Gluten-Free Disneyland & California Adventure (TONS of photos!)

Gluten-free Disneyland food finds that rock! Disneyland & California Adventure was one of the tastiest vacations we have ever been on. From fancy food to on-the-go eats like gluten-free pizza and monte cristo sandwiches, Disneyland has it all!  

How do I prepare for my gluten-free Disneyland trip?

I absolutely love how easy gluten-free Disneyland & California Adventure are. They make it both simple and delicious to eat safely in both parks. 

Start by making reservations with specific menu requests at least 72 hours prior to your visit. Also, be sure to stop in to each individual restaurant to get the most up to date list of gluten-free offerings when you are in the park.

Pro Tip: Reach out to chefs before your trip (at least 72 hours in advance) with your specific dietary needs. The email they recommend using to connect is DLR.Special.Diets@disney.com. You can also get more information on their website: https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/special-dietary-requests/.Pro tip: Be sure to make all of your reservations EARLY. You can book up to 60 days in advance for some restaurants and many will book up within the first few days of releasing reservations.You can make dining reservations online or call (714) 781-DINE or (714) 781-3463. 

Does Disneyland have dairy-free options too?

Yes, dairy-free Disneyland is actually quite easy as well. I wrote all about my experience with it first hand.

First, this Dole whip is the very freshest treat in the park and it is dairy-free! You can also find lots of fresh fruit stands, turkey legs, Enjoy Life Foods cookies and chocolate bars in the gift shops and so much more. 

The Red’s Apple Freeze in Cars Land is hands down my favorite treat and it is dairy-free too. It’s made with 100% frozen apple juice and swirled with marshmallow syrup. It is then topped with a non-dairy passion fruit mango foam.

I promise you, this is one that you will want to order over and over again!

Disneyland Gluten-Free Monte Cristo

This meal from Cafe Orleans was most definitely RICH! We had emailed ahead of time to see if they might be able to do some of their famous Monte Cristo sandwiches for us gluten-free.

They accommodated by having gluten-free bread (Udi’s) on hand as well as creating a new batter (using Cup4Cup flour) and fresh oil in a new fryer that was dedicated gluten-free for us.

The end result was fantastic! In fact, my dad who ordered the regular version said ours was much, MUCH better. He thought it was lighter and more flavorful.

Pro Tip: Make sure to call ahead for a reservation for the first of the day when the oil is fresh and not contaminated with gluten. Also, make sure with your reservation that they know you are wanting a Disneyland gluten-free monte cristo sandwich. 

We also enjoyed a hot bowl of gluten-free French onion soup as well! was made special for us and was actually featured on the brand new allergen-free menu. 

My only suggestion with the soup would be to ask them to do half the cheese unless you REALLY love cheese because it had a lot.

Does Disneyland have other gluten-free options?

I don’t know about you guys but we love Critter Country over by Splash Mountain. I called ahead and asked if Harbour Galley could make us their famous lobster roll gluten-free. They agreed and WOW, I am thankful they did!

The filling is made with real lobster meat and is always gluten-free but they made some special for us. They also had some gluten-free hotdog buns brought over from another location to serve it on as they don’t normally keep them in stock.

Pro Tip: With the 2018 menu update Harbour Galley no longer offers gluten-free bread. I recommend just the filling with fresh gluten-free potato chips anyway. 

When I go back I don’t mind just enjoying the lobster salad with chips. I felt like the bread was just kind of meh compared to the rest of the plate. This was definitely one of my favorite lunches during our Disneyland gluten-free & California Adventure gluten-free trip…YUM!

They also made us a fresh batch of potato chips in dedicated gluten-free oil. They were fantastic!

What fine dining gluten-free options are there?

Definitely! My 30th birthday dinner was celebrated at Wine Country Trattoria in California Adventure. It was fantastic! 

I don’t know that I have ever seen my mom order pasta at a restaurant let alone eat it anywhere in the past 10 years and she actually loved it!

She and I both enjoyed gluten-free pasta dishes, her the shrimp scampi and myself the herb roasted chicken that was served with fettuccine alfredo and broccolini.

The pasta was cooked to perfection and we could hardly believe it was gluten-free. It was definitely one of the best pastas I have ever enjoyed.

In addition to our entrees, we were also provided with hot, soft gluten-free rolls that even the gluten eaters were stealing from us.

