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 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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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
Since getting married, Dan and I have taken two incredibly memorable European vacations, one of which was gluten free and the other wasn’t quite there yet. Our first adventure was days after saying I do and sailed us through Spain and a number of Italian cities. Thanks to Norwegian Cruise Line, we were able to see some of the biggest landmarks like Rome’s Trevi Fountain, Florence’s Ponte Vecchio, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Barcelona’s Las Ramblas, and the breathtaking views and lemon trees taking over the Island of Capri.
Between the tours of each cities’ staples, we had some free time to wander along the cobblestone streets and take in the sights, sounds, and even tastes that some that each had to offer. At the time, I was testing out a lactose intolerant diagnosis so I was armed with a box full of lactaid to help me survive our honeymoon and survive I did. I’m so grateful that my body held out for me to enjoy an authentic Italian pizza topped with prosciutto, cheese filled Spanish croquettes, and finally our favorite sweet finish was the sweet and creamy gelato, appearing on almost every street corner. I’ll never forget the moments that we shared eating at the little cafe in Florence and the water side restaurant in Barcelona, along with wandering the streets of each city hand-in-hand as we gobbled down our quickly melting gelato. Our honeymoon was one of the last vacations we took before we walked into the gluten free world and will certainly go down in infamy.
Flash forward almost two years later and I was newly pregnant and living a gluten free life. We’d had quite a bit of practice traveling gluten free over that time, including overnighters to Washington D.C., a couple of trips to New Orleans (We love this city! Great place for gluten free diners by the way!), and a cruise to the Caribbean. However, we hadn’t yet made it back to Europe, a place we vowed to venture back to in the near future. With enough miles to fly to Venice for free and a great deal on another Norwegian cruise, we just couldn’t resist the urge to explore some new places in Italy and Greece. This adventure would be way different than our first, now eating under a gluten free diet and expecting our first baby.
Gluten Free Pregnancy Prep For Travel:
First thing was first, to talk to my doctor about precautions while traveling in my first trimester. My doctor’s main advice was centralized around eating, which thankfully I was extremely cognizant of since having to pay extra attention to my diet anyway. Next up, not to overdo it too much, making sure to sit down and relax, especially if I was feeling sick at any point. Seems like a silly reminder I know, but my doctor certainly does know me and knows that I’m a pusher and like to forge ahead regardless of what my body tells me. At this point in my pregnancy, I was experiencing some of your typical first trimester symptoms, extreme bloating and occasional nausea were my prominent ones so it certainly was important to mind what my body was telling me now. Finally, in terms of the flight, ugh the necessary evil of every vacation for me, just to make sure I wear my anti-nausea bands, have plenty to eat and drink, and to get up and walk around frequently to prevent leg swelling. With some great advice from my doctor, I was ready physically, well as ready as I was going to be, to go on our first adventure while I was pregnant with our little girl.
Do Your Gluten Free Homework Online:
No preparation for a gluten free vacation is complete though without tons of googling on the best dining locations. As far as this information in Italy and Greece is concerned, it is pretty hard to come by; however you may stumble upon a couple hidden gems like I did, finding a location for a gluten free pizza as well as gelato in Venice! What I found was most useful, in conjunction with the power of Google, was asking your hotel staff. They will be able to not only advise you on great restaurants in a variety of different locations, those central to your hotel and those that are a bit farther, but also will be able to call those restaurants and inquire about their ability to accommodate. Their help is extremely critical, especially in a foreign country where the language barrier can prove to complicate your dining situation even further.
Venice, Italy
Gluten Free Adventures In Venice, Italy:
We were so fortunate with our choice in hotel accommodations; we stayed at AD Place in Venice which is pretty centrally located between St. Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge. Upon check in, I passed on a friendly reminder of my gluten intolerance and was told that they’d be going to the store to pick up some gluten free treats for me for breakfast. And boy did they deliver on their promise. Each morning I was greeted with an array of gluten free options including muffins, bread, meats, cheeses, and fruits. Not to mention, they delivered a number of gluten free desserts in our room. They were so accommodating and really took the guess work out of breakfast for us.
As far as dinners were concerned, those we decided with the help of the front desk, who guaranteed some gluten free reservations for us. My favorites in Venice were A Beccafico and Rosa Rosa, which both treated me to outstanding gluten free pasta dishes, combining the best gluten free pasta I’d ever had with the tastiest pomodoro sauces, along with some phenomenal gluten free dinner rolls. The creme de la creme though in the gluten free sector of Venice was GROM’s gluten free gelato shop, a hidden gem that I discovered online before our trip. Be wary though of gelato when visiting Italy as not all flavors are gluten free and many shops may not take the precautions to prevent cross contamination. GROM however, is an Italian Celiac Association rated gelato shop where they offer numerous non-gluten free flavors (and a few non-gluten free marked by a wheat symbol) along with staff that are trained to prevent cross contamination and safely deliver you a tasty treat. All in all, my gluten free experience in Venice was extraordinary, thanks to the power of the internet along with the knowledgeable staff at AD Place.
