gluten-free musings: Gluten-free dining at Disney World, deconstructed

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Gluten-free dining at Disney World, deconstructed

This picture really says it all. Freshly made, gluten-free Mickey Waffles (not a freezer in site)! On a recent trip to Disney...ok, well, not too recent, more like mid-March for Z's 6th birthday....but I have been beyond slack..so let's just pretend. Ok, so on a recent trip to the haven of many a children, we went to Disney World in Orlando, FL. Of course, before any trip, I do tons of reading and research about what I am going to be able to eat, what I should take, snacks available, etc... I spend way too much time searching food options it can seem. So, I came to the conclusion that Disney was going to be pretty easy, especially if you let them know beforehand, and I was going to be able to get through it just fine.

Well, it was better than fine, it was downright enjoyable and made our trip much better than I could have imagined.

We had been putting off Disney until our daughter was the right age to really enjoy it, and well, let's face it, when we had the $$ to go, and not have to sleep on the side of the road. So with our passes we won at our daughter's silent auction, and airlines miles we used to stay the Swan, research, dining reservations, a cooler full of snacks and Disney books in hand, we were on our way.

I can honestly say every eating experience I had was enjoyable. The best feeling is to be able to feel like everyone else and enjoy stress-free tasty meals during three extremely fun-filled days when I just can't afford to be sick. I mean, how awful would it be, to have to return to the hotel while in line for Pirates of the Caribbean....or after an hour waiting for Soarin', and only to have to go fetal in bed for hours waiting for the pain to pass? Definitely not what I wanted to happen on our trip.

Now, I can't wait to go back...time to start filling that piggy bank!

I wrote a series of in-depth articles for Celiac-Disease.com, where I have been a writer for almost year years, and will link them below so that I can share my experience and help others who are about to venture on this wonderland. It really can be easy!