EPCOT, the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, is home to some great rides and edutainment. Inside you’ll find different ‘worlds’ from World Discovery to World Showcase (featuring 12 ‘countries’).
And it’s honestly my favorite park to visit, even if it does require some preplanning to eat Gluten Free!
How do I eat gluten free at Epcot?
When planning a Gluten Free EPCOT Trip, there’s three steps. Step one, pick your meal time (breakfast, lunch, dinner). Step two, pick your location (as EPCOT is basically two very large circles), Step three, pick a nearby restaurant based on your location and the reviews below. Unofficial Step four is to repeat for the other meals of the day.
✨✨ Looking for more planning help like Dedicated Fryer lists, Hidden Gluten, Gluten Free Food Crawls, and Menus? Head over to Gluten Free Disney World. ✨✨
***As Always, please speak to a qualified restaurant employee when ordering food. In order to see the most accurate ingredients and risk assessment, you will need to confirm allergy safety in real-time. This is my personal experience, I am not employed or endorsed by companies or brands mentioned.***
Quick Tips for EPCOT Gluten Free
Managing more than Gluten? See the EPCOT Allergy Friendly Guide
Third party locations don’t have ‘Disney-fied’ Allergy Menus- and while many of them have great options- it might be frustrating that they are similar to locations back at home. See more about Third Party Owned locations here.
Before we talk about stuff in the parks, let’s talk about what you should know before you get into the park, especially when we talk about free from eating.
First things first, you can (and should ) bring in some snacks or even meals to Epcot.
Please, bring snacks for everyone that deals with an allergy or intolerance because, out of the 300 times I’ve eaten at Disney World in the last year, almost 1 in 50 meals was totally wrong and had to be remade, or I had to leave and find better food elsewhere.
Accidents happen, you miss a bus, or a ride breaks down, or you get distracted. Having a few snacks on hand gives you peace of mind. It’s like an insurance policy for your stomach to make it through your expensive vacation!
Second thing is that you need to know that the menus and offerings can (and will) change especially when talking about allergy friendly food.
Sometimes its that the suppliers dont have it on hand, sometimes it’s that they aren’t selling the food (though most of the allergen friendly food at Epcot is pre frozen and then cooked for you!)
Lastly, there are a number of great places within a short walk (or a monorail ride!) or you can catch a bus or ferry to the resorts.
I like to leave the Epcot and head to the nearby resorts for a much needed A/C break and the resorts tend to have more options on hand for gluten free.
So if you head to the Boardwalk (through the back entrance) you can access the resorts and see their Gluten Friendly items.
Quick Look, Best Gluten Free Food in EPCOT
World Showcase: Regal Eagle Quick Service in America Lunch and Dinner
Close to the Main Entrance: Coral Reef Table Service
Unique Table Service Options: Rose and Crown or Spice Road Table
Best All you can Eat Buffet: Biergarten
Best Character Meal at EPCOT: Akershus
Water Bottle Refill Locations: Several (the most out of any park!)
- Snacks? ✔️
- Menus? ✔️
- Favorite Places? ✔️
- 100% Gluten Free? ✔️
- Tips for a Magical Trip? ✔️
EPCOT Gluten Free Meal recommendations and reviews
First up, a helpful quick reference of all the Quick Service locations that have an Allergy Menu:
- Sunshine Seasons (only for lunch and they have a gluten free breakfast option)
- Connections Eatery
- Regal Eagle
These locations are Disney Owned, the other quick service locations with allergy guides are third party owned and your service may vary.
Other Parks, Like Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios have more Allergy Quick Serve Locations. You can find those in the Gluten Free Guide.
Reviews for Allergy Friendly Quick Service at EPCOT
Connections Eatery just opened in 2022. This is a new quick serve location. Good news, They do not have peanuts, or shellfish. Only treenut is coconut. It is an active bakery, so I’d recommend skipping it if you don’t go to bakeries regularly. See what options are available and some recommended favorites you’d enjoy here.
Sunshine Seasons- Located in the Land Pavilion on the bottom floor, by Soarin Ride. Somewhat hard to access if you use a mobility device. Features multiple dishes and items in a cafeteria style only for lunch.
Regal Eagle- Located at the back of World Showcase in America Pavilion. Features classics like Pulled Pork and BBQ.
YorkShire Fish Shop in the UK
This location is owned by Disney but doesnt have an Allergy Menu. The location is Peanut and Treenut free. The fryer is a dedicated french fry fryer and those are made without gluten.
This location is owned by Disney but doesnt have an Allergy Menu. The location is Peanut and Treenut free. They carry a Gluten Free/allergy bun for use on the Bratwurst. Plant Based (no Dairy, no Egg) Pretzel. The location is small so cross contact is likely.
There are quite a few others, like Katsura Grill in Japan and Nine Dragons in China and La Cantina de San Angel. These are third party owned and have their own version of Allergy Menus.
Now the EPCOT Gluten Free Meal Table Service recommendations and reviews
Outside of the World Showcase (the Location with all of the ‘Worlds’) We have two great Table Service options.
The First is Coral Reef Resturant. This is my go to location at EPCOT, and I eat here every few months without fail. I love the Ambieance, I love the Chefs, I love the Menus! I recommend this location to Everyone!