Santorini, Greece
Gluten Free Cruising:
The bulk of the rest of our eating on our cruise throughout Greece was spent on our Norwegian cruise ship. Norwegian cruise line does a fantastic job as far as allergy dining. We’ve cruised several times since going gluten free and each time I’ve been extremely pleased and satisfied. Along with giving ample notice upon making our travel reservation, I always stop in at the front desk in the lobby of the cruise ship, on Norwegian this would be the reservation desk for dining, etc.. After making our reservations first thing after getting on the ship, we always request to speak with each chef at each restaurant, and even place my order with them, either the day before or morning of that reservation. This might seem like a nuisance, but trust me, it’s the best way of going about ordering your food. Giving each restaurant ample notice of what you’d like to order is both beneficial for you, so you can eat what you’d like, as well as for the kitchen to be able to prepare things ahead of time. Keep in mind, as far as gluten free food is considered, on cruises chefs typically have to move about between kitchens to retrieve ingredients that may be necessary to complete an order, giving them some extra time to do this may make a difference in getting to eat what you’d like to. As far as the buffets for breakfast and lunch, just request a chef to come out and walk you through the lines; they’re more than happy to do so and will provide you with anything additional that you may need or want, so don’t be afraid to ask.
For us, cruising through Europe, as a whole, is a great way to see a number of different places in a short amount of time, but also from a cost perspective it’s the most economical. From a gluten free standpoint, you’re able to dine worry free and be assured that no matter what, you’ll have something good and safe to eat. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were all exceptional, and in my book, anything that leaves a hungry, pregnant and gluten free woman extremely full and satisfied is a success story. Congrats Norwegian on a great job for gluten free dining! But while half of the enjoyment of cruising is dining on the ship, the other half is leaving the boat to see the world. When it’s time to do that, you’ll need to be good and rested for the full day ahead of sight seeing that you have in front of you, so arm yourself with lots of snacks and try to do your homework on each sight.
Corfu, Greece
Gluten Free Adventures In Greece:
As we cruised through Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos, and Olympia, Greece we took in so many gorgeous sites from the crisp blue water to the cliff top villages, all of it is certainly a sight to see. Food wise, Dan was in love with the cuisine, he indulged in truly everything, from bowls of seafood extravaganza and beautifully stuffed whole squid to his favorite, baklava in all shapes and forms. Greek food for me was not as adventurous or exciting but was certainly delicious. After some googling and coming up a bit empty handed on the gluten free front, that paired with the fact that I don’t eat any seafood, I pretty much knew before we left that I’d be sticking to the salad portion of the menu for the few meals that we’d be enjoying on land in Greece. Being pregnant and eating gluten free I was even more hesitant of the foreign menus so I decided at our few stops to stick with a traditional Greek Salad, filled with fresh veggies and delicious olives and fresh feta cheese. It was a safe and tasty choice for me and little girl that was available at each restaurant. FYI, an authentic Greek Salad is tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, peppers, Greek olives, feta cheese, olive oil, and seasonings, there’s no lettuce component, news to me after I had my first one.
As far as our Greek dining experiences as a whole, while Dan enjoyed all of the authentic Greek food that he could ever ask for and I my perfectly flavored Greek salad, we couldn’t get enough of the beautiful breeze at the water side restaurant on the island of Olympia, the gorgeous sunset at the clifftop village of Santorini, and the locals meandering around the restaurant nestled in the center of a village in Mykonos. Although we always choose tours that take us through the main attractions of each city, some of our favorite moments are when we can truly walk the streets of that particular place and absorb all that it has to offer. This vacation was no different; we created so many amazing memories from the worlds we explored and cannot wait to one day introduce our little girl to them as well.
