Whether you’ve never been to Walt Disney World, or you’ve gone once, or maybe even 16 times like my travel companion, you can imagine that you’ll be on your feet all day long, just like any other theme park you’ve been to. While you’re hunting down your favorite characters or waiting in an endless line for Space Mountain, somewhere along the line you’re gonna work up a great big appetite.
Since you’ve been working *oh so hard* while trekking around Disney World, why would you waste the meal you’ve worked for on mediocre food? Or even worse, mediocre dessert? For all my dessert lovers out there, here’s the list of places to get sweets in Disney World if you’re a Disney (& dessert) fanatic like me.
1. Planet Hollywood
As I haven’t explored much of Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney) before this vacation, finding Planet Hollywood was a dream come true. I was especially thrilled when I found an entire two pages of the menu dedicated to Guy Fieri’s recipes, filled with burgers and as–big–as–your–head milkshakes.
This Chocolate Comet shake invented by Guy Fieri was unbelievable. Served in a mason jar with chocolate syrup running down the side, this shake had the outsides dipped in a thick, melty chocolate just perfect for sticking candy onto.
We picked off and ate every one of those M&M’s, malted milk balls, and mini Reese’s peanut butter cups, along with splitting the cookie straw and the brownie. Even though we split the shake, we both were incredibly full afterward, but had no regrets, because what other dessert allows you to have so many sweets in one sitting?
Seated right next to the kitchen, my friend and I literally watched dozens of shakes being delivered to other tables, including a few other flavors, such as cotton candy flavored shakes topped with cotton candy and a lollipop, and a strawberry milkshake topped with a slice of cake. What could be more indulgent?
2. Sleepy Hollow
For the days that you get to Disney World super early without eating breakfast, Sleepy Hollow is definitely a great place to splurge. Sleepy Hollow Inn is found in Magic Kingdom, right past Main Street USA, specifically in Libertyville. While the title suggests that it is a place to stay, it dishes out some of the most sweet foods you can possibly desire.
While I got the Fresh Fruit Waffle Sandwich, I like to think of it as a sweet breakfast taco, as that’s how you eat it. The chocolate hazelnut goodness spread on the waffle oozes out of the “taco” as you eat it, and eating it in front of the view of Cinderella’s Castle is beyond worth the calories.
If it isn’t breakfast time, or you aren’t really wanting a waffle, they also sell funnel cakes for hungry Disney fanatics.
3. Edy’s Ice Cream Parlor
Edy’s Ice Cream Parlor in Main Street USA (Magic Kingdom) is one of the most iconic ice cream spots in Disney World. Hopefully you like Edy’s ice cream, as that’s the only brand that they sell, which obviously wasn’t a problem for me. My friend and I even went back twice in the two days that we spent in Magic Kingdom. They have several flavors to choose from, whether you want it on a waffle cone or in a dish, or in sundae or ice cream float form. I got a waffle cone both times, but it wasn’t as iconic as what my adventurous friend ordered.
Enter the $15 Kitchen Sink sundae. With an equal whipped cream to ice cream ratio, this enormous sundae gives you two scoops of whatever flavors you want, topped with your choice of sauce (chocolate, caramel, peanut butter, you name it). While two scoops doesn’t sound daunting, my friend could only finish 1/3 of this sundae. Instead, she got rid of the rest of it and made it into a water bowl for her dog.
4. Kringla
While many people can find Epcot to be the least entertaining out of all the Disney Parks, I strongly disagree on the terms of all foodies out there. Through the World Showcase, there are dozens of places to try amazing and unique foods, for all meals of the day. For breakfast or a snack, Kringla Bakery and Cafe is found in Disney’s Epcot, specifically in Norway.
This breakfast treat was not only a cinnamon roll, but a cinnamon loaf. What Disney dessert lover would turn down the opportunity for MORE cinnamon roll? It even came with candied pecans on the side that you could choose to put on top of your loaf, which made it especially delicious, with the soft, warm bread contrasting the crunch of the pecans. At Kringla, they also had other sweets such as a Chocolate soft pretzel and the iconic Troll Horns sold throughout Disney World. Right around the corner from meeting Anna and Elsa, Kringla is the perfect stop before you make your way around the rest of the globe.
5. Mickey Ice Cream Bar
Last but not least is the Mickey ice cream bar. These adorable treats are found everywhere within all four Disney World parks, often from little ice cream carts found on the sides of the streets. As these are so iconic, how could you leave Disney World without having at least one?
While this is only a few of the endless food possibilities you can encounter while at Disney World, they definitely are the best of the sweetest.
If you’re looking for more, Disney’s Epcot and Disney Springs definitely have the most unique options for sweets, whether it be doughnuts the size of your head, caramel apples that look like Olaf, or the most delicate of truffles. Overall, while Disney World is simply magical in general, its food gives it that extra ounce of magic that us foodies simply cannot resist.