Disney Snacks

I stumbled upon a great group of bloggers on Instagram who hatched an interesting plan. Each month, the group picks a topic and everyone writes a blog post with their own take on a Disney subject. The great part is that everyone links to the next blogger’s post at the end of theirs. It’s a great way to spread the word about Disney bloggers. If I’m not park hopping at the moment, blog hopping seems like a fine idea. Welcome to the Disney Friends Blog Hop #4: Disney Snacks!

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One of the main components to my trips to Disney World is food.

I love the parks, the resorts, and the entertainment. I enjoy the shopping, the attractions, and the ability to escape into all of the different worlds inside the “Disney Bubble.” But the food? It’s a pretty big draw. Park days are planned around it. Advance Dining Reservations are made as soon as the ridiculous 6 month window opens. Trips to Disney Springs are often more about the food than the shopping. My group takes the food thing pretty seriously.

Don’t be fooled into thinking Disney is all hot dogs, pizza and chicken nuggets.

If you want “park food”, there is certainly a lot of it, but it is not all that Disney World has to offer. Look beyond the Instagrammable cupcakes and ubiquitous turkey legs, people!

While we do tend to save our appetites for one sit down table service meal each day, we have been known to snack.

The term “snack”, however, is used VERY loosely on and around property. Snacks can range from a box of popcorn to Foodie worthy Epcot Festival food.

In fact, if you are utilizing the Disney World Dining Plan, strategies to maximize the usage of those precious snack credits need to be implemented.

Cobbling together a delicious meal totally out of snack items is completely doable and I highly encourage it.

In terms of more bang for your buck, we have seen $10 items that are a single snack credit on the plan. Even if you aren’t on the Dining Plan, a handful of snackable items can easily make a shareable little meal that’s full of variety.

For the purposes of this “Disney Snacks” post, I’m just going to stick with what works for me and my group and what doesn’t really live up to the hype for us. I will be using a totally scientific 1-5 Mickey Bar rating system, of course.

Pineapple Dole Whips

This one is going to cause some trouble, but I need to ask. If Dole Whip was sold at every soft serve joint in every city in America, would folks still rave about it? For ardent lovers of pineapple, maybe. For everyone else?  I’m not so sure. Okay, put down those Mickey shaped bludgeons. I know these are fighting words, but Dole Whips just aren’t that magical. My first dive into this popular snack was the Dole Whip Float. Let’s just say that I think pineapple is okay, but I don’t want to marry the flavor and have its pineapple babies. In order to enjoy that float, you need to have that level of pineapple love and commitment.  I have, however, enjoyed just the straight pineapple dole whip in a cup situation and have found that to be pretty decent and certainly refreshing on a hot day in the parks. Do I dream about it before a trip? No, I do not. Sorry, Dole Whip fans!

Mickey Bars

These just turned up outside of the parks in grocery stores all over the country and people lost their collective minds over hunting it down. If you have little ones in the house, I totally get it. But do Mickey Bars really taste that great? I tried one and then never felt the need to do it again. I mean, wouldn’t a regular old creamy Dove bar work just as well or even better? Here is where everyone will cry “They taste better because they are Mickey shaped!” Really? Does the shape have anything to do with the taste? In the case of this snack, nope. However….

Mickey Rice Krispie Treats

Here, I will attest to the fact that having a humdrum Rice Krispie treat molded into a Mickey head actually DOES alter the taste. Doesn’t work for the ice cream, but it does for this. It’s a scientific fact, well tested in the Dustless Pixie labs. If you are in search of the crème de la crème of Mickey Rice Krispie treats, they are sold at Zuri’s Sweets Shop in Animal Kingdom. You’re welcome.

It’s the proprietary white chocolate (?) animal print coating that does it. Our pre-Kilimanjaro Safaris treat never fails us. Perfect with an iced latte from Creature Comforts (aka Animal Kingdom’s Starbucks). I feel the need to warn you, however, that they are SUPER SWEET and can make you feel a bit sugar queasy if you eat an entire one first thing in the morning. This does not, however, stop me from continuing to do so. Less practiced snackers may want to share one. Treat it like the “wait 30 minutes after eating before swimming” rule. I wouldn’t jump on Flight of Passage right after eating it.

Night Blossom

This is technically a drink, but I’m counting this as a snack because you do have to chew the tapioca boba balls that top it. Generally, this sort of drink wouldn’t be my thing outside of the parks, but it has become our celebratory post Flight of Passage beverage of choice. It’s cold, tasty, super pretty and just weird enough to make you feel like you are drinking something from another planet. That’s the point, right? This is available at the ex-pat bar, Pongu Pongu, in Pandora World of Avatar at Animal Kingdom. There is also a version with alcohol and many other snacks and drinks at this walk up window, but we haven’t gotten past the Night Blossom yet.

