Disney Adding 400 Vegan Items!? What We’re Wishing upon a Star For

When a vegan wishes upon a star.. You get Disney announcing 400 new plant-based options in their parks!?

Well, folks, it seems like our years of petitions, prayers, and emails have finally paid off.

Beginning October for Disney World and Spring 2020 for Disneyland: every restaurant (including quick-service) will have multiple vegan options.. Coming to a grand total of over 400 items to choose from!

Now, some of these are new recipes, some already exist… Regardless, vegans around the world should be celebrating this massive victory for mainstream-veganism.

Before that, though;

• What are my current vegan Disney favorites?
• What am I worried about?
• And most of all: what new items are vegans wishing for!?

Disney Is Already Vegan-Friendly, What Else Could We Ask For?

Interestingly enough, we just got back from a Disneyland trip! Above all, this was my first trip to Disney as a vegan.. And I was a tad worried.

• Would I be able to enjoy myself?
• Would employees make it difficult to do substitutions?
• Do they even know what “vegan” is!?

Any vegan will tell you; travelling somewhere less-than-vegan-friendly can ruin a trip. And, say what you want: you definitely don’t want to prepare 100% of your food.

Case in point?

We packed everything we’d need to prep PB&J sandwiches.. Did we have the energy to make any? Of course not! This is Disney we’re talking about, people!

Luckily, I’m here to tell you that Disneyland is one of the most vegan-friendly places I’ve been. Of course, I was prepped with lists on lists of options thanks to Happiest Vegan on Earth.

Most importantly; cast members are more than accommodating (and knowledgeable) of dietary restrictions.. Definitely some magic-makers working in these parks!

Does this mean there isn’t room for growth?

Absolutely not.

Out of the 25-or-so vegan options, I’ll be honest: only a handful really piqued my interest.

Worst of all?

There are menu items where we’re omitting all meat and cheese (with no substitutions) for the same price.. What a bummer!

My Favorite Vegan Disneyland Foods

Now, before this massive addition of 400 vegan items; I’d love to go over some of my current favorites. (Prices updated September 2019)

Cauliflower Tacos from Rancho Del Zocalo $13.49 (Disneyland)

Fun fact, before it was Rancho Del Zocalo, this was the Casa De Fritos.. Believe it or not, the birth-place of Doritos!

Now, while Doritos still aren’t vegan (get with it, Frito-Lay!), this is our go-to stop for Mexican food in the park. Not only is it the sole Mexican restaurant in Disneyland, it’s surprisingly authentic as well.

The refried beans are lard-free, and the Spanish rice is vegan as well!

Plant-Based Cheeseburger from Hungry Bear $13.49 (Disneyland)

If you’re looking for a “meaty” vegan burger; Hungry Bear is the restaurant for you!

We’re talkin’ a 1/4 lb Plant-based Patty with:

• Cheese,
• Lettuce,
• House-made Sauce, and
• Served with French Fries or House Slaw

This is the classic vegan cheeseburger you’ve been craving.

In fact, this guy is made with an Impossible patty and Chao cheese.. A match made in heaven!

Best of all, this plate comes with fries or cole-slaw.. But who the heck wants cole-slaw over fries!?

(Side-note: Shout-out to Disney for having high-fructose-free ketchup packets!)

Veggie Burger from Smokejumpers Grill $12.99 (Disney California Adventure)

Now that we’ve park-hopped to California Adventure, it’s time for another burger stop! This time for an all-veggie burger (with a slight meaty-taste and texture).. And.. What’s this?

WAFFLE FRIES!?

Yesssssss, Disney knows exactly what we’re craving.

Another reason we love Smokejumpers Grill?

Their burgers come bare, instead offering a “DIY” condiment bar. This was the perfect opportunity to layer on pickles higher than a normal human would 😍

Plant-Based Philly Dog from Award Wieners $10.29 (Disney California Adventure)

I’ll be honest: I had never had a Philly dog (vegan or not!).

That said, I’m honored that Disney was the first to introduce me to this deliciousness.

This babe is a Plant-based Hot Dog in a Toasted Bun topped with Mushrooms, Grilled Onions and Peppers and Vegan Crema..

Boy oh boy this was an explosion of flavor.

Best of all?

I could definitely use an endless-supply of these buns. What have I been missing my whole life!?

Plant-Based Nachos ($10.49) and Tacos ($6.49) from Studio Catering Co. (Disney California Adventure)

This little food-truck actually has two of my all-time favorite vegan Disney foods.. The Backlot Nachos (which have a vegan option) and the ready-to-go Plant-Based Tacos.

