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I'm a dessert girl. Forget the salty and savory—I want the sugar. Add in my love for everything Disney and what better place to indulge than The Disneyland Resort.
I took it upon myself to thoroughly investigate what the bakers and pastry chefs of the Disneyland Resort have imagineered and thus cultivated my own guide to the resort's best chocolates, sweets, candies, and calorie-laden, sticky, doughy desserts. Hey, someone had to do it.
The Favorites
I didn't need to look very far for this one—just check out the Tiki Juice Bar queue when you walk by The Enchanted Tiki Room into Adventureland. Guests patiently wait for the popular Pineapple Dole Whip either as a swirled cup serving or float complete with umbrella garnish. I'm not a big fan myself—I'll take ice cream any day—but for many, this is a rite of passage every Disneyland trip.
Not to be outdone, the Mouse himself has a huge following so any dessert with ears is fair game. The most popular? Beignets of course, followed by anything cold and on a stick.
As the newest Mouseketeer to the club, Ghiradelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Bar in Disney California Adventure has turned into a must stop for guests who can hit the mother lode with sundaes, cones, and shakes.
The Seasonals
Spring has sprung, which means things are fresh and new including in the dessert menus at the Disneyland Resort. So I stepped in time straight to the Jolly Holiday Bakery on Main Street to pursue these refreshing additions.
It took me awhile to choose among Coconut Lime Cheesecake, Raspberry Creme Brûlée, Strawberry Shortcake Bundt Cake, or the newest Mickey Mouse macaron, lemon raspberry. The Mouse won, as always.
Although not technically one of the four seasons, Season of the Force has landed in Tomorrowland so I hyper-jumped to Redd Rockett's Pizza Port to check out the neighboring galaxy fare.
Darth by Chocolate was just that. A chocolate parfait layered with red velvet cake, chocolate mousse with chocolate cake, more mousse and topped with a chocolate ganache. And, to make sure you completely turn to the dark side, a chocolate Darth Vader, complete with edible red light saber, sits atop his decadent throne. I would highly recommend milk with this although blue banta milk is a missing commodity.
To represent the light side, visitors can enjoy Chewbacca's Cheesecake with Salty Caramel. I'm not sure the Chewie 3D effect works on this dessert—my daughter thought it looked like a pile of hay with Chewie's face—but it was delicious and fun to eat. Again, order a beverage as this cake was a bit too sweet.
The Secrets
One of the reasons I wanted to dine on Disney desserts was due to a rumor of ice cream nachos available at The Golden Horseshoe in Disneyland's Frontierland. I'm happy to confirm this rumor is true. Just ask for the nachos by name since they are not listed on the menu. You can choose your three scoops of ice cream from vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, or mint chip. The generous heaps of ice cream top waffle cone pieces (nachos), and are finished with whipped cream, chocolate chips, and three cherries. This is a lot of dessert, so you may want to share (or not).
Dole whip, chocolate, and ice cream—check. Something still seems to be missing... churros. Okay, here's a tip for all you churro-heads out there: save your $4.25, skip the churro cart line, and go directly to the Hungry Bear in Critter Country for the Churro Funnel Cake. At $6.99 before tax and annual passholder discounts, this fabulous find is enough for two.
Churro batter is deep fried as a funnel cake, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, then doused in caramel sauce that deliciously drips down the sides. Finally, a cloud of whipped cream, in the shape of Mickey of course, tops this culinary celebration. Grab a few forks and a beverage and go at it. I solo sampled this and found myself hiding in a corner channeling the eighth dwarf, Gluttony. It wasn't a pretty sight.
The winner of the Disney dessert showdown is the Churro Funnel Cake. Photo by Lisa Stiglic.
So the sweet tooth has been satisfied, for now. I'll set my sights on some other food finds at the Disneyland Resort next. Maybe foods on a stick? In the meantime, hunt down some of your own favorite sweet surprises in the parks and enjoy.
Comments
I enjoyed the article and pictures, but I must be honest and say that in my opinion most of the Disney parks' "sweet treats" look much better than they actually taste.
This article has me ready to go back to DL right now! I really love going by Clarabelle's at DCA and either grabbing a waffle cone or making my own ice cream. And Gibson Girl has the Orange Soda Ice Cream float that is amazingly refreshing on a hot or cold day. But for my favorite treat, I have to go to Downtown Disney for some beignets at Ralph Brennens. Now...if I can find some gluten free sweets for the wife that are just as awesome, that would be the cherry on top (pun intended).
Yum. Now I want a treat. I am so sad the Big Thunder Sundae doesn't exist anymore but I have found many treats to try now. The last time I got the beignets they were cold. How can this be when they are so busy? I should have returned them. do you find this to be the case more often than not? Great article.
Hi Todd. I just now saw the replies to the article. I get too used to reading them on FB and forget to check the Forum. Thanks for the kind words. I've yet to have cold beignets but the lines are so long now maybe they've tried to accommodate and have them ready to go? I don't know. I would have sent them back as well. Cast members will definitely make sure you get what you want. I do like them better at Ralph Brennan's though. Cheers!