Fl Trip, Need Ideas-cooking, Bringing Food Into Parks, Etc

[Sweetfudge]

So we're planning our big trip to Florida! Yay! I'm excited, and nervous. I've been reading all I can about how to do this safely. I've got a few questions though:

1- What are good snacks/meals to take into the parks?

2- What are quick/easy meals I can make (as we are renting a condo w/ a kitchen)?

3- What's the best dining choice (in your opinion) at WDW or nearby?

4- What should I pack before heading there (gluten-free specifics)?

Thanks everyone!!!

[Guhlia]

We managed to do Disney without a kitchen in our hotel room. We didn't even have a microwave. I kept applesauce, pudding, pretzels, fruit, and water in the hotel room for snacking and quick breakfasts. You could also do milk and cereal. If you can, stay at a Disney Resort with a restaurant, they can cook gluten free meals. I didn't get glutened once while in Disney.

I would highly recommend any meals eaten outside of the parks to be eaten at Downtown Disney. It's still owned and operated by WDW, so they have high standards. I recommend the Portabello Yacht Club for lunches and dinners. They carry Tinkyada pasta and they will make any of their pasta dishes with it. They even made me things that weren't on the menu like spaghetti. The service there is friendly too. You can make reservations through the Disney World Dining phone number and you can also get information about the gluten free status of other restaurants.

As far as getting food into the parks, so long as you don't have a big cooler, you shouldn't have a problem. Just tell them before they search your bags that you have allergies. I would just take things like Ener-G pretzels, lara bars, etc. They have SO many gluten free options that you really don't need to bring any food at all.

If you go to MGM Studios, eat at the Prime Time 50's cafe and get the fried chicken!!! It's really, really, really good and it's just a really fun place to eat. The chef will come out to explain the menu to you and he'll go over everything with you. They have a seperate area in the kitchen so there's very little chance of CC. They even cover the gluten free dishes to bring them through the other section of the kitchen. I think this is pretty standard in WDW, but I was so impressed by the chef, Nelson, that I ate there again and again.

Disney area is the best place to vacation gluten free, IMO. You're going to have a blast! It's so nice to feel like people actually WANT to accomodate you and your diet.

[Guhlia]

Drop me a PM with your e-mail address. I will forward you Disney's list of gluten free foods for the parks. It will make your trip so much easier. I have gluten free lists for MGM and Magic Kingdom as well as a general listing for all parks.

[natalie]

Hi,

I am also planning a trip to WDW. You could please email me that list of restaurants. Thank you so much.

natalie@northland-inc.com

[Guest KG in FL]

Drop me a PM with your e-mail address. I will forward you Disney's list of gluten free foods for the parks. It will make your trip so much easier. I have gluten free lists for MGM and Magic Kingdom as well as a general listing for all parks.

[Guest KG in FL]

Drop me a PM with your e-mail address. I will forward you Disney's list of gluten free foods for the parks. It will make your trip so much easier. I have gluten free lists for MGM and Magic Kingdom as well as a general listing for all parks.

Whoops! Posted before writing! Could I get the Disney gluten-free list as well? I live in FL but the list is not so handy- if you don't mind sharing! I'll PM as well.

[dlp252]

I stayed at one of the Disney property hotels which only had a food court. They were wonderful in helping me each day. I had the best gluten free pancakes with real maple syrup. One day they made me a hamburger with gluten free bun and french fries which they cooked separately for me. All I did was mention that I needed help with a special diet and they brought the chef out who went over what all they could make for me.

I also had good luck at the little food stalls within the parks. I found many of the workers were very knowledgeable about what I needed.

[dlp252]

Oh, and I took into the park with me nutrition bars and home made trail mix. For the room I also had peanut butter, which in the mornings I put on my nutrition bars until I could get to the food court for my pancakes and bacon.

In the park I supplemented what I took with fresh fruit and sometimes had a turkey leg.

[Sweetfudge]

Some great ideas. Thx! Is it all affordable though? I'm a bit nervous to be eating out every meal for that reason, as well as trying not to gain any weight from the trip

What about hypoglycemia? I have a hard time w/ this regularly, haven't quite mastered the combined diets. I'm worried about getting blood sugar sick...not really sure what I'm asking here.

Hm, maybe I won't need a full kitchen. Man, it would be nice not having to make all my meals, and feeling safe about eating them! Ok, when do we leave?!?!?

