Vegetarian/Non-Vegetarian

[DsnyMckyMs]

Hi everyone! I haven't had a chance to read through all the posts on this board yet so please forgive me if this has been asked in the past. I am going to WDW at the end of August with my mom. I am a vegetarian and she is not. Normally it is not difficult for us to eat at restaurants because I can usually find a salad or pasta or side vegetable to eat. My question to the board is can you recommend some restaurants throughout WDW that are good for vegetarians but also non-vegetarians? We are mostly going to eat when we get hungry so anything that doesn't require a PS would be fine. We do have reservations for Hollywood & Vine and Cinderella’s Royal Table. Thanks!!

 

[hucifer]

Ah! You've touched upon one of my favorite subjects...vegetarian cuisine!

I (the vegetarian) went to WDW last Sept with my mom and sister (both meat-eaters). I had no problems flitting about the World, eating amazing veggie meals while they ate their charred flesh. And I was eating vegan.

I recommend Le Cellier. Yes, it's a steakhouse. But I went "off the menu" a bit and had the most delicious dinner of our trip.

Teppanyaki is also a good choice for both.

California Grill at the Contemporary...specializes in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisine.

Jiko (sit-down) and Boma (buffet) at AKL have excellent veggie selections.

You mentioned NOT wanting to do too many PS's. It is best to plan ahead, make a PS, and call the restaurant directly a week prior. They will bend over backwards to please you! At least try making one or two PS's. We did not make too many PS's last year, and I was able to eat very well. However, you can give them more time to cook you something special if you plan ahead.

Also, call Disney Dining back regarding your PS's you've already made and tell them you are a vegetarian. They will let the restaurant know ahead of time.

Mmmm...I'm making myself hungry. Good thing it's lunchtime!

 

[jacksonsmom]

WDW is a wonderful place to find vegetarian meals.
Last month we went down to WDW, I am a vegetarian (along with my son) & the rest of the family is meat eaters.

We never had a problem finding something for anyone.
If you do not see anything on the menu for vegetarians ASK!
Most likely they can whip something up.

I had a wonderful vegetarian meal at the California Grill.
It was called "Vegetarian unplugged" which was a little bit
of everything. I am not one to try things that I haven't ate before but OH MY this meal was delicious.
The chefs at California Grill really know how to cook

GOOD LUCK! I am sure you will be fine

 

[DsnyMckyMs]

hucifer/jacksonsmom,

Thanks for the great replies. Sorry I made you hungry hucifer . I have a habit of making myself hungry when I search for vegetarian recipies. I did mention when I made our PSs that I was a vegetarian so hopefully they will remember. The "Vegetarian Unplugged" sounds interesting. I'll have to give it a try if we go to that restaurant. Thanks again.

 

[westjones]

We are all Vegetarians in our family. We haven't had any problems finding places to eat at WDW. BTW, if you ever decide to try the Disney Cruise, you will find that they prepare vegetarian dishes for every meal. It is WONDERFUL! We are going on our 4th cruise soon, and dinner is one of the best parts of the cruise!

DJ

 

[hucifer]

DsnyMckyMs, when you told the CM that you are vegetarian when making your PS, they should have given you the restaurant's number and told you to call a week before the PS. If not, you can obtain the numbers by calling back or looking it up on one of these unofficial sites. Also, from what I understand, just about any restaurant will cater to us plant grazers. All they need is a few days' notice. Even Hoop-Dee-Doo will serve a veggie meal. I hear it sucks, but at least they will offer it if you ask.

jacksonsmom, that veggie meal at the Californial Grill sounds so good. I made a PS for our second night there and I am really looking forward to it! It's my first time at the CG. I am actually thinking about eating there twice. Hopefully DH the meat eater will like it too.

 

[jacksonsmom]

Originally posted by hucifer

jacksonsmom, that veggie meal at the Californial Grill sounds so good. I made a PS for our second night there and I am really looking forward to it! It's my first time at the CG. I am actually thinking about eating there twice. Hopefully DH the meat eater will like it too.

