Sunday, February 25, 2018

Gluten Free at the Disneyland Hotel

Over Christmas Break, we spent 6 nights at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, California.  I booked our stay with Dana Zificsak, a fellow celiac, from Magical Moments Vacations.  Dana told me that the Disneyland Hotel is her favorite of the Disneyland Resort Hotels, and I can definitely see why after staying there.


Our room was large, the beds were comfortable, and the headboard, with its fireworks and music, was magical.  We also loved the location of the Disneyland Hotel, which is right next to Downtown Disney, and a short walk to both theme parks.  As far as dining goes, there are several options to choose from at the Disneyland Hotel.  I have heard that Goofy's Kitchen does a great job with special diets, but my daughters are not a fan of character meals, and we seldom dine at restaurants with buffets anymore, because we have to pay adult prices for our twins, who don't eat enough food to justify it at age 12.


Tangaroa Terrace, a quick service restaurant at the Disneyland Hotel, is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.


They could not find their allergy-friendly breakfast menu the first day I stopped in, but I was told that I could order Mickey waffles, or the breakfast platter with scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes, island fruit, and bacon.


Tangaroa Terrace serves their Mickey waffles with powdered sugar, island fruit, and bacon.


The waffles, which are made with a Bob's Red Mill mix, tasted great, but they were a little bit undercooked in the middle.  I did not ask for new waffles, because I did not want a big breakfast, so I just ate around the edges.  I enjoyed dipping my waffles and bacon in the syrup that was served with my meal.


For lunch and dinner, Tangaroa Terrace has a good number of gluten free options to choose from.


I tried their chicken teriyaki bowl with sliced chicken breast, rice, vegetables and teriyaki sauce.  I asked that the sriracha aioli and sesame seeds be left off my dish.  If your meal arrives with won ton chips like mine did initially, send it back, because they are not gluten free.  I liked my chicken teriyaki bowl, but I would probably try something different at Tangaroa Terrace the next time we stay at the Disneyland Hotel.


Gluten-friendly entrees include the 1/3 lb Angus bacon cheeseburger, teriyaki chicken breast sandwich, shrimp tacos, Tangaroa Terrace Salad, chicken teriyaki bowl, 1/3 lb Angus Hawaiian cheeseburger, and the slow-roasted Kalua-style pork sandwich.


Gluten-friendly desserts: soft frozen strawberry lemonade, soft frozen lemonade, and Mickey ice cream bar.


Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar and Tangaroa Terrace share a kitchen, and both of their menus have a Polynesian twist.


Gluten-friendly options on the allergy-friendly menu at Trader Sam's include the slow-roasted Kalua-style pork sandwich, chicken breast sandwich, shrimp tacos, and soft frozen lemonade, soft frozen strawberry lemonade, and a Mickey Ice Cream Bar for dessert.


The bartender I spoke to told me that they have more gluten free options than listed on the menu, including dishes with teriyaki sauce.  I had really hoped to dine there, but we never got a chance on this trip.


Gluten-friendly kids' options include a hamburger with vegetable skewer and island fruit, or salmon with rice and island fruit.


For the second year in a row, we had breakfast at Steakhouse 55 the morning we said goodbye to Disneyland.  Some day, I would love to eat dinner there, especially after reading my friend Sarah's review on her blog Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free at WDW.



Last Christmas Break, I had my very first large Mickey waffle when we dined at Steakhouse 55, which I was super excited about.  It was served with a side of bananas foster, one of my favorite toppings for Mickey waffles.  This year, it was not on the menu, but the chef I spoke to said they could still make it for me.


I passed up a large Mickey waffle in favor of the American Breakfast, which includes two eggs any style, thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon, pork sausage or country ham, shredded potato cake, toast, coffee or tea, and choice of assorted juices.


Instead of toast, I asked if I could have Mickey waffles, which they made for me next door in Goofy's Kitchen.  My poached eggs were not pretty, but they were cooked perfectly, just like my waffles.


My thick-cut bacon was delicious too, but I was not overly impressed by my side of fruit, which was a replacement for the shredded potato cake, which was not gluten free.  I like strawberries and pineapple, but am not a fan of cantaloupe or honeydew.


I ordered a side of macerated berries instead of bananas foster to use as a topping for my waffles on this visit.  They were not overly sweet, and were a nice change of pace from my usual waffle toppings at Disney parks and resorts.


Overall, I enjoyed my breakfast, and my gluten-eating family did too.  Emma and my husband split the German apple pancake, which looked amazing, and Katie ordered the steak and eggs with pommes frites.



My family did pick up pastries one morning at The Coffee House for breakfast.  As far as I know, it is the only place outside of Disneyland Park that you can purchase Pineapple Dole Whip.  I did eat Dole Whip twice on our Christmas Break trip, but both times, I ordered it from the Tiki Juice Bar in Adventureland.  It is amazing sprinkled with Tajin, which you can read about in my Disneyland Gluten Free Snacks & Treats post.



We all loved the Disneyland Hotel so much, it will be hard to stay anywhere else when we visit Disneyland Resort, though I am seriously tempted by Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.

What are your favorite gluten free options at the Disneyland Hotel?

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