So it seems that the Magic Kingdom menu I was so curious about was essentially a pilot program for a property-wide roll out rather then a short-term project (I was afraid it might fizzle out instead)! That's great - makes my life much easier.
I know they like to brandish the "400" dishes for marketing purposes since that total number sounds impressive, but I wonder how many of those are actually NEW additions. In the examples on the DisneyParks blog announcement I spot a number of dishes I've already seen on the respective restaurant menus prior to this announcement. The plant-based menu indications are a great feature that truly adds value on the *user-friendliness* front for those who currently need to read entire menus to find the often quite limited number of options available to veg and vegan eaters, but I wonder how much this new initiative is actually making the *menu selections themselves* more veg and vegan friendly by adding more dining options.
I also think it is smart business for Disney to label this initiative and its individual elements "plant-based" rather than labeling it as "vegetarian and/or vegan". They are doing a service to vegetarians and vegan diners by offering at least a few new menu items and making them easier to identify, (because as
@DisLiss points out, their definition of the "plant-based" label overlaps with the broad vegan definition), but I imagine Disney also wants this initiative to successfully appeal to (or even be principally target) the market of omnivores looking to incorporate more plant-based cuisine into their diets. The omnivore open to increasing the mix of plant-based food in their diet frankly represents a significantly larger segment of the dining market at large than vegetarians and vegans alone do. At this point there is a fairly well-documented body of research showing how "vegan" as a brand/label is perceived very negatively by those are not already vegan (or vegan-curious/sympathetic/adjacent/peripheral) in their dietary choices. It would not surprise me if Disney views labeling this project as "plant-based" as an opportunity capitalize on the successful branding formula of Impossible Foods, Beyond, et al. in order to make good (cater to veg and vegan diner needs by improving information and options) while making good (not alienating/directly pursuing the omnivore customers who represent the bulk of the recent $ growth in the plant-based cuisine market). I think the "plant-based" label is the most inclusive umbrella term that doesn't alienate or other-ize any particular dietary group, enabling Disney to do right by those clamoring for more support/service (the veg and vegan community) and also be well positioned to respond to the faster growing, bigger $ trend(s) with significant business implications and potential upside.