Goodies worth scouring the parks and resorts for
Following is a top-10 list of particularly decadent or unusual snacks available at Walt Disney World. I’ve omitted the usual funnel cakes, popcorn, and ice cream available anywhere. Also absent are the truly bizarre snacks, such as the squid treats sold at the Mitsukoshi Department Store in the Japan Pavilion at Epcot’s World Showcase. These are the goodies worth scouring the parks and resorts for, in ascending order:
10. KakiGōri at the Japan Pavilion, Epcot World Showcase A little on the sweet side but lighter than ice cream, the shaved ice at this small stand comes in such unique flavors as honeydew melon, strawberry, and tangerine.
9. Turkey legs Available at every theme park, these must come from 85-pound turkeys because they’re huge, not to mention extra-juicy and flavorful. Grab some napkins and go primal on one of these bad boys, and don’t worry about the stares you might attract—they’re all just jealous.
8. Tie-Dyed Cheesecake at Disney’s Pop Century Resort This colorful and delicious treat is part red velvet cake and part cheesecake. The dessert is so popular that many discussion boards offer recipes, such as this one: tinyurl .com/tie-dyedcheesecake.
7. Les Halles Boulangerie–Patisserie at the France Pavilion, Epcot World Showcase There are simply no words to adequately describe the pastries at this bakery. Try the frangipane, the strawberry tartlet or the Napoleon. Oh, did we mention the meringue, the creme brûlée, and the chocolate mousse?
6. Cadbury chocolate bars at the United Kingdom Pavilion, Epcot World Showcase If you’ve never had a genuine English Cadbury bar, you just don’t know what you’re missing.
5. Milk shakes and THE Kitchen Sink from Beaches & Cream at the Beach Club Resort These shakes are hand-dipped, thick, and creamy. When was the last time you sported a milk shake mustache? For large crowds, or large appetites, try the Kitchen Sink: a huge sundae, consisting of mountains of ice cream and toppings, that is actually served in a kitchen sink.
4. Selma’s cookies at the BoardWalk Oddly enough, these are available at the candy store, Seashore Sweets, rather than at the BoardWalk Bakery (go figure), but they’re worth tracking down for their rich, buttery, homemade taste.
3. Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop at Disney Springs Marketplace Everything is good, and the atmosphere has a sophisticated ice-cream-shop–plus–coffee-bar vibe. Very San Fran.
2. Zebra Domes at Animal Kingdom Lodge Offered as a dessert on the Boma buffet, they’re also available at the Mara food court, on the lower level of the resort near the pool. They consist of a layer of sponge cake topped with chocolate mousse and then covered in white- and dark-chocolate ganache stripes. These domes are fun and yum rolled into one!
And the number-one among all Walt Disney World Snacks is . . .
1. Dole Whip in Adventureland at the Magic Kingdom A Dole Whip is a soft-serve pineapple–ice-cream dream.
For more information on dining at Walt Disney World, check out The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids. The book has mini-profiles of all the counter-service restaurants, plus lots of information on what to expect from character dining. The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids provides tips and stories from real families about their experiences at Walt Disney World, including dozens of tips by kids for kids.
