After the magic of dining out in Disney World wore off, we were back to our normal routine without chefs catering to my every gluten free wish and characters wandering around during our meals. Ah, really makes me miss Disney just thinking about it. Well anyway, back in our neck of the woods it was business as usual on the eating out front. One of our go to dining out locations is Outback Steakhouse, a reasonably priced chain that offers a huge gluten free menu.
This restaurant got us through many a dinner in my very pregnant months. In fact, I craved their chicken and swiss sandwich, minus the sandwich part, at least once a week, making my husband a recognized regular at the curbside take out. Now, with baby out and about, we still enjoy a meal now and then at Outback with my new standby being the Alice Springs Chicken (only because the sandwich was taken off of the menu). This consists of a chicken breast, layered with bacon and cheese, along with a side of your choice, I typically get either a baked potato or a baked sweet potato.
Outback’s Alice Springs Chicken
Now, when I order the gluten free Alice Springs Chicken, I pretty much recreate the sandwich by ordering the extras on the side so I can put it together with my favorite gluten free bread at home. So for me, I usually order a revamped Alice Springs Chicken which consists of a chicken breast with extra crispy bacon and cheddar, american, or provolone cheese on top, along with pickles, honey mustard sauce, tomatoes, and lettuce on the side. I just love the combination of the chicken with their honey mustard sauce and pickles (these were one of my all time favorites while I was pregnant and have kind of stuck around since)!
Chicken breast with baked sweet potato.
This chicken can definitely be enjoyed without the sandwich fixins, but for me I can’t resist assembling my grilled chicken sandwich with all of these flavors; while I have brought a roll along with me to the restaurant, their carry out process, which was our best friend in my last month of pregnancy, definitely makes my gluten free sandwich assembling a bit easier. Either way, after a little prep, my sandwich is ready to be enjoyed and indeed it is. They season the chicken so well and with the addition of bacon and cheese, who can really go wrong with that. On the side, I like to enjoy a baked sweet potato topped with their gluten free butter and brown sugar, This is a sweet side to complement the savory sandwich and perfect with the melted butter and brown sugar mixed in.
All together, we always enjoy a meal at Outback Steakhouse. They offer so many gluten free options including chicken dishes, steaks, seafood, salads, and sandwiches/burgers without the bread part. Along with each dish tasting great, their prices are just as fantastic, allowing a party of two to get away with a bill of about $25. Outback offers an affordable and tasty dining experience for the whole family, but as a gluten free diner, I always leave with a full belly and a smile on my face. My only hope is that one day in the near future Outback joins its fellow chains, like Uno’s or Red Robin, and offers their gluten free diners a bread option, making a whole side of the menu a bit more appealing. Fingers crossed!
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!
Not a cloud in the sky, in fact a cool breeze started our 5th day in Disney as we approached the boat to head over to Magic Kingdom for an early breakfast. We hadn’t done this breakfast before so we super excited to get into Magic Kingdom before park opening and enjoy some food with friends. With the streets pretty empty we just had to snap a picture of our little girl all by herself in front of the castle with her favorite balloon!
Our little girl, so happy to be in the happiest place on earth!
Once we sprung her from her stroller, she was off and going, just so happy to be able to run around and roam Main Street on her own; and then we were able to capture this moment! She really is the light in our life! After we took a few more pictures we made our way over to the Crystal Palace, where we couldn’t wait to enjoy good food with Winnie the Pooh and some of his friends too. We checked in, and just as we were unloading the stroller we were called to be seated. As were getting our cameras out, settling little one into her high chair, and ordering our drinks, we saw the chef approaching. He told me that they had gluten free Vans waffles (sadly, no Mickey waffles here) and donuts along with traditional breakfast staples. I decided to go with scrambled eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and toast and to also try the donuts that they had, way too much food for myself but just had to try a bit of everything. Also, the chef did say that I could get the eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns from the buffet as they were gluten free, but I instead opted to have the chef put together my dish in the kitchen to prevent any cross contamination. While waiting for my food, the characters started circulating and first up was Eeyore.
My love and her love. She just loved each and every one of the characters!
As you can tell, my daughter absolutely LOVED Eeyore! Just as she was with all of the other characters we had visited, she couldn’t stop hugging him. Some moments, she would just close her eyes and smile as she wrapped her tiny arms around his nose and he squished her back! After Eeyore and Pooh had passed by, Dan visited the buffet to pick out a plate for himself and our little girl. While he was doing that my plate arrived!
