One of the things I was most concerned about with being a Vegan at Disneyland Paris was the counter/quick service options. With table service it's easy enough to get something replaced or substituted, but most counter service meals are pre-made/made in bulk so it's harder to swap and change things. Luckily, I did manage to find some options that were meat, dairy and egg free. This, combined with some sit down meals, kept me well fed during my trip, although i would recommend taking some snacks for the hotel room/on the go munching.
Breakfast at Sequoia Lodge
The continental breakfast at Disney hotels, while very pastry and cold meat/cheese based, do offer quite a few vegan options. I did ask a cast member if any of the products I had contained any dairy/eggs, just incase, so as far as I am aware these items from the breakfast buffet are vegan. I pretty much got the same things everyday which included Frosties (frosties in europe are vegan friendly unlike their US counterparts), toast with jam and breadrolls dipped in chopped tomatoes that I used the microwave to heat up. I was also over the moon that soya milk is available so took advantage of stuffing myself full of cereal. There is also whole fruit and a fruit cocktail available, but the latter I wasn't a fan of as it tasted really bitter.
Earl of Sandwich
Earl of Sandwich has always been one of my absolute favorite places to eat at Disney, usually opting for the Caprese (€6.95). I had heard that they can substitute items in their sandwiches so off we trotted, keeping my fingers crossed that my obsession with EOS wouldn't come to a devastating end. When reaching the order point I asked the lady if I could substitute the mozzarella cheese in the caprese for avocado, to which she replied "are you a vegan?" Wait what... someone who knows what a Vegan is? Oh praise Walt! She then proceeded to ask the manager if i could get the avocado at no extra cost as i wasn't having cheese (usually its extra), to which they agreed. The lady then told me that she was becoming a Vegan herself and that the rest of the sandwich is suitable. Needless to say by this point I was beaming. We power walked back to the hotel and I devoured my sandwich, which I do have to say, was absolutely amazing. I need another one in my life asap!
Bella Notte
Bella Norte is probably one of the only counter service locations in Disneyland Paris that has a Vegan meal already on the menu, that isn't salad or chips. The Rigatoni Napolitana (€8.99) is pretty much a pasta with tomato sauce, but its delicious! Simply yet satisfying. I had it twice during the trip, once as a meal (€11.99) with the side salad (the dressing for that is also vegan, having a white bean base for the light colouring). There is also a vegetarian salad that's vegan which my friend had and said its very good.
Market House Deli
Before I went to Disneyland Paris I read on a blog that the Bagnat aux légumes grillés (€6) served at Market House Deli had recently become Vegan friendly. It used to be made with pesto which contained dairy, but has since been replaced by an aubergine paste. The sandwich contains a medley of roasted vegetables and rocket, which combined with the paste makes a tasty lunch option. I'm not a big fan of wholemeal breads and seeds, but the filling sure made up for that. I would double check that it isn't made with pesto in future, as recipes can change, i asked the lady on the till and she confirmed there was no pesto in it.
Snacks
I didn't have many snacks during this trip, mostly just devouring bucket loads of tea to counteract the cold weather. One evening I did treat myself to a bucket of popcorn, which the vendor said was made with popcorn kernels, sugar and vegetable oil. The popcorn in Walt Disney World is made this way and is suitable for vegans (I used to work on the popcorn stands in Magic Kingdom), so I'm pretty confident that Disneyland Paris follows suit. I also had a soya milk hot chocolate from Starbucks on the walk back to the hotel once or twice. There are also chips/fries available from most counter service locations which are great for a light lunch or for when you are feeling just a bit peckish, just ask to make sure they aren't cooked with the meat.
I do suggest you make your own enquiries when visiting Disneyland Paris, as recipes can change and language barriers can mean the wrong information is given. There isn't a massive selection of Vegan food as compared with the American parks, but it's a start and I hope in the future they will provide a lot more options for those with specific dietary requirements. Just know that you're not going to starve and that i would recommend doing your research before a visit.
xox
Even though I'm not vegan in anyway, I did find this post super helpful! Its just nice to see the different offerings you can get in DLP, as they aren't particularly known for their great food options! Glad to know you didn't go hungry!
ReplyDeleteI'm also vegan and wrote this for a forum as I just got back, so have added it to your guide, in the hope it helps others too as it's is not easy being vegan there. The main issue is almost all meals are premade and so there is little flexibility e.g. to leave off a cheesy topping or not toss in butter. I asked everywhere we went and here is a brief summary of hits and misses!
ReplyDeleteBreakfast at hotel (Newport Bay) - I had cereal with soya milk (they had it when I asked), rolls, marg & marmalade, fruit salad, fruit juices and tea, so pretty decent. I also took zip lock bags and grabbed some rolls to make packed lunches in my room before heading out (everyone does it!)
Rainforest Cafe - Tukis Veggie Burger with fries(€19) They explained the safari sauce had mayo in so I asked for it to be left out, and for no mozzarella which was fine. They said it HAD to come with a side order of coleslaw but as it was it came in a tiny pot (no idea why this couldn't be left off!) so my non vegan husband ate it.
Cafe Mickey - Tbh a total dead loss for vegans! The menu looked ok online as there is a tofu gnocchi dish. Unfortunately it has mozzarella that cannot be removed. As we were seated and my veggie kids were thrilled to be having dinner with the characters, and could eat the cheese & tomato pizza I was a bit stuck. For my €30 I had a small bowl of vegetable soup as my starter, then as my main another starter which was essentially 4 fried mushrooms and a piece of fried baguette! The waiter was keen to point out this would be charged at full price! Luckily my girls loved meeting all the characters otherwise it would have been a dead loss.
Cafe Agrabah - Was a bit apprehensive about this one as heard mixed reviews. It has a lot of things that look vegan but I was a bit cautious with the stock issue (as the French seem to struggle with the concept of animal by products as an issue) There are lots of salads, olives etc on the cold buffet which I was told were fine and steered clear of the hot buffet which was much more meaty and I suspect the Vegetable ragout type dish was meat stock based. As it is an eat all you want buffet, I filled up with pulse salads, leaves etc then had fruit salad and dates for afters.
Plaza Gardens - Another eat all you want buffet €30 inc drink. Huge assortment of food (if you are going with veggies or meat eaters) including a decent salad section so I had a few big platefuls of green salad with tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, dried onion sprinkles, sun dried tomatoes, rolls, gherkins etc and then a big bowl of pineapple with raspberry coulis (though there was fruit salad/mango etc available too)
My top tip especially if going with little ones is make up a plastic zip lock bag per person per day before you go. These had in them bear rolls, crisps, oreos, apples, alpro milkshakes, squeezy fruit smoothies, pretzels, nuts, little cakes etc. Then I popped in a roll from the breakfast buffet with tartex/peanut butter/tinned braised tofu etc on it, and they grazed all day. As we averaged 20k steps a day it was much needed and vegan snack food other than candy floss and popcorn is in short supply! Also take water bottles & fill them up in the hotel or from drinking fountains round the park.
Starbucks in Disney Village do soya hot choc but make sure you ask for no cream on top!
Being vegan at Disney isn't easy but is doable. Despite speaking a bit of French to explain what I wanted, being vegan is still a bit of an alien concept. I wouldn't guarantee I haven't inadvertently eaten a trace of dairy but I checked everything I could and survived the week (though it's a good thing I like salads and fruit salad!)