NEW 2024 Gluten-Free Guide to Disneyland & Disney’s California Adventure + Free Printable
I started writing about eating gluten free at Disneyland back in 2018 with a post all about my favorite gluten free menu items that you could find at Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure and even did a post all about eating gluten free at Walt Disney World (update on WDW coming) So much has changed since 2018 and my part 1 guide and even more has changed since 2020 and it’s time we update this awesome list of gluten free foods.
My biggest tip for anyone visiting the parks (whether or not you have food allergies) is to bring your own food. Yes - eating at the parks can be fun but it also is expensive especially if you have a big family or are there for all three meals plus snacks and drinks or if you go often. My family and I go to the parks often so for us it makes sense to pack at least one meal, sometimes two and we always bring snacks. I use THIS LUNCHBOX for my son's lunches. We bring tuna salad, salads, pasta salad, shredded chicken, sandwiches, fresh fruit, fresh veggies, snack bars, puffs, sparkling waters, water bottles etc. I pack it all in a soft cooler and leave it in the bottom of our stroller. Our favorite place to picnic with our toddler is at the Hungry Bear Restaurant (which is closed at the time of this post going live and under a theme change) because we can watch the Disneyland Trains go by every 10-15 minutes and our toddler loves it. Just make sure that you don’t bring any glass or alcohol and you’re good to go!
At most of Disney’s dining establishments they will be able to accommodate you without prior notice however if you have concerns please reach out to Special.Diets@disneyland.com.
Most Disney chefs, restaurants and quick-service locations can accommodate the following common food allergies:
Gluten or wheat
Eggs
Fish
Milk or lactose
Peanuts and tree nuts
Shellfish
Soy
Corn
Less Common Allergy-Friendly or Intolerance Requests that they can accommodate:
Disneyland Resort table-service and quick-service restaurants will do their best to accommodate you if you need meals made without a food or ingredient that is not one of the allergies the Food and Drug Administration considers most common. Examples include, but are not limited to:
Made without gluten
Made without lactose
Made without corn
Made without citrus
Made without nightshades
Made without MSG
In most cases, no advance arrangements are needed but other special dietary requests might include:
Smaller portions
Low-carbohydrate
Low fat
Low sodium
No-sugar-added
Plant-based options
Before you GO:
Read THIS information on the Disneyland website and "For questions/requests related to food allergies, intolerances and other special dietary needs, contact us at Special.Diets@disneyland.com"
Before you ORDER:
Make sure your server knows of your allergens.
Always ask to speak to the chef before ordering - especially if you have questions about the menu. There is always a possibility that menus and ingredients can change.
Note: Some places serve gluten free French fries that are cooked in a dedicated gluten free frier. Some restaurants have fries cooked in a cross contaminated frier. Ask your server.
Double check signs that say “gluten friendly” vs "gluten free” — some places might have gluten free options, but do have the possibility of cross contamination (example: GF Cookies at Jack Jacks are listed at “gluten friendly” as there is a possibility of cross contamination).
Don't be afraid to ask questions, check and recheck that items are gluten free.
Ask if there's a possibility of cross contamination.
If you are unsure of finding snacks that suit your needs, wants and magical desires — remember that you can bring your own. Bring safe snacks for the whole family in a backpack, purse or even get a locker on Main Street or in California Adventure to store your goodies. Bring a whole box of batch of your favorite cookies... I feel like I am being a little repetative becuase people don't necessarily believe me when I say that you can bring food into the parks. If you are anaphylactic, make sure you carry your epipen with you wherever you go. DO NOT LEAVE IT IN THE LOCKERS!
Remember to be patient with cast members and NEVER EVER eat anything you don’t feel fully confident is totally safe for you. Don’t ever feel bad for asking for the chef, double-checking and asking a million questions. Ask to see ingredients lists if you need more reassurance. They want you to feel safe while dining. If something doesn’t feel right, don’t eat it and ask for a manager or head chef.
MOBILE ORDERING: Yes, we now have access to mobile ordering! However, while it’s nice to order from wherever you are in the parks, if you don’t plan ahead there are times when you’ll have to wait awhile to get your food. Peak times could mean a 2 hour wait for some food, so check wait times and try to plan accordingly. Make sure that when you get to the restaurant for mobile pick up that you alert a cast member of your food allergens!
BRING FOOD: Yes! This is still an option. We do it all the time. Bring snacks you can carry in your backpack or purse. Bring water, sandwiches, fruit, veggies — whatever you want! Just make sure you don’t bring glass or booze! We've even brought in our own Chipotle burrito bowls!
DINING RESERVATIONS: At the moment, reservations are key. They really are necessary for certain restaurants. Gone are the days that you can waltz up to the Blue Bayou in the morning and snag a late lunch or dinner reservation. If you want to eat somewhere that requires a reservation go get one now! And be sure you have a reservation for the park as well.
PARK RESERVATIONS: Unfortunately, yes — you need that, too. No longer can you go on a spur of the moment afternoon trip to the Happiest Place on Earth. If you want to hit up Disneyland or California Adventure be sure to check the app or website ahead of time and secure a park reservation for that day. If you have a park hopper or Magic Key Pass, make sure your dining reservation is good for the appropriate park at the appropriate time of the day. Example: If you make a park reservation for California Adventure but your dining reservation is somewhere in Disneyland, you cannot hop between parks until after 11am. So make that dining reservation for after 11am.
If you have any questions that you can’t seem to find solid answers for, make sure to stop at City Hall on Main Street upon entering Disneyland or Disney's California Adventure. Also, if you have a bad experience or you didn't feel comfortable at a restaurant, please go to City Hall and let them know -- not to "complain" (unless you have a real complaint) but to help them better train those in the food service area. They appreciate the feedback... please be kind. Example: a cast member working at Toontown (before the refurbishment) told me they didn’t have anything gluten free in that area because Toontown was for kids… implying that only adults have gluten allergies. (insert a polite eye roll) There was clearly a lack of education on the subject from this castmember and hopefully she got retrained in food service after I went to City Hall to tell them what happened.
I know there's a lot of information here in this post but the printable guide will be helpful to take with you and there's even some of these tips printed on the guide for you to take with you to the parks. If you try any of the gluten free foods tag me on instagram and I hope you have a magical time at Disneyland!
