The most magical place on Earth can make for an overwhelming experience, especially for foodies.
There are almost 100 full-service restaurants in Walt Disney World's four Orlando-based theme parks — and that's not to mention hundreds more snack spots spread across the parks and restaurants at the resort's 30-plus hotels.
Luckily, there are helpful, well-informed Disney experts like Melissa (@vegandisneyworld) to guide visitors through the plethora of eating opportunities that Walt Disney World has to offer. In particular, Melissa's account documents all the plant-based options at the resort, reviewing everything from affordable snacks to fancier, higher-priced dinners.
Melissa has been running the account since 2014, and has uploaded over 2,200 posts to date. She is an expert at identifying the parks' best vegan options, and she frequently shares information about tasty treats that you might not think are plant-based.
For example, one of the parks' most popular desserts — the iconic pineapple Dole Whip — is actually totally plant-based.
"All of the fruit flavors around the parks are vegan," Melissa explains in her post on the treat. "Just avoid vanilla, coconut, and other fun-sounding options as they all contain lactose."
Some of Melissa's favorite Disney bites are the simplest ones.
"I love that the 'butter flavor' popcorn at Walt Disney World is actually vegan," they write in another caption. "This is by far my favorite go-to quick snack while in the parks."
Melissa is also a huge fan of onion rings and pretzels throughout the parks.
For larger meals, Melissa recommends buffets like Sebastian's Bistro at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, which has an entirely vegan version of the buffet. There's also 'Ohana at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, which has a number of delicious breakfast options.
Melissa is refreshingly honest in her reviews of each dish — even though it looks delicious, they call this vegan sausage dish "mediocre," and have repeatedly expressed disappointment in the plant-based burger options throughout the parks.
She also helps identify when food items are not plant-based, despite being listed as such. Melissa found that a cupcake that was described as plant-based actually contained multiple animal products in its toppings, thus defeating the purpose of making a vegan cupcake in the first place.
Disney fans are enthusiastic about Melissa's tips, expressing their appreciation in the comment of each post.
"The amount of posts I'm saving of yours for when I go to Disney in April," one user commented.
"Thank you for sharing this looks absolutely amazing," said another.
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