You're going to Disneyland! Yay!
But you're on a gluten-free diet. Can you eat at Disneyland with celiac disease or gluten intolerance? Or will you have to bring your own food? Anyone about to go on their first gluten-free trip to Disneyland has wondered the same thing.
The good news is that you are about to visit the happiest place on earth for gluten-free!
This article covers gluten-free options at each of Disneyland's table service restaurants. Picture a sit-down restaurant with menus and a server. That's table service at Disney.
For quick service restaurants (fast food), check out these posts for Disneyland and California Adventure. If you're looking for a full-service dining experience in Disneyland Park, read on.
(Coming soon! I'm working on a separate article for Calfornia Adventure Park's table service restaurants.)
Gluten/Wheat Allergy Friendly Dining at Disneyland
A few mousekeeping items regarding gluten-free table service before we get to the food:
- Understand Disneyland's allergy disclaimer. Disney uses the term gluten/wheat allergy-friendly not gluten-free, as food is made in a shared kitchen and Disney relies on its suppliers for accurate information. For simplicity, I use the term gluten-free below to refer to these gluten/wheat allergy-friendly menu items. Nothing is guaranteed gluten-free, unless it is prepackaged and labeled gluten-free.
- Disney has excellent allergy protocols and allergy training. It sets the standard for serving guests with food allergies and special diets.
- Note "wheat/gluten" allergy when making your dining reservation. There is a place to select dietary restrictions after you choose your restaurant but before finalizing the reservation.
- Speak up. I understand this is a legitimate challenge for many, but politely communicating your dietary needs is a necessity for a gluten-free dining experience at Disney. Let your server know you have a gluten/wheat allergy, celiac disease, or gluten intolerance, along with any other dietary needs. I highly recommend you request a chef consultation for the safest and best dining experience. (I have celiac disease and always request a chef consult at table service restaurants.)
- The chef will often modify dishes to be gluten-free. This is one of the benefits of the chef consult. If you see something you like that's off-limits, chefs can leave off breadcrumbs and substitute side dishes to make things gluten-free.
- Be sure you are looking at gluten/wheat allergy-friendly items on the menu. If the restaurant offers an allergy menu, relevant allergies will be listed under each item. It's easy to accidentally pick something appropriate for a different allergy. Be sure to repeat gluten-free when ordering each item.
- Look for an allergy pick. When your food is served, it will have an allergy pick in it letting you know safety protocols were followed. If the pick is missing, ask questions.
You are going to love being gluten-free at the happiest place on earth!
Some of the links on this post are affiliate links. To learn more, visit our Disclosures.
Reservations for table service restaurants open 60 days in advance. Some of the popular spots, like Blue Bayou and Oga's Cantina, book up quickly. If you can't snag the reservation you want, sign up for Mouse Dining! The free version includes up to six alerts and will let you know when a spot opens up.
If you still can't find a table, most of the restaurants below (except Club 33 and Minnie & Friends Character Breakfast at the Plaza Inn) offer Mobile Dine Walk-Up Lists on the Disneyland app, depending on availability on the day of your visit. There will be a place to note "gluten/wheat allergy" when you add your party to the waitlist.
Blue Bayou
New Orleans Square
The Blue Bayou is a unique, and quickly-booked-up, dining experience inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. The setting is the backyard of a Louisiana mansion, with boats floating past. It's dark and perfectly climatized. You will be so immersed in the theming that you'll lose your sense of time. Stepping out into the California sunshine after a leisurely meal in this dark ride location requires a second to adjust.
If you have time, request a table by the water. It's not guaranteed, but if you are willing to wait a bit, the cast members are usually able to accommodate the request.
Service starts with gluten-free dinner rolls, a rare treat for the gluten-free crowd.
Current items on the gluten-free menu include a salad (which usually changes seasonally), creole roasted chicken, market fish, and prime rib. In the past, I have sometimes seen filet mignon on the gluten-free menu.
Some dishes that are not listed as gluten-free can be modified by the chef to be gluten-free, like the pasta and the Monte Cristo sandwich (only available at lunch). More on that sandwich in a moment.
