Vegan recommendations

[Sillyminny40]

Can you suggest a list of vegan places to eat? Family staying at C. Springs and two are vegans.

Thanks.

 

[etoiles]

Try doing a search for vegan on the boards. I am (not vegan) but vegetarian and did a search on that and found a lot of useful info. here is one report from a couple in which one was vegan and the other was vegetarian:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1607071

There are a bunch more under the search but I liked reading that one since it had reviews and pictures.

 

[Sillyminny40]

Thanks! I read that and made a list.

 

[cosmicdaisy]

This is helpful as well... http://allears.net/din/vegcsparks.htm

if you look to the left under Special Dietary Needs you'll find other links regarding Vegetarian/Vegan dining.

HTH!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Those lists will help greatly, they are what I used.

Personal experience with this: I'm vegan and had a difficult time with counter service at WDW. There are only 1 or 2 things on a menu (IF THAT) at most of the counter service places that I could eat and I was very frustrated. Epcot was the easiest to eat at, plenty of choices, but the other 3 parks were very difficult. Getting soy ice cream at MK was like pulling teeth, I had to sign paperwork and wait TWENTY minutes (missed Wishes) for them to go in the back and get it. (WHAT were they doing???)

BUT...

Table Service was WONDERFUL though, I would suggest making as many ADRs at table service restaurants that you can afford/handle. They had the chef come out at Boma and walk me around the buffet and tell me exactly what was vegan and they even brought me out my own salad without cheese. It was GREAT! Next year when go I have 1 ADR a day so that I know I will be able to get at least 1 good meal a day.

I also brought Larabars with me so I had a snack if I couldn't find any fresh fruit at any of the stands.

 

[summermac]

You had to sign a waiver for soy ice cream? What!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Yep!

I believe they are attempting to be careful with people who have allergies to milk, but they had to call out the manager, he had to fill something out and I had to sign? I was slightly frustrated when I told them I was vegan and he said "Oh, so it's a CHOICE."

THEN they couldn't figure out how to ring it up (am I the only person who's ever gotten soy ice cream???) and they took off with gloves in hand to get it from the back. It took FOREVER for them to come back. I stood there while a number of people who came in after me got their ice cream and left. I was so frustrated by the time they returned with this tiny scoop of soy ice cream, I didn't complain. Sigh.

BUT, I was at WDW and was so pleased with everything else in general, there's so much magic there, who cares about food? I really let most of my frustration go and figured it's got to be difficult to try and cater to so many different people.

 

[cosmicdaisy]

Oh wow... that signing paperwork thing is new on me. We've been twice with our milk allergic daughter. Have had a great experience with most all TS and select CS restaurants due to her dietary needs. Now, this year, we get to see what it will be like with our milk allergic daughter who is also now a vegetarian.

What CS were you at that you had to wait so long on the soy ice cream? Was it at the Main Street Ice Cream Parlor?

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Yes, it was at the ice cream parlor. My friend actually went the previous night to get me soy ice cream and had the same experience (probably why she sent ME in the 2nd night to get it myself!)

I asked her today if I was remembering right and we had to sign and she said yes. They just wrote down our names and had us sign, I don't remember what else was on the little yellow paper he was writing on, but it just kind of made me feel like a freak. Nobody else has to sign for ice cream!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

My daughter is a vegetarian and if your daughter likes pb&j, she'll be ok, if not...well, not so much with CS. My daughter really doesn't care for pb&j and most of the other kids meals for CS had meat. I can't imagine if my daughter didn't eat any dairy either, we would have been in trouble!!!

I will be interested to hear how it went for you. We are staying offsite and I'm better prepared this time, eating breakfast at the house, and making lots of ADRs. Like I said, table service was GREAT and they were very helpful and accommodating.

I should probably tell people I'm allergic to dairy, but I don't feel like I should have to lie just to get what I want. For some reason, it really changes things for some when you are choosing to not eat something rather than being allergic.

