Disneyland Gluten-free Experience

Recently we returned from a trip to Disneyland in Anaheim, California that was different than any trip we had taken before.  This was the first trip we had taken since I  became intolerant to gluten. 

I had read some information on the Internet about gluten-free and Disneyland.  There was information, but not tons of it.  I hope to give more personal information about my experience at the resort and staying gluten-free.

Info:

I had read conflicting reports online about where to get a complete list of gluten-free options at the Disneyland Resort.  Many said that City Hall would have the information while others said it no longer did.  Some said you had to ask at every single restaurant for what their gluten-free options were.  I never went to City Hall to even see if they had a list because I found going to the restaurants gave the information I needed.

Talk to the Chef:

This was a new experience for me.  I'd walk into a restaurant and ask about gluten-free options only to have them call out the head chef.  I actually really liked this approach as it let me know that I was talking to the person in charge.

The chefs I spoke to were informative and friendly.  They let me know my options and described how my food would be prepared.  Some asked if I needed my food prepared in an isolated location because of possible cross-contamination.  Luckily I'm not sensitive enough that cross-contamination is an issue for me, but it was good to know that it was an option.

One thing I found interesting is that it really up to each restaurant how they handled GF.  The Village Haus in Fantasyland had a gluten-free menu at each cash register that could be viewed (this is the only place I saw this), while at others the people at the cash register didn't know much about what options they had.

The amazing food I ate:

Every meal was delicious and lived up to my expectations of yummy food at the resort.  Here's a recap of where and what I ate:

River Belle Terrace – BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich on gluten-free bun. 

This was the first meal of the trip and it was amazing!  I was blown away by the texture of the bun (I've tried many) and how great it was to be eating a pulled pork sandwich on buns and not just from a fork.  I never asked about the sides (Baked beans, coleslaw) as they might have had gluten in them, but it wasn't enough for me to notice.

Rancho de Zocalo – 3 Cheese Enchiladas w/ refried beans and rice

This is somewhere I knew I'd be able to eat but actually had to eat here earlier than I had expected.  Others in my group got sourdough soup bowls in New Orleans Square and understandably there weren't any GF options.  I then proceeded to check at the Stage Door Café and the Golden Horseshoe for GF options (the Golden Horseshoe did have flourless cake, but I needed dinner, not cake).  That led me on over to Rancho.  The chef was very nice here and described my options.  The saddest part was when I learned that the Tortilla salad bowls where flour tortillas, I loved those.

Paradise Garden Grill – Lemon-Oregano Chicken with Moroccan Chili with rice substituting the pilaf and no pita bread

This was a new restaurant for me and it was very delicious.  They weren't sure if the Moroccan Chili was gluten-free but I assume since they gave it to me that it was (they did put it on the side, but I ate it with no problems). 

 Redd Rocket's Pizza Port – Gluten-free Pepperoni Pizza

I had heard that they had GF options here and I was very interested in trying it out.  The chef spoke to me and took my order and had it ready several minutes later.  It was a small flat personal pizza that was pretty good.  The chef mentioned that it was rice based as well.  This one didn't really win me over, it was good but I'm addicted to Chebe pizza mix and I'm finding that it's really hard for anything else to win me over.  But it was decent and helped my pizza craving.

Hungry Bear Restaurant – Cheeseburger with gluten-free buns

This was kind of a let down I'm not going to lie.  It was good having a burger on buns and not wrapped in lettuce but it wasn't great.  I think part of the reason is that they had a turkey sandwich on the menu that they said wasn't gluten-free (perhaps the meat?) as I suspect they could have substituted the buns.  I think the other hard part is they didn't really have toppings for my burger like they do at Taste Pilot's Grill. 

French Market – French Quarter Chicken w/ sauce on the side

This was a really tasty meal.  The chicken and potatoes were great even without the sauce.  I tried the sauce on two bites and it was good but I was told that it wasn't gluten-free so I stayed away from it as much as possible.  The meal comes with a roll that I tried to substitute with a side salad, but they wouldn't let me.

Taste Pilots Grill – Grilled Chicken sandwich on gluten-free buns

I used to love Taste Pilots crispy chicken sandwiches and criss-cross fries.  Sadly both of those are gone, but funnily enough I wouldn't have been able to have the crispy chicken sandwich.  The grilled sandwich that they now serve was very delicious and on the GF buns was a pleasant surprise.  

Summary:

Overall it was an amazing experience getting to eat more yummy food at the Disneyland Resort than I ever had thought possible.  It makes me excited to make another trip to the resort in the future.  What are some of the experiences you had at Disneyland with gluten-free?  Were they good or bad?

PS:

I once was addicted to churros but obviously can't eat them anymore. I found a great GF alternative at Rancho de Zocalo in Frontierland.  They have sugar and cinnamon covered tortilla chips. They are great to snack on and really taste almost as good as a churro. 

The couple of pictures from Disneyland were taken by me, I hope to have more up soon.