A Different Disney World: Disney Dairy- & Gluten-free

When I made the decision to figure out what was broken in my body that was keeping me from becoming my fittest, and my doc told me he wanted to start me down the path of a very restrictive diet that will likely reveal some food intolerance, all I could think of was "how is this going to affect our trip to Disney in a couple months?!" Vacation is supposed to be all about having fun - not having to worry about what you're eating. I considered telling the doc that I didn't want to start the RepairVite diet until after our trip, but that was like 6 weeks after he prescribed it, and I wasn't sure he'd have that much patience with this patient. 

So, there I was, in Disney, being mindful of my intolerance to gluten, dairy, and tapioca. As I feared, it did put a bit of a damper on my carefree enjoyment of our big family vacation. But I did feel a lot better doing it. Here's a run down of what I ate all week. I was very liberally applying the 80/20 rule - having a few more carbs than I would back home. Okay, a lot more empty carbs - gotta enjoy vacation a little! So maybe the 80% was doing Whole30 for the last 4 weeks, and the 20% was this week. ;) Anyway, I may not have made progress this week, but I at least hoped to not take a step backwards and reintroduce damaging allergens back into my gut.

Departure day (Saturday):

• Had my typical breakfast of turkey sausage and fruit before leaving for the airport at 5:30am. Early morning!
• Brought an apple for the plane while I watched the kids eat the airline snacks of Lorna Doon butter cookies (one of my favorites), and gave my father-in-law our honey roasted peanuts. 
• Lunch at our favorite restaurant in Orlando: Chevy's. I indulged in chips and salsa after asking if the chips were gluten-free (although, according to this post, I should have called ahead and had them fried in a separate fryer to avoid cross-contamination). We also had some fresh guac made at the table, although when the server was finished, he put a sprinkle of cojita cheese on top before we knew what he was doing - aargh! So Brian tried to scoop off all the cheese for me. Then I got a chicken fajita salad, hold the cheese (apparently, I should have asked for no marinade on the chicken too according to post above). It had some interesting pepita seeds on it too - never had those before. I was stuffed. Oh, and I got a margarita with Cabo Respado with just fresh squeezed orange, lime, and lemon juice. I added a couple more orange slices. Pretty tasty, but not nearly as sweet as Brian's with agave syrup.
• For snacks, I brought some of my beef jerky - hopefully enough to last all week.
• For dinner, we picked up a rotisserie chicken from Wal-Mart, and I had that with some baby carrots and some Terra sweet potato chips. 
• How did I feel - there was quite a bit of percolating in my stomach in the evening - I think my gut didn't like something. I should have done my Chevy's research beforehand to make better decisions there. Ended up taking 2 GlutenFlam before bed to help settle things down.

Sunday (hanging around our resort)

• Earned a free breakfast for enduring a sales pitch at our timeshare in order to save almost $200/4-day Disney ticket - painful, but worth it! I was trying to understand what foods on the buffet I needed to stay away from, so I said to someone who appeared to be in charge "I have a dairy and gluten allergy," and when he looked back at me with a puzzled look on his face, I said "I can't have milk." Then he responded, "Yes, milk. It's over there." Ugh. Finally, he understood my question, and said there was cream in the scrambled eggs. Boo. So, I had a breakfast of sausage links and fruit salad. Well, at least there was sausage to hold me over. 
• We had a quick lunch pool-side, so Brian and I "fork & knifed" grilled chicken sandwiches (no bun) with some bbq sauce. They came with bags of Lays chips, which I did indulge in - yum. It had been a long time since I had chips!



Mmmmmm MEAT!

• For dinner,  we went to the restaurant at our resort: Smokehouse Grill. I was happy to see that they had an allergen reference sheet so I could make my selections easily (although I'm not confident it was 100% accurate - A for effort though). Brian and I really wanted some bbq, so we shared the Smokehouse Platter for 2 with his parents too (plenty for everyone): brisket, pulled pork, ribs and ham served in a big cast iron skillet. It came with some sweet potato fritters that looked so good, but were breaded, of course, so none for me. The sides of veggies where full of butter, so I balanced having a couple curly fries with a side salad. ;) And I had a Mexican mojito.
• Snacks: some watermelon and Terra chips
• How did I feel - I was peeing like crazy all morning - I hopped on the scale before leaving on Saturday, and I was up 3 pounds (from what? hot wings? drinks?), so I was obviously retaining water for some reason. I think it must have been on its way back out again... Stomach felt great all day though - didn't feel any adverse reactions today. Took a quick nap with my son after our lunchtime swim. :)

