Gaston's Tavern -- Snacks -- Quick Service -- New Fantasyland

*This dining experience took place in June 2014.Gaston’s Tavern located in New Fantasyland is something truly out of the animated film. They say, he uses antlers in all his decorating and boy is that sure true. From the exterior of this quick service restaurant to the interior decor, it looks like a hunting lodge and tavern all in one. While I can’t say I personally love Gaston’s decorating tastes, I do enjoy some of the items served in Gaston’s Tavern. On this particular occasion, I stopped by to try out the roasted pork shank and Le Fou’s Brew. I actually hadn’t been since the opening of New Fantasyland (during the annual passholder preview, actually!), so it had been a long time. On that first visit, I tried both, and I even got a chance to see the bottles and ingredients, thanks to a kind manager there. You can read more about that in my original post.But back to today’s visit, when I entered the restaurant, I notified the cast member that I had special dietary needs. She then went and got the special diets binder and a manager. She gave me permission to take a photo of the binder cover, as you can see it here. In looking at the ingredients binder, I noticed that the roasted pork shank (made very simply with a few spices) was made using Badia brand spices, which were listed as certified gluten free. I always like when I see Badia listed because it’s one of the brands I buy for my own kitchen.  You can see detailed info on my original post about Le Fou’s Brew and also on Gluten Free in Orlando’s website. The mango foam on top is really quite good and has that creamy texture that is often lacking from dairy free items. Thankfully, no dairy there!As far as taste goes, I have to say Le Fou’s Brew is way to sweet for my tastes. It’s seriously sweet, and I found myself wishing Disney would offer a smaller size version. I really like the topping but halfway through the drink, it just felt super heavy to me, mostly because of the sugar.  The roasted pork shank, on the other hand is just delicious. It’s a little pricey at $9.79 but still delicious. (Fun fact: In December 2012 it was $7.99, so there's been a definite price increase on these!) My family says they prefer it to the turkey legs these days, which surprised me a bit. But, I have to agree with them. It’s simply seasoned, slow roasted and delicious. While there may be a few snack items that are gluten free and dairy free at Gaston’s Tavern besides the pork shank and Le Fou’s Brew, most people come just for these two items.I have to say that it’s a great little spot to rest and enjoy a snack, though I wouldn’t make it a must-do every time I go. The pork shank I would absolutely get again. The Le Fou’s Brew I might again but split with someone. The sweetness just overtook this drink for me.I rate this a 6 out of 10.Have you been to Gaston’s Tavern? What did you think of Le Fou’s Brew?

Be Our Guest Restaurant -- Lunch -- Quick Service -- Magic Kingdom

*This dining experience took place in June 2013.

 Bonjour mademoiselles and messieurs! I've once again returned back to Be Our Guest Restaurant at the Magic Kingdom for another quick service lunch experience. I recently went there and enjoyed lunch for the first time (see review HERE). On my second visit, I opted to be more adventurous on my food choices, as well as explore all of the gluten free & dairy free options available to me both on the adult and children's menus.When I arrived this time, it was a weekday (I normally go on weekends) and right around the noon time frame. Because it had been quite busy the few days earlier, I expected it to be really busy at noon. The line itself was longer than it was that previous Saturday, but it seemed like there were more cast members working to ensure people were hydrated and had umbrellas. Have I mentioned how much I really want one of those umbrellas?! Those Disney golf umbrellas are quite sturdy--perfect for Florida rain! I have to admit our wait time outside was actually shorter than it was that Saturday (even though the line was longer).

That's a lot of umbrellas! Or should we call them parasols?

Once we got in the building, we followed past the suits of armor and onto the rose distribution station. For some reason, I never seem to get the self service station. I ended up going to a cast member manned cash register. When I told the CM that I was gluten and dairy free, she added it to the computer, and then told me I could come around and look at the screen. Of course, I didn't get any pictures but I did make sure to note all of the options both on the adult and children's menus. Here's what is available GF/DF:Adult Menu:

• French Onion Soup (without the cheese and crouton)
• Tuna Nicoise Salad (no modifications needed)
• Quinoa Salad (no modifications needed)
• Carved Turkey Sandwich (on an Udi's bun)

Children's Menu:

• Carved Turkey Sandwich (with french fries and peach applesauce on an Udi's bun)
• Slow-cooked Pork (with green beans and NO mashed sweet potatoes) 

I was a bit surprised at the few options available. Of course the menu itself isn't huge, but still. In any event, I ended up deciding on the Tuna Nicoise Salad. It was really humid that day, so I wanted something light and cool.

