*More* Vegan and Vegetarian Dining Reviews! (May 9 - May 17) With lots of pictures!

[v_gan]

Introduction:

Me (Andrea) - I'll try anything once, as long as it's vegan :thumbsup2
Boyfriend (Jon) - Vegetarian, and a bit picky. Would rather have a veggie burger than anything else, but ends up enjoying nearly every restaurant we go to.

This trip was to celebrate our 4.5-year anniversary (Yes, we celebrate half-year anniversaries!) and me getting my Associate's degree.

I made our ADR's on our 90-day mark and got everything I wanted within a 30-minute range of the time I wanted. Between then and our trip, I cancelled our Yak and Yeti ADR and added on dinner at 'Ohana after reading a great review of Chef TJ. Unfortunately, we ended up with a different chef that night. You'll have to see how that turned out later on :goodvibes

So, here's where we ended up dining on our 9-day Disney celebration vacation:

Friday, May 9
Picnic lunch at Florida Welcome Center (Page 1)
San Angel Inn (Page 1)
Pop Century food court (Page 1)

Sunday, May 10
Tusker House (Page 1)
Plaza Restaurant (Page 2)

Monday, May 11
Frosty the Joe Man Coffee (BB) - (Page 2)
Pop Century Food Court (x2) - (Page 2)

Tuesday, May 12
Crystal Palace (Page 3)
Columbia Harbor House (Page 3)
Pop Century Food Court (Page 4)

Wednesday, May 13
Rose and Crown (Page 4)
Kaki Gori (Page 4)
Boma (Page 5)

Thursday, May 14
Restaurantasaurous (Page 5)
Dinoland frozen treat cart (Page 5)
Cantina de San Angel (Page 6)
Sunshine Seasons (Page 6)

Friday, May 15
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre (Page 6)
50s Prime Time Café (Page 7)
Min and Bill's Dockside Diner (Page 7)

Saturday, May 16
Golden Oak Outpost (Page 7)
Anaheim Produce (Page 7)
'Ohana (Page 8)

Sunday, May 17
Pop Century food court
Rainforest Cafe (DTD)

While I get to resizing my pictures, you can see my previous dining reviews by clicking the link in my signature. :)

[v_gan]

We started our drive to Orlando at 4:30 in the morning from Birmingham, AL. Around 11:30, we arrived at the Florida Welcome Center. I had packed sandwiches and snacks, so we found a picnic table and had our little picnic!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD1-4.jpg
Ta-da! Kind of ironic how we're both wearing shirts that are connected to Universal Orlando while on our way to Disney World, huh?

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD1-1.jpg
I brought Tofurky sandwiches on light wheat bread with lettuce and Veganaise. We also had baby carrots, pretzels, and cinnamon Teddy Grahams.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD1-2.jpg
Close-up of the sandwich.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD1-3.jpg
This is me with the free orange juice they give you at the welcome center. Man, is that stuff good!

________________________________________

We drove through the WDW entrance at exactly 3:00 and were heading into the Pop Century lobby about 20 minutes later. After checking in and bringing all our stuff into our room, we got on a bus for Epcot. We had ADRs for San Angel Inn at 6:45, but we checked in early and were seated 20 minutes prior to our reservations.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD1-14.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD1-6.jpg

We got a table right next to the water, so this was our view:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD1-15.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD1-12.jpg

I asked if I could see their vegetarian menu, and it was different than last time:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD1-5.jpg

Jon looking over the menu:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD1-8.jpg

"I want a picture in front of the pyramid, too!" :lmao:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD1-13.jpg

Our chips, salsa, and drink orders arrived soon.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD1-9.jpg
We both got a virgin strawberry daquiri and a glass of water. We actually ordered virgin frozen strawberry margaritas, but it said strawberry daquiri on our bill. We were charged half price, since there wasn't any alcohol.

We decided to share the Plato Vegetariano and we each ordered a side of Arroz Mexicano (Mexican rice served with peas)

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD1-10.jpg
"Great combination of sauteed mixed vegetables, served over a bed of flour tortillas and black beans."

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD1-11.jpg
This is the two tortillas that we pulled apart to share, so you can see the beans.

The vegetables were fresh and crisp, and the beans were warm and yummy. I prefer this new dish over the previous vegetarian entree they had, but I prefer the previous price to the current one :thumbsup2 It was a lot of money for vegetables and beans, so I'm glad we only ordered one plate. It's plenty to feed two people, if you order a side as well.

We both really enjoyed our meal, and we struggled to finish our rice. It was all very filling, so splitting the vegetarian plate was the best way to go for both of us.

________________________________________

After dinner we found a spot for Illuminations, watched the show, and headed back to Pop. We browsed through the souviner shop and got some snacks in the food court:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD1-16.jpg
This is where they store the vegan goodies!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD1-18.jpg
I got a package of Divvies chocolate chip cookies, and Jon got an Uncrustable PB&J and a banana. We also bought our refillable mugs while we were there.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD1-17.jpg
I loved these cookies! They were soft and the chocolate chips were gooey and yummy.

I was very happy with the offerings in the Pop food court. They were much more plentiful than what they had at All Star Movies in 2007.

Coming Up: Tusker House and Plaza Restaurant

[VillianinVogue]

Can't wait for more!!! I loved your last trip report!:upsidedow

[wellesleyprincess]

I'm excited. I'm a vegetarian working my way vegan (getting rid of dairy is HARD for me in part because I'm also allergic to wheat [eliminating restaurants typical pasta dishes]).

Oh and do you have any vegetarian/vegan restaurant reccomendations for Birmingham. I'm visiting a friend there in August (she goes to Samford if that helps with location any)

[AlohaPolynesian]

Yay! I love reading the vegetarian/vegan reviews. Can't wait to hear more!

[GoofySon'sMom]

Although I am not vegetarian, I do enjoy veggies and have often thought of ordering a vegetarian meal in Disney ... definitely in for this one to get some ideas!

[MickeyNicki]

While I love my beef and chicken I like the veggie items too....great review of SAI, cannot wait for more!

[jacksonsmom]

can't wait to see more

[v_gan]

Can't wait for more!!! I loved your last trip report!:upsidedow

Thanks! I've got plenty more to share :goodvibes

I'm excited. I'm a vegetarian working my way vegan (getting rid of dairy is HARD for me in part because I'm also allergic to wheat [eliminating restaurants typical pasta dishes]).

Oh and do you have any vegetarian/vegan restaurant reccomendations for Birmingham. I'm visiting a friend there in August (she goes to Samford if that helps with location any)

Good luck with your road to veganism :thumbsup2 It's a nice place. haha.

There really aren't very many choices for eating out in Birmingham. The best place in the city is definitely Bottletree Cafe (http://www.thebottletree.com/btmenu.html). It's a restaurant by day and a music venue by night. Their vegan chili won the city's best chili award a few years ago, and there's always at least one vegan dessert. You can substitue tofu or veg. meats for pretty much any entree on the menu. It's a small place, but it's nice :thumbsup2

There's also a natural grocery store called the Golden Temple downtown. They have a small cafe, but the food is horribly bland. There's a Whole Foods in Mountain Brook, which is just a few minutes away from downtown. Here's a veg restaurant guide for Birmingham: http://www.alabamavoiceforanimals.org/vegbham.html You can also go to HappyCow.net for a directory.

Yay! I love reading the vegetarian/vegan reviews. Can't wait to hear more!

Glad you'll be reading! :goodvibes

Although I am not vegetarian, I do enjoy veggies and have often thought of ordering a vegetarian meal in Disney ... definitely in for this one to get some ideas!

We had some awesome meals, so I hope you do end up getting some ideas :thumbsup2

While I love my beef and chicken I like the veggie items too....great review of SAI, cannot wait for more!

Thanks for reading!

can't wait to see more

Coming right up!

[v_gan]

Day 2 was our Animal Kingdom day, with Magic Kingdom EMH in the evening. We had a great morning! It was Mother's Day, so I recieved a red carnation upon entering the park (even though I'm not a mother, unless you count my cats). Me and Jon were also the first people on Expedition Everest for the day.

We went through Dinoland U.S.A. after rope drop, along with another group of about 5 people.The cast members at the bridge going towards E.E. guided us to the ride, with us walking behind a rope. When we got to the entrance, we went to get a Fastpass before riding. But some upper-level-looking cast member woman told us to wait where we were. She gave us Fastpasses, and told us to follow her through the line. The other group got their Fastpasses and left, so we were the only ones in the line. I'm still not sure why it happened, but it was awesome. We got more Fastpasses with our park tickets before heading to Kilimanjaro Safaris, so we got to ride E.E. three times that day with no line :thumbsup2

Our Tusker House ADR was for 11:35. We got there a few minutes late because we ran into Terk on the way and I had to stop for a picture :goodvibes.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-1.jpg

So, when we arrived at the restaurant, there was a ton of people waiting outside. I remembered that the restaurant didn't open for lunch until 11:30, and sure enough everyone was inside within a few minutes. We had to wait a few minutes, so we stood next to these guys for a while:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-2.jpg

On the way to our table:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-27.jpg

Once we were seated, we were greeted by our server, Joe. This is the ticket that was on our table:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-3.jpg

I had read that Disney Dining wasn't able to note "Vegan" on reservations, but it was on every single ticket we received during our trip. So, just a heads up for any vegans out there when making ADRs! They are able to note it.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-5.jpg
This is the view of the room we were in.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-4.jpg
And this is Jon, looking adorable.

For drinks, I ordered a glass of water and the Pangani Punch, which isn't included in the price of the buffet and isn't refillable. It's described as "A delightful blend of Orange, Pineapple, and Cranberry Juices, with Strawberry Puree"
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-6.jpg
Good thing it wasn't refillable, because I didn't like it! The cranberry juice in it gave much too tart of an aftertaste. Yuck. After this drink, I gave up on the expensive fruit drinks. Just not worth it.

So, when our server came back he asked us if we would like the chef to show us around the buffet to show us what we could eat. I, of course, said yes. I can't remember the chef's name off the top of my head, but he was very helpful. He walked us around the buffet, pointing out the things I could eat and also pointing out why I couldn't eat certain other dishes.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-26.jpg

He said the tandorri tofu and samosas shared a fryer with meat products, so he offered to make some in a separate fryer for me. He also said the green beans were cooked with butter, but said he could make some with olive oil. There was a Greek pasta he said he could make without the Feta cheese. I didn't really want that, but he kind of insisted, saying it was really good. So I said ok. I wish I hadn't asked for the green beans, because there was a green bean salad that I could have on another cart that was really good.

Anyway.. After the chef showed us around, we started filling up our plates:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-7-1.jpg
My first plate. Consists of roasted potatoes, green bean and red onion salad, curried rice salad with golden raisins, Tunisian couscous salad, saffron-infused root vegetables and cabbage, and Marakesh couscous (wasn't named on the buffet, but it was the same stuff we had at Boma later in the week by this name). The Marakesh couscous was by far my favorite thing on the buffet! Everything else was good, except for the curried rice salad. I didn't like the taste of the rice, or the inclusion of the golden rasins.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-8.jpg
Jon's first plate. Consists of green beans, mashed potatoes, corn and carrots, roasted potatoes, and the Marakesh couscous.

A few minutes later:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-9.jpg

Before we got up to get another plate, we were brought this:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-11.jpg
Tandoori tofu with spiced vegetables and Orzo pasta

And this:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-12.jpg
Vegetable samosas and green beans with garlic.

The tandoori tofu was gross. I didn't like it at all. I can't remember why, but it was just bad. I didn't like the orzo pasta, either. It had way too much of an olive taste. I like olives, but this was way too strong. It was almost like the pasta was boiled in olive juice. It literally tasted like pure sodium. The green beans were quite bland, and not nearly as good as the green bean salad that was pre-made on the buffet. The vegetable samosas were good. Our server reccomended we try them with some of the chutneys, so that's what I got next:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-15.jpg
Hummus, mango chutney, mixed dried fruit chutney.

I freakin' LOVED the mixed dried fruit chutney! It was so good! I got a few pieces of pita bread to eat with it. The hummus, I didn't like. The mango chutney was good, but not my favorite.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-16.jpg
Me eating my samosas!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-13.jpg
Jon's next plate: Mixed fruit salad, hummus, pita bread, tandoori tofu, and peal couscous with sweet basil.

He really like the pearl couscous and the hummus. I got mad at him for getting the tofu from the buffet when there was no way I could finish the tofu that was brought to our table by myself. haha. I hate wasting food!

The chef had offered to get me a frozen strawberry bar or some non-dairy ice cream, but after all this we couldn't eat another bite. So no dessert for us!

We talked to our server for a while about how he got to go to the Pixar Animation Studios in CA and about how A Bug's Life was our favorite Pixar movie. He said Flik was his hero, too, so it was fun to talk to him! :goodvibes (By the way, meeting Flik was one of my main goals on this trip. I'll show you what happened with that later! :cloud9:)

To close things up for Tusker House, here's a few random pictures throughout the restaurant's buffet area:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-17.jpg
Everything on this cart was vegan-safe.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-18.jpg
*Favorite dish on the right!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-19.jpg
Chutneys, hummus, taboulli. Everything on this cart was vegan-safe, except for that stuff on the far left. I'm pretty sure that's just butter, but I can't remember and can't tell what it is from the picture. Either way, pretty obvious that butter isn't vegan.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-20.jpg
I don't think anything on this cart was vegan, except for the salad greens and the fruit on top. It's possible some of the vinegarettes were vegan, but I didn't want salad so I must not have paid attention to what the chef said.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-22.jpg
The breads. The chef said the pita bread was ok, as well as the chocolate mango bread. I was a little iffy on the chocolate mango bread since most chocolate contains dairy, so I didn't get any. It could have just been cocoa powder, but still. Pita bread is usually safe, so I trusted him on that.

Verdict: Tusker House is a FANTASTIC meal for both vegetarians and vegans. There's plenty to eat, and you definitely get your money's worth. I absolutely loved this restaurant, and it will be a must-do on our next trip.

I've met my picture limit for this post, so..

Coming Up: Extra pictures of the buffet area at Tusker House and The Plaza

[iluvpluto27]

I'm really enjoying your reviews. My DH is vegetarian so I love reading veggie dining reviews to get ideas of new places to try.

[v_gan]

Since I met my picture limit on my previous post, here's the extra pictures I took inside Tusker House:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-21.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-25.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-23.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-24.jpg

The theming in here was great, and the lighting was lovely with the sun being able to shine in through the roof.

Still Coming Up: Plaza Restaurant

[koima]

Yippee, another vegetarian review! I have been searching through the site for healthy menu options around the World and stumbled on your first review. I'm happy to see you're back with another review!

I'm not vegetarian (eat fish and very limited poultry) but I mostly eat vegetarian at home and am excited to see pictures of the options!

[v_gan]

I'm really enjoying your reviews. My DH is vegetarian so I love reading veggie dining reviews to get ideas of new places to try.

I'm glad you're enjoying them! Thanks for reading :)

[v_gan]

Yippee, another vegetarian review! I have been searching through the site for healthy menu options around the World and stumbled on your first review. I'm happy to see you're back with another review!

I'm not vegetarian (eat fish and very limited poultry) but I mostly eat vegetarian at home and am excited to see pictures of the options!

