Disneyland on a Diet

The Magic Kingdom makes dreams come true for customers with special food needs

Our Disneyland adventure began when my son Alec resisted potty training. We tried everything — including bribery with candy, books, and videos — but he refused to give up his diapers. He was already outgrowing the largest size, and with a new baby in the house, diaper duty was getting out of hand. That’s when Grandma stepped in.

“If you are a big boy, with underpants, I will take you to Disneyland,” she said.

Initially, even that didn’t work. But Grandma persisted, gently reminding Alec with every phone call and at every visit. “You can’t meet Mickey Mouse in diapers,” she said. Finally, at the ripe old age of four years and three months, Alec proudly sported underwear — and no accidents. It was time to ante up.

There was only one problem. Alec has celiac disease, a hypersensitivity to the gluten in wheat, rye, and barley. Diagnosed when he was three, Alec and the rest of the family were still adjusting to the lifestyle changes his gluten-free diet dictated. Paying off Grandma’s bribe presented us with some logistical concerns. What accommodations, if any, would the Magic Kingdom make for a gluten-free little boy?

I checked out several Disneyland guidebooks and read them cover to cover. Though I did find tips and descriptions of rides that proved invaluable — particularly in Birnbaum’s Disneyland Resort: Expert Advice from the Inside Source (Hyperion) — I found nothing on special diets. I cruised Disney’s Web site (www.disney.com) — no diet info there either. So I clicked on “Contact Us” and sent an e-mail asking how to get menus for the food concessions in the park, and whether each stand and restaurant had a list of ingredients. Within 14 hours, I received a response advising me to contact the park chef and giving me his telephone number. I called and got a cheerful voice mail message. Chef Chris called back promptly.

Helpful and friendly, Chef Chris has an encyclopedic knowledge of the park’s menus and products. He talked me through each area of the park, telling me which restaurants were best and which foods were gluten free. He advised me to ask for the manager at each place we ate and to explain what Alec needed. If I requested, they would bring the product labels to me. (Every eatery keeps an updated book that lists the ingredients of items served.) I could tell that he was know ledgeable about the issues of a gluten-free diet, so I didn’t need to fret about cross-contamination. My sense is that he and his staff are well versed on most types of dietary restrictions and are able and willing to accommodate guests to the best of their ability. Chef Chris even gave me his pager number, encouraging me to contact him when we arrived so he could meet us personally.

“This is the best day of the world,” Alec said as we walked through the gates to the Magic Kingdom. The day lived up to his expectations. From Adventureland, where the Bengal Barbecue offers gluten-free chicken skewers, to the Harbour Galley at Critter Country, where the McDonald’s-sponsored booth features French fries and nothing else (so no cross-contamination concerns), to Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port, which stocks rice noodles, my son ate well and never felt left out of any experience. We found Disneyland to be a safe place for those on special diets and, as we’d hoped, it’s a place where such kids can feel extra special. At Redd Rockett’s, for example, Alec’s rice noodles marinara came in the same Mickey-shaped plate that his sister’s did, but the manager hand-delivered his food to our table, while sis had to pull hers off a cafeteria line. We spent one very long day in the park and I didn’t carry any of our own food. (This was a first for our family since Alec was diagnosed, but I wanted to see if it could be done.) That night, as Mickey Mouse pulled up the rear of the fantasy parade, my son began to dance in the streets. He looked just like the kid in the commercial. Part of me wanted to be cynical, thinking of manipulative marketing — but the rest of me was very grateful for this experience and for a rich, full day in the life of someone on his way to becoming a big boy.

Update
“We enjoy accommodating you!” said Chef Chris when I called him to update this article. Helpful as ever, Chris reiterates that people on special diets should always flag a bus person upon entering a food venue and ask to speak to the manager. According to Chris, all the burger joints at Disneyland now have dedicated fryers, so you can now get gluten-free fries and a burger without a bun (he’s working on getting gluten-free buns). Still, check with the manager first, because sometimes a fryer breaks down. The Grand California Hotel, which is part of the Anaheim resort, now stocks gluten-free buns and pancake mix. As for my family, our trip to the Magic Kingdom gave me the courage to try other big public venues. Our Disneyland experience made me come to expect places that market themselves to families to accommodate our needs — and reinforces my indignation when they do not. Doing the legwork and research required for us to participate in many typical family activities has become second nature to me, and it is always rewarding to find out what we can do! — Angela Allyn