by Angie Carreiro
And now for a segment I’d like to call, “Accidentally Vegan at WDW.”
When something is accidentally vegan, it means, simply, that it is vegan without the intention of being made vegan! For example, if for lunch you had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with potato chips on the side, you were eating vegan without trying, or, one might say, “accidentally.”
There are lots of food items in WDW that happen to be vegan without trying, so let’s talk about some of the snacks.
Popcorn
You might think the butter on the popcorn is just that, but you’d be wrong! Most “buttered” popcorns are made with oils and coloring, as is the case with the popcorn found all over WDW!
Nutter Butters
When first arriving at the food court of All-Star Music Resort, we needed a little sugar boost to start our bad eating habits on vacation! We found that Nutter Butters contain Nutters, but no Butters! These were safe for a vegan dieter!
Itzakadoozies and Strawberry Fruit Bars
Found at most ice cream carts, these refreshing popsicles are nothing more than sugar and non-dairy flavorings!
French Fries
All french fries consist of is essentially potato and oil! No harm there! But, if you are super picky about cross contamination, you may want to find out if your fries are being fried in the same oil as the chicken nuggets! You can also find some special sweet potato fries at Restaurantosaurus over in Animal Kingdom!
Pretzels
Who wouldn’t love a little cooked flour sprinkled with some salt? That’s pretty much all these little goodies consist of. Just don’t order the sour cream or cheesy varieties! (But, please do order the Mickey shaped ones; after all, as Lou always says, everything tastes better when it’s shaped like Mickey!)
Kaki Gori
Found in the Japan Pavillion over at Epcot! You don’t want to miss out on this treat! How would a cup of shaved ice with some flavored syrup NOT be vegan friendly?!
Potato Chips
Now, this one gets a little tricky because, with some potato chips, you must read the label to make sure they are vegan. Sour Cream and Onion chips, for example, usually have dairy. But I found these AMAZING kettle cooked BBQ chips, Disney’s own brand, in our resort and in multiple locations around the parks to eat! Most plain potato chips are ok, too, and if you aren’t sure, there’s usually an allergy warning under the ingredients that reads, “Contains: MILK.”
Fruit Cups
No explanation needed here! Well, maybe some explanation as to why it’s on this list. Although fruit isn’t technically a food that was “made,” I include this because Disney selects an assortment of food and puts it into a package, “accidentally” keeping it vegan-friendly! Disney offers so much fruit around the parks that you could literally eat only fruit for your entire vacation and never go hungry!
So, feel free to try any these foods next time you visit WDW, whether or not you are “accidentally” dining vegan!
Angie has been a WDW addict since her first visit at age 8, and since then her life has never been the same! She lives in upstate NY with her boyfriend, Kevin (fellow Disney lover), and their 3 dogs, Flip, Josie, and Hildy, where she works at Farm Sanctuary as an animal caregiver. Please join Angie every week in “Fish Are Friends, Not Food: Eating Vegan in WDW!” Angie believes that WDW is the most magical place for people with special diets, so, should you have any special diet questions (especially about vegan and gluten-free dining) she’d be happy to help!
