Disneyland’s Disappointing Dining Modification Rule Made Me Cancel My Remaining Reservations

Disneyland recently removed popular vegetarian items from its menus, including the fan-favorite Three Cheese Monte Cristo, much to the dismay of repeat guests. Some of these items did not receive replacements, reducing offerings at a few restaurants to just one vegetarian option per location.

I recently dined at Disneyland to see what the experience was like with dining modifications for vegetarians, and I was shocked by the complicated modification rules. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including an upcoming Disney app change and this year’s changes to Oogie Boogie Bash.

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Our Experience With Disneyland’s Dining Modification Rules

In a menu update three weeks ago, Disneyland removed multiple vegetarian options across menus at the resort. The most upsetting of these, one which received many disappointed comments from our readers, was the Battered & Fried Triple Cheese Monte Cristo from the Cafe Orleans menu.

The Battered & Fried Triple Cheese Monte Cristo is one of my favorite menu items at Disneyland, and it’s become a tradition for my family to eat at Cafe Orleans on our last Disneyland day. My disappointment was shared online by many Disneyland frequent visitors, including those who aren’t vegetarians, who were also disappointed by the removal.

When we first reported on these menu changes, we reached out to Disneyland officials, and they shared with us that guests can seek out assistance from cast members to inquire about modifications or substitutes. For vegetarians, this seems like a reasonable middle ground, especially since many items can be made vegetarian quite easily.

So during our most recent visit on August 13, we decided to dine at Cafe Orleans and see if I could still get the cheese sandwich as a modification. After all, the turkey and ham option is still on the menu, so it can’t be too tricky to ask for it without meat, right?

Well, it wasn’t quite that easy. Here is a step-by-step recounting of how this experience actually went.

First, I tried to order the regular Monte Cristo without meat. I was cut off mid-sentence by my server, who told me that no modifications were allowed. I kindly explained that I am a vegetarian and asked if I could get it without the meat. She told me no, and that the cheese-only option had been discontinued.

I asked if she would consider checking with the chef to see if there was anything they could do. She said she would ask and then returned with another no, explaining again that there are no modifications allowed.

I tried one more time, mentioning Disney’s guidance on dining modifications, particularly for vegetarians and guests with allergies. She then said she would bring out the allergy expert.

At this point, nearly 15 minutes had passed with all of the back-and-forth between our server and the kitchen. When the allergy expert finally came out, he explained that they are not allowed to make modifications to any menu items unless it is for an allergy.

I asked, “Even for vegetarians?” and he said no, only for allergies.

To this particular Cast Member’s credit, he ultimately said, essentially, “I’ll make it, but we’ll just treat it as an allergy modification, right?” And I said, “Sure, let’s go with that.”

So, after nearly 20 minutes of back-and-forth, I was finally able to get a modification to the Monte Cristo.

Here she is, in all her glory. The sandwich was delicious, and it was great to be able to enjoy it. But was it worth the back and forth? No, not at all. Even though I was extremely polite with the cast members, the effort it took was exhausting. I wouldn’t go through it again.

I am sharing my experience to highlight how strict the dining modification rules can be for vegetarians since it’s technically not an allergy. While being a vegetarian or a vegan is considered a lifestyle choice, it’s not one that people typically switch up at mealtimes just for convenience. Personally, I haven’t had meat in over 25 years, and if I’m served it accidentally (say, a veggie burger grilled on the same surface as meat), I will end up sick with symptoms similar to food poisoning.

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So keep in mind, dining modifications for any reason that’s not considered an allergy, including vegans or vegetarians, are not always a sure thing at Disneyland. This is disappointing, especially in light of how many menus have been reduced to just one sole vegetarian option at many locations.

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