My Disney World Snack Quest

June 25, 2011

Photo Credit: Babycakes NYC

Food is a huge part of my Disney experience and I believe this is true for many visitors. I would never commit Disney heresy and suggest that Walt Disney World could become mundane but after a certain number (yet to be determined) of trips, returning Disney-goers have experienced most of the rides and shows. The reality is there are only so many attractions. Not so with the food. There are endless combinations of restaurants, entrees, and snack.

The meals are large and combined with the Florida heat, I don’t typically snack all that much during the day at Walt Disney World, much to my regret. On my last trip, I made it my personal mission to try to rectify this sad situation and sample different Disney fan favorites.*

Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich at Sleepy Hollow. I’ve always loved ice cream sandwiches and their purported size pushed these beauties on to the must-try list. This ice cream snack has been mentioned on more than one list as a Disney snack with real value – it’s large enough to share. Indeed this was true. I found it to be a quite successful snack – neither the cookie nor the ice cream was so hard that it was difficult to eat. At the same time, the ice cream was firm enough to hold up to the Florida heat long enough for us to indulge.

Carrot Cake Cookie. My next statement will surely be unpopular with Disney fans. I don’t get the hype surrounding this cookie. I’ve heard such talk about this Carrot Cake Cookie from the Writer’s Stop in Hollywood Studios that it has almost been elevated to the level of the Holy Grail of perfect Disney snacks. I thought the icing between the cookies was incredibly sweet and not in a good way while the cookie didn’t seem freshly baked – to me it had an oily aftertaste and seemed designed to have a long shelf-life.

Peanut Butter Cupcake. This sweet treat was found at the Boardwalk Bakery. A few weeks before my last trip, I read a review from AJ at the Disney Food Blog that made me sure I wanted to try it. I was not disappointed. The cupcake was too large to eat in one sitting but it did taste like its namesake, which also happens to be my favorite candy, the peanut butter cup. Be sure to get a little of everything in one bite.

Grand Marnier Slushie, Why, oh, why didn’t I try this libation sooner? It was cool, refreshing, and very delicious. I like my drinks on the sweet side without too strong a taste of alcohol and this drink delivered. Next time you’re walking through the France Pavilion in Epcot, stop at the stand and treat yourself.

German Chocolate Caramel. This caramel is available at Karamell Kuche in Epcot’s Germany Pavilion. I cannot give an unbiased review since I’m not really a fan of caramel. My mom purchased it and generously offered some to me. In my quest to try as many snacks as possible, I accepted. My only real comment is that I thought the layer of caramel was quite thick and I had trouble eating it but isn’t that the nature of caramel?

Smores My lunch at the 50s Prime Time Café was topped off with this sweet treat and I fell in love with Smores. The marshmallow was nice and toasty and was paired with the traditional chocolate and graham crackers. This “open-faced” dessert was surprisingly easy to eat.

Doh Bar This unique dessert at Cookes of Dublin in Downtown Disney intrigued me. Basically, it is a candy bar surrounded by dough and fried. I wondered, “Brilliant concept or too much?” We had a bit of an experience actually getting one but it was very tasty. When I read the description, I imagined that the candy bar (which seemed to be a Snickers) would be wrapped in a sheet of dough, like a puff pastry or a pie crust. Instead, it was dipped and fried in a dough that I liken to funnel cake batter. This balanced dessert had a gooey candy bar in the center that wasn’t so molten that it oozed out and the dough was nicely cooked and didn’t have a greasy feel to it.

Babycakes NYC Chocolate Crunch Cupcake I loved this cupcake so much that I wrote a review about it. It tasted like it was made in a small batch with very high quality ingredients by the Babycakes NYC bakers at Downtown Disney. It was delicious and satisfying without being overly heavy or sweet. It was my favorite snack of the trip.

Pretzel from Germany Pavilion. This was a good, solid pretzel that was a definite step-above the frozen, thawed, and reheated pretzels that are often found at events these days. I’m not sure if it was the best pretzel I’ve ever had but it held its own.

* My failing is in not having enough patience and forgetting to take a photo before I dove into these Disney snacks.

Trying different snacks made my Disney World trip a little more special and memorable. I’ve already started putting together my list for our next visit and I can tell you the Tie Dye Cheesecake from Pop Century, beignets from Port Orleans, and a margarita from La Cava made the cut. Any other suggestions?

Lisa M. Battista is the author of Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers. When she’s not chasing after her little ones, you can most likely find her at the beach or in the kitchen trying her hand at a new recipe. You can follow her on Twitter @DisneyExplorer or become a fan of Beyond the Attractions on Facebook.

We’re proud to be included in the 24th Disney Blog Carnival. For more articles like this one, please visit the Disney Blog Carnival #24.

4 Responses to My Disney World Snack Quest

Jenn on June 25, 2011 at 8:30 pm

I’ll have to say – I wasn’t that impressed with the carrot cake cookie either! I made sure to try it on this past trip, and I liked it, but I prefer many things to that..

And, I do have to admit – the Grand Marnier Slush is not for me, either. To me, it just tasted like straight alcohol.. though not necessarily a bad thing, a bit too strong for my tastes these days!

But, I do LOVE those German pretzels..

Mouse Fan Diane on June 27, 2011 at 5:26 pm

You are right, food is a big part of the whole Disney experience. I know when we go we can’t resist the mickey ears Ice cream bars. and visiting our favorite restaurants like Whispering Canyon Cafe and the Kona Cafe.. we just love them..

Disney Blog Carnival #24 - June 27, 2011 | DisMarks - Disney Social News on June 27, 2011 at 11:02 pm

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Lynn on June 30, 2011 at 8:10 am

Love all your feedback Lisa!!

I’m with you and Jenn – I wasn’t a fan of the carrot cake cookie either. I love carrot cake so I was excited to try but it was far too sweet for what I like (even the hubby and kids didn’t care for it). I also wasn’t a fan of Babycakes when we tried them on a recent trip. Maybe it was our choice of items or that we were there right away in the morning? I’m not sure.

I love that there’s such a wide range of snacks in the little bakeries and shops around WDW. It’s not all “junk” or sweet stuff. There’s a mix of healthier options like fresh fruit and things too. It’s also not just “adult” food or simply something for the kids.

When we stayed at Pop over Thanksgiving last year I was excited to try the tie dye cheesecake. I have to say I was very disappointed. (again, this is something even the hubby and kids wouldn’t eat) It tasted like it wasn’t very fresh and I think all the food coloring in it affected the flavor.

The beignets are on my “must try” list too. I’ve tried making them at home before and we all love them.