In-depth Look at Gluten Free at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

This resort has a lot to love and an abundance of gluten free options at Wilderness Lodge is a big part of what makes it special. This Disney deluxe resort has not two or three, but four restaurants to choose from, and each have a good variety of delicious gluten free options.  

Having stayed at Coronado Springs, Port Orleans, and Caribbean Beach previously, we had exhausted Disney’s moderate resorts and were ready to try our first Deluxe resort. My husband has been dying to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge for forevvvvverrrrr. But it was all sold out for our dates, so Wilderness Lodge seemed like a good second choice. It also has a similar rustic, nature vibe. Wilderness Lodge also has something that Animal Kingdom Lodge doesn’t have, and that’s character dining!!! 

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The Theming

Disney’s theming is always excellent and Wilderness Lodge is no exception. From the erupting geyser on the grounds, to the babbling brook and bridge in the lobby, and the lobby itself with its sky-high wood work and totem poles. The grounds themselves are beautiful. I loved the juxtaposition between the craziness of the Disney parks and the beauty and tranquility of the outdoor areas surrounding this resort.

The Fireworks

I definitely recommend a fireworks room if it’s in your budget. Waking up seeing Cinderella’s castle is so cool and watching the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the comfort of your balcony is the most relaxing way to do it. 

• Major Tip – If you need two hotel rooms and don’t want to pay for two firework view rooms, just buy one firework view and one standard, and then request that they be close together. We did this when we stayed with my mom and granny and they were directly across the hall from us in their standard room with a lovely courtyard view. Then they came over to our room to watch fireworks. It worked out perfectly and saved us some dough! 

But Back to the Gluten Free Food!

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge has every type of dining experience you could possibly need at a Disney Resort—character dining, outdoor dining, quick service, and casual sit-down dining. Dining gluten free at Wilderness Lodge will not be an issue! You could easily stay at this resort for a week and not get tired of their gluten free options. And even if you somehow did, there’s even more restaurant options just a short boat ride away at the Contemporary Resort and the Fort Wilderness Cabins (more below). Just know there is a range of restaurants at the resort, and even more close by to meet all your Disney gluten free dining needs.

My only major complaint is there is no gluten free pizza on site. I KNOW. How could they?! But they had a lot of other options to make up for it. Let’s dive in to eating gluten free at Wilderness Lodge!

Want A Unique, Magical Character Dining Experience? You Gotta Try Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White

It’s my understanding from numerous Disney dining YouTube videos that Artist Point is one of the most coveted character dining reservations in all of Disney World. I can see why! It’s very enchanting with the trees and lights above, and Snow White waltzing around the room. Gluten free at Wilderness Lodge does not get more magical than this!

Snow White, Dopey, and Grumpy visit all of the tables—dancing with kids, taking pictures, and signing autographs. Your little ones will definitely get their face-time in with the characters. My adventurous 89 year old granny who went with us to enjoy the resort (not the parks!!) said she didn’t care what the dinner cost (it’s expensive!), anything would be worth it to see the kid’s reactions to the characters. And hey, the food is memorable too, including the gluten free meals. 

Like other super-elaborate Disney character dining restaurants, I think I enjoyed the shared appetizers and dessert more than the entree itself. Be Our Guest aka The Beast’s Castle is a prime example of this as I love the the French onion soup 10x more than anything else in that meal. It’s not like any of the entrees are bad by any means, they are also delicious, the appetizers are just even better. 

Everybody gets a little sampling of all the appetizers so that’s super fun to get to eat them all. For my entree, I chose the pork shank and polenta, the pork shank was good, but maybe a little fatty, the polenta was super yummy.

The names of the gluten free desserts are currently not listed on their website. The chocolate truffle and little mug of hot gluten free apple pie were scrumptious. The odd pineapple thing, I could have done without.

P.S. Watch out when meeting the Evil Queen after the meal, she’s true to form and is pretty intimidating!

