I only spent one proper day at Disneyland, but I made the most of it! Today we review a handful of vegan options at Downtown Disney, among other things. Read all the entries in this trip report here. Onward!
Despite having only one Disneyland day, I managed to sneak in three evenings in Downtown Disney. I spent a fair amount of my mealtimes exploring Parkside Market‘s many restaurants, but that’s not the only place I got my grub on! (Do we still say that? I don’t talk to a lot of people.)
While in Anaheim, I was lucky enough to cross paths with the inimitable Skylar, a fabulous Instagram acquaintance and fellow runDisney connoisseur. We met up for dinner and a drink inside Disney’s Grand Californian hotel, where we began our evening at…
HEARTHSTONE LOUNGE IN DISNEY’S GRAND CALIFORNIAN
Hearthstone Lounge is a bar and restaurant just off the Grand Californian’s lobby. First, in case you’re a Walt Disney World person not familiar with the Grand Californian, please close your eyes. Picture the Grand Floridian’s grandeur combined with the woody aesthetic of Wilderness Lodge. Got it? That’s what the Grand Californian looks like.
And that architecture and decor naturally extends into the lounge, with the same dark and rustic vibe softened ever so slightly with a twinge of elegance. The mood lighting even lends itself to a solid date night if you’re in the market.
FOOD ALLERGIES? NO PROBLEM
I often like to share food at Disney restaurants; it guards against overlarge portions and enables me to try more things in a single meal. Skylar was graciously amenable to this idea, but with the caveat (delivered with 1000000x more apology than remotely required) that she avoids meat and dairy. No problem! I follow no specific medical dietary restrictions but will often try specialty foods anyway, just to see what they’re like. You wanna peruse the allergy menus? Good by me!
So this review is a less a straight ahead “here’s what we ordered” so much as a “here’s what can potentially be yours if you ask.” And given how many people are meat- and dairy-free, I think that’s pretty darned valuable!
I took a snap of part of the menu as seen above, as I find increasingly that the online printed menu and the menu on the Disney website are at odds (and nobody changes a menu with the frequency and abruptness of Disney!). For anything I missed, you can see the official menu here.
NOTHING SAYS DISNEY VACATION LIKE A PRETTY COCKTAIL
Is it even a Disney vacation if you don’t spend too much money on a single beautiful alcoholic beverage? (Unless you’re sober. Then ignore me and have a mocktail, you strong and powerful thing, you!)
Hearthstone Lounge has many an impressive and delicious-sounding (and expensive) cocktail. Rather than make up my own mind, I consulted with our server, who ultimately recommended the Royal Petal: Empress 1908 Gin, Meletti Limoncello, Lemon Juice, Lavender. At $17.75, this is also the cheapest specialty cocktail they offer, so yay…? 😅
I must say I was not disappointed. The Royal Petal is as well-balanced to sip as it is lovely to look at. The sweetness from the limoncello keeps the gin from dominating, as does the acid from the lemon juice keep the drink from sugar overload. As per usual, I would’ve loved a bit more punch from the lavender, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the idea is more the color in this particular mixture.
OUR VEGAN DISNEYLAND CULINARY ADVENTURE
For our entrees, we chose to split the forest mushroom Impossible sausage pizza. Our server was happy to swap out a vegan cheese blend for the regular cheese, which I understand is possible for all their artisan pizzas. But, twist! Skylar does not like fake meats. Easily fixed; we simply swapped the Impossible sausage for a little pile of arugula on top.
What I found most interesting about this pizza was the crust. When I think “artisanal pizza” I tend to imagine something more in the thin crust, flatbread area. The pizza crust at Hearthstone Lounge was unexpectedly soft, pillowy, and chewy. Almost like – please hold – the quick service pizzas you can get at the former PizzeRizzo. And I liked it! I like a puffy dough! But if you’re going in expecting thin crust, uh, this ain’t it.
I found the vegan cheese blend undistinguished but also inoffensive; I would have no trouble ordering it again if a dining companion requested it, although I’d hardly describe it as something you must try if you don’t need vegan cheese. The mushrooms and mushroom spread alongside the caramelized onion all melted together into one big ball of umami flavor. We may have added it ourselves, but I think the arugula was a smart accompaniment, as the sharp greens cut through the richer, saltier flavors of the other toppings and made it feel fresh. If you’re vegan, I highly recommend this Secret Menu Item Skylar and I invented!
We also grabbed a side order of seasoned fries. They are also vegan minus the aioli. I thought they tasted like fries. Take or leave.
GUEST REVIEW: SALT & STRAW, DOWNTOWN DISNEY EDITION
After dinner, we kept things going with dessert. I was a bit chilly and thus elected to grab another latte from Sip & Sonder while Skylar waited in line for some vegan ice cream from the famous Salt & Straw, an ice cream parlor you can find at the Disney resorts on both coasts. At Disneyland is just across the way from the Grand Californian. She was kind enough to whip me up a review! Skylar says:
“A Downtown Disney staple with a minimum of two visits per trip to the best coast is Salt & Straw. Milk makes me itch ’til I bleed, so their flavor-packed vegan options are a godsend.
“When I got to the menu I was excited to see this month’s farmers market flavor menu! Somethings ARE worth itching for so I may or may not have sampled a BITE of the Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread – and debated my future well being – but alas, I selected 2 scoops this trip.
“Peach Jam Miso Blondie was proportionately packed with each flavor MAGICALLY in every bite that tasted so legit I was unsure it was truly dairy free. Then Freckled Mint Chocolate Chip. Yes, that did not sound exciting, and that’s because I asked for Hazelnut Cookies and Cream but I think that my scooper forgot; WHOOPS. Freckled Mint Chocolate Chip wasn’t the best blend with my #1 choice but it’s a nice solid go to for someone who loves Thin Mints!
“Per usual I got too much and did not want to overeat SO I withheld. But cannot wait to return for more in T-minus 3 weeks!”
THIS CONCLUDES MY DISNEYLAND COVERAGE… KIND OF
Alrighty! I’ve shared the two halves of my Disneyland day, the foods I tried while there… I think that about wraps it up for this trip report, no? Although I do have one more Disneyland-related post still to come, and it’s about one of my very favoritest blog post topics. Stay tuned!
Don’t forget, you can follow FRoA on Threads @fairestrunofall and on Instagram @fairestrunofall. If you have any questions or thoughts, leave a comment or email fairestrunofall@gmail.com. See ya real soon!
What a fun and unexpected twist in your story going vegan through a Downtown Disney accident is such a “only life” moment. I especially liked how you described the smells and tastes that opened you to new foods. When I travel, having a Boston airport car service lined up helps take the stress out of arrivals and departures. I once used a Logan car service after a long flight and it made getting to my hotel feel so much smoother such a small thing, but it sets the tone.