Magic Kingdom Gluten Free and Dairy Free Dining Reviews

The Plaza Lunch April 2016

Our first ever visit to the Plaza on Main Street started off with a bit of frustration. The staff who handled check in that day didn't seem well trained as to what they were doing and there was an excessive amount of confusion. This was unlike what we were used to experiencing at Disney, so we were hesitant, going in. Once chef Ken came out to talk to us, however, all was right with the world. Chef Ken was a charming and helpful cast member who chatted with everyone at the table and discussed how he could make us safe and delicious foods at The Plaza. He even shared some tips he has developed for making gluten free breads taste like normal bread. He was really great. I can't say enough good things about him.

For our lunch, I opted for the vegetarian sandwich, but because of my dairy allergy, I couldn't eat all of the main ingredients, so he added some avocado and roasted the veggies, lightly. This was made very well and it's a nice vegetarian gluten free dairy free option, though not my favorite flavor combination. The fries are made in a dedicated fryer and this restaurant can do a variety of dairy free ice cream options and brownie options. My daughter had a burger with fries and house made chips. She said it was pretty good, but not her favorite burger ever. Chef Ken mastered the gluten free bread, and that was so delicious! If you go to the plaza, I hope you get a chance to meet the chef. He was the real highlight of The Plaza.

Crystal Palace Breakfast April 2016

We had another delightful morning meal at Crystal at Palace this spring. It is always a family favorite. This time around, my daughter said "Mom, I would really LOVE it if the chef could make me a crepe. Do you think they can do that here?" I said that while they may not, there was no harm in asking. Well, the chef busted out the magic and brought her a savory crepe, which she adored. I didn't post the other photos because they are almost exactly the same as the ones below, so take a look, but everything was delicious. We had gluten free dairy free vanilla glazed donuts, and the chef offered us Mickey waffles, but we declined. You cannot go wrong at Crystal Palace!


Crystal Palace Breakfast Nov 2014

 You certainly wouldn't ever guess it, but in my real life, I am a healthy eater. In Disney World, I consume crazy amounts of food, and what better place for that than the Crystal Palace. The chef came over and showed us what was safe to eat from the buffet (which was quite a bit). There were many gluten free dairy free options. I notice the flavors of potatoes and eggs change from trip to trip, but there are still many choices.  Something new for me was the quinoa apple hot cereal. It was ... weird.  I like quinoa, but this was a bit odd. It was soaking in water, like a water based soup. There was way more water than necessary for the amount of quinoa, which was just strange. The flavor was a little odd, too. It was ok, and if I didn't have a plate full of delicious alternatives, I could have eaten it. But I let it go in lieu of the monstrous plate of food to the left.

The chef didn't offer anything else at first, but my daughter asked if he could make pancakes. She loves gluten free pancakes for breakfast here! He said they had Van's waffles, which we politely declined and he said he would look for a pancake mix. Lucky for us, he found what he needed and he made a double order of chocolate chip gluten free pancakes. A few minutes later he brought us out some donuts, so we were well fed and spoiled with options!
I used the rice milk in my coffee, and we enjoyed our breakfast so much. Also, our server was very nice, and the characters are darling, as ever. This is still my favorite 8am breakfast stop in Walt Disney World!



Be Our Guest Lunch Nov 2014

 Well, we braved the pre order option and used the filters to choose our Wheat Free Dairy free foods. We found out that if you do this, a chef will not be offered. They will just let you seat yourself and your food comes out. We were OK with this, but if you don't think you'll like that option, then you probably shouldn't pre-order. We found the system a little confusing because no one explained how it would work (no one said, go get a drink, or we'll find you, or you've already paid).  But I was able to ask a very friendly cast member and we figured it out.

My husband was not excited about the system of ordering and he was already determined to dislike the meal. To his surprise it was his favorite of the trip. My daughter agreed that the pork roast was delicious! She absolutely loved her lunch and she proclaimed the green beans and potatoes were also very tasty.  I chose the quinoa cake and salad, because I knew I would want a lighter lunch option.  It was also quite good, but I only ate about half of it after such a huge breakfast. I was grateful I ordered light. The quinoa cake was well seasoned and the beat cubes on top were delightful. The olives chopped into the salad greens were a nice touch.

