by Fancy Free Diva
In my normal life, I work really hard to eat healthy food and to prepare balanced meals for my family. However, I definitely have a sweet tooth, and I have to confess that while I’m on vacation, I don’t restrict my diet: if it looks good, I’ll eat it. Needless to say, on days when I’m lunching on salad, I dream of Disney and of all of the deliciousness that awaits me there. Here’s a list of the Top 10 Snacks I look forward to tasting on every trip.
- The Fruit and Nutella Waffle Sandwich at Sleepy Hollow Refreshments in Liberty Square at the Magic Kingdom. Sleepy Hollow Refreshments makes fresh Belgian waffles, and for this treat, when the waffle is warm they lather it with a thick layer of Nutella spread and then top it with fresh blueberries, strawberries, and bananas. The fruit makes this snack healthy, right? (Tip: These waffle sandwiches are big enough to share!)
- A Cinnamon Roll and Lefou’s Brew at Gaston’s Tavern in New Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom. The cinnamon rolls they have at Gaston’s Tavern are the closest things you can get to the cinnamon rolls they used to sell at the old Main Street Bakery before it became a Starbucks. The rolls themselves are almost as big as your head, and they beg to be shared, but I guarantee that once you try a bite, you’ll be sorely tempted to eat the whole entire thing yourself! The cinnamon rolls are heaped with maple-y frosting and pair perfectly with Lefou’s Brew, a frozen apple cider and marshmallow drink topped with passion fruit foam. The slight bite of the apple cider and passion fruit helps cut through the sweetness of the cinnamon roll, and the classic combination of apple, cinnamon, and maple is the perfect way to start your day at the Magic Kingdom. (Tip: We usually travel to WDW during the hot summer months, and I find that the Lefou’s Brew is really refreshing in the Florida heat and humidity.)
Cinnamon Roll and LeFou’s Brew at Gaston’s Tavern
- A Pineapple Dole Whip Float from Aloha Isle Refreshments in Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom. When you’re trying to beat the afternoon heat, a Dole Whip is the perfect treat. This pineapple soft serve sorbet and freshly squeezed pineapple juice combination from Aloha Isle tastes like tropical fun. It’s cold and delicious and fruity. Mmmmm. I get hungry just thinking about it! (Tip: If you’re from New England and you want your Disney Dole Whip fix, but your trip to WDW is too far away, Storyland in Glen, NH has Dole Whip, too! And here’s a quick update: Aloha Isle and Sunshine Tree Terrace switched places not too long ago, so you’ll have to visit the Orange Bird’s previous home to get your Dole Whips now – or go to the Polynesian Resort, because you can get Dole Whip there, too.)
- The Butterfinger Cupcake from Starring Rolls in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. So here’s a confession: I’m not a big Butterfinger fan. There are definitely other candy bars that I’d much rather eat, but honestly, there are very few cupcakes that I’d rather eat than this one from Starring Rolls. It starts as a rich chocolate cupcake with frothy vanilla buttercream piled high on top and sprinkled all over with crushed Butterfinger pieces. But wait – there’s more. The inside of the cupcake is filled with this creamy, delicious fudgy chocolate. I mean, Heaven might taste like the inside of this cupcake; it’s that good. (Tip: Starring Rolls also has breakfast-y items, like croissants and bagels and other bakery treats, too, but when you’re on vacation, a cupcake counts as breakfast – right?)
- The Classic Mickey Ice Cream Bar which you can get at just about any ice cream cart in each of the four parks. One thing that makes this treat magical is that it’s shaped like Mickey’s head, and I think that adds to the fun factor of this treat. The outer chocolate layer is always thick, giving a distinctive crack when you take your first bite, and the ice cream inside is smooth and super creamy. In my humble opinion, Mickey Bars are the best tasting ice cream bars out there, and it’s tragic not to have at least one over the course of your trip to WDW. (Tip: If you’re planning to eat at Mickey’s Backyard BBQ, the meal price you pay includes unlimited Mickey Bars for dessert!)
Fancy Free Daughter after eating (and wearing) her first Mickey Bar
- School Bread from Kringla Bakeri og Café in Epcot’s Norway Pavilion. I’m not really a huge coconut fan, so I was initially turned off from this treat because it’s topped with toasted coconut, but I read so many reviews and recommendations online about how amazing it was, so I broke down and tried it. I figured I could eat around the coconut if I had to. Anyway, all it took was one bite for me to fall in love. So what exactly is school bread? Well, it’s a slightly spiced roll (cardamom and cinnamon, I think) filled with vanilla custard, topped with icing and toasted coconut. It looks like a big, frosted dinner roll, and the bread consistency is like a cross between a dinner roll and a hot cross bun. It’s sweet, but not too sweet. Because of all of the custard inside, and believe me, they don’t skimp on the custard filling, you probably ought to eat this sitting down. Luckily there is a small seating area right behind the bakery. (Tip: I always stop at Kringla Bakeri og Café to grab a snack for IllumiNations. I usually get some school bread to eat right away, but I also get some to go, too. They will box it up nicely for you so it won’t get squished, and I take it home to my resort, stick it in the fridge overnight, and then pull it out for breakfast the next morning. What a way to start your day!)
- Chocolate Covered S’Mores Bar from Goofy’s Candy Company in Downtown Disney/Disney Springs. I love these s’mores squares from Goofy’s Candy Company. I mean, what’s not to love about graham crackers, gooey marshmallow, and a thick, rich, chocolate coating? These snacks are a perfect square, slightly larger in size than a deck of playing cards, and three times as thick. And even as much as I love chocolate, it’s sometimes hard to eat an entire square in just one sitting. The chocolate coating covering the marshmallow and graham cracker inside is so thick, but that’s not really a complaint. You can sometimes find these s’mores squares in locations other than Goofy’s Candy Company, too, like the Main Street Confectionary or even some of the resort bakery cases.
One of the many bakery cases at Goofy’s Candy Company
- The Master’ Cupcake (aka The Grey Stuff Cupcake) from Be Our Guest in the Magic Kingdom. If you haven’t tried the grey stuff at Be Our Guest yet, it’s delicious. Don’t believe me? Ask the dishes! The grey stuff is actually a cookies and cream mousse, and here it’s mounded atop a delicious chocolate cupcake and garnished with sparkly little decorations that add just a bit of crunch. This is my go-to dessert whenever I dine at the Beast’s castle.
- Chocolate Covered Sea Salt Caramel from Karamell-Kuche in Epcot’s Germany Pavilion. The salty-sweet contrast in this treat just can’t be beat! While the caramel in the center is thick and rich and chewy, the chocolate covering and sea salt coating give a little bit of crunch and texture. And while I sometimes brush some of the salt off, its presence makes the sweetness of the chocolate an caramel even more pronounced. Yum!
- The Chocolate Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich at L’Artisan des Glaces in Epcot’s France. This is what Heaven tastes like. No, really. Just go to L’Artisan des Glaces, and you’ll see what I mean. This treat is a homemade chocolate ice cream sandwiched between two deliciously, slightly crunchy, but also chewy macaron cookies. It’s absolute perfection!
By now you’ve probably noticed that this is a very biased list. Please note that these are just my personal favorites, liberally covered in chocolate. And, no, I haven’t forgotten about you, ‘Ohana bread pudding. There’ll always be a special place in my heart for you, right next to the kitchen sink.
If you;re still hungry, check out Disneylove Diva’s Top 5 Snacks at WDW, too.