 

[cosmicdaisy]

That is really a shame. It is just as important to my DD (and therefore to me) that she not eat meat and that she not have dairy, just for two totally separate reasons. I'll be sure to report back with our experiences on this new food-related adventure to WDW. (just be sure to gloss over DD eating a turkey leg if I happen to mention it, because for whatever reason only she can explain to herself, she still has her heart set on eating at least part of one turkey leg at Disney World... even though I've told her that it does, indeed, come from a turkey... I think she's convinced herself I'm lying to her - lol, this is a 7 y.o. I'm dealing with here, rofl)

And you know, ita that you shouldn't have to lie to be treated with the same respect regarding your food choices. But I think saying, "I can't have dairy" would be a creative way to phrase it without being he least bit dishonest. And honestly... as a person who isn't allergic to dairy but chooses not to eat it due to my DD's allergy, who's to say what in the world it would do to my system if I all of the sudden took it back up again... I could get all kinds of creative without ever saying I was allergic JMHO

 

[casjen]

I was staying in a house so I had a kitchen but I didn't even really plan on eating in the parks. This may not be an option for you, but I brought a small lunchbox and a tupperware container from home. We had groceries delivered so I made sure I had soy yogurt, hummus, crackers, grape tomatoes and carrot sticks delivered for me. I brought that almost everyday for lunch. It was the best way to ensure I could eat. I have food allergies and don't eat meat so I am a challenge to feed most places. if you can do this it will make things easier for you.

Every counter service has a big binder so you can read ingredients. Be prepared for it to take longer for your food to come. Everything is premade and if you order something special, it will take long. The manager also has to come and see you. It is policy.

At HS the cinnamon apple stuffed pretzel is vegan (or was) and at the Backlot Express I had the veggie sandwich re-made for me with no pesto or cheese. Delicious! The fries are also vegan (or they were). Be sure to read the binder. They just changed the veggie burger from the vegan Boca patty to one with rice and corn etc. I missed my boca burger! They also have Ener-G rolls b/c last time I checked the buns had milk. So read that binder for all components of your meal. I was able to get the veggie burger at the CS near Tower of Terror in HS and in the country US at Epcot.

The Sunshine Season is a great place for vegans to eat. Lost of veggie choices. Read the binders though!

I wanted to get an veggie egg roll at AK but the line was HUGE so I never even made it to read the binder. That may be a tasty lunch option.

The TS restaurants are great, as well as buffets (breakfast options). The chef will come and speak to you and make sure your meal is safe to eat.

Yes, you will have to sign paperwork for icecream, but that is a liability thing for Disney. The chef will have to scoop it for you from the Plaza or the bakery, so be prepared to wait. It's the rules. I also got tofutti with peanut butter sauce at Beaches and cream and I think a dairy free chocolate sauce they had. YUM!

Let me know if you have any other questions. I do remember getting home and being so happy to eat "real" food again. I lost weight in Disney b/c the options are limited. How much hummus can a girl eat? I was desperate for some tofu. Protein can be hard to come by so gobble it up when you can find it!

 

[owensjro]

We went with a large group (8 adults, 6 children) a couple of years ago and 2 adults/2 children were vegan. We were concerned but had great experiences with our tableservice meals. We made sure to tell them that some members were vegan when we made the reservation.

At Akershus for dinner the chef came out and spent quite a bit of time with us. The children are very picky and one basically eats pasta with peanut butter or pasta with hot sauce. He was more than happy to prepare meals for them and made some off-menu items. For dessert there was nothing vegan so he had someone bring back a selection of items from an ice cream cart (popsicles and things). I think the other kids were jealous!

At 1900 Park fare for breakfast they walked the buffet with the family and then prepared a special batch of vegan pancakes and brought out syrup for them as well (I think the syrup on the buffet had honey or something).

I agree though that at counter services it was difficult and I would recommend doing as many tableservice meals as possible.

Jim

 

[MomsOf2boys]

I am really suprised at how hard it is at Disney to find that type of food since there are so many people who are vegan or vegetarian in these days and times. And whether it is a choice or religious belief or health reason, it IS and will be. I guess I just thought that Disney would have already planned for such a widely common diet.

 

[v_gan]

There's a link to vegan and vegetarian dining reviews in my signature. I didn't have a problem at any of the restaurants I went to. Everyone was very accomodating and helpful!

I haven't been to the ice cream parlor in MK yet, but I plan on going this May. I'll bring back plenty of other reviews, as well. So if you're going any time after May, you can check those out.