Pineapple Dole Whip -- Snacks -- Aloha Isle -- Magic Kingdom
*This post contains ingredient information from August 20, 2016. Always double-check with a cast member to ensure that an item is safe for your special dietary need before consuming. 
Pineapple Dole Whips available at the Aloha Isle in Adventureland at Disney's Magic Kingdom and at the Pineapple Lanai at Disney's Polynesian Resort are a classic Disney treat. A soft serve ice cream, you might expect that the Dole Whip is not dairy free, gluten free, or very allergy friendly. But, that is actually not the case! Pineapple Dole Whips are gluten free, dairy free, vegan, and free of the top common allergens.I'm a huge fan of the Pineapple Dole Whip float made with Pineapple Juice. It's so refreshing and perfect for a hot day of touring in the parks.Here is the ingredients list from the Aloha Isle for the Pineapple Dole Whip:
Here is the ingredients list for the Pineapple Juice and Pineapple Spear:
At the Aloha Isle, you can only get the Pineapple Dole Whip, Dole Whip Float (Pineapple Dole Whip & Pineapple Juice, and is shown in the picture in this post), or a pineapple spear. This location does not carry the vanilla soft serve, which contains dairy, so there are no worries of dairy cross-contamination at Aloha Isle.The Pineapple Lanai at Disney's Polynesian Resort carries both the Pineapple Dole Whip and vanilla soft serve, so you'll want to check with a cast member there to discuss any concerns of cross-contamination with dairy.Dole Whip Official Site has a list of ingredients. You can also check Kent Precision Foods site (which distributes Dole Whips) where it mentions that the Pineapple Dole Whip it is top 8 allergen free.Have you had the Pineapple Dole Whip? Is it a must do for you when you go to the Magic Kingdom?
Biergarten — Dinner — Table Service — Epcot — World Showcase
*This dining experience took place in December 2014.
Biergarten is one of those places that really transports you to another place when you dine there. The Oktoberfest setting, Oompah band and traditional fare make it an authentic setting for a meal. Last year, I dined at Biergarten for the very first time for lunch as a part of the Candlelight Processional meal package. My family enjoyed it a lot, and so I decided to go back this year with friends for the Candlelight Processional take 2! Upon arrival, as with our last visit, we were told that we had to check in at our reservation time (and no earlier) and that all of our party needed to be there. With friends coming in to meet up, we ended up being a few minutes past our scheduled ADR. Our party was fairly promptly seated with several other groups -- Biergarten seats communal style at big long tables, just like at Oktoberfest. Last year, my family felt a little awkward dining like this, and I recommend dining with a big group. It makes all the difference in the world!After we were seated, I was greeted by the same chef who assisted me last year. He took me around the buffet and showed me the various options. When I inquired about getting items from the back, he wasn't very keen noting that everything would be fine on the buffet. Normally, I prefer a mix of options - getting some from the back and a few safe items from the front; however, this chef was pretty clear when he said he wouldn't get me items - although he agreed (after I asked) to get me an Ener-G roll. Having dined at Biergarten before safely, I felt like I could keep an eye out for new platters and to ask the cast members at the buffet, who were much more amenable to getting new items for me.
I ended up with a similar menagerie of items like last year - mostly meat based (gluten free vegans or vegetarians probably won't have a great amount of choices here). Bratwurst, "meatloaf" (literally a loaf of meats, roasted chicken, German potato salad, pickles, and coleslaw were among the items I grabbed. All of them were very good, and I tried to load up as much as I could when the fresh platters were coming out (which was frequent).The Ener-G rolls here were as dreadful as they were the year before. I honestly have no clue what they did to these because they were as hard as rocks. I had my friends test them out after I decided I wasn't eating them and they were shocked at how bad they were. I've had amazing versions of Ener-G rolls at places like the now closed Kouzzina, so I can't understand how this even happens. Note to self, do not get rolls from Biergarten again.
