Disneyland for the veg lovers

People don’t go to Disneyland for the food.  Period.

The fact that things cost six times what they should isn’t even the worst part (and I’m no stranger to paying $20 for a salad – Whole Foods hot bar?). 

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Nothing screams gourmet like a Pluto Dog (how sad, by the way, for kids to associate their meal’s “meat” with a beloved character).  But, like I said, that’s not why people go to the “Happiest Place on Earth.” 

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Expect the worse, and you’ll never be disappointed right?

So, in the interest of being prepared, I did some web browsing and found this site which allowed me to view almost all the menus for dining with Disney. 

(I don’t know about the other veggies out there, but for me, I hate making a big fuss around meal time over whether or not I can “find something to eat” at whatever restaurant the family is thinking of dining at.  I can almost ALWAYS find something…if it’s delicious and satisfying…well, that’s a whole separate issue.  But I don’t like making a big deal out of it, so doing some research ahead of time [and then emailing it to myself so I have it on my phone for stand by browsing] is the way to go.)

Surprisingly, there were many more veg friendly places than I was expecting.  Hooray!  Turns out just a little bit of prep time on my end made the entire day run as smooth as possible (aside from the long lines and spotty sunshine). 

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That doesn’t mean I went to the Land of Disney empty handed, though.  Naturally, I smuggled in a backup…in this case it was a Kardea bar.

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The company generously offered to send me a few samples to review, and since I have been between addresses, they were sent to my parents’ house.  As a result, I only just got them recently, but I couldn’t wait to rip into them.  I started with the Chai Spice flavor and loved it!  It tasted like an oatmeal gingerbread cookie but without the crazy sugar.  Delicious!  And at only 100 calories, I was really surprised at how it held me over – bang for your buck indeed.  I’m definitely a fan.

Also in the bars department… 

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My half dressed sister and Kyle got their Clif on in the line to Space Mountain.

Anyways, back to Disneyland eats…

Props to Disney for having snack bars all over the park with fresh fruit, Odwalla smoothie drinks, trail mix, etc.  Here are a few examples:

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Ignore the Lays, Fritos, and Doritos…and instead note the Apple crisps, dried fruit/nut mix, and fresh bananas, oranges, and apples. 

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Evidence that my company enjoyed the healthy eats 🙂

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Oh, it picked us up alright.  Keep up the good work Disney!

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It wasn’t all carrot sticks and apple slices though.  There were churro carts aplenty – maybe even more plentiful than Starbucks Nuts 4 Nuts carts in NYC. 

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Minute Maid apple juice, Simply orange juice, Odwalla, Vitaminwater, and bottled water (yes, that’s dirty pop in the background, but hey, at least the soda is in the background, right?). 

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By the time noon rolled around and I was one hungry hungry hippie.

We had just gotten fast-passes for Splash Mountain so I whipped out my blackberry to browse nearby dining spots that were veg friendly.  Thanks to my research we wound up at Hungry Bear, home of a pretty legit veggie burger.

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Kyle and I both ordered veggie burgers with a side of apple slices (the burgers all come with an option of fries or apple slices).  Kyle also got some onion rings.

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It tasted very onion-y but aside from that, it was pretty good.  I like when there are visible veggies in my veggie burger (it seems an obvious statement, but you’d be surprised…).  There were actual carrots and corn in this one; I’m just trying not to think about where they were grilled.  Same surface and utensils as the meat ones?  I hope not (ignorance is bliss).

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My mom got a Caesar salad with grilled chicken, which didn’t look half as sketchy as I thought it would, so I decided to snap a pic. 

More snacking after lunch time:

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PicklesMangoGrapesPineapple slicesFruit leatherApple slices with caramel dipFruit cupsWatermelonChocolate covered strawberries

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Healthy, yes – but it will cost you half your month’s rent!

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Now that’s a fruity stand.

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By 4 pm I was in such caffeine withdrawal that I ended up getting black coffee from a stand in California Adventures.  Kyle on the other hand wanted something more substantial, but wasn’t looking to ruin his dinner appetite.  He ended up with the Kid’s meal (apple sauce and a PB&J sammie).

