Our Favorite Gluten Free Restaurants at Disneyland

Our Favorite Gluten Free Restaurants at Disneyland – Planning a Disney trip? Here’s where to eat, what to order, the best kids’ options at each place!

When we plan our Disneyland trips, I’m always looking for reviews of the restaurants before deciding where to eat. I’m specifically looking for gluten-free Disneyland restaurant reviews, but I also love hearing what people thought of their experiences. Were the staff knowledgeable about how to accommodate dietary restrictions? Was the food GOOD!? How was the kids’ menu?

In an effort to make gluten-free Disney travel easier for other families, I thought I’d start collecting our gluten-free Disneyland restaurant reviews here so they’re easy to find in one place. I’ll keep adding to them as we try more restaurants, but here are some of our favorites to get started…

(Psst! Gluten-Free Disneyland newbie? Get our best tips for eating gluten-free at Disneyland & California Adventure here.) 

Now, for our favorite gluten-free Disneyland restaurants…

FRENCH MARKET (DISNEYLAND)

The French Market Restaurant is probably my favorite gluten-free restaurant in Disneyland right now. I love the menu, the location, the quick service, and the reasonable prices. Plus, they’ve got a good kids’ menu (especially for gluten-free!), so I always feel like we get a good, solid meal in between all our favorite Disneyland sweets & treats.

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE FEATURES:

• IT’S QUICK SERVICE WITH A TABLE SERVICE FEEL. The prices are really reasonable because it’s a quick-service/fast casual restaurant, but your meal is a big step up from a pre-made sandwich or hot dog. You’re looking at hearty options that’ll taste amazing and stick with you, plus some beautiful table seating to enjoy.
• IT’S GOT SHADED/COVERED SEATING. You enter French Market into a cafeteria-type room where you can order your meal and pay. After walking through and paying, you exit and eat outside on a covered, shaded patio. This is a HUGE win on a sunny day. I love that you can get a break from the heat and sun, and it feels like a nice, secluded area to rest your feet, re-apply sunscreen, and plan out the rest of your day. (Plus, it’s ok if your kids get down to walk around!)
• IT’S IN A GREAT LOCATION. French Market is a very short walk from the New Orleans Disneyland train stop, and it’s close to Haunted Mansion, the riverboat, and Pirates of the Caribbean. You’ve got a great view and often even some live music to enjoy while you eat!

WHAT WE LIKE TO ORDER:

• FOR GROWN-UPS: THE JAMBALAYA – While it may not be plated like the prettiest dish in the world, this gluten-free jambalaya tastes AMAZING. I love the big flavors, and it feels like a really hearty meal (which makes it easier to enjoy some sweet treats and snacks later!)
• FOR KIDS: THE CHICKEN & RICE. The kids’ chicken and rice meal comes with sliced chicken (simply seasoned–nothing spicy or too herby), white rice, a GoGoSqeez applesauce pouch, and a piece of fresh fruit. (We’ve gotten bananas or cuties at our visits)

PRO TIPS: 

• ASK FOR AN ALLERGY MENU. Right when you walk in, be sure to ask the host/hostess for an allergy menu. It’ll specify what items on the menu are suitable for your needs.
• GET A JULEP TO GO WITH IT! French Market is located right next door to the Mint Julep Bar. While you’re in line at French Market (or waiting for your food), use the free Disneyland app to mobile order a Mint Julep from the Mint Julep Bar. In just a few minutes, your julep will be ready right when your food is ready from French Market!
• CONDIMENTS + NAPKINS ARE OUTSIDE. If you need salt & pepper, or some ketchup for your meal, all the condiments and napkins can be found right outside in the covered patio area.

(The Mint Julep is in our list of the BEST Gluten-Free Snacks & Treats at Disneyland–see more of our picks HERE) 

RIVER BELLE TERRACE (DISNEYLAND)

We ate at River Belle Terrace for our first time on our most recent visit. It’s got a cute setting and a fantastic view if you eat outside. The prices were moderate for a table service restaurant and we had fantastic service.

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE FEATURES:

• IT’S GOT A BEAUTIFUL VIEW. You can eat indoors or outdoors (if you get an early seating, you get your pick!) and the outdoor seating has a gorgeous view of the water and the walkway below for some great people watching. (You can watch the riverboat or pirate ship, depending on what’s running). Most of the outdoor seating was shaded when we ate there in the fall.
• THE PORTIONS ARE GENEROUS FOR THE PRICES. ot a great view and often even some live music to enjoy while you eat!

