Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurant/Dining Help Thread

[mlggator22]

I'm with you on the impossible burger. It's great if you're looking for something that's not meat that looks and tastes like meat. I don't like meat. Anyway, here are a few of my faves: QS: Veggie bowl at Pecos Bill's at MK, Hollywood studios has Backlot Express (veg sandwich) and Rosie's Al American (fried green tomato sandwich) Sunshine Seasons at Epcot has several Asian based entrees, (noodles and tofu) Tangierine cafe is nearly all vegetarian, Regal Eagle at Epcot has a good jackfruit sandwich, Harambe Market at AK has some veggie bowls and other veg options.
TS: HS Mama Melrose has a yummy polenta/cauliflower dish and several veg flatbreads, Epcot's Spice Road Table is vegetarian heaven, Skipper's Canteen at MK has a tofu/noodle thing that's good and Tiffin's has some options but we prefer Nomad Lounge - DELICIOUS corn soup and bread service. There are a lot more. I've been vegetarian at WDW for 20 years and I never have a problem. At table service restaurants, ASK. Sometimes they have things that aren't on the menu. Have fun!

This is great! Thanks for all the wonderful tips, especially on the QS. I am going to stick these all in my phone, so I know where to go. I had my gallbladder removed which added another unfortunate element to trying to find food now that I have to find low fat food too. It makes it more tricky.

 

[jacksmom]

Just wondering if anyone has tried the vegetarian options at Storybook dinner ? Would love a review

 

[jcemom]

Does anyone know if the side salad that comes with your meal at Pizzafari already has dressing on it? I'd like to mobile order but DD is vegetarian and doesn't eat Caesar dressing.

 

[superchime]

Just wondering if anyone has tried the vegetarian options at Storybook dinner ? Would love a review

We ate there, but it was in 2019 so I'm not sure what might have changed since then. I'm the only vegetarian in our group and they brought me separate veg appetizers (the soup in the teeny little cauldron!! I die!!) and I had the gnocchi entree. Be sure to ask about gelatin in the desserts if that's a concern for you. The whole experience was great! Wonderful atmosphere, great character interactions, not rushed like I feel some character meals are. I'd definitely eat there again.

 

[growhappiness]

Does anyone have experience with vegan and soy free? My little one has a soy allergy. The last time we went, a lot of the veggie burgers were Beyond Meat (and soy free) but I've since realized most are now Impossible.

Also, how accommodating is Tusker House? We have a breakfast booked as our only character meal, and it's fine if we have to pick at fruit and potatoes for one meal, but I am curious what to expect there.

 

[mistysue]

Does anyone have experience with vegan and soy free? My little one has a soy allergy. The last time we went, a lot of the veggie burgers were Beyond Meat (and soy free) but I've since realized most are now Impossible.

Also, how accommodating is Tusker House? We have a breakfast booked as our only character meal, and it's fine if we have to pick at fruit and potatoes for one meal, but I am curious what to expect there.

This is slightly different than your exact needs but my son used to have severe allergies to all of the major allergens plus a few more and we always found that Tusker House would bring him a good selection of food. If they still have the namaste or Bob's Red Mill mixes they should be able to make allergy waffles or at minimum pancakes if the waffle iron isn't hot yet, then of course potatoes, plus they will likely have rice and some vegetables ready to work with for the day so they might be able to make him things that we would generally think of as lunch food. I know he never ended up with pastries there but I don't know how much of that was wheat vs dairy, egg or soy.
We have always preferred buffets in the past because they have had more ingredients to work with than other table service.

 

[growhappiness]

This is slightly different than your exact needs but my son used to have severe allergies to all of the major allergens plus a few more and we always found that Tusker House would bring him a good selection of food. If they still have the namaste or Bob's Red Mill mixes they should be able to make allergy waffles or at minimum pancakes if the waffle iron isn't hot yet, then of course potatoes, plus they will likely have rice and some vegetables ready to work with for the day so they might be able to make him things that we would generally think of as lunch food. I know he never ended up with pastries there but I don't know how much of that was wheat vs dairy, egg or soy.
We have always preferred buffets in the past because they have had more ingredients to work with than other table service.

