Wish food could be higher quality at disney

[Rockbro]

Disney eggs are the best! Plus there are several high quality restaurants in the parks. CHH in MK has healthy high quality food.

CHH?

 

[MillauFr]

CHH?

Columbia Harbor House?

 

[robinb]

CHH?

Columbia Harbor House

OP, It must be difficult to eat out when quality of food ingredients is that important to you where you physically become ill if you eat something that you feel doesn’t measure up. I would suggest that you make your own meals and pack food in if that’s the case. You can stay offsite in a condo with a full kitchen. There is a Whole Foods in Orlando that has online ordering and delivers for free.

I do agree that it would be nice to have more organic, free range or wild options at WDW and maybe they will eventually incorporate them into some of their restaurants. In the meantime, if the food offered doesn’t appeal to you you can always bring your own.

 

[Rockbro]

Columbia Harbor House

Ahhhh. I agree. Columbia is great. It had been on my list to try for three years. We finally made it a bunch of months ago prior to park closures and I found it to be excellent. I think if Disney wanted to, they could ramp things up just a little and turn this into a table service. It could be something in the theming of Liberty Tree, but with the unique menu that they have.

 

[robinb]

OP, there is a poster named Klayfish who packs all his food in because he wants to eat healthier. You may want to review some of his posts on packing in food to get some ideas.

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

Years past the food was so much better. With the advent of the "free dining plans" the food quality went downhill while the prices went up.

 

[Wild4Walt]

I agree it is tough to find something other than your standard burgers and chicken nuggets at the parks, but there are some good choices out there:

• Magic Kingdom - Columbia Harbor House in Liberty Square - I like everything here but for something more than Fish & Chips try the Lobster Roll. We found it to the very fresh and tasty.
• Magic Kingdom - Pinocchio's Village Haus in Fantasyland - they have a few flatbread options that aren't bad and some good salads.
• Animal Kingdom - Satuli Canteen in Pandora - the bowls are sort of create your own and I found the beef to be delicious.
• Epcot - Sunshine Season in the Land Pavilion - you can get rotisserie chicken ( which I found similar to what my local grocer will have as a grab and go ) and salmon. I haven't tried the salmon here but I'd give it a try.
• Epcot - Katsura Grill in the Japan Pavilion - they have a bunch of stuff here that I feel is of good quality - sushi, teppanyaki, soups. So good!

Hollywood Studios is the only one that I always have a problem recommending food at. It's getting better but much of the quick service is still lacking, IMO. I did hear they are getting a BBQ place in Toy Story Land so I'm hoping for good things there.

 

[Rockbro]

I'm definitely going to be in the minority here, but for QS, I look forward to crappy burgers and soggy or overcooked fries. It's the type of food you can only get at a major theme park. I try to eat healthy at home and when out to dinner, but when at Disney, I really like badly cooked food (unless I'm at a table service).

And I am not into dessert type stuff, so this, I guess, is my guilty pleasure.

Perhaps I am a sado-masochist

 

[Little_Mouse]

Columbia Harbor House

OP, It must be difficult to eat out when quality of food ingredients is that important to you where you physically become ill if you eat something that you feel doesn’t measure up. I would suggest that you make your own meals and pack food in if that’s the case. You can stay offsite in a condo with a full kitchen. There is a Whole Foods in Orlando that has online ordering and delivers for free.

I do agree that it would be nice to have more organic, free range or wild options at WDW and maybe they will eventually incorporate them into some of their restaurants. In the meantime, if the food offered doesn’t appeal to you you can always bring your own.

I don't become physically ill. I was afraid my post would be taken in just this way. I have a lot of stomach problems since a major abdominal surgery a couple years ago. Food pretty much doesnt digest anymore. They found free air and thought there was a perforation. Nobody is sure if it is adhesions or if my whole stomach bacteria was changed from all the antibiotics. I wish I could eat anything and not think about it. I tried to eat healthy as possible in hopes of healing what is wrong in my body and after sticking to such a diet of grass fed and organic food when I go back to the other food I can tell the difference. I also struggle in my head with wondering how animals were treated that didnt spend much time in the fields. I hope you are understanding my point of view of things. I don't mean to come off as a food snob. I also feel from past experiences at restaurants at disney the quality has gone down a bit. My mom and I had many great times at Cantina Pavillion. It was one of our favorite places. In the last 5 years we have eaten there we no longer liked the food very much.

I would feel a lot better to eat food at disney if there was some way to tell if they source there meats from certified humane companies but I haven't gotten any answer about this on the message board so far.