[Guhlia]

Well, I guess that kind of depends on what affordable means to you... I think in Disney, two adult meals and a child's meal, we spent about $25 or less at lunch and about $40 at dinner, sometimes less. We had a night or two where we splurged and spent about $60 plus tip, but those were special nights out and you can certainly eat there for much less than that. The Portabello Yacht Club is decently priced at about $12 for lunch and $17 for dinnner. If you look at the maps for the Disney parks they will have dollar signs letting you know how expensive a meal will be. You can gauge things off of that. Just be careful with the quick service restaurants. Make sure if you go to one that you deal strictly with the manager. We had a VERY bad experience at one of the hamburger joints in Magic Kingdom. I posted about it before and apparently I was the only one who had a problem, but be careful. Some of the places have lots of kids working the front who have no clue.

Each park serves Amy's rice crust pizza (some spots are only open for lunch though). I think at MGM it was $5 for a personal pizza, at Magic Kingdom I think it was $8. Turkey legs make for a decent snack (though very greasy) at about $5 a piece. For dinner I would choose a sit down restaurant because you really can't beat the service in Disney World parks. There are even some restaurants in the parks that carry Tinkyada pasta!!! I think we found that gluten free meals were cheaper inside the parks than they were outside the parks, so consider that when you're planning your days. You'll save a lot of money if you do breakfast in your room and then eat lunch and maybe dinner out.

[Guhlia]

I stayed at one of the Disney property hotels which only had a food court. They were wonderful in helping me each day. I had the best gluten free pancakes with real maple syrup. One day they made me a hamburger with gluten free bun and french fries which they cooked separately for me. All I did was mention that I needed help with a special diet and they brought the chef out who went over what all they could make for me.

I also had good luck at the little food stalls within the parks. I found many of the workers were very knowledgeable about what I needed.

Which resort did you stay at? We were looking at some with food courts, but I didn't think they'd have gluten free food there so I opted for a cheaper hotel instead.

[Sweetfudge]

Are Amy's crusts ok to eat? I've gotten sick, and not just glutened-sick, from Amy's food before. I'm real scared to eat it now.

Do you need to talk to the manager at every meal? I'm not real good at the eating out thing...lol

Thanks for the help

[dlp252]

Which resort did you stay at? We were looking at some with food courts, but I didn't think they'd have gluten free food there so I opted for a cheaper hotel instead.

It was the Port Orleans. They had only the food court. I noticed on one of the signs a note that they could help with special diets, so I asked the girl at the counter if I could have help with a special diet and she went and got the chef. I didn't know food courts had chefs, but they do, lol, at least at Disney.

The first day, I just was asking for a hamburger patty without the bun, then the girl asked if I wanted french fries and I said "are they made in a dedicated fryer"...she brought out the chef, who that they were, but that he would make my food in the back so that there would be no chance of contamination. When they brought that out to me, the chef went over all the stuff they could make for me: gluten/casein free pancakes with real maple syrup and gluten free bacon, gluten-free hamburgers (on gluten/casein free buns, gluten free pizza, and if I wanted dessert, they'd make me gluten free brownies, etc. For the dessert they said it would be best if I let them know in advance, but the other stuff were things they had already made up.

I dealt with two chef there, both were fantastic.

Do you need to talk to the manager at every meal? I'm not real good at the eating out thing...lol

Thanks for the help

Yes, I did at each meal, but it wasn't a big deal, maybe because I ate regularly at the same place. They'd already gone over with me what they had on hand or could make up for me, and they had a file card for me with my restrictions, so that the other chefs could see what was what with me. The chef was the one who prepared all my food and they always did it in the back.

[Sweetfudge]

awesome! very good to know. now if only i could really go...we're not sure financially if we can go anymore

[GeoffCJ]

Wow! Does anyone know if the park in California is as accommodating? My wife and I went on our first date to Downtown Disney several years ago. Maybe we should go back! We live in Northern California now, but travel back to LA/Orange County frequently.

Geoff

[Guhlia]

Geoff, supposedly all Disney parks can accomodate special diets. I recommend you call Disney and ask to speak to someone in charge of dining. They should be able to help you.

[natalie]

I am in the middle of planning our vacation to Flordia and WDW. I booked lunch and dinner reservations for 3 days and I explained about my daughters Celiac. They made notes during the booking of times and then gave me the phone number for each restaurant to speak to the chefs. They are completely accomadating. Apparently they will be ready to serve her all gluten-free food. I'll let everyone know how it went.

Natalie

[krissiedog]

Drop me a PM with your e-mail address. I will forward you Disney's list of gluten free foods for the parks. It will make your trip so much easier. I have gluten free lists for MGM and Magic Kingdom as well as a general listing for all parks.

Hi - was bouncing around the web trying to find info on gluten free foods in Disneyland and came upon your message. Would it be at all possible to email me a list of gluten free foods for disneyland?? I am taking our 6 year old autistic daughter on April 1st - she is so excited to go - but I'm so worried about food issues. Thanks so much in advance if it is possible. Really appreciate any help. Best wishes, Kris/ krissiedog@aol.com