Eating our way through Disneyland, A Food Review About This Page:

[Tink and co.]

My best friend and I recently returned from our favorite type of trip. One without children or husbands and lots of good food! J

This is my second trip since eating Gluten Free. I’ve been Gluten Free for about 16 months now. If I’m exposed I’ll have gastro-intestinal reactions as well as lots of achiness, headaches, and general flu-like symptoms. An exposure could most definitely ruin a vacation, and it is a real treat to eat out safely.

I made our reservations about 60 days out from our last day. I let the Cast Member know I was Gluten Free and she gave the e-mail for special diets at DLR. I emailed them a couple of weeks before the trip. I received a generic e-mail in return reminding me to tell the Host or Hostess when I checked in, and that each restaurant’s chef would visit with me. The next day I received a personal e-mail from the chef at Ariel’s Grotto letting me know some of the choices. It was really nice, and I did enjoy meeting her in person when we ate there. J

Now on with some dining reviews!

[Tink and co.]

We arrived around 2:30 in the afternoon on our first day. I’d made us a reservation at the Big Thunder Ranch BBQ for 3:00. We were starving since our breakfast had been oatmeal before we left home at 7:30 that morning. We were seated right up front near the stage, our drink orders were taken and we were told the chef would be out to review my choices shortly. The eatery was mostly full when we arrived, but nearly empty by the time we finished.

I was informed I could eat everything except the ribs and the cornbread, and that while they usually serve the ribs and chicken in a common bucket, they would keep them separate for us. Out came the ribs, chicken, cornbread, beans, and coleslaw. They even brought me some gluten free rolls. The ice tea and diet coke were served in mason jars. So cute!

The chicken was to die for! It was lightly sauced and not sweet at all. Very flavorful! I think I ate a whole chicken! Did I mention the BBQ is all you care to eat? Anyhow, I quit counting after the first bucket! The beans and slaw did not disappoint either. The beans had just the tiniest amount of spice and the slaw had a vinegar based dressing instead of a mayonnaise one. We scarfed those up too. I understand the cornbread and ribs were delicious as well, and I promised my fellow diner that I wouldn’t post how many buckets were consumed on the internet. Let’s just say we didn’t leave hungry! The waitress tried to tempt us with dessert, but we were having desserts at Fantasmic! later on, so we declined. They did look good, though, and they had several gluten free choices. Oh, a word about the gluten free rolls. They were Udi’s hamburger buns. Fresh and delicious.

While we were dining (stuffing ourselves!) we were entertained by a strolling guitar playing cowboy. We may have even sung along a bit. Miss Chris joined the cowboy a bit later and they had some kids from the audience come up and help them. The entertainment was relaxed and really added to the meal.

Up next, one time is not enough.

[DopeyGirl]

You have good timing, Becki! My cousin and I are working together on planning her family's trip for this summer and both she and her soon-to-be 5 year old son are now Gluten Free eaters. We are just now tackling the dining issue and where/what they will be able to safely eat!

[chezp]

Great start to hopefully lots of great eats during your vacation!

[CinderAbby]

It's a good thing I've already eaten dinner. If not, you're review would have made me hungry for what else but the chicken and ribs.

[Tink and co.]

Originally Posted by DopeyGirl

You have good timing, Becki! My cousin and I are working together on planning her family's trip for this summer and both she and her soon-to-be 5 year old son are now Gluten Free eaters. We are just now tackling the dining issue and where/what they will be able to safely eat!

Glad I could help! Tell your sister not to worry, there are lots of choices for Gluten Free at Disneyland. There were only one or two places where there were no or one or two GF menu items. It felt like there were even more than my October 2011 trip, or it may be that I'm getting better about dealing with my diet. It's the only place I've traveled where I really feel safe eating, and the choices are plentiful. When I've traveled other places, it's a pain to find someplace to eat, and then I wind up eating a lot of plain chicken breasts, broccoli, and dry lettuce. Which is fine until you eat it twice a day for several days in a row. I always travel with GF protien bars just in case, and I never had to eat one this entire trip! Be sure and pick up the list at Town Hall for impromptu eating and have it noted on any reservations. The chefs treated me like a princess. My friend often said my GF substituions looked better than her regular menu items!

[Tink and co.]

The second day of our vacation we decided to get up early and take advantage of our Magic Morning. So we were at the gates around 6:30 ish. Way before breakfast time! After we’d maximized our attractions, we were starving!

We decided to check out the Jolly Holiday Café and Bakery as my partner in crime wanted some good coffee, so I whipped out my Gluten Free Dining List. The day before on our way into the park, I picked up a list of GF goodies at City Hall. It’s pretty extensive and gives you a good idea of what you can eat at counter service places and even snack carts. It also lists the table service restaurants and includes DCA and the Disney Hotels. My list said that they had Gluten Free Muffins!
Once inside we waited in a very short line. BFF ordered a Latte and a fruit cup, and I chose a GF Blueberry Muffin and milk. Our CM, Firman, was very helpful and told me we had to come back for lunch. He was getting very good reviews of the GF choices. My muffin came out sealed from contaminants in its original packaging. It was omgitsglutenfree brand. This is a brand I’m not familiar with, but I can tell you this muffin did not disappoint. It was warm and moist and had a great texture. You may laugh about my excitement over baked goods, but if you live GF you understand! Anyway, I was tickled pink, and it was just what the doctor ordered.
The inside area of the bakery where you placed your order and picked up your food was just beautiful and a much needed addition to the Main Street/Hub area. Paired with the umbrella covered tables for outside dining, it’s just classic Disneyland! Oscar of Carnation Café fame was wandering tables and visiting with guests. We had a nice chat. It was a lovely little break after 16 (yes, that’s correct) non stop attractions!