Thanks for sharing your experience! That is great to hear they are so accommodating. It's hard to tell in advance what waffle mix they have, their allergy waffles are for soy and egg, but are not dairy free. It doesn't say what their plant based waffles are free from. We learned the hard way about the Golden Malted gf and vegan waffle mix. I bought it to use at home to recreate some of the Disney magic and my son had a bad reaction. For some reason I thought it was top 8 free and didn't read the ingredients... epic mom fail!

 

[mistysue]

It is hard to tell and they could change it anytime so obviously ask when you're there. It made me SO mad when they switched to the golden malted gluten-free mix at some locations, But even after the switch there have been random places that have an option of other mixes but you have to ask for it.

 

[Baldy]

Does anyone have experience with vegan and soy free? My little one has a soy allergy. The last time we went, a lot of the veggie burgers were Beyond Meat (and soy free) but I've since realized most are now Impossible.

Also, how accommodating is Tusker House? We have a breakfast booked as our only character meal, and it's fine if we have to pick at fruit and potatoes for one meal, but I am curious what to expect there.

Also vegan and soy free here.

As far as I can tell other than fresh fruit, the potatoes are the only soy free item of the vegan options. “Just Egg” brand contains soy as well as “impossible” brand meat substitutes. It’s not guarantee but I’m pretty sure you can get the waffles made soy free if you ask. I’m not sure if it’s worth the price for potatoes & waffles but sometimes it’s worth it just for the character interaction.

I know there are no characters, but if you head over to Boma, they can make plant based sausage (Beyond sausage I think) that is soy-free as well as soy-free mickey waffles. There are other soy-free, plant based options out on the regular buffet as well.

Ohana (Polynesian) also still serves beyond sausage (as well as roasted potatoes & vegan stitch & mickey pancakes). I’m not sure if characters have returned there yet. It’s $25 for adults and $14 for kids.

Edit: please make sure to tell them you need vegan AND soy free. Some of their vegan waffles contain soy.

 

[growhappiness]

Also vegan and soy free here.

As far as I can tell other than fresh fruit, the potatoes are the only soy free item of the vegan options. “Just Egg” brand contains soy as well as “impossible” brand meat substitutes. It’s not guarantee but I’m pretty sure you can get the waffles made soy free if you ask. I’m not sure if it’s worth the price for potatoes & waffles but sometimes it’s worth it just for the character interaction.

I know there are no characters, but if you head over to Boma, they can make plant based sausage (Beyond sausage I think) that is soy-free as well as soy-free mickey waffles. There are other soy-free, plant based options out on the regular buffet as well.

Ohana (Polynesian) also still serves beyond sausage (as well as roasted potatoes & vegan stitch & mickey pancakes). I’m not sure if characters have returned there yet. It’s $25 for adults and $14 for kids.

Edit: please make sure to tell them you need vegan AND soy free. Some of their vegan waffles contain soy.

Thanks for the reply! We went to 'Ohana this past Saturday and Tusker House on Sunday. 'Ohana was great. No characters yet, but we got fruit and donuts, waffles, Beyond sausage, potatoes, and Just Egg. We can do soy lecithin, so the Just Egg was fine for us.

Tusker House didn't go as smoothly. We told the server the whole table (4 of us) wanted plant based and two of us needed soy free. He brought out regular dairy and honey yogurt with the fruit. He didn't understand that we wanted plant based, and repeated that the yogurt was soy free. He took it back and then brought out two bread platters. One allergy friendly one with rolls and strawberry jam and the other that had the zebra bread. I had read that the zebra bread was not vegan, but he assured us that one plate was soy free and the other was the plant based option. My son and husband ate them with the butter that was served. Then the chef came out to clarify and told us that it was not vegan bread or butter. I should've trusted my instincts as both my older son and husband had stomach issues all day/night. Not sure if it was for sure the bread, but neither of them can handle dairy/eggs.

The chef did end up making the normal plant based breakfast with the curry, Impossible sausage, and then waffles, potatoes, Just Egg, almond milk yogurt and fruit.

 

[ttintagel]

The last trip we took, last month, we had a plan A and a plan B every morning before we made our reservations. Sometimes we had a plan C!

SO many things at WDW require a Plan A and B! Especially if anyone in your group has any kind of special needs. I tend to be a planner, and always feel a stressed enough whenever a Plan A doesn’t work out that I’d probably lose it without having Plan B lined up and having to figure it out on the fly.

