Tiny Bits of Magic

Advice and info on parenting, family travel, and healthy family living from a mama of five

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Experience the Magic-Vegetarian Style

Having been meatless most of my adult life, I have seen the progression of  vegetarianism in restaurants everywhere. Back in the day, if you wanted a meat-free entree while dining out, would have to choose your eatery carefully, selecting establishments that offered either a la carte menus or cuisine that naturally offered meat free choices (Italian, pizza..etc). While our carnivorous counterparts order freely and with confidence from the regular menu, vegetarians were compelled to give their complicated orders in whispers to a not-so-enthusiastic server. Although there are still a few restaurants that have fallen behind the times (a certain “nation-wide burger place” is one of them), most restarants have discovered that vegetarians like to dine out too and by providing regular, on-the-menu, options is good for business.  Disney is no exception. Most table service restaurants at WDW have at least one vegetarian entree on their regular menu. On the plus side, you can order with confidence and not have to confuse the server with “leave the beef off” or “can you put the chicken on a separate plate”. The downside is that if you do not like the option that is offered, you have to revert back to the “dark ages” of ordering. However, in typical Disney fashion, restaurants and servers alike are happy to accommodate…minus the dirty looks.Quick service dining is a little more tricky. I have an a amazing app on my touch for just this reason. It is quite cumbersome to have to hungrily walk from one end of the park to another, in hopes of getting a veg-based meal, only to discover there is not an option. Most place will have a vegetarian option, but not all. So you must do your research beforehand.

Kids meals, as well, USUALLY have a vegetarian option. I say usually, again, because not every restaurant does. This is true for both table service and quick service dining. My children are of varying degrees of meat eating, so I have to do my research before making advanced dining reservations and quick service plans.  DS11 does not eat any red meat, DS8 and DD6 eat just about anything and DD3 is a strict vegetarian (Baby girl doesn’t eat solids yet, but will most likely be veg as well).  Without researching options beforehand, you can run the risk of arriving at your desired restaurant, only to discover (with hungry children in tow) that there isn’t anything the kids can eat. So, a bit of planning goes a long way. Most table service restaurants post their menu outside the restaurant.  You can also find menus for both dining options on the Disney website.

Our best dining experiences, with our kids, since they all eat differently, is buffet. Now, I know you think buffet and think of gorging on greasy foods and having to waddle out at the end of your meal. That is not the case at WDW. Buffets offer a variety of foods that are certain to please everyone. They usually have a “kids” buffet (although adults can eat from it as well). The big bonus is that you do not have to wait for your meal, which is always good when traveling with young children.

So here are some of our “tried and true” Veg- Friendly restaurants by location. This is not intended to be a complete list, only a list of our family favorites that pleases all our eaters. It also does not include places to catch a veggie burger. Those are easy to find anywhere.

Magic Kingdom
-Crystal Palace,  Table Service (TS) buffet, breakfast, lunch, or dinner
-Tortuga, Quick Service (QS) Lunch, Dinner.
-Liberty Tree (TS) only lunch is veg-friendly. Dinner is served family style and contains two meats and a meat based gravy. So depending upon your dietary needs, you may want to choose another dinner restaurant.
Epcot
-Sunshine Seasons. (QS) Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
-Les Chefs de France. (TS) Lunch, Dinner. The “grown-up” mac n’ cheese is delicious. For kids, you can get the chicken pasta without the chicken
-Tutto Italia-(TS). Lunch,Dinner.
Hollywood Studios
-Mama Melrose’s (TS)
Animal Kingdom
-Yak & Yeti (TS not QS)
Resorts
-Chef Mickey (TS) Buffet, Breakfast, Dinner. Located at the Contemporary Resort
-Boma (TS) Buffet, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Located at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Dinner is awesome
-1900 Park Fare (TS) Breakfast, Dinner Located at the Grand Floridian Resort
-O’Hana (TS) Character Breakfast, Dinner. Both served “Family-Style”. Located at the Polynesian Resort
 **I don’t think they advertise this on the dinner menu, but when we were there last fall, the server noticed I wasn’t eating any of the meats that were brought to the table and just brought me a vegetarian plate consisting of rice and veggies. It was quite unexpected and very delicious.
Downtown Disney
-Wolfgang Puck Express (QS) Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. ~as a side note, I think this is one of the best “get your money’s worth” quick service restaurants.
-Earl of Sandwich (QS) Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

That is my list. Again, not intended to be a complete list, but rather a guide developed by our family. If you have a veg-friendly restaurant you’d like to share, leave a comment below and I’ll add it to our list. Remember, like anything related to your Disney trip, a little planning goes a long way!

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