A Parent’s Guide to Gluten-Free Eating at Universal Orlando Resort

My daughter has Celiac Disease — along with 2 million others in the United States and about 1% of people around the world. People with Celiac must eat a strict gluten-free diet. Question is, how can I explore one of my favorite places in the world (Universal Orlando Resort, of course) with one of my favorite people in the world?

Pretty easily, actually.

我采访了营养学家泰勒·布兰肯希普(Tyler Blankenship)，了解奥兰多环球酒店是如何为腹腔或严格无麸质饮食的客人提供住宿的。(继续阅读。因为之后，我要分享一些我们在度假村最喜欢的无麸质食物。)

ROB:Tyler, how are chefs, managers, and wait staff trained to accommodate guests with Celiac or a gluten allergy?

TYLER:Our Allergy Trained Team Members go through an ANSI accredited class with a five-year certification. This class involves discussions around what allergies/intolerances and Celiac Disease are, as well as discuss the differences. We also go into detail on what the responsibility and expectations are for the Front of House and Back of House Team Members when they encounter a Guest asking about dietary accommodations. Topics include how to prepare the food in a safe manner, how to discuss the accommodations appropriately, the importance of a clean workspace and what to do in an emergency situation should one arise. There is also ongoing training that I provide to our allergy-trained Team Members.

ROB:What measures are taken to prevent cross contact?

TYLER:Cross contact is very important to us and we pride ourselves on being able to ensure a safe meal for our guests. We will change our utensils, wash our hands, and put on a new pair of gloves. Additionally, we will provide a barrier from other meals when delivering the food. This could be in the form of a manager bringing the food on a separate tray or safely covering the dish during delivery.

ROB:有什么措施可以保证对乳糜泻或麸质过敏的客人的安全?

TYLER:We regularly audit our allergy information and foodservice environments to ensure that we are providing a safe experience for the guests. This includes doing spot checks of our warehouse, restaurant venues and production kitchen to verify appropriate production methods.

ROB:What advice do you have for a Guest with Celiac or a gluten allergy who is anxious about visiting?

TYLER:Make sure to reach out toFood.Allergy@universalorlando.com为您的安全访问提供最新的个性化回复。我们将在我们的快速服务地点为他们提供一份不含麸质的选择清单。我们目前没有提供所有经过修改的无麸质菜肴的列表，但我们很乐意讨论您希望对特定菜肴进行的任何调整。对于餐桌服务地点，我们要求您在点菜前与厨师交谈。这样做可以确保你在用餐时有最多的选择。他们能够调整菜单上几乎所有的食物，使其不含麸质，这是我们引以为傲的。我们的团队可以访问我们的配料数据库，除了在他们的场所查看标签之外，他们可以研究任何东西，他们也可以向我的团队寻求进一步的信息。对于特殊事件，我们在大多数菜单中加入了无麸质图标，显示菜单项是无麸质的，无需修改。我们认为这对展示我们的安全食品很重要，同时也节省了您在我们公园的时间。我们每天接待大量过敏的客人，我们接受过过敏训练的团队成员对无麸质食品并不陌生。

I want to thank Tyler for taking the time to speak to me and for sharing this information. My wife and I have had wonderful experiences navigating Universal Orlando Resort while keeping our daughter safe.

And with that, I now present:

The Unofficial Official List of Some of The Awesome Gluten-Free Eats at Universal Orlando Resort According To My 9-year-old Daughter

EDITOR’S NOTE:All recommendations listed are based on the gluten-free offering of that specific menu item, please ensure you specify your dietary restrictions when speaking with an Allergy Trained Team Member.

Universal Studios Florida

• Mel’s Drive-In– “Really awesome burgers and fries! Plus, you can see all the cool cars outside.” (Be sure to request a gluten-free bun.)
• Universal Studios’ Classic Monsters Cafe– “The pulled pork and BBQ sauce are gluten-free and really good! You can get a gluten-free bun if you want for the pulled pork.”
• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley-“所有的黄油啤酒都不含麸质!”热的、普通的、冷冻的!即使是黄油啤酒冰淇淋也不含麸质，但你必须要用塑料杯而不是蛋筒来装。哦，还有Leaky Cauldron. I’m a big fan of the chicken sandwich (with the gluten-free bun, of course!) and, guess what, the fries are made in a dedicated fryer so you can eat them!”
• TODAY Cafe-“我推荐牛油果吐司。他们可以在无麸质吐司上做，很美味。另外，当外面天气变冷的时候，这里的热巧克力很美味!”

Universal’s Islands of Adventure

• The Burger Digs– “I’ve had the cheeseburger on a gluten-free bun and also fries! The chocolate milkshake was especially delicious.”
• Thunder Falls Terrace– “The ribs and BBQ are incredible. Lots of flavor!”
• Green Eggs and Ham Cafe– “This is one of my favorite places to eat at Islands of Adventure. I absolutely love the pizza tots!”
• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade– “The Three Broomsticksis great! You can even eat breakfast there and they have gluten-free pancakes!” (Be sure to specifically order the gluten-free pancakes.)
• Mythos Retsuarant– “This place was incredible! The chef came out to our table and talked to us and told me he would keep me safe. I got to try Pad Thai for the first time and it was wonderful!”

Universal’s Volcano Bay

• The Feasting Frog– “The tacos are really good! Just remember to order them on a corn tortilla. But they have a lot of flavor and are really tasty.”
• Kohola Reef Restaurant & Social Club– “I recommend the coconut curry chicken. Coconut. Chicken. It’s awesome.”
• Whakawaiwai Eats– “Try the Island Chicken Salad. Get this, it’s chicken with apples, almonds, and grapes with dressing that tastes like coconut.”

Universal CityWalk

• Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville– “They have a huge gluten-free menu! Lots of choices. I like the nachos and the brownie sundae the best.”
• VIVO Italian Kitchen– “The pizza was really great. Next time, I’ll try the pasta.” (Be sure to request the gluten-free crust and pasta.)

Please keep in mind that this is, by no means, an exhaustive list of gluten-free options. Chances are, whichever restaurant you visit at Universal Orlando Resort, you’ll find plenty of safe options, as well as Team Members who are more than willing to accommodate. Also, keep in mind that gluten-free breads, buns, and pasta are often available at locations that serve the regular gluten-containing products.

If you have Celiac or a gluten allergy, I’d love to know about some ofyourfavorite places to eat and favorite dishes at Universal Orlando Resort. Share your top picks in the comments below!

NOTE: The information in this blog is accurate at time of posting and menu options may change without notice. Always be sure to notify a Team Member about your dietary needs and they will do their best to accommodate you safely.