Review of Vegetarian pizza with vegan cheese at Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta by socalpops

Disneyland...where all your dreams come true...unless your dream is to find a great (or really just a serviceable) vegan pizza. If this is your dream, it seems it will go up in flames in a manner as terrifying and sad as the forest in Bambi.

Mind you, simply the availability of plant-based options is a welcome surprise (though becoming more prevalent) at Disney, but if you are going to make it available, best to make it right. For full transparency, this was California Adventure’s offering, but offered by the mouse nonetheless.

Among turkey legs reminiscent of the Stone Age, full cream ice cream, and churro stands every 8-10 feet, all leaving omnivorous kids smiling and adults rubbing their bellies, one would hope that the effort to provide plant-based options would be taken on with as much care as the creativity behind Mickey-shaped funnel cake or pretzels.

Alas, maybe I should have taken it as a hint that it is an “off the menu” option. The “special order” arrived with and spoonful or two of well-cooked and nicely charred veggies, which highlighted the snack-sized “pie.” Downhill from that point, one is subjected to a crust that manages to be both mushy and tough in the same instance, and a sauce that lacks any semblance of...flavor. I must assume that omnivores must be overcome by the abundance of real cheese and meat on the standard issue pizza that it goes overlooked. When topped with what appeared to be the standard issue daiya and on top of said cooked cardboard, it’s failing is glaring.

As a beggar cannot be a chooser, this had to do. Other options for plant-based diners is growing, so one can do better. I hope that the culinary team continues to iterate and improve, as a quality vegan pie would be a dream truly come true.