In anticipation of my next trip to the World, I e-mailed SpecialDiets@DisneyWorld.com, and asked a few questions. I'm still awaiting some restaurant-specific info (and suspect that I won't really have more on that until I get back from my trip), but I did learn something new.
I asked about the veggie burgers. During my last trip (December 2009), the standard counter-service vegetarian burger was a very veggie-type Gardenburger, on a non-vegan bun. By request (which means, speaking with a manager), you could order this veggie burger on a "gluten-free" vegan roll. These burgers are sadly not as tasty, in my humble opinion, as the Boca burgers they used to serve, but with enough toppings, they are edible. However, the gluten-free rolls are rather dry, tasteless and crumbly. Again, better than nothing, but not the best bun for holding together a veggie burger with enough toppings to drown out the flavor.
While it sounds as if the veggie burgers remain the same (I was just told it's still a Gardenburger burger), there is a new vegan bun option. The letter I received says "We also carry a new Angus Burger brand Multigrain Bun which is vegan friendly". I will have to report back after I've actually tried this new bun, but I'm very excited about the possibility of improvement!
Look for some major blog updates from me near the end of the year. Once again, I plan to attempt to photograph everything I eat, and take notes. Sadly, my pocketbook won't allow me to try everything, but hopefully I'll have some new tasty finds to share.
And if you've actually tried this new bun, I'd love to hear about it! Thanks, and Happy Disney Veggie Dining! ºoº
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
another teeny tiny update
Just heard some exciting news, and wanted to pass it on...
A recent Disney guest had lunch at the Crystal Palace, in the Magic Kingdom, and mentioned that some of the food items on the buffet were marked as either "vegetarian" or "vegan". He didn't take any pictures, and isn't sure of specifics, but he's positive that the notes were there. (This guest was neither a vegetarian, nor a vegan. He probably never would have mentioned it, except that I think he was a bit surprised to discover that a dish marked "vegan" was actually quite tasty.)
This is very exciting news. I am absolutely positive that there were no such notes in December 2009. (I *did* take pictures, and notes, and being a vegan, most definitely would have noticed.) While I really don't know if the vegan options are any better than before, clear signage is a huge step in the right direction. While I have always managed to get a chef to walk through the buffets with me, and point out the vegan options, some are more thorough than others, and sometimes it's just difficult to remember everything. (As I actually had a rather unpleasant experience at Crystal Palace, I'm especially glad to hear of this improvement at this location.)
I have yet to hear of such signage at any other buffets, but I will certainly be on the lookout during my next visit. Let's hope this is a "sign" of things to come! :-)
A recent Disney guest had lunch at the Crystal Palace, in the Magic Kingdom, and mentioned that some of the food items on the buffet were marked as either "vegetarian" or "vegan". He didn't take any pictures, and isn't sure of specifics, but he's positive that the notes were there. (This guest was neither a vegetarian, nor a vegan. He probably never would have mentioned it, except that I think he was a bit surprised to discover that a dish marked "vegan" was actually quite tasty.)
This is very exciting news. I am absolutely positive that there were no such notes in December 2009. (I *did* take pictures, and notes, and being a vegan, most definitely would have noticed.) While I really don't know if the vegan options are any better than before, clear signage is a huge step in the right direction. While I have always managed to get a chef to walk through the buffets with me, and point out the vegan options, some are more thorough than others, and sometimes it's just difficult to remember everything. (As I actually had a rather unpleasant experience at Crystal Palace, I'm especially glad to hear of this improvement at this location.)
I have yet to hear of such signage at any other buffets, but I will certainly be on the lookout during my next visit. Let's hope this is a "sign" of things to come! :-)
Monday, August 2, 2010
quick, tiny, IMPORTANT update
No time for a proper post, but I just got the news from a fellow vegan that Chef TJ has relocated again. That AMAZING feast I had at 'Ohana last December is now a thing of the past. However, Chef TJ is still at Walt Disney World, so there is hope for a new special TJ experience. Word is that he's now working at one of the restaurants at the Grand Floridian. I've been trying to determine which restaurant - will post as soon as I have confirmation. I will also be doing my darndest to get ressies at said restaurant for our upcoming trip later this year... after which there will be some real updates to this site again.
If you know where Chef TJ is, please let me know. Thanks to Jordan for breaking the news to me, and to Vegan Satori for confirming it on his blog!
If you know where Chef TJ is, please let me know. Thanks to Jordan for breaking the news to me, and to Vegan Satori for confirming it on his blog!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
a promising new disney option
Whenever I see the words "vegan" and "Disney" in the same sentence, I just have to come here and share with you all. I just stumbled across an article for a new restaurant at Walt Disney World that I have been curious about. I've heard some happy first-hand accounts, but so far, none from a vegetarian or vegan. However, Disney is now reporting that this new spot is in fact a very good choice for us veggie lovers: Kouzzina by Cat Cora. This new restaurant, located at Disney's Boardwalk Resort in the spot previously occupied by Spoodles, is the brain child of professional chef Cat Cora, of Iron Chef fame. It's a family-friendly restaurant, specializing in contemporary Mediterranean food. Check out this article on the Disney Parks blog for more details.
