Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurant/Dining Help Thread

[Vegcentric]

I checked out that page from the book that you posted. It may be outdated now, but I really, really am curious if anyone has had any success in getting their tonga toast veganized. That would be a dream come true for me, seriously! Lol, I've wanted tonga toast ever since I first heard about it!

 

[MelanieC]

Thanks for sharing this! I was trying to find something on the veggie boards relating to veganism in Disney, but apparently I really don't know how to search too well (lol). Kind of sad that those cinnamon apple pretzels aren't still available - they sound delicious.

Also hoping that the banana slushie is still there, since I am a huge banana flavor fan. I will check for it next time I'm there, though I'm sure some of you will be there before me (October is my trip).

I just looked on All Ears and the banana slushie at Herbie's is gone
The menu is for June 2010.
I was really looking forward to one of these. Maybe it's just a type O! Guess I'll find out in a few weeks.

 

[Plasticletters]

Another great vegan review from V_Gan has been posted!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2496738

 

[MelanieC]

Anyone have any luck eating vegan at Wolfgang Puck Express in DTD?

Would love to try something there.

 

[v_gan]

Wow - I've missed a lot on my month away from the boards! This is such a great thread. Awesome idea, you guys!

Quick question: Am I the only one that finds the gluten-free/vegan buns to be completely dry and gross?

I love their veggie burger patties, but having to get them on those buns just completely puts me off to ordering them.

 

[MelanieC]

Quick question: Am I the only one that finds the gluten-free/vegan buns to be completely dry and gross?

I love their veggie burger patties, but having to get them on those buns just completely puts me off to ordering them.

I know.........your post about them is scaring me into trying them, yet everyone else seems to like them. For the most part, I don't order veggie burgers out (heck I can buy them).

The only park that seems like it's the only thing available is AK. I still may take the bus over to AKL and eat the falafel sandwich instead, I just hate taking the time and going over while family is at AK.

Why can't AK have a decent Vegan option like the rest of the parks.

 

[v_gan]

I know.........your post about them is scaring me into trying them, yet everyone else seems to like them. For the most part, I don't order veggie burgers out (heck I can buy them).

The only park that seems like it's the only thing available is AK. I still may take the bus over to AKL and eat the falafel sandwich instead, I just hate taking the time and going over while family is at AK.

Why can't AK have a decent Vegan option like the rest of the parks.

I would definitely try them at least once to see how you like them. I just.. They're so DRY!

I don't understand the CS options at AK, either. It should be the best place for a vegetarian/vegan to eat. I mean, look at all the options at the Animal Kingdom Lodge!

If I'm ever stuck eating CS in AK again, I think I'll just pick up some whole fruit at that stand in Africa and order some fries at wherever the person I'm with wants to eat. Tusker House is definitely always going to be a must-do for lunch on our full AK days, though. It'll fill you up at least until the park closes, then you can get dinner at another park or resort.

 

[Vegcentric]

Yeah, pretty much after reading your reviews about them being very dry, I decided that I just won't bother eating them. I ordered a veggie burger ONCE last year...I just didn't like them. Does anyone know what brand they're carrying? Because I cannot stand them. I'm rarely in the veggie burger mood, anyway.

Alright, so I'm facing a bit of a dilemma here and I need some opinions!

I have too many signature dining reservations made, and I need to scrap one.
Of the two, which would you personally get rid of? (We're vegan):

Citirco's, or Jiko? I wanted to originally at eat at Citrico's because the tofu dish on the menu sounded really good, but I don't know if it is vegan or could easily be made vegan if it isn't. I heard Jiko is good for vegetarians and vegans, but the actual menu didn't really inspire me despite great reviews. Thoughts?

 

[VeganCupcake]

So I called tonight to add a Vegan note to a res I just made, and the guy on the phone would not make a note of it. Like, literally, he refused, he said that I just have to tell them when I check in at the podium, and he could not make a note for Vegan on my reservations. I said I've called Disney dining about 6 times in the last few weeks to do the same thing, and the women all had no problem writing a note in my reservation. (Also- I did not tell him this but I'm pretty sure all of my reservations when I went in December said Vegan at the bottom of the receipt). I got frustrated listening to him so I just said" You know what? I'll hang up and call back so I can talk to someone else". I called right back, and the woman handle my business for me. NICE! I was not in a good mood tonight, or I would've been nicer, but really guy? man.........

