Walt Disney World is famous for the special care they give visitors with special dietary needs. It’s easier than ever for guests to modify reservations on My Disney Experience to include allergies or sensitivities.
However, vegans and vegetarians may be surprised to find no option to mark their diet on a reservation. Disney has made vegetarian options so widely available throughout the parks that guests rarely need to let restaurants know ahead of time. This has made the process more straightforward for vegetarians, but what about vegans—those who don’t eat meat, milk, honey, eggs, or other animal products?
A vegan guest may be treated to a mouth-watering extravaganza of vegetables, plant-based proteins, and healthy desserts at one location, only to be sorely disappointed by mediocre salads and plates of fried starches at another. Most cast members working in Disney dining understand the limits of a vegan diet, but confusion is so common that many vegan guests end up having to describe their diet as “vegetarian with an egg and dairy allergy” to prevent awkward mix-ups.
We looked at five categories of vegan dining in Disney World and found some surefire wins and a few total fails.
1. Dining with Disney magic – Jungle Navigation Co. Skipper Canteen – Curried Vegetable Crew Stew (Fail: Nile Nellie’s Noodle Bowl)
Image: Jett Farrell-Vega
Jungle Navigation Co. Skipper Canteen in Adventureland is a newer addition to the Magic Kingdom dining lineup, and we quickly fell in love with this quirky establishment despite skepticism after our first visit. The restaurant is almost entirely staffed by Jungle Cruise skippers, and despite the attraction’s cringeworthy reputation for humor, the hosts and servers at the restaurant had us in absolute stitches throughout our meal. We enjoyed ourselves so much, we ended up visiting three times.
The restaurant has an allergy-friendly menu that includes several vegan options including falafels (sans tzatziki) and a tasty noodle salad. Our hands-down favorite, however, was the Curried Vegetable Crew Stew, a decadent bowl of spiced vegetables in curry with a side of coconut rice. The only things vegans lose from this dish is a side of naan bread (you’re not missing anything). The stew was rich, filling, and a perfect match for the exotic atmosphere.
Want an extra special treat when you visit? When you arrive at the check-in desk, ask to be seated in one of the two smaller dining rooms. You may get the pleasure of being sat next to the one of the eight wonders of the world—the Great Wall of China.
Tee-hee-hee…
FAIL: Same Restaurant – Nile Nellie’s Noodle Bowl with Tofu
Despite its charm, the Skipper Canteen did have one vegan fail. The Noodle Bowl was utterly flavorless. Paired with the high prices at this dining location, it almost prevented us from coming back. We’re glad we gave the Skipper Canteen a second shot though—the atmosphere is definitely worth it.
2. Character Dining – Win: Tusker House (Fail: The Garden Grill)
Vegans have to choose buffet experiences wisely since they get charged the same amount as meat eaters. Even if you’re not looking specifically for character dining, you can expect to get your full money’s worth at Animal Kingdom’s Tusker House.
The African-inspired buffet is rich with vegan options: tabbouleh, lentils, couscous, protein-rich salads, a wide range of seasoned vegetables, tofu, plantains, potatoes, and samosas. The chef will also make a special dessert for vegan visitors upon request.
Tusker House is an absolute must-visit for vegans and a great experience for kids as well. Mickey, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy regularly get children up and dancing, and the characters can prove hysterical when dealing with adults. Goofy (who we now call “The Luddite King”) had some fun at my husband’s expense after he caught him using his cell phone at dinner. Goofy does not approve of cell phones at dinner. Even for our band of introverts, it was a delightful experience.
FAIL: Chip n’ Dale’s Harvest Fest at The Garden Grill
Image: Jett Farrell-Vega
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. The Garden Grill used to be one of our top recommendations for vegans visiting Epcot. On a trip in 2014, we were treated to heaping plates of roasted vegetables, crispy tofu, and other delights. As the flagship restaurant of The Land pavilion, The Garden Grill is still advertised in resort literature as a go-to hub for healthy, sustainable dining.
