Planning a day at Alton Towers when you have coeliac disease can take a little more planning than simply turning up hungry and hoping for the best. There are gluten free options available, but the choice can vary considerably between outlets, and Alton Towers' current allergy guidance makes it clear that food prepared in their kitchens cannot generally be described as completely gluten free because of the risk of cross-contact.
I recently visited Alton Towers and stayed at the CBeebies Land Hotel, so I had the opportunity to look at both the food available in the park and the practicalities of bringing my own food. I also asked other coeliacs about their experiences, and there were definitely some mixed reports.
So, if you're heading to Alton Towers with coeliac disease, here's what I found useful to know.
Alton Towers does cater for guests with allergies and dietary requirements, but its current guidance is worth reading before you visit.
The resort explains that food prepared and handled in its kitchens will not generally be described as "gluten free" because gluten is present within the food preparation environment. This is a blanket disclaimer used everywhere now though. Packaged gluten free alternatives may be available where appropriate - however their info online about this says gluten free alternatives have been temporarily suspended.
Alton Towers also currently says that some replacement gluten free products have been temporarily suspended while it reviews its offering with its catering partner, Aramark.
You can find the latest information here: Alton Towers allergy and special dietary information
This is particularly important because menus and available products can and do change regularly, so something another visitor ate six months ago isn't necessarily something you will find when you visit.
Honestly, if you have coeliac disease, I think taking some gluten free food with you is worth considering.
There are gluten free options around the park, but choice is limited depending on the outlet, and having something safe with you means you're not suddenly standing in the middle of Alton Towers contemplating whether a chocolate bar and ice cream is a satisfying lunch.
A chill bag is a really useful option if you're bringing sandwiches, wraps or other food that needs keeping cold. I took food with me in a chill bag and it worked really well for both the park and hotels.
If you don't fancy carrying your food around the park all day, park lockers are another option. You can leave a larger food bag in a locker and come back to it later rather than dragging it around every ride. Check the current locker locations, sizes and prices before your visit as these can change.
Taking your own food also means you can have a proper lunch and a few snacks available without having to rely entirely on what happens to be available on the day.
The official Alton Towers restaurant list includes a range of food outlets around the theme park, including Eastern Express, Burger Kitchen, Just Chicken, Explorers Pizza & Pasta, Oak in Chains, Rollercoaster Restaurant and the Courtyard, but don't rely on being able to find suitable food at all these. Always check the current allergen information before ordering.
Eastern Express
One of the more useful options I have heard is Eastern Express in Mutiny Bay. I didn't get chance to personally check but multiple others said they have been told that chips and bhajis are gluten free and cooked in a separate fryer. That's useful for anyone wanting something a little more interesting than a crushed cereal bar that's been in the emergency snack stash for a few months.
As always, I'd still recommend confirming the information when you visit as things do change.
Rollercoaster Restaurant
The Rollercoaster Restaurant is one of the more unusual places to eat at Alton Towers, and visitor reports suggest it can be possible to find gluten free options there. However this information is mixed so tread carefully!
One visitor told me they had food clearly marked with gluten free stickers and had a good experience with the burgers and chips so it is one to potentially check out but do have a backup plan.
Jacket potatoes
Jacket potatoes are another option that have come up in conversations with visitors and have been mentioned a few times on my Facebook page.
However, I wouldn't treat a jacket potato as automatically gluten free. You'll still need to check the fillings, toppings and preparation with the outlet on the day.
There have heard reports of jacket potatoes being available in CBeebies Land, but I couldn't find official Alton Towers information confirming this as a dedicated gluten free option, so I'd check before relying on it. They can also be found at a jacket potato and nacho outlet, but do check the suitability with staff
Gluten free pizza and other meals
Gluten free pizza has also been mentioned by visitors in the past, but availability appears to have changed over time. The pizza restaurant by Mine Train used to have gluten free pizza and pasta cooked separate but have disappeared over recent months so do make sure to check and no assume they still offer it, it could be due to the withdrawal of "gluten free alternatives" mentioned above and return back at some point.
This is one of the reasons I'd recommend checking directly with Alton Towers before your visit. gluten free offerings can disappear from menus quicker than my child disappears when it's time to leave Bing and his mates in Cbeebees land.
Crisps, chocolate and ice cream
If you're looking for snacks rather than a full meal, there are some things to look out for.
During my visit, the crisps I found for sale were Walkers, none of which are safe as all Walkers are may contain for wheat.
If you're unsure what a "may contain" warning actually means for coeliac disease, I've written more about it in my blog around may contain warnings.
I also have a guide to gluten free crisps if you want to know which brands and varieties are generally safe for coeliacs.
If you are looking for snacks more on the sweeter side, there were Cadbury products available, but as always with chocolate, don't assume that everything from the same brand is gluten free. When it comes to Cadbury some are safe, others aren't and the bars varied all over the park, some had Twirls and Wispas which are safe but others only had Dairy Milk which are may contain. Check the individual packaging for ingredients and allergen information.