For dessert, the Basque cheesecake, served with sorbet and fruit, is gluten-free. We have also enjoyed creme brulee here on some occasions, but it is currently served as a creme brulee tart and is not gluten-free.
Chefs have offered my kids prime rib, pasta, chicken, and shrimp dishes. Sometimes these items are listed on the gluten-free menu, and other times they have been modified by the chef. We always request a chef consult.
Order a mint julep with color-changing glow cubes for fun. I have confirmed that the mint juleps are gluten-free before ordering, but Disneyland's Special Diets Department advises that you verify each time, as the ingredients can vary by day and location (the outdoor Mint Julep Bar can use a different mix, for example).
Now, back to the Monte Cristo, which is a battered & fried turkey, ham, and swiss cheese sandwich. It is not listed on the gluten-free menu, and you cannot order it on the spot. The restaurant needs advance notice to prepare this dish from the "not-so-secret gluten-free menu."
Steps to Order a Gluten-Free Monte Cristo at the Blue Bayou
- Make a lunch reservation at the Blue Bayou and note "wheat/gluten" allergy.
- Email Disneyland Special Diets at special.diets@disneyland.com 1-2 weeks before your visit, letting them know you would like to order a gluten-free Monte Cristo. Provide your reservation number and the number of Monte Cristo sandwiches, if your party wants more than one.
- Expect a confirmation email within a few days (sometimes even the same day) from Special Diets letting you know they have forwarded your request to the restaurant.
- (Optional) If it is manageable, stop by the restaurant an hour or more before your visit to make sure they have your request. If you skip this step, confirm your request with a cast member right when you check in. The dish takes a while to prepare. This is rarely an issue, but if someone has dropped the ball, you can catch it early, rather than have to wait 45-60 minutes for your sandwich.
- Alert your server and request to speak with the chef.
- Let the chef know you would like the gluten-free Monte Cristo.
Cafe Orleans
New Orleans Square
Cafe Orleans also has the secret-menu, gluten-free Monte Cristo. The benefits to ordering here are that it is a bit less expensive than at the Blue Bayou, reservations are typically easier to get, you can order the traditional sandwich or an all-cheese version, and the Monte Cristo is available for lunch or dinner.
The ordering process is the same as the above steps for ordering at the Blue Bayou, only you can make a lunch or dinner reservation and you should specify which Monte Cristo (with meat & cheese or cheese only).
If the Monte Cristo is too sweet & heavy or simply not your thing, there are usually a couple of other options on the gluten-free menu. Start with the burrato, prosciutto, and pear appetizer. The red wine braised short ribs are gluten-free. Or pick something from the kids' menu.
Kids' menu choices are roasted chicken, shrimp, or petite short ribs with (pick 2) vegetables, fruit, rice, or mashed potatoes.
For dessert, Cafe Orleans has sadly been serving creme brulee in a gluten-y tart lately, like at the Blue Bayou. In the past, I have been able to get a gluten-free creme brulee here, and am hoping it returns. For now, sorbet is a gluten-free off-menu option. As always, a chef consult is the way to go.
Carnation Cafe
Main Street, U.S.A.
This is currently the only place to get Mickey waffles at Disneyland without a character breakfast. (They used to be available at the Disneyland Hotel's Tangaroa Terrace, but menus change.)
If you are past the age where princess autographs and hugs from Chip & Dale are on your Disney wish list, Carnation Cafe is the place to go to enjoy gluten-free Mickey waffles. Plus, you'll save money here, not paying extra for the character experience.
In addition to Mickey waffles, you can order a delicious gluten-free breakfast sandwich, bacon, sausage, and fresh fruit. The kids' menu includes gluten-free Mickey waffles or eggs served with bacon and fruit.
Carnation Cafe also takes reservations for lunch and dinner. Gluten-free options on the lunch and dinner menu are wedge salad, Walt's chili, turkey club sandwich, plant-based burger, cheeseburger, fish of the day, kids PB&J, and ice cream for dessert.