Up Next…Lunch is twice as good!

[lauriep]

Thanks for posting these reviews. I'm taking notes for my trip this summer!

[Tink and co.]

Since we enjoyed our breakfast snack at Jolly Holiday we decided to head back for lunch. We were both intrigued by several of the lunch selections. Firman told me earlier that they could make any of their sandwiches gluten free by serving them on a gluten free bun and that any of the salads were an option. They only thing they couldn’t adapt were the soups and grilled cheese. I was very excited about having choices and had a bit of difficulty making up my mind.

When we entered the building this time the line was just a tad longer, but it splits into two right at the door and there was a family in the door, reading the menu, corralling the pre-schoolers, arguing a bit, and not choosing a side. J Eventually they got that sorted (with some of them on each side), and we were able to choose our meals. I decided on the Angus Roast Beef with Caramelized Onions, Horseradish Aioli and White Cheddar served on a gluten free bun. My best friend went for the Jolly Holiday Combo which was Tomato Basil Soup and Grilled Cheese. And Diet Cokes all around. I considered trying the gf brownie or chocolate chip cookie, but I knew we’d be snacking later, and I didn’t want anything to deter that!:

My traveling companion’s food came out right away, and I was told mine would be about 10 minutes. The cast member (we didn’t get Firman’s line this time!) began apologizing profusely for the wait. This happened every time I ordered at a counter service eatery this trip. Not only do I not mind the wait, I’m so happy that Disneyland Resort will accommodate my diet that I feel there’s no need to apologize. My guess is that someone has complained about the wait, so they take a preemptive approach. I let the cast member know I’d go outside for a bit so he could serve some other guests. So, I suffered the short wait outside in the sunshine chatting away with my best friend. My sandwich served along with homemade potato chips was ready when I returned a few minutes later.

And then we dug in. This was seriously one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever eaten. It was served on the same sort of Udi’s bun that I enjoyed yesterday at the BBQ. It was light, fresh and had great texture. The roast beef wasn’t lunchmeat type roast beef, but more like sliced pot roast, tender, flavorful and delicious. I’m normally not a fan of onions, carmelized or not, nor am I generally a fan of horseradish. The flavors worked so well together, that I forgot about that. The cheese was a sauce (but thicker) rather than slices as I was expecting. The chips were perfect for scooping up the cheese that dripped out. Mmmm…now I’m hungry for lunch! I understand that the tomato basil soup was very good and the grilled cheese did not disappoint. It was made with what looked like sourdough bread and had lots of melty cheese.

We were charmed once again by the simple but well-themed outdoor dining area. We’ll definitely be back to this new place. It’s a gorgeous setting, especially on a perfect sunny Southern California day. It’s a wonderful addition to Disneyland and is already close to the top of my list of Disneyland favorites.

[lauriep]

So many people have mentioned Jolly Holiday positively that I'm really looking forward to trying it. So far it's the only MUST DO on my CS list.

[Dlandmom2]

Yep, Jolly Holiday is definitely one of my top faves now! I'm glad you enjoyed the roast beef sandwich...I had a taste of it a few months ago when my brother had it. Very yummy! The Jolly Holiday combo is still my favorite though...who would've thought a basic grilled cheese with tomato soup would be such a crowd pleaser?!

Laurie, I'm going to grab a picture of the grilled veggies on a skewer from Bengal BBQ next time I'm there! I think you'll like that!

[lauriep]

Originally Posted by Dlandmom2

Yep, Jolly Holiday is definitely one of my top faves now! I'm glad you enjoyed the roast beef sandwich...I had a taste of it a few months ago when my brother had it. Very yummy! The Jolly Holiday combo is still my favorite though...who would've thought a basic grilled cheese with tomato soup would be such a crowd pleaser?!

Laurie, I'm going to grab a picture of the grilled veggies on a skewer from Bengal BBQ next time I'm there! I think you'll like that!

Thanks, Jeannie! Now I'm worried that I won't have enough time for all the choices! (I'm already planning a trip back at Christmastime, maybe in 2013!)

[Dlandmom2]

It's great that Disney has been prepared to handle gluten free diets. They seem to really have a wonderful plan in place to keep all guests happy and well fed!

[Tink and co.]

Originally Posted by lauriep

Thanks, Jeannie! Now I'm worried that I won't have enough time for all the choices! (I'm already planning a trip back at Christmastime, maybe in 2013!)

That's problem I always have with Disneyland! One of the reasons we keep going back!

[DopeyGirl]

Becki, do you still have the GF dining list and, if so, would you be able to scan a copy of it and send to me?

My cousin emailed this morning asking me for dining suggestions (finally) and I told her I was following your reviews for her, so would get back to her with some soon.