Even more surprising than a talking mouse is the bounty of delicious meatless meals at America's top tourist attraction.

The first thing you notice from the 15th-floor penthouse is the view: a breathtaking panorama of earth and sky through clear plate glass. The room itself, a contemporary art deco masterpiece, reminds you of a 1930s ocean liner, with its square wall panels, circular windows and tall vases of brushed aluminum. Colorful designs, inspired by the abstractions of Klee and Kandinsky, repeat in the upholstery, the carpets--even in the vest of the waiter who guides you to your table.

The crowd dining here this evening is an eclectic mix of professional couples, groups of friends out toasting the end of the week, families with kids in tow. The open kitchen's sushi counters, pastry stations and huge oak-fired grill are abuzz with activity. If God is in the details, this meal should be divine.

The appetizers arrive first. Chef Clifford Pleau's chilled gazpacho, tart with vinegar and topped with fresh guacamole, is followed by savory brick-oven flatbread, smothered with grilled mushrooms, roasted garlic, caramelized red onions and feta cheese. Your companion's avocado and vegetable roll may be the most delectable vegetarian sushi you've ever tasted.

And it's uphill from here with entries, such as the mesquite-roasted tofu, summer vegetable risotto and "Vegetarian Unplugged," a medley of meatless and vegan side dishes arranged, tapas-style, in little bowls on a platter.

Hours later, completely sated, you sip after-dinner drinks. The lights dim and all eyes turn toward the wall of plate glass facing west. Fireworks explode in the night sky as music, in synch with the display, is piped into the restaurant.

Wondering where such a feast for the senses is to be had? Overlooking the Thames, perhaps? On the banks of the Seine? How about midtown Manhattan? Nope. Try Orlando, Fla., in the heart of Disney World.

Make no mistake--Walt Disney World's (WDW) parks and resorts are still filled with opportunities to grab a burger or cut into a slab of steak. But it's just as easy to get your hands on a healthful nature burger and bunch of grapes, a hummus and tabbouleh roll-up or a bean burrito.

Of course, Disney would be one of the first corporations to pick up on the trend toward healthful, vegetarian dining. The visionary company has always been at the forefront of the entertainment and technology fields and has led the corporate world in recycling initiatives, volunteerism and extension of benefits to the same-sex partners of employees. Even skeptics have to admit: When Disney does something, they do it to the hilt. After all, what is now, for better or worse, the largest temple of pleasure and commerce on earth--43 square miles of theme parks, resorts, restaurants and merchandise areas--was once but a twinkle in Uncle Watt's eye.

FOOD MISSIONARIES

The revolution in Disney's attitude toward food actually began in 1988, when European chef and inveterate foodie Dieter Hannig was tapped to open 22 new restaurants at Disneyland Paris. The marathon runner and self-described "near-vegetarian" had spent the previous 14 years working for Hilton International.

Hannig's first order of business was to change the way Disney went about preparing and serving food. When he arrived, each restaurant was under the command of a single executive chef, essentially a manager in chefs clothing. And that person would leave at 6 p.m.--just as the guests were beginning to arrive. As a result, apathy, frustration and mediocre food were the order of the day.

But Hannig believed that the food could become an attraction in itself. "You can have an incredible stage set and build great restaurant attractions," he says. "But at the end of the day, you're only as good as the last meal you serve." Toward that end, he made it a priority to hire top chefs who shared his passion for excellent food, then let them run their own show. "It's amazing to see what talented, passionate people can create once you give them free reign to do what they do best." And in doing so, he got restaurants that won praise even from notoriously picky French critics.

His success wasn't lost on the powers-that-be in Orlando and Anaheim. "All of a sudden they realized that food and beverage are important," Hannig says, with a touch of irony. After he came to WDW in 1992, all but one of the chefs who worked with him in Paris followed him to Florida. That small team has been the force behind the change in food in Orlando. And not only has the quality improved, so has the diversity in vegetarian options "I have always found a lot of enrichment and fun in exploring different cultures," says Hannig. "And I just love vegetarian food. My colleagues called me the Tofu King."

"Ten years ago, there wasn't much to talk about," admits Franz Kranzfelder, manager of menu development and culinary standards at WDW. "But now we have about 15 top chefs with great talents. And you'll see them in the kitchen on a daily basis. They are passionately involved in cooking. That was a big change for this company. We don't have kitchen generals anymore, we have missionaries--people who are standing up for what they believe in."

FEASTING IN THE RESORTS

One of those missionaries brings his message to the masses nightly at the California Grill, the art deco showcase high atop Disney's Contemporary Resort. Chef Clifford Pleau came to WDW after working at the famed Lark Creek Inn in Larkspur, Calif., and Boston's tony Ritz Carlton, and after turning down a job at a slightly smaller vacation spot--the White House. Pleau has supplemented his formal chef s training with an active interest in organic farming and nutrition.

"We each have our own concept and individualized styles," says Pleau of his colleagues, "but we all have an undying pursuit of the freshest produce, and we prepare everything from scratch ourselves."

This passion--and Pleau's own love of vegetarian food--resulted in "The Vegetarian Zone," a section of the menu featuring two to four meatless items daily. There also are clearly defined and defended "vegetarian zones" throughout the Grill's kitchen, where vegetarian items are prepared with their own separate utensils and on a separate side of the grill. "The other day I caught a guy using the wrong spatula, and I read him the riot act," says Pleau. "Meats never go where the fish is; tofu never touches either."

"Most cooks will say, `A little residue won't hurt 'em.' But after working for a lot of people for many years, you learn what is important," Pleau says. I am certainly not going to cut corners when it comes to the guest experience. We have to be whole in our mission, otherwise what are we made of? Other places say, `We can serve vegetarian too,' and they tack a plate down in the corner of the menu. What's up with that? Or they say, 'Oh, vegetarian? Sit over there.' Here, you don't feel like an oddball when you order vegetarian. And you know it's going to be something special, not some blah side dish."

Specialness is a key ingredient across the Seven Seas Lagoon, as well, where California Grill alumna Anette Grecchi is leading her own culinary revolution. She's overhauled the menu at Narcoossee's Restaurant in the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa to reflect her own passion for freshness, nutrition and, of course, great taste.

Grecchi, who considered a career as a nutritionist before becoming a chef, entices her guests with flavorful low-fat, veg-friendly menus. "We need to start educating our guests to think like vegetarians she says. "We need to watch out for ourselves. Eating healthfully is proactive--it keeps the doctor away."

Much of her innovative cooking revolves around grains. Thanks to her, Narcoossee's now serves a delicious, totally vegan, whole wheat flaxseed bread at all meals. Other dishes, like a wonderfully chewy spelt tabbouleh and a hearty wild mushroom risotto, are a reflection of her upbringing in Switzerland.

Narcoossee's menu will change with the seasons under Grecchi's direction. Year-round selections, such as spelt pilaf, roasted vegetable ratatouille and spinach risotto, will be complemented in fall and winter by lentils and legumes and a root vegetable slaw that Grecchi humbly describes as "out of this world." For the spring, the accent will be on asparagus, baby spinach, artichokes and couscous. And when summer comes, she says with a broad smile, guests can look forward to "tomatoes in all their glory!"