Vegetarian Walt Disney World and Greater Orlando

Rating:
Summary: Review of New Second Edition
Review:
First, the disclaimer: As the author of the guide, I'm biased when I give it five stars! ;-)

Really I'm writing to inform potential buyers that the reviews below were all written before the second edition of the guide was published and refer to the first edition (which, by the time of writing, was indeed out of date). The new edition shown on this page was entirely revised and updated in late 2003. As such, it provides a wealth of information about current restaurants in Walt Disney World and greater Orlando, as well as a number of reader-submitted reviews and feedback.

It is also the ONLY independent dining guide to Walt Disney World -- health-conscious or not -- and provides excellent background information on the service, theming, and price points of all eating establishments on property, including the theme parks, water parks, resorts, Downtown Disney, and the cruise line.

Happy travels and thanks for "going veg!"

Susan

Rating:
Summary: A "must" for Disney World & Orlando bound vegetarians!
Review: A new and welcome concept in travel guides, Vegetarian Walt Disney World And Greater Orlando reviews and rates more than 275 restaurants, markets, and lodgings from a vegetarian perspective. Also included are two dozen informative maps of the theme parks and the city; at-a-glance charts comparing restaurant features; strategies for eating well while traveling to Orlando; special sections devoted to meatless kid's meals; crucial background on what to expect (and avoid) at ethnic restaurants of all categories; in-depth chapters on Universal Orlando and the Disney Cruise Line; and a compelling personal foreword by Paul McCartney. For those with a vegetarian lifestyle wanting to enjoy Walt Disney World and the resorts, attractions, and resources of Greater Orlando, pack along your personal copy of Susan Shumaker and Than Saffel's Vegetarian Walt Disney World And Greater Orlando!

Rating:
Summary: Elegant - Intelligent - Informative
Review: A well-researched, elegantly crafted book that offers useful and often witty gastronomic guidance catering especially to the more evolved palate. Essential reading for vegetarian visitors to the Orlando area.

Rating:
Summary: Not Just for Vegans: A Delectable Guide for all Disney Fans!
Review: As the authors of a popular Disney travel guide, "PassPorter Walt Disney World 2000: The unique travel guide, planner, organizer, journal, and keepsake," we get a lot of questions about vegetarian and healthful dining at Walt Disney World. So naturally, we jumped at the opportunity to meet Susan and Than (a delightful team!) and to get a copy of their new dining guide. Right away, we knew there was just one word to describe their guide: Delectable!

Ok, maybe a few more words: We love this book! It is extremely well-researched, delightfully written, and deliciously informative. It's one of those rare books that you feel good about just by holding it in your hands, even if you don't read it all the way through. It's easy to look up morsels of information on any eatery at Walt Disney World or in Greater Orlando, complete with fun tips, excellent maps, and a witty, yet friendly writing style. Their views on Disney's eateries dovetail nicely with ours in PassPorter, which helps make two non-vegetarians like ourselves feel confident about the advice they offer.

There's more to this book than just eatery reviews, too. Background information on parks and resorts, useful trivia, and profiles of chefs make this book a between meal treat. And the book itself looks yummy enough to eat, with its tidy design and a pinch of whimsy.

We recommend this guide to the Disney-bound, whether you're vegeterian or not: we think you'll enjoy the level of detail, and learn new things about Disney's eateries. And if you ARE a health-concious traveler, how can you not get this book?

Jennifer Watson and Dave Marx -- Authors, PassPorter Walt Disney World 2000: The unique travel guide, planner, organizer, journal, and keepsake!

Rating:
Summary: Great for all food watchers..
Review: Being on Weight Watchers, I am much more conscious about what type of foods I can eat. Not being a strict vegetarian, (I don't eat red meat and VERY little meat at all) I found this book very enlightening. I found there are much more options out there than I expected!

While my options might be more than an average vegetarian, this book is a fantastic general guidebook to what is available at the WDW parks and resort restaurants. Knowing what places can give you egg substitute or garden burgers is very handy.. also knowing that many of the chefs around "the world" are very accomodating for special diets, helps a lot!