Crystal Palace gluten free scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, and bacon.Crystal Palace gluten free donut and toast.
Between scrambling around to meet the characters and feed our toddler who was too distracted to really eat, I’ll be honest I didn’t really enjoy too much of my breakfast. But, I was sure to try each item on my plate, especially the donut! The scrambled eggs and bacon were pretty good, just what I was in the mood for, especially with a side of toast! The hashbrowns were okay, really not my favorite; I prefer a shredded potato kind of hashbrown, like the one at Chef Mickey’s Breakfast. Finally the donut, it was pretty good, a bit too cakey, but it was just nice to add something sweet to a gluten free breakfast for a change. I believe the donuts that they have here are Kinnikinnick, which are kind of tiny and more cakey; I definitely prefer a Katz donut which is a bit more dense and also a little bigger too!
All in all, breakfast at Crystal Palace for the experience was fantastic, a little too much fun as my little girl wasn’t keen on the sitting down and eating part of the meal, and food wise it was pretty good. I would definitely eat here again, more so for the fun of getting into the park early and enjoying some close up time with Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Eeyore than for the actual food though. Keep an eye out for another Be Our Guest lunch that we managed to squeeze in!
Disney Day 4 was filled with lots of rides and meet and greets at Magic Kingdom so it was certainly nice to end it with a relaxing dinner and dessert in Epcot! I had scoped out the Flower and Garden Festival food options awhile before being there in person so I had a general idea of what they had in the gluten free department. On my list of potential treats to try were the Candied Strawberries in China, Frushi in Japan, and the Orange Blossom Macaron in France. Since I’d already tasted the Candied Strawberries, I was eager to either go with the Frushi or Macaron. I was in more of a pastry mood that night than a fruit one so macaron it was.
It was a beautiful night despite the excessive wetness during the day, so we took our time heading over to France, making sure we caught all of the beautiful topiaries on the way. Some of our favorites by far were Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs in Germany,
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Germany, Epcot
Lady and The Tramp in Italy,
Lady and The Tramp, Italy, Epcot
and finally Beauty and The Beast, and all of their enchanted friends, in France.
Beauty and The Beast, France, Epcot
These were so beautiful and the attention to detail was amazing! Now, after we had taken a few photos of the gorgeous French topiaries we spotted France’s Fleur De Lys Flower and Garden Festival stand.
Flower and Garden Festival 2014 in Epcot
I quickly ordered the Macaron a la Fleur d’ Oranger which was an orange blossom macaron with white chocolate ganache in the center. These were kept separately and already on their individual plates so I didn’t have to worry about the person handling the other gluten-filled options at the stand also touching mine as well. After picking up my macaron, we headed through France to the Les Halles Boulangerie & Patisserie to pick out a sweet treat for our little girl. She picked an impressive fruit parfait which was yogurt mousse with berries, a combination of ingredients that she happens to adore at home so I knew this one would be a hit. We headed out and picked an outside table to sit and enjoy our desserts together.
Gluten Free Macaron a la Fleur d’ Oranger, Orange Blossom Macaron with White Chocolate Ganache
After watching my little one enjoy her first few bites of her fruit parfait I turned my glance to my sweet, gluten free macaron. It was put together so beautifully that I hated to take a bite and ruin the presentation, but no worries I certainly did my research.
Delicate, gluten free orange macaron!
The macaron was pretty large with a generous helping of the white chocolate ganache inside. It was incredibly soft and delicate, just how a macaron should be. The orange flavor of the cookie side was perfectly complemented by the chocolatey center. All together it was a sweet, gluten free ending to a wonderful day!
I must say, it was certainly special to be able to experience the Flower and Garden Festival for the first time. Disney did a fantastic job, as always, with all of the gardens throughout Epcot and added another exciting element with food stands in each country offering tasting size bites. I have to share just one more of my favorite topiaries that we spotted after walking through Canada, whose character was inspiration for my daughter’s nursery so this one holds a little sentimental value and really stole the show for me.
