Vegetarian Child - any dining recommendations?

[JoyB-UK]

Hi, my 12 year old daughter is a vegetarian, has been for 2/3 years now(long story), but like lots of kids isn't that keen on veg. We are planning on booking a couple of the buffet restaurants which usually manage to come up with something but does anyone have any particular recommendations for non-buffet restaurants? We are on the dining plan, so can afford a bit of variation. She loves baked potatoes and cheese, is there anywhere you can buy a simple baked potato with cheese on it?

 

[Kay1]

I'm not familiar with the Dining Plan but if she counts as an adult I think she'll be fine. There used to be a potato cart at the MK but it seems to be closed a lot. I think you're wise to choose buffets but there are some good options at other TS and CS locations.

My favorites are: Columbia Harbor House (MK), Tangerine Cafe (EP), Rose and Crown (EP), Sci-Fi and Brown Derby at the studios (Sci-Fi has excellent tofu as well as veggie burger at lunch and dinner, though you have to ask), and Backlot Express (DHS). Disney does a good job of updating the menus on their site.

Good luck. I hope your daughter finds plenty of good things to eat.

 

[bluejasmine]

You can pretty much find vegetarian offering almost anywhere. Pecos Bills has a veggie buger, CHH has the hummus sandwhich, Tangerine Cafe has several veggie offerings. I know all the TS restaurants have veggie menu items and even if they dont they will accomidate your daughter. Over the years I have read about many vegetarians that have had plenty to eat in WDW.

 

[Rox.jea]

She will find many options on buffets. I'm not a veg, but I just don't like many meats. I do try to eat some for the protein but what I like to eat of the buffet is salads & mash potatoes. They have really good fresh rolls. They have cheese pizza from the kids buffet [which I have been known to snag a slice] Mickey roni & cheese. TONS of stuff.she will not go hungry. Plus a chef will cater to her if she asks for a veg dish. But honestly she'll find more than enough choices on any buffet. Some have veg lasagna too.

 

[clanmcculloch]

How does she feel about mushrooms? I LOVE the mushroom ravioli on the Akershus dinner menu. DELICIOUS!! There's plenty of breads and cheeses on the appetizer bar as well. My 10yo loves the beet & apple salad on the appetizer bar as well as the asparagus. She may just find that she enjoys some of the more uniquely presented veggies there if she tries them. They seem different from typical veggies somehow and she can take one bite servings on her plate to try and then go back for whatever ones she likes.

At LeCellier, I understand that the gnochi at lunch is really tasty and I see that now they have a vegetarian quiche on the dinner menu.

If she's open to it, Liberty Tree Tavern has a vegetarian pot pie on the lunch menu. They also serve a pasta dish which you could request without the chicken.

 

[rie'smom]

Boma at the Animal Kingdom has lots of grain based and vegetable dishes. Via Napoli in Epcot has a couple of good choices. Does she eat seafood? If so, the new Mexican restaurant, La Hacienda de San Angel, has a delicious dish with shrimp, Tacos de Camarones.
Just about every restaurant will offer something.

 

[JoyB-UK]

Thanks everyone, I feel slightly better that we are not going struggle as much as I originally thought. At the moment she isn't overly fussy, just doesn't eat meat, we haven't got to stage yet where shes stopped with the cheese and any meat can't even be in the vicinity, but am sure thats to come with the teenage years.

We will definitely check out Boma, I hadn't thought of there before and prob most of the other buffets. Thanks for all the recommendations, there going to have to be some tough decisions in the next few months about what we can and cannot fit in during our seven nights.

 

[kollerbear]

Watch out-- my whole family slowly converted to being vegetarians one-by-one after my 7-year-old sister made that same choice 14 years ago!! (This had a lot to do with the on-going story of Tom the Turkey that she wrote, revised, and read to us each and every Thanksgiving. Direct quote: "His name was Tom. He had a family." Yeah. My parents were thrilled. To make matters worse, neither she nor my youngest sister will even so much as look at zucchini or mushrooms. IT'S NOT EASY TO FEED THEM. But it is easy at Disney, where there is plenty of pasta, fries, and pizza to go around.

I've done a lot of looking into vegetarian food at the restaurants, and the best value for the money--especially for vegetarian kids (although she'll be above the kid's menu age)--always seems to be the buffets, because you can always try just a small taste of something (anything to get just a little nutrition onto that plate) and there are always plenty of vegetarian options available. But if she's happy with the basics (including mac and cheese or other pastas), you'll be safe just about anywhere. Even places that don't have veggie items on the menu (e.g. Yak and Yeti Counter Service or Hacienda de San Angel) will either have items available on request, or even a whole separate vegetarian menu with a couple options.