Monday (Epcot)

First stop: princesses! Several months ago, I made reservations for the Princess Storybook Breakfast at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall. I called ahead to let them know about my food issues, and then spoke to the chef upon arrival. This restaurant serves a family style meal of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and a potato casserole (all of which is ok for me except the casserole). However, after talking to the chef, he prepared my very own dish of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and a huge portion of crispy hash browns in place of the casserole, and it was all DELICIOUS. I tried to be brave and tasted a piece of the traditional fish from the cold bar, and although it was seasoned nicely, it was just too fishy for me. I was going to taste the lox too, but never got around to it. So I just got some fruit from the bar, and passed up all the pastries (which I really don't miss that much). And, by the way, the princess parade was adorable here. For lunch, my daughter was dead set on spaghetti, and since we couldn't find spaghetti take-out, we all sat down at Via Napoli restaurant in Italy (well, Josh continued to be passed out in the stroller). The bright orange thing pictured to the right is virtually the only thing I could have for lunch there - not a gluten & dairy intolerant person's kind of place! But this week is all about what the kids want, not me! Besides, I really wasn't all that hungry after my huge breakfast. So, while walking past America later, I snagged a giant turkey leg and chowed it down - very filling! We had dinner at La Hacienda de San Angel (here's a great review on the Gluten & Dairy Free at WDW site). The chef said I pretty much had nothing to worry about there other than cheese and flour tortillas, although if I was Celiac, he would have fried the chips in a different fryer (I risked it). We started with their fresh chips and salsas (spicy red and mild green) and ordered some guac, and then the four adults all shared "La Hacienda" which was a mixed grill offering New York strip, chicken al pastor, chorizo and vegetables, served with beans and fresh salsas - while intended for 2 people, it was plenty for all of us!  I went back for more veggies since I've been a bit short on them (and another tasty little chorizo). I had a couple of their Rosita margaritas which were infused with rose petals - delicious! We had a wonderful table by a window overlooking the amazing Illuminations fireworks display too. And they even brought a free ice cream out to my in-laws who were celebrating their 41st anniversary. It was a perfect evening to end a 14-hour day in the park. Snacks: I brought some beef jerky along, but barely needed it. Had a few of the kids' sugar-free gummy characters How did I feel: Great all day, although I was a little gassy in the morning (probably the chips). But despite walking 20,000 steps according to my FitBit, I'm not tired or sore at all!

Breakfast Liquid lunch my turkey leg 1/4 of La Hacienda

Tuesday (hanging around our resort again)

Breakfast: Made breakfast in the condo this morning: bacon, sausage, fruit, and scrambled eggs with zucchini, peppers & onions (fried in bacon fat - yum!). And buttery toast for the kids. That still smells delicious to me. Lunch: We planned to hit the poolside cookout for some Angus burgers today, but found it closed. Boo. So, after searching the fridge, we found some veggies, leftover rotisserie chicken, and bacon, and did what we could for a stir fry (with only bacon fat, salt and pepper as seasoning). Better than cold, dry chicken, anyway! Dinner: T-Rex in Downtown Disney. I saw a couple good reviews about them catering to allergies, so I felt confident I would find something tasty so the kids could enjoy the crazy dinosaur ambiance. The chef came out and took my order personally, and delivered it personally. I went with the Guacasaurus burger, a tasty, hearty burger topped with guac and bacon, and wrapped in huge lettuce leaves for me. Sadly, the chef didn't recommend the waffle fries because of cross-contamination, so I had a side of kettle chips. Brian and I got a couple Raptor Ritas - we didn't realize they cost a whopping $15/apiece since we got to keep a souvenir glass. Yay. We did not want souvenir glasses to lug home. So, we were finally able to exchange it for a pair of plastic T-Rex plates for the kids. The kids loved the decor and animatronic dinosaurs. But OMG that place was so loud (which I should have known from visiting Rainforest Cafe before - same idea). Snacks: I got very excited about the prospect of visiting Babycakes after dinner (an allergen-free bakery) because I LOVE ME SOME CUPCAKES! However, a look at their ingredients online revealed (no surprise) tapioca. However, it's not in the cake, as I expected - it's in the frosting. Weird. Although, what's more strange is that on their web site, they have 2 pages listing all ingredients: one lists tapioca in most frostings, and the other does not. So, I called to see which was true (hoping for the latter!). Unfortunately, they confirmed the frosting has tapioca. But, they said they could set some vanilla cupcakes aside with no frosting, so I brought my own jarred frosting (Duncan Hines is dairy-free) from WalMart and enjoyed! It was a very dense cupcake - almost more like cornbread, but tasty enough. :) Also had a little bag of Lays chips that was lying around. And maybe a couple extra finger-fulls of frosting. Exciting find at Wal-Mart today though: Betty Crocker makes some gluten-free bake mixes that actually DO NOT contain tapioca!!! Now I CAN make my own cupcakes! And brownies (with Smart Balance organic instead of butter). How did I feel: no stomach issues whatsoever, and still completely satisfied. So far, so good!