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Could he be any cuter?  No.  Definitely not.  I checked out the wrapper and the list of ingreds was rather extensive, but it still seems to be one of the better options (the non-Kid’s meal options were more in the pizza/chili cheese fries category).  He appeared to enjoy it too, which is the most important part. 

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Also in California Adventures were several food themed “rides” including a Mission Tortilla tour and Boudin Bakery tour.  Never one to turn down some carbs, I got my $$ worth and invested in a $7.50 Mickey loaf.

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What you can’t tell from this picture is the way my mind is racing, imagining all the different kinds of hummus that I will demolish the bread with.  Man cannot live off bread alone?  Try me. 

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It would appear Disney is on board with Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution – keep fightin’ the system Jamie! 

For dinner, my sisters and I had made special reservations because it was my mom’s birthday. 

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Crafty girls that we are, we surprised her and took her to Blue Bayou, a sit-down restaurant (one of the few in the park) in New Orleans Square (and for any Disneyland frequenters, it’s the restaurant you can see while on Pirates of the Caribbean). 

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We started with warm rolls (yum!) and bottomless iced teas (which came back to bite me in the ass when I was holding my bladder through 45 minute lines after dinner).

Our main courses came with the options of a New Orleans style salad or Gumbo.

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I chose the salad (without the feta cheese), which had lettuce, bell peppers, pear tomatoes, pecans, and some kind of vinaigrette dressing.  It was good, but there was WAY too much dressing.  My salad was swimming in it to the point of drowning. 

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My sister chose the gumbo, which looked, smelled, and sounded delicious – but unfortunately was made with chicken.  Ah well.  I had a beast of a main course.

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From the menu itself: Portabello Mushroom and Couscous Maque Choux – Marinated in a balsamic vinaigrette, then broiled and served with roasted corn and bell-pepper couscous and sautéed spinach. 

I had my eye on this dish since the day we made the reservation and did not disappoint.  The mushrooms were soft and savory, and although you can’t tell from the photo, there were at least three stacked high.  My favorite part was definitely the couscous with the grilled corn and bell pepper.  Yum.  I forgot how great couscous is when prepared with other ingredients in it and a sauce on top.  Plus, there was a big ‘ol mountain of spinach which I was delighted to attack.  I think it’s safe to say my weeks worth of calcium was satisfied after this plate.  It wasn’t slimy or blah either.  It was simply sautéed and absolutely delish.

I was pretty much stuffed to the gills after dinner and I didn’t even finish all the ‘shrooms.

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After our plates were cleared, my mom’s birthday cake chocolate mousse arrived and we all wished her a happy birthday as she blew out her candle.  (FYI you need reservations to the restaurant and the cake has to be pre-ordered if anyone is interested in celebrating with Disney, too – the # is on their website). 

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It was a great day.  The foods wasn’t the highlight by any means, but it certainly didn’t detract from the day, so mission accomplished. 

And now, to save the time of others interested in said research, the following options listed below are the vegan friendly meals* for most of Disneyland and some of California Adventure:

Disneyland

  • New Orleans Square

Blue Bayou – Portabello Mushroom and Couscous Maque Choux (see above)

French Market – Chicken salad without the chicken

Cafe Orleans -  Ratatouille without cheese on top

Royal Street Veranda – Vegetarian gumbo in a bread bowl

  • Critter Country

Hungry Bear – Veggie burger

  • Frontierland

Rancho del Zocalo – Tostada bowl with veggies

Riverbelle Terrace – Salad without chicken, Veg po’ boy

Stage Door Cafe – PB & J

The Golden Horse Shoe – Salad

  • Fantasy Land

Village Haus – Veggie burger

Troubadour Tavern – NADA

  • Tomorrow Land

Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port – Salad without cheese

Tomorrowland Terrace – Veggie burger

 

California Adventure

Bountiful Valley Farmer’s Market – California wrap without chicken

Golden Wine Trattoria – Minestrone soup, house salad

Taste Pilots Grill – slim pickins’

Pacific Wharf Cafe – Vegetarian chili in a bread bowl

Cocina Cucamonga Mexican – Veggie fajita burrito

Award Weiners – NADA

*This is by no means all inclusive and is mainly limited to meat and dairy free meal options.  Some items need to be changed as indicated to make them so.  I am basing this off of the online menus provided by Disney, for allergy purposes you should request actual ingredients from the company.