Mykonos, Greece
Gluten Free Snacks For Those Pregnancy Cravings:
Our travels through Venice and Greece were beautiful and delicious at the same time, but when pregnant and eating gluten free in foreign countries I was sure to arm myself with a bag full of snacks to get me through those hunger pangs that would most certainly hit and frequently too. Some of my favorite gluten free salty treats that come in snack size bags, perfect for travel, were Snyders pretzels and Pirates Booty. On the sweet side of things, I loved Bakery on Main’s gluten free peanut butter and jelly granola bars along with a couple bags of either hard candies or gummies like Swedish Fish or Jolly Ranchers. Along with snacks that you pick up before your trip, make sure you grab a couple extra pieces of fruit at breakfast to toss in your bag for later. Also, keep an eye out for some gluten free snacks along your travels. When we wandered through Venice, we found a few prepackaged bags of gluten free biscottis in some sweet shops and I just couldn’t resist picking them up; mind you, knowing the country’s term for gluten free is incredibly helpful here as these were marked senza glutine, which is the signature gluten free phrase in Italian that we learned before our travels. So make sure you keep a little stock in your purse at all times and don’t be afraid to wander through local bakeries and shops while keeping an eye out for prepackaged bags of gluten free treats, just make sure you resist those gorgeous non-gluten free sweetsl
Gluten Free Pregnancy Packing Tips:
Remember, preparing ahead of time is the best way to travel, especially when you’re gluten free, and even more so when you’re pregnant. I spent weeks before, making lists of necessary gluten free must bring items, along with scouring the internet for the best gluten free restaurants to enjoy. After so much prep, you’ll definitely feel better about your upcoming vacation, but remember to always have back up ideas for restaurants and extra snacks along with just-in-case resources. Traveling while pregnant and gluten free has made me the queen of packing for the just-in-case situations, from cold medicines galore and being glutened meds to a heat pad for sciatica and an ice pack for my lovely migraines that my head loves to get. While pregnant you never know what feeling may creep up, so one of my favorite just-in-case items that I can’t recommend enough were my motion sick wrist bands which proved to be especially important when flying 9 hours each way and boating through an entire week and a half vacation. Seaband makes amazing pressure wrist bands that I sported not only on our vacations but also throughout a lot of the beginning and end of my pregnancy (I’m sure you could spot them in one or two of my pictures!).
Mykonos, Greece
All together, taking an adventure while pregnant and eating gluten free is so exciting and something really cool that you can share with that little one inside of you one day. Dan and I joke all of the time how well traveled our little girl is at only 1 1/2, having been to Disney, Italy, and Greece before she even left the womb. There are so many stories that we look forward to telling her when she’s a bit older, especially those with her along for the ride. Although it was a bit intimidating going to a foreign country without knowing the language, having a dietary challenge, and with a baby on the way, we had an amazing time and created some very special memories that we’ll share with our little girl for forever.
Here’s a few tips that could help prepare you for vacationing while being pregnant and gluten free:
Do your homework: This is probably the best tip I can give anyone. Google google google. The internet has allowed us to help others and receive help too, so make sure you search for anything gluten free when it comes to your destination.
Snacks: This is an absolute must and goes for those that are just gluten free or those that are gluten free and expecting. I always travel with snacks, pregnant or not; it just gives you comfort that you’ll always have something to eat if you’re in a pinch. So bring plenty of snacks with you, and make sure you cater to both sides of your cravings, salty or sweet, you never know what you’ll be in the mood for.
Translation cards: This is crucial and can really help bridge the gap between you and your waitor, hostess, or chef. If you don’t know the language in the country you’re visiting, either learn a few key phrases, i.e. do you have a gluten free menu, is this gluten free, cross contamination, or bring along translation cards (these are a great option to prevent any lost in translation moments where your pronunciation of said phrases isn’t the best).
Cruising tips: highlight gluten free on your trip reservation months ahead (not just on your dining reservation), stop at guest relations or the ship’s reservation desk to make reservations ahead of time, meet with the chef ahead of time to place your order
Pregnancy tips: Make sure you don’t overdo it, eat plenty, keep some hard candies on hand (they help with the nausea and are a good blood sugar booster), and finally keep those motion sick bands on hand at all times (these were a lifesaver for me).
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!
A Cinderella snuggle made her dinner!
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.
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!
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 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.
Gluten Free Pulled Pork Sandwich
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!
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
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.
After enjoying a good breakfast with Pooh and his friends, we headed straight over to Fantasyland to start our day. We visited Anna and Elsa at Princess Fairytale Hall, hopped on Cinderella’s Carousel, and road Winnie the Pooh’s ride; we then made our way over to Adventureland where we hopped on the Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean. After such a jam packed morning, little one fell asleep leaving Dan and I to wander around and figure out our lunch plans as the time was drawing near. We had yet to dine in the West Wing of Be Our Guest, so we decided to head over in that direction and catch an early lunch while little one rested her eyes.
We stood in line outside only for a short while and then followed along inside to order our meals at the kiosks. A chef was called for me to place my order which was pretty simple this time. I went with one of my favorite sandwiches there, the Carved Turkey Sandwich which had a dijon mayo and pommes frites along with it, each and every bite of which could be made gluten free. For dessert, the gluten free Lemon Raspberry Cream Puff as always.
