Veg*n Family First Trip to DisneyWorld

[Pezdiva]

Hi Everyone, I have searched the board and I have found some great advice, but I want all I can get from the experts here.

This is our first trip to the DW, we have been to DL a few times before kids. My crew is as follows:

Me - Vegan, dairy allergy and lactose intolerant
DH- Omni
DS (6) - Vegetarian
DD (4) - Vegan, dairy allergy and lactose intolerant

We will be in DW staying at Shades of Green (DH is Navy) with tickets for 8 days. We will be there from Jan 21-29. Since it is our first time to DW I am totally overwhelmed and I would like a low down on where we should go.

So, veg*ns where should we eat and at what parks? My kids are not picky, they ask for salads and we all drink kale smoothies daily - we love greens and ethnic foods. Boma is on the list, that is in AK right?

Thanks everyone!

 

[Pezdiva]

Also, where should we do a character meal. Would breakfast somewhere be vegan friendly, or should be do lunch - and where? Thanks!

 

[budbeerlady]

My favorite Vegetarain breakfast right now is Tusker House, it is a character meal. Yummy!

Any place will accomidate, some will be better than others for options.

Check out menus here http://allears.net/din/vegcsparks.htm and here http://allears.net/din/vegtsparks.htm for some more ideas.

 

[Laura]

Boma is in Animal Kingdom Lodge, not the park itself. Definitely a must do, IMO. Another good buffet (also a character meal) is Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom. Vegetarian food is easier to get than vegan, but any TS restaurant will help you out; make sure to have it noted when you make your reservations.

Counter service is trickier. Veggie burgers are vegan (unless something has changed), and are found in all parks. Budbeerlady's links above should help you out with other spots. Animal Kingdom is the worst counter service park for us veggies. In particular, for vegans, the only choice for counter service is Restaurantosaurus.

 

[vicki845]

I'm not a vegan-I go back and forth with eating a vegetarian diet. Here's my experence. Dh and ds are lactose intollerant

Boma at the Animal Kingdom Lodge is a good choice but be careful the soups have dairy in it. Tusker House is another good choice at AK. We ate there two weeks ago. The hummus and couscous are really good. Tangerine Cafe is another good option in Epcot.

I would call the restaurants ahead of time and tell them you are vegan they should be accomadating. Also most restaurants for dessert carry Rice Dream and or Tufutti. Ds was very happy about that.

One more thing most cs restaurants have a veggie burger(boca burger) which I think has dairy in it.
You probably know if it has it or not anyway.

 

[Pezdiva]

Thanks all, see I needed help - I had no idea Boma was not in a park ::sigh:: I need my own little Disney mentor, anyone want to be my Jiminy? I’m only half kidding.

So, what are your favorite things to eat, what do you vegheads dream about when you are busy making your return plans?

I have heard the apple pretzels are vegan, and so is the popcorn. If cafes serve the original Boca burgers, those are vegan which is always an okay quick meal but nothing I crave. We have to be so careful with the dairy because even a little bit will make us sick for the day and uncomfortable to a few days after. Is Tuskers in the AK park or hotel?

Thanks all, keep the ideas coming – I really appreciate them!

 

[erin2470]

Hi just got back, and my sister who is a vegan came along. You will have much better luck with sit down meals. We had breakfast at Crystal Palace and MK with Pooh, and the chef came out pointed all the stuff vegan, then made her special waffles and pastries. She ate a lot there. MK counter service Vegan is the best - Columbia harbor house has hummus sandwich, get it without the slaw, there is a place by pirates of carribean that you can have a vegan taco/burrito, and rays has the veggie burgers, which are dairy free as long as you don't get the cheese. Animal Kingdom park is the hardest, the only item you can eat is in dinoland where they serve a veggie burger. Epcot, go to teppan edo for sit down meal, they grill in front of you a great mix of veggies and rice. you can get a grilled veggie sandwich at sunshine grill. At MGM at backlot express they serve a great southwestern salad, and a sandwich i believe. The WAVE at the contempory had a veggie stew that my sister loved, and spoodles made an eggplant, white bean lasagne without the cheese, and you can eat the bread there. Thats about all I can think of right now. Have a blast. And just bring some luna bars to snack on haha. Also the pretzels are vegan, and the bakery in MK serves divvies.

