Healthier Choices at Disneyland

Now, this is specifically about making healthier eating choices at Disneyland but can probably be used as a guideline for just about anywhere.

First thing, let’s be clear that you are a paying customer at any restaurant, whether at an amusement park like Disneyland or at a high end “froo froo” restaurant. One thing I always start off with is talking to the waitstaff. I do notice that their eyes start to glaze over about halfway through my monologue but I perserve with: “I have a restrictive diet due to some health problems and I need low sodium, I’m allergic to dairy, can’t have refined sugars, and need to stay away from oils and red meat. What can you recommendto me?” At this point, I usually get the response: “Let me ask the chef to come out to talk with you.” Perfect.

 

 

So, I know it’s expensive to eat at any of the restaurants in Disneyland but if you do opt to do this, they are very flexible at getting you what you need. In fact, if you use their Disneyland app, it’s even easier to book restaurant reservations and flag food allergies/intolerances. Once they seat you at the restaurant, the waitstaff will ask who the person(s) with the restricted diet is and that’s your opening to tell them what you need for your healthy eating. You’ll find that they are super helpful and will, a lot of times, have the chef come out to talk to you and make sure that you get what you can eat. In fact, a lot of times, I’ve had something made specifically for me by the chef. It almost makes you feel like a movie star when the chef comes out to talk to you!

This trip, we bought a meal package with the Plaza Inn to get into a special parade viewing area when we were there. These packages come with a prix fixe menu and they were still able to adjust things for me and one of my daughters. I had a salad with beans, pickled onions, Italian dressing, fresh watermelon slices with mint, par boiled green beans (low sodium), and mashed potatoes (my cheat since there was some vegetable oil instead of milk but it was low sodium as well).  Here’s a pic:

My daughter had the same thing except she opted for the baked chicken, which was also low sodium, and she had hers and my strawberry gelatin dessert:

If you are looking to eat in the park but keep it less expensive, here are some ideas:

1) There are fruit displays EVERYWHERE so just keep an eye out for them. I found multiple areas both at Disneyland and at California Adventure Park. South Seas Trader located in Adventureland (across from Indiana Jones and the Jungle Cruise) had quite the display of fruits and light snacks. There were multiple places at California Adventure but the sure spots were Mortimer’s market (located on a right hand corner as you enter the park) and a little market located on Hollywood Blvd.

2) Looking for something a bit more substantial? Bengal Barbecue in Adventureland (also across from the Jungle Cruise and Indiana Jones) has what you need! They have vegetable skewers that they can make without salt AND without oil! They also have a hummus trio that you can dip your veggie skewer into for some added protein.

3) Feeling a little overheated or just looking for something sweet but not feeling the need to go overboard with sugar? Check out Schmoozies! on Hollywood Blvd in California Adventure park! They can make all of their smoothies without yogurt (which appeals to those of us staying as far away from the evil “D” word as possible).

4) Another sweet tooth attack? Who can blame you, those sugary treats are all around you when you’re at the park. If you just have to have a truly sugary sweet treat but need to stay away from dairy, try the Dole Whip in Disneyland (located outside the famous Enchanted Tiki Room right at the beginning of Adventureland) or the new Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats (“They’re lemon flavored!”) in California Adventure Park and located at the beginning of the new Pixar Pier area. These are sweet and icy cold but no dairy to behold!

5) Pizza Planet at the Disneyland Park also offers some nondairy choices. Most of their stuff is already pre-made so it makes it a bit more difficult and they weren’t as cooperative as most of the other places. They can use Daiya cheese in place of dairy cheese and they have gluten-free crusts for their pizzas. I opted to do away with the Daiya fake (and mostly oil) cheese so I ended up with a pizza crust and pizza sauce. Apparently, the veggies for their veggie pizzas aren’t dairy-free (something about the pizzas already coming like that frozen). I still don’t understand why they couldn’t have used some of their fresh veggies from the salad bar to top the pizza but apparently someone was not feeling the need to be helpful. It happens. As I mentioned, they also have a pretty extensive salad bar (which I should’ve taken advantage of instead of the pizza counter but it allowed me to learn a bit more about their food).

6) The Rose Tavern is another favorite of mine to get healthier stuff that I can eat. Even though they are a counter service type of place, the chef came out to chat with me and got me some amazing food that was healthy. I had the grilled cauliflower sandwich without the aioli and on gluten free bread (it’s the only bread without dairy according to the chef). The sides were a small salad with their apple vinaigrette and apple slices.

So, just remember that you are paying for your food. Ask for what you need, even if you think it’s bothersome to the employees… if you’re polite and nice, they are usually ecstatic to help you. Sometimes, there will be some hiccups and sometimes you’ll have to choose your poison (meaning is less sodium more important than no oil, etc.). I don’t believe you have to completely forget to eat healthy while at the park. Anywhere you go, you also have access to salads – ask for them to suggest a dressing that fits your dietary needs and pile on some good for you beans instead of that fried chicken.  If you just have to have some meat, have them put some grilled chicken on the side but pile on the beans first. That way you can add a piece or two of the grilled chicken as you eat. Same thing for salad dressing — always get it on the side. Fruit salads are also another great option to satisfy a sweet tooth craving.

As far as beverages go, try to stay away from the liquid sugars, especially if it’s hot out because they will only dehydrate you further. Water should always be your go-to. If you don’t want to pay for a bunch of bottles of water, consider bringing a refillable bottle since there are plenty of water fountains throughout both parks (at every restroom area to be exact). If you don’t have a refillable bottle and don’t want to pay out that kind of money for another one to sit in your cabinet at home, just buy a bottle of water and when it’s empty, refill it at a water fountain. Also, many food places (not the kiosks) throughout the park don’t have a problem giving you a cup of ice water if you ask.

Feeling adventurous and want to bring your own food into the park? Also, not a problem. Bring in those coolers! Except, you can’t bring coolers on wheels (which makes no sense considering the oceans of strollers everywhere you turn, but okay Disney, no coolers on wheels, lol). Maybe you can bring a stroller and put the cooler on that? As long it’s not an oversized stroller, though. Then again, you could always rent a wheelchair, too. Seriously, consider bringing one of those backpacks that are insulated and pack some food to eat if you really want to eat healthy and save some money. Here’s a link to the things not allowed in the park, just in case – LIST.

So that’s how I stay healthy while having a blast at Disneyland and California Adventure Parks. And all that walking is pretty helpful, too. Go! Have fun! Jump down that healthier rabbit hole and become a healthier Alice in Wonderland as you discover all the healthier ways to eat while at Disneyland!

After Thought: Outside of Disneyland, I’ve had great success eating at the Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney. The chef came out and worked with me to find food that I could have in spite of it being super busy. Next trip there, I’ll try out some of the local eateries and have a post about them as well.