Character breakfast and vegan dining questions!

[v_gan]

Can someone tell me more about this? What characters are there and what kind of food is served? I'm vegan and my boyfriend is vegetarian, so we won't be wanting eggs, bacon, and yogurt. If we call ahead and make reservations, will they take our diets into account, or would we just have to settle for a bowl of fruit?

I'd also like to hear any of your experiences with the breakfast! I'm not sure if we'll end up doing it, but I am interested!

Also, can anyone tell me good choices in the parks for vegans? I REALLY want to eat at the Monsters Cafe, but I'm afraid they won't have anything.

Thanks in advance!

 

[cookiemonstermommy]

At the monsters cafe, you could get a salad (minus the ceasar dressing). They also have mixed veggies, but I'm not sure if they use any animal products (ie chicken stock) to steam/boil/flavor them...

I believe all the pastas there have a milk based sauce, and at the other places it's a red sauce, but with meatballs floating around in the vat. Also, the soups are either animal or cream based, as far as I remember.

International Film and Food Festival has lots of different veggies, salad and a good fruit platter. But again-I don't know what the veggies are seasoned with, and you may have to bring your own dressing.

Most of the dining options in Universal/IOA (including monsters cafe) are counter service, just go up, order, take your food, sit and eat, so I'm not sure if you'd be able to call ahead for reservations.

However, there is a (reportedly very good) sit down restaurant there, and that's Mythos. You could probably get something modified for you there with advance notice.

I'm sure there's a guest service line you could call though, to find out the specifics.

Best of Luck!
kelly

 

[v_gan]

Good gracious. Universal isn't very veg-friendly, are they? I guess we will be sticking to fruit and fries while we're there. We went to Mytho's a few years ago, and I didn't really care for it. I don't know, just seemed too fancy for a theme park for me. I just didn't enjoy it.

Thank you very much for all the information! I really appreciate the reply I'll try contacting someone at Universal and see what they can tell me.

 

[bubba's mom]

At IOA, Confisco's hosts the character breakfast. Characters are: Spiderman, Thing 1 & 2, Cat in the Hat... they have everything you can imagine there to eat....fruits, pastries, cereal, waffles, pancakes, french toast, the "meats" (bacon, sausage, etc..) eggs, anything you can imagine! It's buffet and we enjoyed it...it wasn't "spectacular" food, but breakfast food nonetheless.

 

[v_gan]

At IOA, Confisco's hosts the character breakfast. Characters are: Spiderman, Thing 1 & 2, Cat in the Hat... they have everything you can imagine there to eat....fruits, pastries, cereal, waffles, pancakes, french toast, the "meats" (bacon, sausage, etc..) eggs, anything you can imagine! It's buffet and we enjoyed it...it wasn't "spectacular" food, but breakfast food nonetheless.

Thank you for the information! I would guess Spider-man is pretty easy to meet in the parks? I haven't been since 2002, so meeting Spidey is the main reason I would go to this breakfast. Is he worth the breakfast, or should I just meet him in IOA?

 

[cookiemonstermommy]

I never did the breakfast, but we (ds and I) met him a few times in the park. They have photo ops, where they (park employees) take one, and also let you pose for one with your own camera. Got a cute one of my son doing the little web shooting hand pose with Spidey.

Please call them-I'm not sure, for all i know they're able to accomodate you. I wish the world would be more veg*n friendly, but unfortunately, that's not the case.

 

[v_gan]

I never did the breakfast, but we (ds and I) met him a few times in the park. They have photo ops, where they (park employees) take one, and also let you pose for one with your own camera. Got a cute one of my son doing the little web shooting hand pose with Spidey.

Please call them-I'm not sure, for all i know they're able to accomodate you. I wish the world would be more veg*n friendly, but unfortunately, that's not the case.

Oh, good! Because I love Spidey

I think I will contact them. I would love to go, but I really don't feel like paying $16 (I think that's the price) for a bowl of fruit. I also wish the world were more veg-friendly. Hopefully it will be one day!

 

[bubba's mom]

spidey is usually in the gift shop across from his ride. Usually there is a TM standing in the middle of the street holding a huge sign up that says "Meet Spiderman -----> " ...can't miss it.

 

[v_gan]

spidey is usually in the gift shop across from his ride. Usually there is a TM standing in the middle of the street holding a huge sign up that says "Meet Spiderman -----> " ...can't miss it.

Oh boy! I'm getting excited! Do they still have the villains? I remember back in 2002, I got my picture made with Dr.Doom and the Green Goblin. Are they still there?

