Our August 2012 vacation was the first time that I had travelled since being diagnosed with a gluten allergy in March. Needless to say, I was concerned about what I was going to eat, and whether I could avoid getting sick over the course of our 14-day vacation.
As soon as I received my diagnosis, I gave Disney Cruise Line a call, and had the allergy noted on my reservation. I also sent an e-mail to Special Services on the Disney Cruise Line at DCL.Special.Request@disney.com.
Special Services was very prompt in replying to my e-mail, letting me know that I would have plenty of options at the main restaurants, but that my choices might be limited at the quick-service venues, which I completely understood. I was also told that I should speak with your Head Server upon arrival at each restaurant and that I could visit the embarkation dining session, in order to discuss my restrictions.
Embarkation day arrived, and I felt like I was as ready as I was going to be. We decided to head to the lunch buffet at Enchanted Garden rather than at Cabanas because we thought it would be less busy, and easier to speak to a chef. We were seated promptly, and I informed our server of my gluten allergy. He instructed me to line up for the buffet, and he waited with me until I got to the front of the line, where he flagged down a chef that I could speak to. The chef was very good, walking me down the buffet line and letting me know what was/wasn't safe. He went over all of the desserts as well - the chocolate mousse was safe, as was the fruit.
Of course, I forgot to take a picture of my meal, but I know I had carved beef, lots of veggies, potatoes and some sort of salad. I also had two servings of a delicious dark chocolate mousse.
After our easy lunch, I figured that visiting the embarkation dining session was not a priority, so we began exploring the ship. This was a mistake (which I will get to a little later).
Enchanted Garden (Dinner Service)
This was the first main dining room on our dining rotation. When we were seated, I reminded our server (Gilbert) that I had a gluten allergy. He explained that for the first night, I could order off of the menu, but my meal may come without some sauces and accompaniments. At the end of the meal, he would take my order for the next day, so that the chefs would have time to prepare accordingly. He also brought me a basket of gluten-free rolls, which were not bad warm, but got progressively more brick-like as the meal went on.
Cucumber Garden Roll - filled with Julienne of carrots, bell
peppers and zucchini, flavored with cilantro and dressed with white
shoyu and lemon dressing.
My first course was the Cucumber Garden Roll (which is currently not on the Menu at Enchanted Garden). I did not enjoy this one particularly, but I am one of those people to whom cilantro tastes like dish soap, so that may have had something to do with it. The presentation was great - I just forgot to take a picture before I started eating (a bad habit, as you will see)
Spinach and Raspberry Salad - tender spinach tossed with fresh raspberries, toasted pine nuts and crumbled gorgonzola with a raspberry vinaigrette
The second course was the spinach and raspberry salad. I was very hesitant about this one as I had never tried blue cheese, but it was fantastic! The strength of the cheese was offset by the tangy dressing and the sweetness of the raspberries.
Slow-roasted Prime Rib - thyme-roasted vegetables, double-baked potato, horseradish and natural jus
The main course was a delicious (cooked medium-rare) piece of prime rib served with veggies and potatoes. My serving did not come with the jus, but otherwise looked the same as the rest of my table mates. The meat could have been cut with a spoon - it was very tender.
Chef's Gluten-free Dessert of the Day
Gilbert recommended ordering the chef's gluten-free dessert of the day, as there would be something different (and delicious) each day. He did let me know that if there was anything I really wanted, I could order it the night before for the following days meal. That sounded good to me, and I received a flourless chocolate cake with mango and raspberry sauces on the side. It was fantastic - moist and beautifully chocolatey. After dessert, but before we left, I placed my order for the next night - Royal Palace.
With such a delicious meal, I didn't know if I would ever be hungry again (but I was, as you will see momentarily). Our "Dream" vacation was off to a fantastic start!
After supper, we watched the "Golden Mickeys" show at the Walt Disney Theatre - the show was fantastic! Post-show, we put our two year old to bed, and I found myself starting to get a bit hungry. I knew that there weren't any options but fruit and ice cream that I could have on the pool deck, so I called down to room service, and asked what I could have. I was told that the room service menu could not be modified, as there was no chef working at the time. I asked if the crackers were sealed on the cheese tray, but the Cast Member didn't know. I eventually ordered the only thing I was sure was safe - the fruit bowl (which came with two bowls of cantaloupe/honey dew, a seperate bowl of pineapple and a seperate bowl of strawberries). The fruit was fantastic, but I was still craving protein and had to go to bed hungry.
I'm pretty sure had I went to the embarkation dining session, I could have got more information on what I could order from room service. As well, I have seen reports lately of GF pizzas and chicken strips (fried in a dedicated fryer) being available on the pool deck of the Dream and Fantasy, so there should be more options now.
I hope you've enjoyed this first installment of Gluten-free Dining on the Disney Dream. If you have any questions or would like further information on doing Disney gluten-free or on Disney Cruise Line in general, please don't hesitate to contact me at megan@magicalmousegetaways.ca.
Have a magical day!
Megan
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