Gluten Free Appetizers at Artist Point –

• Wild Mushroom Bisque
• Wicked Shrimp Cocktail with Bloody Mary vinaigrette and house-made seasoning
• This isn’t on their menu and I missed getting a picture of the appetizers, but I was definitely a gluten free meatball and it was delicious

Gluten Free Entrees at Artist Point –

• Royal Prime Rib Roast with horseradish-mashed potato, carrots, jus
• Magic Mirror’s Slow-braised Pork Shank with polenta, gastrique 
• Brother’s Grimm Herb Chicken with cauliflower puree, roasted vegetables, chicken jus

Kids’ Gluten Free Options at Artist Point –

• Kids’ Gluten Free Appetizer – From the Garden – Honey butter with fruit, vegetables, and cheese 
• Kid’s Gluten Free Entrees – grilled chicken, grilled fish of the day, prime rib roast
• Choose 2 – Roasted potatoes, carrots, broccolini, mashed potatoes  

Want some of the MAGIC of Disney in your belly without having to travel all the way to Orlando. I was missing Disney after our last trip and bought this beautiful Delicious Disney Cookbook. Though a lot of recipes are naturally gluten free, if anyone wants help flipping any recipe to GF, I’m happy to help.

Want an Outdoor Meal on the Water? You Gotta Try Geyser Point Bar & Grill

Geyser Point checks the box for delicious and relaxing outdoor dining option for gluten free at Wilderness Lodge. We had pretty bad service at this restaurant, but don’t let that deter you. It was definitely a fluke as Disney typically has excellent service. It was just very slow, and then we’d turn around to see our Server watching tv at the bar, it was bizarre.  

The food and views at Geyser Point made up for it though. Outdoor Disney restaurants like these are the perfect way to relax after a long day at the park. The restaurant is right on the water and even has a view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks! 

I was so torn as to what to get here as the Bison Cheeseburger and Multigrain Salad were both high on my list of things to try. But I had to go with the salad as I’d already had a burger at Rainforest Cafe earlier that day (due to lack of choices there really). Geyser Point’s salad was delicious though. The dressing was very nice and I loved the crunchy things on top. Being gluten free, it’s not often that I enjoy a good salad with a crunch to it, so I was very appreciative of that. I also recommend the Thai Chili wings—so good! I could have eaten many, many more of these.

Gluten Free Appetizers at Geyser Point –

• Fried Ribs tossed in a peking sauce and cashews 
• Geyser Chicken Wings – choice of teriyaki, thai chili, or sriracha buffalo 
• Edamame with Chili-Salt 

Gluten Free Entrees at Geyser Point –

• Bison Cheeseburger – bacon, Marionberry sauce, lettuce, tomoato, garlic aioli on an allergy-friendly bun with fries
• Multigrain Salad with Salmon, Chicken or Tofu- mixed greens, wild rice, bell peppers, sesame vinaigrette 

Gluten Free Dessert at Geyser Point –

• Fruit plate with Greek yogurt
• Apple cider sorbet for dessert 

Gluten Free Kids’ Entree at Geyser Point –

• Cheeseburger

Want a Fun, Casual Sitdown Meal or Brunch Until 3pm? You Gotta Try Whispering Canyon Cafe

Whispering Canyon Cafe is a little like if Dick’s Last Resort had a baby with Cracker Barrel, but in a good way.  Any place that serves brunch until 3pm earns a gold star in my book. We actually ended up eating here twice during our trip.

The first time we were starving for lunch after just arriving from our flight, but I’d booked us a very early dinner reservation at Artist Point that was fast approaching, so we didn’t want to eat too much. We all ended up splitting entrees, enjoyed it, and decided we wanted to come back for a large breakfast some morning.

For our first visit, I split the Ham and Cheddar Omelette with Country Potatoes and Gluten Free Toast. It really hit the spot after a long half day of traveling with the fam.

On our second visit to Whispering Canyon Cafe, I had one of my favorite Disney gluten free options—Mickey Waffles!

Whispering Canyon Cafe is a fun environment with good, homey food. I’d definitely go back and try their dinner if we stay at Wilderness Lodge again.

Just remember not to ask for ketchup. Wink, wink, wink, wink… 

Gluten Free Breakfast at Whispering Canyon Cafe –

• The Heritage “All-You-Care-Enjoy Signature Skillet” – Scrambled Eggs, Country Potatoes, Hickory-smoked Bacon, Pork Sausage Links, Allergy-Friendly Mickey-shaped Waffles, and Sausage Gravy
• The Carnivore “All-You-Care-Enjoy Signature Skillet” – House-made Cornbread with Honey Butter, Maple-Chipotle Barbecued Slow-smoked Pork Ribs, Oak-smoked Beef Brisket, Barbecued Pulled Pork, Citrus-Herb Chicken, Country Potatoes, Buttered Corn, Charred Carrots
• Pepper Jack “Cheese” Frittata with Country Potatoes, Peppers, Onions, Spicy Plant-based Sausage
• Ham & Cheddar Omelet with Country Potatoes
• Allergy-Friendly Waffles with Fresh Berries and your choice of Hickory-smoked Bacon or Pork Sausage Links
• Applewood-smoked Turkey Sandwich – Arugula, Tomato, and Cranberry-Mayonnaise on an Allergy-Friendly Bun served with Fresh Fruit
• Chopped Salad – Mixed Greens, Hickory-smoked Bacon, House-smoked Turkey, Tomatoes, Dried Cherries, Cheddar, and Chipotle-Ranch Dressing