Thanks for reading! I've got plenty more to share, so stay tuned ;)

[v_gan]

First off, let me say that I was really looking forward to eating at The Plaza. The outside of the restaurant as well as the decor inside were always so pretty when I saw them in pictures. I loved all the mirrors and the turqouise colors, with the golden light fixtures. So pretty!

We had reservations for 6:10. So, after we left AK, we headed to the Magic Kingdom for dinner and evening EMH. We arrived at the restaurant right at 6:10, but there was a line for check-in and the Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It parade was coming back up Main Street, so I walked over to take some pictures of that. I liked seeing Lumiere in the parade. :goodvibes That was neat.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-29.jpg

I checked us in a few minutes after our reservation time, and we recieved our pager and found a seat.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-30.jpg

We waited 20 minutes to be seated. It was pretty ridiculous. I mean, how long does it really take to either eat or make a sandwich? I think this was the longest wait we had on our trip, so we were already off to a bad start.

When we were finally to be seated, we had a grumpy old hag take us to our table, which was convenientally located 6 inches away from the swinging kitchen doors and 6 inches (if that) away from the table of another couple.

Picture of the doors directly to our right:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-37.jpg

The grumpy old hag plopped this giant binder onto our table and told me to look through it and see what I wanted:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-31.jpg

I thought this was completely rude and uncalled for. Do you see how big that thing is?! I had to look though that entire binder to find the ingredients for all the components of the vegetarian sandwich. A few minutes later, the woman came back and asked if I knew what I wanted. I told her I hadn't had time to look though the entire thing and she seemed aggravated and/or flustered and started quickly flipping through the binder, trying to show me different breads and basically nothingness. I was just embarrassed by the whole thing, to be honest.

She left, and I finally found the page with all the ingredients for the vegetarian sandwich:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-32.jpg

Bread was out; it contained whey and was baked with cheese on top. Cheese was obviously a no-go, and the pesto also had cheese.

So I was left with the single choice of a baguette with hummus and vegetables. Now, normally this would make a pretty good sandwich. But not so at the Plaza Restaurant.

This is what I ended up with:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-38.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-39.jpg

The bread was horribly dry and tasteless. The vegetables were cold and mushy. The hummus offered pretty much no flavor whatsoever. It was the most bland sandwich I have ever tasted in my life. The fries were good, but I ran out of ketchup and our server never brought me any more.

Jon got the regular vegetarian sandwich:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-40.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-41.jpg
From the way he described it, it wasn't much better than what I recieved. Every time he picked it up, a tablespoon or two of liquid would drip out of the sandwich. It was disgusting. It looked like milky cheese water mixed with tomato juice. Ugh. So nasty.

This is me, almost humorously being completely dissappointed and sad about the whole experience:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-35.jpg
I say humorously because this was a complete 180 of what our experience was like at Tusker House just a few hours earlier. It was crazy how different the service was between the two.

And this is Jon, being angry and upset at the restaurant for making me feel bad while we were inside the Magic Kingdom:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-36.jpg

After our meal was over, we got our bill. It took forever to get a reciept, because our waiter obviously forgot about us. He walked by five times before he stopped and asked if everything was ok. I normally wouldn't care about geting a reciept, but I like keeping up with all my spending at Disney. It was horrible sitting there for such a long time after such an awful meal.

The only good thing about the whole experience was knowing that this was outside waiting for me when it was over:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD2-42.jpg

Verdict: I will never step foot in this restaurant again. Never. It was embarassing and humiliating to be treated like that, and the food I recieved was absolutely horrible. We only left a one dollar tip, and while I felt bad doing it at that time.. Looking back, they didn't even deserve that. It was such an awful experience, and I'm just glad this was a one-time thing. Disney service is so much better than this, and I hope this was just my personal experience and not an everyday occurance.

Coming Up: Blizzard Beach snacks and more Pop Century food court! (aka the boring day of food).

[h0cusp0kus]

Wow, your pictures are gorgeous! Great reviews so far :thumbsup2

[lisalisalisa]

Great reviews and photos. We are a veggie family :)

[budbeerlady]

I am so sorry your Plaza meal was so bad. There is NO excuse for how they acted, how hard is it to quick ask the kitchen what can they make that is Vegan?!??!? Since you have your receipt with info on it I would enclose a copy and write them about your experience. I had a good veggie sandwich there but it was a year ago, maybe it went down hill. For vegetarian at MK I stick with my favorites at Columbia Harbor.

Cannot wait to read the rest!!!!!

[Jenvenza]

Great reviews! I always love reading vegan and veggie reviews!

[gardengirl628]

Just found your report! Great pictures and great reviews! Can't wait to read more!

[v_gan]

Wow, your pictures are gorgeous! Great reviews so far :thumbsup2

Thank you so much! :goodvibes

Great reviews and photos. We are a veggie family :)

Thank you :)

I am so sorry your Plaza meal was so bad. There is NO excuse for how they acted, how hard is it to quick ask the kitchen what can they make that is Vegan?!??!? Since you have your receipt with info on it I would enclose a copy and write them about your experience. I had a good veggie sandwich there but it was a year ago, maybe it went down hill. For vegetarian at MK I stick with my favorites at Columbia Harbor.

Cannot wait to read the rest!!!!!

Well, it wasn't your fault! :lmao: It really must have been just my experience, because I swear we saw a chef or someone go to another family's table a few times to talk to them, check on them, and make sure their meal was ok. I have considered e-mailing Disney about it, but I never caught the name of that horrible woman. I'd just rather it be over it, so I'm not going to worry about it :goodvibes

Great reviews! I always love reading vegan and veggie reviews!

Thank you! I'm glad you'll be reading.

Just found your report! Great pictures and great reviews! Can't wait to read more!

Thanks! More reviews are coming right up ;)

[v_gan]

Today was our boring day of food. I'm not saying the food we had was boring, just the fact that we ate at the same place twice in one day :rolleyes:

This morning we got to sleep in an extra hour. :cool1: But we still had to have time to go to the concierge and add on the Water Parks and More option (plus an extra theme park day) to our tickets. So, after doing that, we headed to Blizzard Beach. After finishing all the slides around 11:30, I wanted to go around and take some pictures. Jon hates it when I take tons of pictures, but that's one of the main things I like to do at Disney! I felt bad for making him walk around with me, so I bought him a sugar cookie he had been eyeing earlier to cheer him up:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD3-1.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD3-2.jpg
(Sorry for the bare skin in the background.)

This boy loves his sugar cookies, so no complaints here :thumbsup2

After spending a bit more time in the park, we decided to call it a day and go back to the resort so we could get to DHS a little earlier than planned. When we got back to Pop, we showered and went to the food court. It wasn't crowded at all at this time of the day.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD3-5.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD3-6.jpg

I decided to go to the station with the vegetable lo mein I had read so much about:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD3-3.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD3-4.jpg

They had ran out of the veggie lo mein, and oddly enough the next five people that got in line after me ordered the same thing. :confused3 So we all waited for the next batch, which only took a few minutes.

I got my Vegetable Lo Mein and picked up some (expensive) grapes:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD3-7.jpg

Close-up:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD3-8.jpg
It doesn't look like it, but GOLLY, that was a lot of food! It was definitely packed in there. I really liked it. Honestly, I like anything with noodles. I added some soy sauce to mine to give it a bit more flavor, but it was really good the way it was. The vegetables were cooked all the way through, yet still nice and crisp. The grapes weren't so good. They were a bit mushy, so I never finished them.

Jon got the veggie burger with cheese, and he picked up some grapes, as well.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD3-9.jpg
Jon loves veggie burgers, so he obviously loved his meal :)

After lunch, we headed back to the room to get ready for our evening EMH at DHS. I was hoping we would be able to grab dinner at Backlot Express, but it was closed by the time we got there around 6:00. So, we didn't worry about eating while we were there and we had a great time enjoying all the rides and attractions without a wait. We ran into some streetmosphere characters, took some Photopass pictures, met Mike and Sulley, rode Star Tours, watched Muppets 3-D, rode RnRC twice, did the Great Movie Ride, shopped for a bit, and I honestly lost count how many times we rode Tower of Terror. At least 5 or 6.

All in less than five hours! It was fantastic!

After such a busy night, we were really hungry when we got back to Pop. We dropped off all our stuff in the room and rode the elevator with this tempting poster inside:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD3-13.jpg

The food court had a few more people in it than it did earlier, but it was by no means crowded at 11:00.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD3-11.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD3-14.jpg

Jon got the vegetable lasagne and an extra side of breadsticks:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD3-15.jpg
I remember him liking it, and that's all I've got :)

I decided to switch it up and get the veggie burger with fries. I really like the little cups they have with the lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles in them. They're so cute.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD3-16.jpg

I also got a cup of vegetable soup:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD3-18.jpg
The soup was good, and I'm definitely glad I got it because just the burger and fries didn't fill me up completely. The soup finished me off! :laughing:

Verdict: We may have eaten at the same place twice in one day, but there was enough variety to keep us both satisfied. I loved the Pop food court!

Coming Up: Crystal Palace, Columbia Harbor House, and Pop Century food court (yes, again!)

[dpndka]

Great review so far! Looking forward to next installment. Thanks! :thumbsup2

[Jenvenza]

Jon got the veggie burger with cheese, and he picked up some grapes, as well.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD3-9.jpg
Jon loves veggie burgers, so he obviously loved his meal :)



I dont know what it was about the veggie burgers at Pop! - But I think it was the best veggie burger I have ever eaten! So good!

[Whistlewhileyouwork]

Great review!! This is really going to help DH and I plan where we would like to eat in August. THANKS!!

Question... Did you call ahead and talk to any of the chefs and let them know that you were vegan and vegetarian?

[mmmears]

Great reviews and photos so far. I'm looking forward to rest of your dining reviews. Thanks for posting!:)

[mrsturtle]

great reviews and really nice photos!!! looking forward to crystal palace. loving the vegetarian reviews. these are a great help as my sister is vegetarian and her husband vegan- i need to consider options for them on our upcoming trip. anxiously standing by for your next review....

thanks!!! :flower3:

[tloveswdw]

This is a great TR! We are a veggie family, (we strive to lead a vegan life), so this is great to read!

Great pics!

[BabyPiglet]

Great reviews! :)

[v_gan]

Great review so far! Looking forward to next installment. Thanks! :thumbsup2

Thank you!

I dont know what it was about the veggie burgers at Pop! - But I think it was the best veggie burger I have ever eaten! So good!

Seriously! That was a really good veggie burger. If I have other choices, I'll pick anything but a veggie burger, but this one was really good.

Great review!! This is really going to help DH and I plan where we would like to eat in August. THANKS!!

Question... Did you call ahead and talk to any of the chefs and let them know that you were vegan and vegetarian?

No, I didn't call ahead. I always mean to, and I was especially planning on calling ahead for 'Ohana. But we've never had any trouble before, so I don't really see the benefit of it. I suppose if you were wanting a certain soup or some other dish made without dairy or with vegetable stock it may be worth it, though. I remember reading that someone had gotten a chef to make a batch of the strawberry soup at 1900 Park Fare without the dairy.

All I ever do is have them note 'vegan' and 'vegetarian' when I'm making our ADRs. I was given a hint that they aren't able to note 'vegan' on reservations, so you should note that you have an allergy to dairy, egg, and shellfish. But I regret to say that this really just created confusion when the chef came. They all knew what vegan meant, and they were happy to help us with that. So I'll just continue to note 'vegan' on our ADRs in the future, which they are able to do :thumbsup2

Great reviews and photos so far. I'm looking forward to rest of your dining reviews. Thanks for posting!:)

Thanks for reading!

great reviews and really nice photos!!! looking forward to crystal palace. loving the vegetarian reviews. these are a great help as my sister is vegetarian and her husband vegan- i need to consider options for them on our upcoming trip. anxiously standing by for your next review....

thanks!!! :flower3:

Crystal Palace review will be up tonight!

This is a great TR! We are a veggie family, (we strive to lead a vegan life), so this is great to read!

Great pics!

Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it :goodvibes

Great reviews! :)

Thanks!

[v_gan]

Today was our full Magic Kingdom day! So, of course, this was our first day of rain :rolleyes: Luckily that didn't start till later in the day!

We just barely made it in time to watch the opening show. After the show, we got a few Photopass pictures made and headed to our #1 Must-Do: Pirates of the Caribbean. After Pirates, we headed to Frontierland and got Fastpasses for BTMRR, then got in line. We were able to ride twice without getting off! It was great :goodvibes On our way to Liberty Squaure, we ran into Donald in his Davy Crockett outfit, so we stopped for pictures. Then we rode our all-time favorite: The Haunted Mansion. After HM, it was Peter Pan FPs, Carousel, Snow White, Mickey and Minnie's houses, the train, Splash Mountain (we got lucky and got there right after they re-opened after being broken down - so no line!), and Splash FPs.

Then we headed to the Crystal Palace for our 11:45 ADR!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/CP.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-2.jpg

It was a madhouse at the podium for a while, since I suppose they had opened for lunch just a short time before. But we found a seat on the porch and waited for our names to be called:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-3.jpg

View from our seats:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-4.jpg

Tip: Be sure you either get a seat or stand close to the podium/entrance, or you won't hear you name being called. It's very loud out there, so it's hard to hear the hostess. We barely heard her when our name was called, but luckily Jon noticed. We only waited about 10 minutes.

We were led into the dining room on the left upon entering the restaurant, and our table had been decorated with confetti in the shape of a heart!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-6.jpg

Our server saw me taking pictures of the table, so he offered to take one of the two of us:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-5.jpg

Here are some pictures of the view from our table..

To the left:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-7.jpg

To the right:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-8.jpg

Out the window:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-9.jpg

Random pictures taken throughout the restaurant:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-24.jpg
Topiaries directly in front of you upon entering.

Looking up upon entering:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-38.jpg

Buffet area details:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-27.jpg

Our server initially didn't notice the dietary requirments on our ticket. He came back after taking our drink orders and asked if we would like to see a chef. I said yes, and the chef came out a few minutes later. He walked us through the buffet, noting what was vegan and what wasn't. I don't believe I was offered any type of dessert (like non-dairy ice cream) here, but I can't remember.

When we got back to our seats, Eeyore was coming around. So we waited for him before going back to the buffet. Time to whip out those autograph books!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-10.jpg

Pictures with the characters:

Eeyore
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-11.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-33.jpg

Tigger
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-12.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD12.jpg

Piglet
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-21.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-22.jpg

Pooh
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-23.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-36.jpg
(Horrible picture of me, by the way)

All the characters spent just as much time with us as any of the kids in the room. It was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed finally getting to meet P-p-piglet :goodvibes

I'm at my picture limit, so the food will be showcased in the next post!

Crystal Palace, continued next!

[gardengirl628]

That's not a bad picture of you!!! All those pictures are great! Can't wait for more!

[v_gan]

We didn't wait for all the characters to come by before hitting the buffet, by the way. I just wanted to get all those out of the way before jumbling all the pictures of food and characters together :thumbsup2

So we'll start off with pictures of the buffet!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-37.jpg
The buffet area, as a whole. Both sides were identical, except for some differences in the dessert sections.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-13.jpg
The breads. Ok, either all of these were vegan, or just the first ones on the left were. I can't remember which the chef said. But I do know that I only got the first one. So either it was just that one, or I didn't want to fill up on bread :laughing:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-14.jpg
Variety of salads. Vegan items: Moroccan Couscous and Parsley salad, Soybean salad, Seedless Cucumber and Pickled Ginger salad. Everything else either had cheese, dairy, or meat.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-15.jpg
Close-up of the three vegan items.