My suggestion for folks is definitely keep this as one of your top planning guides, read it at least once before you go.. have it handy so you can see what options are there and be flexible. If you aren't able to call ahead to the restaurant, have other places picked that you like to eat.

Another tip is letting the folks know when you make your reservation is a good heads up to the staff to have what you want available. I have a friend who is on a very strict diet after undergoing a gastric bipass, and she let them know ahead of time what she couldn't have and reminded them again when she checked in for dinner, and they were able to put together the most amazing meal!

A final note that chefs change resorts and so the accuracy of this book is not 100% but still well worth the read. This book has every restaurant listed and a very comprehensive review. I am so glad I got this book!

Rating:
Summary: A healthier way to visit the land of the mouse!
Review: I bought this book because I have been trying to make my diet vegetarian and eating out is sometimes difficult. I thought that this would help me find the places for me. I also think it would be a helpful guide for anyone trying to just find healthier food in a junk food "world"

The book is great and very thoroughly researched. The only problem I found was that I would start out my day planning ahead for which restaurants I would go to at the theme parks and when I got into the line for food the item I wanted was no longer on the menu. The biggest offender was not Disney but still when you've got a heartier meal in mind a salad doesn't always cut it. This is not the fault of the authors and I highly recommend this boook to anyone planning a trip to Orlando.

Rating:
Summary: Read in advance, and be sure to check the web site updates
Review: POSITIVES:
- Excellent for educating vegetarians (and everyone) about the difference between Disney and ordinary restaurants...that the chefs work with you to create what you want, there's no need to stick to the menu.

- Good for convincing vegetarians (and gourmands) that it's worth going to nice restaurants at Disney.

NEGATIVES:
- Too much emphasis on "calling in advance" to work out your dream meal, not enough on just picking the restaurants that have the best (or most) vegetarian/vegan items already on the menu.

- Quite outdated by now, it's absolutely necessary to use their web site as an adjunct to bring the info up to date.

BOTTOM LINE:
- Use primarily as a narrative read before you go...only secondarily as a reference for choosing where to eat each day.

Rating:
Summary: A must-buy-book for Vegetarians visiting Orlando
Review: The Orlando area, and Walt Disney World in particular are the subject of a great many travel guides, however none up until now, do a particularly good job of tackling the subject from a Vegetarian, Ovo-Lacto, or Vegan perspective.

With a foreward by Sir Paul McCartney, "Vegetarian Walt Disney World and Greater Orlando" is an absolute gem of a book that no Vegetarian visiting the Orlando area should be without.

Metciulously researched, and well written and presented, with maps, recommendations, and excellent suggestions for healthy Vegetarian and Vegan dining, this guide demonstrates an attention to detail that most other travelling guides lack.

The guide systematically tackles each theme park in turn, featuring over 125 pages of detailed reviews of virtually every restaurant in Walt Disney World, over 30-pages dedicated to Universal, and over 50 pages dedicated to some of the excellent restaurants in the surrounding area that offer Vegetarian options, including some restaurants and cafeterias that are less well known, and yet offer absolutely fantastic fare.

Liberally scattered throughout the length of the guide are suggested touring plans, (paying more attention to fine meals than attractions), some very well thought out ideas for healthy meals to satisfy both Vegetarian kids, and their parents alike, and information about how to make sure that your vegetarian meal really IS a vegetarian one.

Finally, to help those looking for good food in a hurry, two indexes round the book off - one featuring dining establishments that are particularly recommended for Vegetarians, and the other a more general index.

If you are a Vegetarian travelling to the Orlando area, or are travelling in a party with Vegetarians, and want to take just one book with you, make sure it's this one!

Rating:
Summary: Just What I Was Looking For!
Review: This is a wonderful book! Both vegetarians and non-vegetarians will appreciate the in-depth reviews and tips of WDW restaurants. It is sure to be our number one resource when we visit "The World" this year. Many thanks to the authors for creating this great guide!