Now, my daughter has always wanted to try a French Onion Soup, but we have never found one gluten free and dairy free. When you order the soup with the wheat filter, it gives you the option to eat the French Onion Soup without the bread crumb and cheese topping. This was confirmed on our receipt, so when I saw all the cheese, I sent it back. They brought out a second batch without any cheese and they explained that they did make it gluten free, but they left the safe cheese on for my daughter.  It was not clearly labeled this way in ordering, so that was a bit confusing, and she ended up eating the cheese free version (which her tummy appreciated). She loved it, and she was so happy to have tried French Onion Soup, at last.

 The soup and entree were the stars of the show. My daughter was disappointed with the gluten free cream puff.  She said the dough was very hard (rock like) and that the lemon filling was incredibly tart, which she did not enjoy. As it turns out, a scoop of rice dream would have been a better choice for her, but it was fun to try something new.  I ordered the only dairy free option I could find, which was a sorbet. I chose the lemon sorbet, but it was bitterly tart. I ate a little, but left the rest behind. While Be Our Guest has mastered the lunch entrees, they have a room for improvement in the world of gluten free dairy free dessert offerings. We are still disappointed that the French Meadow Bakery items are no longer offered on property, or the babycakes in a restaurant like this. I did ask, via email, the Special Diet department if there were any other options for us, but they did not get back with an answer. So, this is what it is. We didn't walk away hungry and we had a wonderful, and quick, lunch experience.


Main Street Ice Cream Parlor Nov 2014

I'm sure you're wondering how we could possibly eat more food, but while waiting for the parade, I ran and got root beer floats from the Main Street Ice Cream Parlor. We love these toffuti root beer floats and they are a bit of a tradition on our Magic Kingdom visits.  It is probably the only time I actually eat a root beer float, so it was quite the treat.





Be Our Guest Fast Pass Ordering Information for Pre Ordering with Allergies. Click Here.

Crystal Palace Breakfast Nov 2012

I know, it is the same ol' same ol' from us, but we can't help it.  We love the food at Crystal Palace and we love the experience of dining at Magic Kingdom before park opening! It was the same wonderful attention, help, and food as always.  I still recommend it.  You can see our gluten free dairy free pancakes and safe items from the buffet, here.

Crystal Palace Breakfast Nov 2011

We always love Crystal Palace breakfast before park opening. It has been a family favorite, but this time some favorites have changed. The potatoes that we loved are a different variety with onions and peppers and less overall seasoning. The eggs that used to be gluten free and dairy free are no longer dairy free, so we ordered side of dairy free eggs. The last two times we were here, the whipped cream on the buffet was dairy free, but it was not this time. So, while the available options were still good, some of our favorites were not as good. Our chef did not offer to make pancakes or waffles, and instead, he encouraged us to eat a muffin. Upon asking for gluten free pancakes, however, he was happy to oblige. So, be sure to ask if there is something you were hoping for! Often the chef can accommodate.

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party Nov 2011

I did email Disney Special Diets 3 times before our trip to find out how they were handling allergies during the Christmas Party. I never got a solid answer, but when we got there, we found they were ready for us. We checked two different cookie handout locations and we found they were well stocked with gluten free (though not dairy free) butterscotch cookies. My daughter was able to eat these and she reported that they were very good. They also had apple juice available as well as carrots and apple slices. There was no trouble in requesting or receiving these items, and no need for a manager to come out regarding this particular product.

Pecos Bills November 2011
This counter service meal was the same as previous years, so I did not capture a new photo. We received gluten free bun, burger, sides and the usual offerings of grapes, carrots, and a drink. Cookies and brownies from French Meadow Bakery were available.