Moving on to the hot foods..
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-16.jpg
Vegan items: Broccoli with Puri Puri and Key Lime Ponzo (no clue what this is), and Fall Vegetables with Arugula Oil

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-17.jpg
Vegan items: Curry Vegetables with Rice Noodles

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-18.jpg
Vegan items: Cinnamon and Lemon-Infused Basmati Rice, Ratatouille

My first plate:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-19.jpg
Consists of: roll, soybean salad, broccoli, curry noodles, cucumber and ginger salad, fall vegetables, and the couscous salad

The roll was just a roll. Nothing special. While the soybean salad was nice, I didn't get seconds. I loved the broccoli! It was cooked perfectly. There are few things greater than perfectly cooked broccoli. Again, I love noodles. So the curry noodles were great. The cucumber and ginger salad was nice and fresh, but I didn't want more after that. I liked the fall vegetables because they were nice and crisp. And I honestly can't remember anything about the couscous salad.

Jon's first plate:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-20.jpg
(So sad, I know) Consists of: Salad with some kind of dressing, a pickle spear, a slice of bread, broccoli, and a tiny helping of macaroni and cheese. I heard no comments about these items, except that the broccoli was good. I can't imagine any of the other items being anything special.

My second plate:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-25.jpg
Consists of: More broccoli, curry noodles, and fall vegetables. This time I got some of the basmati rice and the ratatouille. Ohh, I wish I had gotten these two on my first plate! The ratatouille was SO good, especially mixed with the rice! I really, really liked them both. This was a fantastic plate of food. All my favorites together on one plate :thumbsup2

Jon's second plate:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-26.jpg
(Can you tell who the food-lover is by now?) Consists of: Mashed potatoes, broccoli, and ratatouille. No comments!

I wasn't going to let another buffet go by without getting some kind of dessert, so I decided to get a small plate of fruit:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-31.jpg
Grapes and strawberries

I walked with Jon to the dessert section so he could get some goodies:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-29.jpg
No vegan items here. Only the fruit!

Jon's desserts, as a whole:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-30.jpg
I included this to show the soft-serve ice cream with chocolate sprinkles he got.

Here's a close-up of the rest:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-32.jpg
Consists of: Boston cream pie, lemon square, strawberries, and some apple crisp (I believe). I think he said he liked the apple crisp the best.

After we finished our desserts (yes, after we finished our desserts), our server brought us this:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-34.jpg
A cupcake and a card with all the character's signatures!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-35.jpg
Here's the inside of the card.

It was a very nice gesture, but the cupcake was definitely straight out of the freezer. Jon just picked the icing off and set it aside so he could just eat the cake portion. Didn't want to seem rude, you know :goodvibes

So, we took some last minute pictures:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-39.jpg

And headed out the door!
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-40.jpg

Verdict: Crystal Palace has awesome food for vegans and vegetarians. Definitely not as much variety as Tusker House or Boma (which I'll review soon!), but it's the best TS lunch option for a day at the Magic Kingdom. As much as I love the themeing of Liberty Tree Tavern, I would have to say that CP is my favorite table service restaurant in the park now.

Coming Up: Columbia Harbor House and Pop food court

[mmmears]

I'm loving your dining reviews and photos -- you're showing many items that no-one ever shows on the reviews and that & your descriptions really make this a great thread! Thank you for sharing! While we are not vegetarians, we are not big meat-eaters and try to order the healthier items when we go out, so this is really helping me pick which restaurants we want to try out on our next trip to WDW.:goodvibes

[disnut1149]

Hi
Thanks for your great reviews!! You are such a cute couple!! I don't eat any meat, so I'm always happy when I see some vegetarian reviews.

[Laura]

Your reviews are awesome! And I love your photos with Pooh and friends. So cute! :)

[v_gan]

That's not a bad picture of you!!! All those pictures are great! Can't wait for more!

Thanks! I'll be adding a new post today :)

I'm loving your dining reviews and photos -- you're showing many items that no-one ever shows on the reviews and that & your descriptions really make this a great thread! Thank you for sharing! While we are not vegetarians, we are not big meat-eaters and try to order the healthier items when we go out, so this is really helping me pick which restaurants we want to try out on our next trip to WDW.:goodvibes

I'm glad you're enjoying the reviews!

Hi
Thanks for your great reviews!! You are such a cute couple!! I don't eat any meat, so I'm always happy when I see some vegetarian reviews.

Aw, thanks :) I'm glad you're liking the reviews.

Your reviews are awesome! And I love your photos with Pooh and friends. So cute! :)

Thanks!

[v_gan]

After Crystal Palace, we headed to Tomorrowland and grabbed some FPs for Buzz and then went to the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor. This was our first time trying this attraction, and we loved it! We weren't expecting much at all, but we thought it was hilarious and we laughed the whole time. I got put up on the screen as the person who "Likes to be the center of attention" haha. After Tomorrowland, we went to get FPs for Winnie the Pooh and got some "Suprise Fastpasses" for Mickey's Phillarmagic. We didn't need them, as the wait was only 5 minutes all day. But they were cool to keep as a souvenir!

One of my main goals for today was to see Jack Sparrow, since I have a slight obsession (complete understatement there) with the POTC movies. So we got to Adventureland about 15 minutes before the Pirate Tutorial and found our spots. Our Jack Sparrow didn't smile very much, but he didn't look bad at all :goodvibes It was a good show, overall. I ended up getting picked to join Jack's crew at the end of the show (I got picked on our last trip, too!). It's so nice to know (and have documentation) that I'm under the protection of the one and only Captain Jack Sparrow. *sigh* :lovestruc

On our way to dinner in Liberty Square, we stopped to watch the Country Bears. I hadn't seen the show in years, and me and Jon had never gone to see it together, so it was a lot of fun. Oh, yes, this is a dining review! :laughing: Back to the main topic: Food.

We had to eat dinner early today, since Columbia Harbor House closed at 5:00, and I just had to eat here during our trip. And, really, I love this place. But how many signs does one restaurant need?

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-43.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-44.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-45.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-42.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-58.jpg

Hahaha. So excessive, but I love them all!

We arrived at CHH around 4:30 and it wasn't crowded at all.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-46.jpg
The only downside to the restaurant not being crowded is that the upstairs dining area was roped off :sad2: I was really looking forward to eating up there. Oh well.

So, we got in line and ordered our food:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-47.jpg

I found us a little nook to eat in while Jon waited on his order:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-48.jpg

I only chose this area because you could see the Haunted Mansion outside the window:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-49.jpg
Well, and because it was empty.

I ordered the Lighthouse Sandwich without the broccoli slaw (contains dairy), a bowl of Vegetarian Chili, and a Diet Coke.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-50.jpg
I forgot to say whether I wanted fries or chips, so they gave me chips. I wanted fries, but that was my fault. At least these were the good chips, and not something icky like Lays.

Jon just ordered a bowl of chili because he was still full from lunch. Heck, I was still full, too, but I wanted that sandwich! ;)

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-51.jpg
Awesome sandwich, as usual! I love their hummus, and the bread was wonderfully toasty.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-52.jpg
Vegetarian Chili. Super warm and yummy! I always forget that the chili is topped with those little crackers.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-53.jpg
The crackers *do* contain dairy, so if you don't want them on there, be sure to order them without! I just scooped mine into Jon's bowl. haha.

Verdict: Columbia Harbor House is my favorite counter service restaurant in the Magic Kingdom. The food is warm and comforting, and I absolutely love it's location and theming. If you can eat upstairs, do it! It offers a great view of Liberty Square. Thumbs up to CHH for remaining awesome throughout the years :thumbsup2

Coming Up: Pop Century Food Court late night snack

[jmkford4]

I love your reviews! I am vegetarian bordering on vegan and it is so nice to hear about all the good food. We are going for our very first trip, and I am pleasantly surprised to hear I don't have to eat salad and fries every day!

[Walt Disney Worlders]

:thumbsup2Great review! Looking forward to reading more.

Interesting about the noting vegan thing. I'm glad to hear that they changed it since last fall. Every CM I spoke with last fall I was told it could not be done.:confused3 Seemed silly at the time, but who knows!

[Whistlewhileyouwork]

:thumbsup2Great review! Looking forward to reading more.

Interesting about the noting vegan thing. I'm glad to hear that they changed it since last fall. Every CM I spoke with last fall I was told it could not be done.:confused3 Seemed silly at the time, but who knows!

Nice blog!:thumbsup2

[torsie24]

Great review so far!!!

Thank you so much for all the veggie info! We don't eat much meat at all, so this is very helpful for us!

Wonderful photos too! :teeth:

[PrincessEeyore]

Thank you so much for the detailed reviews! While I'm not vegan, just vegetarian, I'm only 16 so my parents' don't really take my diet into consideration when we vacation. Your reviews are very helpful and the pictures are gorgeous! You've made me veryyy excited for my trip to WDW in October. :goodvibes
Looking forward to the next update!

[chloelovesdisney]

Great reviews! We have a vegan in the family, so this is really helpful info!!! I like to make sure that everyone will be happy with the dining choices. :)

[Sehsun]

I am really enjoying your detailed dining reviews (and pictures)! I am a vegetarian and enjoy seeking out places where I can find something good to eat on the menu (that isn't a salad!).

I enjoyed the Lighthouse Sandwich @ CHH and so did my mom, who isn't a vegetarian. :)

[v_gan]

I love your reviews! I am vegetarian bordering on vegan and it is so nice to hear about all the good food. We are going for our very first trip, and I am pleasantly surprised to hear I don't have to eat salad and fries every day!

I'm glad you're enjoying them! You definitely don't have to eat salad and fries all day :) There are so many options at Disney, especially for a vegetarian!

:thumbsup2Great review! Looking forward to reading more.

Interesting about the noting vegan thing. I'm glad to hear that they changed it since last fall. Every CM I spoke with last fall I was told it could not be done.:confused3 Seemed silly at the time, but who knows!

I was suprised, too, since I don't think they noted it on our last trip. But I'm really glad they're able to note it now!

Great review so far!!!

Thank you so much for all the veggie info! We don't eat much meat at all, so this is very helpful for us!

Wonderful photos too! :teeth:

I'm glad the reviews are helpful! There aren't too many veg dining reviews on here, so I like to come back with plenty of pictures :thumbsup2

Thank you so much for the detailed reviews! While I'm not vegan, just vegetarian, I'm only 16 so my parents' don't really take my diet into consideration when we vacation. Your reviews are very helpful and the pictures are gorgeous! You've made me veryyy excited for my trip to WDW in October. :goodvibes
Looking forward to the next update!

You're welcome! You won't have any trouble eating around WDW. There are so plenty options. :goodvibes

Great reviews! We have a vegan in the family, so this is really helpful info!!! I like to make sure that everyone will be happy with the dining choices. :)

That's very nice of you to consider other's diets when making the dining choices! :thumbsup2

I am really enjoying your detailed dining reviews (and pictures)! I am a vegetarian and enjoy seeking out places where I can find something good to eat on the menu (that isn't a salad!).

I enjoyed the Lighthouse Sandwich @ CHH and so did my mom, who isn't a vegetarian. :)

The Lighthouse Sandwich is super yummy. I try to avoid salad at all cost when eating out, so there definitely isn't much lettuce in my reviews ;)

[v_gan]

After CHH, we used our Fastpasses for Winnie the Pooh and Buzz. We also saw Mickey's Phillharmagic. And then came the rain. We ducked into the Enchanted Tiki Room (a first for me!) to get out of the rain. It was still raining when we got out, so we rode Pirates and HM multiple times, then It's a Small World, and then stopped for some pretty pictures of the castle:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-54-1.jpg

After that, we found a spot for Wishes and watched the show. After Wishes, we did some browsing in the shops on Main Street and headed back to Pop. Jon eats really late at home, so he was hungry. We stopped in the food court for some "snacks":

He got the veggie burger with cheese:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-55-1.jpg
(Yes, again - But it really is a good veggie burger!)

I got some hummus, Wheat Thins, and some more cookies:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-56-1.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD4-57-1.jpg
The hummus was ok, but with Wheat Thins? Ugh. Gross. I wish I had had some pretzels or something. I completely forgot we had pretzels in the room. Otherwise, I would have just taken the hummus back with us. The cookies were obviously awesome :goodvibes

I wanted to try the olive tapenade, but it contained anchovies. (boo!)

Coming Up: Rose and Crown, Kaki Gori, Boma

[torsie24]

Mmmm, that veggie burger looks so tasty!!

Can you get them places other than Pop?

[v_gan]

Today was our full Epcot day! It was also our 4 1/2-year anniversary day. I had originally planned for us to watch the Electric Water Pageant on the beach at the Polynesian, but that didn't work out. So we just spent the whole day at Epcot.

Our morning consisted of meeting Daisy and Stitch near the park entrance, riding Soarin', going to the Character Spot, riding Test Track and Mission Space, and exploring the Mexico and Norway pavillions.

Then it was time for our 12:00 ADR at Rose and Crown! So we headed to the United Kingdom pavillion and checked in:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-1.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-2.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-3.jpg

We got our pager..
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-4.jpg
..and found a seat in the shade until our name was called seconds later.

We were seated in a little corner:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-5.jpg

Right next to the pub area:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-6.jpg

I can't remember our server's name, but she was the sweetest woman. I seriously loved everyone that worked here. Maybe it was just their accents, but they were all adorable and just so nice. Our server got the chef to come out and talk to us. He said the vegetable curry dish was vegan, but he could also make me something else if I preferred. I can't recall what he said he could make. It was something with a bunch of vegetables and perhaps barley? I can't remember. But I ordered the Vegetable Curry:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-7.jpg
It was all SO good. The bread was seasoned with salt and pepper and it was perfectly warm and soft. the vegetables were cooked perfectly, and the curry sauce was mild and super yummy. I just wish the serving had been larger!

Jon ordered a bowl of Potato Leek Soup:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-8.jpg
We didn't inquire about the stock that was used, so I can't comment on that. I wish Jon had ordered the vegetable curry, because he was still hungry after he was done and I know he would have liked it. I was worried it would be too spicy for him at first, so he didn't order it. He can't really handle certain spicy foods. We can't figure out what it is, though, because some spicy stuff doesn't bother him while other spicy stuff burns his mouth and throat. But this curry was very mild, so I wish he had ordered it.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-9.jpg
I was still hungry after I finished, too. But I knew we had a huge buffet waiting on us five hours later, so I decided to stop there.

After lunch, we walked around World Showcase, meeting characters and visiting the different gardens and shops. When we arrived in Japan, we stopped for a snack. I had heard great things about Kaki Gori. I knew I wouldn't be able to choose one flavor, so I decided ahead of time that if we stopped here I would get the rainbow combination.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-10.jpg

And rainbow is what I got:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-11.jpg
With strawberry, melon, and tangerine flavors!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-12.jpg
Jon got the same.

This was much better and much more flavorful than normal shaved ice. It was good at first, but then as it melted it just liquified into a yucky brown mess when the colors mixed together. I probably wouldn't get one again. But I'm glad I tried it.