Ordering Station

RFID Rose & receipt

 

We ended up in the main ballroom to eat, but the rose gallery was by far the calmest room to enjoy lunch in. In fact, we ended up going there to get our drink refills!

Drink station

The food is delicious! Don't believe us? Ask the dishes!

Tuna Nicoise Salad

I very much enjoyed the salad--it was the perfect kind of food for a hot summer day. The tuna was seared well and was good quality. The egg was hard poached and the veggies on the salad were good but a little stingy on the amount. I would say for the price ($17 with a drink), it wasn't very much food. I could easily get a decent salad at a table service location for that price. I'm thinking I'd get the cobb salad at the Brown Derby any day over this! It's a much better bargain!Overall, I enjoyed the lunch and as always the ambiance is unparallelled. I wouldn't say it's the best food ever, but it's one of the better options in the Magic Kingdom and it's a good alternative to burgers and fries. My one disappointment is that there is a major lack in variety for multiple allergies. I think gluten free folks have better options that those of us who have multiple special dietary needs. I was a bit bummed by the kids choices alone!

I'd give this a solid 8 out of 10 for great atmosphere and good food.

Be Our Guest -- Lunch -- Quick Service -- Magic Kingdom

*This dining experience took place in June 2013.

Check out those lines...

"Be Our Guest, Be Our Guest, put our service to the test..." Why that's just what I did recently when I finally made it over to Be Our Guest (BOG) for lunch service. I've been trying to visit this location for lunch for what seems like forever (really just a few months), and I was thrilled that I finally had the opportunity to enjoy lunch during their fast casual service.As a general tip, plan ahead if you are hoping to dine at this location. For lunch BOG is a quick service location, meaning there are no reservations. It is a very large restaurant; however, it's also hugely popular and popular means long lines and wait times. Additionally, when you come to this location, you will line up outside of the restaurant (which is slightly different from many locations that have indoor lines that accommodate huge crowd) until they clear you to come into the ordering lines. If you're really hungry, you might want to find another location unless you're ok with waiting. It also pays to get there earlier or later in the day if you're hungry. My family and I showed up, for instance, at almost 1 pm and were told the wait time was 35 minutes. Yikes!! Fortunately, our wait time was more like 15 minutes, but still. If you're hungry, you could have a very rumbly tummy by the time you get in and eat. Also, if you're heading out during the summer months, it is HOT out there. And I mean hot. Fortunately, Disney is prepared. As of June 2013, they were handing out large Disney golf umbrellas and cold ice water. That's good because I'm pretty sure suffering from heat stroke does not make a magical vacation or lunch for that matter!

I'm one hot chickadee in the summer sun!

Once you are cleared to enter the building, you proceed to another queue. There, you walk past suits of armor that actually talk! You also see the menu displayed on screens between 2 rows of line queues. This is good because it gives you an idea of what's available while you wait. You can also ask a Cast Member for a paper menu, and they should be able to give you one.

Menus

We are the knights who say "Nii!" Ok, they didn't say that, but it would be cool if they did!

Once you get further up in the line, you are met by a cast member who asks you how many in your party. They then give you a plastic RFID rose (love the theming of this) to hold on to while you order and then find a table. Now comes the interesting part for special diets. You are either taken to a Cast Member manned station or a self serve station to order. In both cases, you either tell the CM your special diet or you select it on the screen. At anytime you can ask for a manager and they will come out. But, still...it's a little strange. It's rather like what they did for a while at Hollywood Brown Derby, where they used iPads to make interactive menus. In this case, once the special diets are entered, the menus then display what you can and can't have. For me, I wanted to order one of the kids meals because I wasn't overly hungry. I wanted the mahi mahi but evidently it's not safe for one of my dietary needs (I was at a CM booth, I'm hoping to go to the self serve station next time because I actually want to see all the choices). Boo! So, I ended up with the Carved Turkey Sandwich on a GF bun. It was supposed to come with Sweet Potato Wedges and Peach Applesauce. Th e sweet potato wedges are not safe (probably gluten is my guess), so I couldn't have those but the applesauce was. I ended up getting regular fries...sorry, Pommes Frites, n'est-ce pas?!