Crystal Palace Breakfast Oct 2010

Our family favorite is to dine at Crystal Palace for 8:05 seating, before the park opens. We so enjoy this that we make a point to do it each trip. As always, the food was amazing. I don't know the secret, but they manage to make breakfast my favorite meal of the trip time and time again. This is Bean's plate and she has a dairy free gluten free whipped topping. Who knew? 

Crystal Palace Breakfast Oct 2010 DDPTS (Disney Dining Plan Table Service)

In addition to this, they brought us rice milk and gluten free waffles.

Crystal Palace Character Lunch May 2010 DDPTS

 We ALWAYS love Crystal Palace! They do such a great job with the low allergen foods. I had some delicious salads. The rice noodle dish had gluten, but everything else on my plate was gluten free as well as dairy free. Bean's potatoes had dairy, but her other items were all dairy free/gluten free. For dessert they brought out the same fabulous gluten free dairy free brownie from previous posts (see photo below) as well as rice dream ice cream for Bean. We all enjoyed our meal, yet again.






Main Street Ice Cream Parlor Snack May 2010 DDPS (Disney Dining Plan Snack Credit)
While the options are pretty limited, they do have dairy free ice cream and root beer, so we used our snack credits and cooled off with some Toffuti vanilla ice cream floats. They were wonderful on a hot day, and quite a treat (we don't drink soda often, so a root beer float is pretty fun for the kids).

Casey's Counter service supper at Magic Kingdom park DDPQS (Disney Dining Plan Quick Service or Counter Service Credit)


We entered Magic Kingdom for the Halloween Party right at 5pm. We decided to get a quick meal out of the way so we didn't have to miss any of the party fun for a sit down dinner. This was our first time trying Casey's. They had changed their hot dogs from all beef dogs to a new blend of meats, but after checking with the food service department, we found out that they are still gluten and dairy free.
Bean ordered a hot dog with a tapioca gluten free bun, grapes, and a brownie. Water to drink. She seemed to like this. There were condiments, although she opted not to eat them. So, it was quick and easy. I am not a fan of hot dogs, so I passed on this meal.

Crystal Palace character breakfast at Magic Kingdom park

Again, for those of you who ready my reviews, you know how much I love Crystal Palace! I do believe it is my favorite Disney restaurant. I just love the food, and the options for our allergies! The location is wonderful, too. And the characters are icing on the gluten free cake!
We started here for breakfast before park opening. We had the regular; eggs, poatoes, berries, melon, salmon, bacon, the list goes on...
They are one of the few restaurants that serve rice milk, so I enjoyed a glass of that with my coffee. Bean enjoyed a glass, too. It was just so yummy and we enjoyed ourselves, as always. Our servers have been consistently helpful here, and the chefs are always charming and attentive.
Bean ordered her usual gluten free pancakes, which she devoured. She looked up at me with guilty eyes as she confessed that their pancakes are better than mine at home and we need to get the recipe! LOL
That is okay. They probably use sugar and white starches, where as for day to day eating, I use a blend of gluten free whole grains to add some fiber and nutrients to the meal! For vacation, though, we splurge.



Crystal Palace character lunch at Magic Kingdom park 2009 DDPTS

On our last day, I booked our breakfast and a late lunch at Crystal Palace to save myself the hassle of standing in line at counter service. I didn't have a backup adult with me for the lunch meal, so this worked out great. The kids had fun, yet again.
I was in love with the cucumber ginger salad! That is something I will have to try to recreate at home! Bean loved her choices as well. I loaded up with vegetable dishes, she opted for meat
with salads and pickles. I asked the chef if he was able to make me a serving of the salmon, without the gluten and dairy. He said he would see if there were any that were not marinated.
He brought Bean out some steamed brocolli and he brought me out the most delicious salmon! It must have been pan fried in olive oil on each side, which gave it a nice crisp texture and beautiful flavor.
I just loved it! And Crystal Palace takes the cake when it comes to gluten free dairy free dessert. Their homemade brownies are sinfully good!
Another rave review for Crystal Palace. Even if there were no characters here, I would go back again and again.