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Hope that helps other veggies out there!  Just remember, preparation is key.  On that note, I’ll leave you with a cute ‘lil hippo. 

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Comments (40)

  1. Little Bookworm

    Sounds like you had some nice food – that mushroom dish looks amazing! Love the photo of the cute hippo. 🙂

  2. annie

    you’re so cute with your disney bread! i want to go back to disneyland (unfortunately getting to CA is juuuust a bit expensive from Sydney on my budget!)

  3. holly (the healthy everythingtarian)

    AWESOME. a lil’ research totally goes a long way. have i mentioned you have perhaps the cutest family ever? because you do.

    love ya lady!

  4. Carbzilla

    LOVE it! I recently reviewed the food from our trip to DisneyWorld. I was gonna go veggie and then blew it big time, but every vegetarian entree I’ve ever ordered in their sit down restaurants has been fabulous!

    Love the Mickey loaf!

  5. Courtney (Pancakes & Postcards)

    Adorable!!! The last several years of living in LA I went to disneyland all the time, and I am pretty sure my eats every time were provided by Pizza Port at Space Mountain for lunch and then the ice cream place on main street for dinner 🙂 Next time I want to check out the Blue Bayou if I finally have a paycheck by then…

  6. samantha

    it really IS the happiest place in the world! even though it’s universal studios (and not disney), i’m DYING to go to harry potter world. nerd alert.

  7. Angharad

    I always mean to plan ahead like this but I normally forget. Being a meat eater I don’t normally have too much trouble finding something to fit the bill but I have taken to only eating meat out if I know it came from grass fed/free-range sources and that can definitely slim down the options!

    Glad you’re having such a fabulous time and Kyle – what a cutie!

  8. Mama Pea

    Very helpful, thanks Leesee. I just forwarded this to Pea Daddy. I’m choosing to believe that both churros and enormous rice krispie treats are vegan on our September trip. Please don’t tell me otherwise!

  9. Gabriela @ Une Vie Saine

    Wow, I’m actually really impressed by the Disneyland options!! It’s always awesome to see big corporations jumping on the healthy bandwagon, no matter how minimal their options may be. I’m with you on the veggie burger thing, I hate when it’s just a soy patty!! Dr. P’s and Sunshine are my standard…bursting with recognizable veg 🙂

  10. Tay

    ahhhhh LOVE Disneyland!! My family always tends to eat at the Hungry Bear and Pizza Port. There’s also some quick Italian place in Downtown Disney that’s pretty cheap for a quick meal. Disney has gotten SO much better with it’s options – but yes, quite pricey!!

  11. MarathonVal

    That’s awesome you made a list… if I ever go to Disney (which I think would be a blast to do again as an adult), this will be a great reference point.

    Thanks so much! 🙂

  12. Ethel

    I miss Disneyland! The last time I was there was with you! Big props to them for their variety of food choices. Very impressive E. Btw, HUGE Mickey Mouse bread head! I can’t believe it’s so massive. Tsk tsk darling.

    p.s. Love love the Jamie love on there. Is it safe to say I’m still in love with JO? Foodie galore.

    p.p.s. nice hippo. 😉

  13. Missy Maintains

    That looks like so much fun!! I’ve only been to DisneyWorld but love it there! That’s great that you were able to find some food options! Research always works!

  14. Allison

    I had THE hardest time eating at Disneyland. Until I discovered the vegetarian gumbo in a bread bowl in New Orleans Square. Its this side of awesome. Totally recommend it. But this big list helps a LOT. And I now have to bookmark it for future trips.

  15. Lauren (Clean Eats in the Dirty South)

    You’re just like me… I have to plan everything beforehand, which includes looking up restaurant menus and planning out what I’m going to order. I just hate feeling like I’m a hassle to waiters or chefs, even though I know i can always get SOMEthing.
    Also… that mickey bread looks delish. Do want.

  16. rebecca lustig

    i can totally relate. i HATE making a fuss about restaurants or having to try and find someplace to ‘make the vegetarian happy’. i can always find SOMETHING, SOMEWHERE, so id much rather go where everyone else will be happy.

    i do loveee disney though <3

  17. Jenna

    Great helpful post!