 

[DVCLiz]

We went to the character breakfast last month. Honestly, I thought the food was awful - I had a traditional eggs, bacon and potatoes kind of breakfast. The eggs were OK, a little runny for my taste, but the bacon was limp and greasy, and the potatoes were those frozen hash brown things like you'd get at a fast food restaurant - although they were star-shaped, I guess in honor of the Sneetches. Anyway, they were awful, especially sine we compared them to the delicious potato dish served at the Norway Princess breakfast.

Although I fussed about the reservation and was sure we would be crowded, there were only 8 tables full when we went. We had a 9:50am time, though, so I guess it had been busier early in the morning. Still, for a character breakfast at IOA I expected all seatings to be full. Because there were so few people there, the characters had less to do and spent more time at each table. The Cat in ther Hat was so cute - he purred in my ear!!! I loved Thing 1and Thing 2, but Spiderman was the real treat.

OK, first - super athletic and a tight body suit - what's not to love, even for this 49 year old mom? Both of my daughters felt Spidey was a nice bit of eye candy. Plus, he talked through his costume and stayed in character really well. One fo the kids said, "Where's Mary Jane today?" and he said, "Oh, MJ? She's in New York for a photo shoot today. I'll tell her you said hi." It was cute.

But the amazing thing was the way he moved - one minute he was standing next to a table and the next he leaped up onto the back of a kid's chair and had his picture taken while squatting on the back of the chair. At our booth, he suddenly leaped onto the bench and then landed over my shoulder onto the back of the booth. It was amazing!! And fun!!

So if Spidey is your man I think it would be worth the $$ even if the food isn't all you want it to be.

Another thought - I know WDW chefs work hard to meet specific food requirements, so you might call and tell them what you need and maybe they would provide it for you.

 

[v_gan]

We went to the character breakfast last month. Honestly, I thought the food was awful - I had a traditional eggs, bacon and potatoes kind of breakfast. The eggs were OK, a little runny for my taste, but the bacon was limp and greasy, and the potatoes were those frozen hash brown things like you'd get at a fast food restaurant - although they were star-shaped, I guess in honor of the Sneetches. Anyway, they were awful, especially sine we compared them to the delicious potato dish served at the Norway Princess breakfast.

Although I fussed about the reservation and was sure we would be crowded, there were only 8 tables full when we went. We had a 9:50am time, though, so I guess it had been busier early in the morning. Still, for a character breakfast at IOA I expected all seatings to be full. Because there were so few people there, the characters had less to do and spent more time at each table. The Cat in ther Hat was so cute - he purred in my ear!!! I loved Thing 1and Thing 2, but Spiderman was the real treat.

OK, first - super athletic and a tight body suit - what's not to love, even for this 49 year old mom? Both of my daughters felt Spidey was a nice bit of eye candy. Plus, he talked through his costume and stayed in character really well. One fo the kids said, "Where's Mary Jane today?" and he said, "Oh, MJ? She's in New York for a photo shoot today. I'll tell her you said hi." It was cute.

But the amazing thing was the way he moved - one minute he was standing next to a table and the next he leaped up onto the back of a kid's chair and had his picture taken while squatting on the back of the chair. At our booth, he suddenly leaped onto the bench and then landed over my shoulder onto the back of the booth. It was amazing!! And fun!!

So if Spidey is your man I think it would be worth the $$ even if the food isn't all you want it to be.

Another thought - I know WDW chefs work hard to meet specific food requirements, so you might call and tell them what you need and maybe they would provide it for you.

OH MY! I want Spidey to jump on my chair! You're right. $16 for a bowl a fruit isn't a bad deal, as long as Spider-man's thrown into the mix. He seems like so much fun! Gosh, I'm so torn on this! haha. I may end up having to do it just for the extra time with Spider-man. That would be a lot of fun.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! It's really making me want to consider doing it. I think I will e-mail Universal to see what they say about the food. I wouldn't be completely dissappointed with a big bowl of fruit. I need to stop eating so much anyway. haha. The main reason I would go would definitely be for Spider-man, though.

 

[DVCLiz]

I think character meals have to go into the category of "doing it for the experience with some food thrown in for free." This was probably a once is enough meal for us, but looking back it was worth the $ for the pictures and the memories. Give up a few snacks somewhere else during the vacation and go see Spidey in his nice spandex - you'll be glad you did!!!!

 

[the Dark Marauder]

If you go to a sitdown restaurant, make sure you let your server know that you're a Hardcore Vegetarian. Even if you go to a counter-serve location, you can always ask/special request.