While enjoying our dinner, we got a chance to catch the live entertainment -- aka the Oompah band! They play traditional holiday music and have a lot of fun and spirit. They are a blast to watch and a huge highlight of my Biergarten dining experience.For dessert, I was given an OMG It's Gluten Free cookie (and brownie - which I gave to friends since it contains dairy), and I also enjoyed the berry compote found on the buffet, which is delicious. I realized that somehow I didn't get a photo of this compote 2 years running. Apparently, I am always too full for photos by the end of the meal.Because of the time we were there, it was full dinner price which was not cheap ($50 as a part of the CP dinner package), and I would highly recommend dining for lunch and doing the early show for the Candlelight Processional. It's literally the same food at a much cheaper rate. Unfortunately, there was some cross contamination going on at this restaurant, and despite my efforts at trying to keep myself safe, I did get glutened. It has happened at Disney (even at buffets) only a handful of times -- literally, I can count the times on one hand from nearly 6 years of dining there gluten free and dairy free -- but it was a disappointing experience. I felt pretty miserable for several days afterwards and can't even think about eating at Biergarten again. Of course, we all take risks when we dine out with a special diet, but I would like to see the chefs at Biergraten step it up (or at least this particular chef). The lack of interest in providing safe options was pretty evident. I just hope that they can work to provide safer options and ensure minimized cross contamination risks. Next year, I will not be going to Biergarten for the Candlelight Processional dinner. It just isn't worth being sick or uncomfortable (or feeling like a huge nuisance to the chef). I'm thinking La Hacienda de San Angel will be a great choice -- they always make safe and delicious options for me!Have you been to Biergarten? What has been your experience?
Riverside Mill -- Breakfast -- Quick Service -- Port Orleans Riverside
*This dining experience took place in September 2014.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, at least that's what this brunch junkie thinks! I am always looking to try new breakfast options at the Disney parks & resorts restaurants, and recently I got a chance to visit Riverside Mill not once but twice for breakfast. Work conferences sure have their advantages some time!On my first visit, I met Chef Ron. He asked me what I was interested in for the day, and I decided to go with a modified version of the adult Bounty Platter which normally comes with scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, bacon, sausage and a biscuit. I switched out the sausage for more bacon and added in Udi's Gluten Free toast with Smart Balance vegan margarine. 
The bounty platter is more or less the same at most quick service locations with slight variations of the breakfast potatoes. I enjoyed the spicy (but not too spicy) breakfast potatoes at Riverside Mill. Overall, a very solid meal. For breakfast number 2, I went a little more sweet with allergy Mickey waffles. Culinary intern, Chef Emma, greeted me. I know her well from my copious amounts of gluten free, allergy friendly beignet orders and it was great to catch up with her. I ordered the allergy Mickey waffles (made here with Namaste pancake and waffle mix) and a side of scrambled eggs. 
I have to say, these were the crispiest Namaste waffles I've ever had on Disney property. I usually find these are less crispy than Bob's Red Mill allergy Mickey waffles, but these were outstanding on crispiness. I still prefer Bob's Red Mill pancake mix (personal opinion, not based on the quality of the product) but these were very well done. The side of strawberries was another sweet treat and ordering a side of scrambled eggs really balanced out the sweetness nicely.Overall, I found Riverside Mill to have excellent special diets breakfast options. Everything was well cooked and seasoned and easily modified. If you ever get a chance to visit Port Orleans Riverside Mill for lunch or dinner, I highly recommend it. I've had lunch here several times, and they have both been terrific and unique dishes. Have you been to Riverside Mill for breakfast, lunch or dinner? What are your favorite dishes here?
Pop Century Resort Review
 |
| Big Wheel Keep on Turning! |
I recently had the opportunity to stay at Pop Century Resort. Working with my Destinations in Florida agents, I was able to enjoy a one-night stay at the value resort. The team at Destinations in Florida made this process easy from start to finish and truly worry free on my end. This was a nice break from handling the travel myself. As a DVC member, I typically stay in DVC villas, so it was really neat to stay at Pop Century. I hadn’t actually stayed at this resort since 2005 when I went on a family trip with my brother! Funnily enough, we both now live in Florida (he lives in Orlando), so he popped by when I had dinner and he said it was a total time warp!
