Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurant/Dining Help Thread

[Country Mouse]

Just back from the World as of this morning. Dined at a few new restaurants and went back for old favorites. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.. Here's a list of restaurants we dined at this trip..

'Ohana (dinner and breakfast)
Grand Floridian Cafe (dinner)
Liberty Tree Tavern (lunch)
Biergarten (dinner)
Chef Mickey's (breakfast)
Whispering Canyon (dinner)
Cape May (breakfast)
Crystal Palace (breakfast)
Via Napoli (lunch)
Garden Grill (dinner)
T-Rex (lunch)

A few weeks ago someone reported that the veggie burgers were supposed to be changing over to a black bean burger.. We ate at Cosmic Ray's on the 16th and I can confirm they have not been switched over at this point. Overall, the food was very good and I seriously eat better at WDW than I do here in my own town. Can't wait to go back.

Hi there,
Can you please tell me about your Garden Grill meal? We have a dinner ADR for next week and I can't seem to find current info on what the vegetarian meal is. Did you call in advance to GG? This is the one ADR I have made that I am nervous about.

TIA!

 

[VeganCupcake]

Hi there,
Can you please tell me about your Garden Grill meal? We have a dinner ADR for next week and I can't seem to find current info on what the vegetarian meal is. Did you call in advance to GG? This is the one ADR I have made that I am nervous about.

TIA!

Country Mouse- I was just about to ask HunnyJar the same thing, as we are eating there next Wednesday!

HunnyJar- was this one of your vegan meals or vegetarian meals? I hope you tell us alllll about it!

 

[Mommy23Princesses]

Hi I just want to say that I am so glad I found this thread, it should be bookmarked at the top of the dinning thread as it is full of helpful information and just awesome

I was wondering if anyone has experience ordering vegetarian meals for kids? We are a vegetarian family (hopefully we will become vegan within time) and I am more worried about finding choices for my children than myself and DH, since they tend to be a little picker. I know at Disneyland, they can get a plate that has yogurt, gold fish, applesauce and some other little things with it and I am hoping that DW has the same things. Disneyland seems to have a good amount of healthy choices and I am not sure if that is because its in California, where they have to list nutritional information about the food

Also is it worth buying the DDP being a vegetarian?

Thanks so much for any help and for continuing this thread, it is so fantastic to get all this information and to also know that your not the only one that has made a commitment to a lifestyle change.

 

[ls15]

Also is it worth buying the DDP being a vegetarian?

In my experience, no. We had free dining so we got it anyway, but after the trip I tallied my total and I was nowhere near the cost to buy it for this year. As well, dining plan comes with dessert and drinks - two things I would seldom order (especially as a celiac, as the vegan/gluten-free desserts were very limited: sorbet pretty much everytime).

It also depends where you are dining. Often the entrees are around 20$, where the meat/fish is in the 35 to 40$ range. But I know this is different with kids - my mom and I went - so it definitely depends on your tastes.

But when I did tally, I was nowhere close to paying for it.

 

[HunnyJar]

Country Mouse- I was just about to ask HunnyJar the same thing, as we are eating there next Wednesday!

HunnyJar- was this one of your vegan meals or vegetarian meals? I hope you tell us alllll about it!

Hi there,
Can you please tell me about your Garden Grill meal? We have a dinner ADR for next week and I can't seem to find current info on what the vegetarian meal is. Did you call in advance to GG? This is the one ADR I have made that I am nervous about.

TIA!

This meal I was told can easily be made vegan - from what I could gather the only reason it was not vegan was the puff pastry that was used. And that the puff pastry was given a butter and milk wash before baking. It was a stew with a puff pastry type of crust covered the dish. It had pearl couscous a tomato base and lots of root vegetables that I was told was from the Living with the Land ride. I thought it was very good, but definitely not the best dish when it was 90 degrees outside! I'm sure it would be excellent as those colder months start to creep up. Dessert was a peach and berry cobbler with whipped cream. But I was also informed that they can provide Divvies or fresh fruit instead of the normal dessert for a vegan meal.

And btw - nothing was called in. I notified each and every server prior to ordering that I was a vegetarian. They used to note each reservation at the time you made your ADR, but it seems as though that has changed and now they will only note if you are a vegan or if you have allergies. I did not have any problems with any servers or restaurants, though.

 

[MrsDopey]

It was wonderful to read all of this! While we are not vegetarian (or vegan), we eat primarily organic food and meat from grass fed animals that is not pumped full of hormones and antibiotics.
While plannning our trip, I emailed Disney directly to inquire about our dietary restrictions, and although the CM didnt actually laugh, I felt as though I was being mocked for asking such ridiculous things!
I am NOT willing to feed my 2 yr old high fructose corn syrup, fried chicken or a hot dog that is made of who knows what!
I thank you for the information!

