Gasparilla Island Grill -- Lunch -- Quick Service -- Grand Floridian
*This dining experience took place in June 2018.
Lunch at Gasparilla Island Grill
Gasparilla Island Grill is a quick service restaurant located in Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Recently, I stopped by here for lunch with my family while they were staying at the resort's DVC rooms during a weekend visit. It has been three years since I have eaten lunch or dinner at Gasparilla Island Grill, so I was looking forward to checking it out and seeing what options were currently available.
Atmosphere
Like a lot of the theming at the Grand Floridian Resort, Gasparilla Island Grill has a turn-of-the-century Victorian theme to it.
Though it has a vintage look, everything is done with a modern twist, making the restaurant very comfortable to dine in.
There's also more seating than you might expect from a resort quick service restaurant. And, I always tend to gravitate towards the cozy booths in the back of the restaurant for a quiet and low-key meal.
Typically, once you have ordered your meal, you will be given a card with a number on it for your table. A cast member will then bring out your freshly prepared meal directly to your table. This is always helpful, especially with a special dietary need, so that you're not waiting in the ordering area for a long time.
The Food
Gasparilla Island Grill does carry an Allergy-Friendly Lunch and Dinner Menu. I was pretty impressed by the amount of choices I had available to me.
I decided to order the Roasted Turkey with Florida Orange Vinaigrette and Pickled Onions. This is marked both gluten free and dairy free on the allergy-friendly menu. I also had the option of house-made chips or French fries -- both of which I was told were made in dedicated fryers.
As you can see by this close-up of my sandwich, it came with a hearty portion of carved turkey breast. No deli meat here!I have to say that this was an excellent sandwich. And, I was so glad I ordered it. The roasted turkey was very flavorful. But, the real star of the sandwich was the Florida orange vinaigrette. It added a super bright pop of flavors to the sandwich and was very refreshing on a hot day (which is was). The pickled onions also added a nice bit of flavor.The sandwich was served on Ener-G bread, which was pretty surprising. I was honestly expecting Udi's Gluten Free bread which is often the bread I'm served the most at Disney. The cast member asked if I wanted the bread toasted. And, I confirmed before they did so that they had a dedicated allergy toaster, which they do. They did say it would take a bit longer. But, I am glad I waited. The toasting made the Ener-G bread perfect!
Although I didn't pick any up, I did notice that Gasparilla Island Grill did carry OMG...It's Gluten Free Chocolate Chips Cookies and Fudge Brownies.
They also carried Rocky Mountain Caramel Corn and Lundberg Rice Chips. These are all nice grab and go options for gluten free guests (and many of them are also dairy free).
Overall
I was pretty impressed by my lunch experience at Gasparilla Island Grill. Though I'm not often at the resort, it's definitely a spot I wouldn't hesitate to visit again for lunch or dinner. I appreciated that they had a good amount of variety. Plus, they also offer a vegan menu and carry dairy free cheeses for guests who want pizza options too.Have you been to Gasparilla Island Grill? What did you think of their special dietary needs options?
Garden View Tea Lounge -- Afternoon Tea -- Table Service -- Grand Floridian
*This dining experience took place in February 2016. This is a gluten free only review but notes information about dairy free and vegan options. 
The Garden View Lounge, located at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, offers guests a chance to enjoy a proper English tea-time complete with tea, sandwiches, and pastries. I had only ever been to the Garden View Lounge for tea on my 30th birthday, and I didn't have a particularly good experience.However, it has been several years, and I thought spending my birthday here again might be another nice way to check it out. I was joined by my mom, who also came with me the last time, and we were both cautiously optimistic about the tea.
One thing I will say about the ambiance is that it can seem a bit stuffy in the Garden View Tea Lounge, but overall, I do find the theme charming, and I love the china that they use for the tea cups and serving ware.
They do tend to squeeze tables in rather close to each other, but thankfully, on this visit, the tea room wasn't too crowded.The Garden View Tea Lounge offers several fixed price options for tea, and I opted to get the Derbyshire Tea which came with several courses, along with tea and a glass of champagne. It was my birthday, after all, so I thought champagne was in order!
