12 Gluten-Free Foods That You Need To Try At Disney World

Disney World tends to go above and beyond when it comes to anything in its parks — from the iconic rides to the popular restaurants and overall magical ambiance; there is so much to appreciate. As a long-time Disney World visitor, I was extremely hesitant about what my experience would be like once I had to start eating gluten-free. Would I be able to enjoy some of my favorite iconic Disney snacks? Would I go hungry during a day in the parks? I then found out that eating gluten-free in Disney World is not only nothing to worry about, but it ended up being one of the best experiences I've had on a vacation when it came to food.

Disney is extremely conscientious when it comes to being aware of food allergies, including gluten. Most of the time, when you order something gluten-free in the parks, you'll get it delivered to you on a purple tray — that way, you know that your meal is indeed gluten-free. Other times, they place a little toothpick into the food that says "allergy." Most of the time, the gluten-free food at Disney is celiac-safe, as they use separate fryers or preparation areas. To be safe, always check with your server to make sure that there is no cross-contamination if you have celiac disease or are extra sensitive. Now, get ready to learn about the mouthwatering, delicious treats that you can get gluten-free all over Walt Disney World.

Gluten-free churros aren't a common thing to find in general, so when I discovered them in Disney World, I was over the moon. In Animal Kingdom, there is a casual lounge called Nomad Lounge. Here, you can get small plates as well as cocktails and other drinks. Amongst these small plates are churros, which are already made to be gluten-free!

You can get the churros easily to go or order them to stay and enjoy with a drink. Each order of the churros includes five churros plus a vanilla creme as well as a seasonal dipping sauce. When I had them, the seasonal sauce was strawberry guava. Overall, I truly couldn't believe that these churros were gluten-free. They had a satisfying crunch on the outside, but the inside was nice and soft. The cinnamon sugar on the outside was absolutely delicious and went perfectly with the vanilla creme. I enjoyed the strawberry guava sauce as well, with its sweet yet fruity kick.

When asking the staff, I discovered that the churros are made with cup-for-cup gluten-free flour. Now, I'm not entirely sure why Disney World decided to make the churros at Nomad Lounge gluten-free right off the bat, but I'm not complaining! If you don't have plans to visit Disney World soon, check out this recipe for gluten-free churros that you can make at home.

Mickey waffles are some of the most nostalgic treats that you can get at Disney World. They've been around since the 1980s, so if you grew up going to Disney World, you most likely have fond memories of chowing down on some Mickey waffles while meeting your favorite characters at a Disney character breakfast.

I had mentally prepared myself that I may never be able to enjoy Mickey waffles again when visiting Disney as an adult who now can't eat gluten. I was incredibly surprised to find out that at any restaurant or buffet that has Mickey waffles, you can ask the staff to prepare you a serving of a gluten-free version. Just by looks alone, the waffles look nearly identical. You can only be sure they're gluten-free by the tell-tale allergy-labeled toothpick that's placed into the waffle.

Disney has definitely mastered its gluten-free waffles. With the very first bite, I was immediately transported back to my childhood. They are a little bit crispy on the outside, and the inside is moist and fluffy. Gluten-free breakfast foods, especially waffles, tend to get dry and crumbly very easily. The Mickey waffles definitely didn't fall into that trap, and I enjoyed them immensely.

Disney World is the only place on earth where I've been able to find gluten-free beignets. I was lucky enough to try the famous beignets in New Orleans at Cafe Du Monde before I had to eat gluten-free, and I've been searching for that same delicious taste ever since. Over at Disney's Port Orleans Resort, everything is New Orleans-themed. From the various styles and decor that combine French, Mardi Gras, and Louisiana River influences to jazz music that flies through the air to the delicious cuisine, you will be transported straight to the Big Easy.

There is a bar and lounge at the resort called Scat Cat Cafe, which is located in the French Quarter area. Here, you can sip on craft beers and cocktails while you munch on appetizers. On the menu, you will see that there are Baton Rouge Beignets, which aren't gluten-free. However, all you need to do is ask your server for the gluten-free beignets, and they will make a fresh batch just for you. The beignets come with your choice of liqueur to dip them in — either Bailey's Irish Creme, Kahlúa, or RumChata.

One order comes with five beignets sprinkled with a generous layer of powdered sugar. These beignets are doughy, moist, fluffy, and decadent. Truly, they don't taste gluten-free at all. Even if you're not staying at Port Orleans, I definitely recommend taking the trip to taste these delicious treats.