Crystal Palace for Breakfast at Magic Kingdom Park 2007 DDPTS

Delicious! We loved the food choices here. Yummy fruits, fun atmosphere, delicious potatoes! The eggs are dairy free. Great!

The Chef Brought out gluten free dairy free pancakes, which my daughter loved.

Cosmic Rays Magic Kingdom Park: 2007 DDPQS

Long line, long wait IF you arrive after 11:30am for lunch, but decent counter service food.
We had a salad and a hot dog with no bun. We had to speak to the manager and wait aprox 8 minutes for a fresh batch to ensure no contamination.
We had apples that were pre cut and bagged. They had a gross synthetic flavor. The fruit flat was good, and the carrots were good.



Pecos Bills Magic Kingdom Park: 2007 DDPQS

We learned our lesson and went early. Everyone was happy! No wait at 11am. We had burgers and we opted for no gluten free bun this time
(although they did offer us a gluten free bun). We had carrots and grapes. The grapes tasted weird to me (again, synthetic flavor).
We also had applesauce, which was good.

Main Street Bakery: 2007

We got the Rich's brand of gluten free dairy free chocolate chip cookies. They were VERY crumbly!
I am amazed they hold their shape on the stand! But the taste is good.
We also got the pre packaged Rich's brownies, which several restaurants had served us. They are good. Not as good as the freshly baked
brownies that we had on our last trip, but better then Itzakadozee all week long!


Crystal Palace: breakfast Magic Kingdom Park DDPTS Jan 2007

The Crystal Palace was the favorite for both the girls because of the characters. Our daughter loved her GF/CF Mickey pancakes! She ate one, and then
requested another, which they made for her promptly.



Here is the rest of the plate from Crystal Palace: fruits, egg, and potatoes that tasted divine!




Pecos Bills: lunch Magic Kingdom Park Jan 2007 DDPQS

Foolishly, we went at noon. You really MUST go early if you have special requests! The wait was SO LONG that it took almost an hour to get our
food, but it was almost worth it for our daughter to have a gluten free dairy free bun with her burger! She loved that!

Liberty Tavern: character dinner in Magic Kingdom Park Jan 2007 DDPTS

The Liberty Tree Tavern is another character meal and we had a great time there. The food was delicious Thanksgiving style.
They made some GF/CF mashed potatoes and gravy for us, as well as turkey, ham, roast beef. They cooked us separate beans in oil,
and they brought out gluten free rolls. We loved this place!



We celebrated a birthday at the Liberty Tree Tavern, so they brought us GF/CF chocolate cakes and rice dream to eat with the rest of our group.
Delicious!

Gluten Free and Dairy Free Walt Disney World and Surrounding Area Dining Reviews

If you're planning a trip to Walt Disney World and you have diet restrictions due to allergies, I highly recommend you do this small bit of prep work before traveling.

1. Email the helpful people at Disney's Special Diets Dept. Special.Diets@DisneyWorld.com and let them know when you are coming and what allergies you have.  Typically, they will send you a list like This One, that caters toward your dietary needs.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   With each trip, the listing of available gluten free dairy free options has changed, so it is important that you request the information each time you travel, rather than using old lists.
2. Make reservations in advance! This is important, as many restaurants will fill up by the time your trip arrives. For those with food allergies, being able to sit down and wait for the chef to prepare a safe meal is well worth a short extra wait. The sooner you know your trip dates, the better. Start booking those meals!
3. Browse through the many gluten free and dairy free meals, with the links pictured above here, to help you find some choices that fit your taste and needs.
4. Come back and share! Comment with your opinions of the different options, places, and links to your own reviews.  Have fun :)

Gluten Free and Dairy Free Available Foods in Walt Disney World

If you're planning a trip to Walt Disney World and you have diet restrictions due to allergies, I highly recommend you do this small bit of prep work before traveling.