Cast Member manned station

More of the menu--the screens cause too much glare with a camera!

Next up, it was on to find a seat. At lunch, it's pretty much a free-for-all. There are 3 rooms in which you can dine. The main dining area - ballroom (which is hugely popular) and also the West Wing and the Rose Gallery. Personally, I'd avoid the ballroom unless you are there for dinner. It's 1) highly crowded and 2) ridiculously loud. It's much better at dinner, imo. The West Wing is quite dark and some younger children may find it scary. The Rose Gallery is bright and lively and where we ended up--and thankfully not that crowded!!As we waited, we helped ourselves to the drink station and to the silverware (no plastic forks here! Only the real stuff!).

View of paintings and the drink station

Centerpiece in the rose gallery

You keep your roses on the table with your receipts and the cast members bring the food to you. They use the same carts that they use for desserts at dinner. In one respect, I'm actually glad that they bring the allergy food in person outside of those carts, because those things carry a LOT of glutenous desserts in them. And while I'm sure they are well cleaned, I just don't love the idea of it. But that's just me. And interestingly enough, my food came out really quickly compared to the rest of the family's! Sometimes, it's good to be the food allergy person! :)

My receipt, so you can see how it rings up

Carved turkey sandwich with fries

What I love about this location is that everything is served on real dinnerware. It's like Landscape of Flavors--which has that fast casual vibe. Very nice! I will say, that I was shocked at the portion of my meal. It was quite generous and really almost the same size as the regular adult meals. I liked it especially because I got dessert and a drink included. That's a bargain!! I'm going to start doing this more..sheesh! First up were the fries. Yes, they were nothing to write home about. They are the regular fries you get at Disney. Good...yes. Special...err not so much. The turkey sandwich came only with tomato and turkey. I imagine this is partially due to the fact that this is a kid's meal and those usually are filled with tons of condiments. We asked a CM by the drink station for plain mayonnaise which they were happy to oblige. The turkey was the real star of this sandwich. In fact, it was quite moist and flavorful. I was surprised by it. But the thing that made me the most happy....it was an Udi's bun! hallelujah!!! It seems like they have a variety of bread products at BOG because I've been served Ener-G rolls for dinner. So, this was great to have at least variety. And, I personally love Udi's buns. They even toasted it a little. Overall, the sandwich would have been better with a little bit of greens (like some arugula) and/or some Dijon mustard. Maybe that's what the adult version includes!Another fave of the meal was the peach applesauce. Yummy. I'm a huge applesauce fan and this one was delicious. It was really peachy in flavor, and the texture was quite nice. It was the perfect "dessert" after the meal.

Serving carts

Peach applesauce--looks bland but was delicious

Busy ballroom

Beautiful snow in the windows

While, I wouldn't say my meal was anything overly spectacular, I would say that for a quick service it was quite good. It was so much better than typical burgers or fries. And my family really enjoyed their non-special diets entrees (they got the croque monsieur & the steak sandwich). My hope is to go to a self serve kiosk the next time so that I can actually see more of the menu. I also want to try something different. I hear rave reviews about the quinoa salad as a great gluten free option.Also, as an adult ordering the kids meal, why you couldn't beat the portion or the price. They had some really good healthful options and the applesauce made for a great addition. Also, where else can you get a complete meal at Disney with a drink for $9?! Love it!I'm giving this a solid 8 out of 10 for this experience and hope to be back soon to get more details and try something new. Also, gluten free diners will have a lot more choices. Let's just say dairy free and French food don't always mix so well!!In the meantime, what do you recommend? Is there something there I simply must try?For a full review of dinner (on the opening menu): Check here!

Gaston's Tavern -- Quick Service -- Lunch -- Fantasyland Expansion

*This dining review took place in October 2012 during the "Dress Rehearsal" and Preview period for the New Fantasyland Expansion.

