A recent vacation to Disneyland as a celiac vegetarian could have become a food nightmare. We all know how hard it is to eat out with a gluten allergy. Luckily they were prepared and managed to surprise us at every turn! Well known for their customer service and attention to detail, Disneyland employees went out of their way to provide gluten free food that also fell into the vegetarian category, making our vacation a success.
Main Street
Upon entering the park our first stop was City Hall where we picked up a gluten free menu, guiding us in where Disneyland had gluten free dining. We had expected a small list of options, instead it was four pages long! Many of those options were not vegetarian, but a surprising number catered to our needs.
The Plaza Inn breakfast buffet seemed like a good choice, with many options available. Of course the omelet bar was a hit, as they cooked up your egg and choice of ingredients right in front of you. The real surprise was when they suggested gluten-free waffles, made just for us. We had to wait a minute or two, of course, while they prepared them. The staff knew enough about the allergy to clean the waffle iron before using it and to put on fresh gloves. Although not everyone is that sensitive, in our case it was needed.
Another favorite stop on main street was the Gibson Girl ice cream parlor. The staff were, again, very knowledgeable and could tell us exactly which flavors were gluten free and which were not. They even advised us against certain toppings which had gluten in the ingredients.
Snacks on main street that met our criteria include popcorn from the vendors and ice cream bars. For more information on great not-so-well known snacks at Disneyland read this article.
Tomorrowland
Redd Rockett's Pizza Port was our Tomorrowland choice. It is a walk around cafeteria layout, with various hot dishes such as pasta and pizza. A few of the options include rice pasta dishes, salads, and gluten free pizzas. When we asked about getting a gluten free pizza, the manager was immediately summoned. The vegetarian option was a cheese pizza, which we requested. It took ten to fifteen minutes for them to cook it up, and it came out piping hot. At this point we also realized that dishes catering to allergies in Disneyland always came on red plates! A great idea to keep staff aware.
We also made good use of the snack carts in Tomorrowland, munching on pineapple spears and pickles during our adventures.
Fantasyland
The Village Haus, which is Pinocchio themed, didn't have a lot of options for gluten allergies that were also vegetarian. However, the manager did tell us that they our fries would be cooked in the "fries only" deep fryer, avoiding cross contamination with foods that had flour coatings.
It turned out that the Troubadour Tavern was a better choice, with hot baked potatoes ready to devour. Stay away from the bacon bits and you're home free!
The frozen lemonade was another snack we enjoyed often, especially during our Small World cruises in the hot afternoons.
Adventureland
We knew in advance that the Tiki Juice Bar would be a great choice, with delicious gluten-free dole whip and other pineapple treats. But the Bengal Barbecue was a surprise, as they had vegetarian grilled kabobs that were also gluten free.
Frontierland
The Rancho Del Zocalo was our first stop here, because we love Mexican food. Again, the manager came right out and took our order, letting us know about other gluten free options along the way. Being vegetarian meant many of the options were out of the question. Vegetable tacos (on corn tortillas), cheese enchiladas and tostada salad were brought out quickly and just as quickly devoured.
Disney's California Adventure
This area of the park had the largest selection of gluten-free and vegetarian foods available. Our trip wasn't long enough to sample them all, but the ones we did enjoy were wonderful.
The Lucky Fortune Cookery was so good we visited it twice. Hot rice noodles or rice with tofu and vegetables stir fried in a delicious gluten-free sauce. Again, the chef made sure all of our food was made in fresh pans and used clean utensils.
The Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta had the same gluten-free pizza options as in Tomorrowland, so we decided to try a pasta dish instead. There were a couple that met our criteria and we settled on rice noodles with marinara sauce. Add some parmesan cheese and it was delicious.
A fantastic plate of "three way veggies", refried beans and spanish rice filled us up at Cocina Cucamonga. I'm not sure exactly which "three ways" they cooked those veggies but they all got my vote!
The only disappointment in our vacation was not having enough time to sample more dishes! Each time we mentioned a gluten-free allergy the chef or manager was immediately summoned and our options laid out for us. For the first time during a holiday, we didn't have to put up with feeling sick because of compromised food options. Disneyland certainly made us the happiest vacationers on Earth.
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