While it is possible, it is not likely that you just happen to be craving or eating ice cream as you are reading this edition of “I Have a Craving…”. For you readers who enjoy the sweet, creamy, frozen dessert, perhaps the mere mention of it has you craving it. If so, imagine, for a moment, that you are standing in the Magic Kingdom® Park (MK) at Walt Disney World® (WDW)near Cinderella Castle, and you have just purchased a world famous Nestlé® Premium Mickey Ice Cream Bar neatly wrapped in cellophane. Now, think about opening and pulling the much anticipated treat from its packaging. Picture how the humid Central Florida air forms a light frost over the smooth chocolate shell covering the vanilla ice cream Mickey silhouette. Of course, not unlike reality, the fantasy of lifting the icy bar to your mouth includes the oh-so important decision, which one of the ears—right or left—will be the first bite. As the vivid make-believe continues, your teeth crack through the chocolate coating, and you experience the blissful sensation of the firm yet velvety ice cream softening in your mouth. Whether you were craving ice cream when you started reading this post or not, I bet you are now!
What follows is a sampling of the numerous locations and treats at Walt Disney World® that are waiting to satisfy you chilly desires:
Ice Cream Carts – Found in every park, the WDW ice cream carts stock the famous Nestlé® Premium Mickey Ice Cream Bar along with the popular Mickey’s Cookies ‘N Cream Ice Cream Sandwich. While these two items can be found at almost every cart on property, other choices vary depending on location and include items such as Nestlé Orange and Cream Bar, Häagen-Dazs® Vanilla and Almonds Ice Cream Bar and others.
L’Artisan des Glaces – Located in the France Pavilion at Epcot®, this quick-service location is home to sixteen flavors of frozen creams and sorbets served in a variety of ways. One flavor favorite is “Profiterole”, which is a twist on an actual filled French dessert pastry called a Profiterole (also known as a choux à la crème or cream puff), which is a crisp, hollow dessert pastry filled with custard, pudding, pastry cream, whipped cream or ice cream and typically topped with chocolate sauce. At L’Artisan des Glaces the pastry and the chocolate are in the ice cream; hence, the flavor “Profiterole”. Another much loved menu item is the incredibly unique Croque Glacé, which is any flavor of ice cream sandwiched in a warm brioche roll and served with chocolate or raspberry sauce.
Plaza Ice Cream Parlor – Situated at the end of Main Street, U.S.A.® in MK, this bygone era quick-service ice cream counter bids park patrons come in and enjoy a creamy, frozen treat. Here, guests can order a double scoop of their favorite flavor; indulge in a drizzle-covered, whipped cream topped sundae of choice; slurp up a hand-scooped float; or enlist a friend to help them devour one of the largest Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches you have ever seen.
Sleepy Hollow – Speaking of Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches, guests at this Liberty Square quick-service location can select their choice of ice cream flavor. For more information on these treats, check out Kristin Cassagrand’s recent review. Sleepy Hollow also serves up a number of floats including three options made with iced coffee.
Spice Road Table Juice Bar – This walk-up counter is attached to the lakeside table-service restaurant, Spice Road Table, which is located in the Morocco Pavilion at Epcot®. Here, a number of cool treats and drinks are offered on a menu that changes regularly as all flavors are chef created, and have included interesting choices such as Toasted Almond with Rose Water, Strawberry and Red Bean, Pistachio and Orange Blossom Water, Chocolate and Cinnamon and Green Tea.
Beaches n’ Cream Soda Shop – Quite literally world famous, this table-service location at Disney’s Beach Club Resort is known for its decadent and outrageously large ice cream specialties. Serving several flavors of ice cream and floats, it is the sundaes that steal the show. Guests can choose from seven toppings and then watch as a heaping helping of whipped cream, toasted almonds and a cherry are added, or they can opt for one of the specialty sundaes: Milky Way Sundae, Fudge Mud Slide, No Way Jose, Classic Banana Spit, Apple-Cranberry Pie, Strawberry Shortcake, Brownie Á La Mode, Beaches Chocolate Cake, Grilled Banana Bread and Peanut Butter or the Kitchen Sink (made to serve four).
While the options listed above may be some of the most unique, notable or popular places to satisfy an ice cream craving here is a list of a few more you may want to check out:
- 50’s Prime Time Café – Disney’s Hollywood Studios® (DHS)
- Aloha Isle – Adventureland® in MK
- Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies – Tomorrowland® in MK
- Ghirardelli Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop – Downtown Disney®
- Häagen-Dazs®at Downtown Disney® West Side
- Happy Landings Ice Cream – Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon
- I.C. Expeditions – Disney’s Blizzard Beach
- Sci-Fi Dine Inn – DHS
- Seashore Sweets’ – Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
- Sunshine Tree Terrace – Adventureland® in MK
(Image © Disney)
What is your favorite ice cream treat at Walt Disney World®? Please let us know in the comments section below!
Kendall began visiting Walt Disney World in 1991 with her family and has continued to visit the resort with her husband. As a child, she and her family filled vacations with challenges such as “How many times can we ride Splash Mountain during SpectroMagic and the fireworks?” (Answer: 7) Now, after marrying a converted Disney skeptic, she and her husband enjoy challenges such as “How many hours can we eat nonstop at the Food & Wine Festival?” (Answer: 4)
