Disappointed with vegetarian options at CS restaurants

[disneysteve]

We are at Disney now with our daughter who has been a vegetarian for about 5 years now. It seems to be that the counter service restaurants are really virtually ignoring the vegetarian guests. At several places, the only non-meat option has been a salad. Even though DD is almost 15, we still look at the children's menu to see what options there are on that and most places have all meat choices for the kids. What happened to mac and cheese or pasta and sauce? Would it kill them to introduce some soy-based items? Even PB&J would be acceptable as an option. Didn't most of the CS places used to offer Uncrustables? How about a grilled cheese?

Disney will be getting a letter about this for sure.

 

[izzy]

Out of curiosity, I just looked up the menus at some of the CS places in the Magic Kingdom. While not a lot of options, I did find a few things other than a salad that should work for a vegetarian, not including many of the side dishes:

Columbia Harbor House:

Lighthouse Sandwich - hummus with tomato & broccoli slaw
Vegetarian Chili
Also, if she eats fish (many vegetarians I know will eat fish and seafood), they have a tuna sandwich


Cosmic Rays:

Vegetarian burger
Vegetable wrap


Pecos Bills:

Veggie burger - and they have a great toppings bar here, too


Pinocchio Village Haus:

cheese pizza
I also noticed that for kids meals they have PBJ sandwiches and macaroni and cheese

 

[disneysteve]

Out of curiosity, I just looked up the menus at some of the CS places in the Magic Kingdom. While not a lot of options, I did find a few things other than a salad that should work for a vegetarian, not including many of the side dishes

Pizza, PB&J and mac and cheese are all perfectly good options for us. We've just found a few places so far that didn't offer any of those. No, she doesn't eat fish, so that's out. At one place, the only non-meat option was a Greek salad. I'll admit she's a bit pickier than I'd like, but feta cheese, onions and Greek olives don't really appeal to her. It would be nice to at least have the Uncrustables as a standard option on the kid's menu at all the CS places. That would be simple enough to put into place since they require zero preparation by the staff.

She doesn't mind making a meal of sides and has done that many times, both here at Disney and elsewhere, so that's always an option.

 

[Laura]

http://allears.net/din/vegcsparks.htm
You kinda have to know where to go; this link helps.

 

[moose.]

Out of curiosity, I just looked up the menus at some of the CS places in the Magic Kingdom. While not a lot of options, I did find a few things other than a salad that should work for a vegetarian, not including many of the side dishes:

Columbia Harbor House:

Lighthouse Sandwich - hummus with tomato & broccoli slaw
Vegetarian Chili
Also, if she eats fish (many vegetarians I know will eat fish and seafood), they have a tuna sandwich


Cosmic Rays:

Vegetarian burger
Vegetable wrap


Pecos Bills:

Veggie burger - and they have a great toppings bar here, too


Pinocchio Village Haus:

cheese pizza
I also noticed that for kids meals they have PBJ sandwiches and macaroni and cheese

if these "vegetarians" you know eat fish, they are not vegetarians. they are pesce/pescatarians.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) Yep, it is tough.
2) WDW caters more to food allergies than to veg folks.
3) Unfortunately, it is a grin-and-bear-it situation.
4) Hope you find doem good alternatives.

 

[izzy]

if these "vegetarians" you know eat fish, they are not vegetarians. they are pesce/pescatarians.

That's interesting - I didn't realize that. I know several people who are self-proclaimed vegetarians, yet they eat fish and seafood. My boss is one of them. Wonder if I should correct her? On second thought, probably not!

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I eat mostly vegetarian (even when at the World) and try to eat as little meat as possible (especially red meat). One of my favorite CS grabs is the Buffalo mozzarella and tomato sandwich at Main Street Bakery. When I'm with my family I usually will get one of these and then just go with them to whatever CS place they want to eat at if we're in MK. Capt. Cook's at the Poly also has an amazing grilled cheese sandwich. We don't usually do CS at DHS or AK and Epcot has a lot more options.

 

[bibbidibobbidibecky]

My children and I are vegetarian and have never had an issue. We love the Harbour House sandwich already mentioned and the chili and other than that we almost always can find a veggie burger.

I hope nothing has changed since we were there in Dec.!