 

[Dug720]

I don't become physically ill. I was afraid my post would be taken in just this way. I have a lot of stomach problems since a major abdominal surgery a couple years ago. Food pretty much doesnt digest anymore. They found free air and thought there was a perforation. Nobody is sure if it is adhesions or if my whole stomach bacteria was changed from all the antibiotics. I wish I could eat anything and not think about it. I tried to eat healthy as possible in hopes of healing what is wrong in my body and after sticking to such a diet of grass fed and organic food when I go back to the other food I can tell the difference. I also struggle in my head with wondering how animals were treated that didnt spend much time in the fields. I hope you are understanding my point of view of things. I don't mean to come off as a food snob. I also feel from past experiences at restaurants at disney the quality has gone down a bit. My mom and I had many great times at Cantina Pavillion. It was one of our favorite places. In the last 5 years we have eaten there we no longer liked the food very much.

I would feel a lot better to eat food at disney if there was some way to tell if they source there meats from certified humane companies but I haven't gotten any answer about this on the message board so far.

People have said that they don’t know but doubt it. There is no way for us to answer your question because no one can say 100%. Things always change with suppliers, which is why many of the restaurants do not publish their allergy menus either. The main menus generally have stuff that can be gotten from any provider. Allergy foods could change depending on availability

But odds are very high that it is not. MAYBE at one of the independently owned places at Disney Springs, but I would think that would be heavily advertised on the menu and I just haven’t seen it on any. So the assumption is no.

If you get a salad made from the foods grown in The Land, I think those are about as organic as you are going to get.

If it truly bothers you that much and you do not want to prepare and cart your own food, at Disney or anywhere else you go it is probably best to eat veggie/vegan. Though that will likely involve tofu.

 

[Rockbro]

I don't become physically ill. I was afraid my post would be taken in just this way. I have a lot of stomach problems since a major abdominal surgery a couple years ago. Food pretty much doesnt digest anymore. They found free air and thought there was a perforation. Nobody is sure if it is adhesions or if my whole stomach bacteria was changed from all the antibiotics. I wish I could eat anything and not think about it. I tried to eat healthy as possible in hopes of healing what is wrong in my body and after sticking to such a diet of grass fed and organic food when I go back to the other food I can tell the difference. I also struggle in my head with wondering how animals were treated that didnt spend much time in the fields. I hope you are understanding my point of view of things. I don't mean to come off as a food snob. I also feel from past experiences at restaurants at disney the quality has gone down a bit. My mom and I had many great times at Cantina Pavillion. It was one of our favorite places. In the last 5 years we have eaten there we no longer liked the food very much.

I would feel a lot better to eat food at disney if there was some way to tell if they source there meats from certified humane companies but I haven't gotten any answer about this on the message board so far.

You have gotten an answer. There is no way to tell, and most have said the answer to the is "unlikely."

 

[marcyleecorgan]

if Disney used healthy organic ingredients, from farm to table, nobody could afford the ticket prices to get into the Parks for a restaurant reservation that would definitely cost even more LOL

they HAVE to use food service companies

 

[Rockbro]

HUGE EDIT: here goes

I'd like to say this...

The people on these boards range from friendly to helpful to serious to smart to sometimes downright rude. But these people, including me, only have each others' and Disney and others' interests in mind. It seems as though OP only wants to hear an opinion or answer that meshes with his/her own.

Disney is a great place to go. You can't expect the greatest food if you want QS, but TS is a good option. BUT and this is a BIG but, you go to Disney for the ambiance, not the food. You have plenty of options... DVC Villas with a kitchen, offsite, Air B&B, rent a double wide and stay at the campgrounds.

I don't generally get somewhat angry at a post, but your question was answered and you have been given multiple options, but your choice was to say that your question wasn't answered. It was. answered several times over. Maybe Disney is not the place for you, and that's OK. But you have to make considerations wherever you go, be it a farm at the Gran Canyon or a creamery in Maine.

I hope wherever you go, your stay is relaxing (don't count on that at Disney) and your enjoy time and good food with your family.

I'm sorry... rant over

 

[Arielfan98]

I've been vegan for almost a year, but recently began eating meat again. I am low in weight and don't do well with a lot of carbs, hardly eat dairy and scared of tofu. Peanut butter was getting me by but I was getting deficient in so many ways. When I eat meat now it is mostly organic grass fed beef, organic chicken, wild fish but sometimes farmed, pasture raised eggs.
Please don't think badly of me for saying that. I didn't grow up eating grass fed and organic food. I don't have a lot of money. It's just with a stomach condition, a heart for animals, and realizing how food can affect you in so many ways I'm willing to spend a lot on it.

Something I wish for at disney is a little bit higher quality food at the parks. We pay so much to get into the parks. Disney is not hurting for business or money. I guess it is unrealistic to expect this type of food at buffet restaurants but for the price we pay at them I almost kind of do. Take for example my least favorite restuarant, Chef Mickey's. Last time I was there I made the mistake of not looking at the price and my meal cost me 60 dollars in the end. It's so crazy to me. Like I said in another post, I wasn't sure the eggs were eggs at all.
I think I just read it was reduced to half of that price though. I am not sure of that though. I would like to see them offer wild (but sustainable
) fish at places like whispering canyon. I would just like to see them offer better food to people even at restaurants that aren't fancy. Am I being unrealistic? Also, does anybody know where disney gets their meats and if they are humanely raised?

