Sommerfest -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Epcot -- World Showcase

*This dining experience took place in June 2013.Forget the pretzels und beer! A visit to Sommerfest will make you forget about those glutenous treats. The menu is extremely limited, but those who are gluten free & dairy free will rejoice in being able to enjoy a bratwurst or frankfurter on a GF/DF bun.

Entrance to Sommerfest

This was my first visit to Sommerfest. I had never thought of going because it didn't seem like they'd be able to really accommodate or even have GF/DF buns. I had heard though that GF/DF diners would indeed be able to get a GF/DF bun and that the bratwurst and frankfurter, as well as the sauerkraut were naturally GF. On a whim, my brother and I decided to go there for a snack.

Limited menu

When you enter the pavilion, you expect a larger QS but really it's more like a kiosk with tables. It's located close to Biergarten, so it can often get busy in there with folks waiting for their ADRs. When I was at the cash register, I said that I was gluten free/dairy free. The CM said that the bratwurst and frankfurters were safe as was the sauerkraut and that they bring out an allergy bun. She said it might take a bit for the bun, as she paged someone--it turned out that they get their buns, etc. from Biergarten.While I waited, I observed how the kiosks runs. I would say if you are a Celiac, you may want to clear your choice with the chef and make sure it comes out from a safe area. I didn't think too much about it, until I realized there are pretzels in the same area, and of course, regular buns. When the chef came out from Biergarten, I confirmed with him again that these options would be safe, and he said "yes."

Bratwurst with sauerkraut on an Udi's GF/DF bun

I have to say, I've been really scoring with the Udi's buns lately. It seems like they are at more locations than I previously thought, or I've just been going to a lot of places where the GNI buns have replaced the Udi's. Man there's a big difference. For those who can have eggs, they are a different world from the GNI buns. I was really glad to see them at Sommerfest because for a bratwurst and sauerkraut you need a sturdy bun.Taste-wise, I found both the bratwurst and sauerkraut to be really mild in flavor. I'm not a big 'kraut fan, but this I could totally eat easily and really enjoyed. They have plain mustard, but make sure to ask for some from the back b/c they are at self serve stations and cross contamination could occur.While this is a pretty basic kiosk, it was great to try something different. I really liked the bratwurst. It was the perfect evening snack. And of course, I was glad to have that Udi's bun!There aren't a lot of options at this location, so I wouldn't consider this a great place for allergies. I'd say it's good for what it is, but not a great spot for a meal. A solid 7 out of 10 for this experience.Have you been to Sommerfest or Biergarten? What was your experience?

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!

L’Artisan des Glaces Sorbet and Ice Cream Shop -- Snacks -- World Showcase -- Epcot

*This dining experience took place in May 2013.Bonjour from the France Pavilion! I had the opportunity to check out L’Artisan des Glaces Sorbet and Ice Cream Shop which just opened at the end of May 2013 in the France Pavilion at Epcot. I tend to avoid the France Pavilion as it has a reputation for being horribly unaccommodating for special diets, but I decided to give it a chance since it had been a while. As a writer over at Chip & Co., I reviewed this with my friend Krista from Disneyways, who thankfully was able to review it from a non-allergy perspective which was great. I was hoping that since they had sorbet, I'd at least be able to have one dessert option there (which wasn't necessarily the case). Here's what I discovered when I went.

Entrance

The Good:  First off, the setting is beautiful. I love the decor and the entire setting in the pavilion makes you feel like you are in France. The decor inside the shop is charming and so well done. Imagineers did a great job at paying attention to every detail--from the milk jar chandelier to the pitchers for milk--it was all perfect. The colors in the shop are gorgeous pastels, very soothing and make for a pleasant almost rustic environment. Also, there is a fair amount of space in there, which I can imagine with summer crowds will be much appreciated (especially since there's no indoor seating). If you don't have a food allergy this is a great new place to visit and one to make a new tradition.

What a cute chandelier!

Glass cases as you enter the shop

In terms of the desserts, I was happy to see that there were several flavors of sorbet: Strawberry, Mango, Melon, Lemon, Pomegranate, and Mixed Berries.

 When you want to get dessert, you have to go to a counter to pay per scoop (one or two at a whopping $3.99 to $6.10), then you go to another station to pick either a cup or cone and then your flavors. Weird. So, what I decided to do was go to the order station and ask about the sorbet. I explained that I can't have dairy or gluten and the cashier brought out an allergy book. (*Point of clarification. I asked the cast member if I could take photographs from the allergy binder) From there, I was able to look at the sheets. Unfortunately, I was only to get 2 very bad photos before I got yelled at to stop taking photos. Whoops! Just call me a gluten free/dairy free renegade!! Here are the two I was able to get:

Here's where things went downhill...The Bad:The cashier snatched the book from me, and yes I wasn't able to look at it again (there I am again with this GF/DF renegade thing!). *Point of clarification: this was a secondary cast member who took the binder from me. There were two cast members at the cash register area, as there are two point of sale machines. He explained to me that while the sorbet was technically dairy free, they use the same machines to make it. He said they wash it well, but that traces of dairy could still exist. Wait? What?! Seriously...after all the time to make this location, they couldn't be bothered to have a dedicated sorbet machine? Sighs... On top of that, some of the ice cream contains gluten in it (profiterole flavor has pretzels in it), so it's not even a 100% safe place if you're just GF. Double sighs...

Sorbets are located in the middle...