The salads we chose for our appetizers were the caprese and the Italian insalata. Both were very good as well as fresh. The portion was not too small but also not large enough for sharing.

Our meal was completed by a surprise presentation of a warm, gooey gluten-free chocolate brownie with fresh berries on top and a berry coulis. What a kind gesture by the restaurant to make my birthday dinner even more magical!

As you can see, my husband is quite the comedian. He had these shirts made for everyone including our little kids and new baby that said 30th birthday support staff.

People all day at Disneyland were saying, “That is awesome!”. Oh boy, my hubby the comedian…

What other amusement parks have gluten-free options?

I first wrote about our Disneyland gluten-free experience back in 2005 when it was virtually the only amusement park with good gluten-free food. We also did Disneyworld gluten-free which was fantastic!

Now, other have better options. We did Universal Studios & the Wizarding World of Harry Potter gluten-free awhile back. We’ve even done Legoland gluten-free and enjoyed it, but not quite as well. Just be sure to get their apple fries!

What is gluten-free in Disney’s California Adventure?

Even with embarrassing shirts, gluten-free in Disneyland and California Adventure couldn’t have been better! The good eats kept right on into Cars Land…

From the decor to the music, they got it all right. We also LOVED the new Cars ride! There are two different routes on it so make sure you get to enjoy both.

The new Cars Land in California Adventure was awesome! I have to say that Disney truly went where nobody has gone before in creating the ultimate movie experience in a theme park.

You immedietely feel like you walked into Radiator Springs when you step onto the asphalt.

The Cozy Cone Motel features multiple cones that each serve different food and beverage items. While we couldn’t enjoy the famous bread cones filled with chili or mac n’ cheese, my hubby did and said it was good.

I enjoyed some buttered popcorn and the highly recommended Red’s Apple Freeze. I hear the popcorn comes in many flavors including bacon cheddar and dill pickle but I opted for the classic.

Red’s Apple Freeze was SO good! It was apple juice slushified with marshmallow cream and a creamy foam topping. We ended up coming back another time on our trip because we needed just one more. 

At Flo’s V-8 Cafe we enjoyed the most talked about item on the menu, roast beef & cheddar sandwich with horseradish aioli and grilled onions. It was served with coleslaw and was on a gluten-free bun.

I chose to add a strawberry shake on and I am glad I did. It was delicious and simple just like a good shake should be. Who can beat that view right? Disney knocked it out of the park with their new Cars Land.

There were a few other things that we tried while visiting the most magical place on Earth. We enjoyed the Sprite float and the Mediterranean plate from Paradise Garden Grill both in California Adventure. Neither knocked my socks off but they were good.

The Sprite float is just that, Sprite with ice cream to make it a float. Since I don’t love root beer floats as much, this was a nice, refreshing treat.

The lemon-oregano chicken skewer was filling especially when served with white rice and a yummy cucumber salad. The tzatziki and moroccan chili chimchurri sauces were great accompaniments.

What used to be Taste Pilots in California Adventure next to Soarin’ is now Smokejumpers Grill. Nearly everything on the menu is gluten-free including the chili for the chili cheese fries! 

They have a dedicated fryer and lots of great toppings for the burgers. While the meat patty wasn’t huge, it was still filling enough especially once you add toppings.

We visited the Ghirardelli store more times than anyone should in a week but the chocolate and treats were so delicious that we couldn’t help ourselves! We were provided with an allergen list upon arrival to help us understand what we could safely enjoy.

Blue Bayou Gluten-Free Food

We were honored to be see and share some of the allergy-friendly menus. This new menu at Blue Bayou was one of them.

Some of you may remember that Blue Bayou was our favorite dining experience on our last Disneyland gluten-free & California Adventure gluten-free trip.  This was in large part due to the gluten-free crab cakes and famous Blue Bayou potatoes the chef made especially for us. Unfortunately they no longer have crab cakes and have changed their potato recipe. This was a huge disappointment to us.

We started with warm gluten-free rolls and the Blue Bayou house salad. Both were very good. I especially liked the salad.My mom chose the Surf and Turf while I opted for the Royal Street Seafood Jambalaya for our main course. Both were again, very tasty but not outstanding like on our last visit.They brought us out the new Blue Bayou potatoes to try and sadly they weren’t something I would order again. The ones on our last visit were creamy and unique.