After some more exploration of World Showcase and another ride on Test Track, we went into Club Cool:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-13.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-14.jpg
Flavors I kind of liked: Krest Ginger Ale (Africa), Kinley (Israel), Lift (Mexico), and Smart [(?) China].

Coming Up: Boma!

[Minniespal]

Excellent:thumbsup2

[torsie24]

:) Glad you like us brits! ;)

Can't wait for Boma!

Thanks for such a great update again!

[ksumn1]

Great reviews. I'm not a vegetarian or vegan but I find that I enjoy the vegetable and fruit based entrees more than the meat ones. I do eat meat occasionally but not often, so I'm really enjoying your reviews and I will definately remember your reccomendations on our upcoming trip. Sorry to hear about the Plaza meal, I wanted to try it next trip but after MANY bad reviews, decided not to chance it...especially after your review...how rude!

On a side note, ya'll made great time form the FL Welcome Center to WDW. How did you go? We live in GA, just over the line in the West Georgia and are debating which rout to take, as we've had reccomendations to go through AL and some say GA, so I jumped on the opportunity to ask you HOW you go. :confused3 PM, if you'd like since this is a DINING review...;) And an awesome one, at that!! :goodvibes

[kevschickee]

I can't wait to read more

[dpndka]

V_gan, Thanks for the Rose & Crown review. I think I'm going to try it on our visit. Do you recall (not that you have a reason to) if they had any veg options on children's menu?

[Plasticletters]

I made our ADR's on our 90-day mark and got everything I wanted within a 30-minute range of the time I wanted. Between then and our trip, I cancelled our Yak and Yeti ADR and added on dinner at 'Ohana after reading a great review of Chef TJ. Unfortunately, we ended up with a different chef that night. You'll have to see how that turned out later on :goodvibes


I'm interested to see how this worked out! I am heading down to Disneyworld with my girlfriend in August and made an ADR for 'Ohana that I had to change (I had booked it for a Friday and learned later that chef TJ does not work on fridays or saturdays!) so after a bit of tinkering (there were no openings for a table for two at 'Ohana at ANY time during our stay that chef TJ was working, so I made an ADR for a party of 3... I got a tip from someone that doing that would somehow work...and it did). I'm eager to read your review of 'Ohana with the other chefs they have.

I just joined this site with the purpose of doing the same kind of photojournal/trip report that you've done. I think our expectations/hopes are similar (I'm vegan and my girlfriend is vegetarian/leaning vegan) so I'm interested in comparing when we get back from our trip in august.

One question I have for you - did you speak with a representative from Disney's Dietary Department (at least that's what I THINK it's called). When I make my initial ADRs a helpful cast member gave me the phone number to "the dietary line" which resulted (after a phone call and two emails) in me filling out a dietary request form that I was told would be sent to the restaurants I was eating at a day or so before our meal. I'm really interested to see if this worked out well for anyone else.

[OurDogCisco]

Nice reviews... Everything you are eating looks very yummy... This is nice review because maybe I'll make some healthier dining options when I go next time.

[thunderbird1]

Come back! We're hungry for more reviews and pictures!

[ericaseiler]

Come back! We're hungry for more reviews and pictures!

Ditto this :)

[lovinwdw]

I have to admit, I wasn't going to read your report because I, myself, am not a vegan or vegetarian, but I have to say, I LOOOOVE your reviews!! I also love your pictures. You and your man are so cute!

[disneyobsessed808]

This thread is great. My friend, who I want to take to Disney World, is vegan and I'm considering going vegetarian, so its great to know that Disney has it covered! Looking forward to the rest!

[KQAN]

I love your reviews and can't wait to hear more!

[v_gan]

Excellent:thumbsup2

:)

:) Glad you like us brits! ;)

Can't wait for Boma!

Thanks for such a great update again!

Of course! Sorry I've taken so long between posts. It just slipped my mind for some reason!

Great reviews. I'm not a vegetarian or vegan but I find that I enjoy the vegetable and fruit based entrees more than the meat ones. I do eat meat occasionally but not often, so I'm really enjoying your reviews and I will definately remember your reccomendations on our upcoming trip. Sorry to hear about the Plaza meal, I wanted to try it next trip but after MANY bad reviews, decided not to chance it...especially after your review...how rude!

On a side note, ya'll made great time form the FL Welcome Center to WDW. How did you go? We live in GA, just over the line in the West Georgia and are debating which rout to take, as we've had reccomendations to go through AL and some say GA, so I jumped on the opportunity to ask you HOW you go. :confused3 PM, if you'd like since this is a DINING review...;) And an awesome one, at that!! :goodvibes

We get our driving directions from Yahoo! Maps, and it's always taken us from Birmingham to Atlanta and then south through GA on I-75. It's basically just a long stretch from there and then a few exits and toll roads to WDW. :thumbsup2

I can't wait to read more

I'll be adding a new review within the next few hours!

V_gan, Thanks for the Rose & Crown review. I think I'm going to try it on our visit. Do you recall (not that you have a reason to) if they had any veg options on children's menu?

I'm sorry, I don't remember what was on the children's menu. But I definitely reccomend the Rose and Crown! I'm sure if there isn't a specified kid's entree, they could make something up for you :goodvibes

I'm interested to see how this worked out! I am heading down to Disneyworld with my girlfriend in August and made an ADR for 'Ohana that I had to change (I had booked it for a Friday and learned later that chef TJ does not work on fridays or saturdays!) so after a bit of tinkering (there were no openings for a table for two at 'Ohana at ANY time during our stay that chef TJ was working, so I made an ADR for a party of 3... I got a tip from someone that doing that would somehow work...and it did). I'm eager to read your review of 'Ohana with the other chefs they have.

I just joined this site with the purpose of doing the same kind of photojournal/trip report that you've done. I think our expectations/hopes are similar (I'm vegan and my girlfriend is vegetarian/leaning vegan) so I'm interested in comparing when we get back from our trip in august.

One question I have for you - did you speak with a representative from Disney's Dietary Department (at least that's what I THINK it's called). When I make my initial ADRs a helpful cast member gave me the phone number to "the dietary line" which resulted (after a phone call and two emails) in me filling out a dietary request form that I was told would be sent to the restaurants I was eating at a day or so before our meal. I'm really interested to see if this worked out well for anyone else.

Yeah, the table of three reservation will work for you. It'll just be a table of four when you get there. We've been seated at tables of four before when there weren't tables for two.

I was given the phone number for the restaurants when I added on our "allergies", but never when I just asked them to note that I was vegan. I never did end up calling any of the restaurants, because we never had a problem on our last trip. But a dietary request form being sent to the restaurants does sound helpful! I would have liked to do that.

I can't wait to see your reviews after your trip!

Nice reviews... Everything you are eating looks very yummy... This is nice review because maybe I'll make some healthier dining options when I go next time.

Thank you :)

Come back! We're hungry for more reviews and pictures!

I'm back, I'm back! Sorry for taking so long. It just slipped my mind!

I have to admit, I wasn't going to read your report because I, myself, am not a vegan or vegetarian, but I have to say, I LOOOOVE your reviews!! I also love your pictures. You and your man are so cute!

I'm so glad you're enjoying them! Thanks so much :goodvibes

[v_gan]

After our visit to Club Cool, we decided to ride Journey into the Imagination for the first time. After the ride, we hung out in the interactive area for about 15 minutes, and then it was time to head to the car. Our reservations were at 5:05, and we had never done the whole restaurant-at-another-resort thing. So we wanted to give ourselves enough time to get to the Animal Kingdom Lodge and find the restaurant.

Once we got out of the Epcot parking lot, it took us about 10 minutes to get to the AKL.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-15.jpg

We told the CM at the gates that we had dining reservations at Boma, and he let us right through. We found a parking space, and headed into the lobby:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-16.jpg

Once you're in the middle of the lobby, there are stairs to your right that take you down to both Boma and Jiko.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-19.jpg

There are restrooms located behind the stairs, incase anyone wants to know:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-45.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-17.jpg

There were quite a few people waiting to get checked into Boma, since it had just opened. So we had about a 20-minute wait once we checked in. We sat on some rocks by the water so that we could have a view of the restautant while we waited:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-18.jpg

When our name was called, we were taken to our table by a very nice man whose name I can't recall. He was really friendly, and I wish he had been our server. Our server wasn't mean or rude, he just wasn't the friendliest guy.

We were seated in a little section to the right of the restaurant:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-43.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-21.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-22.jpg

View from our table:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-36.jpg

Here's another picture showing the vegan/vegetarian notations on our reservations:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-20.jpg

Our server didn't notice the notations on our reservation, so he proceeded to let us know about all the meat selections on the buffet. He was about to walk away before I spoke up and told him that we were vegetarian and vegan. So he asked if we would like someone to walk us around the buffet. (Yes, please.) A few minutes later, the chef came to our table. His name was Lance, and he was SUCH a nice guy!

After we had a bit of a chat, he took us towards the buffet for the first time..
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-44.jpg

Up Next: The food!

[torsie24]

Wow! There's a Boma ghost!!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-44.jpg

[v_gan]

Chef Lance took us to the meat (?) selections first, which is where everyone was lined up. They were blocking all the non-meat selections, just to get to the meat! Gross. Anyway.. haha. He decided we would go over that section last, so we walked over to the salads:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-23.jpg
I'm about 95% sure all the dressings here were vegan. We had a choice of Balsamic Vinegarette, Chile Cilantro Vinegarette, Mango Vinegarette, and Apple Vinegarette.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-24.jpg
Vegan Items: Kokonut Rice, Roasted Vegetables, and Cous Cous Marakesh

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-25.jpg
Vegan Items: Avocado-Grapefruit-Papaya Salad, Tunisian Cous Cous Salad, Pita Bread

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-26.jpg
Vegan Items: Watermelon Rind Salad

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-27.jpg
Vegan Items: Black Olive Hummus (both of the other varieties contained cheese)

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-28.jpg
Vegan Items: Geelrys Rice(?), Potatoes with Afritude, Tofu and Green Bean Curry, Falafel (You can see Chef Lance in the background of this picture!) Lance didn't mention the falafel when he went over all the items, so I asked and he said they were fine.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-29.jpg
My first plate: Pita bread, cous cous Marakesh, roasted vegetables, kokonut rice, Tunisian cous cous salad, avocado-grapefruit-papaya salad, and a dollop of black olive hummus.

The pita bread and hummus were nothing special. I *loved* the roased vegetables with the kokonut rice. This is going to sound weird, but the kokonut rice almost tasted like popcorn. I guess it's because they use coconut oil on popcorn so much these days? The Tunisian cous cous salad wasn't my favorite, and I didn't like the Avocado-grapefuit-papaya salad at all. I don't like grapefuit, so that explains that :thumbsup2 I loved the Cous Cous Marakesh, because this was the same cous cous dish I had at Tusker House! YUM!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-30.jpg
Jon's first plate: Mixed field greens with apple vinegarette, Tunisian cous cous salad, pita bread with either sundried tomato or white bean hummus (can't remember), kokonut rice, fufu, and (I think) Pap and Chaka Laka (whatever that is).

He liked the apple vinegarete and the hummus. I don't think he liked the kokonut rice. He said the fufu was similar to sweet potatoes. I can't remember what he thought about the cous cous or that last dish (I can't even remember what was in it)

The meat line finally went down after we finished our first plates, so we were able to make it to the non-meat section over in that area on our second trip.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-31.jpg
My second plate: Geelrys rice (?), mealie bread, cous cous Marakesh, falafel, tofu and green bean curry, potatoes with afritude.

I didn't like the rice. The mealie bread.. OMG. It was so good. It was a sweet, moist cornbread. I was so suprised and happy when Lance said it was vegan! Yum, yum, yum! The falafel was really good. The curry wasn't very flavorful, so I didn't like it. I did like the potatoes, though!

(Edited to say that upon looking at recipes posted online, both the falafel and mealie bread appear to have eggs in them. The cornbread recipe also shows milk as an ingredient. This contradicts what I was told by the chef, so I'm not sure if the recipes have changed or if the ones posted online are the same as what they actually use :confused3)

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-32.jpg
Jon's second plate: Macaroni and cheese, falafel with yogurt-mustard sauce, Geelrys rice, fufu, roasted vegetables.

He always loves mac-n-cheese. He liked the falafel. I don't think he liked the rice. He obviously must have liked the fufu, since he got more. And I think he enjoyed the roasted vegetables.

After our second plates, Jon decided to get a plate of fruit. He was determined not to miss out on all the fresh fruit at this buffet, so he made sure to save some room this time :lmao:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-33.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-34.jpg
Jon's fruit plate: Pineapple, watermelon, strawberries, grapes.

While he was munching healthily on a plate of fresh fruit, I decided to get another plate of all my favorites..
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-35.jpg
My third plate: Roasted vegetabels, kokonut rice, falafel, mealie bread, and cous cous Marakesh.

Best. Plate. Ever.

Chef Lance had mentioned that he could get me some Tofutti (or Rice Dream) ice cream when checked in on us during our meal. So I asked our server about it, and he said he would get some. I asked for chocolate, but when our server came back he said they were pretty much out of chocolate, so this is what I got:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-37.jpg
It was fine. I just ate all the chocolate that was there, and Jon ate the rest of the vanilla.

Jon wanted to go back and get a few more small desserts, so I went up with him.

**There are no vegan items in the following buffet pictures:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-38.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-39.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-40.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD5-41.jpg
Jon's dessert plate: Fruit tarts, chocolate mouse crunch, pineapple upside-down cheesecake, and a piece of watermelon rind salad (which I put on there!)

He loved it all. I only ate the watermelon rind salad. It was good, but much too ginger-y. I liked it, but I couldn't have eaten more than that.

After our meal, we headed back upstairs to the lobby. Then we walked outside to take a peek at some of the animals. We witnessed some vicious bird fights. We also saw zebras and kudus. It was a lot of fun.

After we left, we went back to Epcot and walked around The Seas. The manatees were sleeping, but, oh, they were so cute. We rode Soarin', watched Illuminations from Canada, and called it a night.

Verdict: Boma is a must-do on future trips! I don't think I could ever pass it up again. It was so good, and there was so much variety. The atmosphere was lovely, and it was really nice to be able to check out the resort for the first time.

Coming Up: Restaurantasaurous, Dinoland frozen treat cart, Cantina de San Angel, Sunshine Seasons

[dpndka]

V-gan, awesome review of Boma. Pictures are great! I've heard so much about Boma already and your post confirms that it is a must visit for vegetarians. Thank you!

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Your reviews are great! I'm vegan, actually, I'm a raw vegan most of the time, but that was nearly impossible at WDW, so I made some exceptions. I found it terribly difficult at the CS restaurants (don't eat bread either so many CS options were out), but LOVED Boma and Tusker House! They are on my list for this October and a few others now after reading your reviews! So they told you when you made your ADR's that they were noting that you were vegan? I was going to just say I had an allergy this time b/c last year they would not note it. Can't wait to hear about Ohana!

[Shleedogg]

Loving your reviews! I'm one of those back and forth vegetarians, lol. My parents became vegetarians when I was 10, so most of my diet didn't (and still doesn't) consist of meat. I was doing really well last fall and winter, until we went to WDW. The choices at the restaurants we went to were so limited. It's so nice to see that there are some restaurants with lots of variety! I apparently just picked the wrong restaurants. That's what happens when you go on vacation with a father-in-law who used to run the meat dept for a regional grocery chain :lmao:. How did I not know that they served veggie burgers at most places???? Man, our next two trips are going to be great, no more greasy WDW cs burgers, woo hoo!:cool1: We have Boma and Tusker House (1st time for both) on our ADR list for Nov, I'm so excited!!! Thanks again!

