Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurant/Dining Help Thread

[Plasticletters]

Originally Posted by MelanieC

Plasticletters - I do plan on taking you up on the offer to send you a PM about IOA/US and eating vegan there. I definately would love to know all you know about the topic.

email sent

Originally Posted by MelanieC

We will be there for 14 nights and our vaction is split into two stays at Pop Century.

Andrea (screenname v_gan on Disboards) has stayed at Pop Century and has experience with vegan options in their food court. Send her a message or check out her reviews (they are linked in the first post on this thread).

Originally Posted by MelanieC

The other 9 nights of our vacation are at Disney using the QSDP. I've been making a list of all the restuarants and the only thing I'm worried about is AK. I may leave the park and go to AKL for lunch by myself or see if I can call Pizzafari and ask if they can get something special in for me. I sure wish they had a counter service option for vegans at Tusker house where you could get a to-go tofu or vegie stir fry. Something simple and just a small counter service sized entree. I mean they have so much food over there that is vegan.......but really not a lot of good options for vegan's or vegetarians in the park.

AK has a great quick service restaurant called "Restaurantosaurus" in Dinoland. They have a veggie burger that is vegan (you have to substitute the regular bun - which has dairy - for a gluten free bun, but everything else is vegan). They even let us substitute fruit for our dessert option there (see our dining review for more detailed information). They will also offer you a gluten/dairy free brownie for dessert, but beware - it has eggs in it.

Originally Posted by MelanieC

I'm going to ask for fruit as a dessert for most of the counter service meals unless they have divvies or other vegan options.

The restaurants vary. Some will let you do this and some won't. A few of the restaurants we went to made us skip dessert entirely instead of letting us sub for fruit, but some were very accommodating.

Originally Posted by MelanieC

I've been making a list of vegan snack options. I'm actually excited to try a few things I have never tried, like the organge slushy at MK, a candy apple (I've always eaten caramel ones) a Kaki Gori, one of the frozen teas in China, the candied nuts (had these before and always loved these), peanut brittle (hoping I can find a place I can get these as snack credits), divies cookies, divies caramel corn, frozen strawberry and pineapple bars from ice cream carts.

If I can impress one thing upon you it is to USE YOUR SNACK OPTIONS IN THE PARKS. A few of these items you mentioned can be gotten as a snack option at the Main Street Confectionary in the Magic Kingdom (Peanut Brittle and candied nuts specifically), and even though they are also offered at most resorts and in Downtown Disney, those locations will NOT let you use snack credits to purchase them. Why? I don't know, but they were very stringent about this rule.

[MelanieC]

Michael,
Thanks so much for all your great info. You all are really making it so much easier to go as a vegan. I debated waiting till after I got back to make the switch, but I really think I can do this.......no - I know I can!!

[Plasticletters]

Originally Posted by MelanieC

Michael,
Thanks so much for all your great info. You all are really making it so much easier to go as a vegan. I debated waiting till after I got back to make the switch, but I really think I can do this.......no - I know I can!!

You definitely can! Just remember, a VAST majority of cast members WANT you to have a great time on your vacation and are willing to do what they can to make it so - just let them know what you need and don't ever be afraid to ask.

[ehartman4]

Originally Posted by MelanieC

Michael,
Thanks so much for all your great info. You all are really making it so much easier to go as a vegan. I debated waiting till after I got back to make the switch, but I really think I can do this.......no - I know I can!!

Yeah, that's the spirit! I actually became vegan at Disney, haha.

[ibela]

Originally Posted by MelanieC

Plenty for me to choose from. I'm over the sadness I felt at first for giving up the non-vegan treats. I'm sure when I'm there I will mourn the zebra domes I can't have (heck they weren't even vegetarian anyway, so I couldn't have them this trip anyway).

Zebra domes aren't vegetarian?!? Do you know what's in them by any chance? I'm thinking "oopsie" right about now...

[Tricia1972]

Zebra Domes have gelatin in them so aren't vegetarian.

[punkin712]

I was told that the bread pudding at BOMA isn't vegetarian (also contains gelatin), but the bread pudding at Ohana is. In fact, quite a few desserts at BOMA contain gelatin, including (I believe) the fruit tarts.

[Plasticletters]

Chef TJ said the dessert that most people get at 'Ohana is not vegan. I'm assuming this is the bread pudding.

Originally Posted by punkin712

I was told that the bread pudding at BOMA isn't vegetarian (also contains gelatin), but the bread pudding at Ohana is. In fact, quite a few desserts at BOMA contain gelatin, including (I believe) the fruit tarts.

[Vegcentric]

So, the schedule isn't out until July but I was just curious if any vegans have ever done the Food and Wine Festival in the past? If so, I wanted to know...was there anything at the festival that you could eat? Because I'm going with some family in October and while I'm excited to go to the festival, I'm afraid I may be a bit...left out.

[Vegcentric]

Originally Posted by punkin712

I was told that the bread pudding at BOMA isn't vegetarian (also contains gelatin), but the bread pudding at Ohana is. In fact, quite a few desserts at BOMA contain gelatin, including (I believe) the fruit tarts.

Yeah, I felt so foolish after consuming 1 zebra dome and then finding out later it had gelatin in it. I really, really wish I had checked before. Now I know for next time.

[Plasticletters]

Originally Posted by Vegcentric

So, the schedule isn't out until July but I was just curious if any vegans have ever done the Food and Wine Festival in the past? If so, I wanted to know...was there anything at the festival that you could eat? Because I'm going with some family in October and while I'm excited to go to the festival, I'm afraid I may be a bit...left out.

If you drink wine it will probably more than make up for the lack of food options offered.

I noticed a few things that LOOKED vegan in last years offerings but the fare was mostly meat/dairy-centric.

[Vegcentric]

Originally Posted by Plasticletters

If you drink wine it will probably more than make up for the lack of food options offered.

I noticed a few things that LOOKED vegan in last years offerings but the fare was mostly meat/dairy-centric.

Oh, I definitely drink wine...I am italian! I love wine. I basically told my sister, "For every stand that doesn't have a vegan entree, I will drink a glass of wine."

Of course this isn't going to work, since I can only have 2 before I start to really feel it. So I guess I'll be eating lots of pretzels to soak it up. Lol.

[Plasticletters]

Originally Posted by Vegcentric

Of course this isn't going to work, since I can only have 2 before I start to really feel it. So I guess I'll be eating lots of pretzels to soak it up. Lol.

those pretzels in the Germany Pavilion are Soooooo good

[MelanieC]

Are the pretzels in germany different than the ones in the rest of the park?



I thought I posted this question, but I don't see it. Does anyone know if the below snack is vegan. This would make an awesome snack!!!

At Epcot - Refreshment Port:

Tostones (crispy fried green plantain) $2.99

[Teresa Pitman]

I did the Food and Wine in 2008 and 2009, and frankly there wasn't much that was vegan. It was very disappointing. I did Party for the Senses in 2008 and I did find that - because the food is being prepared right there - I was able to ask for some of the dishes without the meat or cheese. But there was not a lot, and I didn't go back last year because I just felt I didn't get my money's worth with the very limited vegan options. (The wines were GREAT though!)

Last year I think there was only ONE booth that had a vegan option, and that was falafel in Morocco, which is fine but kind of boring (since we eat falafel all the time).

I have to say I'm surprised that people have had negative reactions to asking for vegan foods. One of the major reasons we keep coming back to WDW is that the restaurants are so positive about making us good vegan options. What I tend to do is tell the chef (when he or she comes out) that I'm vegan, I enjoy spicy foods and to "please surprise me with something good." That has resulted in some OUTSTANDING meals!!

Teresa