1. Email the helpful people at Disney's Special Diets Dept. Special.Diets@DisneyWorld.com and let them know when you are coming and what allergies you have.  Typically, they will send you a list like This One, that caters toward your dietary needs.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   With each trip, the listing of available gluten free dairy free options has changed, so it is important that you request the information each time you travel, rather than using old lists.
2. Make reservations in advance! This is important, as many restaurants will fill up by the time your trip arrives. For those with food allergies, being able to sit down and wait for the chef to prepare a safe meal is well worth a short extra wait. The sooner you know your trip dates, the better. Start booking those meals!
3. Browse through the many gluten free and dairy free meals, pictured here, to help you find some choices that fit your taste and needs. 
4. Come back and share! Comment with your opinions of the different options, places, and links to your own reviews.  Have fun :)

Gluten Free and Dairy Free Walt Disney World Dining Reviews

This Post Had To Move!  Come on over and check out new gluten free dining reviews from Disney World, the Resorts, SeaWorld, Discovery Cove, and more!
Click Here and get started :)

Hollywood Studios gluten free and dairy free dining reviews

Sci Fi Diner November 2014

 We all love this place! When we came in, they gave us new allergen free menus. One was for gluten free options and the other was for dairy free options. Because I needed both, it was a bit odd and confusing, but the chef came out and apologized and helped us figure out what to order, safely. Also, I noticed some items on the dairy free menu that are gluten free, but they were not listed on the gluten free menu, and that is how we came about the dessert.
Starting with dessert, we asked if the chef could do a warmed gluten free dairy free donut topped with toffutti ice cream. My daughter loved it, and she ate every bite!
For her meal, she had the steak, veggies, and safe gluten free fries.  She said the steak was delicious, as were the veggies. So, that was a hit!
I ordered the Salmon BLT again. This time, the gluten free pita was very good and not hard, as it was the last time I ordered it. The sauce was great, the cucumber salad was tasty.  It was a very good meal and we all ate too much! The shell they used this time had a sweet type of flavor to it, which made me suspect it to be a Kinnikinnik product, but I didn't ask.
For dessert, they only offer us plain ice cream (Rice Dream or Toffuti), but when we asked for the warmed donut, they happily obliged. For mine, I asked for a chocolate sauce, which is different than their fudge.  Still, it was a treat. I couldn't eat it all, however.  Too much food!

The Writer's Stop November 2014
I ducked in to grab my husband a coffee while he rode Star Tours for the 3rd time, with the kids. I asked if they had anything gluten free this time, and they did. They had a Mickey Mouse shaped macaroon in bright green or bright red. I didn't get it, because the intense food coloring did not appeal to me, but it was nice to know that there is an option other than EnjoyLifeFood cookies. I would assume that cross contamination is an issue, however, as they share the case with all the other baked goods.

Sci Fi Diner November 2012

This was the kids favorite restaurant of the trip.  They loved it!  I had the gluten free dairy free version of the Salmon BLT with cucumbers and rice dream ice cream for dessert.  The result? Yum!  The chef doesn't quite seem to understand the gluten free flat bread in this dish.  What they served was almost too tough to eat...literally!  It seemed like a pizza crust folded in half, but it lacked any moisture or give. Still, the salmon BLT was delightful, and with a little extra chewing for the "flat bread", it was a pleasure to eat.  I loved the pickled cucumbers (love all pickled veggies) and the

vanilla rice dream tasted like a salted caramel, which could have been what it was, or it could have been my imagination.  Either way, I loved it!  A side note, this restaurant was the absolute winner for silent dining in Disney World.  It was eerie how quiet it was.  Give the world a TV and some food and watch them zone out.  The true Sci - Fi of that dining experience was the silence. Ahh...

