Mara -- Quick Service -- Dinner -- AKL
*Note this review was prior to the vendor changes that took place in November 2011.The Mara is a really great counter service for a variety of options. I love that they have allergy free chicken tenders here, safe fries, and a bevy of other traditional counter service type fare. However, they also have some nice options for African inspired food.This particular dish was really yummy. Grilled (and marinated chicken) with basmati rice and succotash. I enjoyed the grilled chicken immensely. It had really good flavor. They had to make this in the back, as the chicken out front was not safe (I think it was marinated in yogurt).Overall, a good solid dish.
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| Grilled chicken with rice and succotash |
Contempo Cafe -- Counter Service -- Lunch/Dinner
Staying at Bay Lake Tower, we had a great location and access to yummy restaurants and a decent counter service. Contempo Cafe is located in Disney's Contemporary Resort (which is connected by a walkway to Bay Lake Tower). It reflects a newer type of counter service, in that it has a non-traditional ordering system. There are kiosks set up for you to order your food. Admittedly, this was a bit confusing to try out. Our first day, we grabbed lunch here. I wasn't sure how it worked with allergies, so I found a CM who was working the food counter. They then got a chef for me. The chef then asked me what I wanted, and I mentioned that I was interested in the honey lime chicken sandwich they had. He said that without the bun and cheese, that this would be safe. He did offer me a tapioca bun, but I politely declined, as I tend to avoid yeast (It messes with my Crohn's disease). He said he could do a bed of lettuce with the chicken, which I was happy with. He also said their fries were used in a dedicated fryer. So, we went with that. He then said I had to order the item on the kiosk and then when I went to the cashier (who gave you a wait remote) to tell them that I had an allergy, so they could flag it. It was a bit confusing at first, but once I got the hang of this, I was able to figure it out when we ate there 3 more times. The honey lime chicken was fabulous! They also put salt and pepper on the fries which was a nice touch (and other times I ate there they did not do this).
Honey Lime Chicken with fries and a gluten free/dairy free Brownie (used a CS credit for this)
This was definitely a great meal. Overall, I'd give it a 7 out of 10--solid, but slightly confusing system.
ABC Commissary--Counter Service--Hollywood Studios
Our stop at the ABC Commissary was a bit of a fluke--meaning we didn't intend on going there, but it ended up being a very good lunch for me. I'd been dying to try the allergy free chicken tenders, but had yet to get them. Upon arrival, I was greeted by the manager who told me they had them, which I didn't realize. (I suppose I should have consulted my special diets sheets, but I was REALLY hungry at the time!) She said I could the chicken tenders and fries. I think I was also offered a burger, hot dog, and maybe a grilled chicken sandwich, but I can't remember. I had one mission in my mind and that was the allergy free chicken tenders. It did take several minutes, but I was most impressed that they used a completely different fryer (I could see if from where I was waiting) and the manager used new gloves. When she brought it out, I was so excited. However, I didn't get much choices in sauces. I looked at the BBQ sauce at the condiment station, which wrongly the manager told me was safe, clearly listed wheat right in the ingredients. Too bad because I love BBQ sauce and that would have made my meal! But never mind that. Let's get to the chicken tenders. They were amazing! So tasty, and crispy, and did I mention tasty?! It was very good, and I wish I would have gotten more of these chicken tenders.
One of my favorite counter service meals. Allergy Free Chicken Tenders and fries.
Sunshine Seasons -- Counter Service -- Epcot
Following the advice of the WDW Special Diets sheet, I decided to give Sunshine Seasons a try for lunch one day. I'm glad that I was able to try this one too! It did not disappoint. I would give this an extra thumbs up for being better and more nutritious than a lot of the typical counter service restaurants. I chose to go to the grill section where there were several options that looked safe: rotisserie chicken and pork chops in particular. When I went up to the CMs, I mentioned my allergies and asked for anything safe. The one CM said he thought the chicken and pork chops were safe and that he would ask the chef. A lovely chef (with a fantastic Scottish accent!) came to assist me. He was very helpful. He pointed out that yes, the chicken and pork chop were safe. He also said the rice as a side was safe, but not the carrots as they had butter in them. He said that if I wanted he could make me steamed broccoli. I decided to get the broccoli, but found it only lightly steamed and ended up giving most of it to my family members (the crunchiness is hard for me to digest with the Crohn's), but the rice was tasty as was the chicken. I only wish I would have gotten the pork chop! I will know for next time! Also, though I did not get it, Sunshine Seasons carries gluten free beer! They also have French Meadow brownies.
Very tasty chicken!
Roaring Forks -- Counter Service -- Wilderness Lodge
Tucked in the back of the Wilderness Lodge, is Roaring Forks, a cozy counter service. I only ate here once, but I could see that the options weren't as plentiful as value and moderate resort CS offer; however, I did find the quality to still be high. After arriving our first day, we went down to Roaring Forks for lunch. The offerings include salads, deli sandwiches, and items from the grill (such as hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, etc.). Upon arrival, I asked the Cast Member behind the salad area about allergy assistance (i.e. can I see a manager?), another Cast Member, who was clearly more experienced, came up and said she would be able to assist me. She then began giving me options of items that would be good. She suggested a Chicken, Apple, and Walnut salad. It had iceberg and romaine lettuce, with candied walnuts, diced apples, grilled chicken and an apple type vinaigrette. She said she would omit the cheese (maybe blue cheese came with it? I can't recall) and no croutons. She also used clean gloves and a fresh bowl. She gave me extra chicken as well. I tend to avoid a lot of salads because of Crohn's disease, which makes it harder to digest the fresh veggies. However, it did sound tasty and the CM put plenty of protein in it to help. Boy, I'm glad I got this one. It was delicious! I also did not get sick from the lettuce or the vinaigrette.
A very tasty salad!
Dining Review -- AKL Counter Service, The Mara
Eating at counter service can seem intimidating and even frustrating after a bad experience. My review of the Mara is somewhat mixed. This counter service restaurant is located at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. AKL seems to be a cut above many other resorts with service and quality. The Mara had a lot of typical fare (burgers, fries, pizza) and some less typical fare that is more African influenced. Upon arrival, I scanned the menu board and felt less than confident in making choices myself regarding what to eat. At the time, I was coming off of a very bad Crohn's flare so I knew that anything fried would be a bad idea (regardless of being GF and CF). At the Mara, near the ordering stations a CM was there taking orders. I spoke with her and said that I had dietary restrictions. At that point, she said she would need to get the chef and quickly went to the them. However, I ended up waiting for quite a while until a chef appeared. The chef finally came out and asked what dietary restrictions I had. I explained that I could not have Gluten or Dairy. He then offered to make me pizza (which I said had dairy in it, so I could not have. I think he didn't hear me say dairy) and then he offered me macaroni and cheese. He also said I could have fries. I finally asked about the roast chicken which was on the menu; he said it wasn't GF. So, he said if I wanted chicken, he had some that was OK for me to eat (had like a curry glaze on it) and asked what I wanted as a side. We finally decided upon vegetables, stir-fried. He then left to go prepare my food. He told me to go find a table and he would come bring it out. So, I met up with my Mom and she dug into her African Stew. The wait for the food wasn't too long, and out came my meal of chicken with vegetables. I couldn't believe how HUGE the portion was. I ended up taking it back to the room and heating it up later. It was pretty tasty and fairly healthful. Here's a picture:
Overall, I would say the Mara was pretty good. Although I had difficulty reminding the Chef I was also CF, I still got a pretty good meal. I would recommend making sure you repeat your restrictions to the Chef who is assisting you. I would rate it a 7 out of 10.