Last week I traveled down to Orlando with some of my family to spend a few days at Disney World and one day at Universal. At home, I eat a plant-based diet. For me, that means mostly plants, minimal eggs and dairy, and rarely meat (locally sourced). In going to Disney, I knew I needed to plan ahead a little. In the end, I ended up eating a ton of delicious, (mostly) healthy, plant based eats! Read on to see how I ate plant-based at Disney.
Bring Your Own Breakfast
For breakfast I decided to bring my own food. I usually eat the same thing every day, Greek yogurt with fruit and cacao nibs (or nuts/seeds) and some carb source, like cereal or toast. We stayed at a resort with a full kitchen, but even if we'd stayed in a hotel, I would've done the same thing.
This works to eat breakfast in the hotel room before you leave if you get a late start (we always left for the parks around 11, and I would get a workout in before). It's also easy to pack and take in a bag with you (as I did on the day I went early), as it's small, you're saving a ton of money, and the breakfast options at the park are scarce and meat heavy.
Disney Springs
Disney Springs aka Downtown Disney is the place to enjoy dining, shopping, entertainment, and all things Disney, without entering the park. We came here a few nights for dinner and to walk around. There are a lot of options depending on what cuisine you're in the mood for. Besides these restaurants, most places will have some vegetarian options, you may just have to be a bit picky.
Bongos
Let me start this by saying Bongos has awesome drinks. Get a daquiri or a marg with top shelf tequila. You'll thank me.
As for food, they have a few, but good options. You can start with the black bean hummus with plantain chips. For the rest of the meal, you can get mashed green plantains, fried sweet plantains, mashed sweet and green plantains, black beans, or roasted vegetables. They also have a vegetable risotto with sweet plantains. I got a mix of sides (unfortunately my pic didn't turn out well, but basically everything pictured above), and tried the risotto from my sister. All delicious!
Paradiso 37, Taste of the Americas
We actually found this spot when we decided to go out for a late dinner. It was about 8 pm, we were driving to the Springs, trying to make a reservation on the Disney app. It was one of the few places we could still get a reservation for, and it turned out to be really good.
They restaurant is named for the 37 countries they get they're cuisine from. They definitely had limited veg options, but I would 100 percent go back. Start with chips and salsa or guac, and get the chipotle black bean burger for your entree. I subbed ciabatta for brioche because of personal preference, and added some lettuce and tomato. I also got the roasted veggies on the side, and they were flavored with lots of herbs. Highly recommend!
Epcot
Epcot is my favorite park. And if you disagree, you're wrong (jk, but really). It's a foodie heaven! I went in knowing I'd like to sample a lot but also knowing there was probably a lot I wouldn't eat.
In addition to the places that I ate at mentioned below, check out La Hacienda de San Angel for veggie tacos, enchiladas, fresh salads, along with more in the "healthy menu" section, and sorbet (or apple empanada) for dessert. Go to Tokyo Dining for miso soup, veggie sushi, and some udon or stir fry. In Future World (the beginning area of Epcot), go to Sunshine Seasons.
Tangierine Café
Tangierine Café is a quick, casual spot located in Morocco. Funny story, we were rained in for about 30 minutes, and I decided to check out the café we were hiding out at, only to find out they had some of my favorite foods. I got the veg platter which came with falafel, hummus, pita (so good and fluffy, and I'm normally not even a pita fan), hummus, lentils, tabbouleh, olive salad, and tangerine couscous salad (the BEST). It was all so flavorful and was big enough to share. You could even see they had the pita heating in a brick oven. Besides this, they had a falafel sandwich, and you could get most of these items individually.
For a sit down restaurant, also check out Spice Road Table and Restaurant Marrakesh.
Via Napoli
As someone who has vacationed in Italy twice and studied abroad there too, I can confidently say this is probably the best Italian food I've had outside of Italy. They have a wood burning stove to make the best pizza that is thin, fluffy, and crispy in all the right places. I chose the "create your own" option and asked for light cheese, after starting with a salad appetizer. Their pasta/sauce is also delicious. If you choose to come here, make a reservation in advance or come by 6:30/7 pm to get a seat.
Gelati
Gelati is this little gelato stand on the outskirts of Italy that serves up gelato in a cup or cone, or as a gelato cookie sandwich, along with drinks. They didn't have any sorbet (raspberry is my all time fav), but I got the stracciatella (like shaved chocolate in sweet vanilla cream), one of my faves, with amaretto (vanilla/cherry swirl). Not quite like what you get in Italy, but still better than ice cream.
Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom is a place like no other. I hadn't been there in years so I didn't know what to expect. Food wise, it was some of the best of the trip; second to dinner in Epcot, but definitely better than whatever we ate at Disney Springs.
Besides the two places we ate at, you can't go wrong with Rainforest Café, they have a huge menu and can cater to anyone. Most places are based on African or Asian cuisine, which normally include some vegetarian options, so finding something shouldn't be too tricky.
Harambe Market
Honestly when we got to this counter, I wasn't sure if I was going to find anything to eat or if I would like it. But this roasted vegetable dish blew me away — I'm not kidding. It has cauliflower, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, cilantro, a curry sauce, with raita, over rice and naan. I got the black eyed pea salad on the side, but it was meh.
Also check out the Harambe Fruit Stand nearby for tons of fresh fruit and more snacks.
Yak & Yeti
Yak and Yeti was absolutely amazing. They don't have too many veg options on their menu, so when I asked the waitress if anything can be adapted, she brought out a gluten-sensitive and vegetarian friendly menu, with at least 10 options. I started out with the tofu lettuce wraps, which were a tad salty but still delicious. Then moved on to the tofu tikka masala, and for someone who is not used to getting good Indian food out of those, I was very pleasantly surprised and would eat this every day if I could.
They also had dishes such as a kale and quinoa salad, sweet and sour stir fry, and more. For non-veg dishes, my fam raved about their tuna nachos, and basically everything else they got. One hundred percent recommend.
And in closing, a little extra tip. In case you hit up Universal, I'll be honest and say, in my one day there, I couldn't find many great options in the park itself. I wandered out to City Walk to grab lunch the day I was there and ended up with this great veggie burger and fries from CowFish.
But as you can see, eating plant-based at Disney wasn't hard at all. It took a little extra time looking at the map or searching the app/websites, but nothing more than looking for a new restaurant at home. All the places I went to had options that tasted great and filled me up. I hope you get to enjoy the food and parks as much as I did.