When I say that the gluten-free chicken tenders at Disney World are the best I've had in my entire life, even including gluten-filled chicken tenders, I am not exaggerating. When visiting the Disney World parks, chicken tenders and fries are a quick and easy go-to meal for many people, and luckily, gluten-free eaters don't have to be left out. Disney offers gluten-free chicken tenders at any sit-down restaurant or quick-service restaurant that sells regular chicken tenders. All you need to do is ask, and the kitchen will whip up an allergen-friendly order.

Not all of the gluten-free chicken tenders are exactly the same from place to place, but from the ones I've tried, they are delicious. From the Fountain restaurant at Disney's Dolphin hotel to Pinocchio Village Haus in Magic Kingdom to the Backlot Express in Hollywood Studios, each order of gluten-free chicken tenders has blown me out of the water. What makes them so delicious is that the exterior of the strips are incredibly crispy. The type of crispy where when you bite into it, you can audibly hear a satisfying crunch sound. 

My family, who eats gluten, all tasted my gluten-free strips compared to their regular strips, and they all agreed that the gluten-free chicken strips were superior. Beyond the crunch factor, the breading has an amazing taste to it as well. It has a nice balance of being salty and smoky, and when matched with the juicy chicken, these chicken strips are truly crave-worthy.

Almost anywhere in Disney World where you can order pizza, you can get a gluten-free version as well. I particularly enjoyed the gluten-free pizza at Pinocchio Village Haus, which is located in Magic Kingdom. This is a quick-service restaurant where you can either stand in line and order at the counter or order ahead in the Disney World app. I recommend ordering in the app ahead of time because gluten-free orders tend to take a bit longer to prepare than the normal food.

There are many different gluten-free pizzas to choose from when ordering at Pinocchio Village House. They come in a small personal pizza size, which I think is the perfect amount of food to fuel up for the rest of the day at the parks. You can get a regular cheese pizza, a pepperoni pizza, or an all-meat pizza, which comes with sausage, pepperoni, ham, and bacon. 

I found this pizza to be comparable to a regular pizza from Papa John's, which I used to love getting in my gluten-eating days. The crust held up, didn't fall apart, and had a chewy and thick consistency to it. The sauce was rich and robust, the cheese had a perfect stretchy pull to it, and overall I thought it was a satisfying pizza to chow down on.

In Disney Springs, there is a waterfront restaurant called The Boathouse. Here, you can enjoy American cuisine while taking in gorgeous views. Many people may not know this, as it's not explicitly written on the menu, but you can get gluten-free macaroni and cheese as a side or entree here. All you need to do is ask for the regular macaroni and cheese that's on the menu to be made gluten-free, and the staff can easily make that happen.

The macaroni and cheese actually comes in a fairly large portion, as it's considered to be a side to share. I ordered the dish as my entree, and it was the perfect amount of food. The noodles are rotini and are coated in a generously thick yellow cheese sauce. I was absolutely in love with how creamy, flavorful, and decadent this dish was. It's hard to find a truly satisfying gluten-free macaroni and cheese, and I was delighted to finally find it at The Boathouse.

Macarons are yet another gluten-filled treat that are hard to find in a gluten-free version. Luckily, I've come across a few gluten-free macarons while traveling, and I was excited to discover that Disney World has its own as well. These aren't just any gluten-free macarons, however. At L'Artisan des Glaces in Epcot, you can get a gluten-free macaron ice cream sandwich.

L'Artisan des Glaces is an artisan bakery located in the French area of Epcot's World Showcase. It's a great place to stop for a snack in between drinking around the world. Here, you can get ice cream, sorbet, and, of course — the macaron ice cream sandwich. What many people may not realize is that this sandwich is actually made gluten-free, so you don't even need to ask for your own version! You can either get a chocolate ice cream-flavored macaron sandwich or the seasonal flavor. Be sure to double-check with the staff that the seasonal flavor is gluten-free when you order.

The macaron ice cream sandwich has a delicate shell on the outside, making it enjoyable to bite into, while the inner part of the macaron is slightly doughy. The ice cream in the middle is perfect for cooling you down during a hot day at the park. Don't be deterred by any long lines that you may see at L'Artisan des Glaces, however, because it does move incredibly quickly!

If you're spending some time in Disney Springs and are craving a sweet treat, you should definitely head over to Erin Mckenna's Bakery. This bakery first started in New York City and made its way down to Disney. What's so special about this bakery is that it is completely gluten-free (as well as dairy- and egg-free). While I do think the cookies and cupcakes are absolutely delicious here, the true standout is the cinnamon roll.

Since going gluten-free, one of the treats that I've missed the most is cinnamon rolls. I've specifically been missing the gooey texture and decadence of Cinnabon's cinnamon rolls. When I saw that Erin Mckenna's carried a gluten-free cinnamon roll, I was hoping to finally experience that delicious taste I was missing so much.

