Disney unveils new, plant-based menu options — including the Impossible Burger
Now, you can order an Impossible Burger to go along with your funnel cake at Disneyland.
The Mickey Mouse company has named Impossible Foods’ signature product, a meatless burger designed to look and taste like the real thing, the official preferred plant-based burger of Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort and Disney Cruise Line.
The item will be ready to order on Feb. 28, as part of the menu for the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival. Disney visitors will see it pop up in a few dishes right away: the Petite Impossible Burger, with guac and pepper jack cheese, at Avocado Time Marketplace; Impossible Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese, at the Nuts About Cheese Marketplace; and the Impossible Meatball Submarine, at Paradise Garden Grill. Eateries at multiple Disney parks will be cooking it up soon, according to the news release.
The announcement comes five months after Disney’s promise to amp up its plant-based options. The House of Mouse’s Florida destinations have already introduced hundreds of new menu items that fit that bill, and California park menus will incorporate the changes this spring.
Melissa Kramer, one of the experts over at the Disney fan website Vegan Disney World, said she’s hopeful about the announcement. She’s delighted to see Disney using meat-substitutes, which they’ve used in the past, in ways other than a standard burger.
“I really appreciate the use in other roles and being more creative than just warming a burger and saying that's good enough for us,” Kramer tells Yahoo Entertainment. “But with all of that, I know that plenty of our readers, and often myself, we’re looking for something more whole foods based with actual vegetables and beans. So while we’re excited to see the actual partnership, we just hope they are going to head to the more creative and less easy side of things. I am looking forward to what they have to offer us!”
Lisa Beesley, who writes about the vegan food scene at Disneyland on her blog, Happiest Vegan on Earth, seconded that.
“The announcement of an official partnership between Impossible and Disney means not only that vegans will have more options, but also that non-vegans who wouldn’t otherwise seek out plant-based meat will start to become more open to it, as they see it becoming more widespread and normalized,” she tells Yahoo Entertainment. “I think in general, the Disney community is so grateful to see this relationship being solidified and we're looking forward to seeing what new and creative dishes with Impossible products await us in the parks!”
Social media users tended to agree with them.
Oh cool! A small step, but it's in the right direction.
Disney is adding plant-based meat to its menus https://t.co/vj1h9afEsk— Paul (@PoorPenman) February 25, 2020
While I appreciate @Disney adding more meatless options, not all vegans and vegetarians like imitation meat. I’d rather have a veggie sandwich. https://t.co/6XN0Ym2AOo
— Caroline (@DarthPlaid) February 25, 2020
I applaud @DisneyParks for adding #vegan options, but I think it would be more impressive if the brand invested in serving fresh vegetable and fruit options instead of high caloric meat substitutes. https://t.co/13EkTnEMh9
— Stephanie Frank 💭 (@Frozen2late) February 25, 2020
Yay! I've been able to find a few veg options in @Disneyland but so happy they have this option. https://t.co/AeoEL2L0qC via @Eater
— Caroline Pardilla (@Carolineoncrack) February 25, 2020
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