 

[Alexander]

Unfortunately at 15, the kids menu is not really supposed to be available to her, so even if the PBJ were on there, technically, it wouldn't be available for her to order.

As other posters have said, you need to pick your restaurants based on what your daughter will eat. The vegetarian selections are very limited, and if she's a picky eater, you need to review the menus before you get to a park and know exactly where you are going to go for lunch.

DH and DS are celiacs and cannot eat many of the food at the CS restaurants. There are limited choices for them too, but we will review what each restaurant has to offer them and they will decide before we go where to have lunch. The TS restaurants are much, much better at dealing with specific food needs. We have been eating at many more of those since they were both diagnosed. I know it is more expensive and takes more time (even when eating at home), but that is just the way of life for us now.

Unfortunately, as long as there is one option on the CS menus, Disney is probably doing as much as they can do. There are so many special food needs out there, that they can't have a large selection for every one of them. And I do agree that they tend to do allergies better than vegetarian, but possibly because allergies are a medical condition.

 

[SharonZ]

I have to disagree with the previous post regarding the kid's menu. I've never encountered an adult not being able to order from the kid's menu in Disney if that is what they choose to do.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

I have to disagree with the previous post regarding the kid's menu. I've never encountered an adult not being able to order from the kid's menu in Disney if that is what they choose to do.

You're correct, anyone can order a kids meal, the only time you cannot are for buffet's. At buffets you'll have to pay the adult price but she'll be able to eat anything she likes whether it be considered children or adult fare!

 

[Alexander]

I have to disagree with the previous post regarding the kid's menu. I've never encountered an adult not being able to order from the kid's menu in Disney if that is what they choose to do.

You're correct, anyone can order a kids meal, the only time you cannot are for buffet's. At buffets you'll have to pay the adult price but she'll be able to eat anything she likes whether it be considered children or adult fare!

Yes you can order from it, but is specifically states underneath the sign that this menu is for our guests 9 and under. So if one were following the stated 'rules', only guests 9 and under SHOULD be ordering from that menu. Does that happen? Of course not, but that is the intention of WDW. Therefore the OP being frustrated that there was nothing on the children's menu for his DS (15) isn't a valid complaint.

 

[HunnyJar]

Every trip I have taken to the World has been as a vegetarian, so I'm a little surprised about this thread. Generally, I feel like I have a decent selection of items to choose from. Like others have said, you really need to do your homework prior to your trip to find CS locations with the best options. But veggie burgers can be found at ALL parks usually at more than one location. Another poster already pointed out some of the CS at the MK where you can find veggie options.

For Epcot Sunshine Seasons has several options for veggie meals including a grilled veggie sandwich and a tofu noodle bowl. In addition to those items, veggie sushi and a salads can also be found. Liberty Inn in the World Showcase also offers a veggie burger. Tangierine Cafe offers a veggie platter (I didn't care for it, but a lot of vegetarians love it) and you can also get a cheese plate with half a baguette from the bakery in France.

I know that Starring Rolls has veggie options as well as Pizza Planet, but I actually don't go to DHS, so I can't tell you what they are. The AK also has decent veggie options like the fruit plate from Tusker House BBQ, a cheese pizza at Pizzafari and the veggie burger at Restaurantosaurus. Veggie options are everywhere, but you do need to look around. Honestly, in all the years we have gone I haven't really been disappointed in my options - other than the fact that they changed from Boca patties to Garden Burger patties, but that is more of MY problem than theirs.

Also if you head to DTD/Marketplace - Earl of Sandwich also has veggie sandwiches. WPE also has veggie options. And most resort CS will have choices for vegetarians as well. Capt. Cook's happens to be my favorite, but the Mara would come in a close second.

 

[DisMN]

Yes you can order from it, but is specifically states underneath the sign that this menu is for our guests 9 and under. So if one were following the stated 'rules', only guests 9 and under SHOULD be ordering from that menu. Does that happen? Of course not, but that is the intention of WDW. Therefore the OP being frustrated that there was nothing on the children's menu for his DS (15) isn't a valid complaint.