 And finally... The UGLY:Worse yet, they keep everything together in the front (sorbets are in the middle surrounded by all the dairy). When asked if they used dedicated spoons, they said no. They use the same spoons for everything and just dip them in water to clean them. I asked if they could use a fresh scoop and fresh batch of sorbet from the back to serve to me. This did not go well. The server literally argued with me for many minutes and told me it didn't matter it was all the same. Holy smokes!! Way to exceed my customer service expectations in France...yet again. :(

 And then I did something that I have no clue what possessed me to do (other than sheer blind judgement), I actually decided to try a scoop and see if another server would accommodate my request. Well, she did. Iwent for a flavor that I figured wasn't that popular--strawberry (people seemed to be going for the other flavors). And so I got my first and only scoop of sorbet at L'Artisan des Glaces Sorbet and Ice Cream Shop.In terms of the taste, it was nothing special. It was good but the flavor wasn't out of this world. I will say it had great texture. Very smooth and creamy. So that was where the sorbet here would stand out. The other strange thing was that it sort of tasted freezer burnt. I asked Krista who got the profiterole ice cream and she said it didn't taste like that to her, so maybe it was my taste buds or just the sorbet.

Strawberry sorbet...

While I think this is a terrific place for guests without special diets, it's not the place to go if you are gluten or dairy free. In the beginning I thought maybe GF folks would be ok; however, I would avoid this place big time. If they use the same spoons and argue about getting fresh scoops from the back, it's not worth it. Trust me. If you have a dairy allergy do not waste your time here. Thank goodness my dairy issues are less about an allergy and more about an autoimmune response with Crohn's because I would have been in serious trouble. On top of everything, the CMs were extremely rude and unaccommodating here. They were perfectly lovely to people without special dietary needs but really not very nice to me.Save your time, money, and effort and go to someplace Disney owned where you can get terrific desserts and safe ones too. The Sanaa raspberry mint sorbet and the strawberry / mango sorbet from Brown Derby blow this sorbet out of the water. Yes, it's a great addition to Epcot but it's just not a great place for folks with special needs.While I can't really recommend this location for special dietary needs, I will say (despite the rotten service), I had a terrific time with Krista. We felt like we were in Paris strolling through the streets and enjoying an afternoon snack. We had a blast but that was only because I enjoyed hanging out with a friend and didn't let the crummy allergy accommodation ruin my time (besides I had sushi that night, so I didn't miss out on enjoying great food!). Overall though, I give this a big fat 2 out of 10 for special diets.

Good's Foods to Go -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Old Key West

*This dining experience took place in May 2013.

 Welcome to the relaxed vibe of Old Key West. With the easy-going atmosphere and Jimmy Buffett playing in the background, OKW is truly inspired by the Florida Keys. And the restaurants here also reflect that vibe. That includes the quick service location, Good's Foods to Go. Having never eaten at this quick service, I wasn't sure what to expect, especially after I discovered it was an open air restaurant with outdoor seating. I have had hit or miss luck with these types of locations, so I was really hoping to get something safe. The first thing that I noticed was that they had a fairly limited menu and pretty small storefront to wait on people.

Menu from Good's Foods to Go--definitely a burgers & fries type place

When I got up to the counter, I asked the cashier for a chef or manager, and they were happy to oblige. They quickly went back and got someone who also came out rather quickly. The chef that I spoke with said that they had the allergy buns there (assuming GNI brand but didn't end up getting them) as well as a dedicated fryer for french fries & allergy chicken tenders. Since I hadn't had the chicken tenders in a while, I decided to go with them. Plus, it was crazy busy at this location, and I figured these would come out fairly quickly.

View of the counter area, as you can see the line was getting busier

I'll note that they rang my order up as regular chicken nuggets, so I paid the exact same price as my brother who got the regular chicken nuggets ($8.99, I believe). So it was nice to get something that didn't cost an arm and a leg. No upcharges for special diets food is always appreciated. While I waited, I was given a pager (as was everyone).  It took a little longer than my brother's meal, but it wasn't too slow. While I waited I got an iced tea from the drink area, but I will say, that it was quite clustered. It is also the location for the refillable mugs & drinks and they only have 1 drink station for this restaurant. Many people stop by quickly to fill up and it can get a little busy. Seating was equally challenging. Since it was a hot day (well over 90 degrees) all of the shaded outdoor seating was taken. Bummer. We ended up sitting on benches near the designated smoking area (yuck) and then headed back to the room to finish up our meal. So, during peak times seating can be challenging.

 My allergy chicken tenders were delicious as usual and my fries were also good. What I did appreciate about this location is that they boxed my food up and marked it allergy which was very nice considering how crazy the counter was there. It also made it really convenient to take back to the room.

Allergy friendly chicken tenders & fries. Yum!

Overall, I'd say this was a fair choice at OKW. As far as quick service goes, it wasn't my favorite by a long shot, but was it safe? Yes. I appreciated that their quick service location can accommodate despite its size and limited menu. Sure, you won't be getting much more than basic food, but then again so is everyone ordering from the non-allergy options. The cons to this location were the limited menu for sure and also the outdoor seating. But, if you're staying at OKW and looking to take something back to the room, this isn't a bad choice. I'd give this a solid 7 out of 10.

Sunshine Seasons -- Quick Service -- Lunch/Dinner -- The Land -- Epcot

*This dining experience took place in April 2013.

Sunshine Seasons offers a variety of foods

Sunshine Seasons is located in the Land pavilion at Epcot. As the quick service location here, it offers a tremendous variety of fresh and seasonal foods that will appeal to most folks. It is also known as being particularly friendly for special diets. If you are gluten free & dairy free, the grill station offers the most comprehensive variety of choices. I'll be honest, I don't try to venture into the other areas on the menu, so for me, the grill station is where it's at. I have heard reviews from other guests who have enjoyed the tuna (modified to be served without the noodles) and salads.The grill station often rotates it's choices--but it's usually some type of chicken, some type of pork and then some type of fish. If you've seen some of my older reviews, I have liked some of the dishes and some I've been thrilled when they rotated off (ughh that succotash was so gross). I had been really loving the seasonal fish with green beans and potatoes and was hoping to get it this trip--only to find they've modified it some.