I am sure your hubby will find something to eat. My hubby said his food was very good also (I can not remember what he had though but it was something meaty)
Try to Goat Cheese Ravilio, for the apperziter (if you eat cheese). It is VERY GOOD! It is only one ravilio (it is a big ravilio) but it is delicious!

The vegetarian unplugged is not on the menu. My waitress mentioned it when I said the vegetarian items on the menu don't appeal to me.
So she mentioned the vegetarian unplugged. I ordered it not knowing what I was getting but there was only one item on my plate I did not try (some kind of roll up thingy that just didn't look appealing to me)

I am not a green bean eater at all but they had green beans with the meal. I decided to try them & OH MY they are nothing like any green bean I ever tasted. They were very FRESH & the way the chef seasoned them made them taste wonderful. My DH still teases me that I actually ate all those green bean. I REFUSE to eat any green bean from a can...I can not stand the taste.

Make sure you save room for dessert! Those are delicious too

 

[hucifer]

Jacksonsmom, I do not typically eat cheese. But I'm glad you told me about the vegetarian unplugged being off the menu. I'll keep it in mind when I go there. I bought the Vegetarian Guide for WDW and I couldn't read enough about the chefs at CG and how they really cater to us veggies. I love green beans! So if YOU fell in love with them, I can only imagine how I would love them.

One thing that bugged me when calling WDW DINE...they do not have "vegan" as a special dietary note...so I had to say that I was vegetarian and lactose-intolerant...that was the closest I could get to "vegan." I figure when I call the restaurant directly they will know exactly what that means. Heck, if they understand "gluten free," I'm sure they know what a "vegan" is.

 

[DsnyMckyMs]

westjones,

Thanks for the reply. Sounds like the cruise is fun! I've never been on a cruise before but have often thought about the Disney cruise. It's good to know that they are accomodating to vegetarians. I hope you have a great time on your soon to be 4th cruise!

hucifer,

The CM didn't give me the number to the restaurant so I will call them back. Thanks for the heads up. That would bug me too that they do not know what a vegan is. It's not like it is something new. My mom has heard me complain many times about how places don't consider vegetarians so I can just imagine how it is for vegans. I too was thinking of getting the Vegetarian Guide to WDW. Sounds like a good book.

jacksonsmom,

Definitely have to save room for dessert. I've seen some wonderful (and sinful) pictures of some of the desserts there at WDW. I told a friend at work that I will probably gain 10 lbs while I'm there.

 

[hucifer]

DsnyMckyMs,
I'm surprised that they didn't provide the numbers for you. Both times I requested vegetarian, they automatically gave me the restaurant numbers and told me to call a week before the PS. I hope they at least gave you the confirmation number! Sheesh.

I liked the Vegetarian Guide to WDW, but it is outdated (last published in 1999). However, I read on this site that there is a new edition out either now, or in the very near future. I do recommend it because it will give you an idea about which restaurants are veggie-friendly and which ones will bend over backwards to accommodate you, especially with a few days' notice...big ones were California Grill, Artist Pointe, Jiko, and Victoria and Alberts. Keep in mind I have never personally eaten any any of these establishments, but the book convinced me to give at least a few of them a try.

It is frustrating since DH is a HUGE meat eater. But like I said in the first post, Le Cellier in Canada is known for its steaks (good for the carnivore), but from my only visit as a vegetarian...this was my favorite dinner. I had some brothy veggie meal (without the shrimp that normally comes with it). It was absolutely delicious. This trip in Sept is my second to the World as a vegetarian. I plan on returning to Le Cellier.

Please post your veggie highlights and disappointments when you return. I am very interesting in reading about them! What are the dates you'll be there?

 

[dvc guy]

The chef's at all the disney sit down places are great. If you don't see it on the menu ask for the Chef, that includes buffet meals. DW does not eat meat , and cannot have yeast, sugar, and a few other things. The chef at CHEF MICKY'S came out and could not have been nicer. He understood about all different types of eating habit's and said he would be happy to whip up what every they had in order to feed DW. No muss, no fuss.