Eating Vegetarian And Plant Based At Disney World

As I have written about before, Disney is amazing with any dietary concerns, whether it’s an allergy or lifestyle choice. Before our last trip Disney rolled out new Plant Based menu offerings at most restaurants on Disney World property, which was a welcome addition! My husband decided to try the new additions to the menus, and write about it! If you’re eating plant based and headed to Disney soon, here are some of our favourite options.

How To Identify Plant Based Options

Disney has released a new symbol to help you identify which items on their menus are plant based. You can find a green leaf next to the description on the menu. The symbol is used at quick service and table service restaurants, as well as snack kiosks.
On menus where you can’t find a plant based option, chefs are usually able to accommodate you by adjusting an item on the menu.

Plant Based vs Vegetarian

Disney defines plant based as “made with plant foods like grains, nuts, vegetables and fruit—and no animal meat, dairy, eggs or honey.”. Vegetarians usually still consume dairy, eggs and honey, so vegetarian options on the menu may not be marked with the plant based symbol.

If you’re concerned about any item on the menu you always have the option to speak with a chef, especially if you are eating plant based because of an allergy. I have asked chefs to leave meat off menu items like pizzas in the past and it is no problem, since everything is made to order.

Plant Based and Vegetarian Meals At Disney

Hey! It’s Ryan, Jenn’s husband, while I’m not a vegetarian, we eat a mostly plant-based diet and I thought it would be interesting to experience some of the meatless choices that are available.

One of my favourite aspects of the whole Disney experience is the number of dining options available. At all of the Disney Parks and at Disney Springs, there are plenty of choices where food is concerned. Some of the Disney resorts also have excellent dining options! With that in mind, I’d like to share some of my highlights in plant-based and vegetarian dining at Disney.

Animal Kingdom

If you’re looking to keep it vegetarian or vegan at Animal Kingdom, make your way over to Satu’li Canteen in Pandora: World of Avatar. They offer the opportunity to build-your-own bowl in which you choose a protein, base, and a sauce. I chose the crispy fried tofu with a rice and black bean base, topped with the charred green onion vinaigrette. Confession: back when I had more hair on my head I considered tofu a disgusting, rubbery brick of sadness. This meal couldn’t have been further from that! The crispy pieces of tofu were hot, lightly spicy and delicious. The rice and black beans were a nice neutral base to support the green onion vinaigrette, which had plenty of flavour. Build-your-own bowls also come topped with a tangy slaw and boba balls, which are little tapioca pearls that burst easily. There’s actually a ton of flavour going on here, and I’ll very likely order this again.

Epcot

Back at Epcot’s World Showcase, the France Pavilion is home to Chefs de France, a restaurant we never miss during a Disney trip. I ordered the Vegetable Lasagna. First of all, this was definitely the best presentation of any meal I ordered during our trip. Secondly, I was worried the vegetables would be soggy and bland, but that wasn’t the case at all! Everything was baked to perfection, and there was just enough seasoning to be full of flavour without overpowering the meal. While lasagna isn’t usually a top menu choice for me, I’d order this again.

With so many different festivals going on at Epcot throughout the year, if you are looking for vegetarian options at the festival booths they will be marked with a green V on the menus, just note that those items are not always vegan or plant based.

Magic Kingdom

So far I haven’t mentioned anything at the Magic Kingdom. Because many people make it the main or only stop on their Disney trip, I feel the need to give it a mention here. If you’re eating vegetarian, for dinner try the plant-based Bangers and Mash at The Plaza Restaurant on Main Street, USA. While it didn’t make my list of favourites, I also wouldn’t mind eating it again. The plant-based sausages were alright, and the broccolini was nice and tender.

If you’re having lunch or a light dinner, try the Plant-Based Burger at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café, in Frontierland. The burger itself is surprisingly tasty, and while it doesn’t come with many toppings there’s a whole toppings bar for you to choose from!

Alternatively, make your way to lunch at the Be Our Guest restaurant in Fantasyland and try the Cannellini Bean Cassoulet. It’s a hearty, plant-based casserole with plenty of crostini (fancy toast!) for dipping. If you’re not afraid of the dark and your vision is good, request to be seated in the West Wing.

Hollywood Studios

I should touch on Hollywood Studios. I’ll admit I’ve felt like this park suffered from a lack of great dining in the past. But if you’re committed to Hollywood Studios (or don’t want to walk to the Boardwalk or Epcot) there are vegetarian options available. I really enjoyed the Penne in a Four Cheese Smoked Tomato Sauce, available for dinner at the Sci-Fi Dine In Theater. It was simple, yet satisfying and very filling. Jenn had the vegetarian falafel burger which was also delicious! If you haven’t been there, be advised this restaurant is very dark (they’re showing drive-in movies, after all!).

The Boardwalk

We love the boardwalk area between Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Sometimes a walk there can be a welcome escape from the congestion of a busy park day, and it’s also home to one of our favourite Disney restaurants: Trattoria al Forno. We found ourselves there at dinner time, and I ordered the Lentil Risotto (without the pistachio gremolata, as I’m allergic). While the appearance of this dish won’t cause any double-takes, the flavour straight-up blew me away. I have no idea what seasonings are used, but this risotto was creamy and deliciously savoury. It’s also very filling; perfect for a cooler, rainy day. If you’re in the area, I highly suggest giving this one a try.

Animal Kingdom Lodge

If you have time during your visit, I seriously recommend visiting Animal Kingdom Lodge. There you can get a close look at giraffes, zebras and other animals grazing in the savannah behind the main building of Kidani Village. Better yet, check out the animals (and the spectacular theming) before or after a meal at Sanaa. We LOVE this restaurant, and ordering the bread service appetizer is a foregone conclusion. For us, the bread service is large enough to share between 2 or 3 people, especially knowing there are other delicious eats to follow.

My entrée was the Potjie (from Afrikaans “small-pot food”) Inspired, which normally comes with 2 selections from the list. For those on the Disney Dining Plan, you’ll be offered a 3rd selection. I tried the Chickpea Wat, Aloo Masala, and Paneer Tikka (which is vegetarian, but not vegan). With so many options it was hard knowing where to start! The Aloo Masala (potatoes and other vegetables in a traditional masala spice) was the least spicy of the three. I’ve had Aloo Masala before, and I enjoyed this a lot. The Paneer Tikka (a firm type of cheese, also served in a kind of masala spice) was moderately spicy and the paneer was chewy without being rubbery. The Chickpea Wat (chickpeas and veggies in a spicy tomato base) was the spiciest, and also my least favourite. If I ordered this again I might substitute the Chickpea Wat for a different option.

Final Thoughts

Of course there are many more options than those listed here, since almost every table service and quick service now has at least one option!

Thanks for reading about my experience eating vegetarian at Disney World! Have you tried the veggie options there? Any great ones I’m missing? I’d love to hear what you think!