Gluten Free Dining in Orlando, Florida

Recently we took our boys to Orlando to celebrate the end of 6^th grade (wow, my twins already 12 years old … where did the time go?). Since we visited the Disney and Universal theme parks last year, we avoided them this time around (except for dining!), providing a nice opportunity to explore more of what Orlando has to offer for kids outside of the parks. We stayed at a lovely resort along International Drive which was a convenient location. Our room came with a full kitchen, great for whipping up a hearty breakfast before heading out the door for the day, as well as some evening meals, without the fear of cross-contamination. Despite several cloudy days with ominous afternoon skies which let loose torrential down pours, we enjoyed our family time together and luckily I managed to dodge the “glutenening” bullet during my entire stay!

Several CeliacCorner FB followers inquired about my gluten-free dining experiences outside of the parks, so hopefully this post will help with planning. As mentioned, we dined in most nights, but when I didn’t want to look at another frying pan (it was after all my “vacation” too!), we would venture out for a meal.  Because both are lively areas, we hit a few spots along (Universal’s) City Walk and (Disney’s) Downtown Disney.

Click here to see their Gfree Menu

We dined at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company located near the entrance of Universal’s City Walk area (near, but not in, the theme park)

This was my first experience dining at Bubba Gump. The server was very knowledgeable about their gluten-free options and I enjoyed a shrimp & vegetable skewer over rice.

The joy of a GF cupcake!

A visit to (Walt Disney World’s) Downtown Disney area wouldn’t be complete without a stop at Babycakes Bakery where I ordered two gluten-free cupcakes … and gobbled them up one right after the other (I hadn’t had a gfree cupcake in a while!).

Orlando, especially on or near International Drive, offers loads of family-friendly chain restaurants with gluten-free menus: Olive Garden, Chipotle, Five Guys, Burger 21, Chicago Uno, Bonefish Grill, to name just a few. Before departing for Orlando, I reached out to Alexis of Gluten free in Orlando for some gfree restaurant recommendations outside of the parks.  Burger 21 (near Millenia Mall) was mentioned as a “favorite” hamburger place; Brio, Roy’s (with “amazing chocolate soufflé”) and Season’s 52 on Sandlake Road were also mentioned (thanks GFO!). I also used my FindMeGlutenFree App and discovered Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse located on International Dr., also offered gluten-free options, but we never made it there. If you like meat, you will likely love this place.

We spent one day at Typhoon Lagoon (near Disney theme park). After stopping at several food kiosks and not quite getting the response I wanted, I was finally directed to the Leaning Palms quick service food area. This seems to be the only place one can order allergen-free food, that I was aware of.  Tip: If you arrive and find a very long line, alert the person directing customer traffic that you require allergen food. You will be put into a different line and the chef will be summoned. The chef will personally take down your order and bring it to the kitchen. When you make your way to the pick-up window, ask for a manager (they wear red shirts), who will bring the order out to you. I enjoyed a Caesar salad topped with grilled chicken and the fries were gluten-free.

At the Orlando airport food court I had my first experience with the chain Chick-fil-A. I ordered a salad topped with grilled chicken, and the fries were also gluten-free.

[I have to give a shout out to Boston Logan airport. They may not have an UDI’s cafe (like at Denver International), but you can find many gluten-free snacks in the bookstore/snack area. Also just before you enter the JetBlue departure area, look for a kiosk called “GoGo Stop”, where you can find several organic snacks and a few gluten-free items .. I grabbed a Gilbert’s Gourmet Cookie (certified GF) just before heading onto the plane. Logan also has a Boston Legal Seafood’s café which may offer gluten-free items (I can’t confirm this). Jet Blue offers great snacks, a few of which are gluten-free … Terre Chips, Pop Chips]

If you are interested in dining within Disney theme park, check out our friend Sarah’s blog Gluten Free/ Dairy Free WDW another great resource.  Read Sarah’s tips for dining at the resort, a guest post she did for CeliacCorner.

Here are just a few of the fun activities our kids enjoyed while in Orlando:

Wonderworks (the upside down bldg.)

Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum

Wonderworks Museum

IFLY Indoor Skydiving (our boys loved this the most!)

Typhoon Lagoon Water Park ( Disney)

FunSpot (great if you have just a few hours .. park is manageable, short lines .. 2 level go-carts, a few amusement rides)

Daytona Beach Boardwalk (about an hour from International Drive .. there is a Bubba Gump restaurant near the boardwalk)

Do you have a favorite Orlando gluten-free restaurant (outside of the Theme Parks) where you dine? Please share below to help others visiting the area!