Friday, January 15, 2010
the missing review
Yes, finally, as promised, the review for my absolute greatest meal ever is online. A Vegan Adventure at 'Ohana has been posted as a guest blog on AllEars.net. I know... it left a real gap in my trip report here, but the meal was so amazing that I just had to share it with as many people as I could!
Chef TJ is amazing - he's more of a "food artist" than a chef, in my mind. He creates works of art that look as good as they taste, and they taste AMAZING! I have written to Disney, more than once, about what a gem they have in him. I am not kidding you - my meal at 'Ohana was seriously the highlight of my wonderful vacation. You can bet I'll be back on my next trip!
Chef TJ is amazing - he's more of a "food artist" than a chef, in my mind. He creates works of art that look as good as they taste, and they taste AMAZING! I have written to Disney, more than once, about what a gem they have in him. I am not kidding you - my meal at 'Ohana was seriously the highlight of my wonderful vacation. You can bet I'll be back on my next trip!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
veggie burger update...
Wow - so cool to have helpful readers! Thanks to the comments on my last post, I did a little more searching, and found a thread on Disboards that lists the ingredients and discusses the pros and cons of these burgers: New Gardenburger in Restaurants (As always, if you have an allergy, *please* confirm with the restaurant before eating anything. Nothing here is confirmed, guaranteed or set in stone, and things change all the time.)
It appears that these are not available at your local store. This is still just my opinion, but the Veggie Medley burgers are "close", if you just want to know what they taste like. (However, it does require buying a box of four, which I did... and managed to work my way through, with lots of "embellishing".) If it's particular ingredients, or calorie count that you're curious about, then the above-mentioned article has lots of helpful details.
In a perfect world, we'd be able to choose from a variety of veggie burgers, but at least Walt Disney World has them. (Has anyone seen a veggie burger of any type in any other theme or amusement park? I pretty much went hungry on my last trip to Cedar Point.)
It appears that these are not available at your local store. This is still just my opinion, but the Veggie Medley burgers are "close", if you just want to know what they taste like. (However, it does require buying a box of four, which I did... and managed to work my way through, with lots of "embellishing".) If it's particular ingredients, or calorie count that you're curious about, then the above-mentioned article has lots of helpful details.
In a perfect world, we'd be able to choose from a variety of veggie burgers, but at least Walt Disney World has them. (Has anyone seen a veggie burger of any type in any other theme or amusement park? I pretty much went hungry on my last trip to Cedar Point.)
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
regarding the veggie burgers...
A reader of my blog (gosh, there's more than two of you!) asked if I knew the ingredients in the current veggie burgers at Walt Disney World...
Sadly, I just never thought to photograph the ingredients page, though I did look at it when they first made the switch, to be sure it was vegan. I cannot tell you exactly for certain what's in it, but I will tell you that they look and taste almost exactly like Gardenburger's Veggie Medley. I cannot be certain that they are exactly the same (it's possible that Disney has them create something especially for them), but they are really darn close, in my humble opinion. These are very "veggie-like", and not at all "hamburger-like", which is either a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on your point of view.
To be honest, I have wondered if Disney made the change because the old Boca burgers looked so much like hamburgers that maybe they had trouble telling them apart once they were cooked, but that's just me wondering. More likely, Gardenburger simply made Disney a better offer than Boca.
And just a reminder, you need to order these on a "gluten-free, tapioca roll", in order for it to be vegan. In my opinion, the new veggie burger, on the tapioca roll, is just barely edible. I politely told Disney that frankly, I'd prefer to wait and eat PB&J in my hotel room. But your experience may be different. And fortunately, there are still a few non-burger vegan options in the parks.
That's it for today! Happy Disney Dining!
Sadly, I just never thought to photograph the ingredients page, though I did look at it when they first made the switch, to be sure it was vegan. I cannot tell you exactly for certain what's in it, but I will tell you that they look and taste almost exactly like Gardenburger's Veggie Medley. I cannot be certain that they are exactly the same (it's possible that Disney has them create something especially for them), but they are really darn close, in my humble opinion. These are very "veggie-like", and not at all "hamburger-like", which is either a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on your point of view.
To be honest, I have wondered if Disney made the change because the old Boca burgers looked so much like hamburgers that maybe they had trouble telling them apart once they were cooked, but that's just me wondering. More likely, Gardenburger simply made Disney a better offer than Boca.
And just a reminder, you need to order these on a "gluten-free, tapioca roll", in order for it to be vegan. In my opinion, the new veggie burger, on the tapioca roll, is just barely edible. I politely told Disney that frankly, I'd prefer to wait and eat PB&J in my hotel room. But your experience may be different. And fortunately, there are still a few non-burger vegan options in the parks.
That's it for today! Happy Disney Dining!
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