Vegetarians

[ClemmyIndyBambi]

Are there any other vegetarians who feel like each year there are fewer and fewer options? The last two years we've gone to WDW I feel like I've survived on pizza. Others in my family (who are not vegetarians) said they've noticed shrinking options as well. I'm guessing it's related to the costs of having a large menu and multiple sites. We pretty much are eliminating quick service options from our plans, and many of the table services that are not buffets too. When I've requested vegetarian options at places like Hoop Dee Doo and Spirit of Aloha I've gotten rice. Anyway, I'm in the processes of planning our December trip and I'm trying to decide where to eat. Suggestions on places where you've had good vegetarian meals would be highly appreciated. Thus far the options I'm looking at (from my own past experiences) are: The Garden Grill, Chefs de France, Le Cellier, Tusker House, Rainforst Cafe, Chef Mickeys, Be Our Guest, The Crystal Palace, Whispering Canyon and 1900 Park Fare.

 

[Seia]

The best vegetarian meal I've had so far was definitely at Narcoossee's. I don't think they have any veggie dishes on the main menu, but they have an entire vegetarian menu if you request it. That said, I've always been able to find something at pretty much any table service restaurant we've been to, but we don't eat counter service very often. The biggest disappointment was probably Crystal Palace dinner - not many options and the food on the buffet was cold. It could have been an off night. I do really like breakfast there.

 

[Chaitali]

The Wave also had a vegetarian menu they give if you ask for it. As did Jiko and La Hacienda.

 

[ClemmyIndyBambi]

I didn't know I could ask for a vegetarian menu. I typically tell them I'm vegetarian because I want to ensure there is no hidden meat in what I'm ordering. No one's ever told me there were more options. i'm usually pouting (not in a way directed at anyone because I know it's not the fault of anyone there) about my lack of options when I order, and no servers have ever mentioned another menu. Granted, I've never eaten at any of the places listed. I know about calling in to let them know before you come about your diet restrictions but I've only done that at the dinner shows (and I've not been impressed with the accommodations made). I'll have to ask if there is a way to find out what restaurants have vegetarian menus. Thanks for letting me know that this is an option (at least at the places listed).

 

[Chaitali]

If the restaurant has a vegetarian menu, they would usually offer it once you mention you're a vegetarian. So I assume the places you ate at didn't have one. I just kind of asked around here first to get an idea of which restaurants were good for vegetarians.

 

[SharonLowe]

Sanaa also has a vegetarian menu; as someone else said, the Wave has good veggie options. Yak and Yeti is another good option as is Tappan Edo. I do feel the options in many non-deluxe TS restaurants has become more generic - lots more veggie burgers than before. And, if you are vegan, it is even worse because many of the veggie burgers have dairy. The onion soup at WDW is vegetarian - they don't use beef stock. The Pub in England also has really good veggie options - one of my best vegan meals at WDW last year. You'll be fine at Rainforest. I would avoid Chef Mickey's at all costs - an extremely expensive meal that isn't very good for non-vegetarians, loud, limited character interaction and really limited veggie options.

 

[erosenst]

Still pizza - but at least really good pizza - at Via Napoli. Several vegetarian options on the entree menu too - Eggplant Parmesan, Veggie Lasagna, and maybe one more.

 

[ellie05]

The problem we have found is that the options are usually carb loaded and not enough protein.
That being said I avoid buffets. I have found some really good salads at some CS. The Greek salad at Cosmic rays was really good. I always have been able to find something in the menu or taking to the server/chef.