Bambi, Thumper, and Flower, Canada, Epcot
When we walked past, my little one nearly jumped out of her seat with excitement as she recognized Bambi, Thumper, and Flower. I think probably each of us had one of those moments as we walked through the countries, spotting favorite characters from childhood, depicted now in huge, flower displays. It was truly a remarkable event to attend! Thanks Disney!
A typical vacation in Orlando wouldn’t be complete with a rain storm or two. Day 4 of our trip was the lucky day for a couple showers, but altogether wasn’t too wet considering the predicted high percentage of rain. After making it through a beautiful sunny morning and delicious lunch at Be Our Guest, we hopped on the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean before little one couldn’t help but close her eyes. Nap time for us when we’re in the parks means that it’s time for Mommy and Daddy to sit down in the shade and relax or meander through air conditioned stores and soak up the nice cool air. While we started nap time shopping, we watched the dark clouds roll in and decided to find a nice place under some covering to rest our feet and keep all of us dry during the impending, classic Disney World downpour.
Sure enough, only moments after parking under the awning by The Hall of Presidents, the dribbles began. We covered our little girl with the rain cover for the stroller which kept her nice dry while the wind picked up and started whirling around the now pouring rain. Thankfully we had ducked under the covering early so we stayed pretty dry but not as dry as my little girl who slept safely and soundly in her reclined seat. A short while later and the clouds had begun to move along, leaving a still murky looking sky. We decided to hang around to see if an afternoon parade would occur despite the rainy skies but disappointingly they had to cancel for the day. So we headed up to Main Street and shopped a bit along the row of stores, picking a few toys out for our little one that we knew would make perfect birthday or Christmas gifts. All of the sudden we heard a chirping from in the stroller and were greeted by an ecstatic little girl who couldn’t have been more excited to spot all of the Minnie merchandise in front of her as she woke up.
As the rain picked up again, we armed ourselves with our ponchos and covered the stroller to head over to the monorail for Epcot. On tonight’s menu was La Hacienda de San Angel in Mexico, we hadn’t been before but we were interested to check the waterfront restaurant. I personally do not like spicy food by any stretch, but my husband, on the other hand, pretty much loves all food, especially spicy food. Last time we had dined in Epcot’s Mexico we ate at the San Angel Inn and Dan tried the Jalapeno Margarita which he raved about so he definitely wanted to give the other restaurant in Mexico a try too. I try not to let my very picky palate and not to mention my gluten free restrictions get in the way too much of Dan’s adventurous foody side, so I always keep in mind that I’ll definitely be able to get something at the restaurant we’re going to, whether it be a salad or grilled chicken.
We were seated right at the windows and had a great view of the lake and the World Showcase around it. After perusing the menu a bit, I started to get a little nervous that this restaurant might be the exception to my rule of thumb. I had read ahead of time that their corn tortillas were delicious and gluten free so I was hoping to try the Queso Fundido sans peppers and sausage, maybe substituting chicken, really trying to avoid any spice whatsoever. The chef came out and went over my gluten free options with me and I asked if my idea was a possibility. He was so great and assured me that it could be done and that the homemade corn tortillas would be sent out instead of the flour tortillas. Not too long after ordering, our dishes arrived!
Gluten free Queso Fundido with chicken and corn tortillas at La Hacienda de San Angel in Epcot.
After cutting up my little girl’s chicken tacos, which she had for the first time that night and apparently loved, I finally caught a glimpse of my dish. I have to say the homemade corn tortillas looked delicious!
Homemade gluten free corn tortillas.
Let me just say that I’ve never been a fan of store bought corn tortillas. Texturally, they’re kind of rubbery to me and the taste is equally off putting. However, these were amazing! They were soft and not rubbery by any means, just like the flour tortillas that I used to enjoy in years past. Their flavor was mild and perfect to pair with the melted cheese that accompanied them. Not to mention that they’re gluten free!
Melted cheese with chicken.
As far as the gluten free melted cheese and chicken combo, it was perfection. Okay, so everyone’s level of spicy is different, but for me, I even find pepper can be too spicy; so as far the spice level on the chicken, I have to admit that it was a bit too spiced for me, but it was still incredibly delicious and went perfectly with the melted cheese! Layering the chicken and cheese on the corn tortillas reminded me of homemade quesadillas that I once enjoyed. The soft and tender gluten free corn tortillas were mildly flavored and embraced the flavorful cheese and chicken amazingly! Despite the smidgen of too much spice on the chicken, I would absolutely order this one again on future visits.