[hucifer]

Hey V_gan, you forgot to finish your reviews!

I am vegetarian and loving your thread. My absolute favorite restaurant in WDW is Boma -- we veggies are treated like royalty there and the food is incredible.

I didn't know about Tusker House, so I'll definitely give it a try!!! The food looked so good in your post.

Hey, OT...is Jon into martial arts? His knuckles look like he's been hitting the makiwara board.

Please please please finish your thread! :guilty:

[mom2meiko]

such a great review - and so nice to find one that includes vegetarian/vegan choices around wdw! :) can't wait to read the rest! :)

[v_gan]

V-gan, awesome review of Boma. Pictures are great! I've heard so much about Boma already and your post confirms that it is a must visit for vegetarians. Thank you!

Definitely a must-do for vegetarians! Plenty of variety.

Your reviews are great! I'm vegan, actually, I'm a raw vegan most of the time, but that was nearly impossible at WDW, so I made some exceptions. I found it terribly difficult at the CS restaurants (don't eat bread either so many CS options were out), but LOVED Boma and Tusker House! They are on my list for this October and a few others now after reading your reviews! So they told you when you made your ADR's that they were noting that you were vegan? I was going to just say I had an allergy this time b/c last year they would not note it. Can't wait to hear about Ohana!

I can imagine it would be hard to do raw vegan eating out, period. But, yes, they said they would note vegan on the reservations and it was on the tickets our servers recieved after we were seated. Saying I had an allergy really just confused our servers, rather than help us. So I think I'll just stick with telling them I'm vegan.

Loving your reviews! I'm one of those back and forth vegetarians, lol. My parents became vegetarians when I was 10, so most of my diet didn't (and still doesn't) consist of meat. I was doing really well last fall and winter, until we went to WDW. The choices at the restaurants we went to were so limited. It's so nice to see that there are some restaurants with lots of variety! I apparently just picked the wrong restaurants. That's what happens when you go on vacation with a father-in-law who used to run the meat dept for a regional grocery chain :lmao:. How did I not know that they served veggie burgers at most places???? Man, our next two trips are going to be great, no more greasy WDW cs burgers, woo hoo!:cool1: We have Boma and Tusker House (1st time for both) on our ADR list for Nov, I'm so excited!!! Thanks again!

I've found plenty to eat at every Disney restaurant I've been to. I imagine it would be much easier for a vegetarian. You can also get veggie burgers at many of the table service restaurants, by request.

You will love Boma and Tusker House!

Hey V_gan, you forgot to finish your reviews!

I am vegetarian and loving your thread. My absolute favorite restaurant in WDW is Boma -- we veggies are treated like royalty there and the food is incredible.

I didn't know about Tusker House, so I'll definitely give it a try!!! The food looked so good in your post.

Hey, OT...is Jon into martial arts? His knuckles look like he's been hitting the makiwara board.

Please please please finish your thread! :guilty:

No, I didn't forget. I've just been busy.

And, no. He bites his fingers and knukles. It makes them red pretty much all the time.

such a great review - and so nice to find one that includes vegetarian/vegan choices around wdw! :) can't wait to read the rest! :)

I'll add some more reviews today :)

[v_gan]

Today was our Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and Fantasmic day. We went to AK in the morning. We rode EE and KS, explored Rafiki's Planet Watch, and just walked on some trails around the Tree of Life. Since meeting Flik was my main character mission on this trip, I was asking around where I could find Flik all day. Eventually we went to the front of the park to ask Guest Services where we could find him. We also wanted to ask about the vegetarian options for the Picnic in the Park lunch, since I had seen this on our TV in the room:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-1.jpg

See that? "Now including vegetarian items". It was a LIE! And the woman at the podium literally laughed when we asked about it. So annoying. I understand they really do have vegetarian options now, but they shouldn't have advertised that on the resort TVs if they weren't ready at the time. We really would have liked to do the Picnic in the Park :sad2:

The good news is that the nice lady at Guest Services told me where I could find Flik. I believe she said he would be there at 12:45. So we decided to eat lunch at Restaurantasaurous and then head back to the front of the park.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-1.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-3.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-4.jpg

Since we decided to eat lunch right around 12:00, we were welcomed by this:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-5.jpg
HUGE lines. And it's not visible in the picture, but there were quite a few school groups there. They all acted fine, but they took up SO many tables.

Here's a picture of the toppings bar:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-6.jpg

Fun details:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-7.jpg

Ceiling in the room we sat in:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-9.jpg

I LOVE THIS:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-10.jpg
How cute is that?! I just love how it looks like someone just drew it with a pencil, and how they used the little box on the wall. Such awesome theming. It's the Disney difference!:thumbsup2

Me and Jon both got the veggie burger with fries:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-8.jpg

There were so many people at the toppings bar, along with CMs trying to refill everything. I was just trying to get out of there because it was literally stressing me out trying to sqeeze in to get something. One of the pumps wasn't labeled and it had red stuff coming out of it, so I assumed it was ketchup. It ended up being BBQ sauce. So that basically ruined my burger. I ate it, just because I needed something in my stomach. But, ugh. Gross.

I don't blame the restaurant for me having such a crappy experience. It was our fault for going at such a peak lunch hour. There were just too many people. The burger would have been fine if I hadn't accidentally put BBQ sauce on it. They should probably label things better, though. Because if that pump had a label, I definitely didn't see it. I didn't even know they had BBQ sauce available as a topping! Oh well. I'm dragging this out. :laughing:

I enjoyed the restuarant overall, and I would definitely go back again. Just at a better time :thumbsup2

Anyway, so after we finished eating, we headed back to the front of the park. Flik was already out there, along with Meeko, Brer Rabbit, and Timon. I had to get my picture with Meeko first, because I had never seen him before. But then I jumped right in line for Flik! When it was my turn to meet him, I gave him a big hug and told him he was my hero (which he is!):

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-11.jpg

He autographed my book with a little heart instead of a dot for the "i" in his name :goodvibes He left after us, and I went to the bathroom. When I came back out, here comes Flik again WITH PRINCESS ATTA!!! :woohoo: I was so freakin' excited! We jumped back in line for pictures, and Jon got in this time.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-13.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-14.jpg

*sigh* A Bug's Life is my absolute favorite Disney/Pixar movie. I was so excited to finally meet Flik. Mission Accomplished.

After walking around and looking at various animals, we decided to try the Finding Nemo show. After the show, we used out EE Fastpasses and then headed into Dinoland. It was really hot, so we decided to stop at a frozen treat cart for some snacks.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-15.jpg
Jon got the frozen banana, I got an Edy's strawberry bar.

I've read many times that the frozen bananas in the park are vegan, but they're not.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-16.jpg
It's hard to tell, but they contain whey powder, which comes from milk. So, fine for vegetarians - not for vegans.

Me enjoying my strawberry bar:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-17.jpg

Jon enjoying his banana:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-19.jpg

It's always nice to share!
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-18.jpg

I love Edy's strawberry bars, and I get them at home. So obviously I enjoyed mine ;) Jon liked his banana, too.

Coming Up: Cantina de San Angel, Sunshine Seasons

[Ciciwoowoo]

:goodvibes

Loving your review!

[Moomduck1]

Thank you so much for posting such great reviews and wonderful pictures! My 20-year old daughter is a vegetarian and we are going to Disney in Sept. You have eaten at several places that were on our list, so I'm going to be telling her to read your reviews! She also doesn't like spicy foods and is picky, so it is helpful to read about Jon's experiences.

I'm going to have to read your older reviews too! If you haven't tried the Backlot Express at the Disney Studios, they have a really great grilled vegetable sandwich. Not sure if it's vegan, but my picky vegetarian daughter liked it!! (and so did I!)

Thank you so much for posting!!!

On a side note, I love the vintage tees you guys are wearing in your pictures! :)

If you have

[v_gan]

:goodvibes

Loving your review!

I'm glad! :)

Thank you so much for posting such great reviews and wonderful pictures! My 20-year old daughter is a vegetarian and we are going to Disney in Sept. You have eaten at several places that were on our list, so I'm going to be telling her to read your reviews! She also doesn't like spicy foods and is picky, so it is helpful to read about Jon's experiences.

I'm going to have to read your older reviews too! If you haven't tried the Backlot Express at the Disney Studios, they have a really great grilled vegetable sandwich. Not sure if it's vegan, but my picky vegetarian daughter liked it!! (and so did I!)

Thank you so much for posting!!!

On a side note, I love the vintage tees you guys are wearing in your pictures! :)

If you have

I'm glad my reviews are helpful!

We meant to try the Backlot Express on this trip, but it was closed for the night when we went. My sister went there in 2007, and she got the sandwich without the cheese and she loved it.

Thanks! We like to try to theme what we're wearing to where we're going. :lmao:

[mmmears]

Thanks again for the great reviews! I'm so glad you tried Boma and that you liked it there. We're not buffet fans, but I LOVE Boma. So many interesting choices there. And it's a treat to get to check out the animals at AKL, too!:)

[jmkford4]

Can't wait to hear about San Angel Inn. That is one of my ADR's for September. :cool1:

[ehartman4]

Plasticletters and I are going to Disney August 16th and we have reservations for 'Ohana. We aren't sure if Chef TJ will be there or not so we are anxiously awaiting for your review on this other chef!

Also, your reviews have been very helpful to both of us. Thanks for posting! :)

[punkin712]

Plasticletters and I are going to Disney August 16th and we have reservations for 'Ohana. We aren't sure if Chef TJ will be there or not so we are anxiously awaiting for your review on this other chef!



Is there any way to find out Chef TJ's schedule? We're booked for Ohana on 8/28 (I'm a vegetarian and he made such an awesome tofu and vegetable dish for me when he was at Boma) and I'd love to see him again!

[ehartman4]

All I know is that he ONLY works Sunday - Thursday, so make sure you're scheduled on one of those days! There really isn't a way to tell if he'll be there or not this far in advance, as he takes vacations and such. Just cross your fingers and hope he'll be there!

[punkin712]

All I know is that he ONLY works Sunday - Thursday, so make sure you're not scheduled on one of those days! There really isn't a way to tell if he'll be there or not this far in advance, as he takes vacations and such. Just cross your fingers and hope he'll be there!

Darn! We're booked for a Friday!! Maybe we'll luck out and he'll be there anyway.

This will be our first time at Ohana and I'm just a little nervous about it being so meat focused. And, we're celebrating our wedding anniversary as well as DH's birthday so we definitely want it to be a good experience. I noted on our reservation that I'm a vegetarian so hopefully that will help.

[v_gan]

Thanks again for the great reviews! I'm so glad you tried Boma and that you liked it there. We're not buffet fans, but I LOVE Boma. So many interesting choices there. And it's a treat to get to check out the animals at AKL, too!:)

You're welcome! Boma is on my definite must-do list for our next trip!

Can't wait to hear about San Angel Inn. That is one of my ADR's for September. :cool1:

But the San Angel Inn review is on the first page! :goodvibes

Plasticletters and I are going to Disney August 16th and we have reservations for 'Ohana. We aren't sure if Chef TJ will be there or not so we are anxiously awaiting for your review on this other chef!

Also, your reviews have been very helpful to both of us. Thanks for posting! :)

Is there any way to find out Chef TJ's schedule? We're booked for Ohana on 8/28 (I'm a vegetarian and he made such an awesome tofu and vegetable dish for me when he was at Boma) and I'd love to see him again!

All I know is that he ONLY works Sunday - Thursday, so make sure you're not scheduled on one of those days! There really isn't a way to tell if he'll be there or not this far in advance, as he takes vacations and such. Just cross your fingers and hope he'll be there!

Darn! We're booked for a Friday!! Maybe we'll luck out and he'll be there anyway.

This will be our first time at Ohana and I'm just a little nervous about it being so meat focused. And, we're celebrating our wedding anniversary as well as DH's birthday so we definitely want it to be a good experience. I noted on our reservation that I'm a vegetarian so hopefully that will help.

Yeah, we were told he doesn't work on Fridays or Saturdays. I wish I had known that when I booked our ADR for a Saturday night :rolleyes: But we had a fantastic time anyway! Don't worry. They won't let you go hungry. Just make sure you let the hostess and your server know as soon as your arrive/sit down. I'll try to get to my 'Ohana review as quickly as possible.

[v_gan]

So, after one more ride on Dinosaur and some more shopping on the way out, we left Animal Kingdom and headed to Epcot. Upon arrival, we picked up a Fastpass for Soarin' and rode Living with the Land. After that, we watched Honey, I Shrunk the Audience and headed to Mexico for a snack at Cantina de San Angel:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-21.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-22.jpg

It had started to rain, so after we ordered, I found us a table by the water that had an umbrella.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-23.jpg
I got the Conga Fruit Drink and a side of guacamole with chips. The drink was super good. The guacamole and chips were a good snack, but the guacamole wasn't anything special.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-24.jpg
Jon, who didn't even know what it was, ordered a churro. He ended up liking it, but he wanted to eat my chips after he was finished.. haha. He also got a Conga Fruit Drink.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-25.jpg
Jon fed some of his churro to this guy. But after that, a few of his friends came and we stopped.

After our snack, we decided to do Universe of Energy. This was my first time, so I had a lot of fun! I really enjoyed it. It didn't even feel as long as it really is. After that, we did some exploring in Germany and saw a giant rabbit terrorizing the little train village. Then we did The American Adventure. Oh my gosh! This was so awesome! I can't believe I had never done it before this trip. And the builiding is absolutely beautiful.

After some shopping in Japan and a few more picture stops, we decided it was time for dinner. We wanted to get to Sunshine Seasons before they closed, so we quickly walked over to The Land pavillion.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-34.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-27.jpg

We got there around 8:50. While they were getting ready to close, we still had time to order.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-33.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-26.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-31.jpg
Yum, yum! Time to eat!

Me and Jon both ordered the Vegetarian Entree, which consisted of broccoli, stir-fried vegetables, white rice, and garlic udon noodles:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-28.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-29.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD6-30.jpg
(I added some soy sauce to my rice to give it a little flavor :goodvibes)

This meal was SO good. I loved the noodles. I mixed the rice with all the vegetables, as it seemed weird to just eat them both as they were. The vegetables were crisp - not at all like they were giving us whatever was left at the end of the day. Everything tasted fresh and it was all really good. I would definitely eat here again!

After dinner, we headed to the Studios. We arrived around 9:45 for the 10:30 showing of Fantasmic. They weren't letting anyone in yet, so we rode Tower of Terror and then headed into the stadium. Before our trip, I was hearing horror stories about how crowded all the showings of Fantasmic were, but our showing didn't even fill up! The last two sections on the left were completely empty, as was the last section on the right. It was weird, but I'm glad it wasn't packed!

Coming Up: Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre, 50s Prime Time Cafe, Min and Bill's Dockside Diner

[v_gan]

Today was our main Hollywood Studios day, even though we had already done most everything we wanted to do. We arrived before opening and watched the skit. It was weird watching it from behind the rope, because that was us in the car the last time we watched the show!