You do get a choice of tea, and like my previous visit, I chose the Princess Breakfast Tea, which is made exclusively for the Grand Floridian. It combines one of my favorite teas - South African Rooibos - with one of my favorite fruits...Strawberry. I need to see if I can buy this tea and bring it home because this was a true highlight of the afternoon tea service. My mom also ordered it and enjoyed it too.
For my first course, I received several sandwiches, fresh fruit, and several wedges of cheese. Because I've been reintroducing a bit of dairy back into my diet, I opted to indulge in some cheese and a few other dairy filled treats on my visit.The cheeses were both really great, and I have to say that I loved the sage cheese, which I thought added a unique taste and wasn't overpowering. The cheddar that was also on the plate was very mild, and I think I might have preferred a sharper cheese in contrast to the sage cheese which was also quite mild.The sandwiches were all served on Udi's Gluten Free bread. One included golden beets, which was nice and light and earthy tasting. The egg salad was nothing special, and actually a bit dry. The ham sandwich was plain and also nothing special. I can't recall the 4th sandwich I had, but it must not have been very memorable. I know I did not get curry chicken salad, as it was not considered safe.One important thing to note about the sandwiches is that unless requested not to, they will butter the sandwiches on the inside. This is a very common practice in the UK and adds some authenticity to the tea experience, but may not be your "cup of tea" as a preference or something to know about if you are dairy free, have a milk allergy, or are vegan. It's easy to not add though, so definitely let the chef know when you speak to them about this.
For the scone course, sadly, they do not offer a gluten free scone. However, they had two different kinds of gluten free and vegan tea cakes from Erin McKenna's Bakery NYC. One was a lemon tea cake, and the other one was banana. Accompanying that was Earth Balance vegan buttery spread, clotted cream (which I did not eat), lemon curd, and apricot jam.I was also given fresh fruit, a coconut macaroon with strawberry sauce, and chocolate mousse cups. The chocolate mousse contained dairy (and wasn't very good in my opinion) and the coconut macaroon was both gluten free and dairy free, but was very dry and not very tasty. I was pretty disappointed with these as dessert options.
The apricot jam was dairy free, and all three accompaniments were gluten free. Sadly, there's a bit of butter in the lemon curd, and the clotted cream is all dairy. I did try the lemon curd with the lemon tea cake and was wowed by it. Super fresh and tons of lemon flavor. If you can have dairy, it's a real winner. I also adored the apricot jam too.
Overall, I found this experience at the Garden View Tea Lounge to be nice but not as amazing as I would have hoped. They definitely have special diets options and can work with you, but I felt like the presentation and options compared to a non-special diets diner were a bit lacking.And the price of the tea is steep. Mine was around $45 with the champagne. It's definitely a special occasion only experience and one I'd probably not do again for several years. One nice touch that I will mention is that they gave me a rose for my birthday, which was very sweet.Having gone to the Crescent Solarium Afternoon Tea at the Beach Club a few weeks later, I think I preferred that both in price, special diets accommodations and selection, and atmosphere.You can also read about other experiences at the Garden View Tea Lounge by checking out Alexis's Gluten Free Adventures and Dairy Free Gina's posts.Have you been to the Garden View Tea Lounge? What did you think of the special diets offerings?
Grand Floridian Cafe -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
*This dining experience took place in February 2015.
The Grand Floridian Cafe located at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa has become one of my regular breakfast rotation options when dining at Disney World. It isn't my favorite table service location on Disney property by any means (that honor is reserved for exceptional places like Boma and the newly re-imagined Kouzzina now open as Trattoria al Forno), but it provides a really solid breakfast in a quiet atmosphere that's very conveniently located to the Magic Kingdom. Good breakfast + near Magic Kingdom is a win win in my Disney touring book.On this particular occasion, I was dining at the Grand Floridian Cafe right after running the Enchanted 10K during the Princess Half Marathon race weekend. It was a super chilly morning in the low 40s, and between the race and the cold I was ready for a hot meal (and hot beverage).I almost always order the exact same thing when I dine for breakfast at the Grand Floridian Cafe -- the American with eggs of some type (this time scrambled), breakfast potatoes, and bacon. Sometimes I order allergy Mickey waffles in place of toast and other times I get toast with non-dairy butter. Today, it was all about the carb loading Mickey waffles!I asked the chef if they could make the seasonal waffle offering which was served with a cranberry pecan citrus maple syrup. I'd heard rave reviews about it and wanted to check it out. The chef said she'd check as the syrup might contain dairy. She followed back up at our table and said that I was safe to consume the syrup. *Note: I was told by other guests that they were told that the syrup was not safe to consume at the time they visited. Because of the seasonal nature this may or may not be true depending on when you visit Grand Floridian Cafe. Always double-check with a chef to confirm the status of sauces and/or syrups.
