Alexis's Gluten Free Adventures: Sunshine Seasons

Today, we decided to go to Epcot after eating some amazing gluten free beignets at Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter. Hands down, they were the best they have ever been, and they are always delicious. They tasted so different to me, I was actually a little worried that I had been given regular beignets. I spoke with Chef Paul, and he told me that he doesn't flatten the beignets as much as other chefs, which makes them smaller and less hollow. They had an amazing chew, a little like a donut, which Chef Paul said was his goal. I wish I had taken a picture! You can view my post on Disney's gluten free beignets here. They are not to be missed!

For lunch, we ate at Sunshine Seasons in The Land pavilion at Epcot. I always head straight for the The Grill station because all the food there is gluten free. For entrees, you can choose from oak-fired rotisserie chicken with black beans and yellow rice, grilled salmon with seasonal vegetables (usually green beans and roasted potatoes), or slow-roasted pork with cheddar mashed potatoes and barbeque sauce. This station also has a kid's chicken leg served with two sides and a drink.

My daughter Emma loves the cheddar mashed potatoes, so she always orders them with her chicken leg. She also chose grapes and chocolate milk with her kid's meal.

My husband and I both ordered the slow roasted pork chop with barbeque sauce, but asked for roasted potatoes instead of the cheddar mashed. The staff is always willing to substitute the side dishes if you ask. When the pork is not overcooked, it is amazing. My chop was tender and juicy, and perfectly complemented by the barbeque sauce. Surprisingly, our roasted potatoes were a little cold and dry, and seemed like they had been sitting around for a while. They are usually very good. We have also ordered the salmon and chicken in the past, and enjoyed them both.

Right next to the Grill Station, you can find a nice selection of special dietary treats.

Surf Sweets Organic Fruity Bears are gluten and casein free, vegan, vegetarian, non-GMO, and made in a nut-free facility. The OMG...It's Gluten Free Fudge Brownies are gluten free and sugar free. If you are sensitive to maltitol like I am, you might want to avoid this product.

Enjoy Life chocolate chip cookies are non-GMO, dairy & nut free, certified gluten free, egg free, casein free, and free of soy, potatoes, sesame and sulfites. Enjoy Life boom Choco boom Ricemilk Crunch bars are non-GMO, certified gluten free, and free of dairy, peanut, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish, and shellfish.

You can buy Enjoy Life Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies by the box or in smaller packs.

Enjoy Life Soft Baked Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies are available by the box and are non-GMO, and free of gluten, wheat, dairy, peanut, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish, and shellfish. Rocky Mountain Caramel Popcorn is gluten and nut free, whole grain, and uses non-GMO kernels.

If you are a fan of hard cider, Sunshine Seasons stocks Angry Orchard Crisp Apple Hard Cider.

I love that at Sunshine Seasons, I do not have to wait for a manager or chef to specially prepare my food. I can order just like the rest of my family. I do suggest you always double check with the cast members at the Grill Station to make sure that all the food is still gluten free.

January 11, 2015 Update

Yesterday, we had lunch at Sunshine Seasons. The chef I spoke to said that everything at The Grill station is still gluten free, but I could also have any of the salads at the Soup & Salad station. The Caesar salad with oak-fired chicken is ok, minus the croutons, the power salad with oak-fired chicken, quinoa, almonds, and honey vinaigrette is naturally gluten free, and the roast beets and goat cheese salad with honey sherry dressing is safe, minus the crisp that comes on the side. They also had a safe soup, which if I am remembering correctly, was the five bean vegetable soup.

At the Asian Noodles station, the spicy Thai green curry shrimp with jasmine rice is gluten free.

I decided to go with the Thai green curry shrimp yesterday, and yes, it is spicy. The portion was so large, I actually couldn't finish it. I enjoyed the shrimp, rice, and cauliflower in this dish, but probably not enough to order it again. I think I might try one of the salads when we return to Sunshine Seasons.