 

[docindigo76]

Just back from a solo trip over the weekend and the dining highlights were definitely Topolino's dinner and Tiffins lunch. Took in Tusker House, Topolino's breakfast (stellar as usual), Hollywood and Vine, Chef Mickey's, the Creperie (best value), and BoG. All were good, and if a dish can be modified within reason, just ask and ye can receive...

I cannot say enough good things about the new vegan/vegetarian pasta dinner offering at Topolino's, the Tortelloni ai Funghi. This dish is beautifully presented and is colorful too, with red, green, and white dominant from the orange-red pasta, the charred pearl onions, radishes, saffron, and greens; the sauce is an eggplant cashew cream. You receive either 5 or 6 (can't remember) tortelloni pillows topped with greenery and some crispy mushrooms:



Finely chopped/minced mushrooms inside the pasta:



I asked for the eggplant cashew cream sauce on the side, as I like to taste sauces and dressings but keep the main dish light and not drown it. IMO, this is the way to go for this dish--it is so deep and flavorful and rich on its own; the addition of the sauce added a bit of smoky flavor to compliment the earthy flavors of the pasta and accompanying root veggies. The sauce is also great for dipping the epi bread!

At Tiffins, I opted for the Fattoush salad (sans tomatoes--those don't agree with me) and falafel. As I eat a limited amount of dairy, I opted for the feta on the salad. Something I did--maybe a reader here has done too?--is add the falafel to this salad. I asked my server if he had ever had anyone do that and he said he hadn't seen it. Here's the salad...although listed as an appetizer, this is definitely meal size:



With the lemon vinaigrette and the falafel on the salad, this makes for a hearty but not heavy lunch or dinner. Definitely doing this again!

Chef Mickey's also put some more effort into the tofu scramble than what I remember from last time I was there, and welcomed my feedback for how to make their breakfast more accommodating for lighter eaters and vegetarians/vegans. The chef and servers were all great to speak with at each dining location. Definitely well worth time to engage with them when you're dining solo.

 

[Nickylv]

It’s hard enough being a pescatarian at Disney. And a pescatarian that only eats wild caught fish no farm raised. Most restaurants serve salmon as their only fish and I can’t stomach salmon. While I eat most eggs, butter, cheese and wheat, I don’t eat soy, soy protein, pea protein and all plant based meats. I also don’t eat beef, chicken, pork and lamb as a personal choice and haven’t for many years. I love white fish and shell fish but it’s not always available. I always ask if they sprinkle bacon or some other meat product on something I find to order because you can’t imagine how many times when it gets to the table they have sprinkled bacon on my meal and it doesn’t say that on the menu. If I ate any meat product I would be sick, not from allergies but because my body is not used to processing it. I eat like this out of choice for my health and at 67 years old and completely healthy I think I’ve made the right choices. For those with dietary restrictions due to health or personal choice I feel for you. It’s so hard out there when eating out.

 

[FAITHOMAS]

We are not vegans but have family members with severe food allergies. As soon as we made restaurant reservations, we explained all the dietary needs. In every restaurant, one of the chefs came to guide us through the menu and suggested alternatives and made it pleasant for everyone. Please let the restaurant know your needs beforehand. The waiting staff might not be knowledgeable about it all

 

[tguz]

We are not vegans but have family members with severe food allergies. As soon as we made restaurant reservations, we explained all the dietary needs. In every restaurant, one of the chefs came to guide us through the menu and suggested alternatives and made it pleasant for everyone. Please let the restaurant know your needs beforehand. The waiting staff might not be knowledgeable about it all

They are very good about it at the Pop Century food court as well. My now wife had a question on our second to last trip and the person in charge of the food court came right out and spoke to her, he was very nice.

 

[disneyworldsk]

Erika is new to The DIS and I noticed she writes a lot about vegan and discusses it on the podcast/youtube channel for The DIS. I would love to have her hop on this thread too! she's a great resource.