Gluten Free Breakfast Sides at Whispering Canyon Cafe –

• Allergy-Friendly Bagel with Cream Cheese
• Allergy-Friendly White Toast
• Allergy-Friendly Chocolate Muffin
• Hickory-smoked Bacon or Pork Sausage Link

Kids’ Gluten Free Breakfast at Whispering Canyon Cafe –

• Kids’ All-You-Care-to-Enjoy Breakfast Skillet – Doesn’t say what’s included but I assume it’s similar to the adult’s 
• One Egg
• Mickey-Shaped Waffles 
• Hamburger Served on An Allergy-Friendly Bun
• Grilled Chicken Breast 
• Kids’ Selections (choose 2) – Fresh Fruit Cup, Country Potatoes, Sausage Link, Bacon, Corn, Apple Slices 

Gluten Free Dinner Appetizers at Whispering Canyon Cafe –

• Burnt Ends’ Nachos – Topped with Beef Brisket, Barbecued Pulled Pork, Cheese Sauce, and Fresh Salsa
• Whispering Canyon House Salad -Dried Cranberries, Goat Cheese, and Cranberry-Poppyseed Vinaigrette
• Maple-Chipotle Barbecue-braised Jackfruit Dip- Plant-based Pepper Jack Cheese, Jalapeño, and Tortilla Chips

Gluten Free Dinner Entrees at Whispering Canyon Cafe –

• All-You-Care-To-Enjoy Signature Skillet – Allergy-Friendly Fresh-baked Cornbread, Oak-smoked Mustard Barbecued Beef Brisket, Maple-Chipotle Barbecued Pork Ribs, Slow-smoked Pulled Pork, Citrus-Herb Chicken, Western-style Sausage, Mashed Yukon Potatoes, Buttered Corn, Sautéed Green Beans. 
• Char-crusted New York Strip – Honey-roasted Carrots and Crispy-fried Red Potatoes
• Pan-fired Red Quinoa Cakes – Pickled Corn Relish, Hearty Greens, Fried Chickpeas, Charred Peppers, and Smashed Avocado

Gluten Free Kids’ Dinner at Whispering Canyon Cafe –

• Appetizers – Garden Salad, Baby Carrots, Fruit Cup
• Entrees – All-You-Care-To-Enjoy Skillet, Grilled Chicken Breast with choice of 2 sides, Hamburger on allergy-friendly bun with choice of 2 sides
• Choose 2 – Green beans, Corn, Apple Slices

Gluten Free Desserts as Whispering Canyon Cafe –

• Whispering Canyon Pioneer Chocolate Cake
• Rice Milk Panna Cotta with Marionberries and Strawberries

Want a Quick Bite to Eat or Snack to Take Out to the Pool? You Gotta Try Roaring Fork

Eating gluten free at Wilderness Lodge does not get easier than at the Roaring Fork. Not a large indoor dining area like I’m used to seeing at Disney’s moderate resorts, but the Roaring Fork has a nice outdoor dining area right outside or you can carry your food out to the pool. This restaurant got us by for little meals and snacks on different days when we were hanging out at the resort or needed something light to eat before dining reservations at less than ideal times.

The Roaring Fork is extra convenient because you can order ahead on your phone and walk up and grab it to-go. Throughout the trip I had the House-Smoked Turkey Sandwich, Kid’s Gluten Free Chicken Strips with Fries, and Roaring Breakfast Platter. All of them were good, though nothing too special. The turkey sandwich was probably the best thing I ate there, though the bread did start to fall apart on me. My granny was also impressed with the turkey sandwich. As I said in the intro, I would have appreciated some gluten free pizza, as the moderate resorts we’ve stayed that usually have this at their quick service restaurant and it’s really good.