My entree was delicious as usual. I asked for only bacon but received a mix of sausage and bacon. I'm not a big sausage person so I only took a few bites. The bacon, on the other hand, was thick-cut and delicious. If you want to avoid the standard Disney bacon, this is another location to add to your list to visit. One nice addition to the entree was a side of arugula salad tossed in a light vinaigrette. This was a great touch to the breakfast with it's mild but peppery taste.
It's a good thing I had just run a 10K and was both hungry and had expended some calories. This was a huge meal. I anticipated getting 2 allergy Mickey waffles but I was presented with 4. (I ended up sharing with my family). The cranberry pecan citrus maple syrup was delicious but very sweet. I ended up mixing a combination of the specialty syrup and plain maple syrup. I don't think I could have eaten the whole thing if I'd ordered it solely because of the sweetness. Still, it was a delicious option that I'm glad I tried.Overall, I enjoyed my breakfast at the Grand Floridian Cafe. They consistently provide a solid breakfast entree in a fairly quiet setting (it's definitely not the bustling chaos that is 1900 Park Fare!). It made for a nice option post-race.Have you been to the Grand Floridian Cafe? What was your favorite dish?
Gasparilla Island Grill -- Dinner -- Quick Service -- Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
*This dining experience took place in December 2014.
Gasparailla Island Grill is located in Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa on the first floor. If you've ever been to the Grand Floridian Cafe, which serves a nice breakfast, you'll find this quick service location nearby with a quick trip outside the building. I've been at this quick service restaurant a few times, but never really ordered dinner there. Our family wanted to check out the holiday decorations and also visit the famous gingerbread display at the resort, so it was the perfect spot to grab a bite to eat.The menu itself has some standard quick service offerings and a few unique items. One of the things that you don't always see at quick service locations is house-made chips. I was curious to see if these were going to be safe for gluten free diners.When I spoke to the manager, he said that much of the menu can be easily altered for gluten free diners but that many items were out for me as options because of the dairy. I ended up ordering the Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich which came with grilled chicken, ham, cheese (mine was made without), lettuce, and a choice of house-made chips, fries or a cucumber salad. Of course, I got the house-made chips, since I was told they are made in a dedicated fryer.The manager gave me a table stand with a number on it for the table and said he'd bring it out to me when my food was ready. Meanwhile, I grabbed a beverage and relaxed in the comfy booths found in the restaurant.
The sandwich itself was pretty good. It came on a Local Oven bun which was nicely toasted. The chicken was flavorful, and the ham added a nice variation. For me, the winner was the house-made chips. They were nice and thick and really tasty. I will definitely have to head back to Gasparilla Island Grill.Overall, I enjoyed my meal at Gasparilla Island Grill. I found the options for gluten free & dairy free diners to be good, and the manager who assisted me that day was really helpful.Have you been to Gasparilla Island Grill? What did you order there?
Grand Floridian Cafe -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Grand Floridian
*This dining experience took place in June 2014.
Disney's Grand Flordian Cafe is one of those locations at Disney that makes you feel like you've stepped back in time. I almost expect the animatronics from Carousel of Progress to be here celebrating Valentine's Day during the turn-of-the-century. If you're looking for a little bit more of an upscale breakfast with a quieter atmosphere, breakfast at the Grand Floridian Cafe is the way to go.On this particular occasion, I stopped by for breakfast before heading to the Magic Kingdom. It makes for a convenient stop before entering the park. My breakfast reservation was early - 8:15 a.m., as I had Fastpass+ reservations for the newly opened Mine Train ride in New Fantasyland. With such an early breakfast, let's just say it was very quiet. In fact, there were very few of us in the back half of the restaurant.