By the time we had finished with dinner, it had finally begun to dry up a bit outside, just in time for us to enjoy a nighttime stroll around Epcot. We wandered through the countries and even made a stop for a little sweet treat thanks to the Flower and Garden Festival. Stay tuned to find out which gluten free treat caught my eye!
Overcoming the previous day’s events, we were very excited as Day 4 rolled around with extra magic hours at Magic Kingdom. We were up and ready to go nice and early, little one seemed in much better sorts the next day after a full night of sleep and another dose of medicine in her. We were so excited to explore Magic Kingdom, which by far is one of our favorite parks and our little one’s as well.
Our morning was spent flying through the sky on Dumbo, boating through the world on Small World, meeting Cinderella and Rapunzel at Princess Fairytale Hall, spinning round and round on Alice’s Tea Cups, and soaring through Neverland on a pirate ship on Peter Pan. My precious little girl enjoyed each and every ride and experience, looking around and taking it all in, all with a smile on her face. Soon enough it was almost time for lunch and we decided to give Be Our Guest a whirl; while Dan waited in line for a bit before it opened, I took our little girl shopping through some of the fantastic Fantasyland stores. Finally, it was time to enter the castle and enjoy a delicious lunch in an even better location!
Ordering lunch at this location is super easy and convenient, using touch screen computers you can quickly enter what you’d like, scan your magic band, and you’re on your way to pick out a table of your choice throughout the restaurant. For ordering with food allergies, their system can show you options that are available without specific allergens, however I always prefer to speak one-on-one with a chef. As per my request, a chef came over as we were entering our order and reviewed my options with me. I wanted to give the Croque Monsieur sandwich a try which is carved ham, gruyere cheese, and bechamel sauce with pommes frites. The chef said I could certainly enjoy a gluten free version of this one, so I was super excited to give it a try! We quickly finished entering our order and picked a table in the Rose Room. This room is exquisitely decorated with tapestries and paintings of Belle and the Beast during their time at the castle. While we were taking in the beautiful scenery around us, our meals magically found us and were delivered via food carts.
Be Our Guest’s Gluten Free Croque Monsieur
What I happen to love about this restaurant is that instead of simply substituting the regular sandwich with one on much smaller gluten free bread, they actually give you two sandwiches to equal the size of the regular one. Also to indicate that you have an allergy order they stick these little allergy flags in your sandwich, which for me definitely gives me much needed reassurance that there was no mix up along the way.
Gluten free bread with carved ham and gruyere cheese at Be Our Guest
As far as the actual sandwich is considered it was pretty good. I loved the combination of the carved ham and gruyere cheese on the gluten free bread (which tastes and looks like Udi’s), but the downside is that it was pretty dry. The bechamel that was supposed to accompany the sandwich was missing so I assumed that it was a no go for the gluten free order (which wouldn’t be totally surprising, as many a sauce have gluten in it). Sadly, the chef didn’t indicate this ahead of time though when I was ordering, otherwise I probably would’ve requested some kind of sauce for the sandwich. Nonetheless, this sandwich was still delicious and a great departure from your typical options of burgers, hot dogs, chicken fingers, etc.. I have to also mention too that the pommes frites or french fries were delicious, just as Disney’s fries usually are. They were perfectly seasoned and so yummy!
Be Our Guest’s Gluten Free Lemon Raspberry Puff
As far as dessert, Be Our Guest offers a gluten free cream puff which I typically order when we dine here. The puff side of this dessert is delicious, perfectly light and doughy texture mimicking that of a regular cream puff. As far as the filling, the lemon cream was a bit too sweet and lemony for me, I’d probably prefer more of the traditional cream that you see in a cream puff. However, I do usually take a few bites mixed with the raspberry and whipped cream on top and it certainly is a wonderful, sweet finish to a meal. I have to say that I’m extremely grateful to Be Our Guest for creating and offering a gluten free pastry other than a packaged cookie or brownie. It definitely was a nice change from your typical gluten free dessert and a perfect finish to yet another great experience at Be Our Guest Restaurant!