New changes on the menu

The fish has changed from mahi mahi to salmon and the pork is now more bbq inspired. The chicken has some new topping. When I spoke to the chef, he said everything at the station at this time is gluten free (including the sauces) which is great. Two of the sides were not dairy free--the mashed potatoes I knew and expected, but now the green beans have butter in them. Bummer!I ended up getting the slow roasted pork with the bbq sauce on the side (which turned out to be a good thing) and roasted potatoes instead of the mashed potatoes.

Slow roasted pork (that wasn't quite so tender)

I wish this dish would have had a veggie component; it felt like it was missing something. The roasted potatoes were nicely cooked, I believe they were yukon golds, which I love. They have great depth of flavor. The pork chop was a nice thick portion; however, it was grossly overcooked. Like almost shoe leather consistency. I've had the pork chop in the past, and it has been fine, but this was pretty bad. I did make it through the pork chop (thankfully with all my teeth intact!) but I would hesitate to get it again. It just seemed like it got way too overcooked and sat too long. The bbq sauce that came with it was not my favorite. It was very vinegary. I personally like a more ketchupy bbq sauce (if that makes any sense), so this was not for me.  Good thing I got it on the side.In general, Sunshine Seasons is a great choice for quick service meals at Epcot. It's Disney owned so they do a nice job with handling everything. I just didn't like the seasonal changes or the overcooked meat on the dish I got. I'll still go back--and probably try the fish again.On a side note, this location has a nice little special diets section, although they moved it close to the grill section away from the other areas, so it's a little hidden. I also think they scaled back on the variety of items they had.

Grill station and the special diets items--you can see how far off the beaten path they are

I would encourage you to visit Sunshine Seasons for something more than just burgers and fries. They offer a decent meal that is seasonal and delicious. A solid 8 out of 10 for me in general; this experience was more like a 6 out 10 because of the tough pork chop.Have you been to Sunshine Seasons before? What do you recommend?

Flame Tree BBQ -- Quick Service -- Lunch/Dinner -- Animal Kingdom

*This dining experience took place in February 2013.

Photo copyright http://kingdomhopping.blogspot.com

I'm a huge fan of BBQ--there's something about the smoke flavor that is just so good. Living in an apartment, I rarely get the opportunity to grill or smoke things myself, but visiting Flame Tree BBQ is a great substitute for the lack of a grill at my own place.On this particular trip, I made a quick visit to Flame Tree for a bite in between meals on a long day. I actually ended up splitting my pork sandwich with my mom so as not to be overly full later on. When I arrived, I notified the cashier that I needed to speak with a manager. The manager then brought me the ingredients binder to go over options. Normally, I would have taken a look at more options, but since I knew I wanted the BBQ pork sandwich, there wasn't much of a need to go over the binder. Interestingly enough, when I ordered the binder stated that the bun available was Udi's; however, when I received the bun it was the GNI brand bun. Weird. Disney really needs to get their info updated and also make sure the managers know what's available because she kept telling me it was Udi's. Yeah, I know Udi's and that is SOOOO not Udi's lol I also got grapes instead of the coleslaw mostly because I was not in the mood for it.

BBQ Pork Sandwich on a GNI brand bun and grapes

I will say that the sandwich was good, but the bun was not great. I don't think it was properly heated (the major downfall when it comes to GNI brand). I think you also get a smaller portion of meat because they try to size it to the GNI bun, which is puny! That was a bit of a bummer. However, I found the meat to still be quite good--very tasty. The grapes were a nice light snack for the day.I've heard some other reports from other Disney folks that the other BBQ like the chicken and ribs weren't as good for them on their most recent visits; they stated that the meat was quite dry. I'm hopeful that this was just a fluke and not a new standard, but I will def. try out the chicken next visit. Overall, it was an OK meal--not great but not terrible either.I'd give this a 7 out of 10 for a slightly mediocre experience.

Liberty Inn -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- World Showcase -- Epcot

*This dining experience took place in February 2013.There are many places in the World Showcase that I like to eat. For me, Liberty Inn wouldn't be my first choice, but surprisingly, one of my top choices for a good quick service meal. While I don't personally eat beef (so burgers are out for me), I do really enjoy the allergy friendly chicken tenders which Liberty Inn carries. It's not often that you can get safe chicken tenders out anywhere, so even though I would normally classify the fare at this location as a boring burgers and fries joint, this is the place I like to visit in Epcot for the chicken tenders.I have the file somewhere with the list of ingredients, but haven't been able to find it. I believe the coating is rice flour based, but the tenders themselves come in pre-packaged to the different locations. Some locations are able to fry them in dedicated fryers and others bake them. In the case of Liberty Inn, they bake both the tenders and the french fries so be prepared for a 20 minute wait.On this particular occasion, I stopped by because I knew I could eat them safely; it was late, and I had spent several hours getting my car towed to the Disney Car Care Center (long story, but I'm glad to know this auto shop is there!!). So I was in serious need of something substantial. As usual, the manager said she could make these but that it would take 20 minutes. Normally, I get a manager who's willing to bring them to me so I don't have to wait or come back, but it was relatively busy and this manager said I would need to come back or wait. I ended up going back to the table with some family & friends who were very surprised it actually took the 20 minutes.

Whoops I forgot to take a picture before I began eating!

Once I got the tenders, I was very excited. When you're tired, stressed and hungry, a simple thing like an allergy friendly chicken tender is a bright spot! They were, of course, very hot, but good. I prefer them fried, but they are still very delicious baked. The fries were also quite good. Note I didn't have any sauces, but rather some ketchup for the fries. A lot of the sauces have gluten in them, so I usually steer clear (especially since a manager once tried to tell me something was safe when it was labeled not).Overall, I was very pleased with the quality of the tenders here. The only slight complaint (and not really a complaint more of a convenience wish) was that the manager wasn't very willing to bring them over or notify me when they were done. After a long day that would have been appreciated.I'd give this a solid 8 out of 10!

Tangierine Cafe -- Quick Service -- Lunch/Dinner -- Morocco -- World Showcase -- Epcot

*This dining experience took place in February 2013.