But back to my travel experience. First off, check-in was a breeze. I checked in later in the day, and it wasn’t very busy, despite the fact that the Pop Warner cheerleaders and football players were there, which can often mean busier crowds. The cast member who assisted me was helpful and easily got my magic bands connected and ready to go. This was a first for me, as I have had my magic bands shipped to me and activated prior to my stays. The process was much simpler than I anticipated. I did not receive any room keys on this visit, as they are phasing out the keys for the magic bands. I have to admit, I did kind of miss those keys, but the magic band experience couldn’t have been better.
 |
| Magic Bands! |
Once I got the magic bands set up and the check-in process complete, I headed to dinner at the quick service location, Everything Pop! It is both a dining location and a gift shop. You head through the Everything Pop entrance, through the gift shop and into the quick service dining location. The restaurant contains several different sections the Bakery, Grill, Market, Pizza, and Ethnic. There are a lot of choices for guests. You can read my review of both dinner and breakfast in separate blog posts (click HERE for dinner review and HERE for breakfast review).
The location proved to be excellent at working with guests with special dietary needs, including my gluten free & dairy free needs, as well as guests with other needs as well. For instance, I asked them about kosher food offerings, and they explained that process for guests. Essentially guests who are kosher should contact the Walt Disney World Special Diets Team in advance so that they will notify the resort ahead of time. Kosher meals come from a company in Miami called Weberman Products that are Glatt Kosher and are certified by Orthodox Rabbinical Council of South Florida (O.R.C.) and by the National Koshruth organization (N.K.) (for more information visit their site: http://www.webermanfoods.com/) They are prepared safely for guests who adhere to kosher diets. These meals are pre-made in the kosher facility and re-heated on the Disney premises. The chef whom I spoke with at Pop Century said that they like to make sure guests give advance notice so they can get as much variety as possible. Without advance notice some options just might not be available. It's always wonderful to see how Disney is able to accommodate guests with a variety of dietary needs.
 |
| Wow, that's a big yo-yo! |
One thing I should note is the theme of Pop Century Resort. It’s set to the theme of 20th Century American pop culture. It was originally set to be two resort areas: the Legendary Years (1900s, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s) and the Classic Years (1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s). Unfortunately, this never took shape in the wake of reduced tourism during the early 2000s. Since it opened in 2003, the resort has remained the Classic Years. The land planned for the Legendary Years was later used to build the recently opened Art of Animation Resort. (You can read a review of my meals of breakfast HERE and lunch HERE)The cool part about this resort is that it’s set-up similarly to the All Stars Resorts. This means, they are motel-style buildings that have giant reproductions of phrases and images from the coordinating decade. I stayed in the 1970s area of the resort which meant a giant foosball setup in the lawn, 8 track staircases (how cute is that?!), a giant Mickey Mouse phone and more. I’ve also stayed in the 1950s area which had bowling pin staircases and even a jukebox. Even the swimming pool was bowling pin shaped! Here are some photos from the resort. As you can see, the decor is really fun. The front desk, concierge, arcade, and quick service location are all housed in what’s known as the Classic Hall. It was very close to the room I stayed in.
The rooms at Pop Century are available as a single king size bed or two double beds. I had a room with two double beds. I have a double size bed at home, so size wise it was perfect for me. However, it could be a little crowded if you had two adults. It’s a nice size for a smaller group or small family and it would work really well if you had two adjoining rooms, one with two double beds for the kids and one with a king size bed for the adults.
The room’s decor reflects the same theme of the building exteriors, so as you can expect there were touches of the 1970s in the room. The setup offers a comfortable space for a vacation. And check out the adorable toiletries! Anything Mickey shaped is OK by me.
Overall, I really enjoyed this resort. It was terrific for a single night and as someone who has stayed there on vacation, a great week long vacation spot. In fact, we saw lots of folks decorate their windows with holiday themes, and I could tell they were staying for an extended amount of time. Love that! Though we didn’t use the bus transportation, it seemed to move quickly with lots of buses coming to and from the resort. Bus stops are located in front of the Classic Hall, so it’s very convenient to get your morning cup of Joe and head to the bus for a full day of park touring.And what I really enjoyed was working with the team at Destinations in Florida. They made it super easy from start to finish! Of course, you can find out more information and receive a free quote from Destinations in Florida by going to this link: http://destinationsinflorida.