I'll admit it— I am a Harry Potter fanatic. The books, the movies, the merchandise; I'm there for all of it and then some. So, naturally, Universal Studios Orlando's Wizarding World of Harry Potter is heaven for me.
Each January, Universal Studios hosts a Celebration of Harry Potter. It's an expansive convention filled with different activities, games, and panels.
Now, if there's another thing that I'm extremely passionate about, it's food. When I attended the Celebration of Harry Potter this past January, I was a little worried as to how my eating would play out. This was the first time I'd attempted to make Universal Studios Orlando vegan-compatible.
Vegan? Theme park? The two don't seem to mix.
Or, at least, that's what I thought before actually getting down in the dirty myself. Here's how I worked my way through Universal, vegan as can be.
Day 1
Breakfast: Protein bar
I'll give you a heads up: I had this exact breakfast every single day, so I won't bore you by repeating it. Just one of these awesome vegan bars with a cup of Hard Rock Hotel black coffee gets you going for the rest of the day.
Late Lunch/Early Dinner: Baked potato with broccoli
I ended up having this at around 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Busy flight schedules did not give me much time to eat something as regularly or as nutritious as I would have liked, so I ended up scarfing down a plain potato with broccoli (no cheese!) from a stand on the tiny waterway outside of Universal's Diagon Alley.
Was it the best thing I ate? No. Was it satisfying? You betcha.
Evening snack: tortilla chips, salsa, and fruit salad
When you buy a vacation package for the Celebration of Harry Potter, you get invited to an after-hours party in the park. They give out tons of free snacks and desserts, as well as coffee and tea. It's become a tradition of mine to eat my body weight in tortilla chips on these nights. I had to get the job done somehow!
Day 2
Lunch: Pad Thai
Mythos Restaurant in Universal's Islands of Adventure has the quality and service that soars beyond what you'd expect from a theme park. It's super fancy, but don't be intimidated; they don't mind flip-flops or cloaks.
Mythos is wonderful for marking both their vegetarian and vegan options. Both the vegan seasonal risotto and the pad thai are delicious and filling.
Dinner: Sushi roll with a side of grilled veggies
The Cowfish Sushi and Burger Bar is not a place that sounds vegan-friendly. After all, it's named after two animals. Yet, their wide variety of options is still incredibly vegan-friendly.
I ordered the Tree Hugger roll, which came with shiitake mushrooms, red bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, and basil. This roll is completely unique and unlike any sushi you'll get anywhere else. Just be sure to ask the staff to leave off the fried portabella, since it's dipped in egg.
Day 3
Lunch: Roasted potatoes and a fruit plate
If you plan to have breakfast at The Leaky Cauldron, you have to do a little talking first. After going through the menu with the head chef - who came out to meet with me personally - we figured out that this would be the best option.
Of course, you may be incredibly disappointed by the lack of options here. But, to a carb-lover such as myself, it was all I could ever ask for. The potatoes are roasted with onion, garlic, herbs, and olive oil. All you've got to do is ask for a side of breakfast potatoes and a fruit plate. If you've purchased a Universal Dining Plan, you can ask for this to be counted as a meal.
Dinner: Vegan lasagna
Jake's American Bar can be found inside the Loews Royal Pacific Resort hotel, and only takes a short boat ride to get there. I've eaten at this restaurant a good handful of times, including when I was a vegetarian and even when I ate meat.
Now, I'm not exaggerating when I say that this lasagna is one of the best vegan meals I've had to this very day. It's made with thinly sliced potatoes and vegetables with layers of chickpea "cheese" and topped with lightly dressed arugula. I don't know how they do it, but I would be perfectly content with eating the lasagna every day for the rest of my life.
#SpoonTip: If your menu doesn't have this item on it, try asking your waiter to see if they've got any in the kitchen. If you're really nice, they'll make it for you even if they're using their limited menu.
Day 4
Breakfast: Plain porridge and fruit
Hooray! I finally got something else to eat in the morning! Unlike its Diagon Alley counterpart, The Three Broomsticks already has a vegan option. You'll get a croissant on the side, but you can just lend it to a friend.
Lunch: Grilled veggie pita
A little stand in the Ancient Greek section in front of Hogsmeade sells kabobs and pitas, including a roasted veggie option. Ask for no tzatziki, and you've got a portable and filling snack or lunch.
Dinner: Pistachio Hummus and veggie pasta
The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen is a new steampunk-inspired haven for desserts and decadence. Instead of either of those, I got some bomb hummus. Grab some veggie sticks on the side for a nutritious start to your meal.
There is already a veggie pasta dish on the menu at Toothsome, but there is egg in the penne. Swap it out for the vegan fettucini, and enjoy the timely decor.
Making the culinary options at Universal Orlando vegan seemed like a daunting task. Half of me expected to live off of fruit cups and protein bars. With a lot of help from some truly wonderful employees, though, I was blown away by how much good food I was able to eat while at the theme park.
If you plan to make Universal Orlando vegan-friendly, don't be afraid to ask questions and voice your concerns! The employees are helpful, kind, and will do all that they can to accommodate any dietary restriction. So just speak up, and make sure you like potatoes.