Gluten Free Breakfast Options at Roaring Fork –

• Roaring Breakfast Platter – scrambled eggs, potato hash, sausage, bacon, and allergy-friendly toast
• Kids’ Allergy-Friendly Mickey-Shaped Waffles 
• Kid’s Breafast Box – choice of cereal with small low-fat milk and serviced with choice of two sides
• Steel-cut oatmeal
• Sides -Potato hash, pork sausage, bacon, eggs

Gluten Free Lunch/Dinner Options at Roaring Fork –

• Zesty Slaw “Burger” with spicy slaw on allergy-friendly bun with fries 
• Heirloom Tomato Salad – pickled wild mushrooms, burrata, red pepper pesto, and basil 
• Cheeseburger on an allergy-friendly bun with fries
• 10-Hour Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich with apple-BBQ, creamy slaw on allergy-friendly bun with fries
• Caesar Salad with Chicken 
• Wilderness Salad with Chicken – chilled chicken breast on mixed greens tossed with candied walnuts, sliced apples, and shredded cheddar with apple vinaigrette
• House-Smoked Turkey Sandwich – house-smoked turkey with chipotle aioli, Bibb lettuce, tomatoes on allergy-friendly bun with fries
• Tuna Salad Sandwich with fries

Kids’ Gluten Free Dinner Options at Roaring Fork –

• Kids Chicken strips with two sides 
• Kids’ Wildnerness Salad – Chilled chicken breast on mixed greens tossed with sliced apples and shredded cheddar served with apple vinaigrette, choice of two sides, and choice of small milk or Dasani water 

Gluten Free Sides at Roaring Fork –

• French fries, fruit cup, coleslaw, apple slices, grapes.

Gluten Free Dessert at Roaring Fork –

• Mickey Ice Cream Bars

Click here for even more information on the Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Next we’ll talk about taking a boat to even more Disney gluten free dining options.

Jump on a Boat for a Quick Ride to Even More Gluten Free Options

One of the fabulous things about staying at the Wilderness Lodge is you can take a boat to Magic Kingdom, the Contemporary Resort, and Fort Wilderness Cabins. This paves the way to easy and fun accessibility to even more dining options. On our last night, we took the boat to Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary and it was so fun. More on dining options at these resorts below.

Ride Over to Eat Gluten Free at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

The Contemporary’s three big restaurants are discussed below, but the Contemporary has a slew of lounges, bars, and cafes as well. We ate at Chef Mickey’s and it was so fun and delicious.

Chef Mickey’s – Character dining with a buffet. My whole family really loved this restaurant. It was probably the highlight of the trip for my youngest especially. Our Server sent the Chef out and I got to check off everything I wanted off the gluten free menu, and the Chef brought it out from the back for me to avoid cross contamination. So many options and so delicious! Read my post that talks more about my Chef Mickey experience and my other favorite gluten free food to eat at other resorts and Magic Kingdom in this Disney post.   

California Grill – This Disney fine dining fireworks experience at the top of the Contemporary Resort even has a dress code. California Grill has somewhat limited gluten free options based on the menu, but I’m guessing they have even more GF than what’s listed as is often the case. Dining here would be an awesome way to see the fireworks, maybe when our kids are older and more well-behaved!! 

Steakhouse 71 – A very steak-centered dinner, they also serve lunch and breakfast. Steakhouse 71 has a lot of gluten free sauces for the steaks, as well as au gratin potatoes and garlic mashed potatoes. They have a French onion soup, but it’s not listed on the gluten menu! It seems like they’d be able to make it gluten free like at Be Our Guest!! If so, I’d want to go for sure. 

Ride Over to Eat Gluten Free At Disney’s Fort Wilderness Cabins

Among a few other casual restaurants, Fort Wilderness boasts the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue. I have not been to this dinner show, but have heard it’s a fun show. I haven’t heard anything about their gluten free selections though and they don’t currently have a menu posted, I’ll check back in! 

A Dream is A Wish Your Heart Makes…

I couldn’t end this post without showing you this picture. This is one of my favorite pictures from our trip—Cinderella’s Castle in the early morning light, taken from our balcony. Just in case you still weren’t sure if the fireworks view room was worth it. It totally was.

I hope you enjoyed this post on dining gluten free at Wilderness Lodge and have the opportunity to explore the resort on your next Disney adventure. It really is a treasure of a resort. If you can’t get the dining reservation you want at Magic Kingdom, you could always ride the boat over and check out the lodge for brunch, lunch, or dinner!

Lastly, if you would like more information on gluten free dining at Disney, including some excellent, super helpful tips on making Disney dining reservations please see my other Disney post which focuses on my gluten free favorites at other Disney resorts and Magic Kingdom!

Also, please remember to Subscribe! I email my Subscribers all the best gluten free tips and they are the first to know when new posts are released from the Gopher vault.