GFCF Dining at Disney: Part 2

Here we are on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin in Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom. The ride is as cool as it looks. You are in a gondola that you can spin at will, amidst a “shooting gallery” where the goal is to hit as many of The Evil Emperor Zurg’s “Z’s” as you can. I am proud to say I earned the high score of “Space Galactic Hero” and the Prince earned “Star Cadet” status and the Professor, bless him, became woozy from all the spinning, but he earned “Galactic Hero” status in my book for other reasons during our Disney extravaganza. He is Super Dad in my book. It is a rite of passage for parents, but Disney is to be commended too.

First, the GFCF Dining Experience: At the “table restaurants” where we had advance reservations, Disney delivered as promised. We had the best experiences at the family dining buffets at The Crystal Palace (Magic Kingdom), Hollywood and Vine (Hollywood MGM), and The Pepper Market (at our Hotel, Coronado Springs). At each location the chef walked us through the buffet and pointed out what the Prince could eat and made suggestions about what he could whip up on the kitchen on the spot. At the Crystal Palace, the chef made a special GFCF brownie a-la-mode for the Prince for dessert, which tasted quite yummy. The family style buffets are more relaxed, and for over stimulated little ones—ASD especially—afforded a moment of calm for all.

We had less success at the one, non-buffet “gourmet” table restaurant where we had reservations, but that was due to no fault of Disney’s. We had lunch reservations at the Coral Reef (Epcot) and the chef, again, was very attentive. But the service was slow (not their fault, it was insanely busy) and the ambient noise level (which bothers The Prince more than loud noises) was very high. Despite the interesting ambience of the aquarium wall which we had hoped would entertain the Prince during the wait, it was not to be. Headphones and re-direction didn’t work. Meltdowns ensued; we had to leave before finishing our meal. Although this conceivably might have had the best food, it was wasted on us, and not worth the pain it caused the Prince. Next time, we will stick to the “family buffet with chef advice,” and save gourmet meals for romantic mom and dad date-nights at home.

As for the “counter restaurants” we really learned a lesson here. Don’t even go there. We visited during spring break for our area, a very busy time. We had “table” reservations for all our meals except for one day, when we thought we’d “wing it” and eat at the recommended “counter restaurants” where Disney stocks their special diet foods. Well, glad we brought snacks! Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café (Magic Kingdom) was so busy, we didn’t even attempt it. In fact, of the two times we tried, one time they had employees blocking the doors because they were at seating capacity. So I don’t know if they indeed had the fries baked in a dedicated oven or other purported treats. They probably did, it is a really big restaurant and the fact that it was overcrowded probably means it was really good.

We had better luck at Toy Story's Pizza Planet (Hollywood MGM) but only because it was raining, causing the crowd to thin out a bit. It has a rather small seating area, but more than half the space is arcades. The kids can play games amidst the Buzz Lightyear theme while you stand in line to get the food. They did have the GFCF items emailed to me as available, though if it had been busier, we might have had to wait to get them. Still, the Prince had a ball playing air hockey with a new friend and that was more priceless to us than anything.

Food aside, our overall experience was good and had me thinking quite a bit about the rights of our kids during Autism Awareness Month. Our sensory-seeking Prince loved the rides (that we had previously researched as being probably ok for him) but we could not have even attempted this without the Disney Guest Assistance Pass that allows folks with disabilities and their families immediate access to the “fast pass” lanes on rides with that option, or boarding via the disability access areas on rides without the fast pass option. As luck would have it, I was randomly selected for a customer satisfaction poll, exiting one ride. The Professor rolled his eyes, wondering why I would waste our time, but I saw it as a chance to praise Disney for their ASD awareness and to promote our kids’ needs. The Professor later agreed.

The Prince, with his transportation perseverations, adored any ride having to do with trains, cars, or rockets. We rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad over and over and over. Likewise for the Indy Speedtrack and Test Track. The Prince found the monorail and Tomorrowland Transit Authority endlessly fascinating. Beloved Disney characters in costume, or blockbuster theatre shows were of no interest to the Prince. And even with the Guest Pass, just moving through crowds, with the noise, motion, all the senses on high alert, just wore him out.

My advice would be to plan what you want to do, then scale it down by about half. Make lots of advance plans for food needs, get the guest pass, then with those preparations in place, throw all your expectations out the window and let your child dictate the day. It may not be the Magical Dream of Wishes Come True that you imagined or remember from your childhood, but it will be something new and the joy on your child’s face, even if it is the excitement of watching the monorail arrive, or the Lego version of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad that your child created after coming home and his pride in this creation is just as magical as anything Walt could have dreamed up.