 Any time I visit the Moroccan pavilion at Epcot, I feel like I'm transported to another world. It has a lovely authentic vibe. I love trying new things here, and I love Moroccan food. I especially love hummus and olives of any type.Unfortunately, on my last trip, I didn't have many options, but I really wanted to see if they had changed in the past year.When I first entered, I let the cashier know that I needed to see a chef or manager. Interestingly enough, they brought a chef. It was a very interesting experience, as he did not interact with me at all. The cashier told him that I couldn't gluten or dairy (which he translated in Arabic). The chef then told him basically what I could have. This was very different from the last visit, where they gave me a binder with ingredients. Thankfully, I have a good working knowledge of Moroccan & Middle Eastern food, because I knew that hummus is naturally safe. The chef said I should order the Shawarma Platter with chicken, hummus, olives, lentil salad, and GF/DF bread. Seemed easy enough for me.The wait did take quite a while, mostly because they had to get the bread around. Interestingly enough, the bread was not GNI or Udi's. The only other place I've encountered this specific bread was at Be Our Guest Restaurant, but I was not able to determine what the brand is.

Shawarma Platter modified

Overall, I found this to be very good. In fact, I wish they would have had this option the last visit (I had the meatballs the last time, which are no longer on the menu). The chicken was a little spicy and very tender. The hummus was excellent, as usual. Unfortunately, the bread was kind of styrofoamy. It had a really weird texture that almost reminded me of the Ener-G rolls. It might have been better if it was warmer, but overall I wasn't a big fan. The olives were awesome--I could have eaten a ton of these. The lentil salad was OK. Probably the thing I liked the least on the plate, but it was still very good.I really enjoyed this meal here. Thankfully, I didn't get sick, but if you are concerned about ingredients, I would definitely speak up to ask for a binder.I'd give this a 7 out of 10 for good food, but lackluster allergy interaction/experience.

Dole Whips -- New Ingredients -- Snacks -- Magic Kingdom

Thanks to a blog reader for sending me this information.It would appear that the much loved Dole Whips which had been labeled gluten free and lactose free, but not dairy free (as it contained sodium caseinate) are now being labeled as dairy free/vegan. I haven't been to the Magic Kingdom to check this first-hand, but a list of ingredients from Precision Foods Group and the Dole website list the ingredients as such. For those curious, the food starch listed is from corn according to a rep from Precision Foods Group. So, unless Disney is adding in dairy to the mix (which is not that likely since we know they were lactose free before), these are probably going to be a new dairy free item.Thanks to another reader, here is a picture of the ingredients for Dole Whips taken at Aloha Isle as of January 4, 2013:

Thanks to David Dixon over at Magical Tours for this photo!

In terms of cross-contamination for the mix, they post the following on their site:Vegan Statement: The ingredients used in this product do not contain dairy, therefore, the product is considered dairy free. The Rabbinical guidelines classify this product to be kosher-dairy. Allergen control and sanitation procedures are in place and are strictly followed. In addition, this product does not contain any animal based ingredients.Allergens: None – Based on FDA FALCPA (Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004) “Big 8” allergens.It also looks like the Pineapple and Orange flavors are now completely dairy free, but the vanilla one still has casein in it.Here are the product sheets for all three flavors of Dole Whips:

• Pineapple
• Orange
• Vanilla

Remember there are cross contamination risks at Aloha Isle (where Dole Whips are served) as they also serve vanilla Dole Whips with casein in them. So even if Dole Whips are safe, it's best to proceed with caution. According to reports from another blog reader, Aloha Isle machines do have separate nozzle/dispensers for each flavor.If anyone hears anymore info on this before I do, feel free to email me at gfdf.wdw@gmail.com so that I can update the post!I have long been wanting to eat Dole Whips again (they were a Disney must-do pre-food intolerances), and it would be great to see these be potentially safe and on the must-do list again. At this time it looks like there is some potential for this to be safer for those of us who can't have dairy.

Contempo Cafe -- Quick Service -- Lunch/Dinner -- Contemporary

*This dining experience took place in December 2012.

Contempo Cafe Entrance

Just a quick review of Contempo Cafe. My family and I popped by here to split a lunch before our early dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern. As per usual, I asked for the manager and planned on ordering a plain chicken sandwich. I was hoping to add the yummy remoulade sauce that came with the mahi mahi sandwich (one of my fav sandwiches there) to dip my fries in; however, I was met with bad news. The tartar sauce (as they refer to it) now has sour cream in it. So, sadly, no sauce for me. I ended up ordering just plain chicken sandwich and french fries (we ordered an extra side too to split). Nothing too spectacular.

View of Contempo Cafe seating area

 It's been a while since I've had the chicken sandwich here, and I wasn't too keen on the herb marinade. It was just so-so. I actually preferred the chicken the way it used to be a long time ago and I almost wished I had ordered the allergy friendly chicken tenders. Since I was splitting the sandwich, the others in my party ate it with toppings from the toppings bar (I never get items from toppings bar for fear of cross contamination, but rather ask for the items in the back from the manager).

Chicken sandwich (plain) on Udi's bread with two sides of fries

Overall, this was an OK meal. Nothing special for a quick snack, but satisfying enough to stave off any hunger for the day. It's also a very convenient location when staying at the Contemporary, so despite this experience, it's one of my standbys when staying at Bay Lake Towers.I'd give this experience a 7 out of 10.

Love the small touches, even in the recycling bins!

Landscape of Flavors -- Breakfast -- Quick Service -- Art of Animation

*This dining experience took place November 2012.