The chef greeted me to go over the options, and I knew more or less what I already wanted - the American which comes traditionally with: Two Eggs served with Biscuits, Bacon, Sausage and Breakfast Potatoes and a choice of Juice. For $13.99 it's a decent bargain with the juice included.I decided to go for apple juice, scrambled eggs, bacon, turkey sausage, breakfast potatoes (made differently as the regular version contains dairy), and instead of toast or Mickey waffles, I asked for steamed asparagus. I don't know why, but I seem to always want asparagus when I go to the Grand Floridian Cafe.When I got my entree, there was a bit of a mix-up, as I was served dairy filled hashbrowns. And weirdly enough, it had the allergy pick right in the middle of them. I know enough about the potatoes there to know they had dairy in them, but this is just a reminder to be vigilant about your food orders. Because the hashbrowns were all on the same plate as the rest of the meal, the chef needed to completely remake everything which did take a wee bit of time.
Once I got my entree, I was ready to dig in. I needed to fuel up for that Mine Train ride! The eggs, bacon, and asparagus were great as were the hashbrowns. I have to say, maybe it's just the turkey sausage at Disney but I've decided I'm not a fan. It seems like every time I order it, it's dry and not that tasty. Next time I will just go for the bacon instead of the turkey sausage. 
As you can see by the decor, this is a lovely and bright restaurant. Because it was so quiet it made for a very enjoyable and relaxing meal.Overall, I would give this a 6 out 10 for this experience.Have you been to the Grand Floridian Cafe? What do you like to order here for breakfast?
Grand Floridian Cafe -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Grand Floridian
*This dining experience took place in December 2013.
Disney's Grand Floridian Cafe offers guests a chance to enjoy a refined meal in a casual setting. Located at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, it's one of the few locations in the resort that offers an affordable a la carte meal. One of my favorite meals here is the low-key breakfast. Guests with special diets will be treated to a variety of breakfast staples, including the allergy friendly Mickey waffles found on property.On this particular visit, I dined here for a late breakfast at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (see a recap HERE). It has been a while since I visited the Grand Floridian Cafe, but I knew I wanted to get something pretty standard. Eggs, maybe some Mickey waffles, nothing too fancy. But what I love about this place isn't necessarily the food (which is good) but the atmosphere. It always seems really calm and relaxing in here. It never seems super busy and it's a bit removed, which I like. It's certainly crazy busy like 1900 Park Fare!
I opted to get eggs over-easy, hashbrowns (which were yummy), and bacon. The chef was extra generous with the bacon on this visit! All of these were good. I wouldn't say anything spectacular, but still good nonetheless.
The chef was also generous with the bread too--three slices! I asked for Earth Balance vegan margarine but instead he gave me Smart Balance. It is vegan (and incidentally also owned by the same company that owns Earth Balance), but I'm really not a fan. I prefer Earth Balance all the way.
Overall, I like the Grand Floridian Cafe. It provides a solid meal in a charming restaurant. I really enjoy getting a nice seat by the windows and looking out at the Grand Floridian grounds.I'd give this particular visit a 7 out of 10. It's nothing fancy, even though the restaurant has a certain fanciness about it, but the food is solid. The chefs seem willing to make me potatoes which doesn't always happen at some restaurants, and the breakfast was tasty overall. Next time I'd like to see if they can make their cranberry orange pecan pancakes sauce gluten & dairy free for the allergy Mickey waffles. The sauce/topping looked amazing!Have you been to the Grand Floridian Cafe? What do you like to order there?
1900 Park Fare -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Grand Floridian
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| Chef brought out a bounty of food--all prepared in the kitchen, not off the buffet |
I admit, while I like character meals, I have to be in the mood for a character breakfast. I get a little cranky before I get food in the morning; sorry Mickey, but it's true. However, I have been wanting to try out 1900 Park Fare for breakfast for a while. (I've eaten dinner here pre-allergies).One of the biggest things that I noticed at this breakfast is that there were not that many items that I could eat straight from the buffet. Meaning it was either filled with gluten or dairy (or both). I could have items from the carving station (like ham, which I love) or fruit. Otherwise, everything else was off limits. The chef said he would make everything in the back for me. I asked for scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon, and of course, Mickey waffles! (yes, you are probably all well aware of my Mickey waffle obsession).Overall, the food was good. Nothing special; just basic breakfast food. Except the bacon. OMG it was rockin'! Kouzzina is the other restaurant that I really like the bacon. It's not that greasy puny type that you often get; this was very meaty delicious bacon. My family even were jealous (yep, they got the other kind of bacon). I wondered why the difference in the bacon, but I didn't argue. It was too good. They were a wee stingy on the Mickey waffles, but no big deal, I did have a lot of food to eat.