Ah yes, Day 3 of our Disney trip stands out but not for the best reasons. We were up early, all fed and ready to head out to Hollywood Studios to catch a few stand out rides and shows that each of us would love. Some of our favorites that I knew my little girl would be ecstatic about is their Disney Junior Show starring her favorite Disney faces, the Little Mermaid show, and the Toy Story Ride. We scoped out everything ahead time and picked out our top fastpass+ rides and attractions so we could catch all of the best ones for little one and Dan and myself. Unfortunately, our day didn’t go quite as planned and little one never got to see the Disney Junior show.
Little girl seemed a bit sleepy and cranky but seeing as she had what I thought was a cold or allergies for the past few days I wasn’t too taken aback, she had still eaten a majority of her breakfast which was a great sign that she was in good shape at least tummy wise. After a lengthy bus ride to get to Hollywood Studios, we arrived for the opening and headed straight back to hop on the Toy Story Ride. She loved looking at all of the massive, oversized toys throughout the line, but her favorite by far was the talking Mr. Potato Head. As we approached the front of the line we donned ourselves in 3D glasses, little one included, and geared up for a fantastic ride. Tossing her 3D glasses aside within about 10 seconds of the ride, I’m not sure if little girl was quite a fan of the concept of this ride yet but she did seem to enjoy the twists and turns of the carnival cars. Afterwards, Dan headed over to catch his two favorite rides, Tower of Terror and the Aerosmith Roller Coaster, while I took little one to meet Daisy and Sofia. While I held her and kissed her forehead I noticed that she definitely felt warm but in Disney World everyone feels warm so we stuck to the shade and guzzled quite a bit of water to cool down.
Exchanging kisses and hugs with Daisy and Sofia were definitely the highlights of the morning for my little girl. After meeting both of her friends, I felt her little forehead again and definitely was worried about a fever. We stopped in the First Aid Center at the front of the park and the nurse there took her temperature. To say I was shocked at the number that came out would be a serious understatement as the nurse revealed that she had a 103.7 degree fever. For my little girl, this was the highest temperature she’d ever had so naturally I was extremely worried. The nurse advised us to head over to their Urgent Care Center to get her looked at by a doctor. While all of this talk was going on, my little one, who was just waving and hugging her friends only a half hour ago, had just fallen asleep and limp in my arms, which is a rarity these days since she’s always wanting to be on the go, so I knew instantly at that point that something wasn’t right.
A quick phone call later and a walk around the outside of the park and we were soon enough in a van being rushed to Urgent Care outside of Disney. I was so overwhelmed with worry and fear mainly because I know my little girl in and out and for her she has never had that high of a fever or behaved like that before. It was especially scary having this happen while on vacation, without her pediatrician who we know and trust 5 minutes away or any of the other comforts of home nearby. While in route over to the Urgent Care Center, I phoned her doctor to get some advice and guidance on the situation and they calmed me down a bit by saying that it more than likely was an ear infection that was probably brewing before we left, hence the cold like symptoms, but had chosen to emerge while we were in Florida. By the time I had hung up, we were basically at Urgent Care and after waiting only 15 minutes or so we were in visiting the pediatrician. He checked her head to toe and told us she had a mild ear infection and not to worry. We were given the antibiotic right then and there and prescribed to enjoy the rest of our vacation, from rides in the parks to swimming in the pool, nothing was off limits!
Our van had arrived to take us back to our resort and we couldn’t have been more relieved. I must say I preferred the trip back to the hotel where my mine and my husband’s fears were eased and my little girl, with her first dose of antibiotic in her, was up and eating a go go squeeze. I have to say the entire system at Disney was truly a blessing. I’m so grateful that they have a system like that where you can easily take yourself or your child to a facility where they can be seen by a wonderful doctor like we had met. The Urgent Care Center staff were incredibly nice and helpful (and it was very clean too!). Also, the ability to receive her medicine right there was an amazing convenience too, seeing as we have used their pharmacy services before which are equally as convenient however aren’t quite as quick as receiving the medicine two seconds after diagnosis. One more thing I’d like to mention is about their transportation service to and from the center. They staff amazing drivers, one of which seeing my panic and fear quickly got us there and even phoned the return driver to see how our little girl was doing; their genuine concern and want to help was so touching and certainly made the experience a little less terrifying. All in all, I’d prefer for none of us to ever have to use this service again, however, I’m so glad to know that it exists and that it’s as convenient and painless as it is. Thanks to all that participate in this service that Disney offers, I’m so grateful for all of your help in helping my little girl!