Cinnamon Rolls

Just realizing that we do quite a bit of snacking at Animal Kingdom which, ironically, is not the first of the parks that comes to mind when thinking about snacks. The Colossal Cinnamon Roll at Kusafiri Coffee Shop is pretty tasty. Served warm and gooey, it’s not dry like some of the baked goods can be around the parks. Clearly, it can be shared and is a great use of a snack credit on the Dining Plan. My only issue is that the shop doesn’t always open with the park if you are heading in for Extra Magic Hours in the morning. This is how we found ourselves with the Zuri’s Sweet Shop Rice Krispie treats as our go to since they tend to open before Kusafiri does.

Side Note: I have heard folks sing the praises of the cinnamon rolls at Gaston’s Tavern in Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland, but I haven’t tried them yet.

Spring Rolls

A social media darling, the various spring rolls sold at a tiny little cart between Pirates of the Caribbean and the Jungle Cruise in Magic Kingdom‘s Adventureland are DELICIOUS. We have tried both the Cheeseburger and Philly Cheesesteak versions and they were equally enjoyable. They come two to an order so grab both types and share with the group. While they do not count as a snack credit (drat!), they actually make a great quick lunch since they are pretty filling. Unfortunately, we devoured them before we took a picture, but they are all over social media if you need a visual.

Jack Jack’s Num Num Cookie

A popular snack at Disneyland finally made it’s way east this year in the Municiberg area at Pixar Place in Hollywood Studios. This is definitely large enough to be snackable for two. The kid and I shared one on our last trip. I have had several cookies at Disney World, and I do think that this has been the best. However, that’s not saying much. Most of the cookies that I have tried at the parks have been pretty dry and unimpressive, but I am a well known cookie snob. This is another one that is served warm and gooey which is what saves it from tasting like it has been sitting around in a cart waiting to be eaten. I did enjoy it, but I’m not sure that I would go out of my way to get it again. It may have a short lifespan unless they move it to another location in the park. The Munciberg area is currently scheduled to last only through September 2019.

Carrot Cake Cookie

This is another Hollywood Studios treat that gets a lot of press and, for the most part, it lives up to the hype. Also something that can be easily shared, it is sort of a carrot cake whoopie pie. Two pieces of carrot cake with a cream cheese icing in the center. The place of purchase has moved around a bit, but the last time that I got one was at Trolley Car Cafe Cafe (Hollywood Studios’  Starbucks).

Caramel Popcorn

THIS is MY Dole Whip, people. These large bags of loveliness are found at Karamell Kuche in the German pavilion at Epcot’s World Showcase. They are one solitary snack credit of bliss. Crunchy? Check. Sweet AND salty? Check. Hands down, my favorite snack at Disney World. PERIOD. All bags are not equal, however. I purchased a stale bag once *GASP* and it was a truly heart breaking experience. I think maybe trying to snag a bag earlier in the day is a better bet.

Endless Soft Serve

I would be remiss to not sing the praises of the unlimited soft serve found aboard all of the Disney Cruise Line ships. There is nothing out of the ordinary here. Just regular old soft serve ice cream in chocolate, vanilla and a handful of berry flavors (strawberry, blueberry, mango, etc). It is a great treat while cruising and it is at your disposal whenever. You can put it in a cup and add some soda to make a float. You can return for cup after cup or cone after cone as you see fit. They even have it on Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. Another Dustless Pixie lab confirmed hypothesis: soft serve tastes better at sea. It’s the salt air, people. Believe it.

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The take away here is get out there and enjoy your favorites but don’t be afraid to try new things. Disney World’s snack landscape is ever changing. Don’t forget that the resorts also offer unique snack items, so figure in some resort snooping on your trips. Loads of Disney Springs locations offer snackable items that are often also on the Dining Plan.

All kidding aside, for most Disney fans, snack love has a whole lot of nostalgia tied to it. The flavors and smells of childhood trips, memories of your kid eating AND dripping their first Dole Whip all over the place have a strong pull. Maybe your group gets the same snack every time they visit a particular park. I totally get it. We have our park rituals too and many of them revolve around food. Enjoy that Dole Whip and sing it’s praises! I’ll just be over here munching on that caramel popcorn.

Now, check out what the next Disney Friends Blog Hopper has to say. Just click on the link below!

Here is a list of all of the Disney Friends Blog Hoppers!

• www.stressfreemickey.com
• www.mouseandthemagic.com
• www.confessionsofapixietraveler.com
• www.hdgoursliceofhappiness.com
• www.kingdomcollectors.com
• https://hakunamoscatomomsblog.blogspot.com
• www.disneyfamvacation.com
• www.thecanadianmomsketeer.com
• www.dustlesspixie.com
• www.paperangelsvlog.com