At the start of 2022, I finally decided to become a vegetarian. After all, I have been 95% vegetarian for the past few years because I barely ate meat. My biggest worry when finally becoming entirely vegetarian was what I’d be able to eat at the parks because that was the only place I’d eat meat. I love festival food, so one of my main concerns when making this change was how many food options I’d have at the festivals. Thankfully, Disney has become vegetarian-friendly and more allergy-friendly in the past few years.
Vegetarian-friendly options at the Epcot International Festival of the Arts
- Blood Orange-braised Beet Carpaccio – Gourmet Landscapes (Vegan)
- Carrots Three Ways – Tangierine Cafe (Vegan)
- Plant-based Bratwurst – Refreshment Outpost (Vegan)
- Wild Mushroom Risotto – Gourmet Landscapes
- Brie Bread Bowl – L’art de la Cuisine
- Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese – Pop Eats
Some of the food I listed is vegan friendly as well. The sweet treats offered at the festival are vegetarian, but they are not vegan because many use milk, butter, and eggs. I wish they had more plant-based desserts for our vegan friends. I also wish each booth had one vegetarian item so that there was more variety.
I have tried the Plant-based Bratwurst this year, and the Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese and Brie Bread Bowl in years past, and highly recommend trying them. I have a goal to try all the vegetarian options by the end of the festival, but I have run into a slight issue. Each time I have gone, the lines have been insane. Each booth has a line that is about 15 to 30 minutes long. I don’t think any food is worth a 30-minute wait, especially when there are other food options throughout Epcot and the surrounding resorts. I guess what I need to do is hop over after work one day on a weekday. Maybe it will be less busy on a Tuesday night versus a Saturday afternoon.
I wish there were more vegan options. I have seen people on social media make other dishes vegan by making modifications. In my opinion, it just feels sad that there are only three vegan options. They should have at least five vegan options throughout the festival because veganism has become more common. I also feel the same way about the vegetarian options. Six vegetarian-friendly dishes is not enough; I think there should be two or three more options added to the vegetarian list. Being vegetarian has also become more common. I have to say that the vegetarian options that I have tried are very yummy. I have until February 21st to try the rest of the offerings. I am intrigued to try the Carrots Three Ways and the Beet Carpaccio.
Going to Disney as a vegetarian is reasonably easy, but this festival at Epcot has less of a variety for vegetarians and vegans. I love that Disney has added more allergy-friendly items throughout the festivals and parks. I don’t know about you, but I go to Disney to eat, so it would be nice to have more festival options to enjoy and pick from. I can’t confirm, but I think Flower and Garden has more vegetarian options than Festival of the Arts. I will have to investigate a little more on that and check out all the booths when that festival rolls around in March; they have a booth sponsored by Impossible that has all plant-based dishes. That’s a step in the right direction.
If you are vegetarian/vegan, let us know what your favorite dish at Walt Disney World is in the comments!