  18. mz v

    YOU are a hooot! And glad you guys all had fun in the kingdom… food included.
    Happy Happy Bday MOM

  19. Katie

    I hate making a big fuss about meals with groups, too. Glad to know there were some options at the happiest place on earth. I went to DL when I was a little nugget, but all of your pictures really make me want to go back!

  20. Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga)

    “I don’t know about the other veggies out there, but for me, I hate making a big fuss around meal time over whether or not I can “find something to eat” at whatever restaurant the family is thinking of dining at. I can almost ALWAYS find something…if it’s delicious and satisfying…well, that’s a whole separate issue”—-

    OMG love that! I recently commented on a post of Gena’s where she was served veggies w/ butter on them and i said that although i never would have ordered them, i wouldnt have sent them back either at a biz dinner and made an ever bigger deal out of my “dietary choices”.

    I hate it when ppl think us vegans/veggies are super high maintainence.

    BTW I have also read in food allergy circles that disney is impeccable w/ their food prep. i.e. if it says it’s gluten free, it truly is. Vegan, it truly is. There are no slip ups and that if you were to be traveling with a child who is intolerant to dairy, corn, soy, gluten, meat, etc…and that child wanted to have a fun day, that disney would do ANYTHING possible for that child so that food is normal and not an “issue” and that it should not be a stress point.

    LOVE the pics of you in this post too!

  21. Run Sarah

    This was super helpful! I am impressed with all the fresh fruit – for oranges, bananas and apples $1.59 isnt too bad, its actually better than what I saw at the ABC stores in Hawaii.

  22. BroccoliHut

    Yeah, I actually found some pretty good veg eats when I was in Disney World a few months ago. Awesome veggie burgers, and one place at Epcot actually served tofu–glorious!

  23. Jackie (Peaces of Earth)

    You’re so right about the restaurant thing!! I try not to be an annoyance to everyone else and have mastered the art of figuring out a vegan meal anywhere. Thanks for the Disneyland tips!! I live in San Diego and I’m sure I’ll get there at some point. 🙂

  24. homegirlcaneat

    Totes agree on the look ahead thing. Maybe I do that because I am such a foodie too? But I also feel kinda awk when I’m like, okay, hold this, put add this, and wait, what’s that? ….but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do 8)

    YOU STILL IN DA BAY?!!?!

  25. julie

    girl first you look HAWT in that white dress at your b shower!!! love it 🙂

    second disneyland is not as happy as disney world but its still good to see there are a fair share amount of options!

    you’re having SO much fun and look SO happy!!! gahh glad you’re enjoying cali girl!

  26. Katie

    I am so jealous right now… I’ve wanted to go back to Disney for SO LONG!!!

  27. Candace

    That list is soo helpful, thanks a lot. I always take my sistas to Disneyland since we have year round passes. I hate being a pain in the butt too at restuarants so I always try to do some researching before hand.

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  29. Sarah

    Just an FYI, the bars you ‘smuggled’ into Disney are 150 calories, not 100. =)

  30. elise

    woops! thanks for the correction 🙂

  31. elise

    back and forth…heading to chico this weekend, then monterey, then santa barbara, then LA, then the bay, then NYC, then vegas…its chaos everywhere!!

  32. elise

    i know, i was surprised. they werent AS $$$ as i was expecting, but still not cheap. but then neither were the unhealthy options, so i guess its just general inflation.

  33. elise

    that wouldnt surprise me. disney seems pretty responsive to kids, health issues, etc.

  34. elise

    i really wanted to try that one…next time!!

  35. elise

    um, if you go ill be soooo super jealous. that harry potter thing looks really friggin cool 🙂

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  37. Madison

    awesome! i do believe that if you have a lot of allergies or diet restrictions that you can request or just tell them so and bring your own snacks and meals and leave them in a locker.

  38. Katie Meyer

    There is a chinese place in california adventure that sells rice bowls with tofu. 2 of their sauces are vegan including the terriaki. They are moderatly priced too ($10 for a bowl) You can ask to see the ingredients list. I was very suprised at how many options there were because i went to magic moutain 3 weeks before and they had nothing besides fries. I was also impressed with the fruit avalible.

  39. Elise (Post author)

    cool! thanks for the update.

  40. kylee

    that vegetarian chili is the best chili i have ever had (ever!) – and i’m not even vegetarian!

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