We followed closely behind the CMs with the rope, leading us to Toy Story Mania. I don't know how it happened - I suppose because most everyone went straight to the FP machines - but we were the first in line! This ride is SO much fun! And, I must say, I have a knack for it, because I beat Jon on our first ride :thumbsup2 After we got out, we got a FP with a return time of 11:15. We took some Photopass picture, rode TOT, and then went to the Magic of Disney Animation. After the movie, we met Mickey and everyone from Up!. Then we played around at all the kiosks and got our pictures made with Mr. and Ms. Incredible.

Then it was time for lunch! On our last trip, we had 50s Prime Time for lunch and Sci-Fi for dinner. So this time I decided to switch it up and go to the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre for lunch.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-2-1.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-3.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-15.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-16.jpg

I don't think we waited even five minutes and we were seated. I wish we had gotten the cool guy on the roller skates as our server, but we got an unenthusiastic middle-aged woman. Oh well.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-4.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-5.jpg

Point taken!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-8.jpg

We were seated right next to the entrance to the dining area, on the left side of the screen. We were in the back of a car behind a young couple and their baby.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-14.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-6.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-7.jpg

I ordered the Seared Marinated Tofu, without the mago sauce (it has honey).
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-12.jpg
It was just as good as last time - without all the hassle of getting mango puree instead of the sauce! The puree didn't really do anything for the dish last time I had it, so I just went without this time. Much easier :thumbsup2

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-13.jpg
Jon ordered a veggie cheeseburger and fries. The veggie burger isn't on the menu, but they have it.

Our meal was good, and I was happy to get a few nice interior shots of the restaurant. I love this restaurant's theming so much, I don't think I could ever go on a Disney trip without a visit. So much fun!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-10.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-11.jpg

Coming Up: 50s Prime Time Cafe, Min and Bill's Dockside Diner

[dpndka]

Thanks for the new installement V_gan. The tofu dish looks really good. During our last trip, we enjoyed sunshine seasons the most (we only ate at counter service places other than Chef Mickey's) This time I plan on hitting some of the restaurants you reviewed. I would have never picked Sci-Fi diner but I think we will try it in December.

[Disneyof3]

WOW great review. I didn't know WDW had such a variety of vegetarian food. Great pictures and can't wait for more:yay:

[v_gan]

Thanks for the new installement V_gan. The tofu dish looks really good. During our last trip, we enjoyed sunshine seasons the most (we only ate at counter service places other than Chef Mickey's) This time I plan on hitting some of the restaurants you reviewed. I would have never picked Sci-Fi diner but I think we will try it in December.

Sci-Fi is definitely a fun restaurant. I'd try it at least once if you've never been :thumbsup2

WOW great review. I didn't know WDW had such a variety of vegetarian food. Great pictures and can't wait for more:yay:

Disney has a fantastic variety of veg. food! :lovestruc

[v_gan]

I'm so sorry the reviews have been so far and in between lately. My mind has just been pre-occupied with other things. I'm going to try to finish everything up within the next two days!

[PixieDustandEeyore]

Just got through the reviews...even though i consider myself a carnivore man does the vegetarian food make me want to convert. Though I dont think I could give up cheese. I showed these reviews to my roommate who is vegan she really enjoyed them!

[v_gan]

After lunch, we just walked around for a while, enjoying the scenery. Then we went back to the Animation Building to do the Animation Academy. This was such a fun attraction. We got to draw Pluto and keep our drawings as souviners! So much fun. After a while, we decided to go through One Man's Dream. I can't believe I had never gone in there before. It was amazing, all the history and information inside that building. We didn't get to look at long as we wanted to because the parade was starting soon. We'll just have to go back next time! :thumbsup2

We ended up not really staying to watch the parade. We just got a few glimpses of all the floats and characters and then headed back to TSM to use our Fastpasses. After the ride, it was getting close to our 4:00 ADR at the 50s Prime Time Cafe. I really should space out our ADRs more, but I like going to the restuarants when they're not super crowded ;)

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-18.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-17.jpg

We arrived 15 minutes early and sat down to wait for our name to be called. Well, Jon sat down. I walked around and took pictures of the decor :rotfl2:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-20.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-21.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-24.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-22.jpg
It's so much fun to see things that my parents had as kids. We have the beige set of books they have on display (they were my dad's), one of the ceramic flamingos (my sister has one - not sure where she got it), and the wooden couch (my mom has one - it's in our attic).

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-23.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-36.jpg

After about five minutes, our names were called and we were taken to our table. We were seated by the back wall of the restaurant, next to a large window.

Over a half-wall, to my left:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-25.jpg

To my right:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-26.jpg

It was a nice, quiet, and secluded location from the rest of the restaurant. We had an older woman as our server. She saw the "allergy" notations on our ticket and she brought the chef out. When the chef came out, I explained to him that I was vegan and he told me about the Roasted Pepper and how the normal rice they use has dairy (whey, I think) in it. So he told me he could make that with white rice instead. I also asked if I could get a dairy-free milkshake, specifically the PB&J milkshake - since that seems to be their specialty. He said he would see what he could do.

A few minutes later, our drink orders arrived:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-27.jpg
My vegan PB&J milkshake! Boy, do they give you your money's worth with those shakes! I had that whole glass, and the metal cup was nearly full, too. I also ordered a glass of water. Jon ordered Mickey's Bee Bop Drink, which we both ordered last time. I was jealous of his ice cube. :lmao:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-33.jpg
Yum, yum! I wasn't sure what to expect, but the PB&J milkshake was fantastic! I couldn't really taste the jelly, but there was a slight peanut butter taste that was soo good.

While we waited for our food, Jon decided to draw Mike Wasoski on his napkin:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-29.jpg

A few minutes after our drinks arrived, out came our food!
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-30.jpg
Jon's Roasted Pepper with brown rice. I think he enjoyed his, but he wanted more.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-31.jpg
My Roasted Pepper with white rice (boo!). I would have like to have had brown rice, but it was still good with the white. Lots of yummy veggies.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-32.jpg
Vegan meal at the 50s Prime Time Cafe! :goodvibes

Before we got up to leave, Jon drew a nice little picture and note for the staff:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-34.jpg

On our way out, we passed by the table we sat at last time:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-35.jpg
It was the table right under the TV. Our location this time was much less hectic and didn't have servers whizzing by all the time, but it didn't have as much themeing around it.

Overall, we had a great experience. Our server wasn't one to play along with the theming, but she did make us set our table. We were in and our in a jiffy, which I enjoy. I like the food at the table service restaurants, but I don't like to waste a lot of time. So it's nice when we can just spend about 45 minutes eating and resting and then get back out to the park to enjoy the day. :thumbsup2

Coming Up: Min and Bill's Dockside Diner, Golden Oak Outpost, Anaheim Produce, and 'Ohana

[v_gan]

Just got through the reviews...even though i consider myself a carnivore man does the vegetarian food make me want to convert. Though I dont think I could give up cheese. I showed these reviews to my roommate who is vegan she really enjoyed them!

You could still try some of the veg. options while you're there. They're not just for vegetarians! haha. :thumbsup2 I'm glad your roommate enjoyed the reviews!

[v_gan]

After dinner, we rode Rock'n'Roller Coaster, watched some Streetmosphere characters, met a Green Army Man, met Buzz & Woody, rode TSM with a second set of Fastpasses, watched Voyage of the Little Mermaid, and then headed to Min and Bill's Dockside Diner on the way out of the park.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-37.jpg

I ordered the Apple-Cinnamon Stuffed Pretzel on our last trip, but it was just too hot outside to finish it. Since it was starting to get dark, I figured it would be ok this time :goodvibes

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-38.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD7-39.jpg
Warm and gooey. Full of cinnamon flavor! The pretzel iteself was a little dry, though. Probably because I got one of the last for the day. Still an awesome vegan snack option.

After leaving the park, we headed back to Pop! and decided to go to Downtown Disney for a little while. I don't think I was feeling well, so we didn't stay long. Plus it was just way too crowded. It took us 10-15 minutes just to find a parking spot.

But, anyway..

Coming Up: Golden Oak Outpost, Anaheim Produce, 'Ohana

[v_gan]

Today was our do-everything-that-we-haven't-already-done day! We started out at the Magic Kingdom. Upon entering, we met up with Pinocchio and Mary Poppins. Mary told me I had good manners :goodvibes We also watched some Main Street performers sing and dance to the trolley song. Starting in Adventureland, we went around taking all the pictures we hadn't taken yet. We rode Pirates and Haunted Mansion one last time, and then we decided to get an early lunch. We headed into Fronteirland and stopped at the Golden Oak Outpost.

I went up to the counter and asked what all was on the Vegetarian Flatbread Wrap before ordering - nothing but vegetables and beans, ladies and gentlemen! Me and Jon both ordered the wrap with fries and a Diet Coke.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-2.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-1.jpg

I don't have a picture of the front of the restaurant, but here's a picture of the seating area to the side:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-37.jpg

I really enjoyed the wrap. Tons of veggies, and the black beans add some protein. The veggies I can remember/see are lettuce, tomato, zuchinni, banana peppers, red onion, and corn. There may have been more, I can't remember. But it was really filling and tasty for being such a light meal. A lot of it fell off as we were eating it, so we just got forks and ate the rest as a salad :lmao: haha.

I'd definitely eat here again!

After our early lunch, we met up with Captain Hook and Smee. We also saw Peter Pan escape the pirate's clutches once again. The good captain was not happy about that.

After our run-in with the pirates, we made our way into Liberty Square to get our sillhouettes cut out and framed. That man was amazing and fast! I really enjoyed getting to stare at the Headless Horseman for a few minutes:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-5.jpg

I also noticed this sign, which I had never seen before:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-4.jpg
It made me incredibly happy.

After a quick trip to the Christmas Shoppe and a few more shop visits on Main Street, we boarded the ferry and made our way to the parking lot. Once we found our car, we headed to the Studios to exchange a shirt at the Hollywood Tower Hotel gift shop. Before exploring a few more shops, we stopped at Anaheim Produce for a refreshment.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-6.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-7.jpg
As you can see, there are quite a few snack options for vegans and vegetarians here.

I was really wanting frozen lemonade. So frozen lemonade is what I got:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-8.jpg
Super yummy and cold treat. It felt so good in my mouth, as this was an incredibly hot day. It really helped to cool me down.

We watched the Block Party Bash on the way out of the park and I got to see Flik one last time. Then we headed back to Pop! to go swimming and relax a little before getting back out that evening.

Coming Up: 'Ohana

[DisneyRunner2009]

We are heading to WDW in a few days. My daughter is vegetabletarian is I call it. Some of your choices are some of ours. So I'm looking forward to hearing about 'Ohana.:thumbsup2

[dpndka]

The veggie flatbread wrap at golden oak outpost sounds yummy.
How did the stuff pepper at 50's primetime taste? I read that you liked it, but how was the flavor? Spicy, mild?

[v_gan]

We are heading to WDW in a few days. My daughter is vegetabletarian is I call it. Some of your choices are some of ours. So I'm looking forward to hearing about 'Ohana.:thumbsup2

I'll be working on my 'Ohana review soon. Hopefully it'll be up by tomorrow :)

[v_gan]

The veggie flatbread wrap at golden oak outpost sounds yummy.
How did the stuff pepper at 50's primetime taste? I read that you liked it, but how was the flavor? Spicy, mild?

It was definitely yummy! And a much better choice than a veggie burger and fries.

The stuffed pepper was very mild. It's just a green bell pepper with ratatouille and rice. Nothing spicy - just veggies and a tomato-y sauce.

[dpndka]

Thanks V_gan! Your reviews are great help for planning my Dec trip. :)

[AUDramaQueen]

Thanks V_gan! Your reviews are great help for planning my Dec trip. :)

Ditto

[v_gan]

Ditto

:goodvibes

[v_gan]

Thanks V_gan! Your reviews are great help for planning my Dec trip. :)

I'm so glad they're helpful!

[v_gan]

Alright. Before I get to my 'Ohana post, I'd like to set up our dilemma:

First of all, this was a very last-minute decision. I managed to snag a 9:50 ADR about two weeks before our trip. I then felt like this was much too late and kept on trying for an earlier time. I eventually settled with a 9:10 time slot. I felt like this was fine, since I had read about getting to see Wishes from the dining room window and Wishes was at 10:00 that night.

I really wanted a nice meal for our last night in WDW. I had read many good reviews of 'Ohana, especially from those with food allergies or dietary restrictions. Every time I read about these experiences, the same name kept popping up: Chef TJ. I then read this blog article (http://veganindisney.wordpress.com/2009/03/03/disneys-hidden-gem-chef-tj-at-ohana/) about how amazing the man was, and I was hooked. I couldn't wait to meet him and see what culinary magic he had up his sleeves!

So I had high expectations for this meal. Never a good thing, but they were there, nonetheless.

Review is up next!

[v_gan]

I'd like to start this review on a new page, so..

[v_gan]

Here's a bonus picture:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/CastleFlower.jpg

[v_gan]

After a quick swim, we both took showers and got ready to head back to the parks for the evening. When we were ready, we drove to Epcot to do our last-minute to-dos: Spaceship Earth, Innoventions, pictures of topiaries, and a ridiculous, marathon-worthy, 1.5 hour shopping spree around World Showcase. Once we completed our near-impossible feat, we made our way out of the park at 8:40. We were at the entrance to the Polynesian resort 15 minutes later:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-9.jpg

I can't express how jealous I became of everyone staying at this hotel upon first entering. It was so beautiful! We're still working our way up to the moderate resorts, since we spend most of our time in the parks. Hopefully one day we'll be able to slow down and stay at a deluxe! :laughing:

On our search for 'Ohana, we took a glance at some of the artwork in and around the lobby. I found this little beauty and I had to take a picture:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-10.jpg
ARIEL AND A MANATEE. I *love* manatees. They're my most absolute favorite animal. So adorable. I was incredibly happy when I saw this.

So, anyway. We made our way up the stairs to the left on the far end of the lobby after seeing a sign directing us to the restaurant.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-11.jpg
I guess we made it!

We checked in at the podium 10 minutes early and made sure our dietary restrictions were noted. We recieved our pager and decided to walk around upstairs until our table was ready.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-14.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-13.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-12.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-15.jpg

We were at our table within five minutes, seated near the back of the left side of the restaurant:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-34.jpg

Our server's name was Mandie. She saw the dietary restrictions listed on our ticket (the faux allergies and "vegan") and we told her how we were excited to see Chef TJ. "I'm so sorry, but Chef TJ doesn't work on Fridays or Saturdays". "Oh no! What are we going to do?!". She went on to tell us how awesome Chef TJ was with vegan food, but also that she was sure the chef working tonight could help us. I was very dissappointed, but was still holding out to see what kind of food we would end up having.

Coming Up: 'Ohana pt.2

[v_gan]

We recieved our welcome bread while our server was gone.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-16.jpg

It was taken away after Jon had eaten a few pieces, because our server noticed that it had been placed on the table without checking with her first. We explained that it was fine for Jon, but I don't think we ever got more bread - and that was a good thing!

Our server brought out the chef after a few minutes. He was a very tall and very large man. Now, I feel absolutely horrible for what I'm about to say.. But I can't remember our chef's name. I want to say it was Chef Stacey, because I remember thinking the chef was going to be a woman when our server said his name. But I honestly can't remember if that was it or not.

But, the review must go on.

