Boma Open Kitchen
This is a tough blog post, as people define “Vegetarian” in so many different ways! To try to give you the most up-to-date and tested information, I’ve included readers’ top picks for table-service and counter-service locations and rounded out the post with some great feedback from travel-blogger SoloFriendly, who’s got some great ideas for meat-free Disney World dishes. Finally, I’ve listed a few other resources for you to check out if you’re doing Disney as a vegetarian or a vegan.
Reader Picks: Table-Service
Boma, Jambo House, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Boma was the landslide winner among food blog readers who chimed in about Vegetarian options. It’s a buffet, which automatically offers a wide variety of choices; but with an emphasis on African soups, hummus, salads, and grain-based dishes, it’s a great option for meat-free eating.
Reader Comment from Beth via facebook:
Hubby is vegetarian when out thanks to being Kosher at home. His favorite was Boma since there was so much to pick from. The staff there was amazing to walk around and tell everything that was safe if you requested it.
Sanaa, Kidani Village, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
One of the newer restaurants in Disney World, Sanaa has another African- and Asian- themed menu (dinner menu) on which every section has at least one (and usually many) mouth-watering vegetarian selections.
While I loved my meal there, I’ll quote SoloFriendly’s helpful comments:
Sanaa Spinach and Paneer Cheese
They’ve got a lot of very creative menu items that are vegetarian, so if I was really sick of salads and wanted something totally different, I’d go here. They offer all sorts of wonderful breads and vegetarian accompaniments, more than one vegetarian appetizer (paneer cheese, roasted cauliflower, and potato and pea samosas) and entree, unusual salad choices, and a vegetarian soup. There is no doubt in my mind I could have a very filling and delicious meal here without eating meat. In fact, I could do so more than once without repeating the same dish twice. (By the way, here’s SoloFriendly’s Sanaa Review)
Wolfgang Puck Cafe, Downtown Disney
This well-known Downtown Disney restaurant features several meatless choices, including creative salads, vegetarian pasta dishes, and yummy flatbreads/pizzas. The most famous item, however, is the butternut-squash soup! Here’s the dinner menu, and for some photos, SoloFriendly’s Wolfgang Puck Cafe review.
Reader Comment from Jennifer via facebook:
Wofgang Puck’s. Between sushi, salmon, margherita pizza, and [pumpkin] ravioli, you have many options.
Tusker House Buffet
Tusker House, Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Coming highly recommended by readers (and me!), Tusker House serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffets in the Animal Kingdom theme park. Vegetarian options abound at all meals, and servers will gladly show you which items are vegetarian. This gives a quick list of some items that are routinely available on the lunch/dinner buffets, including Hummus and baba ghanoush, Jollaf rice, Pearl couscous with sweet basil essence, Spiced tandoori tofu, and Tunisian couscous salad.
Vegetarian Quiche and Coconut Sweet Potato Casserole
Reader Comment from Erwin via facebook:
For ease of locating things, Tusker House. Last time we were there, the server pointed out that (facing the buffet from the dining room) everything to the left of the dessert island was vegetarian, with the obvious exception of the meats on the deli board. Everything to the right was not, which included the Israeli couscous side dish (probably made with chicken broth).
Reader Picks: Counter-Service
Tangierine Cafe
Tangierine Cafe, Morocco Pavilion, Epcot’s World Showcase
Another multi-vote winner, Tangierine Cafe offers numerous wraps and side dishes that are, or can be made, vegetarian. Check out SoloFriendly’s photo-packed review of her Vegetable Platter dinner, which includes “falafel bread, olive salad, hummus, lentil salad, tabouleh, and a tangierine couscous salad,” at the cafe.
Reader Comment from @jobber99 via twitter, recalling his favorite veggie meal at Tangierine Cafe: Falafel with hummus, pita, rice, taboueh, and baklava.
Sunshine Seasons
Sunshine Seasons, The Land, Epcot’s Future World
Sunshine Seasons always tops best counter-service lists, and this is no exception. The food-court-style restaurant offers different stations for different types of food, including Asian Cuisine-inspired foods, Soup and Salads, Sandwiches, Grilled items, and Desserts.
Sunshine Seasons Asian Cuisine Station
In addition to the standard vegetarian fare (soups and salads) at Sunshine Seasons, you can find grilled vegetable sandwiches and other vegetarian entrees.
Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe, Tomorrowland, Magic Kingdom
Cosmic Ray’s is truly a favorite among vegetarians for its (actually quite good!) veggie burgers and vegetable wraps. Perhaps the out-of-this-world (sorry. had to do it.) burger fixin’s bar will sway your decision… .
Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe
Other reader suggestions included: Garden Grill (dish suggestion: tofu veggie noodles), Columbia Harbour House (dish suggestion: lighthouse sandwich), Yak and Yeti (make a meal of the veggie side dishes), Starring Rolls Cafe (dish suggestion: Veggie Wrap), Mama Melrose’s, Coral Reef (dish suggestion: Wild Mushroom Lasagna), Coronado Springs’ Pepper Market, California Grill, Chef Mickey’s, Kona Cafe, and The Hollywood Brown Derby. We’d love to hear your suggestions; contact Disney Food Blog via facebook, twitter, or email.
Cosmic Ray’s Condiment Bar
If these suggestions don’t strike your fancy, remember that Disney offers a whole website page about special dining options as well as phone numbers and email addresses to connect with dining personnel before your trip. This is a great way to get information and request special dining options for your vacation. Disney is very accommodating when it comes to ensuring your dining experience is a good one; it just may take a bit of pre-planning. Also, if you’re already in a restaurant and don’t see anything for you on the menu, mention to your server that you’d like to hear more about Vegetarian and Vegan options. Many Disney World Chefs are more than willing to put together a delectable dish just for you — even on short notice!
Disney Contact Information for Special Diet Considerations
General Disney Special Diets Contact: [email protected], or 407-824-5967
Animal Kingdom: [email protected], or 407-938-3288
Hollywood Studios: [email protected], or 407-560-3551
Epcot: [email protected], or 407-560-6395
Magic Kingdom: [email protected], or 407-824-5967
(thanks to WDWinfo)
Other Helpful Links, Books, and Tips
Helpful grid of Vegetarian and Vegan items in Disney World Parks: While this does not include all restaurants and dining locations (and no resort options), it’s still a VERY helpful guide for those visiting the parks.
Vegetarian Walt Disney World and Greater Orlando (2000): One of the only dining guides for vegetarians in Disney World
Vegetarian Walt Disney World and Greater Orlando, Second Edition (2003)
Website and Book Updates For Vegetarian Walt Disney World and Greater Orlando
As a disclaimer, in this blog post “Vegetarian” pretty much means the ingredients are “meat-free;” the qualification does not pertain to how or where the dishes are cooked, and does not take into consideration inclusion of eggs/dairy.
Check out the other “Best Disney World Restaurants” in our series!
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Thank you for doing a post on this topic and gathering all this great information! I had no idea there were books out there covering this topic. I’ll be making notes on some of these places for my next trip to WDW.
Be very careful at Wolfgang Puck’s if you’re a strict vegetarian. Some of the dishes that look vegetarian really aren’t – they might have fish sauce or beef broth. Remember to ask your server!
Gray — Always my pleasure. Thanks for your input on this.
Amphigorey — Thanks for the suggestions!!
The Plaza Restaurant at MK has a great vegetarian sandwich (not vegan). And be careful of the falafel at Tangierine Cafe in Morocco at Epcot as they are fried in the same oil as chicken BUT you can ask the chef to make you some that are not fried with chicken.
I’ve never had a problem finding food at WDW and i’ve been just about everywhere! Every restaurant has at least one veg friendly dish as long as you keep an open mind!
Joy4Tigger — Thanks for the insight on the falafel!!
Daniel — Absolutely! I’ve got someone working on a Veg at the F&W Fest right now, too. Did you find there were a lot of options for you at the booths this year?
My Aunt is a vegetarian and when we visited WDW in 2009 we were pleasantly surprised at the variety of vegetarian options. At the Crystal Palace, a chef came to our table and walked my Aunt through the entire buffet to explain what was completely vegetarian.
No info for veg dining in Disneyland?
Not yet, Audrey, but it’s coming!
Thanks so much. We r planning our first trip to Disney world this summer. And being Indian I was very much worried. Thanks again for the great help.
we went to cosmic rays and had both the veggie sandwich/burger options:
http://theactorsdiet.wordpress.com/2012/04/21/the-other-magic-kingdom/
the topping bar helps a lot!
