Amorette's Patisserie -- Snacks -- Disney Springs
*This visit took place in May 2016.Check out my full Disney Springs Town Center walkthrough & dining review video on YouTube for some video walkthrough of Amorette's Patisserie. 
Amorette's Patisserie is another new business at the recently opened Disney Springs Town Center. As a French bakery, they offer all sorts of decadent and beautifully crafted desserts with an elegant theme.The bakery also has a delightful backstory, which you can find out more about on the Disney Food Blog.I decided to stop by Amorette's Patisserie to see what gluten free options they might have, as a post on the Disney Parks Blog indicated that they would have "gluten friendly" options.
When I arrived at the bakery, it was very crowded, as I stopped by on opening day. It wasn't as crowded as Sprinkles Cupcakes which had nearly hour long lines, but still, it was very busy.The bakery consists of a seating area, several displays with grab and go baked goods, a display kitchen (where you can watch gorgeous pastries being decorated), and a full bakery counter with insanely gorgeous desserts.
While there, I took a chance to look at some of the displays set up with grab and go items.
Amorette's Patisserie does at least have two "gluten friendly" grab and go items -- one of which is the Macaron.
Made with almonds, this is naturally gluten free, but definitely contains a whole lot of dairy. The box of Macarons appeared to be a variety of flavors.
The second grab and go baked good was a Mickey Macaron Financier. It was adorable, and they do say everything is better Mickey shaped!
The back of the box ingredients noted that it was made with Bob's Red Mill all purpose flour, as well as almonds. It also has dairy in it, as well.While I was there, I was able to speak with Chef Noah, who was on hand to answer any questions. I was particularly interested in the baking process, flours used, and cross-contamination issues.Chef Noah was very nice and let me know that they use Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Flour and as he stated, "one to one flour," which I think meant the Bob's 1 to 1 flour. I tried to clarify, but he didn't seem to understand what I meant by that.He noted that they do use clean pans and bowls when making the gluten friendly items but that they are not dedicated equipment, but rather power washed by their dishwasher between uses between gluten free and gluten filled baked goods. When I noted that using dedicated equipment might be a good idea in the future, he also agreed and said he would look into that idea.He also stated that he would recommend guests with Celiac Disease proceed with caution, as they cannot guarantee cross-contamination and that the bakery is not taking extra precautions with regards to that.I was also told that the top level of the building is where their bakery is located and is also the same space in which D-Luxe Burger also bakes their house-made buns (the gluten free ones come pre-packaged from Local Oven, so no worries about cross-contamination there!)
Chef Noah did point out two gluten friendly desserts in the baked goods counter - the Avant-Garde and the Pavlova. I was told, you could ask for fresh versions of these from the back too, if you wanted to avoid any counter cross-contamination.
The Avant-Garde is a gluten friendly chocolate chiffon cake with chocolate crumble and has beautiful decorations, including edible gold leafing.
The Pavlova is meringue topped with edible decorations and filled with a fruit filling. It appeared to have a yellow sponge cake (that I was told was gluten free) on the bottom of the Pavlova.Overall, I cannot recommend Amorette's Patisserie as a truly safe or reliable gluten free option for those visiting Disney Springs, as the location does not have a lot of safety precautions in place, with regards to cross-contamination. If you visit, definitely speak with a chef and use your judgement on whether this might work for you or not.Thankfully, you can always visit Erin McKenna's Bakery NYC for a 100% gluten free & vegan bakery experience; or, if you are gluten free, check out Sprinkles Cupcakes (which has much better cross-contamination procedures in place).What do you think of Amorette's Patisserie?
Beaches & Cream -- Dessert -- Table Service -- Beach Club
*This dining experience took place in October 2015.
Beaches & Cream Soda Shop reminds me a classic 50's soda shop, complete with burgers, fries, fun atmosphere, and, of course, sundaes! This table service location is bright and cheerful and so much fun. Just wait until you see a group of guests order what's known as theKitchen Sink. It's pretty impressive.Located at Disney's Beach Club Resort, you'll find Beaches & Cream Soda Shop tucked away by the resort's pool area. It does now take reservations, which I highly recommend. The restaurant is pretty small, and if you have your heart set on a sundae or a meal, you'll want to get your spot! They do also have a to-go counter (which gets pretty busy) for those on the go!One of my favorite sundaes at Beaches & Cream is the No Way Jose Sundae (which you can read more about in my previous blog posts). Topped with chocolate syrup and a rich peanut butter sauce, there's no way you're saying "no way" to the No Way Jose!
On this visit, I knew I still wanted the No Way Jose Sundae, and the manager came out to go over the options with me. Beaches & Cream is one of the few table service locations in which only a manager comes to talk to you, not a chef. But don't worry, they are great at handling orders safely.For the No Way Jose, I received both vanilla and chocolate Tofutti (they also carry Rice Dream vanilla non-dairy ice cream), Hershey's chocolate syrup, peanut butter sauce, and a cherry on top. Beaches & Cream does have other various safe toppings for you to order depending on what sundae you get.Though I'm often tempted to try other sundaes (like a banana split), I can't help but order the No Way Jose. It's rich and decadent, and just the perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter. It's also a huge portion, so be prepared to be very full when you're done!Though I didn't get lunch, you can find lunch and dinner options at Beaches & Cream Soda Shop. Check out the menus page for more information about their lunch and dinner options.You can also read reviews from Alexis at Gluten Free in Orlando on her blog about Beaches & Cream Soda Shop.Overall, Beaches & Cream continues to be a must stop for me when it comes to non-dairy ice cream sundaes. The gluten free and dairy free version of the No Way Jose sundae continues to be a favorite of mine and something I'll be getting this summer as the Florida weather continues to warm up!Have you been to Beaches & Cream Soda Shop? What did you get when you visited?