 

[HunnyJar]

Hi I just want to say that I am so glad I found this thread, it should be bookmarked at the top of the dinning thread as it is full of helpful information and just awesome

I was wondering if anyone has experience ordering vegetarian meals for kids? We are a vegetarian family (hopefully we will become vegan within time) and I am more worried about finding choices for my children than myself and DH, since they tend to be a little picker. I know at Disneyland, they can get a plate that has yogurt, gold fish, applesauce and some other little things with it and I am hoping that DW has the same things. Disneyland seems to have a good amount of healthy choices and I am not sure if that is because its in California, where they have to list nutritional information about the food

Also is it worth buying the DDP being a vegetarian?

Thanks so much for any help and for continuing this thread, it is so fantastic to get all this information and to also know that your not the only one that has made a commitment to a lifestyle change.

I really think this would depend on you and your family. For me, yes.. The dining plan is definitely worth it. But that is because I want to have an almost inclusive feeling while on vacation. I don't like having to tally this up and then tally that up. The dining plan affords me a week (or more) without having to worry about anything other than tips and souvenirs.

I have only gone to WDW one time without the dining plan (1998) and I can't imagine going back without it. I have always had great and plentiful food. I seriously eat better at WDW than I do at any of the local restaurants near me. With the "normal" dining plan we are allotted 1 TS, 1 CS and 1 snack per day. An example of how we used one day would be..

Breakfast in CL lounge
Lunch - Sunshine Seasons - CS credit includes drink and dessert. (Best tofu noodle bowl I have ever had - honestly. I order it every time I come here.)
Dinner - Garden Grill - TS credit (Family style all you care to eat - vegetarian stew, plus sides and dessert. Also includes drink.)
Snack - We saved these up to use at the Karamel Shoppe and for take home snacks.

For us it is worth it. For others not so much. It's best to take a look at how you plan on eating and what you plan on eating. Checking the online menus is always helpful to guide you along the planning process.

 

[Mommy23Princesses]

It was wonderful to read all of this! While we are not vegetarian (or vegan), we eat primarily organic food and meat from grass fed animals that is not pumped full of hormones and antibiotics.
While plannning our trip, I emailed Disney directly to inquire about our dietary restrictions, and although the CM didnt actually laugh, I felt as though I was being mocked for asking such ridiculous things!
I am NOT willing to feed my 2 yr old high fructose corn syrup, fried chicken or a hot dog that is made of who knows what!
I thank you for the information!

I utterly and completely agree! I feel so horrible not knowing the stuff I know now and for feeding my little angels that junk for way too long, but no more. My kids as well as my DH and I now feel and look so much better.

We do mostly organic and really no meat, except eggs and dairy, but I try my best to find raw cheese and grass feed dairy and its hard! I am planning on bringing a good amount of snacks for ourselves as well as drinks.

We are not going until November 2012 so I have a good amount of time to plan and figure it all out. Just so thankful for this thread!

 

[Country Mouse]

This meal I was told can easily be made vegan - from what I could gather the only reason it was not vegan was the puff pastry that was used. And that the puff pastry was given a butter and milk wash before baking. It was a stew with a puff pastry type of crust covered the dish. It had pearl couscous a tomato base and lots of root vegetables that I was told was from the Living with the Land ride. I thought it was very good, but definitely not the best dish when it was 90 degrees outside! I'm sure it would be excellent as those colder months start to creep up. Dessert was a peach and berry cobbler with whipped cream. But I was also informed that they can provide Divvies or fresh fruit instead of the normal dessert for a vegan meal.

And btw - nothing was called in. I notified each and every server prior to ordering that I was a vegetarian. They used to note each reservation at the time you made your ADR, but it seems as though that has changed and now they will only note if you are a vegan or if you have allergies. I did not have any problems with any servers or restaurants, though.

Thank you so much, this eases my mind. Now I can look forward to it again

 

[jgplimdesign]

Just back from the World as of this morning. Dined at a few new restaurants and went back for old favorites. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.. Here's a list of restaurants we dined at this trip..

'Ohana (dinner and breakfast)
Grand Floridian Cafe (dinner)
Liberty Tree Tavern (lunch)
Biergarten (dinner)
Chef Mickey's (breakfast)
Whispering Canyon (dinner)
Cape May (breakfast)
Crystal Palace (breakfast)
Via Napoli (lunch)
Garden Grill (dinner)
T-Rex (lunch)

I'm wondering about your trip to Whispering Canyon. . . did you order the Quinoa cakes? (if so, did you enjoy 'em?) . . .or something else?

 

[HunnyJar]

Just back from the World as of this morning. Dined at a few new restaurants and went back for old favorites. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.. Here's a list of restaurants we dined at this trip..

'Ohana (dinner and breakfast)
Grand Floridian Cafe (dinner)
Liberty Tree Tavern (lunch)
Biergarten (dinner)
Chef Mickey's (breakfast)
Whispering Canyon (dinner)
Cape May (breakfast)
Crystal Palace (breakfast)
Via Napoli (lunch)
Garden Grill (dinner)
T-Rex (lunch)

I'm wondering about your trip to Whispering Canyon. . . did you order the Quinoa cakes? (if so, did you enjoy 'em?) . . .or something else?

