PrincessJasmine's vegetarian reviews (and my family's non-vegetarian perspective)

[hmp2z]

The only symbol I didn't see was the kosher "K" which is found on Dannon yogurts that contain gelatin (sometimes listed as "kosher gelatin"). This is from Dannon's website:

"Gelatin: Some of our products contain gelatin to give them the desired consistency and texture. These varieties bear a "K" on the label indicating kosher certification by Rabbi Dr. David I. Sheinkopf."

The kosher "K" symbol actually isn't a kosher symbol, believe it or not. Anyone who keeps strictly kosher (or even people like myself) wouldn't trust the K. That's why it's not listed in the Jewish Cooking website; I know that one of the first things my rabbi told me was that the K doesn't mean anything.

Sadly, they've gotten someone really lenient to rule in favor of all kinds of odd loopholes, for this particular hechsher.
I know that my rabbi would never, ever advocate mixing beef stock with dairy. You can see in the article below that Dannon is actually mentioned.

I should have added that to my post, about the variations in the kosher symbols.

Here is a quote from http://rabbi.bendory.com/docs/kashrus/hechshers1.php that explains it better:

"Let's start with the simple "K". Why isn't a "K" a valid hechsher? "K" is simply a letter of the alphabet. It cannot be trademarked or registered. Anyone who wants to can put a "K" on any product. It is not controlled, licensed, or regulated in any way. In other words, it is meaningless.

Dannon yogurt, for example, puts a "K" on the packaging of many (all?) of their "fruit-on-the-bottom" flavors. Are they kosher? If you look carefully, you'll see that the lemon, coffee, vanilla, and plain flavors are all certified kosher by the OU. The other flavors aren't certified by the OU. But Dannon is free to label them with a "K" if they want to. Putting a "K" on a label doesn't make a product kosher any more than a "V" makes it vegan or a "D" delicious. You have to know if the "K" is being placed in coordination with a certifying authority."

My mistake - sorry & didn't intend to mislead! I should have added this single letter exception, but was trying to keep it simple.
Heather W

 

[hmp2z]

And here is a guide with the reputable kosher symbols:

http://rabbi.bendory.com/docs/hechshers.php

As I said in my previous post, some of these may contain fish, but if it is a reputable kosher symbol, it is guaranteed to contain NO meat as long a it's kosher pareve or kosher dairy. Not even beef stock And no shellfish.

Cheers!
Heather W

 

[punkin712]

Thanks for clearing that up, Heather! That pesky "K" was always throwing me for a loop.

BTW - Your dog is adorable!!!

 

[3DisneyKids]

Another veg-head here....look at my tag...and I'm only 36, so I was raised vegetarian and now my dh and all 3 kids are veggies (since birth). We have had several successful trips to the world and rarely have felt that we were "missing out" on all the good/well known food.

Deb's site (allearsnet) has a section on vegetarian dining at the world...and she recommends a book "Eating Vegetarian at WDW" or something along those lines (sorry if this was already mentioned...I am posting before I have finished reading the whole thread).

 

[3DisneyKids]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news here...but....WINE often has a variety of gelatin-based substances in it.

Certain wines use Isinglass (which is a product used to clarify wine)...and isinglass is a gelatin that is made from (get this) the bladder of a sturgeon, or sometimes cod. Yes, fish bladder. Um...can anyone say Fear Factor?!? I believe that majority of wines, though, use "regular" gelatin products made from beef and veal bones.

 

[hmp2z]

Haha, yeah, I'm not sure how many people who believe they are vegan are actually that.

- White sugar is usually refined with bone char.
- Red #4 dye (in cosmetics, yogurt, beverages, ice cream) is made from crushed beetles
- Wax on fruits/veggies that aren't labeled organic is usually made from shellac, the secretions of the lac beetle.

Source: http://www.fims.uwo.ca/olr/Apr0605/veggie.htm

Kosher-certified (by reputable source, not just a random K!) American made wine is guaranteed not to use either gelatin or blood, though it may use egg whites. Usually it is the cheaper French & American wines (under $7/bottle) that use gelatin to clarify; most of the better wines use egg whites. Beware, because other European countries besides France allow the use of blood to clarify wine.
Source: http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj97jan/971wine.htm

Cheers!
Heather W

 

[PrincessJasmine08]

Wow, all these posts about the foods that you would think are vegetarian are overwhelming! I had no idea. I guess I will just say that I try to eat vegetarian, but I can't obsess over all these little things. I am a college student and finding vegetarian options in the school cafeteria is not an easy task to begin with!

Okay, Kona Cafe...

We were able to get an ADR at Kona Cafe the day-of. We didn't have reservations that night and assumed we would just be eating counter service so this was a nice surprise. The Polynesian is my favorite Disney hotel (I'll stay there someday!) so I was really excited to go there and visit.