Disney's Art of Animation Resort at Christmas-time

It seems like I've been at Disney's Art of Animation Resort a lot since it opened. In fact, I've visited and dined there 4 times now. I can see why it's becoming such a popular resort. The decor is amazing and it offers a lot of value and service. One of the biggest draws is Landscape of Flavors, the quick service location. This restaurant offers a lot of traditional options (like burgers, fries, etc.) with a great variety of other offerings, like the Tandoor station and pasta station. I like that they focus on customizable dishes, and I've heard such great things from other guests about how they've handled special diets. It's been great to get some recommendations from other guests too so that I can go back and check things out (I've been wanting to head back for lunch or dinner soon!). This trip, we headed there for breakfast in between me meeting up with some folks.

Entrance to Landscape of Flavors

The last time I was here for breakfast, I had a GF/DF waffle that was regularly sized and some turkey bacon with some very sugary fruit. I hadn't been wowed by it, especially the waffles which tasted OK but not great in my opinion. Last time Chef Dan had told me they were a mix of Bob's Red Mill and Namaste. This time, I wanted something more protein based because I had one heck of a sugar crash the last time. Too much sugar in the morning makes me cranky! (Just ask my poor family members and friends. They can attest to that!)I was greeted by the manager who helped me the first time I came to Landscape of Flavors. She said the eggs aren't normally made with dairy, so I ordered eggs and bacon (regular not turkey) and the potatoes it appeared were smothered in dairy. Ah bummer! I'm sure they could have made regular potatoes, but I was fine without it. I asked for a side of GF/DF waffles--to give them a second chance. This time, I asked if I could have the mini Nemo waffles (what can I say, I'm a girl who loves character shaped waffles!!). She said she could do that. Yeah!

Scrambled eggs, bacon, and GF/DF Nemo waffles

I wasn't overly wowed by the breakfast, but I thought it was really solid. The eggs were rather good. The bacon is the usual "stringy" bacon that is served at WDW--I was hoping for a meatier bacon, but alas it was not to be. I will say the surprise of the breakfast was the Nemo waffle. I expected to not love these this time, but I thought they were much better than the batch I had the first go-around. Weird? Surely the shape can't make them taste better...can they?! :) They tasted more like the Bob's Red Mill but I could tell the batter was mixed.

Holiday cups!

Overall, I find Landscape of Flavors to be a really good quick service location. Even my fellow diners said the same. They tried a lot of the other adventurous meal options for breakfast. I wish I could enjoy the Indian inspired breakfast like the Naan bread, but I'm happy to know that there are at least a fair amount of safe offerings for me at the restaurant. It's a location that does a really excellent job catering to folks with food allergies! Make sure you ask for Chef Dan if he's there. Though I didn't get to see him this time, I found him to be really enthusiastic and helpful!A solid 8 out of 10!

Snacks -- World Showcase

Hi everyone! This will be an ever-evolving post about pre-packaged snacks at the World Showcase countries at Epcot.Updated 10/28/2012United Kingdom:When I recently visited the UK pavilion at Epcot, I checked out some of the offerings at the some of the stores for gluten free/dairy free snacks. I found a few options at The Tea Caddy located across from the Rose & Crown Pub. They not only have a great selection of Twinnings tea but they also have a lot of offerings from the UK. Most of the items are not gluten free (lots of biscuits and flavored crisps), but they do have some candy bars that are gluten free (not dairy free). They also have a lot of gummy type candies that would work for quick snacks. The ones I found are the Robinsons Tropical Fruits and Taverners Wine Gums. 

Robinsons Tropical Fruits

Taveners Wine Gums & More Robinsons Fruit Snacks

I read the labels and double-checked online for these products. I couldn't find any conclusive information about the Robinsons products being GF/DF but I did find info on the Web that Taveners wine gums are GF/DF. I wouldn't say there are a ton of GF/DF options at this pavilion, but there were some additional GF only options. Weirdly enough all of the crisps (i.e. potato chips) I found were not gluten free. Walkers brand used to be gluten free and there is now a cross contamination warning about these.Japan:At the Japan pavilion, I located a variety of items at the Mitsukoshi Department Store. Because most of the items come directly from Japan, it can sometimes be a bit difficult to figure out the ingredients. Luckily, there are English labels for the ingredients to help out. I didn't note every item that's available there, but here are a few things that appear to be safe (of course, always double-check before consuming).

Variety of gummies

Lots of gummies to choose from! Lychee and Mango sound interesting!

I initially thought these were all GF/DF, but after investigating online, I'm not sure they are all DF. The Kasugai Gummy Candy is the brand that most of these are. The lychee for example lists the following:Ingredients Corn Syrup (Corn Starch, Water), Sugar, Concentrated Apple Juice, Gelatin, Milk Calcium, Concentrated Lychee Juice, Oblate Powder (Potato, Corn, Soybean), D-Sorbitol, Citric Acid, Pectin, Artificial Flavor, Carnauba Wax, Emulsifier [Glycerol Esters of Fatty Acid, Lecithin (Soybean)]. The Muscat candy also indicated it had milk in it. In general, it would appear the gummies might be GF but not all are DF.  Without much information on these candies, I might be a cautious consumer.

Hello Kitty marshmallows

I also found some Hello Kitty flavored marshmallows that appeared to be GF/DF but I couldn't find any information that confirmed this 100%.

Monchhichis! Oh so soft and cuddly! Not food, but they are so darn cute!

Overall, there seem to be some options in the Japan pavilion, but I would reserve some caution in consuming these since there is little info about allergies on these.

