The Magic Vegan Kingdom
By Caryn Ginsburg
When you ponder destinations for delicious vegan food, you probably don't consider Disney World in Florida. But the Mouse and company serve up a wide and growing range of tasty vegan offerings sure to please the entire family.
Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts' major quick and table service restaurants will be offering plant-based options, made without animal meat, dairy, eggs, or honey, and marked by a menu icon Green leaf. Tempting offerings include Asian Dumplings, Shiriki Noodle Salad, Garden Spread with Hummus, Chili-Spiced Fried Tofu Bowl, and Cashew Cheesecake.
Traditional Treats in Florida
Nothing says theme park like burgers, hot dogs, and ice cream. In the Magic Kingdom,
you'll find vegan cheeseburgers at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe, sloppy joes at
Cosmic Ray's, brats with sauerkraut at The Friar's Nook, and hot dogs at Casey's
Corner.
Pineapple Dole Whip® has long been a favorite at Aloha Isle. Plaza Ice Cream Parlor and Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom, and Hollywood Scoops in the Hollywood Studios park, stock Tofutti® ice creams. L'Artisan de Glaces in the France pavilion at Epcot has sorbet in vegan waffle cones. Beaches at Disney Beach Resort serves vegan ice cream sundaes. The popcorn and plain pretzels in all the parks are also vegan.
Woody's Lunchbox at Hollywood Studios offers "totchos" that can be made vegan by specifying vegan chili and cheese and omitting sour cream, as well as vegan grilled cheese sandwiches.
Vegans with a sweet tooth will want to head to the all-vegan Erin McKenna's Bakery in Disney Springs and to Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter Resort for vegan beignets and other treats!
Healthier Happenings
Looking for something a bit more nutritious? Pecos Bill also offers a southwest
salad with corn and beans, as well as a veggie rice bowl with roasted vegetables and
black beans. At Epcot, Sunshine Seasons Café in the Land pavilion offers a
variety of healthful choices, including a vegan breakfast wrap, salads, fruit,
hummus, korma plant-based "chicken," and, sometimes, vegan soup. Tangierine
Café in the Moroccan pavilion offers a terrific vegetable plate with hummus,
lentils, tabbouleh, and more. However, the lentils and the bread have contained
dairy in the past, so be sure to ask.
For total control and healthier food, Disney allows guests to bring their own food into the parks. Both the Magic Kingdom and Epcot have locker rentals for those who prefer not to carry food.
Elegant Fare
Close to the Magic Kingdom, California Grill, atop the Contemporary hotel, has a
vegan menu, provided upon request. Diners select four options, small plates
presented together as an entrée. While selections rotate, past dishes have
included black truffle selezione pasta, pho, fried rice, and a pizza with spring
onion, wild mushroom, ramps, and snap peas, as well as a kafta made from
Impossible? burger.
At Disney's Yacht Club Resort, near Epcot, Yachtsman Steakhouse offers a vegetarian and vegan menu similar to California Grill's. Ale & Compass, also at Yacht Club Resort, offers a vegan protein bowl with vegan Italian sausage, quinoa, sweet potatoes, broccolini, and roasted tomato sauce. They will serve the bowl without the sausage upon request. The Ale & Compass Salad includes watercress, pumpkin seeds, rainbow carrots, beets, and radish with lemon-balsamic vinaigrette.
Tolédo-Tapas, Steak & Seafood at Disney's Coronado Resort serves up a plant-based seafood dish — faux crab cakes, calamari, and scallops with citrus-infused couscous. Vegans can also enjoy a Chocolate-Avocado Mousse with strawberry-basil sorbet and coconut crumble for dessert.
Back in Epcot itself, the Rose & Crown menu at the U.K. pavilion shows a savory vegetable crumble made with vegan bangers (sausage). Also available upon request are vegan bangers and mash as well as plant-based fish and chips. In the Magic Kingdom, Liberty Tavern offers an Impossible? burger meatloaf.
Note that all the fine dining restaurants require advance-dining reservations (ADRs). ADRs open six months in advance. Book your meals early.
Festival Fun
Food features prominently in many annual festivals at Epcot, most notably the Food
and Wine Festival. The 2019 event included spicy Kenyan vegan githeri with white
beans, pigeon peas, curry rice pilaf, and kachumbari slaw; Madras red curry with
roasted cauliflower, baby carrots, chickpeas, and basmati rice; and Indian bread
with pickled garlic, mango salsa, and coriander pesto dips. The Flower & Garden
Festival had an all-vegan booth, with a farmhouse vegan meatball sandwich.
Planning Your Trip
Disney frequently adds vegan foods. The following resources, among others, can help
any vegan visitor plan a truly delicious vacation to Orlando, Florida, or to
Disneyland in California.
Disney Plant-Based Cuisine: Brochure available at the park. See sample at www.disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/plant-based.
vegandisneyworld.com: Site provides lists of what's available by park and resort, as well as in-depth profiles of select restaurants and dishes. Also has a Facebook page, Vegan Disney World.
Veg Disney Facebook Group: Disney visitors share updates/opinions on veg food. www.bit.ly/VegDisneyFB
Vegan Disneyland: Plant-based finds for the California parks. www.happiestveganonearth.com/
Disney Food Blog: Though not vegan focused, this daily blog provides useful updates. It includes veg sections in its guides and has a helpful video at www.bit.ly/DFBVegVideo with vegan options (plus unfortunately one stray image of shrimp curry that can be modified with tofu.)
Caryn Ginsberg is a strategy consultant, visual facilitator, and graphic recorder for animal protection groups, other non-profits, and businesses. Her favorite Disney characters are Stitch, Olaf, and Figment.