We checked in for our ADR right on time and had a 20 minute wait. We hit up the gift shop while we were waiting. We somehow ended up spending $70 and my dad decided that Disney always makes you wait for your table so you go wait in the gift shop and spend more money! That is what we always do!

Anyway, we were eventually seated. This restaurant is open to the lobby of the Polynesian so you can see all the goings on out in the hotel. It is very pretty though, a relaxing atmosphere. We had by far the absolute best waitress here of all of our meals. She was extremely attentive and when I mentioned my allergies and that I was a vegetarian she had a lengthy discussion with me on what I could order, what could be prepared vegetarian, etc. She was always refilling our drinks and she was so, so friendly, she even gave us park tips!

For dinner I had a Kona salad and the pan Asian pasta. The salad had mixed greens, bleu cheese, strawberries, and almonds with a really good fruity tasting vinaigrette. It was a delicious salad. The pan Asian pasta is generally prepared with chicken, but I of course got it without the chicken. It was basically Asian noodles with vegetables and a vegetarian stir-fry sauce. It was very good. It was a good variation on the normal pasta entrees that I was so sick of.

Our waitress told us that Kona Cafe was known for its desserts which were supposedly very good. They have a bar area where you go look at the desserts, but nothing really looked that impressive so we opted for more Dole Whips in the park!

We definitely had a great dining experience at Kona Cafe and will not hesitate to return.

 

[dawgfan]

Thanks for the review.

 

[Minniespal]

Excellent reviews ~ Thanx for sharing.

 

[QueenGoblin]

Wow, all these posts about the foods that you would think are vegetarian are overwhelming! I had no idea. I guess I will just say that I try to eat vegetarian, but I can't obsess over all these little things. I am a college student and finding vegetarian options in the school cafeteria is not an easy task to begin with!

Hi Princess Jasmine!
I started trying to eat vegetarian when I was a teen and I still do today (at 30). I can't tell you the number of times I found out something wasn't strictly vegetarian after I had been eating it for years (and it STILL happens!) And, yup, it was a challenge finding vegetarian food in the cafeteria at college. You have a great attitude about it though, so don't get discouraged! Continue to do whatever you feel is best for your body and your beliefs. I hope my 3 yo DD has your maturity and spirit when she is your age.
You are doing a great job on the reviews too. They have been really helpful as I plan our upcomming trip in September. We are definately going to hit the Seasons foodcourt!

 

[Tiki Room Fan]

Hey PrincessJasmine...I'm still following your reviews but just haven't had much time to get on and post anything lately. Gotta work hard now to be able to vacation in Disney later! LOL!

Thanks for the Kona review -- I had that on my list of maybe's. And Poly is my favorite hotel too, even though we've never stayed there. One day we will.

 

[PrincessJasmine08]

Okay, time for the last review

Concourse Steakhouse...

Once again we didn't have an ADR this day. The purpose of this trip (does a Disney trip need to have a purpose?) was to move my sister to Orlando where she is now working for Disney. So a few nights we couldn't have ADR's because we didn't know if we'd have time with moving her in and everything. So, I called Disney dining day-of once again and we were able to get a 6:40 ADR.

We went to check in for our ADR and the CM said there was no record of it. I was getting a little worried, but the CM asked me when I made the reservation. When I told them I made it that day they said that's why it wasn't showing in their system. Sometimes when you make ADR's day of it doesn't show in the system. Always bring your confirmation number with you!!!! A simple search for our confirmation number pulled up our reservation with no problem and we were seated after about a 20 minute wait.

I know they are moving this restaurant and some think it is a bad location and it seems kind of like an afterthought of Chef Mickey's, but I loved it!! We don't do a lot of character meals or buffets, so this was a great way to get to eat at the Contemporary without shelling out a lot of money (California Grill). It was great to get to watch the monorail go by, it just seemed so Disney!

Anyway, for dinner I had another caprese salad to start with. This one was a little different than the others. It had grape tomatoes cut in half with balls of fresh mozzarella. It was on a bed of lettuce with a balsamic vinaigrette. It was very good! I liked this variation on the salad.

For my entree I couldn't stand the thought of more pasta (once again only veggie option), so I kind of made up an entree with the help of our waitress! I had a side of risotto (from a fish entree) and asparagus (from a steak entree.) With the salad to start, this was plenty of food for me, and both items were very good! There was also bread on the table and although my mom disagreed, I thought this was a great meal! The risotto was parmesan risotto and the asparagus was prepared perfectly.

For dessert I had cheesecake. It was a vanilla bean cheesecake with a chocolate fudge sauce...very good!

My dad had fish and the rest of my family had steaks. Everyone else enjoyed their meals although my sister said it wasn't the best steak she had on the trip.