Landscape of Flavors -- Breakfast -- Quick Service -- Art of Animation

*This dining experience took place in October 2012.I had the opportunity to head to Landscape of Flavor again for the Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW Blog meetup! It was great to meet with some other folks who also have special diets. We decided to meet for breakfast to check out the offerings.When we arrived in the food court, I found a manager who then brought out Chef Dan. I think Chef Dan might have been over at Pop Century before and has now moved over to AoA. He was very nice and quite peppy (me? not so much. I'd had only about 4 1/2 hours of sleep!). There were two of us ordering with a special diet. First up was a blog meetup guest who is a child. Chef Dan explained that he could make gluten free/dairy free Nemo waffles with fresh fruit and breakfast meats. For the children's meal, my companions ordered gluten free/dairy free waffles with fruit & turkey bacon. Thinking this sounded like a good idea, I ordered the same but added turkey bacon and chicken sausage.When Chef Dan brought them out, I noticed that mine was a regular shaped waffle and that the children's meal was Nemo waffles. I thought this was very interesting--usually there's no difference; they make everything on the same maker whether it's for a child or adult. In any event, it was definitely GF/DF. I'm glad I got to see the Nemo waffles too--they are adorable!First up was the children's breakfast meal of the waffle and turkey bacon with fruit. The blog meetup guest seemed to really enjoy it. She even let me take a picture of it for the blog, which was really nice of her :)

Children's breakfast meal--Check out those cute Nemo waffles

Adult allergy waffles with turkey bacon, chicken sausage and fruit

The chef told me before getting the waffle that he made it with Bob's Red Mill & Namaste mixes together. I will say, it was an OK waffle--not the worst I've ever had but not the best either. It was just OK. Mostly the taste was a bit bland and the texture was kind of chewy and dense. I'm not sure I'd get this again, personally, but mostly because I know of some other really good Mickey waffles on property. The fruit was good, though it was mixed with sugar or some type of simple syrup. Add that and maple syrup and I was flying on sugar for quite a while! The chicken sausage was not my favorite, but I'm pretty particular about sausage seasonings so that's more of a personal taste. I loved the turkey bacon, and I usually am not too keen on it. That was thanks to a recommendation from a blog reader--and I was so glad to hear that review! Thanks so much for that tip.Overall, I'm not sure I'd go for the waffle again, but I think I'd try something more egg/protein based like an omelet. I would definitely get the turkey bacon though again. That was a real winner for me. A blog reader also told me that she got the "steak and eggs" breakfast sandwich. She said they can make it on an Udi's hamburger bun with Tofutti cheese and they have both the American and mozzarella versions of the Tofutti to choose from. They served it with fries as the breakfast potatoes have dairy. That's really good to know because I think I might go that route next time! Overall, I found the chef to be very accommodating and friendly and the options to be fairly good. For me, I do better when I eat more protein based breakfasts and less sugary ones (or ones that have a better ratio of protein to sugar), but I enjoyed the meal overall. Also on a note about the prices. They were really reasonable. Mine was $5.99, which was a bargain in my opinion. I think it's a really affordable place to eat for breakfast and dinner.A 7 out of 10 for this trip. Here are some pictures of the menus before you get in the food court:

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.

Contempo Cafe -- Lunch -- Quick Service -- Contemporary

*This dining experience took place in September 2012. This experience also includes a gluten, dairy, and soy free review.

Contempo Cafe located at Disney's Contemporary Resort

It's been a while since I've been to Contempo Cafe for a meal. I often stay at Bay Lake Towers since it's my home resort in DVC and also because it's really convenient for the seasonal parties that are held in the Magic Kingdom. This time we were going to the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, so it made for a natural choice to stay there. I tend to visit Contempo Cafe when I stay there because it's a nice convenient place to stop by for a meal. Plus I get a lot of different choices, which I love.On this trip, I met up with a friend who also has food allergies (his are gluten, dairy, and soy). First up, for my order I was craving some type of hot sandwich. The manager on duty said she could make the Spice Crusted Mahi sandwich gluten & dairy free. Awesome! I love fish sandwiches, so I was great with this. Plus, it sounded like something different, which I was really in the mood for.

Spice crusted mahi sandwich with french fries, coleslaw and remoulade on the side.

I also got fries with this, and I asked for the coleslaw and the spicy mayonnaise (i.e. remoulade) which were supposed to top the sandwich to be on the side. I admit, I tend to order on the side in case I have a reaction, plus if it is a sauce and I have fries I tend to dip them. Hey, what can I say? A girl's gotta have her dipping sauces!The french fries were nothing spectacular, just fries. The sandwich didn't come on a Udi's bun (which was slightly weird), but on Udi's bread. Still, it tasted just fine to me. I personally love the Udi's products. The fish was really good. I love mahi mahi, so I was excited about this with the spices. It was a blackening seasoning on it. Very good. The manager did show me the jar with the ingredients, but unfortunately, I'm blanking on the brand. It was GF/DF though. I admit, I kind of skipped the slaw because my stomach was a little touchy (Crohn's), and I don't often react well to raw veggies. I did dig into the mayonnaise though, and it was delicious. Very good. It was spicy and relishy, and overall very tasty. I put some on the sandwich and I used the remaining portion to dip the fries in. I was a happy girl! Overall, I would not hesitate to order this sandwich again. It was really good and the sauce was divine. I liked that it had some flavor to it and wasn't just a plain Jane grilled fish sandwich. Definitely a new favorite sandwich for me!*Note: As of December 2012, the tartar sauce (remoulade) is now not dairy free. It contains dairy in the form of sour cream.My friend had a little more difficulty with options because of the soy allergy. However, he opted for a chopped salad. He had a variation of the chicken chop salad on the menu, with the addition of bacon. He also got oil and vinegar on the side instead of a regular dressing.

Chicken chop salad - modified

Overall, he said it was really good, and looking at it, it looked pretty tasty. And considering that his salad bowl was empty by the time we were done with lunch, I'd say it was a winner.In general, I'd say Contempo Cafe is a solid place for a meal. It's a good value with lots of options, and I find this more "upscale" than regular fast food. Another solid 8 out of 10. I'm looking forward to heading here to eat in December for the Christmas party!

