We’re heading out, back to Atlanta, after another successful trip to Disney World. It was successful because we met lots of fans and had NO ALLERGIC REACTIONS!!! And once again, we encountered a lot of people who didn’t know about the Disney food allergy program until they arrived, or shortly before. So we made a lot of new friends and we also passed along the information about our contest and our contest sponsor, BabyCakes NYC in Downtown Disney. Our winner for this contest found us at Epcot.

One fabulous find, this trip, was Le Chefs de France. They make their own sorbet, and have dedicated equipment with no cross-contamination with dairy. They also make their own French rolls, again without dairy or cross-contamination. Our daughter enjoyed eating fresh French bread for the first time. More about this later when we write the review.

Two more highlights were The Plaza in the Magic Kingdom and the 50s Prime Time Cafe in Hollywood Studios. Prime Time Cafe was literally a blast from the past, and the chef prepared a special plate for our daughter. Later, we found the lounge was an excellent place to stop and cool off.

Akershus was great as usual, for breakfast, and the Princesses were wonderful with Mary Poppins paying a visit this time.

When we first arrived in Disney World, we dined at Wolfgang Puck’s Cafe, where Chef Carlos carved beautiful roses out of fresh strawberries after serving a wonderful grilled chicken for Charlotte. That night, we also flew through BabyCakes NYC to pickup some items to have around in the hotel. We stopped in the next day and discovered another gem in Downtown Disney. Fresh-A-Peel, in the same building as BabyCakes NYC and Pollo Campero, has a smoothie stand that never uses dairy, nuts, or gluten in their blenders. It was the first smoothie our daughter has ever had that we didn’t prepare. They also have other gluten-free options, healthy snacks, juices and fresh fruit.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party was a big thrill! We plan to go next year, too. It was so much fun but we didn’t get to do everything. The Disney Villains were behaving as one might expect, wicked and scary, but not too scary. We didn’t have any problem avoiding the candy and there was so much excitement everywhere that our daughter didn’t even noticed the candy stations. We simply brought our favorite Enjoy Life candy bars, Divvies Jelly Beans and other treats so that she had a basket of candy like everyone else. During the Boo to You Parade, Charlotte was offered candy from Goofy’s Candy Company crew, but politely declined.

Another great experience was the Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party. We had no real expectations for our daughter’s dessert, but we were absolutely impressed. On top of all the delicious dessert samples available for the masses, the waiter met with us and said the chef had prepared a special plate of fabulous desserts for her. And boy did he ever deliver! More about that in our review.

Look for more reviews to come.

So, until we return to the Happiest Place on Earth, we’ll be dining out at our local “allergy free haunts,” Moes, California Pizza Kitchen, Red Robin and Dulce Vegan bakery.

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We arrived in Disney World on Monday night around 8, checked in and made it to BabyCakes NYC around 9:30, then arrived for a 10:00 dinner reservation at Wolfgang Puck Cafe. Full review to follow later but, basically, it was outstanding and Charlotte even received a little  extra treat at the end from Chef Carlos.

Tuesday, October 4

Find us at Downtown Disney or the Magic Kingdom today to win a delicious box of treats from our sponsor, BabyCakes NYC in Downtown Disney. Look for someone wearing a blue AllergyFreeMouse.com t-shirt, like the one pictured below.

Here is our plan for the day, subject to change at which time we’ll update the page, if possible:

• Back to Downtown Disney Marketplace around 9:30 AM
• Wolfgang Puck Express around 11 AM.
• Quick stop at BabyCakes NYC.
• Magic Kingdom – 2-ish
• The Plaza Restaurant – 5:20 PM
• Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party at 8 PM

We’ll also post some locations on Twitter, follow us there @AllergyMouse.

Look for this guy (not Pinocchio)

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On this trip, we had dinner at Downtown Disney’s Wolfgang Puck Cafe on the first night we arrived. We had great experiences here on the last two trips, so we felt it was a safe place to start our Disney dining. They, of course, aren’t owned by Disney, but they have a great food allergy policy. They are included in the Disney Dining Plan.

We checked in and the chef, Christopher, came to our table and discussed the menu options. We felt completely comfortable with his understanding of our daughter’s dairy allergy and we were shocked by the outstanding effort he put into preparing her meal. He told us that it would take some extra time to prepare her meal, because he needed to wash all of the pots and pans first! We couldn’t believe our ears — wash the pots and pans! Yes, he really got it!

When her meal arrived, everyone wanted her dinner. He pan-grilled her organic chicken and HAND CUT her french fries. She also had a beautiful salad and the meal resulted in the biggest smile. This is what the Disney allergy dining experience is all about!

When we arrived home, we asked our daughter “What was your favorite thing that we did at Disney?” It wasn’t Cinderella, not the Princesses at Akershus, not the gang at Chef Mickey’s, not the Aloha Show, not the theme parks, not even meeting her beloved Rapunzel. Her answer was, and you won’t believe this from a 6-year-old, as she smiled and said, “the best and juicy chicken ever at Wolfgang Pucks!” Wolfgang — we need your picture for our scrapbook! To be a 6-year-old’s favorite at Disney is awesome, Wolfgang!