The nachos are:

• Plant-based Protein,
• Fried Red and White Tortilla Chips,
• Cheese Sauce,
• Vegan Crema, and
• Green Onions..

And when they say “cheese sauce”, they mean a literal pool of Daiya cheese at the bottom. 😱

The tacos are Soy Chorizo and Potato Tacos with Plant-based Crema and Salsa de Arbol. I can’t pronounce half of it, but I can guarantee it was exceptional.

How Could Disney “Go the Distance” for Vegans?

Now that we’ve talked about what I currently love; let’s talk about what I would love.

First, as an overarching theme, I’d love to see more vegan options that aren’t so “meaty”.

What do I mean by this?

Based on Disney’s current vegan offerings; you can see they’re huge Impossible foods fans. This is great, as more and more meat-eaters are giving Impossible burgers a try.. But for vegans?

I can’t be the only one that ends up gagging over the hyper-realistic meat taste and texture.

In short, I’d love for more veggie burgers like the one from Smokejumpers grill. There’s no need to try and pass this off as a “meat” burger.. Give us something nice and light that doesn’t weigh us down on the Incredicoaster.

Something else I’m afraid of?

I’m scared Disney is going to introduce new vegan treats that are sickeningly-sweet. In fact, watch any non-vegan review Disney’s seasonal treats and they all exhibit the same puckered face and response.

“Is it sour??”

“No! It’s verrrrrrrrrrrrry sweet… Good… but very sweet”

Now, this is just my theory, but I have a feeling vegans have even lower of a tolerance for sweets than non-vegans.

In brief, after years of lacking options I’m worried vegans will be overwhelmed by the Disney-standard of sweetness.

If non-vegans complain that the newest Mint Julep is too sweet, vegans will react even harsher… Just something to think about, Disney!

In Other News, What Food Items Have Vegan Disney Fans Been Waiting a Lifetime For?

Vegan Disney Churros

Sure, vegans can get the cinnamon-sugar mickey pretzel… But let’s be real! Pretzels aren’t churros, so despite the flavor similarities we want that cruuuunnnchhhhhhh.

This is likely the number one items vegans around the world are collectively praying for. Please Disney, make our vegan churro dreams come true!

 

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Vegan Cheese Sauce for Mickey Mouse Pretzels

Speaking of the Mickey pretzels, they’re some of my favorite snacks in the parks!

What do I miss, though?

No pretzel is complete without the cheese, people.

So let’s talk to Daiya, get them to design some adorable Disney-themed tins, and give vegans the complete pretzel experience.

I mean, we all know veganism is the future.. What an incredible tie-in with Tomorrowland!

This isn’t a real logo, but could you imagine!?

Vegan Ice Cream Options

Since the churro was more than enough temptation, I won’t torment you with more non-vegan pictures.. However, Disney has some of the most beautiful, nostalgic, and irresistible ice-cream treats.

I know I’m not the only vegan that misses walking down Main Street with a Micky Mouse Chocolate-Dipped Ice cream!

Vegan Bakery Items

My solution for sweet-cravings: It’s Lemon! from Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats

Speaking of sweet treats, I can’t handle Disneyland’s massive assortment of baked goods.

We’re talking:

• Cake pops,
• Assorted Rice-Krispie Treats,
• Cupcakes,
• Cakes,
• Fudges,
• Candy Apples,
• OH MY!!!!

First they torture us with the window candy-makers.. Just to leave unsatisfied sweet-tooths wandering the parks!? The horror!

Vegan Party Food

Besides the standard bakery-goods; vegans want to feel included in seasonal celebrations.

For example: this 2019 Halloween Season? The only vegan sweet-treat option is an accidentally vegan Apple Empanada.

Is this awesome?

Heck yeah! It looked incredible and I’m sure it’s delicious.

What I don’t like?

The fact that someone had to beg for ingredient lists to verify it’s veganism. It’s not marked or advertised as plant-based, so this was a complete wasted opportunity on Disney’s part.

Disney is Fighting the Real Fight

In summary, I love what Disney is doing with their parks.

They’ve gotten rid of plastic straws (hopefully lids are soon to follow), and are now adding 400 vegan options to their parks.. This goes to show how much they listen to their loyal fans.

Instead of whining about it being a “waste of time” to request vegan options from massive-corporations; we should all take a note from this momentous victory.

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