You can also speak with the chef to expand your menu options. For example, the braised short ribs can be modified to be gluten-free simply by switching out the mac & cheese for a gluten-free side dish.
Club 33
New Orleans Square (Must be Invited by a Club 33 Member)
Club 33 is Disney's private club. To be a member of this exclusive club, you will need to wait over a decade to join and it will cost you the price of a car, plus hefty annual dues to maintain your membership. The perks are impressive: annual passes, VIP tours, guest passes, fast passes, preview events, VIP seating, and more.
If you're lucky enough to have a Club 33 membership or be invited by a friend, you can dine at Club 33's full restaurant or lounge. I've had that privilege a few times over the years.
At the restaurant, you'll enjoy a multi-course meal. Nothing is listed as gluten-free on the menu, but the chef will take good care of you. And the gluten-free bread here is the best in the park.
On the lounge side, the casual menu also does not label anything gluten-free. However, the server told me many of the items were or could be modified to be gluten-free.
Oga's Cantina
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge
Oga's Cantina is a well-themed bar designed for adults and kids. There are light snacks and exotic drinks, including non-alcoholic ones, all from the planet Batuu. For Star Wars fans, it's worth at least one visit to Oga's, just for the immersive environment.
Reservations are required. It's largely standing room only, but you can request and wait for a table.
Not all of the drinks are gluten-free, and there is no gluten-free menu, so talk to your server. You can also ask to see the allergy binder or request a chef consult.
I ordered the Jabba Juice without popping pearls (boba), as the server said the popping pearls were not gluten-free.
The popular Blue Bantha (blue milk) contains oats, which are controversial in the gluten-free community and an issue if you need to avoid gluten cross-contact or are sensitive to oats. As a celiac, I stick to gluten-free oats, and these are not labeled gluten-free.
On the latest snack menu, Oga's Obsession is gluten-free, but ask if a chef can make modifications to other menu items, which are all light snacks, not a meal. Otherwise, focus on the fun drinks and atmosphere.
Plaza Inn
Main Street, U.S.A., Reservations Needed for Character Breakfast only
Plaza Inn hosts the only character breakfast inside the park. You'll need a reservation to rub elbows with Minnie & Friends. Characters can vary, but we have seen Minnie (guaranteed), Tigger, Eeyore, Chip, Dale, Captain Hook, Fairy Godmother, and Winnie the Pooh.
The food is an all-you-can-eat buffet. Ask for a chef consultation to request gluten-free Mickey waffles and to have items brought safely from the back. In addition to gluten-free Mickey waffles, the chef can bring sausage, bacon, potatoes, eggs, and fruit.
The Plaza Inn is only a table service restaurant during breakfast. For lunch and dinner, it converts to fast casual, and there are no reservations. Gluten-free entrees include pasta (modified with a gluten-free penne), salmon, and pot roast.
River Belle Terrace
Frontierland
Looking for breakfast food later in the day? River Bell Terrace has brunch service from late morning until well into the afternoon.
Gluten-free options are fairly basic. Eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit, and gluten-free toast. Usually, you can get gluten-free pancakes with a chef consult.
Dinner options on the gluten-free menu are either plant-based meatballs & grits or, for meat-eaters, pork chops with mashed potatoes & vegetables.
Again, with a chef consult.... blackened fish with pickled vegetable salad can be made gluten-free if the chef replaces the fries (shared frier) with a gluten-free side, like vegetables or mashed potatoes.
Please note that menus change frequently. While Disneyland shares online menus, allergy menus for table service restaurants are not available online. The information above is based on my most recent experiences and feedback from the gluten-free community. The most up-to-date and accurate information will always be found at the restaurant, both on the allergy menu and from speaking to the chef on-site.
Related Posts
- Gluten-Free Breakfast at the Disneyland Resort
- Gluten-Free Disneyland: Quick Service Restaurants
- 21 Top Tips for a Gluten-Free Disney Parks Vacation
- Recipe: Gluten-Free Mickey Pretzels (Salty or Churro Versions) Sadly, there are no gluten-free Mickey Waffles at Disneyland, but you can make your own with this epic recipe.
