M-O-U-S-E Veggie, Find Out What It Means to Me
Written: Oct 25 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: useful, thorough, unique, updated regularly via Web
Cons: distracting formatting, sometimes repetitive
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| Liffey's Full Review: Susan Shumaker and Than Saffel - Vegetarian Walt D... |
Briefly, the Facts: (don't worry, I'll launch my usual rambling babble soon enough)
• I have been an ovo-lacto vegetarian since July 1987
• With spurts of veganism here and there
• I will soon be making a deliciously long trip to Walt Disney World
• Paul McCartney was usually my favourite Beatle
Trying to Decide Whether I Needed, or Even Wanted, This Book
Once upon a time I would have snatched up this book right away. The concept is brilliant. Despite the increase of vegetarian choices in even the most mundane restaurants, traveling vegetarians still run the risk of hungrily scarfing down side dishes for dinner because they don't know where to go when they travel. There could be a terrific place one block away from whatever they're settling for, but how often do they know?
And if it's not about finding a place, it's about trying to explain to a surly waitress why you want your bean and cheese enchiladas without chili. Which is usually when you find out that it can't be done because the dinners arrive at the restaurant pre-made and frozen. Ew. (Ask me about one enlightening experience at Bennigan's some time.) And all the carnivores at the table look at you and say, "If you weren't here, we wouldn't have had to know that." And you don't know if they're grateful or not.
So this book sounded like my kind of book. However, I had misgivings. In my excitement over our Walt Disney World (hereafter known as WDW) trip, I've become Planning Woman. Planning Woman reads rec.arts.disney.parks every day. Planning Woman has read every trip report, every Web site, every relevant Disney epinion. Planning Woman, who has never been to WDW, has been known to rightfully correct travel agents who bill themselves as "Disney Certified."
Most importantly, Planning Woman has downloaded all the WDW restaurant menus from WDWIG.com into her Palm Pilot, so Planning Woman already more or less knows what's available at Disney and that special requests are not a problem.
I bought the book anyway. Vividence.com asked me to do a survey for a $15 Amazon.com GC. It was fate.
Disclaimer about the Universal and Orlando Sections
I need to admit that these sections in the back of the book were not of interest to me. I'd love to visit Islands of Adventure and the Studios, but it's not looking like we'll have the time on this trip. (I say "this trip" with so much optimism, like there's any hope for another one in the foreseeable future. Sniffle.)
The Universal and Orlando sections appeared to flow the same as the rest of the book and contain similar detail, for better and for worse. But I must be honest and say that due to my lack of knowledge about Universal, I don't feel qualified to judge this section.
Appearance of the Book's Content
"I object, Your Honour, to the column-oriented formatting of this book."
"I see. Please explain."
"The book is 5.38 inches wide and 8.46 inches high. The words on each page are in two columns, newspaper style. I find that slightly annoying when settling in for a long read, somewhat bunchy and cluttered in style, and I suspiciously wonder if this was an attempt to give the book a more full look."
"I see. So you feel the book lacks content and is trying to cover up for it with typesetting gimmicks?"
"Oh no, Your Honour! It's just, uh, sort of fluffy and annoying for me to read."
"I see."
The Traveling Chapterburys
I was a little worried when beginning chapters concerned themselves with non-vegetarian-specific details such as how to get to WDW. (There are entire piles of general interest guidebooks for that subject. Let's not reinvent the wheel.) But the authors managed to keep a vegetarian spin on things. Some information was of no use to long-time vegetarians (we tend to already know we can request a vegetarian meal on a flight), and some was not Orlando-specific (cautions that Mexican rice may be made with chicken broth), but I put aside my cranky face and finished with a thumbs up. No mundane detail was without information of specific interest to vegetarians.
The needs of international visitors were also considered; I'd never considered how many Brits might stop off at a fast food joint and expect to find veggie burgers. Sorry guys, in America we prefer that our disgusting-tasting hamburgers be made of meat.
(Humour alert! The above was made as a light comment meant to poke fun at certain stereotypes about vegetarian burgers and fast food burgers. As it happens, today I enjoy several varieties of veggie patties, and although I never liked fast food burgers I know this is because my Dad spoiled me with his homemade creations out on the grill. Anyone who has had their burger sensibilities offended by my passing remark is urged to write to me care of /dev/null. Thanks!)
On to the Meat, er, the Portobello of the Book
Like I said, I was concerned about being too "overeducated" planning-wise to personally enjoy the book. And I was almost right.
