Vegan Food at Disneyland and DCA—for Kids (2021)

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It’s open! Disneyland and Disney California Adventure are finally open! 

After being closed for over a year, both parks opened their doors on April 30, 2021.

And a couple weeks later, our family of five basked in the magic for the first time in almost three years. 

This time, however, we entered the parks as vegans.  

Which we thought would pose some serious challenges. I mean, sure, there are a lot of guides for vegan food at Disneyland out there, but how could we be certain kids would like any of those options?

Coupled with many Disney eateries remaining closed and those that were open offering condensed menus, we were worried. 

Oh, and like most vegan options at restaurants out there, there are no kids meals. I repeat: NO KIDS MEALS. 😭

So we decided to sample as much as we could to see what (if any) vegan food options at Disneyland and DCA appealed to kids.

Here’s how it turned out! 👇🌟🌠

Disclosure: This post is not sponsored by Disney. We did not receive reimbursement for this post. All opinions are our own.

A Note About Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Reopening

At the time of writing this (May 2021), both parks are only open to California residents. Guests must have a ticket and a reservation and follow safety guidelines to enter the parks. Park hours and operations differ from what we’re used to, so be sure to check the latest information on the Disneyland website.

Vegan Food for Kids in Disney California Adventure

We used our hopper passes to start in DCA at 9am (the earliest it opens right now). We hit up all the rides in Cars Land, Soarin’ Around the World and The Little Mermaid—Ariel’s Undersea Adventure before grabbing our first snack. Later we rode Toy Story Midway Mania, Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue and Goofy’s Sky School, grabbed lunch and headed over to Disneyland. 

But we loved the vegan food at Disney California Adventure so much, we came back before it closed to eat a few more snacks and ride Grizzly River Run. 

Here’s all the vegan deliciousness we scored in DCA.

1. Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill – Tacos Dorados de Papa ($9.49)

While these Instagram-worthy tacos look gorgeously delectable, we weren’t sure our kids would eat that mound of cabbage slaw, tomatillo salsa and dairy-free crema. Was it too spicy? How big were the crispy potato tacos under it?

Our kids pushed off all the toppings before picking up the slightly-larger-than-street-taco sized treats. Once they bit into them though, it was an instant hit. The outside was the perfect crunchy taco shell and the potato inside was soft in the center and crispy on the outside. And once done, the kids started picking at the vegan topping and said it was good.

The only problem was that each plate has two tacos. I ordered three plates for five of us. At our first stop for the day, we decided this was a good snack, but I promptly placed another mobile order for something more substantial for lunch.

2. Flo’s V8 Cafe – Impossible Burger ($12.49)

One of our go-to vegan foods for kids is a traditional plant-based burger and fries. And this ticked that box. This is an adult-sized burger, so ordering a burger per child would be a substantial meal option since it comes with a side of steak fries (also vegan) or Mandarin oranges and a dill pickle spear.

The burger itself isn’t anything fancy—which I think is why our kids dug it. With an Impossible patty and our favorite Follow-Your-Heart American cheese, caramelized onions, lettuce and tomato on a sesame seed bun, this meal was one of our favorite vegan foods at DCA.

 Serve this tasty plate next to the excitement of Radiator Springs Racers, our kids were well fed and entertained. (Giving us time to score boarding passes to Rise of the Resistance in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge on the Disneyland app!)

3. Hollywood Lounge Studio Catering Truck – Plant-Based Backlot Nachos ($10.49) and Potato and Soy Chorizo Tacos ($6.49)

Since we only ordered three burgers at Flo’s we grabbed a snack before heading over to Disneyland with our hopper passes. Earlier, we placed a mobile order for the plant-based backlot nachos and two orders of the potato and soy chorizo tacos. 

The nachos were consumed by all. The dairy-free cheese and crema kept the heat of the soy chorizo down for the kids and we all loved the house-made tortilla chips. It’s topped with green onions which my husband and I ate but the kids pushed aside.

Although the tacos include the soy chorizo and dairy-free crema, the salsa de arbol added an intense heat. Our kids stuck to the nachos and my husband and I enjoyed the tacos. Each order comes with two street tacos. And it was a filling early-afternoon snack.

4. Smokejumpers Grill – Petite Impossible Burger with Guac and Pepper Jack ($7.99) and Impossible Chili Waffle Fries ($7.99)

After visiting Disneyland and finding a lack of vegan foods for kids there (you’ll read more about this below), we came back to DCA to grab something we knew the kids would love: more burgers and fries. 

But this time, we tried the petite Impossible burgers. The kids devoured them. They are just the right size for kids. The melted dairy-free pepper jack cheese and huge dollop of guacamole was a bit messy, but they didn’t complain. They ate the tomato and toasted mini bun, too. 

And although the petite burger doesn’t come with fries like the burger at Flo’s, we all shared the chili waffle fries. The spiced Impossible chili and beans definitely held some heat. So the kids didn’t eat much of it. They didn’t mind the tomato, corn, spicy mayo, dairy-free cheddar cheese and pico de gallo though.

5. Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats – Pixar Pier Frosty Parfait ($6.49)

We planned to get dessert in Disneyland at The Tropical Hideaway but it was fully booked. So we park hopped back to DCA with this frozen treat in mind. And while I was disappointed we didn’t get to try the DOLE Whip pineapple from The Tropical Hideaway, I was pumped to learn that the Adorable Snowman’s soft-serve was also DOLE Whip!

The vegan options here include It’s Lemon!, a lemon flavored soft-serve, or the Pixar Pier Frosty Parfait. We opted for the parfait because it was in a cup and had the classic blue, red and yellow Pixar colors. Sandwiched between the lemon flavored DOLE Whip soft-serve, the blue raspberry slushy adds a fun and refreshing texture. Topped with a red cherry, it was the perfect treat to end our day.

We ordered two for the five of us and shared. The blue and yellow mix to make a lively green slushy that the kids got a kick out of. My only regret was not purchasing another!

Vegan Food for Kids in Disneyland

During normal times, there’s lots of vegan foods at Disneyland. But with so many restaurants still closed, and those that are open offering limited menus, we struggled finding vegan food for the kids in Disneyland. 

Obviously, there’s ways to veganize almost anything on a menu, but with mobile orders, personalization and secret menu requests were challenging. And anyone with hungry kids knows, waiting for food is no fun. So ordering ahead with mobile orders it was! We opted for places that had straight-forward, clearly marked “plant-based” options in the Disneyland app. We used our hopper passes and entered Disneyland around 1pm, stayed until around 6pm (hitting up rides like Autopia, Peter Pan, Small World, and Rise of the Resistance) and headed back to DCA to finish our day at 7pm (when the parks closed). 

Here’s the vegan food we ate in our short time in Disneyland.

6. Milk Stand – Blue and Green Milk ($7.99)

This didn’t sound that appealing to us when we read the description on the Disneyland app. We have plant-based milks all the time, but we don’t usually drink them straight. But when we got out of Rise of the Resistance, the sun came out and it heated up. We were hot and the Milk Stand was close by. 

After putting another mobile order in, I scored one of each milk within minutes. And upon seeing the child-sized cups, I instantly wished I’d ordered more than two. A plant-based blend of coconut and rice milk with alluring fruity characteristics (blue milk) and zippy citrus and tropical characteristics (green milk), they were as refreshing as they sound. 

Served frozen, they have a slushy consistency, making them a unique option on hot days. Our oldest liked the green milk and the younger two preferred the blue milk. I’d get both again!

7. Red Rose Taverne – Enchanted Cauli-Flower Sandwich ($11.79)

The kids were super skeptical of this. “Wait, we’re having a cauliflower sandwich for dinner?” They don’t mind cauliflower, but they’ve never had it in a sandwich. And let me tell you, this was divine. If you asked my husband and I. 

The kids were so-so about it. One of them loved it. The other picked out the cauliflower and ate it separately from the sandwich, and the other took one bite and stuck to the fries after that. With a nicely grilled cauliflower steak, spicy lime aioli (which is vegan), stewed tomato and lettuce on a toasted roll, it’s a unique and yummy option. You can get fries or Mandarin oranges on the side. 

The aioli took this to another level for me. I wish the kids liked it more because I’d love to order it again. And with such limited vegan options in Disneyland, we probably will, but without any other vegan options currently at the Red Rose Taverne, our kids won’t look forward to a return.

BONUS: Additional Vegan Food at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure

There are a few other places we’ll check out next time that the kids may enjoy. We didn’t choose to order from these either because they weren’t available or they didn’t look like the best choice for our kids. 

• Ronto Roasters – Ronto-less Garden Wrap ($12.99): This contains plant-based sausage which my kids love, but with spicy kimchi slaw and pickled cucumber, I wasn’t sure our kids would enjoy it. It also has a plant-based gochujang spread and is wrapped in a pita. Hopefully, my husband and I can try it next trip.
• The Tropical Hideaway – DOLE Whip options ($5.99-6.79): We wanted to go here but they booked up shortly after lunch time and we couldn’t complete an in-person or mobile order. They have the classic DOLE Whip pineapple flavored soft-serve that you can order plain, as a float, a swirl (with pineapple, raspberry, mango or lemon), or a swirl float.
• Snacks: The fresh popcorn from the carts is vegan, but there aren’t many of them open at the moment. We looked everywhere for a Mickey pretzel and couldn’t find them. The cotton candy is also vegan but we never saw that for sale either.

Can You Find Vegan Food for Kids at Disneyland and DCA?

Definitely. 

While you won’t find kids meals or menus, you can make modifications to in-person orders, or share the vegan options currently available.

The challenge now though is that mobile ordering expedites the wait time, making it a real perk when you’re traveling the park with tired kids who have no interest waiting in another line. And the plant-based options on the Disneyland app, while clearly marked, are few. 

My advice is to research the food options on the app before you go. Create a list of eateries with yummy vegan foods you and the kids want to try. That way you can enjoy your magical day without flipping through the options while you’re at the park. 

And if you don’t see anything in the park, you can always pack some vegan lunches for kids and bring those in. 

But if you ask my youngest what his favorite part of our Disney visit was, he’ll tell you: LUNCH! 😉 So to me, it was worth it to let the kids sample the array of vegan foods at Disneyland and DCA!

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