 

[v_gan]

VeganCupcake, I had the same thing happen to me earlier this year. While the lady I spoke to wasn't rude about it, she did say there was absolutely no way she could note "vegan" on my reservations. I also mentioned to her that I had had it done on our previous trip, and she even went so far as to put me on hold and talk to her "manager" to see what could be done. Came back and said the same thing - It can't be done.

I just don't get it

 

[HunnyJar]

VeganCupcake, I had the same thing happen to me earlier this year. While the lady I spoke to wasn't rude about it, she did say there was absolutely no way she could note "vegan" on my reservations. I also mentioned to her that I had had it done on our previous trip, and she even went so far as to put me on hold and talk to her "manager" to see what could be done. Came back and said the same thing - It can't be done.

I just don't get it

So I called tonight to add a Vegan note to a res I just made, and the guy on the phone would not make a note of it. Like, literally, he refused, he said that I just have to tell them when I check in at the podium, and he could not make a note for Vegan on my reservations. I said I've called Disney dining about 6 times in the last few weeks to do the same thing, and the women all had no problem writing a note in my reservation. (Also- I did not tell him this but I'm pretty sure all of my reservations when I went in December said Vegan at the bottom of the receipt). I got frustrated listening to him so I just said" You know what? I'll hang up and call back so I can talk to someone else". I called right back, and the woman handle my business for me. NICE! I was not in a good mood tonight, or I would've been nicer, but really guy? man.........

I have had to deal with that myself as a vegetarian once or twice. It really just depends on who takes the call. Some people are super nice about while others just tell me not to worry about it as there is a vegetarian option at every restaurant. Well, okay thanks for that but I would still like it noted especially at a place like 'Ohana.

 

[Vegcentric]

So I called tonight to add a Vegan note to a res I just made, and the guy on the phone would not make a note of it. Like, literally, he refused, he said that I just have to tell them when I check in at the podium, and he could not make a note for Vegan on my reservations. I said I've called Disney dining about 6 times in the last few weeks to do the same thing, and the women all had no problem writing a note in my reservation. (Also- I did not tell him this but I'm pretty sure all of my reservations when I went in December said Vegan at the bottom of the receipt). I got frustrated listening to him so I just said" You know what? I'll hang up and call back so I can talk to someone else". I called right back, and the woman handle my business for me. NICE! I was not in a good mood tonight, or I would've been nicer, but really guy? man.........

I've noticed that Disney is very inconsistent when it comes to what cast members will or won't do when it comes to vegetarians and vegans. I guess your best bet is just calling back and hoping to get someone more helpful, like what you did.

 

[VeganCupcake]

I admittedly probably could have been a little bit more patient, but he wouldn't even pull up my reservation number. I did an online survey last week after the phone call with one of the Cast Members who was super helpful, and suggested at the end that Disney just add vegan as an online option to pick when making online reservations. I also said that its not like its a super crazy thing to request as allears.net and disboards.com have dedicated links just for vegans. Thanks for listening to my rant everyone, I felt sooo much better after I posted last night. I knew I wasn't a crazy person! I would also like to note that when I called back, I told the woman that I had just called and had someone refuse to make note of it on my reservation, she apologized and said there is no reason for someone not to be able to make note of special dietary preference on your reservations for you.

 

[mandibc11]

I've found that it's simpler just to fax in the form Special Diets provides for you, so that you can make notations beside all your reservations at once. It really worked well for me last time, and all the reservation tickets I saw noted that I was Vegan, and put a big red Allergy across it as well!

 

[Plasticletters]

I've found that it's simpler just to fax in the form Special Diets provides for you, so that you can make notations beside all your reservations at once. It really worked well for me last time, and all the reservation tickets I saw noted that I was Vegan, and put a big red Allergy across it as well!