Having seen the menus as WDWIG.com, I knew what was available. Although not all of the menus are current, most are, and they are constantly updated. So how could the book be useful to me when deciding where I might like to eat on my vacation?
It's true that I didn't get much out of, say, going to the Epcot section and scanning the restaurants listed. For each restaurant the guide provided a very nice overview of what I might get where, but it couldn't be as complete as seeing an entire menu for no cost online.
Or was I wrong? I was wrong. Did I know that the French Onion soup at Les Chefs de France contains meat? That the breakfast potatoes served at places such as Cinderella's Royal Table and Donald's Breakfastasaurus are made with bacon? That any Caesar dressing you find is likely to be made with anchovies? That vegans are going to have a terrible time in the Animal Kingdom, right down to finding bread suitable for their diet? That the rice and beans at the Mexican restaurants are completely friendly to vegetarians? (Yes, they jump up and say hi and do a little dance and... well, it could happen. This is Disney after all.)
No, I didn't know any of these things. Nor did I know that many of the eating establishments keep a recipe book if you have a question about ingredients. Very useful for anyone with allergies, and a far cry from a slack-jawed waitress sullenly saying she doesn't know what's in the soup and looking at you like you're just a mean ole troublemaker to be asking.
Other Than Finding Out What You're Really Eating, What Else Can This Book Tell You?
Ingredients are useful, and so are the many sections explaining how accommodating the chefs will be and what alternate selections they are likely to make for you and how much notice they might need, if any. (Except for China's Lotus Blossom Cafe, apparently, where it's chicken-based lo mein or nothing. Don't worry, I hear this place is considered mediocre, anyway. I mean, the book doesn't say it, but listen to Planning Woman, for she has heard the tales.)
The maps are nice. The sidebars are not bad, although they seem to get a little repetitive when they are often in the midst of text saying the exact same thing. (See earlier fussing over columnar organization of book.)
I could do without the touring plans. I think it was an over-ambitious step and almost seems to make the acquisition of food, vegetarian or otherwise, to be more pre-meditated than it needs to be. But then that may just be me. As I said, I'm a planning fanatic. But once I make myself aware of all of my options in all of their possible combination, I leave the way things actually happen up to chance and whim. So I'm the sort who wants to know where I can eat, but I don't want to know where I'll actually eat until I'm hungry.
Vegetarian Eating vs. Healthy Eating
VWDWaGO does an excellent job of recognizing that not all vegetarians are constantly striving for peak nutritional excellence. In other words, we pig out too. Especially me, as I'm considering trying to do "Dessert around the World" at Epcot.
While the guide does kindly point out the different fresh produce stands, it unapologetically explains where to get the fat-laden sugar-crusted birthed-in-chocolate creations which may be "unhealthy," but are also meatless. Vegans are again remembered as park treats free of milk and dairy are listed when known. I was sorry to read that the tiramisu at Fountain View contains gelatin. A nod to Shumaker and Saffel for remembering those little details that some of us (those of us who love Rice Krispies Treats) sometimes prefer to forget.
The Future of the Vegetarian World Guides
I've already expressed preference for the Web when it comes to travel planning because the information is more likely to be up to date than what you'll find in a printed book. (The benefits of hard copy reading aside.)
So another round of applause for the authors who have created a Web site at http://www.vegetarianworldguides.com/ in order to keep their book's content fresh. The guide has only been out two months, and already there have been ten updates listed on the site. The internet side of things is nicely organized, telling you exactly which chapter has been updated/changed.
Final Thoughts
My first reaction to this book was not good. I felt it was a watered-down rehash of the buckets of information available on the Web, and not a comprehensive guide to being a vegetarian in the House of the Mouse.
I didn't want to feel this way, because I knew I would have to write a bad epinion. Which meant opposing the viewpoints of Paul McCartney, who wrote the foreword. I already told you that Paul was usually my favourite Beatle. Now here I would be, getting into his bad graces, and him probably only just recently getting over the whole incident with Mike. (see mickp's Paul McCartney concert review at http://liffey.epinions.com/musc-review-27F9-138E3DDF-39998104-prod1)
But having really examined the book, and judged it from several perspectives (newbies, old-timers, WDW veterans, WDW virgins, ovo-lactos, vegans, and those who reside anywhere in between), I can give it a high five and highly recommend. Great work.
And I'm not just saying that to suck up to Paul.
Even though "Ode to a Koala Bear" is one of my favourite songs.
And even though Mike or any Australian would be quick to point out that koalas are not bears.
Er, I'm done now.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Liffey
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Reviews written: 79
Trusted by: 71 members
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