The chef seemed very rushed and tired (understandable - it was getting close to closing time). But our server seemed to be on good terms with him, as she joked that we were hoping for Chef TJ. She told us she would do this, because it would make him want to show off. :lmao: I was glad for this, because I think it worked! He explained that they had a tofu dish that they made for their vegan diners, and that we could have that. I had heard about this dish beforehand, so I figured it would be fine. He also mentioned that the side dishes (noodles and vegetables) were both vegan, as is.

Once both the chef and our server left, we yet again had food placed on our table without anyone checking on the ingredients. This time, it was the Mixed Greens with Key Lime Vinegarette:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-19.jpg

I put some on my plate and proceeded to eat some, before the chef came out with another salad and told me to stop eating. He told me the dressing had honey in it, and put the new salad on the table. I believe the new salad had another fruit vinegarette, but I can't recall what it was (that's what I get for waiting so long to finish these reviews!)

New salad:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-20.jpg

I wish the first salad didn't have honey, because I liked that dressing much more. I've been meaning to try to recreate it with agave nectar from recipes I've seen online. I'll have to do that soon :goodvibes

But, anyway.. Before our side dishes arrived, the lady with the ukulele that was walking around asked everyone that was celebrating true love to get up and come dance. I really wanted one of those leis, so I made Jon go up there with me. :rotfl2: We only had to dance for about a minute or two (thank goodness!) and she gave us both leis and then we went back to our seats. Soon after we returned, our side dishes arrived:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-21.jpg
Peanut Noodles

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-22.jpg
Stir-fried vegetables (mostly broccoli)

I loved both of these dishes. As I've said before, noodles are one of my favorite things to eat and there's nothing better than perfectly cooked broccoli :thumbsup2

Right after the side dishes arrived, the chef brought out the standard tofu dish that's given to vegetarians:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-23.jpg
I was really happy when we got it, as it looked awesome. But once I tasted it, is was way too sweet for my tastes. I attempted to eat more, since I thought that would be all I was going to get. But I just couldn't eat much more of it and proceeded to eat more of the noodles and broccoli.

Ten minutes later, the chef came back out with another dish:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-24.jpg
Sweet and Sour Tofu over white rice. After he placed it on our table, he said there was more comng! I was shocked! Our server's trick to get the chef to try to show off had worked, and I was beaming. I couldn't wait to see all the food we were going to get.

I tried our new entree, and I was in love. This was probably some of the best tofu I've ever had. The sauce was phenomenal, and the breading was super crisp and crunchy. I tried to hold back from this one, as I wanted to save room for whatever was next.

Within three minutes, another dish arrived:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-25.jpg
Coconut-crusted tofu with peanut sauce. This dish could have been amazing, had the tofu been marinated beforehand. I understand this wasn't possible, as the chef had been given very short notice. But the coconut breading was great, and I appreciated the effort.

Six minutes later, this dish arrived:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-26.jpg
The chef explained how they served a steak with a teriyaki-pinapple glaze at the Kona Cafe, so he made us Pan-Fried Tofu with a Teriyaki-Pinapple glaze with roasted potatoes and stir-fried broccolini.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-27.jpg
Again, the tofu would have been amazing with a bit of time to marinate, but it was still really awesome! The potatoes and broccolini were great, as was the sauce. I was very impressed with all our chef tried to get done in such a short amount of time with very little notice.

Soon, our table looked like this:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-29.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-32.jpg
All this food, for only two people! Me and Jon nearly destroyed our stomachs trying to cram all this in. We were so appreciative of everything both our server and the chef had done for us.

At 10:00, Wishes started. There were quite a few heads between us and the window, so our view wasn't the best. But it was still a great thing to experience just once.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-31.jpg
I can imagine it would have been much better at a table by the window.

After the fireworks, our server came back and asked if we would like to take the rest of our food with us. It didn't occur to me that we could do this, but we said of course! She brought back a bunch of plastic containers and me and Jon loaded up all our favorites from the meal until we ended up with this:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-33.jpg

The chef came by one last time to see how we liked everything, and we thanked him as much as we possibly could. I don't believe he offered us dessert, but I also don't think we could have fit anything else inside of our bodies at that point. I had never been more full in my entire life. Our server gave us a bag for out leftovers and we left the restaurant (afer paying and leaving a huge tip, of course!)

On our way out, I took a few more pictures of the nearly empty restaurant:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-35.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-36.jpg

We decided to take the monorail to the Magic Kingdom, as it was open until midnight. We really just wanted it to be our last park, and we both wanted to ride Pirates and the Haunted Mansion one last time. We just walked around, taking in all the beauty of the park, riding our two favorite rides, and just enjoying our last few minutes in the happiest place on Earth.

When we got back to the Poly, we got in our car and headed back to Pop. When we got back to our room, there was a signed photo of Mickey and Minnie laying on our bed! What a great way to end a perfect day, and a perfect vacation :lovestruc

Coming Up: DTD Rainforest Cafe (ugh) and store-bought snacks around World Showcase

[DisneyRunner2009]

Thanks for your update.:thumbsup2

[amarberry]

I just read your great reviews...thank you for writing them! I've been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for about 15 years and my kids (5 and almost 2) are both lacto vegetarians who are allergic to eggs (DD's allergy is severe). We end up eating vegan a lot as a result of the allergies.

I am so excited to see your Ohana review. My carnivore DH LOVES Ohana, but I have balked on going there for our last couple of trips. We were lucky enough to meet Chef TJ at Boma a couple of years ago and had just about the best meal I've ever had in my life. I think we will definitely need to make an Ohana reservation (for a weekday) for our next trip.

[Plasticletters]

'Ohana....oh....my...god.....:love:

[punkin712]

...The chef seemed very rushed and tired (understandable - it was getting close to closing time). But our server seemed to be on good terms with him, as she joked that we were hoping for Chef TJ. She told us she would do this, because it would make him want to show off. :lmao: I was glad for this, because I think it worked! ...

OMG - I'm sooo excited for 'Ohana! The pictures...the descriptions...you're killing me! Our ADR is for a Friday night (8:50pm) so hopefully we'll get some of your good luck with the chef :)

A million thanks for your amazing reviews!

[ehartman4]

'Ohana....oh....my...god.....:love:

We're eating at 'Ohana on Sunday! I hope that your :love: was for me AND 'Ohana, haha

[ThanksForNoticingMe]

OMG...the food at Boma looks amazing! Can't wait to try it out :)

[Shenanigoat]

That is a lot of tofu:scared1:

[ShuisFan584]

I just finished looking through all of your reviews and pictures and I just wanted to say thank you!!

I'm a vegetarian and I hardly ever read reviews since most people don't order vegetarian entrees unless they're vegetarian...and I only care about the vegetarian entrees at restaurants. So when I saw your post I just had to read through it. Thank you for taking the time to review and post pictures. I'm actually excited to try some new restaurants based on your reviews and pictures of the food.

I'll be at Disney in less than 2 weeks and we have a reservation at Sci Fi. I've never been there before, but I'm glad to hear the tofu was good since that's what I'll be getting. I also never thought that Ohana would be so vegetarian friendly! After looking at all those pictures, I actually really want to go eat there now. The food looks amazing! I actually checked to see if there's any openings while we're there, but unfortunately they're all booked up. Oh well, maybe next time.

[v_gan]

Thanks for your update.:thumbsup2

You're welcome :)

I just read your great reviews...thank you for writing them! I've been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for about 15 years and my kids (5 and almost 2) are both lacto vegetarians who are allergic to eggs (DD's allergy is severe). We end up eating vegan a lot as a result of the allergies.

I am so excited to see your Ohana review. My carnivore DH LOVES Ohana, but I have balked on going there for our last couple of trips. We were lucky enough to meet Chef TJ at Boma a couple of years ago and had just about the best meal I've ever had in my life. I think we will definitely need to make an Ohana reservation (for a weekday) for our next trip.

I'll be making another 'Ohana reservation for our next trip, too! Next time I'll be sure to call ahead to see if Chef TJ will be there. I can only imagine how much better it would have been with him!

'Ohana....oh....my...god.....:love:

Indeed!

OMG - I'm sooo excited for 'Ohana! The pictures...the descriptions...you're killing me! Our ADR is for a Friday night (8:50pm) so hopefully we'll get some of your good luck with the chef :)

A million thanks for your amazing reviews!

I wish you luck with whatever chef you get! I hope you have a great trip :goodvibes

We're eating at 'Ohana on Sunday!

I hope you have a great time! I'd love to read your reviews when you get back :thumbsup2


OMG...the food at Boma looks amazing! Can't wait to try it out :)

Boma was fantastic!

That is a lot of tofu:scared1:

Yeah, it was a lot of tofu. I would have liked more vegetables, but I think our chef was trying to pump out as many meat-substitute entrees as possible :lmao:

I just finished looking through all of your reviews and pictures and I just wanted to say thank you!!

I'm a vegetarian and I hardly ever read reviews since most people don't order vegetarian entrees unless they're vegetarian...and I only care about the vegetarian entrees at restaurants. So when I saw your post I just had to read through it. Thank you for taking the time to review and post pictures. I'm actually excited to try some new restaurants based on your reviews and pictures of the food.

I'll be at Disney in less than 2 weeks and we have a reservation at Sci Fi. I've never been there before, but I'm glad to hear the tofu was good since that's what I'll be getting. I also never thought that Ohana would be so vegetarian friendly! After looking at all those pictures, I actually really want to go eat there now. The food looks amazing! I actually checked to see if there's any openings while we're there, but unfortunately they're all booked up. Oh well, maybe next time.

I'm glad you and enjoyed the reviews, and even more glad that they were helpful! The tofu dish at Sci-Fi is one of my favorites, and I'll definitely go back to 'Ohana! Next time I'll try to make sure it's a night where Chef TJ is working, though, as I think the experience would have been even better.

I hope you have a great trip, and you should post reviews when you get back! :thumbsup2 This board really needs more veg dining reviews.

[disney_princess_85]

Great reviews, especially the 'Ohana one. I'm a vegetarian so I'm hoping to receive some tofu goodies when I eat there next month.

[BigEeyore]

I'm so happy I found your wonderful reviews! I am vegetarian, and I usually don't bother with the reviews on the Dis b/c most folks order meat stuff. WOW you were treated like a queen at Ohana's! You have pushed me over the edge, now I must try that place. I have flirted with the idea for awhile, but always backed off b/c I was worried about all the meat, that I'd end up eating just rice and broccoli. Thank you!
Please do tell where you get all your cute vintage tees! I especially loved the classic Pooh one! :goodvibes

[v_gan]

Great reviews, especially the 'Ohana one. I'm a vegetarian so I'm hoping to receive some tofu goodies when I eat there next month.

I hope you have a great time!

I'm so happy I found your wonderful reviews! I am vegetarian, and I usually don't bother with the reviews on the Dis b/c most folks order meat stuff. WOW you were treated like a queen at Ohana's! You have pushed me over the edge, now I must try that place. I have flirted with the idea for awhile, but always backed off b/c I was worried about all the meat, that I'd end up eating just rice and broccoli. Thank you!
Please do tell where you get all your cute vintage tees! I especially loved the classic Pooh one! :goodvibes

I think every vegetarian should try 'Ohana just once to see what it's like. Even when we were worried we would have an awful experience, it turned into something great!

I get most of my Disney shirts from Hot Topic and eBay. Delias, Alloy.com, and 80stees.com are also really good places to find cute graphic tees. Most of the Disney ones are on the Disney Couture line. They sold them a lot on HotTopic.com for a while, but you can find tons on eBay. :thumbsup2

[BigEeyore]

Thank you! I will check those out. :thumbsup2

[woody74]

Wow, I'm so glad I stumbled onto this thread! This has to be one of the best dining review threads I've every read, period! My wife is vegan, and I'm now a vegetarian (as is our infant son) so it's so great to see an EXTENSIVE thread focusing on vegan food at WDW. I had ruled out dining at 'Ohana, but you've definitely changed my mind on this place. Amazing! Maybe we'll try dining there in Nov. Thanks for all your hard work!:thumbsup2

[AlohaPolynesian]

OH MY GOD!!! My eyes just popped out of my little vegetarian head!! All your reviews have been great, but the Ohana review just blew everything out of the water! I love Chef TJ so I didn't know what to expect when he wasn't going to be there. Everything looks amazing and I am so jealous!!

My jaw dropped when I saw that the Plaza waitress put that binder on your table. I would've asked for a manager IMMEDIATELY. I hate when people try to make me feel that my diet is an inconvenience, just because it is my choice. What if I had a severe allergy to something and my diet was a matter of living or dying? You know what I mean? That is ridiculous!

I am hopefully going back to Disney soon so I'll be studying these reviews again shortly when it's time for me to make my ADR's!

[UncleOrville]

I just found this thread and have only read the first few pages of your reviews, but want to say a huge THANK YOU! :goodvibes My sister is a vegetarian with more vegan-leaning tendencies than she's had on past WDW trips, and we were getting worried about her options for our upcoming trip. Your reviews and pictures are SO helpful! I'm happy to see the great options at some of the places we have booked, and some of your reviews have convinced me to try to get into places that we don't have booked right now (no easy feat since we are well into our 90 day mark and will be there during free dining, but it seems worth it to try! :laughing:). I also have to say we found our experience at the Plaza during our trip last year to be just as disappointing as yours - long wait, inattentive/ rude service, and bad food. Luckily, as your reviews are showing, there are lots of other great places to eat! :thumbsup2

[ehartman4]

Our server gave us a bag for out leftovers and we left the restaurant (afer paying and leaving a huge tip, of course!)

This might be a weird question, but did you eat your leftovers while you were still at Disney or waited until you got home? I know the hotel rooms don't have microwaves and I am just curious as to what you did with your leftovers!

[jinia]

Thanks for the wonderful reviews! I am a vegetarian and very much enjoyed your trip report/dining review!

[LMO429]

great tr subscribing :goodvibes

[v_gan]

Wow, I'm so glad I stumbled onto this thread! This has to be one of the best dining review threads I've every read, period! My wife is vegan, and I'm now a vegetarian (as is our infant son) so it's so great to see an EXTENSIVE thread focusing on vegan food at WDW. I had ruled out dining at 'Ohana, but you've definitely changed my mind on this place. Amazing! Maybe we'll try dining there in Nov. Thanks for all your hard work!:thumbsup2

I'm so glad you liked the review! I tried to write something I'd like to read as a vegan before leaving for WDW. So hopefully I succeeded!

OH MY GOD!!! My eyes just popped out of my little vegetarian head!! All your reviews have been great, but the Ohana review just blew everything out of the water! I love Chef TJ so I didn't know what to expect when he wasn't going to be there. Everything looks amazing and I am so jealous!!

My jaw dropped when I saw that the Plaza waitress put that binder on your table. I would've asked for a manager IMMEDIATELY. I hate when people try to make me feel that my diet is an inconvenience, just because it is my choice. What if I had a severe allergy to something and my diet was a matter of living or dying? You know what I mean? That is ridiculous!

I am hopefully going back to Disney soon so I'll be studying these reviews again shortly when it's time for me to make my ADR's!

I'm glad the reviews are helpful :thumbsup2 And, yeah, I definitely won't be back to the Plaza! That's the first time I've felt that way about any Disney restaurant. Good thing there are plenty more to try!