After we had returned home to Wilderness Lode we took it easy, got some food in little one, and just relaxed in the air conditioned hotel. Dinner rolled around and we had made a last minute reservation at Kona Cafe in the Polynesian. Little one seemed to be feeling much better so we decided to head over to get something to eat, I for one was starving and in desperate need of a good meal after our ordeal that day. The easiest route to get there was boating over to the Contemporary or Magic Kingdom and then hopping on the monorail from there. Thankfully that’s the best medicine for my little girl to fall asleep which sure enough after her long day she certainly did. She slept well through the entire trip over and through a good portion of the meal too! While she slept, mommy and daddy were able to take a deep breath and just relax!
Kona Cafe was one of our favorite pre-gluten free days so it was nice to be back, not to mention we both love the scenery at the Polynesian so we always try to make it a point to pop in there for a meal or two each trip. After checking in and waiting only a few minutes we were quickly seated, pulling up our little girl in her stroller beside us. The chef quickly followed after our waitress’ greeting and went over the menu with me. One thing that caught my eye that I had heard could be done gluten free were the Pan-Asian Noodles. Sure enough the chef confirmed that these could absolutely be done gluten free with rice noodles and their gluten free teriyaki sauce! I couldn’t have been more happy to hear that, especially after our previous let down at 50s and the day that we had had. Needless to say, I, without hesitation, placed my order for the Pan-Asian Noodles with grilled chicken and some green veggies.
While waiting, we enjoyed a cocktail along with the fantastic bread service that Kona Cafe offers! I just loved the warmed gluten free rolls that I received and the Macadamia Nut Butter that I could add to them! We didn’t have to wait long as our main courses quickly followed and so did the awakening of our little girl! Thankfully when she began to stir I ordered a children’s dish for her so it would be coming out shortly, but in the meantime, she certainly didn’t mind nibbling on their wonderful Hawaiian bread service. It was so great to see her up and enjoying her meal, laughing, coloring, and playing with her napkin, just being the happy little girl that we know and love!
Large bowl full of Kona Cafe’s gluten free Pan-Asian Noodles!
While little one enjoyed her bread, I couldn’t help but marvel at how wonderful and huge my dish was. The Gluten Free Pan-Asian Noodle dish was exquisite! The Asian style rice noodles were coated gently with the gluten free teriyaki sauce, without overdoing it. The grilled chicken was perfectly seasoned and was complemented amazingly by the noodles and sauce. And the green veggies inside were perfect, fresh and still a bit crunchy, which I love, and just all together delicious!
Grilled chicken and green veggies with Asian rice noodles and gluten free teriyaki sauce!
I felt incredibly wasteful having eaten only probably half of the dish but between the warmed rolls with sweet butter and the noodle dish, my gluten free tummy couldn’t have been happier! While my daughter finished up nibbling on her meal, I couldn’t help but to look around our table and feel so fortunate that the day could end that way, seeing as how it started. My little one was back in action and I couldn’t wait to share more Disney magic with her. But first, we had to share a little dessert before the magic continued. While my husband enjoyed his dessert, my gluten free Kilauea Torte of warm chocolate cake filled with chocolate liquid sat in front of me and my daughter.
Kona Cafe’s gluten free chocolate torte.
Isn’t this beautiful! After slicing the cake in half, the warm chocolate inside oozed out just like a volcano. The addition of the whipped cream and raspberries was perfection, my only request would be for more of both!
Warm, chocolate liquid inside oozed out from the torte cake.
My little girl, who definitely has a sweet tooth, drew a huge smile and big eyes while watching me cut up the cake. After just one taste, I heard her familiar “mmm” in appreciation and I knew that the rest of the vacation would certainly be enjoyed! Kona Cafe was the perfect dinner to wrap up our rough day. It was effortless and incredibly delicious to eat gluten free here, just how I had remembered it to be years ago. Add this one to your list of potential gluten free must-do Disney restaurants, it’s definitely a keeper!
Thankfully, after such a rough day we could end it on such a sweet note! In fact, our little girl was in such good spirits we decided to stop into Magic Kingdom to take her on a few of her favorite rides, like Dumbo, Small World, and Pirates of the Caribbean! The events of the day were certainly rough but Disney worked its’ magic and took care of my little girl!