I did order the quinoa cakes. I will be totally honest, I was a little apprehensive about ordering them but they were actually pretty good. The cakes did not have a lot of flavor (that was my initial concern) but the sauce and the cucumber salad brightened up the flavor a lot. I cannot for the life of me remember what the sauce was but it had almost a smoky tomato flavor to it. The garnish of corn chips also helped give the dish some more flavor and texture. While I would probably order it again, I might also ask about the pasta dish. I was told that the pasta dish can easily be made vegetarian or vegan. The veggies for that pasta (at least that day) were spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms and onions.

 

[jgplimdesign]

Thanks, HunnyJar!

Interesting. . .I didn't know about the pasta option. Good to know. I like quinoa----so I am curious about the cakes. Thank you for the description and review.

I'll admit that last year when I ate at WDW, I was not a vegetarian. This is 4+ months new for me. Last year I had the lunchtime skillet. I was thinking/wondering----that it would be nice if with the cole slaw, corn, cornbread, mashed potatoes----if they could simply add in some extra veggies in place of the meat----that could be good. Lotta starch, but good. Don't know if that is too outrageous of a question to ask. . .

Well, regardless. . . I know I won't go hungry. . .thank you again for your response!

 

[HunnyJar]

Thanks, HunnyJar!

Interesting. . .I didn't know about the pasta option. Good to know. I like quinoa----so I am curious about the cakes. Thank you for the description and review.

I'll admit that last year when I ate at WDW, I was not a vegetarian. This is 4+ months new for me. Last year I had the lunchtime skillet. I was thinking/wondering----that it would be nice if with the cole slaw, corn, cornbread, mashed potatoes----if they could simply add in some extra veggies in place of the meat----that could be good. Lotta starch, but good. Don't know if that is too outrageous of a question to ask. . .

Well, regardless. . . I know I won't go hungry. . .thank you again for your response!

Totally my pleasure. I will tell you that I am not a huge pasta fan but I have to admit the pasta dish my husband had made me sort of wish I ordered a veggie version of it! My two year old ate quite a bit of it, too.

I'm sure the server or if a chef comes to the table you could ask about the skillet. I'm pretty sure they will try to help you in any way possible, though. Every trip I've ever taken to WDW has been as a vegetarian and I've always left super happy. You will definitely find something tasty to eat!

 

[Teresa Pitman]

We're just a bit more than 5 weeks away from heading to WDW! Can't wait to see what delicious vegan meals we get!

Teresa

 

[coltsfanatic]

Hi jgplimdesign!

Can you tell me about your experience at Grand Floridian Cafe (I'm vegan)? I would love to go here for the atmosphere and fresh food, but it's one of those I can barely fit in!!

 

[jgplimdesign]

Hey, ColtsFanatic!

I think your question should get forwarded to HunnyJar. I haven't eaten at the Grand Floridian-----but HunnyJar did have it listed as a recently-visited restaurant.

HoneyJar, please help!

 

[HunnyJar]

Hey, ColtsFanatic!

I think your question should get forwarded to HunnyJar. I haven't eaten at the Grand Floridian-----but HunnyJar did have it listed as a recently-visited restaurant.

HoneyJar, please help!

Hi jgplimdesign!

Can you tell me about your experience at Grand Floridian Cafe (I'm vegan)? I would love to go here for the atmosphere and fresh food, but it's one of those I can barely fit in!!

Here I am.

Okay, well I indeed had a vegan meal here on September 10. Let me start off by saying this restaurant is lovely. Just a really beautiful restaurant and the CMs are very nice. I started off by mentioning that I was a vegetarian to my server and he presented me with two options - one was a pasta dish and the other was the vegan tofu dish. I opted for the vegan tofu dish.

The tofu was lightly seared and served over a vegetable medley with spinach, peas, onions, mushrooms and corn. The sauce served with the dish was pretty sweet and I believe they called it a pomegranate bbq sauce. The dish was also topped with onion straws. Overall, it was very good. I do have a picture of it and if I can ever get the time I will share it with you all.

 

[s&k'smom]

That dish sounds delicious. I'll be at GF in 35 days and I promise to eat as many vegan dishes as I can and get back to you!

 

[HunnyJar]

These are the quinoa cakes from Whispering Canyon.

This is the vegan tofu dish from Grand Floridian Cafe.

 

[coltsfanatic]

Oh wow! Thanks hunnyjar and jpg for the help!! Those dishes look great and I think you've convinced me to go to the GFC. I think I'll have to try the tofu dish, too, as many times at restaurants I am only given the option of pasta or salad!!

Yum! Can't wait to hear about everyone's Disney dining reviews!!