 

[daisylovesdisney]

I'm really struggling to find suitable food while on my trip. I'm a vegetarian, but also have to stay on a low-fat diet due to a recent surgery. I'm looking for recommendations that are not Impossible burger based or just a salad. I can't eat the impossible burgers due to the high fat content in them. Besides that fact that I also don't really like them. If I wanted something that tasted like meat, I would eat meat. I also would prefer to not have to eat salads at every meal. That gets old fast. I love tofu, so I am very interested in trying the quick service at Pandora.
What other suggestions do you guys have. Quick service is going to be best for our group. We are always on the go.

On an aside, I wish that Disney did not move to every vegetarian option being impossible based. I get having it at some locations, but why ALL locations. A lot of vegetarians don't actually like it.

I've been reading the menus for just about every CS/TS in the parks and several resorts and it's so annoying to see Impossible burgers as the default choice in so many locations. On top of many people not liking it, who wants to have the same thing throughout the week. It would be nice to have at least one other option at each location. I can find some better options but often it means choosing between a convenient restaurant location based on where we expect to be in the park vs a preferred menu. It just wastes time and adds extra walking in the heat and sun to find something good to eat.

I'm with you on the impossible burger. It's great if you're looking for something that's not meat that looks and tastes like meat. I don't like meat. Anyway, here are a few of my faves: QS: Veggie bowl at Pecos Bill's at MK, Hollywood studios has Backlot Express (veg sandwich) and Rosie's Al American (fried green tomato sandwich) Sunshine Seasons at Epcot has several Asian based entrees, (noodles and tofu) Tangierine cafe is nearly all vegetarian, Regal Eagle at Epcot has a good jackfruit sandwich, Harambe Market at AK has some veggie bowls and other veg options.
TS: HS Mama Melrose has a yummy polenta/cauliflower dish and several veg flatbreads, Epcot's Spice Road Table is vegetarian heaven, Skipper's Canteen at MK has a tofu/noodle thing that's good and Tiffin's has some options but we prefer Nomad Lounge - DELICIOUS corn soup and bread service. There are a lot more. I've been vegetarian at WDW for 20 years and I never have a problem. At table service restaurants, ASK. Sometimes they have things that aren't on the menu. Have fun!

Thanks for the tips!

 

[1lilspark]

I've been reading the menus for just about every CS/TS in the parks and several resorts and it's so annoying to see Impossible burgers as the default choice in so many locations. On top of many people not liking it, who wants to have the same thing throughout the week. It would be nice to have at least one other option at each location. I can find some better options but often it means choosing between a convenient restaurant location based on where we expect to be in the park vs a preferred menu. It just wastes time and adds extra walking in the heat and sun to find something good to eat.


Thanks for the tips!

I agree most places have impossible burgers usually with some combination of arugula and/or avocado mash that’s non customizable so it’s just soggy imho

I miss the sloppy Joe at cosmic rays (replaced by impossible burger)

Though I think the plant based option at Casey’s is my favorite plant based QS at the moment

 

[Nickylv]

I don’t eat meat as a choice. It is full of hormones, antibiotics, etc therefore impossible burgers are equally unhealthy so why would I want to eat that. There are not enough choices for those who do not eat any type of meat, real or fake. I do eat fish but only Wild caught and still there is not many places that serve fish, I can’t get past the smell of salmon so thats out. Its very difficult for some of us.

 

[Mome Rath]

I tried three new to me vegan dishes this go around;

The first was the avocado toast for breakfast at Steakhouse 71 in The Contemporary. It was really good, and I'd get it again. The avocado isn't just sliced, or mashed on its own, it's blended with the onion jam listed on the menu. This is also another place that will work with you if you ask them too (if you want greens, or toast, etc...) I had mine with fruit.

The next was the tofu bowl at Contemporary Cafe. This was ok, not great. The tofu was kinda lifeless, and the avocado-lime sauce was more lime tasting than avocado, but the rest was really good. Mixed together (with the avocado-lime on the side) with salt added is the way to go, IMO. Next time I'd be tempted to throw it in the nuke for a good bit (translation; microwave it cuz it wasn't hot enough).

The final one was a food booth offering at EPCOT; the Impossible meatballs with herbed polenta at Earth Eats. Yes, it was fake meat, which I don't always care for, but when they do meatballs, it seems the sauces and sides are really good, and this was no exception. I really liked the flavor of this one, and even my meat eating brother enjoyed it. I'd get it again.