Gaston's Tavern in the New Fantasyland Expansion

Wow, here it is the official first view I've had of the New Fantastyland Expansion. I was lucky enough to be at WDW when a "dress rehearsal" i.e. pre-preview period opening occurred. We took a chance on visiting thinking it might be really busy (it wasn't as bad as expected) and wanted to see if any of the restaurant choices were open. Be Our Guest Restaurant was not, but luckily the new Gaston's Tavern was. A quick service with mostly snack items, we wanted to specifically check out the new LeFrou's Brew the signature drink which many have been comparing to the Butterbeer from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal. I was intrigued, especially since the Butterbeer is gluten free but not dairy free. So we decided to pop in.First up, I asked for a manager who came over while we were in line. He explained to me that because we were in the "dress rehearsal" phase, they were still refining some of the food and not officially giving out ingredients and did not have an ingredient binder on hand either. But, he said he's tried to help if he could. I explained I was most interested in the roast pork shank and the LeFou's Brew. He said that the roasted pork shank was made with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and then roasted but he again didn't have that ingredient sheet with him. He said it was possible they had changed the "recipe" without telling him too. Seemed like it was probably going to be a turkey leg scenario of ingredients.

Roasted pork shank--small but tasty

My mom and step-dad decided to try the pork shank out, and I tried a bite. It was definitely nothing major in terms of ingredients, it tasted like just pork, salt and pepper. I don't think this one was heavily processed in terms of the ingredients. I will say, it was puny! For $7.99 it was not worth the price in my family's opinion. In fact, we all said you could spend the extra $1 or $2 for a turkey leg. Much more substantial and flavorful.The other item that the manager and I discussed was the LeFou's Brew. He said he knew for sure that it was dairy free (still not 100% comfortable with that since he gave no binder listing) but he didn't know about the gluten free part. He actually offered to bring out the ingredient bottles for me to look at! This was great, as I knew this would help me determine its safety or not. First up was an ingredient for the topping called Fomz. Um, this is weird. It's like whipped topping but not. My major concern came in the area of "natural flavors" on the ingredients list. I'm still not 100% certain after a web search, but it looks like it is dairy free according to the Fomz site and gluten free according to some others. Still, I would check the binders and do some additional research before I felt confident in this one.

Fomz topping for the LeFou's Brew & Toasted Marshmallow syrup for the apple juice mixture

Fomz ingredient list from the website

Next up was the toasted marshmallow syrup. This is what is mixed in with the 100% pure apple juice which according to the manager was Mott's brand. According to the website for the syrup, this is gluten free & dairy free.

So, based on the ingredients, I decided to give it a try. It was really tasty. A slushy frozen apple juice concoction. Though the foam was weird, it was good. Oddly marshmallowy in texture. I did find that I got wicked brain freeze from drinking it too fast. I will note that I only drank part of it and not the whole thing. And I think I had some latent stomach discomfort. Still not sure if it was the ingredients (felt very overprocessed for me; I don't do that well with highly processed stuff) or the temperature because it was almost instantaneous brain freeze every time, so I imagine my stomach didn't feel so hot. I did eat lunch after this and I felt much better after I ate. I also didn't feel sick later in the evening, so I'm wondering if it was a combination of things more so than the gluten free/dairy free issue. Still, I would check the binders once they get them out to confirm GF/DF status. I might try it a second time if it's deemed 100% safe just to see if the tummy troubles were a fluke or related to something else. (highly possible with Crohn's!)

LeFou's Brew--definitely got a leg up on Butterbeer (so I've been told) and Pear Cider (which I agree with)

In terms of the other options, mixed fruit cup might be ok, though I didn't ask about it or see it. The mixed vegetable cup with dip might also be ok for just GF folks, though I'd ask. I did notice that all of the other items except the croissant and cinnamon roll were prepackaged items, so I would definitely double-check.Overall, it seems like there might be a few options at Gaston's Tavern and that the LeFou's Brew looks highly likely to be gluten free/dairy free. It's definitely dairy free which is a leg up from Butterbeer, which as I mentioned earlier is not. This will make a highly desirable item for those of us who can't imbibe in the Harry Potter favorite! You can also get the brew in collector cups for guys and gals, though at a steep $9.99 a pop!A 6 out 10 until I more know about the ingredients.Here's some other fun pics of the location:

Menu

 

**Updates as of 1/2013. Thanks to a blog reader for this info!The items above have remained the same, and both the LeFou's Brew & Pork Shank are GF/DF.This location also now has Kikkoman Pearl Vanilla & Chocolate Soy Milk but I would hesitate to consume this based on Kikkoman's own statement on their website:PEARL Original Organic Soymilk is sweetened with malt syrup which is derived from barley, so it contains gluten. PEARL Coffee, Chocolate, Creamy Vanilla, Green Tea and Unsweetened Soymilks do not contain ingredients that are known to be a source of gluten, but they have not been tested to confirm they are gluten-free.