WHAT WE LIKE TO ORDER:

• IF YOU WANT AN APPETIZER: THE GRILLED AND CHILLED BBQ SHRIMP COCKTAIL. We’re usually not an appetizer family, but when we saw the BBQ shrimp cocktail, we knew we wanted to try it. I liked the presentation (it came with about 4 jumbo shrimp on a bed of corn salad) and really thought the corn salad and BBQ cocktail sauce really brought things together.
• FOR GROWN-UPS: THE RIBS. We ordered the Pulled Pork sandwich with slaw and the ribs to share, and the ribs were very much the favorite. (The sandwich ran a bit dry on the gluten-free bun and I found myself wishing there was a bit more sauce on the pork.) The ribs were well seasoned and very tender. The serving portions for the ribs were generous, and you have your choice of side dishes. The beans are gluten and dairy-free (they’re a bit on the sweet side for me). The mashed potatoes are gluten-free, but not dairy-free.
• FOR KIDS: THE CHICKEN OR FISH OF THE DAY. The catch of the day was halibut when we ate there, and Sophie LOVED it. Milo ordered the chicken and thought it was delicious. Each child’s meal came with two large, cooked baby carrots and a VERY VERY generous serving of purple grapes. There were enough grapes for all of us to eat our fill and have leftovers!

PRO TIPS: 

• MAKE A RESERVATION AHEAD OF TIME. River Belle is often seated to capacity, and they end up needing to turn away anyone without a reservation. Reservations can be made 60 days in advance online or on the Disneyland app!
• ASK FOR AN ALLERGY MENU. After being seated, don’t forget to ask for an allergy-friendly menu that will detail allergy-safe options. Our server was VERY knowledgeable and helpful, but you can also ask to speak with a chef if you have extra questions.

REFRESHMENT CORNER (DISNEYLAND)

For something quick, easy, and inexpensive, it’s tough to beat the Refreshment Corner on Main Street. It’s right by the piano player and has a fantastic view of the parades. I especially love how mobile order friendly it is AND that they post the gluten-free menu online! (Scroll down towards the bottom to see it)!

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE FEATURES:

• IT’S MAJORLY MOBILE ORDER FRIENDLY. You’ve heard me say it a few times, but I’m a MEGA fan of mobile ordering whenever possible at Disneyland. When I know we’re heading over toward Main Street (to watch a parade, take a break, wind up our day, or just grab a bite to eat), I pull up my phone and mobile order our meals from the Disneyland app. They even allow you to select gluten-free options from the mobile order menu!
• GREAT SEATING + LOCATION. This is the perfect spot to eat if you want to be close to the parades. You can even have most of your party camp out while someone runs to pick up your mobile order. (Not parade time? There’s plenty of covered, shaded seating and often some fun music!)
• EXTRA GLUTEN-FREE OPTIONS. On their gluten-free menu, they also have allergy-friendly chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and blueberry muffins available!

WHAT WE LIKE TO ORDER:

• HOT DOG BASKETS. We’ve eaten here just about every Disney trip we’ve taken because Milo loves a good hot dog and they have (soft!) gluten-free buns! I love that for about $7, you can get a hot dog basket + a side (chips or apple slices). It’s not a huge meal, but it’s quick, easy, and budget-friendly. You can also add chili to your hot dog if you like. (Note: There IS a kids’ turkey dog, but we REALLY haven’t liked it and instead order our kids the regular hot dogs) 
• IF YOU’VE GOT A SNACKER: THE MICKEY POWER PACK. The “power pack” is a snack-y meal tucked in a paper bag. They usually come with a Dannon Danimals yogurt smoothie (not dairy-free), two kinds of fresh fruit, veggies, water or milk, and Goldfish crackers. The gluten-free power pack comes without Goldfish crackers. You can sometimes talk them into letting you double up on something if you have to omit something (like the yogurt or crackers). It’s best to do this in person instead of over mobile ordering.)

PRO TIPS: 

• SAVE SEATS. There are a lot of tables outside, and they rotate fairly quickly. We haven’t had a ton of trouble getting a table, but we do usually have one grown-up save seats while the other orders food.
• MOBILE ORDER! Juuuust in case you missed it above, I recommend mobile ordering, when possible. It speeds up your wait quite a bit!

PS – Looking for something more than hot dogs? Jolly Holiday is right next door and they serve gluten-free turkey sandwiches + tomato soup + salads + more!  

WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE GLUTEN FREE RESTAURANT AT DISNEYLAND?  

MORE HELPFUL DISNEYLAND POSTS:

• Our Best Tips for Eating Gluten-Free at Disneyland & California Adventure
• Our Favorite Gluten-Free Snacks & Treats at Disneyland & California Adventure