 

[Pezdiva]

Thanks for the links Beerbud, I could have sworn I check out all the links on that site for food but nope

I am taking notes, thank so much you all. If anyone knows the name of the place erin mentioned near Pirates, I would love that info.

Looks like with proper planning I should have a fun vacation, I am so looking forward to not cooking!

And yes, we plan to hit up Costco and get the big thing of Lara bars

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

For your table service meals, make sure to have it noted when you make your ADR that you have lactose intolerant vegan diners. When you get to each restaurant, tell the host at the podium. If the server doesn't suggest it, ask to speak to the chef. The chefs love to talk to guests and are super accommodating!

I think they commonly have lactaid available at all TS locations, but if you want to be sure to have lactaid available for any meal -- call the restaurant directly at least a week before your reservation date. Ask for the chef, explain your needs, and they will make note of the date and time and take care of it.

In CS locations, there is a book available to check ingredients for all menu items. So you can double check for potentially hidden dairy ingredients.

If you are a soup lover, WDW is a great place for a vegetarian! Many locations have at least one totally vegetarian (vegetable stock only) selection. But do check on possible dairy ingredients.

 

[engle]

If you are a vegan, why would you eat/drink milk based products??? Just asking!!

 

[IndayMichelle]

My DBF is a vegetarian, not vegan. Even though he didn't have as many options as I did, he found things he liked. Here's where we ate last week:

Garden Grill
Jiko
Sci-Fi Dine-In
Giordano's delivery*
Cinderella's Royal Table*
Old Port Royale
Boma*
Brown Derby*
Rose and Crown*
Tangerine Cafe*
Pizzafari
California Grill
Cosmic Ray's
Crystal Palace*

*Were the one's he liked the best.

The hosts and waitstaff were incredibly knowledgeable about the menu. We didn't have to wait for a chef to come to the table because they knew if something had chicken stock or cheese or gelatin. So as long as you let them know, they'll help you out. His favorites were Boma and the Tangerine Cafe. We actually didn't care much for Jiko. He asked to go back to Morocco to eat there again.

 

[Pezdiva]

If you are a vegan, why would you eat/drink milk based products??? Just asking!!

Short answer, I don't eat it.

In the perfect world noting my dairy allergy would not be needed when I say I'm vegan. However, because we (my DD and I) do have an allergy we have to be extra careful when ordering our vegan meals, ie - absolutly no butter on my bun, dressings, mayo, etc. Sometimes people/chefs/servers etc forget about those kind of things. So, yes, I am vegan and I don't eat any animal products at all, and if for some reason I get an accidental taste of something with dairy I am very very sick. I understand why you are asking, it is sort of confusing for me to say I am a vegan with a dairy allergy but for my health I really have to be safe with an extra dose of diligence for my DD.

 

[engle]

Thanks....that made me curious. While I am not a vegan or even close (love me some MEAT!!!), I had a vegan friend while on theatre tour. We ate out EVERY meal for 6 months and it was VERY difficult for him to find nutritious meals at times. I would guess the same would be for you. He had to ask tons of questions with the wait staff running back and forth to ask the chef/cook. I think for awhile, he lived on Cliff bars!

 

[Laura]

Thanks all, see I needed help - I had no idea Boma was not in a park ::sigh:: I need my own little Disney mentor, anyone want to be my Jiminy? I’m only half kidding.

So, what are your favorite things to eat, what do you vegheads dream about when you are busy making your return plans?

I have heard the apple pretzels are vegan, and so is the popcorn. If cafes serve the original Boca burgers, those are vegan which is always an okay quick meal but nothing I crave. We have to be so careful with the dairy because even a little bit will make us sick for the day and uncomfortable to a few days after. Is Tuskers in the AK park or hotel?