The next is Space 220. This location is great for those with limited allergens, those who are just Gluten Free (or maybe have one other food need) and those who want to pay a premium for a Themed Dining Experience. You can see my most recent review of Space 220 here.
Inside World Showcase, let’s start in Mexico!
San Angel Inn gluten free is possible, as they have a limited allergy menu, and you can speak with a Chef. I’m not going to recommend this location as I’ve been served allergens and have heard of others in the Gluten Free community who also don’t recommend this. Would be great if you are managing an Intolerance, or have a gluten detection device to check your food before consuming.
If you are looking for a dedicated Gluten Free Margarita (using certified GF tequila) in Mexico, head inside to La Cava del Tequila. They take allergies seriously there! Unfortunately the Margarita Booth and the quick service in Mexico have mixed the GF tequila with Gluten ingredients.
For a Food-Free way to experience World Showcase, look into the Free KIDCOT activities. We love using this to explore the different Worlds without getting hung up on food finds.
✨ Planning a Disney trip with kids can be a lot to do…See why I ✨ recommend this travel team as a busy mom. They understand what it’s like to travel with kids and have recommendations for bringing your dream vacation to life!
Speaking of not owned by Disney, several of the options around World Showcase are not owned by Disney. Nine Dragons in China is OK for allergies (they do have a binder and can make some accommodations). I have eaten there safely and would recommend it to more those with a Higher Risk Tolerance.
Next up in countries is Germany. The Table Service option there is Biergarten, a Disney Owned Buffet.
Tutto Italia gluten free in Italy has a few options, but they are not at the top of my list. For one, they don’t have an allergy menu. And for two, the options are super limited (like basic pasta with sauce while paying premium pricing). You can learn more about Gelato in Italy here (which I don’t recommend).
No Table Service in America, and I haven’t dined at the ones in Japan (Teppan Edo and Takumi-Tei)
Then in Morocco we have the Spice Road Table. This has one of my favorite shellfish dishes and some fantastic dolmas. This is truly a ‘spicy’ restaurant and I love the real flavor. This is owned by Disney, no dedicated fryer, can speak to a chef, and limited menu.
I’d recommend that you skip the entire France Area. I have personally dined at the Crepe Restaurant (Le Creperie de Paris) , The Table Service Restaurant (Chefs de France), eaten at the Patisserie and the Ice Cream Shop (L’Artisan des Glaces). I am constantly told multiple different things, allergy options are always changing, and I dislike how they refuse to accommodate certain things.
In the UK there’s the Rose and Crown Table Service Restaurant. This is owned by Disney, has an allergy menu, has a dedicated gluten free fryer, and has quite a few modifications. I do like this location and have dined here several times!
Last is Canada, with Le Cellier Steakhouse. This is a Signature Dining Restaurant, so still sit down, but at a higher price tag. It’s a scratch kitchen, meaning everything is house made, and that makes it easier to get modifications.
Character Meals are Table Service Options too
There’s two Character Meals at EPCOT! Garden Grill in the Land Pavilion and Akershus in Norway!
Garden Grill is one of my favorite low stress, comparable allergy-to-non-allergy meals, fun character meals! Find this location for lunch and dinner.
Akershus has just finally reopened in EPCOT and features an authentic Nordic Inspired Dinner.
✨Click here to access your copy of the most comprehensive Gluten Free Disney Guide online! Everything you need to quickly and easily plan your vacation.✨
EPCOT Notable Gluten Free Snacks
Maple Popcorn at the Popcorn stand in Canada
Chips and Guac at the Mexico Quick Serve (dedicated fryer)
Rice Cream at the Kringla Kafe in Norway
Gluten Free Breakfast EPCOT
Breakfast can be somewhat hard to manage at EPCOT, as many locations are still closed.
You can get Breakfast on the Boardwalk (which is out the back International Gateway Entrance) and eat at a few locations there. Notably the Boardwalk Deli and Trattoria Al Forno.
In France the Patisserie is open. Several items are Gluten Friendly and made in a shared kitchen. Only recommended for intolerances as France will tell you it’s not Celiac or Allergy Safe.
In Norway, the Kringla Kafe has Yogurt, Apple Sauce, and Rice Cream.
At the Connections Shop, you can find the Snacks with Character Cookies which are certified Gluten Free.
EPCOT Festivals while Gluten Free
Festivals are all the rage at Epcot and for good reason! They are so much fun! They are fun for everyone, from dedicated things for the kiddos, to events and live music for the adults.
And when it comes to allergy friendly food, Epcot Festivals are in a category of their own.
There are a lot of people that will tell you there’s only a few options (or that you shouldn’t eat there) and this WAS TRUE before 2023.
But things change, and the Allergy Procedures have changed in 2023 for the better! You can see the full breakdown of what changed and what to expect here.
There’s 4 festivals currently, and you can see all the Gluten Free posts here.
Conclusion
Everyone should eat well on vacation! Learn more common questions and concerns in the Food Allergy FAQ or the Gluten Free Disney FAQ.
Plus the latest Disney News when it comes to Food Restrictions, eats, and offerings. Connect with the MouseEarMemory Gluten Free and Allergy Community at the socials listed below or @Mouse.Ear.Memories