Rule? Or more of a notice like "Hey, here is the list of child specific foods. We put it all in one spot here so you don't have to hunt the whole menu to find it. Not that children must eat from this menu but the meals are smaller and they are more entertaining than the adult foods. If you're a fun loving, childlike adult you can order these too, no biggie, but remember there is less food on these orders than the adult menu items. Enjoy your day at Disney and remember to please keep your arms and legs inside the ride at all times!"

But of course they shorten it to "guests 9 and under should be ordering from this menu".

Does it even say exactly that?

OP I wish they'd introduce more vegetarian items on the counter service menus too. It's pretty lacking isn't it?

 

[Sugardimples]

Restaurant food is offered to satisfy most of the poeple, most of the time. Every time you make a choice that does not fall into that category your pool becomes smaller. Add to that your personal preferences and the pool becomes smaller yet.

Even if you think your choices are "better" that the choices of the majority the fact is that the pool is smaller and you will have a harder time finding what suits you in a public venue.

I actually think Disney does a good job offering alternatives to standard theme park food. Many (most?) Disney restaurants have meatless options. But I understand that your requirements might not line up with what they have to offer. At some point you just have to assume the responsibility of providing your own food because your requirements are just too narrow to be met.

 

[disneysteve]

Thanks for all of the replies. I realize that Disney can't be expected to cater to every food need. I'm not complaining - really, I'm not. I've always thought Disney did a great job of accommodating people. My wife has a food allergy and numerous times, a chef has come out of the kitchen to speak with her and find out exactly what she couldn't have, sometimes preparing something special just for her.

We come to Disney World every year and DD has been vegetarian for 5 or 6 years now, so this isn't something new. It just seems that this year, we're finding more places without acceptable options for her.

As for the child menu issue, I'm certainly of the opinion that anyone can order anything and the child menu is there just to highlight the "kid-friendly" options. That said, there are lots of vegetarian children in the world so it would be nice to see a vegetarian option on every kid's menu which is not what we've been finding.

Disney does have some terrific veg options. For lunch at DHS yesterday, all 3 of us had the Asian salad at the Commissary which was delicious. DD and I have had a couple of veggie burgers. DD had the tofu noodle bowl at The Land a couple of days ago as well as she and I sharing a tray of vegetable sushi from the ready-made refrigerated case.

 

[somethingblue]

My boyfriend is a vegetarian and ate cheese pizza twice and a veggie burger once during our entire week long trip. You just have to do your research before you go. I recommend going to the dining review boards and looking at the Vegean/Vegetarian reviews. You can click the link in my signature to go to mine. There are WAY more options in Epcot than say, Animal Kingdom (which had the lamest selection of options).

I'm sorry you're disappointed in the offerings, but to put it in perspective, every menu in WDW has at least one veggie option. Are they all great? Of course not. But go look up the Universal Studios menus. Aside from Moe's at Citywalk you will be hard pressed to find a vegetarian option.

 

[disneysteve]

I'm sorry you're disappointed in the offerings, but to put it in perspective, every menu in WDW has at least one veggie option. Are they all great? Of course not. But go look up the Universal Studios menus. Aside from Moe's at Citywalk you will be hard pressed to find a vegetarian option.

I agree. There is something at every place and I think that's great, and far better than most places. And I understand that at age 14, DD is kind of expected to order off the adult menu, but the reality is that many teens (vegetarian or not) aren't always as adventurous in their eating as most adults are. Kids often prefer relatively simple options. That's where I think Disney could do a better job. Like I said, several places we've seen have no veggie option on the kid's menu, so a kid who doesn't eat meat would have to order off of the regular menu where the options aren't so kid-friendly (and cost more).

We're going to Universal next week so I suspect DD will be eating pizza or french fries.

 

[bean bunny]

I completely agree with disneysteve. We just came back and I felt like I'd done pretty good research but by the end of our trip I was sick of cheese pizza, veggie burgers, and mozzarella caprese sandwiches. I was surprised because at home we have so many options and I really expected Disney to have a bigger selection. We are going to give Wolfgang Puck Express a try next time it seemed like there were a least a few more options there. Before we return in January I'm going to do more research!!

P.S. If you are going to Universal - Citywalk has a Moe's Southwest Grill, similar to a Chipotle/Qdoba which would give her a different option.