Sunday, April 17, 2011

"you are not the first to pass this way... nor shall you be the last."

There's just something warm and cozy about the Norway pavilion at Epcot... though now that I think about it, neither trolls nor Vikings seem very warm and cozy. Maybe it's all those heavy sweaters in the gift shop. (No, sadly, most of those sweaters are not vegan, but I keep looking, anyway. Some of the coats are - though they are very pricey.)

The old Stave Church at the front of the pavilion is one of those little hidden gems you find at World Disney World. It's amazing how many people walk right by it without ever realizing that you can actually go inside (and learn more about those Vikings).

And Norway is one of only two pavilions in the World Showcase with a ride - Maelstrom. If you give it a try (and you should), be sure to look for the hidden Mickeys in the giant mural you'll see on your right, as you board the boats. (One is very subtle, but the other isn't too hard to find, if you're observant... one of the Vikings in the boat is sporting some unusual headgear.)

But onto the gift shop. There isn't a huge amount of food here, but there are a few snack items, some of which are vegan.


First, you can usually find a large display of Swedish Fish here (gummy candy). (Ingredients: Sugar, Invert Sugar, Corn Syrup, Modified Corn Starch, Citric Acid, White Mineral Oil, Artificial Flavors, Red 40 and Carnauba Wax.)

I also found some Sour Starfish. (Ingredients: Sugar, Invert Sugar, Corn Syrup, Corn Starch, Citric Acid and Tartaric Acid, Artificial Flavors and Colors [Beta-Carotene, Beta-Apo-8'-Carotenal].)

There were some Salty Licorice Fish. Hmmm... I'm noticing a theme here. Fish must be big in Norway, LOL. (Ingredients: Corn Syrup [Glucose Syrup], Sugar, Modified Starch, Salmiak [Ammonium Chloride], Water, Licorice, Flavoring and Colors, [Anise Oil, Menthol, Caramel], Salt, Glazing Agent [Vegetable Oil, Carnauba Wax.)


And last but not least, cookies. Not all of the cookies shown above are vegan - you will need to check the labels - but many of the thin wafers at the top of the photo were - more or less - vegan (with one of those vague "may contain trace amounts of" messages).

That was all I found to eat here, but I always have fun browsing this store, and checking out the wide variety of trolls. I hope you do, too!

Sunday, April 3, 2011

check this out...

Just a quick message today, to throw a long over-due shout-out to C'est La Vegan, and her wonderful blog! She blogs about all things vegan (including some very yummy treats - check out all those cupcakes!), and recently blogged about her trip to Walt Disney World. I never get tired of reading vegan Disney trip reports, and I'm guessing I'm not the only one.

And if all those photos make you hungry, you might want to check out her online vegan bakery, C'est La V Bakeshop. Yummm!!!