Chef Brian's eggs - just as good as eating out! Simple stir fry Our cupcakes: Chocolate brownie with chocolate chips and vanilla frosting (which Brian said was tasty) Vanilla with my Duncan Hines frosting Vanilla with their vanilla frosting  Carrot cake

Wednesday (Magic Kingdom)

Breakfast: Made breakfast in the condo again: bacon, sausage, fruit, and scrambled eggs with zucchini, peppers & onions (fried in bacon fat) Lunch: We went to Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe in Tomorrowland for lunch. When I mentioned an allergy, the cashier called someone over to take my order. At first, I was looking at the pulled pork sandwich, but she said there was gluten in the sauce. So I settled for a burger, and she tried very hard to find a bun that would work for me (they have 2 brands), so she showed me the ingredients for each in "the big allergy book" but they both contained tapioca. So, I just fork & knifed it. She was able to get me some "allergy fries" though. Dinner: The kids wanted pizza for dinner, but the one restaurant that serves flatbread pizza (Pinocchio Village Haus) closed at 7pm, 10 minutes before we arrived. So, we headed back to Tomorrowland to hit those rides, and went back to Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe again, and I got another burger since the other one was pretty tasty, actually. This time, I checked out the toppings bar and confirmed that I could have the grilled onions that were there (just cooked in 2 types of oil, no butter). So I topped my burger with grilled & raw onions and some pickles to make it even tastier. Instead of fries, I got their cucumber salad which was simple cuc chunks and onions in a light, sweet vinegar-based dressing - very tasty. The burger was sturdy enough that I could hold it and eat it instead of having to fork & knife it (a little messier, of course!). Snacks: Fresh popcorn from a stand (the butter isn't really butter!) and some bagged kettle corn from a shop.  And a few of my daughter's candy corn and sips of her strawberry slushee (mmmm treats!). I was only going to get one slushee and have the kids share it, but when the cashier gave me the second cup I asked for, she decided to fill it up instead and only charge for one - she said Mickey doesn't like half-filled cups. ;) So that was nice, even though I wasn't trying to save money so much as NOT fill the kids up with that much sugar! Oh well, it's vacation! How did I feel: I was so full after eating the fries - I could definitely tell a difference after filling up on crap food like that. Hit 20,000 steps again - whew, that's a lot of walking! As we were driving home, we realized that we had a vacation day without any booze - what happened there?!

Thursday (Hollywood Studios)

Breakfast: Quick breakfast in the condo so we could get on the road: sausage, fruit, and plain scrambled eggs (fried in leftover bacon fat from yesterday) Lunch: The kids wanted pizza, so I didn't have many options at "Pizza Planet." I wasn't really hungry yet anyway, and didn't want a full stomach before my big American Idol Experience performance (so fun to sing on the stage!). Dinner: We had dinner at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater because when we ate there last year, the kids liked the novelty of sitting in a fake car and watching movies on the big screen like it's a drive-in. However, all the cars were booked up, so we got a regular table (boo - curse you, seasonally discounted Disney Dining Plan, filling up all the restaurants!). I didn't really feel like a big meal, so when the chef came over, I asked if I could just get the bbq chipotle wings app, except with buffalo sauce instead of bbq chipotle. He said yes, but it would just be Frank's hot sauce straight out of the bottle instead of how they usually mix it with butter and some other stuff. It was hot! But pretty tasty. We also got margaritas, but they weren't too great.  Snacks: I grabbed a turkey leg around 3 since I was getting pretty hungry and a little lightheaded from all the profuse sweating (it was a hot one!). There was a frozen margarita stand next to the turkey leg stand, and an adult slushee definitely hit the spot! The kids and I snacked on more candy corn and gummy body parts too (the Halloween candy was stocking the shelves already!) How did I feel: Stomach felt fine, but I've noticed the patches of eczema on my feet flaring up again. I don't know they're being irritated from the straps of my Birks from so much walking or what... I've heard it can be exacerbated by allergens, but I've been pretty good about avoiding allergens so far this week... Only 16,000 steps today, but I sure have been out cold all night all week, getting a solid 8+ hours each night!

