Disney World: gluten-free dining

June 14, 2005
Mr. Lee Cockerell
Executive Vice President of Walt Disney World Operations
1375 Buena Vista Drive
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000
Dear Mr. Cockerell:
My family and I just returned from a visit to Walt Disney World, and I wanted to write you a letter to give you our impressions.
Last year, my wife was diagnosed with a disease called celiac sprue; in brief, she is allergic to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and things made from them. This means that we have to be very careful about what she eats, so it was with some trepidation that I made dining plans for our vacation. I’d read that Disney World was usually able to accommodate requests for gluten-free meals, so we tried to plan ahead to ensure that my wife would be able to eat well.
On the first day, we went to the Magic Kingdom. Lunch was turkey legs in Frontierland, which as always were excellent. Dinner was at the Crystal Palace, where our server, Pat, did a good job of keeping us in touch with the chef despite the fact that the restaurant was packed. The food and service were both quite good, and Arlene was easily able to find a variety of dishes.
On the second day, we went to EPCOT. We made last-minute priority seating reservations for dinner at the Biergarten, but when I called to ask Chef Jonathan some questions about menu items, he never returned my call. Accordingly, we went to the Garden Grille, where the food and service were both excellent. Jose, our server, even managed to cheer up our sulky three-year-old-something we all appreciated. I particularly appreciated the staff’s efforts to provide gluten-free bread for my wife while the rest of us were eating the excellent multi-grain breadsticks.
For our third day, we had breakfast at Donald’s Restaurantosaurus at Animal Kingdom. This is the real reason I’m writing this letter: Chef Thomas made my wife one of the best meals she’s ever eaten, complete with rice-flour Mickey-ear pancakes and a huge (and very tasty) omelet. Her food was actually much better-tasting than what the rest of us had, which was a nice turnabout from the usual situation. Thomas really made her feel like a valued guest; he was extremely attentive and helpful. In short, he exemplified the spirit that Disney World is supposed to embody, and I hope that you will find a way to pass our thanks on to him.
At lunch, we ate at MGM’s 50s Prime Time Café, where the chef made a gluten-free chicken pot pie for my wife. The rest of us ate like kings too-another successful meal, with great service from Adriana, our “cousin”. Dinner, alas, was slightly less successful; we ate at MGM’s Sci-Fi Dine-In. The food quality, promptness of service, and service quality have all declined quite a bit since our last visit last year. I think we’ll cut this from our must-visit list for our next visit; frankly, I expect better both for the expense and for Disney’s reputation.
One side note about MGM: we went there on a Friday knowing full well that “Star Wars Weekends” were in progress. My ten-year-old and I went to the Star Wars store next to the “Star Tours” ride. I have never had a worse shopping experience! With all of Disney’s expertise in handling large crowds, we were a little surprised that simple measures, like adding cash registers, weren’t taken to speed the movement of buyers through the store.
Overall, we had a wonderful trip, in large part because my wife was able to enjoy dining with us. Please pass our thanks on to Chef Thomas, Jose, Adriana, and Pat, and the chefs not named. All of them were helpful and attentive, and I commend them for their efforts to help us have a great trip.
Respectfully,
Paul Robichaux