 

[anniebean]

San Angel Inn has a vegetarian menu. It's really good

 

[rhiansmom]

At HDDR I was given several options and had difficulty choosing so they brought it all... I got a pasta dish, baked potato, grilled veggies with large portabellos and one other thing. Bummer you were offered rice. Last month we found lots of great options at quick service places

 

[rhiansmom]

Ohh... sorry forgot to add that I have had several good vegetarian meals at The Garden Grill. Once I was served the best risotto of my life

 

[kollerbear]

Jiko, Sanaa, Artist Point, Via Napoli, and Raglan Road were all great. The tough thing is you essentially get one entree option and about 1-2 soups or salads, so you'd better like the one thing on the menu. Jiko has a separate menu and it is excellent, Sanaa had many options. Yak and Yeti will make you a dish with tofu with the (vegetarian) sauces from their meat dishes, but I wasnt super impressed by the lo mein. Go for the wok fried green beans and the cheesecake wonton dessert. I think the signature options are getting more diverse and vegetable/protein focused (less cheese and pasta generic) but the rest of the non signatures are more and more boring. Don't get me started on the Poly quick service, it made me furious. Will avoid staying there because of it. The vegetable stack at Harambe Market btw has tofu that isn't listed. It didn't fill me up, but it was really surprisingly delicious and healthy.

 

[ozliz]

I've only been to WDW once but in theme parks I rarely expect more than one veggie option on a menu, especially quick service. At least I know a table service place would make me something if I asked.
I don't know about anyone else but I find it rare to get a balanced vegetarian meal outside of my own home anyway. The carb loaded ones at least fill me up, I never expect much protein and just try to make up for it with eggs for breakfast now and then. I struggle on DCL too in that they have plenty of vegetarian options but give me funny looks if I ask for extra vegetables or just a meal of the side veggies from some other dishes - like somehow they are failing me in not offering something more interesting. I still remember asking for extra vegetables at a restaurant in DLR (not WDW) and getting a tiny side serve portion which was half the size of the brownie I then chose for dessert. Oh well, i didn't feel great after since my stomach is used to lots of veggies but at least it is only short term poor eating.

 

[bumbershoot]

When I've requested vegetarian options at places like Hoop Dee Doo and Spirit of Aloha I've gotten rice.

Well that shouldn't be happening.

2 years ago: http://www.disneyhipsters.com/2014/11/vegetarians-at-hoop-dee-doo-musical.html

Also 2 years ago: http://www.adventuresbykatie.com/spirit-aloha-dinner-show-polynesian-resort/ (vegan and gluten-free)[

Those are as recent as I can find. But still, ONLY rice isn't what should be offered at those if you gave them advance notice.

Thus far the options I'm looking at (from my own past experiences) are: The Garden Grill, Chefs de France, Le Cellier, Tusker House, Rainforst Cafe, Chef Mickeys, Be Our Guest, The Crystal Palace, Whispering Canyon and 1900 Park Fare.

Tusker House is great for vegetarians. At lunch, at least. Breakfast was very very boring. My go-to at Rainforest is the Pita Quesadilla appetizer withOUT the chicken. I cannot stand their veggie burger. Be Our Guest; their french onion and potato leek soups are vegetarian. DH, who has had FO soup at very fine restaurants, declared the BOG versions to be the best he's ever had, and the PL soup was almost as good as my own homemade version. Crystal Palace...so not worth it.

The Wave's breakfast buffet is great, and they will make up some Tillamook Smoked Cheddar grits withOUT the bacon if you ask. (and that cheese is suitable for vegetarians, as is almost all the cheese Tillamook makes, except for the VERY aged white cheddars) (just don't eat Tillamook's sour cream or yogurts, sigh)

Granted, I've never eaten at any of the places listed.

? I thought you said you had the ones listed from previous experiences? Eh, doesn't matter. Opinion's the same.

 

[OldSchoolReasons]

I actually find the menus pretty diverse! I mean I'm vegan not veggie, but I think I only had to fall back on the carb-fest pasta with tomato sauce option once. You can get balanced veggie meals if you look hard enough - Be Our Guest has ratatouille with quinoa (so high protein) and you can get a veggie bowl from Peco Bills with the beans once again providing the protein plus all the toppings you want.