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| Ham from the buffet carving station. Very good! |
In general, I would give this restaurant a 8 out of 10. Food was good and plentiful (and safe). If you like character meals or have kids, they'll love this one!
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| Me and Winnie the Pooh--No rumbly tummies here! |
Narcoossee's -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Grand Floridian
Gorgeous views from Narcoossee's!
I was greeted by Chef Noah who was very nice. He asked what I was interested in and when I said that I wanted lobster, he said he could make something lobster based for an appetizer, and asked if I liked Asian inspired food (which I do!). For my entree, I chose a fish and lobster entree with a tomato saffron broth. We subbed out the pasta for rice, and the dish didn't need any other modifications. For dessert, he confirmed that they had a dessert plate for me. He also said he'd bring me some tapioca rolls.My appetizer arrived, and I have to say I was blown away. It was beyond amazing! It was a great Asian inspired salad with lobster, sesame oil and greens. It was divine. I scarfed it down! After this course, I was soooo excited for my entree.
Overall, I had really high hopes for this restaurant. It was ok. Hit or miss in my opinion. I'm not sure I'd do this again, as there are 2 TS credit restaurants that I find much better on property. Maybe in the future if the menu changes. Overall, a 6 out of 10 for the food, terrible service (I won't even get into the horrible server we had--she kind of killed the night by her attitude) and inconsistencies.
Grand Floridian Cafe -- Breakfast -- Table Service -- Grand Floridian
The Grand Floridian Cafe is nestled in the back of the Grand Floridian's main building. We thought it might be a nice calm breakfast as an alternative from the busy character meals, like 1900 Park Fare. It proved to be a lovely breakfast, with a very calm vibe. It was a nice leisurely meal.Upon arrival, we were greeted by the chef, who essentially asked me what I wanted. That day my Crohn's was flaring quite badly, so I wanted something very calm and mild. No bacon or sausage for me, even if I wanted them! I loved the idea of eggs Benedict, but obviously having hollaindaise sauce is out of the question. But I ended up deciding to get scrambled eggs, steamed asparagus, and potatoes. The chef told me they would have to make the potatoes from scratch b/c the regular breakfast potatoes were not safe, so it was going to take a while, which was fine. While waiting, we enjoyed a Tropical Splash juice, which was extremely good. Loved the strawberry on the side!
Garden View Lounge Afternoon Tea--Table Service--Grand Floridian
On my 30th birthday, I wanted to do something special. I have always wanted to do the high tea at the Grand Floridian and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to do so. I planned a 2 p.m. tea, so that we had 1 1/2 hours before our spa appointment at the Grand Floridian spa at 3:30. I thought this would give us plenty of time. It's only tea right?! Well, this turned out to be a disastrous affair, with rude waitstaff and rude guests and completely unprepared chefs. Previously, Chef Jeff Bliss had called me and arranged to make some salads and some desserts. Ah, too bad this didn't come to fruition. I believe there was some misscommunication because when we arrived, the waitresses said they thought I had food with my name on in it their fridge and later the chef (not Jeff Bliss) came out and totally ignored me and took forever (like 30+ minutes) to bring me a scoop of tuna and egg salad. I asked for no GF bread (because I was avoiding yeast) and I got bread (which I was told did have yeast in it).
Lovely tea and china!
To begin with, we were seated next to some really rude guests. They were very snooty and rude to everyone. This made my mom and I feel very uncomfortable (and I'm not usually bugged by people, rude or otherwise). The waitress was a bit curt. I ordered the Princess Breakfast tea which was strawberry vanilla rooibos. YUM! I was going to buy this, but didn't get the chance. The chef arrived and I explained that Jeff Bliss had spoken to me and made arrangements. Like I said, 30+ minutes later I got my food. My mom was already done with her sandwiches and scone.
Overall, I give this a big fat 5 out of 10. Mostly because of the bad service and lack of accommodation. I'd have let the accommodation part go if it wasn't for the big deal they made about it prior to me arriving. Disappointing and something I probably won't do again. Thankfully, California Grill made up for this tea when I went there for dinner.