Gluten Free Options Noted for 2014 Food & Wine Festival and Other Festival News

*This information has been posted on various websites including the Disney Food Blog and is subject to change and/or modification.Exciting news has been announced via several websites and through social media. The 2014 International Food & Wine Festival will have Marketplace Passports that note gluten free offerings. This is another great step from Disney in acknowledging gluten free visitors to the Food & Wine Festival.The Marketplace Passports will have a symbol that indicates which items are free of gluten containing ingredients; however, do note that there is always a risk of potential cross contamination due to the small kiosk/booths in which these foods are served and/or prepared.If you were a visitor to this year's Flower & Garden Festival, you'll recognize these gluten free notations, as the Flower & Garden Marketplace Passports also carried them. You can see photographs and examples of these in my post from this past spring.In addition to the gluten free notations on the Marketplace Passports, the festival will also have a few other special diets features, including the Terra Booth (vegan booth) back for its third year at the festival. While the booth does feature a lot of Gardein products (which are not currently gluten free), hopefully, there will be a few gluten free and vegan offerings this year. So far, the only menu items publicly listed contain Gardien. The booth does carry vegan wine.If you're vegetarian, you'll have plenty of options throughout the festival and some new items sound intriguing for vegetarian diners, including the Vegetarian Moussaka at the Greece Booth.Fans of the Dole Whip will be excited to hear that the pineapple Dole Whip is making a comeback too!If you're like me, you may also want to participate in some of the culinary demos and special events. These officially go on sale to the general public on July 31, 2014 at 7 a.m. EST. You can call 407-WDW-FEST to book. You can also book many of these online too! If you are a Tables in Wonderland, Annual Passholder, DVC Member, or Golden Oak resident, you can begin booking at 9 a.m. EST on July 25, 2014. Advance purchase for TIW, AP, DVC, and GO also comes with a $2 discount for those demos and sessions that take place Monday through Thursday.Whenever I book culinary demonstrations or special experiences, I also contact Special Diets to make the notation and arrive at the event early. You can read about a few of my demo experiences from last year, including Chef Kevin Dundon from Raglan Road and Erin McKenna from Babycakes NYC. You can also read Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando's review of last year's festival and demo experiences with Chef Tony Marotta from Port Orleans Resort.And of course, non food related, the Chase Lounge is making a comeback this year. This is a welcome retreat if have a Disney Visa. Sometimes you need a break from the festival action and a place to cool down, and this location does the trick! If you like Coca-Cola products, they usually have a Coke Freestyle machine set-up with complimentary cool drinks (including water).What do you think about the new gluten free notations on the Marketplace Passports this year? Are you as excited as I am for the upcoming Food & Wine Festival?