Vegetarian Kid

[cancilla]

We'll be going to WDW in May, but I'm already deep in plan-making mode (much to my wife's dismay).

My concern is our son who will be eight at the time of the trip. He is a vegetarian (my wife and I are not -- it was his idea back when he was four), and we need to make sure that he gets enough protien, etc., during our trip. We are going to be on the meal plan, which means he has to order off of the kids menu when available, and that seems to lead to a lot of pizza and macaroni and cheese.

So given all this, I have two questions:

1) In table service restaurants, if there is a vegetarian item on the adult menu that would be good for my son, do you think they'd make him a "kid size" portion of it on request, assuming it's physically possible?

2) Are there any kid-friendly options for a vegetarian that aren't listed on the menus? For example, do any of the counter service places have veggie burgers on request?

I'd also appreciate any suggestions you might have, particularly from vegetarians who have taken the family to WDW.

Thanks!

--Dominick

 

[Lisa Hale]

We've done Disney for several years and during some of those trips, our son was "practicing vegetarianism." He eats everything now, but while he wasn't, we had to watch closely to see that he ate well, too. Have you ever looked at wdwig.com? They have all the menus posted on their site and you can scope it out ahead of time. Also, since you are planning ahead, you can contact the priority seating CM's and they can help you determine which places can accomodate special diets. I know that the Crystal Palace chef was great about fixing french fries (it was a TON of shoestring, lightly seasoned) and even brought out a plate with several cheeses on it (they even added some fruit for garnish). It was very nicely done. Good luck and have fun!

 

[bavaria]

I've generally had good experiences, and WDW is certainly getting better. Note that the staple is a pasta with tomato sauce, but that too is getting phased out and replaced with more creative dishes. I avoid dairy and sometimes find it hard to get protein or a well balanced meal.

The steakhouses are a great option since you can put together a meal with sides. Other great places:

- Yacht Club Galley
- Yachtsman Steakhouse
- Spoodles (the dip platter makes a full meal!)
- Concourse Steakhouse
- Noodle Station in MK

There are some more creative counter service options in Morocco, as well as MGM. Animal Kingdom seems to be low on veggie dishes except for a sandwich at Tusker House.

Hope that helps!

 

[My3QTPies]

My 12 year old daughter is a Lacto-ovo vegetarian. I called several times & was told that if I call the chef (at table service restaurants) in the morning to let them know she is LOV that they will accomodate me. I asked about the kids menu also and they told me the same. I was told to keep on top of it. i.e: remind the hostess, ask your wait staff to speak with chef, etc.

 

[disnut8]

We ate at the 50s Prime Time Cafe with our vegetarian, adult friend. She asked for a turkey sandwich without the turkey. The server (our "Mom") wondered what the heck was going on. When we explained about the vegetarianism, a veggie burger was suggested. Not on the menu but the server went out of her way to offer it. Just about every Disney sit down place has at least one veggie option on there. My picky brother-in-law found them all, I think.

Also with our veggie friend, we've enjoyed Chefs de France (she had the grilled ham and cheese sandwich without the ham and extra veggies) and Boma where she clearly out ate my carnavore husband. I'm sure all these places would be very accommodating to your son.

 

[kittythepoohbear]

Thankfully, WDW has come a long way in terms of including vegetarian friendly items.
I always visit Cosmic Ray's for lunch when I am in the MK. They have a nice veggie burger and I believe you can get veggies instead of fries. (I am a bad girl and always get the fries!)
In World Showcase, almost every restaurant has some great options, including a lot of tofu. I had a great tofu dish with veggies, rice and curry sauce at the Rose and Crown and wonderful veggies tofu and noodle stir fry at Teppanyaki in Japan. The veggie platter in Tangierine Cafe in Morroco has hummus (chickpea spread) as well as other great salads and spreads.
I agree that AK is sadly lacking, which still surprises me, but the sandwhich at Tusker House was good plus it came with a great big bunch of grapes.
I must say that it is wonderful to see how supportive you are of your son's choice, especially given his age. I wanted to go vegetarian when I was a young child, but my very well meaning family didn't agree and so I ate meat until I was 17. As soon as I could cook entire meals for myself (not just a side of mashed potatoes and a salad ) they accepted my choice and are now very supportive (I am 28). I know they were just worried about nutrional problems, so I am not upset, but I never liked meat and always had ethical reasons for wanting to be a vegetarian. I wish I had the chance that you are giving your son. So a big thank you and have a very magical (and yummy) trip!

Kat

 

[missycj96]

I have two varying levels of vegetarians in my family and we were there in April. I can tell you where we ate and what worked better than other places: The absolute best was surprisingly Narcoosees at the GF. Narcoosees has a separate veggie menu if you ask for it. They have a vegetarian sampler platter that is huge and delicious. It includes the mushroom risotto and just about every other veggie dish they have. I don't think it was more than 16 or 18 dollars. I am not a vegetarian but it sounded so good I ordered it. It may have been the biggest and one of the best meals I have ever been served - big enough that my veggie mom and sister were happily eating it and wished they ordered it. Plus, they play the Wishes music on their verandah - and if you go outside after you eat for the fireworks the view and experience is the best.

Another veggie success is the sushi restaurant in the Japan pavilian at EPCOT.

 

[cancilla]

>> I must say that it is wonderful to see how supportive you are of your son's choice, especially given his age. <<

Thanks! We made a deal with him that he could be vegetarian so long as he ate whatever we prepared for him to make sure that he was healthy. He agreed, and he actually does it. Great kid!

It sounds like there will be plenty of options available, so long as we inform the servers and ask them what they have. Do you know if the people you call to make reservations will have information about restaurant food availability, such as whether there are veggie burgers available for substitution?

Thanks to everyone who responded -- and please post more suggestions if you have them!

--Dominick

 

[My3QTPies]

It sounds like there will be plenty of options available, so long as we inform the servers and ask them what they have. Do you know if the people you call to make reservations will have information about restaurant food availability, such as whether there are veggie burgers available for substitution?

YES! When I made my ADR's I asked about every single place & most, if not all had vegan substitutions.