So Disney 2015 was a total success! My family + Joe are all Disney-crazy, so we had a great time. And let me tell you all about them vegan options. The most wonderful place on Earth is also one of the most vegan-friendly places on Earth. Seriously, I ate so much. It’s disgusting. I got to experience the legendary Chef TJ, too. Have you heard of him? Just google “Chef TJ Disney” and that’ll explain everything you need to know about this vegan god of a man.
I thought it would be nice to share my vegan experiences with you guys, and some of our pics! Let’s start with days 1 & 2.
Day #1 Daytime
Hollywood Studios
What I ate: For lunch, I grabbed a veggie panini at the Backlot Express, with a side of fries (cooked in separate oil from other fried food). The sandwich has cheese and pesto, so be sure to have them hold both! Also, the bread they use has dairy, but they swapped it out for multi-grain. It was pretty good overall, but it took them 20+ minutes to get it out to me. I had to ask (I think they forgot!) to finally get the sandwich. Major loss of points there, but still filled me up.
I am a big snacker, so I brought my own almonds and Clif bars, but there are plenty of options in this park! I headed over to the Anaheim Produce cart which has a ton of fruits and veggies. I grabbed a banana, pickle, and some hummus/pretzels! Super filling and delish!
Day #1 Nighttime
Magic Kingdom
What I ate: Instead of eating a meal the first night, we kinda just picked. I curbed my hunger because I needed caffeine to get through extra magic hours until 1AM!! I grabbed a coffee with soy milk at our hotel (Pop Century) and drank that for the first half of the night.
Then I was a bad girl and ate PINEAPPLE DOLE WHIP for dinner! Yeah, it was the best thing ever. I didn’t even get a pic of it because I mowed that shit immediately. Look it up if you are curious, but you’ll totally be drooling.
Day #2 Daytime
Animal Kingdom
What I ate: This was my favorite vegan day of them all. Animal Kingdom is FULL of vegan food!! They actually have an allergy kiosk, right next to a produce stand. It maaade my life! For breakfast I hit the allergy kiosk for a Babycakes vegan donut – well, two, actually. I also stocked up one some Enjoy Life chocolate chip cookies, and Babycakes cookies. Yeah… it was one of those moments where you are overloaded with vegan goodness and just buy the whole damn menu.
In Africa, they have the Harambe Fruit Market. This is where I stocked up on some pineapple spears!! So fresh and delicious. They have a wide assortment of fruits and veggies, so I could have gone bananas, but I mean… I just went crazy at the allergy kiosk, so I refrained.
For lunch, we had reservations at the Tusker House. This African-inspired buffet is incredible. The chef came out and showed my mom and me around the buffet and pointed out all the vegan options. I swear to you, there were at LEAST 20 options for us!! Just look at this plate:
From candied plantains to couscous to rice to naan to veggies… I couldn’t stop. It was probably one of the best buffets of my life. Animal Kingdom, you were so good to me. <3
Day #2 Nighttime
Magic Kingdom
What I ate: So, we didn’t actually eat in the Magic Kingdom… but we took a boat from there to Trails End at the Fort Wilderness Lodge. This is where Chef TJ resides. Oof. The man is a legend in the Disney vegan world. First, he showed me around the buffet to let me know what I could and couldn’t eat. Then… he got down to business. SIX dishes later, I thought I was going to die of a food coma. Just scroll through to see what the hell I was basking in:
There are no words. That tower of vegan goodies at the end was the cherry on top of my life. End of story.
Overall, two strong first days with LOTS of vegan options. I ate way more often than I thought I would. I have to say… Tusker House was my favorite vegan restaurant, too. I mean… just look at that plate!! 20-something vegan items out of 30-something? You rule, Tusker House. <3
Here are a few more pics from the first and second day:
Honestly, just look at that castle. xx Bianca
Amazing! I would have been so distracted by all that food i may have only made it as far as the eateries!! Love your photos :) xx
LOL I ate sooo much more than I thought. It was AMAZING!! Thanks for checking them out!
Great post! My girlfriend is a massive Disney nut (every time there’s a hint of snow in the air, I get treated to ‘do you wanna build a snowman…’).
When we inevitably pay a visit to Disneyland one day, this will come in handy! Thanks!
She sounds like a keeper!! Love that! I was sooo surprised by how accommodating they were, but then again… Disney is the best. LOL So glad I could provide some insight!!
On my way to Disney right now! any tips for how to make sure we can find chef TJ? Not sure if we should call ahead or not!
Yay!! That’s soooo exciting!! Chef TJ is amazing. I hear that he does not work Fri or Sat nights, so I went on a Sunday. The best time to catch him is around 4:45 and anytime after, I believe. I tried calling ahead but they were not able to give his hours – but maybe try!! I’m crossing my fingers for you – it is really great! Please let me know how it goes! xx
It was SO GOOD! I am in a food coma right now I can’t believe how amazing that dinner was. Thank you so much for posting this recommendation! I’ll be sharing my pics next week :)
Ah!! Soo happy to hear it! And you’re very welcome. I’m so glad you caught him and got to experience it. He is truly amazing – I cannot wait to see pics! xx
Just got back from Trails end (on a Friday night) and I guess that’s true that chef tj doesn’t work that night. Truly a let down. I would never ever go to this restaurant again. We had a table full of vegan folk and big expectations that were far from met. The only items on the buffer that were vegan were salad, cucumber salad and green beans mixed with carrots. After discussing items they could make, like baked potato and the tomato salad minus the feta or corn not cooked in butter, we ended up with a plate of grilled veggies and tofu and none of the other stuff. Certainly not the vegan five course meal is been reading about all over the internet. I didn’t leave hungry but I wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of reservations, parking far away and a couple of bus rides to get there when I could’ve had a much better, healthier and cheaper meal at subway.
Oh no, Brenda! I am so sorry to hear that. I have to say, if it wasn’t for Chef TJ being there, I wouldn’t have gone, either. I wasn’t a fan of the atmosphere and it definitely was a pain to get there. Are you still in Disney? My favorite place for a vegan meal is Tusker House in Animal Kingdom. If you could make it there, I think you’ll forget all about this crappy experience – it is incredible!! But, I wish you could have experienced TJ :( Thanks for sharing your experience on here! xx bianca
[…] Fort Wilderness campground to meet the legendary Chef TJ! After reading about his amazing food from Bianca of The Friendly Fig, I couldn’t believe I had never heard of him before. Well, I’ll add to the countless blog […]
[…] if you are a Disney fanatic like me, this is awesome news. I share my vegan experiences in Disney here and here. I encourage you to check it out. Traveling as a vegan was never so easy and catered to. […]
[…] of time for me to write this post. In the past, I discussed my personal experiences in Disney World here and here, but today I’m sharing the ultimate list of tips. Disney fans – trust me […]
[…] the park each day. You know how much I love talking about eating vegan in Disney. Here, here, and here proves […]
[…] twice about Trail’s End if it weren’t for Chef TJ being there. He’s very much famous, and I’ve shared my vegan feast with him in the past. Six courses later, I basically had to be wheeled out of there. I could not possibly eat anything […]