Sunshine Seasons -- Snacks -- Quick Service -- Epcot

*These dining experiences took place in July and August 2012.I mentioned in Podcast Episode 004 that one of my favorite places at Walt Disney World for gluten free and dairy free snacks is Sunshine Seasons in the Land Pavilion at Epcot. This review shows you a variety of items that I have found at this quick service location that are allergy friendly. What I find the most appealing at Sunshine Seasons is it's ability to provide a lot of individually packaged and quick to-go allergy friendly options. They have, in my opinion, the largest selection of such products and they even have gluten free beer! Here's a run-down of some of the products that might good for food allergies.First up are the Enjoy Life products. I love this company because they provide really tasty products that are very inclusive of food allergies as they are free of the top 8 common allergens. How awesome is that? Recently, I've noticed that Sunshine Seasons (and many other locations on property) have begun to include more variety of Enjoy Life products. Here are some that I found:

Variety of Enjoy Life Products

Only a few lonely boxes of cookies on this shelf--they get scooped up fast!

Chocolate chip cookies in individual packages and individual candy bars

As you can see, you can purchase full-size boxes of Enjoy Life products. From Lemon, apple, chocolate brownie and chocolate chip cookies, there are definitely a variety of flavors that you can purchase. My personal favorite are the chocolate chip cookies and the chocolate brownie cookies, but then I'm a sucker for chocolate!You can also see that they offer individually sized chocolate chip cookies and rice milk chocolate candy bars. The chocolate candy bars are awesome and on the last trip, I enjoyed one while taking a break from the hot weather.

Crunchy chocolate chip cookies! Yum!

Ricemilk crunch candy bars...

My snack one afternoon...before I scarfed it down!

Surf Sweets Candies

Another company that provides allergy friendly snacks on property is Surf Sweets. They are great because their products are allergy friendly, peanut free, and gluten free. These really hit the spot when you are looking for something that's sweet, but not chocolate.

Caramel corn

Another product you'll find is Rocky Mountain Popcorn Company. This is a great one if you like that salty sweet combination in a snack. Their products are gluten free and nut free. They do make dairy free flavors (and the caramel corn is one of them), but it is processed in the same facility as products with dairy, so possible cross contamination could occur.

Nestle Triple Blast Ice Pop

If you're looking for something cool, you can always check out the Nestle Triple Blast Ice Pop. This is one I like to get when it's really hot outside!This quick service location also has fruit and applesauce as other great options for snacks. I didn't take a photograph, but they also have Redbridge Gluten Free beer.Overall, Sunshine Seasons has a terrific amount of allergy friendly offerings. This is just a few of the items you can get if you are looking for a snack while in Epcot. My hope is that in the future other quick service locations will follow suit and add more allergy friendly products. I did check out the new food court at Art of Animation and I found that they offered a fair amount of products, but still not quite as good as Sunshine Seasons. A definite 8 out of 10!

Landscape of Flavors -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Art of Animation

*This dining review took place August 2012

Landcape of Flavor -- Art of Animation

The Art of Animation just recently opened and with it comes a new food court experience called Landscape of Flavor. I had heard from many people prior to my visit that they had Babycakes cupcakes and were going to be pretty good at food accommodation. I also had seen the menu, which had a lot of variety and customized dishes. Very cool. So, we decided to pop by for lunch on while at WDW for a long weekend break. We had never been to the hotel at all, so there are going to be a lot of pictures here showing the resort, as well as my first experience descriptions. I have to apologize for not taking more pictures of the menus, etc. I have to say, I was 1) hungry and 2) a little shell-shocked at the new resort. It's pretty impressive!

 The entrance is very much like the other value resorts, especially Pop Century. Lots of great color and larger than life images of Disney characters. Though you can't see it in this picture, I noticed that the bus wait queue's were covered with awnings unlike some of the other value resort bus queue's. This is a very nice addition!

I loved the colorful entrance and the images of favorite Disney characters!

The first thing you notice is this mural of Disney animations and a huge chandelier! The lobby area is so bright and vibrant. The color was amazing. Through the Ink Paint Shop, you find Landscapes of Flavor.

Just directly ahead of the Ink Paint Shop is this lovely mural of Disney drawings in various stages. So cool! You get to look at these while waiting to checkin or visit Concierge.

RAWR! Adorable drawing of Simba from the Lion King!

Lobby checkin area. The picture doesn't do the colors justice. It was a gorgeous transition of colors of the rainbow.

Now onto the food!!! As I said before, Landscape of Flavors is located through the Ink Paint Shop. You'll see the big sign! First off, I have to say, this food court has striking interior design. It's really colorful and vibrant, and I loved the different areas that represented different sections of the hotel. We sat in the first area--the Lion King! The paintings here were magnificent--I wish I could have them in my own home--wow!!!

Lion King seating area in Landscape of Flavor! Beautiful colors and paintings.

Check out area at the Landscape of Flavor

Wow, look at all the Babycakes!

The first thing I did upon arrival was rush to find Babycakes! I had heard that they go quickly and since it was already around 12:30 pm, I wanted to see if they still had them. They did! I found them in the refrigerator section of the food court. There were a lot there, so I was glad to see that. Now the Babycakes in this package are the brownie bites with different flavors of frosting. They include: mint, mocha, vanilla (dyed with natural dyes in shades of purple, pink, and yellow), and chocolate. It was $3.99 for a 4 pack, which means you could use your snack credit to purchase these! That's great news. Here is the back of the package with the ingredients:

Close-up of the cupcakes! My favorite is chocolate mint!

So after I acquired the Babycakes (see I have priorities--dessert first!!!), I went to look for a chef. Now, if you know most of the food courts, you will know that they typically have different sections or areas for ordering. Landscape of Flavor works in mostly the same way. They have 4 areas that I remember--a custom burger station, a mongolian bbq section, Indian/tandoor section, and a sandwich/salad section. I thought about getting in line somewhere and asking for a chef, but I saw a chef standing in between the sandwich/salad and tandoor section, so I went over and asked her for some assistance. Boy, she was really helpful and friendly. She asked what I want, and when I asked for recommendations she said "whatever you are in the mood for" which is nice. I was in the mood for a chicken burger, which I saw on the menu. I also asked if they had the Udi's gluten free/dairy free buns because I had heard that they only had gluten free buns and maybe the Ener-G tapioca rolls. I was curious. She said that they had the Udi's buns, which I kept asking "are they dairy free?" "are you sure they are dairy free?" and she said yet. Normally, I wouldn't have questioned so much, but since I had heard they didn't have dairy free buns, I was a little more worried than normal. She said she would check on the chicken burger because she knew it had a binder in it. While she checked on it, I decided to browse a bit for allergy friendly items.First up is the alcoholic beverages. I found Angry Orchard which is a hard cider (and very good) and Red Bridge Gluten Free Beer.