I've got a full guide to gluten free chocolate and sweets if you wish to check it out.
If you prefer an ice cream there are a few choices found the park.
During my visit I found Magnums, Twisters, Calippos, Soleros and Haribo Push Ups which are all gluten free.
There was also Whippy ice cream, but the Whippy was served in a cone and no tub option, so unless you plan to eat it out of your hand unfortunately that one is off the cards.
As with everything else, check the current product and ingredients when you visit, as stock and brands can change.
If you're staying overnight, things get a little more complicated. Alton Towers currently says that its resort hotels provide allergen information, but do not provide menu adaptations or personalised allergen guidance. Guests are expected to use the allergen guide to choose suitable options, and restaurants will not adapt dishes.
You can read the current hotel dietary requirements information on Alton Towers website.
This is worth knowing before booking because older reviews and visitor experiences may describe a very different system, including chefs preparing separate food or discussing individual requirements. As of writing this in September 2026, the above info applies.
I've had people tell me about both really positive and really frustrating experiences at the hotels though. Some have said they did manage to get mediocre options at Cbeebies Windmill restaurant or Flambos while others have said opposite.
When it comes to breakfast some people have been given prepacked bread and cereal but other said they didn't (could be due to the suspension as mentioned above), some also said they got items like bacon and egg brought from the kitchen. All opinions were very hit and miss though, I eat out a lot yet didn't have enough faith to eat breakfast there myself.
If you're staying overnight and don't fancy relying on the hotel breakfast, bringing your own food is certainly worth considering and exactly what I did. I stayed at the CBeebies Land Hotel and used the mini fridge in my room to keep food chilled. I also brought M&S gluten free overnight oats along with a pint of milk for breakfast.
I did find the the mini fridge particularly helpful and these are in all the Cbeebies hotel rooms but are also available in some of the other hotels and accommodation.
Alton Towers also has information about which accommodation has fridges, although the exact facilities depend on the room or accommodation type.
When I checked in the lady on the reception asked if I had booked breakfast as it was included and I told her no due to having Coeliac. She went quiet for a few mins then asked if it was due to contamination. Well, yes. And then nothing else was mentioned. So that was that.
Because I knew I didn't want to spend the whole day trying to find food I could safely eat, I planned ahead.
I double checked on live chat that I had a mini fridge in my CBeebies Hotel room and I brought along a pot of M&S Made Without overnight oats for breakfast along with food for 2 days in the park. I couldn't check in until after 1pm (we had early check in) so food for day two was kept in a chill bag in the car while I took day one packed lunch in with me.
Day one I took in Tesco sushi pack, boiled eggs, Seabrooks crisps, Eat Natural cereal bars and fruit, filling lunch and plenty of snacks.
For lunch on day two, I had a Three Sweet Peakes (Crewe based gluten free baker who can be found on various local markets) cheese and bacon turnover that I'd bought the previous weekend and frozen at home. I transported it frozen in a chill bag and then kept it in the hotel fridge when we checked in to take in the park with other snacks the following day. And honestly? It was delicious.
That might sound like a lot of organisation for a theme park trip, but personally I'd rather spend half hour hour planning and preparing food at home than spend half my day wandering around Alton Towers asking "is this gluten free?"
I asked my Facebook community about their experiences eating gluten free at Alton Towers, and the answers were very mixed.
Some people reported really positive experiences, particularly at the hotel buffets, where staff had discussed allergens with them and brought food separately from the kitchen.
Others found the choice very limited and relied heavily on their own packed food. A few people said they had previously had a much better experience before changes to the catering provision.
There were also reports of gluten free bread, pizza, cereals and other products being available in previous visits but no longer being offered as I mentioned further up.
These are individual visitor experiences rather than guarantees of what you'll find when you visit, but they do give a useful picture of why planning ahead is sensible.
I'd say go prepared.
There are gluten free options available, and I did find bits I could eat, but I wouldn't visit Alton Towers expecting to be surrounded by an abundance of exciting gluten free food choices.
The biggest thing is that the current official allergy guidance is quite different from what some older reviews and visitor experiences describe. Products and procedures can change, so always check the current information before you go.
For me, the easiest way to make the day enjoyable was to take food I knew I could eat, use the park options as extras rather than relying on them, and have a few snacks tucked away.
That way I could concentrate on the important things: rides, screaming, trying not to lose my lunch on a rollercoaster.... Ok I lie. I hate rollercoasters! In reality the important thing was actually chasing a two year old around Cbeebies and wondering whether a 30 minute queue for In The Night Garden Boat Ride was really worth it.
If you're visiting Alton Towers with coeliac disease, I'd definitely recommend checking the official allergy information before travelling and taking some suitable food with you, particularly if you're visiting with children or staying overnight.
A little preparation can make the difference between spending your day enjoying Alton Towers and spending it hunting for something gluten free to eat.