I was overjoyed when I bit into the roll, as I immediately melted into the soft, gooey, chewy, decadent texture of the roll. It was perfectly sweet with the icing on top, and the cinnamon swirled into the bread fulfilled all of my cinnamon roll dreams. I will happily say that the cinnamon rolls from Erin Mckenna's lived up to the taste of the Cinnabon rolls that I was missing.

One of the most frustrating moments of having to eat gluten-free is when you're out for dinner, and everyone gets to enjoy the fresh bread that's given even before you order. You just sit there, hungry and jealous of the delicious bread that all of the gluten-eaters are inhaling. At Disney World, that is rarely the case. Most sit-down restaurants that offer bread service will have a gluten-free version. The absolute best gluten-free dinner rolls that I've ever had, however, were at Jiko in the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Jiko serves African cuisine and is considered to be one of Disney World's fine dining restaurants. While the main dishes are done incredibly well, with food allergies in mind, the dinner rolls are what stood out to me the most. Most gluten-free dinner rolls tend to have a bit of dryness to them, or they fall apart, or the butter doesn't spread nicely when cut in half. These rolls were the most fluffy, moist, satisfying pieces of bread that I've eaten in my entire gluten-free journey. The butter was able to spread seamlessly, and the bread didn't get all crumbly and disjointed. While I definitely recommend the entire dining experience at Jiko, I think if you only went for the dinner rolls, you'd still be satisfied.

A popular meal to grab at any theme park is a hot dog and fries, as it's nice and easy to eat on the go as you head to your next attraction or ride. For gluten-free people, we tend to get left out of the tasty, convenient meal. If you're in Magic Kingdom, however, head on over to Casey's Corner for your very own gluten-free hot dog and fries.

Casey's Corner is located right on Main Street, USA, which is the grand street that leads up to Cinderella's Castle. There are lots of shops and quick-service food places on Main Street, and Casey's Corner is a place where you can grab hot dogs, chili, fries, and fountain drinks. If you ask for a gluten-free bun with your hot dog, you can get a delicious gluten-free meal. The fries are gluten-free as well since they aren't made with any sort of seasoning that contains gluten and are fried in oil that doesn't also fry gluten-containing ingredients.

The hot dog itself is incredibly simple yet delicious. The bun is also firm enough to hold the hot dog, and it doesn't fall apart like some other gluten-free hot dog buns tend to do. I love to indulge in french fries as well, as they are very similar to my favorite french fries, McDonald's—which actually aren't gluten-free due to the natural beef flavor, which has wheat in it. At Casey's Corner, I can get my french fry fix!

The Kona Cafe is located in the Polynesian Hotel. Here, you can get breakfast, lunch, or dinner — however I strongly recommend popping in for the breakfast. The menu is filled with lots of delicious items, many of which can be done gluten-free. There is an allergy-friendly menu, and on there, it doesn't list certain items that can be done in a gluten-free way. However, if you ask — Disney works it's magic, and can make it happen.

Just like the Mickey waffles, Disney is able to make the Tonga Toast from Kona Cafe gluten-free. This isn't just your average French toast, either. The gluten-free Tonga toast comes in the form of small little French toast sliders, and they are filled with slices of fried bananas. You can douse your sliders in maple syrup or strawberry compote, both of which taste great with the meal. These sliders are a tiny bit crispy on the outside, but gooey and soft on the inside. I don't get to eat gluten-free French toast often, so this is definitely a special treat that stands out amongst the endless gluten-free options around Disney World.

Gluten-free eaters are used to being left out when it comes to sharing appetizers. Over at Trattoria al Forno at Disney's Boardwalk, this doesn't have to be the case. This is an Italian restaurant, and the staff let me know that the fried food served at the restaurant is made with gluten-free breadcrumbs. So, when I saw fried calamari on the menu, I was overjoyed to find out that I didn't even need to order it to be made differently — it was already gluten-free!

Similar to how I feel about the gluten-free chicken tenders at Disney World, the fried calamari here was exceptionally crispy. The herbs and spices that are used in mixture with the gluten-free breadcrumbs make the dish very flavorful and satisfying. They are also served with either a spicy marinara sauce or a creamy lemon sauce. Getting to order an appetizer and actually share it with my family was a rare occurrence, and I enjoyed every second.

Disney World is incredibly conscientious of food allergies, and because of that, there are endless amounts of gluten-free foods that you can find at the theme park resort. This list is filled with some of my favorite finds. I focused on choosing gluten-free foods that can be found across various Disney theme parks and also included spots in Disney Springs, the Boardwalk, and other hotels found on Disney property. I also wanted to shine a light on food that people may not realize is made gluten-free already, or has the possibility to be made gluten-free. Always check with staff to ensure that items are gluten-free.