I also saw that they had a variety of snacks like apples and grapes.

The chef came back and said that unfortunately, the chicken burgers were not safe. Sounded like it was a wheat binder. Rats! I don't eat beef, so I was a little bummed about the chicken burger--perhaps if I had been staying there or had some time, they could have made one that was safe. I know they made them in-house. Tandoor items were marinated in yogurt and I really didn't want to wait a long time, so that section was out. I did then notice that there was a BBQ pork sandwich on the sandwich side, so I asked if that was safe. Turns out it was. So, I got the BBQ pork on a Udi's bun with french fries...yep fries! Chef said that the fries are in a dedicated fryer (even without allergies) and that they only cook fries in it. Woohoo! I love fries!While I waited for her to prepare my food (yeah I did a lot of waiting here, which was ok) I looked around some more. I found Rice Chips (Lundberg) and Surf Sweets Candies (one of our sponsors for our Special Diets Dessert Party!!) Nice to see some more options there. I think the only GF/DF rice crisps that were safe were the sea salt ones.

 Then, my sandwich arrived! Yeah! I was so impressed because unlike many of the other food courts, the meal was on real china! Wow...very cool. They also have real silverware. I like it because it definitely has the fast casual vibe like Pei Wei or Panera Bread.

French fries and BBQ pork sandwich on a Udi's bun!

So onto the actual food eating...I had whipped up some serious hunger by this point. I admit, I ate a few fries in line...what can I say, a girl's gotta eat! The fries were very good. They were seasoned with a spice that looked like the same spice they used on their house-made potato chips. The BBQ sandwich was really good. Very saucy, if you like BBQ sauce on pulled pork. It was different from Flame Tree BBQ which is more smokey and a dry rub with no sauce. This was more sweet in its flavor and fairly generous in the saucing, which was good because the bun soaked up a lot of the sauce. The bun was good--seemed bigger to me than the other Udi's buns that I've had on property. But, I will say that I didn't get sick, so I think it must been OK with the dairy. Sorry, I realized later I should have taken off the bun and had a picture sans bun top, so you could see the BBQ pork better. Guess I was just too hungry.

Close-up--you can sort of see the BBQ pork and seasoning on the fries

I will say that the portions here are pretty generous--this was $8.99 and there did not seem to be an up-charge on the sandwich price with the dietary bun, so that was good. My mom had a smoked turkey sandwich which was huge and decently priced at $8.99 too.I will say that I wish I had looked a little more at the options, but this is just another reason to go back to visit. All three of us eating here found the food to be very high quality and reasonably priced. I also liked the variety--and I'd be curious to see if I could get Mongolian BBQ or some type of stir fry there. I also wonder if you could contact them ahead of time for something related to the tandoor area. Looked really good. I know that the chef who was at Sanaa (where I ate dinner that night) just came over there to work with the Tandoor side, so I would say you are getting Sanaa quality Indian food at a slightly more affordable price. It looked amazing!Overall, I was really pleased with my first experience at Landscape of Flavor! It was really nicely set up and there are a ton of choices. They focus on customizable, and I think that's important for those of us with special diets. I also love the products related to special diets there, especially Babycakes! One of the blog readers said that they also carry Babycakes cookies and they are housed in the kitchen, so you would need to ask. They also have the Enjoy Life crunchy cookies and OMG I can't believe it's GF products in the back too. I'm definitely planning on coming back to try out some other options when I have more time! Between the very accommodating chefs, selection, and variety--I will definitely be back. I'd say a solid 9 out of 10 for my first visit there! Folks with special diets are going to love this place!

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.

Grilled chicken with rice and succotash

Babycakes -- Quick Service -- Snacks -- Downtown Disney

Gingerbread People...

Holidays can be tough when you have food allergies. Parties abound and that usually means a lot of food, like cookies and snacks, that aren't special diets friendly. Even at WDW, it can be a little challenging when it comes to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and finding decadent holiday treats. Of course, WDW always provides options, like fruit (grapes and apple slices), but let's face it. If you're like me...you want some junk food! Never fear, that's where Babycakes Bakery comes in.I was so curious to see what kinds of allergy friendly items that Babycakes would have this year. I was there at Halloween and had the pumpkin spice cupcake (see the review here), so I was excited that they would have some holiday themed goodies. And they didn't disappoint. First up, the gingerbread people. They were rather crispy, and actually sort of tasted like a graham cracker to me. But they weren't bad at all. Just not quite what I imagined when I thought of gingerbread.

Sugar cookie...yum!

The next seasonal item was a sugar cookie. This one I liked a lot. If you like crispy crunchy sugar cookies, this one is for you. The colored sugar was a nice touch. Yep, I could have eaten 2 or 20 of these things. They were good!!!Of course, Babycakes always carries cupcakes and various other goodies like their version of mounds. My favorite cupcake is the chocolate chip cupcake with mint frosting. Oh yeah...they are bliss!

Cupcakes and Mounds bars (cupcakes are Mocha and chocolate chip mint)

One thing I'd love to see Babycakes do this coming holiday season are some really fun cupcakes like peppermint ones. I'm thinking chocolate cupcakes with peppermint frosting (and candies--safe ones of course--in the frosting). Yum!Looking forward to seeing the new offerings this year, especially as they are branching out into the WDW quick service and table service restaurants!

**This dining experience took place in December 2011.