They were full of flavor and almost addicting. These were more dry and really had no distinct flavor other than potato with a touch of cheese.We finished off our meal with creme brulee. It was very good and was a nice sharing size portion. 

The cost of dinner here is quite a lot but the service was impeccable. Our servers were fun and very kind. They brought my boys their water with a fun light up cube that made it an exciting drink.

Are there gluten-free character Disney dining experiences?

Yes and I highly recommend them! When doing gluten-free Disneyland & California Adventure, Goofy’s Kitchen is a must. 

We always choose one character dining experience for our little ones and I am glad we do. They always love it and it becomes such a fun memory for everyone.

These character dining experiences allow them to get more one-on-one time with characters. It also helps them get autographs for their books without waiting in line after line.

As a mom, I say that the additional cost of this meal was worth my time saved not standing in as many character lines. Goofy’s Kitchen is just that, goofy!

All the food is totally kid friendly and a fun way to start the day. The executive chef is very helpful in navigating what we could enjoy gluten-free.

He let us know that he could make us anything we wanted in the back because most of the buffet items could be a cross-contamination risk.

For example, the bacon is placed on bread to soak up the grease. Scary! Don’t fret though, they will make you fresh bacon in the back and bring it right out to your table. I personally love salad so I also enjoyed a fresh green salad with my breakfast.

The chef made my mom and I our own gluten-free pepperoni pizza, eggs Benedict (minus the English muffin) and plate of warm chocolate chip cookies and brownies.

The pizza was awesome! The crust was filled with tasty herbs which I didn’t think about when I ordered the famous PB&J pizza gluten-free. It was not as good with a savory crust. The Mickey waffle was divine! In fact, my dad said it was much better than the regular gluten-filled waffles. It was crispy on the outside and soft in the center.

It was very big so I only recommend one if you are really hungry. It is made in a dedicated gluten-free waffle iron and is created using Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour.

Lastly, I couldn’t resist the urge to have them make me the gluten-free pancakes banana foster. OH MY GOODNESS, they were the best!

I had already eaten everything else so was thinking I might be able to eat a few bites but no, I had to eat the whole plate.The pancakes were so fluffy and cooked just right. The bananas foster topping was buttery and super sweet. I will dream of these pancakes…

Where do you eat gluten-free in Downtown Disney?

In addition to the yummy food above, we also enjoyed a very tasty meal at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney. The ambiance was so fun.

It is reminiscent of what you would expect old New Orleans to be. With a live band dressed in old time jazz wear and playing the blues, it made for a fun dinner.

The steak was very delicious and seasoned to perfection. The shrimp and grits were SO good! I literally wanted to lick my plate clean.

My family and I really enjoyed this dinner and recommend it for anyone but especially those who like a little creole in their life!

What other amusement parks have gluten-free options?

I first wrote about our Disneyland trip ten years ago when it was virtually the only amusement park with good gluten-free food. We also did Disneyworld gluten-free which was fantastic!

Now, other have better options. We did Universal Studios & the Wizarding World of Harry Potter gluten-free awhile back. We’ve even done Legoland gluten-free and enjoyed it, but not quite as well. Just be sure to get their apple fries!

We had a wonderful time and I can’t imagine a more magical 30th birthday celebration with the people I love most than this Disney vacation!

My friend Chrystal from Gluten-Free Palate also went to Disneyland and enjoyed gluten-free food. Be sure to check out what she enjoyed.

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Gluten-Free Disneyland Dole Whip

Make your favorite Disneyland treat...the dole whip in just a few minutes right in your own kitchen!

PRINT RECIPE

Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 10 mins

Course: Mocktails

Cuisine: American

Keyword: copycat dole whip recipe, dole whip, gluten free dole whip

Servings: 8 cups

Calories: 213kcal

Author: Chandice

Ingredients

• 6 cups frozen pineapple cubes
• 1 can unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 frozen banana
• 12 oz. pineapple juice optional

Instructions

• Mix everything in blender until well combined
• Dish into individual cups
• Top with more fresh pineapple or pour pineapple juice over top

Notes

These dole whips are great on their own or served with pineapple juice over top. 

Nutrition

Calories: 213kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 374mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 80IU | Vitamin C: 66.1mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1.4mg

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