perfectly and was amazing! The outside of the chicken was perfectly crispy and flavorful while the inside was bursting with juicy flavor. The sides were just as tasty as I remembered too but there’s no denying the star of that plate was chicken.

khkhk — Gluten Free Dad’s Brownie Sundae

Once my perfect plate of gluten free diner food was almost done, Dan and my little one were back and it was my turn on toddler duty. Thankfully we had gotten our little girl some dinner ahead of time so she happily nibbled on some of Mommy’s green beans, sandwich, and her favorite, apple slices. Before we knew it, the creme de la creme of the dessert menu had arrived, a gluten free version of Dad’s Brownie Sundae, which towered over the table in all of it’s glory! By this time, my little one who loves herself some dessert, had finished her meal, at least as close as we were going to get, and even had a quick change outside and was licking her lips at one look of this masterpiece. We divided the whole sundae for our family of three to enjoy, making sure each of us got to taste all of the fixings, including the homemade gluten free brownie, vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, caramel sauce, whipped cream, sprinkles, caramel popcorn, m&ms and a cherry. This dessert is phenomenal, from the delicious gluten free brownie that they make in house to the clever toppings like the caramel popcorn, each bite makes you close your eyes and give a little mmm. A sweet way to end our meal for sure!

So needless to say my faith in 50s Prime Time Cafe has been restored. With some notice ahead of time, they were able to create a gluten free masterpiece and I for one couldn’t be more grateful. After such a rough experience only a few months ago, it was certainly a relief to walk out with such a different feeling this time. Hopefully this method is fool proof and gets you this plate of deliciousness anytime you want! Keep me posted on all of your gluten free experiences in Disney World too, good or bad, I’d love to hear them!

TIP: If you’re contemplating making a dining reservation at 50s Prime Time Cafe and are interested in their legendary gluten free fried chicken, make sure you order ahead as I did by simply emailing your request to Special.Diets@DisneyWorld.com. This seems to be the best way to make sure that you get to enjoy what you want.

Have A Magical Day,

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

May 27, 2014

A Sad But True Gluten Free Update On Disney’s 50s Prime Time Cafe At Hollywood Studios

Our second day in Disney was fantastic, from an early start in Epcot riding some rides and meeting and greeting some of my daughter’s favorite Disney faces to tasting new and exotic treats around the World Showcase leading up to a gluten free lunch at Tutto Gusto. With little one wide awake after a lunch in Italy, we took our time and wandered through the remaining countries, visiting characters and taking in all of the beautiful topiaries. Soon enough, my little girl’s full belly made her incredibly sleepy allowing mommy and daddy some time to get a drink and enjoy the beautiful sights and sounds that Epcot has to offer.

After some meandering through air conditioned stores throughout the rest of the world, it was time for us to head over to Hollywood Studios for dinner at 50s Prime Time Cafe. Having fallen in love with this restaurant the past few times that we visited Disney in the gluten free phase of my life, it was a no brainer to make an advanced dining reservation here. For the past few months I’ve been craving their delicious, gluten free crispy fried chicken, something I’ve only ever been able to enjoy thanks to Disney! To say I was extremely excited heading over to 50s would be an understatement!

By the time we reached Hollywood Studios little one was still sleeping so we scooted into 50s Prime Time Cafe, checked in, and were quickly seated with a sleeping toddler by our side. A quick once over of the menu to just make sure the fried chicken still made an appearance and I was ready to place my order with the chef. Much to my dismay, as I was discussing my menu options with him and tried to place my fried chicken order I was told that they no longer could make the gluten free fried chicken. My mouth literally fell open as I turned to my husband sitting across from me. After some prodding, the chef went on to explain that they no longer keep any of the ingredients in the restaurant so you would need to order your meal with them far in advance. He went on to say that additionally they don’t make this dish anymore because of hazards with the fryer along with the lengthy amount of time that it takes to prepare the dish. Needless to say I was very confused after a number of different excuses were thrown at me, I mean could I order the fried chicken in the future if I call three months ahead and place my order or even after that when I am finally there to enjoy my ordered ahead meal will I be told it’s not safe to make this dish?

