The last time I wrote anything here was back in September, 2010. Chances are good that I will not become a daily blogger. I do think of things to write on an almost daily basis, but the time that I think of them is usually around, say, 10:30 am on a weekday... when I'm at work and not supposed to be leaping onto blogspot as soon as creative sparks flicker. By the time I get home, I'm tired and don't feel like writing anything.
OK! That's out of the way. Here is the first of what may be a series of posts for the fairy folk behind the running of Disneyland and California Adventure. I have not yet made pilgrimage to any of the other D parks. I can only comment on what I see in Anaheim. This may also be the only entry in my blog "series." We shall see.
Disneyland and DCA, I love ya like brothers. I visit you every 2-3 weeks, because doing adult things like cleaning the apartment or finding a way to finish unpacking my moving boxes (I moved in Dec '10. It is now Apr '11) are not as entertaining as riding the Tower of Terror.
Today's post is about the food. You have an excellent PR/Marketing Department that writes glowing reviews that are so full of pride, I'm surprised that they haven't burst, about the meticulous care put into making top-notch meals for guests. I think actual food critics should be allowed to write that stuff, but OK. I just wish I could agree with the PR/Marketing fairy folk. I'm speaking, more or less, for that annoying group of foodies that, alas, aren't really feeling the love from those award-winning chefs (or... something): the Herbivores.
I am in that group that some, but I hope not all, vegans sneer at: the ovo-lacto crowd, meaning we'll eat dairy and eggs, so I will eat the pizza and/or that veggie-cheese thing in New Orleans Square, but honestly? I'm really sick of the "vegetarian" offerings that are basically just bowls of cheese plus some vegetables. I recognize that the portobello mushroom entree at the Blue Bayou is, as far as I can tell, a vegan option - unless the cous-cous is cooked in butter or chicken broth - but let's be reasonable: it's not exactly the easiest restaurant to get into, and that item costs $28. Your food prices, overall, or really high, but that's prohibitively so. I've sadly had to inform vegan friends who'd love to visit the parks that they'd be better off stuffing themselves ahead of time. They won't eat the cheese-and-egg meals, after all.
The places, like at DCA, that serve "veggie burgers..." well, most other restaurants are like Disney in this case. Their "veggie patties" consist of big vegetable chunks barely held together with rice and probably egg whites. I. LOATHE. THOSE. Please eat one yourself to see what I mean. I do not wish to bite down on crunchy pieces of anything in the "patty." Others may disagree here, but I actually like the products that Boca Burger and GardenBurger put out. Please look into them. Even better, look into the brand Vegetarian Plus. Their products are (I believe) all vegan and taste fantastic. Fantasmic, even. OK, maybe not that. Give Chef Tanya Petrovna of Native Foods a call. Something! By all means continue offering the ovo-lacto meals if they're popular, but please, PLEASE also look into fully-vegan meals.
I say all this with love for the parks. Back when I was an omnivore, my favorite meal was the fried chicken basket. I won't eat that anymore, but I wish I still had a favorite meal at the parks. Alas, so far, I do not.