Thanks all, keep the ideas coming – I really appreciate them!

You should go to Boma--it's terrific. We ate there twice for dinner. Tusker House is in the park, in the Africa area near the safari. From the menu, it looks like it's a bit similar to Boma, and lunch and dinner should be more vegan-friendly.

There are some other snacks that I believe are likely to be vegan, like the Itzakadoozie and strawberry fruit bars in the ice cream carts. There are fruit stands in Liberty Square, Toontown (both MK), Anaheim Produce in the Studios, and Harambe in AK. I think all soft pretzels are vegan unless they have cheese or cream cheese in them, but definitely ask. In Epcot, the kaki gori in Japan is vegan. The Dole Whips in Aloha Isle in Adventureland are advertised as dairy-free, but they have sodium caseinate in them.

For counter service, Tangierine Cafe in Morocco is a good choice--I think the lentil salad is not vegan. Sunshine Seasons in Future World has Asian food that's probably vegan. In MK, Columbia Harbour House's veggie sandwich should be vegan without the slaw, and the chili is vegan. Both are tasty! It's my favorite CS in WDW. Pecos Bill's and Starlight Ray's have toppings bars to make the veggie burgers taste better. In the Studios, they may be able to make the veggie sandwich at Backlot Express vegan, but not sure about the bread it's on.

 

[budbeerlady]

I am taking notes, thank so much you all. If anyone knows the name of the place erin mentioned near Pirates, I would love that info.

I asume its is Pirate Y Perico. It has NEVER been open when I have visited! I want to eat there! Its across the walkway from pirates of the carribean.

Another place to consider is The Wave in the contemporary hotel. We ate there and it was wonderful. I had the vegetable stew which was out of this world. I would call and check if it is vegan but I am lactose intolorant also and I didnt get sick from it.

The pan seared tofu skewer at Coral Reef (Epcot) was alright. It wasnt as good as other meals I have had there but it was edible.

The roasted pepper at 50's prime time (HS) was wondeful! Even Dh kept trying to eat some of it!

Le Cellier (Epcot) would be difficult I think to do Vegan. They only ever offered me a ceasar salad with my mushroom allergy.

Whispering Canyon cafe (at the Wilderness Lodge) the cowboy bean enchalada thing was gross. It was not something I would ever try again. BBQ beans slapped into a shell with some veggies.

We also enjoyed the Garden Grill at Epcot. You could ask what they make for a vegan meal.

 

[ROEDISNEY]

Hi Everyone, I have searched the board and I have found some great advice, but I want all I can get from the experts here.

This is our first trip to the DW, we have been to DL a few times before kids. My crew is as follows:

Me - Vegan, lactose intolerant
DH- Omni
DS (6) - Vegetarian
DD (4) - Vegan, lactose intolerant

We will be in DW staying at Shades of Green (DH is Navy) with tickets for 8 days. We will be there from Jan 21-29. Since it is our first time to DW I am totally overwhelmed and I would like a low down on where we should go.

So, veg*ns where should we eat and at what parks? My kids are not picky, they ask for salads and we all drink kale smoothies daily - we love greens and ethnic foods. Boma is on the list, that is in AK right?

Thanks everyone!

Ck out the WAVE it's new & it's good and I'm sure that you will find something there you will like. We loved it

 

[Pezdiva]

We leave in just a few short days, we are very excited. We have a few reservations on the books, Boma, Brown Derby, Princess Meal, and I am about to call in and make sure we are all set.

Any last minute vegan tips?

 

[luckyfin]

I also loved the stuffed pepper at 50's Prime Time and my favorite dish is the vegetable lasagna at Chefs de France.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

It appears that for the medical restricted stuff I would suggest going to the disABILITIES Forum and look at Post #3 of the disABILITIES FAQs. There is a large section in that post dealing with special dietary needs, as well as many related links. You can get directly to the disABILITIES FAQs by following the link in my signature.

This is a very common topic of discussion in the disABILITIES Forum.

 

[JeanfromBNA]

Have you seen this thread? http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2062042