After the shock wore off, I asked the chef what else I could order off of the menu and learned of the meatloaf and pot pie without the crust, neither of which I’ve ever really enjoyed prior to my gluten issues so they weren’t really options for me. One item that did catch my eye was the pot roast which sounded quite tasty, however I was told that wasn’t a possibility either due to the flour dusting. Instead, I ordered a Chicken Caesar Salad with blue cheese dressing, not nearly a satisfying and substantial substitute for my beloved gluten free fried chicken. Nonetheless, we were there and enjoying the atmosphere so I was determined to eat something gluten free and end with their amazing brownie dessert.

I’d like to say that their Chicken Caesar Salad was the best I’d ever eaten but it didn’t even come close. The portion was pretty small for the price and the main component of the dish, the lettuce, was odds and ends of romaine. As far as salads go it really wasn’t that bad, unfortunately though it didn’t hold a candle to what I had set my heart on. Thankfully though as dessert rolled around and little girl was still resting her eyes, my husband and I shared the gluten free Dad’s Brownie Sundae, which consisted of a gluten free brownie, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, sprinkles, m&ms, caramel pop corn, and probably a number of other toppings that I missed. This was delicious! So delicious in fact I forgot to take a picture before we dove in. Trust me though, it’s a work of art, definitely worth saving a little bit of room for at the end of your meal. Just a note though, it is pretty big so you might want to consider sharing it if you’re not too hungry still.

All in all, 50s Prime Time Cafe was disappointing this time around. They’ve developed such an impressive reputation online among the food blogs for their ability to cater to gluten free diners in a unique way, providing options that you really can’t find anywhere else. Their fried chicken was so crispy and moist and really put other restaurants who were unable to make this gluten free at home to shame. Sadly it looks as if I can’t really say that anymore. The explanations that the chef provided were confusing and unclear so I suppose in our future Disney trips I’ll have to call and speak directly to a chef months ahead and see if I can possibly enjoy this dish again. The sad truth that I’ve learned traveling, mainly cruising, while gluten free is that many restaurants require advanced notice for a gluten free dish so they can acquire the ingredients. Although these restaurants advertise and develop notoriety because of their gluten free menus, they still do not carry gluten free items for their menu on a day to day basis. This, in my opinion, remains as one of the major pitfalls in dining out gluten free where you have to do so much homework before being able to enjoy a meal with your loved ones at a restaurant.

This situation reminds me a bit of my gluten free travels over the past few years. My husband and I enjoy cruising and have done so several times while eating gluten free. Although they for the most part, with some exceptions, have been phenomenal in catering to a gluten free diet, they required advance ordering at every restaurant prior to our reservation. For me, this just kind of takes away from your meal a bit when you have to hunt down a chef days ahead to place an order for your dinner a couple days away; not to mention, who knows if I’d still be in the mood for a dish that I ordered a couple days ago. Sadly it looks like 50s Prime Time Cafe at Hollywood Studios may be adopting a bit of this approach, at least when it comes to this unique gluten free dish. The funny thing though, I really didn’t mind and wouldn’t mind ordering in advance if I knew I could get an amazing dish that I would enjoy, which in the case of our cruises happened more often than not. Here’s to hoping that 50s Prime TIme Cafe can still put together a fantastic plate of Gluten Free Fried Chicken just like I remember with a little bit of advanced notice. We’ll be visiting Disney again in the next few months so I’ll report then if I have any success!

Keep watching for our next Disney food adventures from Dole Whips and Pop Corn to dinners at Kona Cafe in the Polynesian, Epcot’s Mexico and England, and one of our favorites Cinderella’s Castle!

Have A Magical Day,

Lindsay