Epcot have sushi, falafel etc while AK has a variety of vegetarian street food and Tusker House has a diverse enough mix of dishes to not be stuck to pizza, pasta and fries.


I think the key is menu-reading in advance, each place may only have 1-2 veggie options, but they all tend to have different options so it's a matter of finding one that suits you.

 

[magik]

I have found that the options have overall been getting worse/less over time as well. The worst offenders are counter service at Hollywood Studios. Last time I was there, I ended up with a kids uncrustable because they didn't have anything else vegetarian, and I'd already been sent on a wild goose chase to three different counter service options by cast members saying, "We don't have anything here, but I think this other place has something." Table service restaurants usually have at least one option (either on the menu, or on a stand alone vegetarian menu). Stinks if that one option is not something you like though.

I almost miss the good old days when there were frequently no vegetarian options on the menu, but the chefs were generally happy to make you something off-menu. I had some of the most delicious, interesting meals then. Now that there is that one standard option, it's often boring and not very tasty. There are exceptions, but fewer and fewer every year.

Animal Kingdom Lodge has great veggie-friendly restaurants, and Tusker House in the park is good too even as a buffet. At Epcot, I've had luck in Morrocco (table service and counter service), La Hacienda de San Angel (seperate vegetarian menu if you ask for it) and Sunshine Seasons food court. Actually Biergarten was pretty good too, and the chef made me my own cheese platter that hadn't been sharing a platter with meats and cooked me up my own brussel sprouts without bacon. Magic Kingdom is pretty OK in terms of options. I like Columbia Harbour House for counter service, but there's always a veggie burger at Cosmic Rays too. Pecos Bill was good recently (had vegetarian burritos) but it looks like they must have just taken the vegetarian options off the menu and replaced them with two different meat burgers.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

My sister is vegetarian (was vegan for 10 years but recently added some dairy back). We end up scouring the menus as best we can ahead of time to find places that will work for all as they do change them up a little year to year. She also doesn't eat mushrooms and that is a common ingredient in their vegetarian dishes which makes it a little more difficult. We always end up working it out to everyone's satisfaction.

 

[superchime]

Check out this thread, if you haven't already:
http://disboards.com/threads/vegan-vegetarian-restaurant-dining-help-thread.2473465/

 

[SunnieRN]

Tangieriene Cafe, lots of choices

Teppan Edo

Coral Reef

La Hacienda

Chefs De France

Sunshine Seasons

Liberty Inn

Tutto Italia

Rose and Crown

BOG has the BEST quinoa salad at lunch!

Columbia Harbour House.

Sleepy Hollow - nutella waffle with fresh berries

Plaza

ABC Commissary

50's Prime Time

Hollywood Brown Derby

Harambe Market


Tusker House

Mr. Kamals

Tiffins

AoA

Sanaa, Boma, Jiko, Mara

California Grill

The Wave

Whispering Canyon Cafe

Narcoossees

Victoria and Alberts

Kona cafe - vegetarian/vegan Tonga Toast

Boatwrights

Riverside Mills Food Court


Captains Grille


Wolfgang Puck Express - Merseyside


Raglan Road

Just to name a few places where it's not necessary to eat a pizza or veggie burger!!!

 

[magik]

My sister is vegetarian (was vegan for 10 years but recently added some dairy back). We end up scouring the menus as best we can ahead of time to find places that will work for all as they do change them up a little year to year. She also doesn't eat mushrooms and that is a common ingredient in their vegetarian dishes which makes it a little more difficult. We always end up working it out to everyone's satisfaction.

Yes! I despise mushrooms, and it's so frustrating that they seem to think all vegetarians must love them and put them in everything. I feel like is it not only harder to find vegetarian options at counter service in general, but it's harder to find non-mushroom options at the table service restaurants these days. Occasionally it's something that's easy enough to leave the mushrooms out of, but a "meatloaf" made with mushrooms or a shepherd's pie made with mushrooms that's not made to order, not so much.