Notice, most of the chicken is GONE!

We had delicious meals, as well. I LOVED the tortilla soup. It’s a perfect blend of spices and heat. It is garnished with crispy tortilla strips and tangy goat cheese. I also had the ravioli and was very satisfied. Wolfgang Puck’s makes one of the best chicken Caesar salads ever! My husband had the Chicken Alfredo and ate every bite.

Afterward, our daughter had her 1st fresh donut for dessert from BabyCakes NYC.

We’ve read about a serious allergic reaction, and even been contacted by a person who had one, at Wolfgang Puck’s Cafe in 2008. Maybe it was this incident that brought about the change at Wolfgang Puck Cafe. In the past 2 years, during multiple visits, we’ve had nothing but great success and feel comfortable with our daughter eating there.

The kid’s menu is included below. Here is a link to the dinner menu.

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Wolfgang Puck Cafe in Downtown Disney

The children's menu at Wolfgang Puck Cafe

A dairy free salad, prepared to order

The best tortilla soup

Notice, the chicken is GONE!

If you have a food allergy and you’ve dined at Wolfgang Puck Cafe, Wolfgang Puck Express or anywhere else within Downtown Disney, please share your experience with us so that it can help other food allergy diners make informed decisions.

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Gluten Free at Downtown Disney

As with any other restaurant, you should always discuss your allergy with the chef or manager upon arrival at each location.

NOTE:  These items are subject to change without notice.  Please speak to a chef or manager upon arrival at each location for their most up to date information on their ingredients and menus. This information has been provided by Disney, requested an updated copy.

Market Place

Captain Jack’s- Children: hot dog with gluten free bun, chicken sandwich, Adult: peel & eat shrimp with no seaweed, pasta to substitute in entrees, salad with papaya dressing, rice, gluten free brownie

Rainforest Café – request to speak to Chef or Kitchen Manager and they will customize a dish

Earl of Sandwich - Salads and fruit cups

Wolfgang Puck Express - rosemary chicken with garlic mashed potatoes, some of the salads can be customized – please ask when ordering

T-Rex - alert server and they will send the Chef to the table to customize a dish; Wooly Mammoth chicken dish, gluten free pasta with protein or veggies

Babycakes NYC – located inside of Pollo Campero, this location serves all natural and organic baked goods.  This vegan bakery specializes in gluten, dairy, egg, and soy safe options.

• Read our Babycakes NYC review.
• View their menu online at:  http://babycakesnyc.com/menu.html
• Order food allergen-free cakes for delivery to Walt Disney World restaurants. Call 407-938-9044 at least 7 days (or more) before your dining event.

Pleasure Island

Fulton’s Crab House - Seafood and Steak, veggies, not a lot of dishes with flour or bread options

Portobello’s - Gluten free pasta (available most of time, prefer it is acknowledged on the reservation)

Raglan Road – Ask server to get a Chef for explanation of options

Paradiso 37 - talk to Chef or Manager regarding the severity of allergy & they can customize menu

Westside

Planet Hollywood – varies depending on the food availability: Children: gluten friendly pizza, chicken tenders, chicken breast sliced in half and grilled. Adult:: gluten free bun for chicken sandwich and burgers, steak fries baked in oven upon request instead of French fries, side salad, small Caesar salad minus croutons, three salad dressings made in-house, side of vegetable or jasmine rice. New York & rib eye steaks, Mahi & Salmon, Fajitas can be altered for corn tortilla chips instead of the tortilla with Jasmine rice instead of Fiesta rice, no sour cream, Chef will come out to discuss option and the severity of allergies

Bongos Cuban Café - vegetable platter of white rice and vegetables

Wolfgang Puck’s Café – ask to speak to Chef and they will come to table to explain options for each of the items

Food Quest inside Disney Quest - pending on stock: chicken finger with rice breading, gluten free buns, gluten free brownies, occasionally pizza with gluten free crust

House of Blues - talk to Chef regarding the severity of allergy & they can customize menu

NOTE:  Menus subject to change without notice.  Please speak to a chef upon arrival at each location.

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Quick Service Restaurants

Disney World has a hundred or more Quick Service Restaurants, where you can walk up and grab a quick bite to eat, some of which carry many allergy free selections. Always ask to see ” the book” . The book is at each location and lists all of the ingredients for  each menu item. Then, ask to speak to the manager and explain your allergy / allergies. Ask the manager if they will make it for you, or at least supervise. I have never had this request turned down. They really understand and want to accommodate everyone. Here are restaurants for which we have a review, or one is on the way. For a full list of Disney Quick Service Restaurants, click here.

Babycakes NYC – review
Marketplace – Downtown Disney

Backlot Express – review
Hollywood Studios

Main Street Bakery - review coming
Main Street – Magic Kingdom

Pepper Market – review
Coronado Springs Resort

The Mara - review coming
Animal Kingdom Lodge

Tortuga Tavern (formerly El Pirate Y El Perico) - review
Adventureland – Magic Kingdom

Wolfgang Puck Express - review
Marketplace, West Side – Downtown Disney

Would you like to share your allergy-free Disney dining experience with other readers? If so, please submit your review here.

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