My New Favorite Character Buffet!

Oh boy am I excited to share this one with you all! I recently went to Hollywood & Vine at Disney’s Hollywood Studios to try their lunch and dinner options with Suzannah of @VeganDisneyFood. I have been here for breakfast, which I loved, but this was my first time here for another meal.

It is currently themed as Minnie’s Springtime Dine at Hollywood & Vine, which means the beloved characters you meet are in their best spring attire. When we arrived we asked to be walked through the buffet with a chef as often times not all the plant-based options are labeled as such, and this was the case for our visit too.

Starting off there are rolls, both of which are plant-based, and you can request Earth Balance butter from your server. At this same section you can build your own salad with mixed greens and loads of toppings. The chef also offered us the vegan Red Pepper Ranch that is offered at 50’s Prime Time Cafe instead of the Balsamic Vinaigrette on the buffet. I opted for the ranch and I loved it on this salad. The flavor was better in this context and I had plenty to add to my salad. I didn’t go too crazy with my starters as I knew I had to make room for a lot of food.

Moving along the buffet there was a soup station with a Bean Chili. This was more of a vegetable soup with beans in terms of flavor. It was very hearty, but if you’re expecting chili that isn’t what this is.

As you continue from there you can find fresh fruit and salads. On the buffet there was a vegan beet salad and a cucumber salad. Both were very good and I could see these being at Biergarten in EPCOT. The cucumber salad was very pickled and refreshing. The beet salad was pretty simple, but the beets weren’t overly earthy in flavor either.

I neglected to take a photo of it on the buffet, but the next section had one unmarked plant-based option and one marked one. This was where you would find the Caramelized Brussels Sprouts and Olive Oil Crushed Potatoes. The brussels sprouts weren’t labeled but the chef assured us they were just fried and then dusted with cinnamon. They were super crispy and I enjoyed them. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the cinnamon but I didn’t hate it. The potatoes needed some salt but otherwise were very good. They had a nice balance of mashed potatoes with almost whole fingerling potatoes bites.

We then had a section of the buffet where all four items were plant-based! First up was the Roasted Mushroom Faro Risotto which was absolutely delicious. It was loaded up with chopped mushrooms and tons of vegan parmesan cheese. This was a very good option.

Next to that was my favorite part of this meal, the Teriyaki-Glazed Tofu. This tofu had a simple coating on it and plenty of sticky teriyaki sauce. I helped myself to seconds of this. The tofu had a great texture, some of the breading was crispy, and the flavor was perfect. I wish these were offered somewhere else so I could get them regularly.

There was also Fried Yuca with Mojo and Sautéed Green Beans. The yuca was very good, I ended up dipping mine in the extra red pepper ranch I had and loved it that way. They were crispy and delicious. The green beans were definitely some of the better green beans I’ve had at Disney. They were loaded in garlic but weren’t overly flavored that way. They were cooked well and enjoyable.

On the kids buffet there were broccoli and carrots, rice, and potato barrels.

Most importantly for this meal was the dessert, which is the same as 50’s Prime Time Cafe. The Apple Cobbler is not labeled as plant-based, but it is. I asked the chef if they had any vegan ice cream to go with it and he offered both Chocolate or Vanilla Tofutti for us. So once we were done with our entree we asked our server about the ice cream, who then brought out bowls for us to enjoy with our warm apple cobbler. This dessert is in my top 3 favorite Walt Disney World desserts and any chance I can get it, I will. The apples are warm and soft, the ice cream adds a delicious creaminess, and the whole thing almost has a caramel flavor. It is so good.

This restaurant is an option for the Fantasmic! Dining Package. I highly recommend this meal for that or if you have the Disney Dining Plan as it is not a cheap experience, I believe it was $65 per person when we ate here. However, we had great character interactions and truly some of the best buffet food I have ever had, so I would happily pay it again.

Price $$$
Review from April 2025.

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