Friday (Typhoon Lagoon)

Breakfast: Another repeat of bacon, fruit, and scrambled eggs with zucchini, peppers & onions (fried in bacon fat) Lunch: a standard park burger, no bun, with ketchup, and some allergy fries Dinner: A couple of us felt like steak for dinner, so we went to Black Angus Steak House since we had a 15% off coupon. I got the twin 4oz bacon-wrapped filets, and finally convinced the waitress that the kitchen should be able to grill up some onions in just oil (no butter). I had some steamed veggies on the side. Although the filets did not look like their photo in the menu (mine were much thinner and really skinny pieces of bacon), they were pretty tasty. I started with a side salad, and although I ordered a balsamic vinaigrette, she brought me plain oil and vinegar cruets. I'm not sure what kind of vinegar it was, but it definitely was not balsamic! Oh well, I still scarfed it down. Oh, and a mojito and margarita. Just to change it up a little. Snacks: a frosty margarita to cool off, some of the kids' gummies & candy corn, and the last Babycakes cupcake before bed How did I feel: Just fine!

Saturday (Animal Kingdom)

Breakfast: Quick breakfast in the condo so we could get on the road: bacon, fruit, and plain scrambled eggs (fried in leftover bacon fat from yesterday) Lunch: Pulled pork from the Flame Tree Barbecue. Apparently their pulled pork does not use gluten like they do in Magic Kingdom - you'd think it would be consistent - just proves that one should ask every time! So, just got the meat on a plate without a bun (after insisting that I can't have either of the buns they offer - they really want to give me a gluten-free bun!). For sides, I asked for the kid sides of baby carrots and grapes. I did steal 4 of my mother-in-law's fries which were probably cross-contaminated in the fryer... Dinner: We ordered a pizza poolside at the resort while bringing the kids for their first after-dark dip (oooohhh that smelled so good, even if it was just crappy Pizza Hut). After we got the kids into their pjs and set up with a movie with their grammy, Brian and I returned to the Smokehouse Grill ALONE (!) for a late dinner date. We shared the Smokehouse Platter for 1 with curly fries this time - still PLENTY of food! And a couple margaritas to toast to a nice, and successfully dairy- and gluten-free vacation! Snacks: a couple frozen margaritas to keep me cool throughout the day, and some of the kids' gummies & candy corn. Maybe a couple licks of that canned frosting for dessert. ;) How did I feel: I had a couple twinges in my gut while waiting in line for the Kali River Rapids ride, which I thought could be trouble while stranded on a raft for a while... I instantly wondered if those 4 fries could really be taking an effect on my 20 minutes later! However, an hour later, I realized the culprit was likely Aunt Flo deciding to join me on vacation too (her monthly visit always gives me IBS symptoms, although not as bad since I've been dairy- and gluten-free). Ugh.

Sunday (departure day - boo)

Breakfast: Finished off the breakfast food in the condo: bacon, fruit, and scrambled eggs with zucchini, peppers & onions (fried in bacon fat) Lunch: Got home around 1:30pm to a house with no food, but a flyer to a new Chinese place in the door. Perfect! Got some chicken & broccoli with pork fried rice, and added extra soy sauce like I've always done in the past. Had to skip the wanton soup, and watch the kids eat my favorite: golden chicken fingers. Mmm, first Chinese in 6 weeks, at least! Dinner: Skipped it - still full from late lunch Snacks: Passed the time on the plane with an impulse buy of Swedish Fish at the airport, some beef jerky, finished off the Terra chips and a snack bag of Lays from the resort.  How did I feel: Like I never even went on vacation once I got home. But still afraid to look at the scale. ;) So, in the end, sticking to my allergen-free diet really was not that hard while on vacation. Being at Disney was definitely helpful since they are very sensitive to dietary issues, however, I found most other restaurants to be very cooperative too. There was only one time at the beginning of the week that I felt I was exposed to something. The main downside was usually having to wait a little longer to get my meal at counter service places since they were making it more from scratch. My success definitely makes me feel a little better about the allergen-free life ahead of me. Sure, I was a little bummed out while watching my family indulge on taboo goodies (pizza, ice cream, cheese curls, etc...), but there are still plenty of things I can enjoy (margaritas!). Besides, vacation isn't ALL about food! Other than the increased sodium intake and a couple margaritas most days, I don't even think I went too crazy with calories. Oh, well, that was that tub of frosting... But I walked over 40 miles throughout the week (like over 100,000 steps!)! Give me a break here!