I did that on my last trip but only one restaurant got the information. I was glad that I had triple checked myself (noted "vegan" as well as "seafood, dairy and egg allergy" on my reservations) or I would have been in trouble.

I don't know if it was an anomaly or not, but the Special Diets form proved to be almost a complete waste of time. They didn't let one out of a half dozen or so restaurants I ate at know about my dietary restrictions - the others relied on the information I provided with my reservation.

 

[Plasticletters]

So I called tonight to add a Vegan note to a res I just made, and the guy on the phone would not make a note of it. Like, literally, he refused, he said that I just have to tell them when I check in at the podium, and he could not make a note for Vegan on my reservations. I said I've called Disney dining about 6 times in the last few weeks to do the same thing, and the women all had no problem writing a note in my reservation. (Also- I did not tell him this but I'm pretty sure all of my reservations when I went in December said Vegan at the bottom of the receipt). I got frustrated listening to him so I just said" You know what? I'll hang up and call back so I can talk to someone else". I called right back, and the woman handle my business for me. NICE! I was not in a good mood tonight, or I would've been nicer, but really guy? man.........

Also....I figured I'd add my story to the list. The first two people I spoke to on the phone for my last trip would not let me note "vegan" either. I didn't use "the V word" initially and only said I needed to note "no eggs, dairy or meat". They asked if I had allergies and I said "You can just put down 'vegan' for the reservation" to which they asked again "I can't do that. do you have allergies?" so I went with that.
The third person I talked to said they could put "vegan" on the reservation on top of the "allergy" preference - that's what I tell everyone to do, just to double check yourself.

 

[MelanieC]

I have a few things I have found out from Sea World and Universal that I want to add to this thread.

The first is in regards to Universal Studios Butterbeer. Here is what I posted from another thread.

I just gave Universal a call (they gave a phone number on the auto-reply).

Quote:
Thank you for contacting Universal Orlando® Guest Services. Your concerns are important to us. Please be assured that we have received your email message. We will require time to review your concerns to ensure that they receive the proper attention. If you would like to speak with someone immediately, please call us at (407) 224-4233, option two (2) from 8:00AM to 8:00PM EST, Sunday through Saturday. A Guest Services Coordinator will be happy to assist you. Thank you again for contacting Universal Orlando® Guest Services. We look forward to speaking with you.

Wow - She was pretty quick on her game to know her canned responses to say.

I first said I wanted to know what the ingredients were for the butterbeer so I could make sure I could drink it. She said it's proprietary and she can't give that out.

I asked her if there was dairy and milk in the butterbeer. She wanted to know how severe the allergy there was. She said if there is a severe milk allergy, they recommend to not drink it. She said the FDA has approved it as a non-dairy drink, and that if there is less than a specific amount of milk product it doesn't have to go on a label. She said this could be the same for any ingredient. That if there is less than a specific amount of any ingredient in a product, no matter what it is it doesn't have to be listed.

I asked if this means it was made in a facility that produces other items that have milk or if it's an actual ingredient and she again said she can't give ingredient's due to propriatery information. I also mentioned casein and got the can't give info speech again.

I asked her if there was any gelatin in it and she said no. I asked if there were other animal ingredients in it, and again got the I can't speech.

I asked her if the milk in question is in the topping and she said she can't give ingredient's. I said I just want to know if it's in the drink or the topping so I can know if I can drink just the drink without the topping. She said it can't be sold without the topping (which is the first I've heard it can't - although I don't know if it's just because no one has tried to do it without). She said it is a rule they can't sell without the topping.

So..........I'm really sad that those with milk allergies are left without being able to let their kids drink it when there may be no milk in it. I'm left with a baffeling............ I don't know. I mean, if it were bottled on the shelf and I was purchasing it. If something didn't have enough milk to not be in the ingredient list and there were no "Iffy" ingredients in it then I'd purchase it.

Why does Universal have to be so sneaky about this. I'm baffeled that they put "proprietary" over being honest with people's health and well being and just a general I want to know what I'm consuming. I mean..........the average person is not going to be trying to make this item at home or trying to duplicate it. We just want to know if we can experience it. I wonder if they are like this with other food items in the park?