I just found this thread and have only read the first few pages of your reviews, but want to say a huge THANK YOU! :goodvibes My sister is a vegetarian with more vegan-leaning tendencies than she's had on past WDW trips, and we were getting worried about her options for our upcoming trip. Your reviews and pictures are SO helpful! I'm happy to see the great options at some of the places we have booked, and some of your reviews have convinced me to try to get into places that we don't have booked right now (no easy feat since we are well into our 90 day mark and will be there during free dining, but it seems worth it to try! :laughing:). I also have to say we found our experience at the Plaza during our trip last year to be just as disappointing as yours - long wait, inattentive/ rude service, and bad food. Luckily, as your reviews are showing, there are lots of other great places to eat! :thumbsup2

I can't believe you had such a similar experience at the Plaza! I definitely won't be back, as much as I hate to say that about any Disney-owned establishment. But, like you said, there are plenty more restaurants to try on future trips! The Plaza will not be missed :lmao:

This might be a weird question, but did you eat your leftovers while you were still at Disney or waited until you got home? I know the hotel rooms don't have microwaves and I am just curious as to what you did with your leftovers!

This might be a weird answer, but we made a make-shift cooler out of our hotel room's trash can. There was a new, clean bag in it when we got back to our room, and we filled that up with ice. Then we put the food containers into two new bags we had gotten while shopping that day. Then we covered that up with ice, as well.

We had to get creative! haha. I didn't have anything to put the food in on the drive home, though. But since there was no meat, eggs, or dairy in the food, I wasn't worried about anything going bad. It was only an 9-hour drive home the next day. So it wasn't too bad.

Thanks for the wonderful reviews! I am a vegetarian and very much enjoyed your trip report/dining review!

I'm glad you've enjoyed the reviews!

great tr subscribing :goodvibes

Thank you :)

[pigletto]

Yay for this thread!!! DD is a vegeatarian so I am really jazzed to find restaurants and menu options for her and half the time we will eat meatless as well so this is great!
I'm off to read from the begining!:goodvibes

[JeffGoldblum]

Your dining review was absolutely fantastic! By far the best dining review I have read on the DIS. Loved all the info and all the great pics.

You get the Jeff Goldblum Stamp of Approval!


http://i32.tinypic.com/2niz1iv.jpg

[v_gan]

Yay for this thread!!! DD is a vegeatarian so I am really jazzed to find restaurants and menu options for her and half the time we will eat meatless as well so this is great!
I'm off to read from the begining!:goodvibes

I'm glad the thread was helpful! :goodvibes

Your dining review was absolutely fantastic! By far the best dining review I have read on the DIS. Loved all the info and all the great pics.

You get the Jeff Goldblum Stamp of Approval!


http://i32.tinypic.com/2niz1iv.jpg

Oh, wow! Thank you so much! This is such an honor. I love Jeff Goldblum. :thumbsup2

[Evita227]

So sad to see the review come to an end...... VERY good note taking during dinners.... your pictures were AWESOME. I can't wait to eat at Disney as a vegetarian myself (lacto-ovo).....

May I ask what kind of camera you used? Your pictures are so clear, much clearer than many of the pictures I've seen on the board...... really makes you feel you are right there..... definately captures the ambiance!

Again, thank you so much - you obviously put a lot of time and effort into this review and it has helped so many people!:hug:

[v_gan]

So sad to see the review come to an end...... VERY good note taking during dinners.... your pictures were AWESOME. I can't wait to eat at Disney as a vegetarian myself (lacto-ovo).....

May I ask what kind of camera you used? Your pictures are so clear, much clearer than many of the pictures I've seen on the board...... really makes you feel you are right there..... definately captures the ambiance!

Again, thank you so much - you obviously put a lot of time and effort into this review and it has helped so many people!:hug:

They're not quite over! I still have our "Leaving Day" and a few snacks I picked up to take home to post :goodvibes

And I actually didn't take any notes. I just take so many pictures, I can look through them and see what happened nearly every five minutes of our vacation. hahaha. I'm just kidding about the five minutes, but I do take enough pictures to see what we did each day and when.

I have a Nikon D40. I really like it, especially since it takes such nice pictures in low lighting and that's typically the atmosphere I most want to capture :thumbsup2

And you're very welcome! I'm so glad people are finding my reviews helpful. That's what I did them for!

[v_gan]

Today was our sad day. Our leaving day. While I was mostly sad about the situation, I was also a bit happy and excited. As much as I want to say I could have lasted another 8 days, I needed to rest :lmao: And I was excited to get home to see my kitties!

We were going to get an early start, but I decided not to set my alarm clock for the first time in a week and let myself wake up naturally. And Jon won't wake up until I make him, so we both got an extra hour that day.

I had packed a lot the night before, so after I took my shower I really didn't have much more to do. We finally left our room around 10:30 and went to the lobby to check out. After we checked out, we walked around to take some last-minute pictures and I bought some snacks to take in the car with us:

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD9-1.jpg
Divvies caramel corn! I cannot express how amazing this caramel corn is. It has such a distinct hint of vanilla to it that makes it just outstanding. As soon as I ran out after a few days at home, I went to their website to see how I could order more. I may have to get some for Halloween! :thumbsup2

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD9-2.jpg
Popcorn ball. About your average popcorn ball. Similar to the individually wrapped Act II popcorn balls sold around Halloween.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD9-18.jpg
Yeah, ok. We're on our way!

When we arrived at Downtown Disney, we headed straight to Disney Quest. Wasted about two hours of our lives in there. Will never go back, although the Pirates of the Caribbean game/attraction was kind of fun. Jon felt sick the entire time we were there, all because we rode Aladdin's Magic Carpets first. I didn't exactly feel good afterwards, but I got over it after a while. Poor Jon felt bad nearly half the way home.

So after DQ, we walked around and did our DTD shopping. When we went inside the magnet store, I saw these:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD9-4.jpg
I just love fake food, no matter what it is. It's so cool!

And this:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD9-3.jpg
Gross. I feel sorry for that woman's kids.

When we finally made it to the Art of Disney store, I ordered two Haunted Mansion poster prints for me and my sister. I wasn't aware that they were printed in the store, so we had about an hour to waste. Since this was the last store we wanted to go in, we decided to eat lunch. The only place I could think of that would have something we could eat was the Rainforest Cafe. And since it was pretty close, we decided to go there.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD9-5.jpg

We didn't have to wait too long for a seat. But I've tried to block most of this experience out of my head, so I can't remember exactly how long it was.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD9-6.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD9-11.jpg

We were seated pretty much in the middle of the restaurant.

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http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD9-7.jpg

Our server was.. not so good. She took our order quick enough. And our food came out quick enough. But our drinks took forever, and I had to wait at least 5-7 minutes after my food arrived to get a fork, because she would never come to our table.

I ordered some kind of sweet and sour vegetable/rice dish:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD9-10.jpg
Waaaay too sweet. There must have been a cup of sugar in that sauce, because it was just gross. The only reason I ate it was because I was starving and needed something to fill me up.

Poor Jon.. I was hoping some food would help his headache and nausea that he aquired from DQ. But, of course, he ordered the restaurant's version of a veggie burger, and recieved this sad excuse for a meal:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD9-9.jpg
I had never seen anything more pitiful in my entire life. Does this really qualify as a "Portabella Burger"? More like a red onion burger. And since he doesn't like red peppers, he asked for the burger without them. But they still put them on.

I was so sad for him, because he was really hungry. I offered him some of my food, but he wouldn't take any. He just continued to feel bad until we got to the car and he took some medicine.

Needless to say, that will be our last trip to the Rainforest Cafe unless their menu changes. I had originally planned for us to eat at The Wave restaurant in the Contemporary resort, but that would have just taken too much time and we really needed to get on the road. I will definitely make time for The Wave on our next trip, because I think we would both really enjoy it.

After picking up my posters, we finally headed out to leave WDW. Within minutes, we were leaving the Walt Disney World property and were on our way home:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD9-19.jpg

We stopped at a Subway on the way home, but that's not exactly picture-worthy.

Ominous clouds, but only a few minutes of heavy rain. No traffic. Nine hours on the road, and we were home. :)

Coming Up: Store-bought snacks around World Showcase!

[LadyVT]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Our first trip to WDW was 2 years ago, on our honeymoon. As a vegetarian, I had a really hard time. We are going back in December, and I've cutted and pasted almost the entire thread!
:thumbsup2:thumbsup2:thumbsup2:woohoo::woohoo::woo hoo::yay::yay::yay:

[Shenanigoat]

That Rainforest meal is such a bummer. I've never really been a fan of that place. We have one locally and all my friends like it and I think it's just meh.

I really enjoyed your reviews. I am a meat-eater, but I love to eat vegetarian too, so this was great to read.:cheer2:

[mullertwin]

What a fantastic TR! Thank you so much for sharing your experiences!

I don't know why but the tofu I had at Tusker House & Boma were awful! I felt they were way too overcooked and hated the texture. I had a bad experience at Boma as something I ate upset my stomach but with your TR I wonder if I should give it another chance. And I am HORRIFIED to find out that the samosas at Tusker House are normally fried with meat! The Chef took me around and NEVER mentioned that! Yech!

I had such a nice experience at the Plaza and sorry that you didn't. But it wasn't the best meal I had at WDW so I wouldn't be too upset about never going back.

I have one question, with the soups that your BF ate, did he ask about the stock? I was unaware that any places had veggie soup other than Boma and Jiko (not including the chili from Columbia Harbor House).

[Samandmom]

WOW that was alot food at Ohanas. :) Thanks for your reviews.

[ehartman4]

I don't know why but the tofu I had at Tusker House & Boma were awful! I felt they were way too overcooked and hated the texture. I had a bad experience at Boma as something I ate upset my stomach but with your TR I wonder if I should give it another chance. And I am HORRIFIED to find out that the samosas at Tusker House are normally fried with meat! The Chef took me around and NEVER mentioned that! Yech!

The tofu is also cooked in the same oil as the corn dogs. I found this out last week when I was in Disney. Which chef took you around? My boyfriend Michael (plasticletters) and I will be posting our vegan review soon on Tusker House as well as other restaurants (including Chef TJ!).

[mullertwin]

Yikes! There is such conflicting information!! I don't remember the name of the chef since it was back in February. It makes me want to be VERY cautious next time around.

[v_gan]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Our first trip to WDW was 2 years ago, on our honeymoon. As a vegetarian, I had a really hard time. We are going back in December, and I've cutted and pasted almost the entire thread!
:thumbsup2:thumbsup2:thumbsup2:woohoo::woohoo::woo hoo::yay::yay::yay:

You're welcome! I'm glad the reviews were helpful :thumbsup2

That Rainforest meal is such a bummer. I've never really been a fan of that place. We have one locally and all my friends like it and I think it's just meh.

I really enjoyed your reviews. I am a meat-eater, but I love to eat vegetarian too, so this was great to read.:cheer2:

I don't think there are any Rainforest Cafes in Alabama. We enjoyed our food at the RC in Animal Kingdom on our last trip, so we didn't think it would be as bad as it turned out :sad2:

What a fantastic TR! Thank you so much for sharing your experiences!

I don't know why but the tofu I had at Tusker House & Boma were awful! I felt they were way too overcooked and hated the texture. I had a bad experience at Boma as something I ate upset my stomach but with your TR I wonder if I should give it another chance. And I am HORRIFIED to find out that the samosas at Tusker House are normally fried with meat! The Chef took me around and NEVER mentioned that! Yech!

I had such a nice experience at the Plaza and sorry that you didn't. But it wasn't the best meal I had at WDW so I wouldn't be too upset about never going back.

I have one question, with the soups that your BF ate, did he ask about the stock? I was unaware that any places had veggie soup other than Boma and Jiko (not including the chili from Columbia Harbor House).

Thanks for reading! And I agree on the tofu at Tusker House and Boma. I didn't like either. The tofu at Boma wasn't horrible, but the tofu at Tusker House was just gross.

No, we didn't ask about the stock in the soup he had at Rose and Crown. He never thinks to do that. But I found the recipe online after we got back, and there aren't any meat stocks listed (I actually don't think any stocks were used). Just cream. :thumbsup2

What soups at Boma are vegetarian? I thought most contained chicken stock?

WOW that was alot food at Ohanas. :) Thanks for your reviews.

Thanks for reading!

My boyfriend Michael (plasticletters) and I will be posting our vegan review soon on Tusker House as well as other restaurants (including Chef TJ!).

I'm excited to read your reviews!

[mullertwin]

What soups at Boma are vegetarian? I thought most contained chicken stock?


There was only one that was vegetarian (sorry - NOT vegan:sad2:). I can't remember if it was carrot/ginger or butternut squash. It was cream based not chicken stock based.

[olivejuice]

Ok thank you sooo much for posting this review! Our family is veggie and I look through the reviews all the time hoping to see food we can eat. Good job!!

[BigEeyore]

We have eaten at the Rainforest Cafe exactly ONE time - awful awful, as you said. Never again.

[mmmears]

I'm so impressed with the 'Ohana meal! We always go there for dinner, but barely touch the meat dishes. We really like the sides and the dessert!:goodvibes Our servers always think we're nuts!!! Now I want to ask for a tofu dinner instead!:rotfl: But then, you didn't have room for dessert, and the 'Ohana dessert is one of the few that I love.

Thanks for finishing up the report! Your photos and descriptions are so clear. And I really appreciate your reviews, since it's so hard to find healthy, good choices in the dining reviews!;)

[Alice42]

awesome report!! I had no idea you could get all of those tofu dishes at 'Ohana!:thumbsup2

Where did you get those vegan choc. chip cookies?

[Plasticletters]

We've begun our reviews!
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=33365298#post33365298

[Lizzybear]

I found these and your other reports recently and i'm so glad I did :goodvibes My bf is vegetarian so i'm always looking for relevant dining reviews... We have quite a few of the same restaurants booked :) Chef TJ is awesome, he made my bf a fantastic veggie stir-fry and deep fried Oreos when we ate at Boma in 2007 :cloud9: I booked Ohana since I heard that he moved there so I hope we get him (our ADR is a Sunday) and I hope he's there to whip you up something amazing on your next trip :banana:

[NOLA_Tink]

We headed into Fronteirland and stopped at the Golden Oak Outpost.

I went up to the counter and asked what all was on the Vegetarian Flatbread Wrap before ordering - nothing but vegetables and beans, ladies and gentlemen! Me and Jon both ordered the wrap with fries and a Diet Coke.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b107/v_gan/Travel/DD8-1.jpg

I really enjoyed the wrap. Tons of veggies, and the black beans add some protein. The veggies I can remember/see are lettuce, tomato, zuchinni, banana peppers, red onion, and corn. There may have been more, I can't remember. But it was really filling and tasty for being such a light meal. A lot of it fell off as we were eating it, so we just got forks and ate the rest as a salad :lmao: haha.

I'd definitely eat here again!



YUM! I had the veggie flatbread in March & it's my new fave CS option in MK. I like mine a little wetter, so I asked for extra hummus- soooooo tasty! They were also kind enough to give me fruit (either grapes or apples) instead of fries. I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed it too!

[cheryterese]

Thanks for a fantastic review! We're a vegetarian family heading to WDW in January and I am much more knowledgeable about where we should eat now thanks to you! 'Ohana is now a MUST as is Sci Fi Diner (for the kids, but happy to know about the yummy tofu dish). :yay: