*This dining experience took place in March 2016.

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It’s been a long time since I’ve dined at the Wave (almost 3 years!), a table service restaurant at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Not having had the greatest of experiences at the Wave, I often go to other restaurants nearby like Kona Cafe.

After reading Gluten Free in Orlando’s review this past year and talking to Leah from Our Florida Project on my podcast, I decided to give the Wave another chance.

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The Wave is known for their local and sustainable menu, and the current allergy friendly menu that I got definitely reflected a bit of that. There didn’t seem to be a lot of gluten free & dairy free choices, so I asked to speak to a chef to discuss options. And boy, am I glad I did.

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While waiting for the chef, I enjoyed the theming and decor of the Wave. It’s a pretty restaurant, though nothing too fancy. I do like the modern lighting and the “wave” represented in the ceiling & light fixtures.

After a short wait, Chef Laura came out to chat with me, and she couldn’t have been nicer. I told her I wasn’t up for the buffet that morning (The Wave offers a breakfast buffet and a la carte menu), and she asked what I was interested in. I mentioned the sweet potato pancakes, and was so excited when Chef Laura said they could make them gluten free & dairy free!

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I ended up ordering the America Breakfast Entree, with hashbrowns instead of the roasted potatoes (which contains peppers, something I wasn’t keen on eating that morning), and Chef Laura suggested I sub out pancakes for toast.

Done and done.

As you can see, I ended up with a ton of food!

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The American Breakfast entree itself was really nothing special. I ordered scrambled eggs, which were plain and basic. The bacon, thankfully, is Nueske’s bacon, which is my favorite Disney served brand. I hate stringy Disney bacon, which is often found at quick service locations, so I’m always happy when I get good bacon. That being said, the bacon was overcooked for my taste.

The hashbrowns were my least favorite thing I ate, as they were a bit bland and seriously underseasoned. I added some salt and pepper to jazz them up.

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The sweet potato pancakes normally come with pecan butter, but Chef Laura instead gave me Smart Balance vegan margarine (I personally prefer Earth Balance but am at least glad they had one vegan margarine option) and toasted pecans on the side with pure maple syrup.

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As you can see, it was a huge portion!

These were some of the best pancakes I’ve ever had at Disney.

Wow.

I loved the sweet potato flavor with a hint of cinnamon and other fall spices. Using gluten free pancake mixes (in this case, Bob’s Red Mill) can often result in a dry pancake, but these weren’t dry at all thanks to the sweet potato puree.

The restaurant actually roasts their own sweet potatoes in house for the puree, which is a nice touch.

Though I had a ton of food, I literally demolished these pancakes. They were not too sweet and just the right amount of balance of spice. These were a big win for me.

Overall, I really loved the pancakes at the Wave and thought Chef Laura was really attentive and willing to talk through options with me. Though I wasn’t in love with my American Breakfast entree, it wasn’t bad by any means, just nothing special either.

With that in mind, I wouldn’t hesitate to go back for those pancakes and maybe try something else on my next visit!

Have you been to the Wave for breakfast? What did you order?

*This dining experience took place in February 2016.

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Cape May Cafe, located at Disney’s Beach Club Resort, offers both breakfast and dinner buffets. I’ve been a long time fan of their dinner buffet which features crab legs and a variety of other seafood options but have never dined for breakfast. The breakfast is a character meal featuring Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy.

Recently, I had breakfast at Cape May Cafe with Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando. You can read her review of our breakfast on Gluten Free in Orlando.

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One of the things I love about Cape May Cafe is the theme of the restaurant. The restaurant is set to resemble a New England-style beach, and the characters that you meet at breakfast even have the most adorable sea-side attire.

Once seated, we were greeted by Chef Mace, who offered to make us food from the kitchen, instead of taking us through the buffet. Normally, I like to go through the buffet and then pick and choose what I’d like to have prepared from the back, but on this visit both Alexis and I were OK with Chef Mace bringing us a variety of dishes.

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First up were allergy friendly Mickey waffles. Cape May served us ones made from Bob’s Red Mill mix, which I prefer. They were really well cooked and were piping hot when Chef Mace brought them out to us. I had plain maple syrup with mine, though I admit, I would love to have a more gluten free & dairy free friendly choice of toppings. The regular buffet served up chocolate chips, whipped cream, and even a bananas foster sauce.

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For more savory options, Chef Mace brought me a veggie omelet made with goat cheese. I’ve learned that I have no problems tolerating goat and sheep milk cheeses, so I was pretty stoked for goat cheese in my omelet.

The omelet was delicious and the goat cheese was quite mild with no overly strong flavor. Chef Mace suggested an omelet for me, as all of the frittatas contain cream.

In addition, he also brought out a variety of breakfast meats. I discovered later that they also had ham (my favorite breakfast meat) but my plate only contained sausage and bacon. It also had some of the best breakfast potatoes.

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I liked the breakfast potatoes so much that I asked for seconds, with a bit of bacon. Chef Mace also brought Alexis and I donuts from Erin McKenna’s Bakery NYC to enjoy. One was a cinnamon sugar donut and the other was glazed with chocolate (which I preferred). They also carried Udi’s Gluten Free products, as well, but we chose not to get any of those.

After our meal, we did go through the buffet just to see some of the option, and we both regretted not going up, as we were brought a fairly limited selection. There were tons of salads, fresh fruit, and sides (like grilled asparagus – my favorite!) that we would have liked to have tried.

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Of course, Cape May Cafe is a character meal, and while I’m not a huge fan of character dining experiences, I did get a few pictures with the characters. Check out me & Minnie. Isn’t her sea-side outfit adorable?!

Overall, I really enjoyed Cape May Cafe for breakfast. As character meals go, I thought the character interaction was quite good, and the price was on the “lower” end of character dining at $29.99. I would definitely go back for breakfast again, as I enjoyed all the food and the variety they had. Next time though, I will definitely go through the buffet, as normal and then request specific items from the back, as there were some unique dishes that I wish I had tried.

Have you been to Cape May Cafe? What did you think of the character dining?

*This dining experience took place in February 2016.

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Trail’s End, located at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, offers frontier fixin’s at a bargain price. I’ve long wanted to try Trail’s End’s breakfast buffet, especially after dining there for lunch and enjoying the offerings they had during lunchtime.

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Navigating Ft. Wilderness can be a little tricky, depending on how you travel to get there. You can easily to Ft. Wilderness by bus or by boat. If you drive, which I did on this occasion, you will park in the main parking which is quite a distance from Trail’s End.

You can choose to take a nice stroll (I’d say about 3/4 to 1 mile in distance) or take the resort’s internal bus system. With so much ground to cover, you can see why so many who stay at Ft. Wilderness rent or bring golf carts with them!

I was joined by my brother on this visit, and we chose to take a leisurely stroll to breakfast. You know, gotta burn off those Mickey waffle calories! 

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One of the things I love most about Ft. Wilderness and Trail’s End is that it reminds me of summer camp. It’s rustic and charming and everything you’d expect from a resort named Ft. Wilderness.

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The interior of Trail’s End is rustic and is very reminiscent of the dining halls I experienced when I was a camp counselor back in college. I love all the fun touches. Check out all the Davy Crockett stuff on this wall!

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After being seated, our server brought over drinks.

I absolutely love that they serve all their beverages in Mason jars.

How cute are they?!

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Once we got our drinks, the chef took me around the buffet and showed me what was safe. Due to the crowds, I didn’t feel comfortable getting my food from the buffet, and the chef said he would bring me whatever I wanted from the back.

My plates included a variety of options, including the house-made hash, which was really good, and breakfast meats. Sadly, they didn’t have anything of that decadent candied bacon they had when I visited for lunch back in 2013.

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I also got a custom omelet which was chock full of veggies including spinach, onions, zucchini, and squash. It was really good but maybe just a tad underseasoned (easily remedied at my table with salt and pepper).

I liked the hashbrowns, but didn’t find them to be anything particularly special.

The allergy Mickey waffles were made from Namaste mix. The flavor was good but I found them to be a bit undercooked. The chef did tell me they could also make me allergy Mickey waffles using Bob’s Red Mill (which I prefer) but that he didn’t have the batter mixed at the time.

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In addition to all the other fixin’s, the chef also brought me out several kinds of breakfast pastries including Udi’s Gluten Free muffins, Kinnikinnick donuts, and an Udi’s Gluten Free bagel. He also brought me Smart Balance which is both gluten free and vegan.

As you can tell, I had plenty of food to eat throughout this meal. With a price of $17.99, this was a total bargain buffet for Disney — and definitely a solid breakfast choice. I wouldn’t say it was my favorite place to have breakfast, but I was pleased with what I ordered and left very full. Good thing we had a bit of a walk on the way back to the car to burn off some of the buffet fuel!

To read a gluten free only review, you can check out the options that Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando got when she visited.

Have you been to Trail’s End for breakfast? What did you think of the options and value for this breakfast buffet?

*This dining experience took place in February 2016.

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Trail’s End, located at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, offers frontier fixin’s at a bargain price. I’ve long wanted to try Trail’s End’s breakfast buffet, especially after dining there for lunch and enjoying the offerings they had during lunchtime.

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Navigating Ft. Wilderness can be a little tricky, depending on how you travel to get there. You can easily to Ft. Wilderness by bus or by boat. If you drive, which I did on this occasion, you will park in the main parking which is quite a distance from Trail’s End.

You can choose to take a nice stroll (I’d say about 3/4 to 1 mile in distance) or take the resort’s internal bus system. With so much ground to cover, you can see why so many who stay at Ft. Wilderness rent or bring golf carts with them!

I was joined by my brother on this visit, and we chose to take a leisurely stroll to breakfast. You know, gotta burn off those Mickey waffle calories! 

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One of the things I love most about Ft. Wilderness and Trail’s End is that it reminds me of summer camp. It’s rustic and charming and everything you’d expect from a resort named Ft. Wilderness.

Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

The interior of Trail’s End is rustic and is very reminiscent of the dining halls I experienced when I was a camp counselor back in college. I love all the fun touches. Check out all the Davy Crockett stuff on this wall!

Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

After being seated, our server brought over drinks.

I absolutely love that they serve all their beverages in Mason jars.

How cute are they?!

Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Once we got our drinks, the chef took me around the buffet and showed me what was safe. Due to the crowds, I didn’t feel comfortable getting my food from the buffet, and the chef said he would bring me whatever I wanted from the back.

My plates included a variety of options, including the house-made hash, which was really good, and breakfast meats. Sadly, they didn’t have anything of that decadent candied bacon they had when I visited for lunch back in 2013.

Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

I also got a custom omelet which was chock full of veggies including spinach, onions, zucchini, and squash. It was really good but maybe just a tad underseasoned (easily remedied at my table with salt and pepper).

I liked the hashbrowns, but didn’t find them to be anything particularly special.

The allergy Mickey waffles were made from Namaste mix. The flavor was good but I found them to be a bit undercooked. The chef did tell me they could also make me allergy Mickey waffles using Bob’s Red Mill (which I prefer) but that he didn’t have the batter mixed at the time.

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In addition to all the other fixin’s, the chef also brought me out several kinds of breakfast pastries including Udi’s Gluten Free muffins, Kinnikinnick donuts, and an Udi’s Gluten Free bagel. He also brought me Smart Balance which is both gluten free and vegan.

As you can tell, I had plenty of food to eat throughout this meal. With a price of $17.99, this was a total bargain buffet for Disney — and definitely a solid breakfast choice. I wouldn’t say it was my favorite place to have breakfast, but I was pleased with what I ordered and left very full. Good thing we had a bit of a walk on the way back to the car to burn off some of the buffet fuel!

To read a gluten free only review, you can check out the options that Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando got when she visited.

Have you been to Trail’s End for breakfast? What did you think of the options and value for this breakfast buffet?

*This dining experience took place in February 2016.

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Fulton’s Crab House, located at Disney Springs, has been a restaurant I’ve been wanting to dine at for many years. With an extensive seafood menu and set on a replica of the riverboat that Walt Disney purchased for his wife Lillian, Fulton’s is the place to dine if you’re looking for delicious food and a great view of Disney Springs.

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Having never dined at Fulton’s Crab House before, I wasn’t sure what kind of offerings would be available to guests with special dietary needs, or how the restaurant addressed food allergies and cross-contamination. However, any concerns I had were quickly alleviated thanks to talking to Executive Chef of Levy Restaurants, Steven Richard.

The Levy Restaurants at Disney Springs include Wolfgang Puck Cafe, Portobello, and Fulton’s Crab House — and all take special dietary needs very seriously. Chef Steven advised me that when dining at a Levy Restaurant chefs come out to the table to speak to guests, just like they do at Disney owned & operated restaurants. With this in mind, I was very much looking forward to dining at Fulton’s Crab House and seeing what options were available as a gluten free and dairy free diner.

Fulton’s Crab House serves both lunch and dinner (and most recently added brunch), but we ended up choosing to dine in the evening for dinner.

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As we walked over the gangplank and entered the restaurant, Brandon and I knew we were in for a treat.

The restaurant itself is expansive, with multiple decks, bars, and outdoor eating areas. Throughout Fulton’s, you’ll notice a decidedly (and appropriate) nautical theme, including lots of sea-faring history. Ever the history buffs, we could have easily wandered the restaurant areas for hours exploring, which we did a bit after our dinner.

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After being seated in the Constellation Room, our server Dani asked us if we had any special dietary needs. She let us know that Executive Chef Mark Boor would come out to discuss food options with us, which was great. It was so nice to know that Fulton’s Crab House takes special dietary needs very seriously and has a lot of protocols in place when handling food allergy meals.

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While waiting for Chef Mark, we ordered drinks – gin and tonics, which fit well for the classic theming of the restaurant.

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When Chef Mark arrived, he went over the various options that would be available both gluten and dairy free. Thankfully, there were plenty of options for me – from seafood to steak, and even gluten free pasta.

Because Fulton’s Crab House is known for their seafood, I had to order some of their seafood dishes. Chef Mark recommended I order the crab ceviche for my appetizer, and what a great recommendation this was. Of course, I couldn’t go to Fulton’s Crab House without ordering crab!

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Made with blue crab, avocado, peppers, sweet onion, lime, and topped on a salsa verde, this was a perfect light, yet flavorful appetizer. The sweet blue crab paired really well with the accompaniments, and I really enjoyed the salsa verde on the bottom of the ceviche. It brought a nice twist to ceviche.

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Brandon is sadly allergic to fish and shellfish, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t have dishes to enjoy while at Fulton’s. For his appetizer, he ordered the beef tenderloin skewers – made from filet mignon (how can you go wrong with that?) and a romesco sauce. The Romesco sauce is not gluten free (as it contains bread), but the beef skewers be ordered gluten free and dairy free without the sauce.

Brandon said this was a delicious appetizer option, and he really enjoyed the pickled onions on top of the skewers.

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I was unable to have bread as a starter, but Chef Mark offered to bring me a house salad. Made with mixed greens, tomato, cucumber, hearts of palm, and sherry vinaigrette, this was the perfect light starter course.

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For my entree, Chef Mark recommended that I try the Florida Grouper with house made guacamole, artichoke, spinach, and cherry tomato sautee.

Unfortunately, the grouper was not up to Chef Mark’s standards and was replaced by a red fish (which was quite delicious), and I appreciated that the restaurant chose to replace any sub-par seafood with a more quality product. That’s a huge testament to a good seafood restaurant.

I enjoyed this dish a lot; the seasonings (just simple salt and pepper) were just right, and the fish was cooked perfectly. Even better, they made sure to prepare my fish in a saute pan to avoid any potential cross contamination on the grill.

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Brandon ordered the filet mignon, which also came with mashed potatoes. This dish was gluten free and was also fish and shellfish free. If you do have a fish and/or shellfish allergy, the restaurant will also prepare your food in a saute pan and not on the grill to avoid cross contamination issues, as they do prepare some seafood on the grill.

Brandon said this was hands down the best steak he’s hand on Disney property. That’s a pretty big statement from someone who’s enjoyed great steaks at Le Cellier, Jiko, and Artist Point.

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For dessert, Chef Mark had a few options for gluten free diners. The first was a mango sorbet, which was also dairy free. The second was a flourless chocolate cake topped with mascarpone cheese.

The sorbet was very tasty and a great palate cleanser after a big heavy meal.

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The flourless chocolate cake on the other hand was a decadent and rich end to what we both considered an already excellent meal. Because I’ve been introducing a bit of dairy into my diet, I did try a few bites of the cake.

Wow.

If you like chocolate, this is a dessert for you.

The cake itself was beyond rich and the raspberry coulis that accompanied it was equally delicious. This may well be the best flourless chocolate cake I’ve had in years and was the perfect ending to this meal.

Overall, we were both blown away by the food and service at Fulton’s Crab House. The level of care in which the restaurant took to ensure safe and delicious food for both of us was also pretty amazing. Both Brandon & I wouldn’t hesitate to go back again, and we thank the Fulton’s Crab House team for taking such great care of us during our dinner.

Fulton’s Crab House is slated for a lengthy refurbishment starting in April 2015, so if you’re hoping to visit the restaurant, I would recommend dining there before they close temporarily.

I was hosted at this dinner as a guest of Fulton’s Crab House. I was not required to write this post and all opinions are my own.

*This dining experience took place in January 2016.

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Disney’s newest restaurant, the Skipper Canteen, recently opened in December 2015 in Adventureland. Themed after the world famous Jungle Cruise, the restaurant is somewhat of an extension to the Jungle Cruise attraction. That means lots of witty (or not so witty, depending on your sense of humor) banter and hijinks. The decor and food are all reminiscent of the attraction, and it’s fair to say, you’ll feel like you stepped in the 1930s when you dine here.

Currently, the Skipper Canteen is only taking walk up reservations. This means that you cannot book online or via the My Disney Experience App to make ADRs. However, that being said, so far the restaurant seems to have fairly reasonable wait times if you’re interested in dining there.

On this particular occasion, my boyfriend, Brandon, and I decided on a whim to dine here. We walked up around 8:30 p.m. and were told there would be up to a 30 minute wait (though the wait time was actually about 15 minutes). The restaurant currently closes fairly early at 9:30 p.m. and wasn’t too busy when we go there.

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There are three dining areas in the Skipper Canteen. The main area is themed like a Mess Hall. You can imagine the Jungle Cruise skippers dining here in between their 2 week journeys into the Jungle.

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The second area is the Falls Family Parlour and is where the Falls Family would often have meals and relax. You’ll recognize the name of the Falls Family because of the famous African explorer Dr. Albert Falls from the Jungle Cruise.

The decor in this room was amazing, with so many details. The chandeliers were made up of stained glass parrots. How cool is that?!

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We dined in the third area which was known as the S.E.A. Room. As we learned from Skipper Bri (who assisted us with our meal, and was amazing — more on her later!), Dr. Falls was a member of the Society of Adventurers and Explorers, and this is is the secret room in which he host fellow members. If you were a fan of the Adventurer’s Club, this will all feel very familiar to you.

To find out more about the rooms, decor, and theming, check out the Disney Food Blog’s first look at the Skipper Canteen for more photos and detailed review.

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Like most restaurants at Disney now, the Skipper Canteen carries an allergy friendly menu. And, it’s huge! You can see a side-by-side photo of me with both the regular and allergy friendly menus. Talk about lots of choices!

The food here is inspired by the jungles of the world. You’ll notice a wide variety of flavors that include Middle Eastern, Asian, and South American.

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The restaurant offers complimentary bread service, and Skipper Bri let me know that the restaurant did carry Ener-G brand rolls with the Skipper Canteen’s signature fenugreek-infused honey. I was bummed they didn’t have the GNI Brand rolls, as the honey was delicious.

Even Skipper Bri knew the rolls weren’t amazing…”They aren’t Udi’s, that’s for sure.” You got that right, Skipper Bri!

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Ginger’s “Croc” of Hot-and-Sour Soup is both gluten free and dairy free. If you like hot and sour soup, this is a great option for an appetizer. Though, be warned, it’s a bit spicy. Yes, watch out because Ginger’s “croc” of soup does snap!

Brandon ordered this and was not a fan.

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I’ve been reintroducing a bit of dairy (in the form of cheese) into my diet this past year, and I decided to try the arepas. They are an amazing gluten free appetizer (it does contain dairy with the cheese), and is a big enough portion that it could serve well as a small entree. The shredded beef was well seasoned, as were the beans. The arepas had a nice flavor, as did the tostones – though the plantains were a bit soggy.

Arepas are normally prepared with the toppings on them; however, this was a deconstructed version. I suppose, if anything, it gives you the flexibility to customize your dish.

Hands down, this was the favorite dish of the night. 

For another review of the arepas and the Skipper Canteen, check out Gluten Free in Orlando’s review.

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While waiting for our entrees, we did take a bit to look at the S.E.A. Room theming. The Skipper Canteen is impressively themed, and you could literally be here for hours exploring all the little details.

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From photos to hidden compartments, you are sure to find something new every time you visit.

Don’t forget to ask your Skipper about any questions you have.

Skipper Bri gave us loads of information about the history of the Skipper Canteen and the Falls Family.

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For our entrees, we both ordered items that were marked gluten free and dairy free. I opted for the Trader Sam’s Head On Shrimp, which came with white rice, seasoned Chinese broccoli and four very large shrimp.

The shrimp were very good, well cooked and seasoned. I liked the sweet chili sauce that accompanied them. The white rice was nothing special, but I loved the Chinese broccoli. With a nice soy sauce glaze, the broccoli was easily something I could eat a ton of. I also absolutely love that the Skipper Canteen uses gluten free soy sauce for all dishes. That means there are so many choices normally not available.

Of course, ever the bargain hunter, Trader Sam tried to make us a deal for those four head on shrimp. Oh that Trader Sam, always trying to get a “head” of the trading market!

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Brandon ordered the grilled lamp chops seasoned with a North African berber spice blend served with green lentil stew. He thought the lamb was well cooked and flavorful but wasn’t too keen on the lentil stew.

After seeing the table next to us order Skip’s Mac & Cheese, Brandon decided it was a must order on his next visit (sadly, not gluten free!).

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After our meal, Skipper Bri gave us a bit of a tour throughout the S.E.A. Room. One amazing touch were the bookshelves that you walked through to get into the S.E.A. Room itself. As a librarian by day, this made me super excited. Skipper Bri even pointed out her favorite book.

If this feature wasn’t amazing enough, we learned after listening to WDW Radio’s Skipper Canteen Live Review that there’s a hidden compartment in the bookshelves. And now, we need to make a field trip back to the Skipper Canteen to find it…and for the food, of course, too!

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Skipper Bri even took a selfie with us. Though since she’s from the 1930s, she wasn’t quite sure what a selfie was.

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The Skipper Canteen has so many amazing hidden (and not so hidden) touches, with unique food offerings — making it a welcome addition to the Magic Kingdom. We very much enjoyed our meal here, and I’d like to try some of the other many options available.

And, of course, we can’t wait to go back just for the atmosphere and theming.

If you dine at Skipper Canteen, do ask for Skipper Bri. She was a real hoot and made our meal extra magical!

Would you like to go to the Skipper Canteen? What dishes are you interested in trying there? Let us know in the comments section below!