Have a great time! I'd be so interested to hear how it all turns out!

 

[kollerbear]

You know what just occurred to me now that I see you're in the UK and staying at a DVC property? (My family lives in England, too, though we're American, and they stay at Saratoga Springs.)

There aren't Quorn products in the US, but there is Morningstar Farms, and my sisters (who live in England) go absolutely, irrationally bonkers over their fake sausage (in patties or links) and fake bacon. I know it's not the same as getting stuff out and about in the parks, but it might be a nice treat to have some delivered with a few other snack type groceries from a delivery service. I know that a lot of people make use of those delivery services to save some $ on breakfasts and such, and seriously--if you asked my 16 year old sister what she would want as a vegetarian in Disney World, she would say Morningstar Farms sausage from the microwave back at the hotel. (And French Fries. And Dole Whip.)

It's a totally American vegetarian treat.

 

[punkin712]

There aren't Quorn products in the US, but there is Morningstar Farms, and my sisters (who live in England) go absolutely, irrationally bonkers over their fake sausage (in patties or links) and fake bacon.

I'm sure I've seen Quorn products in our local grocery store (ShopRite in Central NJ). I also remember an episode of America's Test Kitchen that compared vegetarian "burgers" and they actually picked Quorn chicken patties as the winner. They might just be hard to find in certain areas.

 

[kollerbear]

You're totally right, I can get them in one or two stores in Nyc. I was just trying to use a brand that would be familiar to most uk vegetarians to give a sense of what morningstar farms is. I'm not sure if quorn is at the grocery down by wdw, but Morningstar Farms should be since my family bought it like a staple in August. Thanks for correcting me! We veggies take our fake meats seriously, no?

 

[bicker]

There aren't Quorn products in the US

Uh, yes there are. I love Quorn. Lots and lots. I haven't seen any use of it at WDW though.

 

[Carnie]

You do know that Quorn is a mold, right?

It's a fungus that isn't a mushroom. It's actually mold.

Lots of people have had really bad allergic reactions to it.

 

[gardengirl628]

You do know that Quorn is a mold, right?

It's a fungus that isn't a mushroom. It's actually mold.

Lots of people have had really bad allergic reactions to it.

Um, that doesn't sound too appetizing!

 

[kollerbear]

Agh! Sorry to put us off topic! I was just trying to make a comparison since it didn't sound like mom was veg. I know quorn is pretty popular in England so thought she might know it as a meat replacement. I know it's totally different! Wdw doesn't use it at all.

 

[Laura]

You do know that Quorn is a mold, right?

It's a fungus that isn't a mushroom. It's actually mold.

Lots of people have had really bad allergic reactions to it.

Was that supposed to be helpful? Did you know that Quorn isn't the only food made from mold? Lots of cheeses purposely have mold in them, soy sauce is made with mold, and even salami can have mold in the casing. I wouldn't worry about it.

Anyway, I don't think it's necessary to have fake meat delivered to the hotel room. Vegetarian food is easily found in the parks. Table service restaurants can be very flexible; counter service requires a bit more consideration.
Some links:
http://allears.net/din/vegcsparks.htm
http://allears.net/din/vegtsparks.htm
http://allears.net/din/vegresorts.htm

 

[KJay]

I LOVE the vegetarian options for myself at Disney- I just got back from a great eating fest! For my vegetarian daughter, however- not so good. She's nine, and she's not the most adventurous eater. We tried to secure fresh fruit whenever possible, but the poor girl basically spent a week eating cheese pizza. She had a few macaroni and cheese meals just to have an alternative to pizza, but the mac and cheese offered around the parks is pretty lame. For all the great dining options Disney offers, children's healthy meals (not just vegetarian ones, but ANY healthy ones as well) are really lacking.

 

[bleeps]

When you eat at counter service places, you can certainly ask about options, but you are more or less restricted to what the posted meal options are.

When you eat at table service restaurants, PLEASE strike up a friendly conversation with your CM about putting together a meal your daughter will enjoy. They can offer many more options than what appears on the menu. Don't feel limited by what's printed on the menu (although don't expect very specific things -- it's not that they can produce everything).

I'm sure your daughter will find plenty of good things to eat!

 

[bicker]

You do know that Quorn is a mold, right?

No: Mycoprotein is a fungus, just like mushroom is a fungus. Mold is also a fungus, just like mycoprotein and mushroom are, but mycoprotein is not mold.

Lots of people have had really bad allergic reactions to it.

Lots of people have really bad allergic reactions to peanuts and chocolate.