After ordering, we headed to the West Wing to see if we could grab one of the few and coveted tables in there. Low and behold we had success, thanks to the earlier lunch time I’m guessing. Note to anyone with a sleeping baby though, when you plan on dining here for lunch be aware that there is thunder in the West Wing which can get quite loud at times, so much so it caused my little girl to stir each time. No worries though, she slept the entire time through lunch allowing some Mommy and Daddy time. While little girl slept, our meals were rolled out in their enchanted fashion and I was greeted by the familiar allergy flags placed in two beautifully put together sandwiches.
Gluten free Carved Turkey Sandwich, Dijon Mayo, and Pommes Frites at Be Our Guest.
I was so excited to dine here again for lunch, as for me, as far as Magic Kingdom lunches go, this location definitely falls in my top 3. This lunch was no different, a beautiful plate of gluten free food magically found me and we enjoyed a wonderfully tasty meal in an enchanting environment. Now, the turkey sandwich itself was put together on Udi’s bread I believe, and again, similar to the ham sandwich that I tried a few days prior, two gluten free sandwiches were given in place of the larger regular sandwich that others get. Sandwiched between gluten free slices of bread are large pieces of carved turkey with arugula on top. The turkey itself was moist and deliciously flavored, but my favorite is the gluten free dijon mayo that comes on the side!
Gluten free turkey sandwich with dijon mayo.
The dijon mayo is perfection and I just love adding it to both sandwiches and then dipping my pommes frites in whatever’s left. It complements the turkey perfectly and adds a tremendous amount of flavor to the sandwich as a whole. TIP: Ask for extra dijon mayo, you’ll definitely be happy that you did! As far as the pommes frites that come along with the sandwich, well those were delicious as always.
All in all, we just love having lunch at Be Our Guest. The environment is perfect, and the food is just that as well. From a gluten free perspective, you have so many unique options here, different really from anywhere else in Magic Kingdom. You absolutely must try Be Our Guest for both the experience and the delicious food that they offer. Take a peak at Be Our Guest’s lunch menu now to see what catches your eye, and I’m sure you’ll find many an item that you’re interested in trying. Let me know what gluten free dishes you enjoy when you visit Magic Kingdom’s Be Our Guest!
After enjoying a cool and dark lunch in the West Wing of Be Our Guest, our little girl awakened with an empty belly so we stopped at Pinnochio Village Haus to grab her a delicious bowl of mac and cheese, grapes, and apple sauce. She devoured her sized portion of the mac and cheese and apple sauce and we were off again to enjoy the remainder of the afternoon at Magic Kingdom, including the Haunted Mansion, It’s A Small World, some of my husband’s favorites Space Mountain and Splash Mountain, and the new Festival of Fantasy Parade, which was amazing!
Shortly after the parade, we headed on out to Epcot to explore the butterfly exhibit courtesy of the Flower and Garden Festival before our dinner in England. In route to Epcot though our little girl drifted off into a short little nap, those monorails and boats work magic on her! So Dan and I admired the butterflies for her and then scooted over to England for our dinner reservation.
We were seated outside right next to the lake and had a perfect view of the World Showcase. The chef joined our table almost immediately after being seated and drink orders were taken. I ordered the Grilled New York Strip Steak (Contrary to my ordering on vacation, I do not usually order steak daily, however their chicken options were usually dressed in sauces that were not up my alley, so steak it was.). Seeing as the sauce that was supposed to accompany my steak had gluten in it, the chef agreed to put together some type of gluten free scampi like sauce to go with mine.
As we waited for our meals to arrive our little one began to move around and did not wake up in the best of moods; needless to say, in the midst of taming a toddler I blanked on pictures at the Rose and Crown Pub, sorry. Anyway, our meals arrived and we traded off gobbling down our dishes while occupying our little girl. My steak was perfectly well done and was topped with a delicious scampi like sauce! The chef truly did a fantastic job putting this one together for me so I didn’t have to have a dry steak. In fact, he even checked on me several times to make sure that the sauce was to my liking, such great customer service! For dessert, I was able to only get the fruit parfait off of the kids menu. By that point though, our little one had had it, so we took a few nibbles of our desserts and decided to head back to our home resort and enjoy some much needed pool time!
It was a fantastic day of gluten free food from a turkey sandwich and dijon mayo to a strip steak and flavorful scampi sauce. Each bite was just as delicious as the one before and the one after! I have to commend Disney’s Chefs, as most of them that I’ve ever spoken to have been incredibly flexible and willing to accommodate in any capacity that they are able. Thank you Disney Chefs for being incredibly creative and aiming to please all of your diners!
My Disney adventures are almost at an end so stay tuned for the last gluten free bites that I enjoyed at Animal Kingdom, Cinderella’s Castle, and all of the snacks inbetween!