 

[MelanieC]

Here is the one for Sea World:

I sent an e-mail (using their online form) to Sea World asking them about various options being vegan. I was so excited when I got a response today. The only thing she didn't answer was regarding the bun to the veggie burger, but I replied to the message asking again about the buns.

Here is my e-mail:

Dietary Question
Message: I will be at Sea World in Orlando on July 18th of this year. I can't eat dairy, eggs and I also don't eat any meat (or meat products like chicken or beef stock, worcheshire sauce and things of that nature). I've been trying to see where I can eat while I'm at Sea World for the day, and I've come up with the following items that may work, but I would like to have someone review the ingredient lists and let me know if they are ok.

Spice Mill Vegetarian Chili - Any dairy or egg? Is this just served in a bowl? Do they top with cheese?
Veggie burger (is there any dairy or egg)? Also casein or L-Lysine? Bun on the veggie burger - any milk or egg products?

Mango Joe's Veggie wrap Is there any dairy or egg on this sandwich or in the wrap bread? If there is cheese, can they make it without?

Their reply:

Quote:
Dear Ms. Melanie,

Thank you for contacting the SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment Family of Parks. We appreciate your questions as they are invaluable in helping us provide you with world class service.

When you visit the restaurant of your choice, please ask to speak to the chef or a supervisor at that restaurant at least one hour prior to your dining so they may review the ingredient list and assist you with a choice suitable for your specific needs. The chili is served in a bread bowl and topped with cheese. You should request that they not put the cheese in the chili when you order.

The Vege-Burger does not contain egg or dairy. The veggie wrap at Mango Joes does have cheese; however, you should request that they make the wrap without the cheese. In addition, there are two tortilla options (white or spinach) both egg and dairy free that you may choose with the wrap.

We do not allow coolers in the park; however, we will make an exception if we are not able to accommodate a specific allergy or if you are more comfortable with bring your food. The cooler used for this must be of a 6-12 pack in size. Food must be in single serving sizes for the individual with allergies only. No glass or straws are permitted. If you would like to bring a large cooler, you would have to store it in your car until needed at SeaWorld. There are picnic tables located to the right of Pet Care that you may use. Please bring a copy of this email and visit the Guest Relations window at SeaWorld for assistance with bringing your food only.

Thank you again for your interest in SeaWorld Orlando. I hope this helps!

Best Regards,
Karen
SeaWorld and Aquatica
Guest Correspondence

 

[MelanieC]

So what do you guys think about the Butter Beer? I think the conversation was pretty bizzare. There is no milk in it according to the FDA guidelines, but there is a negligable amount. It could be their way of CYA for how they put warnings on things when it's made in the same facility as something that is an allergen?

 

[Vegcentric]

So what do you guys think about the Butter Beer? I think the conversation was pretty bizzare. There is no milk in it according to the FDA guidelines, but there is a negligable amount. It could be their way of CYA for how they put warnings on things when it's made in the same facility as something that is an allergen?

I don't trust anyone or anything that tells me they can't tell me what's in something. I read labels at the store very closely before I buy something, and though my parents aren't vegans or vegetarians, they are very concerned for their health and so they read labels like crazy, too. I thought the conversation was really strange, and disheartening. This is definitely something Disney has over Universal.

We were going to go to Universal to see the new Harry Potter park in October, and we still will, but when it comes time to eat something I think I may just leave the park.

Edit: Also, I just thought of something else. What about people with diabetes? If they can't give out ingredients, are they also sticklers for not giving out nutritional information, either? Because my husband is type 1 diabetic and reads the nutritional facts on pretty much everything before he consumes it. That's a deal breaker if they won't part with this information, and I really hate how sneaky they are! I mean, lots and lots of people are becoming more aware of their food choices these days. Like I said, even if you aren't vegan or vegetarian it's a good thing to know what you are eating. My mother went to three stores the other week just to buy some bread without HFCS in it, that's how important it was to her.