Today we’d like to introduce you to Gluten Free Gina.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Hi!! I’m Gina, better known as Gluten Free Gina. In 2020 I relocated to Orlando, FL to be near some family and, of course, Disney World. I am an active duty psychologist, which means we have relocated quite frequently and after being stationed in MN for a few years, I was looking forward to some sunshine and warmth. Before moving here, each year I would plan our family vacation to Disney and spend countless hours over the course of many months trying to plan out not only all the rigors of vacation (lodging, tickets, park days) but where and WHAT I could eat. Did I need to bring a bag of food for myself? Would they have anything that was gluten-free to satisfy my food allergies? What about dairy? Are there any options that are both gluten-free and vegan? My family eats a plant-based diet, so this was important to me as well. It was completely nerve-wracking and if you’ve ever traveled with food allergies I know you feel this pain! Fast forward to us moving here and securing annual passes to the parks.
One day, my partner and I happened to be walking around Epcot and he said: “you know, we live here now and you are going to be eating all this GF food anyway, why not post it on Instagram to help other people see what they can eat?” And just like that, Gluten Free Disney World was born.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Haha, is anything a smooth road? Seriously though, the biggest struggle for me has been time. I am a licensed clinical psychologist working for two government agencies at the same time and that equates to approximately 55-60 hours a week (or more depending on the week). On top of that, I am a mom to two very rambunctious and hilarious little ones and I try to squeeze in some time with my partner for a date night here and there. Covering Disney World GF food quickly snowballed for me once I realized I was not satisfied with posting a few food pictures here and there. I wanted to add more. I felt the need to start including GF/DF and GF/vegan items to better account for what people needed and were looking for.
Still, I desperately wanted to develop a better way to help people who needed to eat gluten-free come on a Disney vacation and have resources for food options. The expansion of my page happened both slowly and quickly it seems. In the past three years, I have added another IG page (GFUniversal covering Universal Studios Orland), a website, and a YouTube channel. Making it all work and doing my best to excel at my profession while maintaining integrity as being the mom my children deserve has been a true juggling act. I have done my best to balance this, which has meant starting my day around 4 am to work on some Disney/Universal content and dedicating one day a weekend to exploring Disney food options/restaurants/festivals.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in helping people who have gluten allergies/intolerances vacation to Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando find safe and delicious food to eat. I started to set myself apart when I began including GF/DF (dairy-free), GF/vegan, and GF cocktails at the parks. There is a large crossover of people who need to eat both GF and DF and of course.. the world feels as though it is slowly turning vegan so I wanted to incorporate plant-based life into my findings. But why stop at food and drinks?? I have two small kids (7 and 3) so I add in tips and tricks with kids as well as family park days. I do my best to show both the fun side of being a Disney and Universal mom as well as the downside. Parks days don’t always go as planned and parenting in the park can revolve around snacks and bathroom breaks (alllll the bathroom breaks… kids have never had to go to the bathroom as much as they do when you are waiting in line or about to get on a ride)!
As I’ve grown, I’ve noticed that my sense of humor brings me closer to others. I have always spoken fluent sarcasm and tend to have an extraordinary amount of fun in life. I do my best to create my own joy and I don’t get embarrassed easily (though apparently, my kids do when I start dancing). I fully believe that if you’re not having fun and able to laugh at yourself the world can start to feel heavy and difficult. Bottom line is, I’m not sure if we get more than one life, but I fully intend to enjoy as much of this one as is humanly possible! I think that comes across in my content. I’ve also started to bring my kiddos in on some videos and YouTube. Gluten allergies aren’t limited to adults and the kid perspective seems to be helpful when people are planning trips with their little ones. Plus, my 7-year-old seems to think he’s the next YouTube star, haha! Having kids in the videos also helps us park parents relate. It’s chaotic and wild and oh-so-fun!
Oh oh ooohhhh… I also built a website! At the start of 2022, I decided I needed a place where others can download complimentary PDFs of gluten-free guides for every park at Disney World. I expanded to include a guide for every resort on Disney property, Disney Springs, Universal Studios, and Islands of Adventure. Need a guide for the Epcot festivals? I have those too!! This gives people a free and easy way to take the brunt of hunting for food options and keep the focus on planning the fun! A little birdie told me this has been very helpful to travel agents as well and I am thrilled to be that resource.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
The advice I hear most often on this topic is to take the first step and just start. I agree with that and would add, “But don’t quit your day job.” I began this as a hobby hoping to document and show what I’m eating and I’ve turned it into a very expensive hobby helping to guide others on vacation. I think people believe that when you grow on IG you suddenly start making money and that it acts as a business. That is likely the case for some, but definitely not for many. I don’t make any money on this (well… that’s not entirely true.
I do have a “buy me a sangria” link where people can donate if they would like to). Between the cost of running the website and the amount of money I spend on trying and reviewing food, this hobby can get pretty pricey. However, it brings me an immense amount of joy and I LOVE the connections I have made so for me it’s a trade-off I’m willing to make.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.glutenfreewdw.com
- Instagram: @glutenfreedisneyworld
- Facebook: Gluten-Free Disney World
- Youtube: @glutenfreedisneyworld
- Other: @glutenfreeuniversal (Instagram)