The utter disaster that was our last experience (as of February 2017) merits an article of its own, but the vegan/vegetarian option was so bad, it calls into question if there’s any “Garden” left in the Garden Grill. Gone are the days of healthy, sustainable eating. The options served to us included passable sweet potato fries, substandard mashed potatoes, freezer-quality corn on the cob, and a mottled vegetable loaf worthy perhaps of Golden Corral but certainly not Disney… and to pour salt on the wound, this parade of store-bought starches cost the same as the full meat spread (which was not much better). We hope Disney will get the message and return to the restaurant’s healthy roots, but until then, we’ll be skipping this Epcot mainstay.
3. Signature Dining – Win: Jiko and The Flying Fish (Fail: Hollywood Brown Derby)
Image: Disney
Animal Kingdom Lodge’s signature restaurant, Jiko, remains one of our favorite dining experiences to date. They keep a separate menu for vegans with a variety of appetizers, entrees, and desserts to tempt your palette. The Egyptian Kushari, a rich dish of lentils, chickpeas, raisins, and vegetables over couscous, is one of our favorite dishes (vegan or not) at Walt Disney World.
Boardwalk’s Flying Fish Café has also stepped up to the plate as a contender for vegan dining. Not only do they maintain a regular vegetarian menu, but the chefs can also customize main menu items for vegan visitors. The key thing that earned Flying Fish a spot on our list was not just the remarkable food, which can include roasted tofu and vegetable mélange, plancha-seared chanterelles, and a pickled watermelon stack, but where they really shine is how consistently they make vegan guests feel welcome. The chefs are engaged and eager to make sure you have an unforgettable dining experience, no matter your restrictions.
FAIL: The Hollywood Brown Derby
The Hollywood Brown Derby was one restaurant where our vegan and vegetarian party members felt less-than-welcome. This partly had to do with a somewhat clipped server, but the menu only had one option for vegans or vegetarians—vegetarian pho. For a location of such high reputation, this came as a disappointment.
4. Quick dessert treat: Win – Dole Whip Float
Image: Hirotomo T, Flickr (license)
Trying to track down the best vegan dessert at Disney World would be a bit like trying to pick one’s favorite child. All of the parks offer Tofutti ice cream at various dining locations, and many Disney dining establishments offer vegan desserts. Our experiences in this category were so overwhelmingly positive that we don’t have a fail in this category, except in regard to lack of choice at a few locations.
Our favorite vegan dessert, however, was the Dole Whip Float at Adventureland. While Dole Whip pineapple soft serve is tasty enough by itself, it didn’t impress us nearly as much as its float counterpart—a tower of pineapple Dole Whip soaking in pineapple juice. It’s not only a tall, frothy glass of paradise. For Magic Kingdom enthusiasts, it’s a rite of passage—one that vegans are not excluded from.
5. Quick Service – Win: Sunshine Seasons and Mr. Kamal’s
Image: Jett Farrell-Vega
Despite our disastrous experience at The Garden Grill, downstairs in The Land, Sunshine Seasons remains the perfect pit stop for guests with special dietary needs. They continue to maintain their reputation with a wide spread of options uniquely suited for vegans, including tamarind vegan beef, vegetable sushi, vegan wraps, hummus plates, and delicious tabbouleh pinwheel rolls. They also have vegan dessert options!
Animal Kingdom also has an excellent quick service location for vegans, albeit with fewer options. Mr. Kamal’s is a small standalone location in the Asia pavilion (which also hosts a tasty vegan couscous wrap at the nearby Anandapur Local Foods Café). Mr. Kamal’s really stood out to us for their delicious samosas and falafels (be sure and as for chutney instead of tzatziki).
FAIL: Vegan Flatbread at Sunshine Seasons and Hummus at Mr. Kamal’s
The vegan flatbread at Sunshine Seasons was rather disappointing due to the intense dryness of the bread. While the dish wasn’t a total fail, it just doesn’t stand up to the other offerings at this excellent location.
As for hummus at Mr. Kamal’s, it’s the only item at the stand we found too bland. They may be using too much tahini in the mix. If you need a protein boost, it isn’t a terrible option, but don’t expect Tusker House level hummus.
What are your favorite (and least favorite) vegan items at Walt Disney World?