ABC Comissary November 2011

We stopped here for a counter service lunch at noon. This is not an ideal time for an allergy request, but we wrapped up Indiana Jones Stunt show and went straight there. While the line was not long, it was a time consuming event to order and it was stressful in that I held up two lines of hungry people in the process of waiting on the manager and cashier to complete the order. What we got: gluten free bun, burger, sides. Gluten free fries. Also, I ordered the rice from the curry and the grilled chicken from a sandwich and I had those put together in place of their chicken curry meal. Sorry, no photos from this trip. I did get the Enjoy Life Food Cookies, which I enjoyed with espresso found at the Writer's Shop around the corner.
I can recommend this as a quick service option, but I still advise you to go early or late and avoid the crowd. Expect an additional 10 minute wait.



2010 We did a quick service of Backlot Express at Hollywood Studio, which was good for unplanned quick service food. See more below.
We tried the Coke Slushies on a hot day.

Backlot Express Counter service lunch in the Hollywood Studios park

After watching the Jedi Training Academy, we found ourselves next door to the Backlot Express. I had not read about this place, but I decided to try it. Even at 12:30 on a Saturday, they were not very busy and we had no trouble finding seating.
The girls settled with their toys at the table with dad while I waited. The counter service waits do take a while with the special allergy requests.
The longest I have waited for a meal has been an hour. The quickest has been 15 minutes. Because of the long waits, I prefer table service dining, but we were taking advantage of the dining plan this trip, and doing both.
Here they had a gluten free dairy free chicken tender/nugget, baked fries, and EnjoyLifeFood cookies. Not a health food meal, but quite a rarity in our dietary selections. In fact, this may have been Bean's first chicken nugget?
She liked it. She didn't eat them all, but she did enjoy her lunch.

Rosies Cafe for Lunch at HollyWood Studio 2008 DDQ1QS

We ate a quick lunch here, hitting the stand at 11:15am to avoid the rush. They had a gluten free bun option, but it would have taken longer (wasn't at location) so we opted to skip it. This was not very good, but it was food, and it was safe. That is about all I can say for it, however. I would not recommend this stop. In addition, I found it stressful to order a special request diet at the stand when there was a line forming behind me and I was holding up the show for everyone while we waited for a manager. There was only one cash register operating at the time, which added to my stress over the meal. Again, it was food, but that is all I can say about it!

Brown Derby for Snack at Hollywood Studios 2008

We were able to stop in without a reservation for dessert. Perhaps my favorite dessert of Walt Disney World for our allergy requirements is found here. It's the Mango Sorbet with berries. It's delightful! I asked for a specialty coffee drink, but they did not have any rice milk or soy milk. This surprised me! Eventually they discovered they had rice dream and they used a bit of that to make a nice drink. It was a good snack.

Hollywood and Vine Fantasmic Dinner Package for Supper at Hollywood Studios 2008 DDP1TS

This was a buffet diner. Because of the condition of the buffet, I opted to ask for our food to be prepared in the back (there was way too much obvious cross contamination here, globs of food dropped in the wrong places throughout). The chef made me a delicious salmon, although it took a very very long time. The group was done eating and ready to go and we were still waiting on steamed greens and salmon.
If you are not in a hurry, though, the chef can prepare some wonderful food for you here.

Brown Derby dinner at Hollywood Stuidos Park 2007 DDP2TS

The chef here was just great. He brought my daughter veggies, which she loved, as a perfect starter.

He brought us the EngerG rolls, warmed, and served with fennel infused olive oil to dip our bread in! YUM!!! What a great idea, by the way!

The chicken was disappointing. It was very dry. The potatoes and sweet dressing on them were very good, though!

My daughter had a hot dog and french fries. The bun is gluten free, dairy free.

Brown Derby served my favorite dessert of the trip...a cup of berries with homemade dairy free mango sorbet! Delicious!
My daughter also loved this sorbet.

Hollywood and Vine: character lunch Hollywood Studios Jan 2007 DDP1TS

Hollywood and Vine at MGM was fantastic. They had so many great veggie choices and the chef grilled salmon and steak for us too!
We enjoyed homemade gluten free brownies (made that day). They were so wonderful. This was another character meal with singing and dancing for
the kids. The food surprised us. It was wonderful! They also had gluten free rolls, which they brought out promptly.