We have had excellent vegitarian meals at every TS in Disney we have tried by asking if there were any off menu options. We have had Chef’s come out to ask us questions a few times that always resulted in amazing food. When a Chef tells you they “love to make X” go with that.
At busier times we have been offered a plate made up of sides, Flying Fish served us a great one. The pricing is pretty much whatever the vegitarian option’s price on the menu is. The two credit TS options from the DDP are all excellent options for cash paying vegitarian’s.
I started a facebok page for WDW to put a V next to veggie food on menu’s etc
they do it at the food and wine festival, so they can do it
http://www.facebook.com/pages/V-for-Veggie-at-Disney/176300062416128?ref=hl
I have found that the biggest problem for vegeterians at WDW is the kids menus. My whole family is vegi, but on the dining plan the kids have to order off of the kids menu, the vegi option is the same at most restaurants (esp. walk-up). That means the kids end up eating the same thing over and over.
I have been vegan for five years and June 2012 my husband and I honeymooned in Disneyworld. It was fantastic. We had an amazing experience. Yachtsman Steakhouse, Artist’s Point were high points. Anything at Animal Kingdom is a must! My big issue is I am allergic to dairy and most selections at the Wave at the Contemporary are dairy free! And they have sustainable cork free wine. My only complaint about my whole Disney trip was Wolfgang Puck. They did not pay attention to my allergy. Please try Babycakes! Dairy and gluten free! Yum!!
As a vegetarian at Disney I have been flustered by servers thinking fish is vegetarian, so in seeing the following comment added to this article:
“Reader Comment from Jennifer via facebook:
Wofgang Puck’s. Between sushi, salmon, margherita pizza, and [pumpkin] ravioli, you have many options.”
I was a bit disappointed! Although this article is well put together and overall very helpful, seeing this common misconception puts a damper on this piece. I am always looking for seemingly non-vegetarian friendly restaurants to eat at at Disney World that will make me a vegetarian dish, and it’s always a big concern for me that the option made available will either be fish or a plate of vegetables. Being a pescetarian (someone who eats fish, but no other meats) is much easier at Disney than having the more restricting diet of a vegetarian.
Otherwise, I am simply glad to see that there are more options than I had thought and will not have to order off the children’s menu just to eat at some of the restaurants Disney offers!
I was lucky enough to spend 3 weeks on DDP last October and throughout that I didn’t have a single problem finding something lovely to eat. There were only a few veggie savoury items around the food and wine booths once we got past Terra (great addition). I just had to enjoy the desserts! No complaints from me there 😉
Have to add La Hacienda de San Angel! Its vegetarian menu is one of my favorites.
Warning! The menu at Sanaa has recently changed and I don’t consider it a good place for vegetarians at all! You no longer have any choices on the salad sampler, and the vegetarian sampler is GONE. You can order the lamb and beef sampler (Potjie) at $25 with “vegetarian options” – but you’re paying $10 more than the vegetarian sampler used to be, and the options are severely limited. The roasted cauliflower, tomato soup, and spinach paneer are all GONE. You can, however, get a sirloin steak. I think they decided vegetarians aren’t worth the time and effort any more. I won’t be going again unless the current chefs leave.
The Akershus Banquet Hall restaurant in Epcot in Norway is also great for vegetarians. They have a salad and cheese appetizer buffet that is fantastic and they have vegetarian options on the menu as well. We have gone the last two times we went to Epcot and it was great both times. The first time we went the chef came out to talk to us and made me an amazing mushroom risotto dish from scratch. I think that he enjoyed making something different. That was many years ago though.
Also, the Columbia Harbour House in the Magic Kingdom has pescetarian and vegetarian options including salmon, fish and chips, various salads, slaw, and sides, tuna sandwiches, and vegetarian chili. We are definitely hitting that one this year! It’s fast and easy if you go off hours and not exactly at meal times.
To our great disappointment, the Columbia Harbor House has dropped the Lighthouse sandwich from its menu. No idea why, it was popular with both vegetarians and meat-eaters in. Our party. However, on the plus side, the buffet at Hollywood & Vine in Hollywood Studios is now wonderful for vegetarians- lots of salads and hot dishes to choose from. You win some, you lose some.