We will definitely return to the Concourse Steakhouse. Despite it's name, there are still a few veggie options to be found.

Well, thanks to all who read my reviews!! It was fun writing them and I definitely learned a lot from this thread. Just my mom and I are going back to WDW in October to visit my sister. We have ADR's at Liberty Tree Tavern, Boma, and the California Grill. I'll be sure to post more reviews when we get home! Feel free to ask any questions until then!

 

[PrincessJasmine08]

Another veg-head here....look at my tag...and I'm only 36, so I was raised vegetarian and now my dh and all 3 kids are veggies (since birth). We have had several successful trips to the world and rarely have felt that we were "missing out" on all the good/well known food.

Deb's site (allearsnet) has a section on vegetarian dining at the world...and she recommends a book "Eating Vegetarian at WDW" or something along those lines (sorry if this was already mentioned...I am posting before I have finished reading the whole thread).

Any good restaurants you would suggest to get around the perpetual pasta issue?

 

[PrincessJasmine08]

Hi Princess Jasmine!
I started trying to eat vegetarian when I was a teen and I still do today (at 30). I can't tell you the number of times I found out something wasn't strictly vegetarian after I had been eating it for years (and it STILL happens!) And, yup, it was a challenge finding vegetarian food in the cafeteria at college. You have a great attitude about it though, so don't get discouraged! Continue to do whatever you feel is best for your body and your beliefs. I hope my 3 yo DD has your maturity and spirit when she is your age.
You are doing a great job on the reviews too. They have been really helpful as I plan our upcomming trip in September. We are definately going to hit the Seasons foodcourt!

Thank you for your kind words. I try not to get discouraged but it is definitely quite a task finding food to eat at college. This will be my first year living in an apartment instead of the dorms. I am really, really looking forward to preparing my own vegetarian food in my own kitchen!!

 

[Stitch1404]

Thank you for the reviews, I really enjoyed them. I just got done reading all of them, and you did a great job touching on all the elements of the dining experience, not just the food itself. Good luck to you in college with your new kitchen, that should be great for you. I look forward to reading more reviews in October!

 

[dawgfan]

Thanks for the review.

 

[Elmo888]

PrincessJasmine08 -

You didn't say, but were you on the DDP and if you were, did you find it worth it as a vegetarian? It seems like you often ate off of the kids' menu. The restaurants that I have planned on eating seem to have veg options and, from your experience, the restaurants seem accommodating, but, also from your experience, one will not necessarily like the only veg option.

Great thread!

Thanks!

 

[PrincessJasmine08]

PrincessJasmine08 -

You didn't say, but were you on the DDP and if you were, did you find it worth it as a vegetarian? It seems like you often ate off of the kids' menu. The restaurants that I have planned on eating seem to have veg options and, from your experience, the restaurants seem accommodating, but, also from your experience, one will not necessarily like the only veg option.

Great thread!

Thanks!

No, we were not on the dining plan, so I'm no help there. However, since we are annual passholders we have the Disney Dining Experience card which is good for 20% off at all the restaurants.

 

[PigletFairy]

I do not consider myself vegeterian, but i prefer vegeterian food. I have also some food allergies. so for my upcoming trip i had to really search the menus at allearsnet.com. Thank you so much for all the information you gave me. My DH is a meat eater! He will eat anything. My mom doesnt agree with my food choices and does not accomodate to my style of eating. I think is because she doesnt understand it. We are latin and had never meet anyone who would not eat meat by choice. I cannot wait to get to WDW!!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Oh wow. I'm crossing Sci Fi off my list now ... I don't like sharing tables with other guests, either. No offense to anyone, but when me and DF are on vacation alone, we like to, oh, I don't know, have dinner....ALONE! We love spinach artichoke dip, but I don't really want to have soup for dinner in August. So, another ones bites the dust....

Waiting with baited breath for Princessjasmine's next review....I'm glad you folks eat at all different places!

I haven't finished reading the reviews (thanks, Jasmine, I'm really enjoying them--I followed your link from your dog in the car thread. My whole family is vegie, from my DH and myself, to our 4 kids--6-18yo).

As to the Sci-Fi and sharing a car...my 18yo DD and I ate here last January and it was a highlight, including sharing the car. That made the meal, mainly because we were seated with 2 CMs who made it so much fun. At their urging, we did a Chinese fire drill and really had a fun meal. We still talk about it. Of course it depends on you, but my DD tends to be a bit on the shy side and even she really enjoyed it (me--I talk to any and everyone who will talk to me, so it's perfect for me).

We're lacto-ovo and we do eat marshmallows. I know that they are not vegie and I am strict about things in general, but do let that slide. It's one of the few things that I let slide, and I ask about meat or meat juices in refried beans, rice, and everything else.

OK, back to reading the reviews.