Yes, it is unrealistic. I don't know of many restaurants period that fit that criteria unless you live in a well developed city with "hipster" or upscale organic restaurants. Like you could go to a Chik Fil A restaurant and get their chicken, but just because it's cage free doesn't mean it's organic. Tastes fantastic to me, but my point is I'm not sure any standard American restaurant offers organic or humanely raised produce.
In terms of Disney, they do offer more upscale and unique selections than most theme/amusement parks in the US. Some of the WDW restaurants feature produce from The Land. If you're interested, they offer Behind the Seeds tour so you can see how they grow their crops and raise their fish. The tour guide I had was very informative.
If you're absolutely set on having sustainable food, I would recommend staying at a resort with a full kitchen and you can order your own groceries. Also, Chef Mickey's is not the type of restaurant I would suggest for your palate or stomach. Try Coral Reef, Kona Cafe, The Wave, or several of the Disney Springs restaurants have more "sustainable" feeling menu items. Just budget what you can afford and eat an appetizer only or go for the more economic entree. Going to buffets is less ideal because the chefs are trying to prepare large servings of a prefixed menu for a large group of diners. Opt for moderate priced sit downs like I suggested or go to the lounges of the expensive restaurants (e.g Enchanted Rose Pub/Lounge).

 

[Rockbro]

I'm not sure how far I can push this, but there's a place elsewhere that you may like. (I just don't want to advertise) I have NO affiliation

 

[ScubaCat]

Another option is to go to Disneyland in California instead. Somehow almost all of the equivalent food choices there are significantly better than in WDW. Maybe it's due to lower volume? Who knows. But order a hamburger from galactic grill and one from cosmic rays - one is VERY good, the other.... Not so much!

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

I would feel a lot better to eat food at disney if there was some way to tell if they source there meats from certified humane companies but I haven't gotten any answer about this on the message board so far.

Your best bet, as @Dug720 mentioned is to eat at The Land. They serve veg./salads and fish raised right there. If you are that concerned you may have to order Greenwise products from Publix or Whole Foods.

You are not going to find the answer on this message board. You could try contacting Disney GS, but they probably could not answer your question either.

wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com

 

[Rockbro]

Another option is to go to Disneyland in California instead. Somehow almost all of the equivalent food choices there are significantly better than in WDW. Maybe it's due to lower volume? Who knows. But order a hamburger from galactic grill and one from cosmic rays - one is VERY good, the other.... Not so much!

That's interesting... I've only been to DL once and we were club level on a fixed budget, so no room for quick service or table service... I would have loved to try the offerings, though.

But, I might offer this up: World is a tourist destination so quality can be dumbed down. Land is locals... more demand for quality.

 

[Geomom]

I don't become physically ill. I was afraid my post would be taken in just this way. I have a lot of stomach problems since a major abdominal surgery a couple years ago. Food pretty much doesnt digest anymore. They found free air and thought there was a perforation. Nobody is sure if it is adhesions or if my whole stomach bacteria was changed from all the antibiotics. I wish I could eat anything and not think about it. I tried to eat healthy as possible in hopes of healing what is wrong in my body and after sticking to such a diet of grass fed and organic food when I go back to the other food I can tell the difference. I also struggle in my head with wondering how animals were treated that didnt spend much time in the fields. I hope you are understanding my point of view of things. I don't mean to come off as a food snob. I also feel from past experiences at restaurants at disney the quality has gone down a bit. My mom and I had many great times at Cantina Pavillion. It was one of our favorite places. In the last 5 years we have eaten there we no longer liked the food very much.

I would feel a lot better to eat food at disney if there was some way to tell if they source there meats from certified humane companies but I haven't gotten any answer about this on the message board so far.

I'd suggest contacting Disney (link below). No one on the boards will have answers to what restaurants may offer sustainable food, especially when suppliers may change--all we can offer are healthier options we've seen at Disney. On the Disney special diets page, they have info for kosher and halal meals as well as various allergies, so maybe if you email them, they can give you the answers you're looking for.

From the Disney site:
Contact Us with Additional Questions
For other questions related to food allergies and other special dietary needs and requests, contact us at Special.Diets@DisneyWorld.com. Our team will assist you in navigating the dining process.

 

[Geomom]

You mentioned Chef Mickey's in your original post, they are currently open for breakfast, no characters, $25/person, meal served family style. I know @GADisneyDad14 had a post last month with pics from their visit...not sure what thread/page it is on though. I don't necessarily think it will be a good fit with your diet needs, but just wanted to answer one of the questions in your original post.