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I Have a Craving for… Walt Disney World Foods I Would Cry Over

Tonga Toast

In recent months, I have listened to my husband (and several of our friends and family members) lament the Main Street Bakery transformation.  He longs for, even mourns, the classic Chocolate Chip Cookie once served there.   While it is available at other locations on property, he insists that it is “just not the same”.   I am sure he would proudly confess to having eaten his fair share (and then some) of that specific cookie while strolling along Main Street, U.S.A.® in the Magic Kingdom® Park.  On several occasions, he has told me that those times were among his favorite moments there.  It is evident that he misses the overall experience almost as much as the cookie.

Whenever he brings up the Starbucks®/Main Street Bakery conversion (and how much he misses having that cookie, it is not long until I start thinking about my favorite WDW foods and which ones I would miss most if they were gone forever.

Regular readers of this series may recall that last year I addressed a somewhat similar topic in my post “I Have a Craving for Foods I Cannot Have Again at WDW“.  I have been known to shed a few tears over some gone but not forgotten favorites of mine.  Like my husband, not only do I pine for those items because they were delicious, I do so because they had become a part of my WDW traditions and memories.

So, just which foods currently offered at WDW would I most miss if I they were no longer available on my next trip.  Here is the list of my “Top 5 Foods I Would Cry Over”:

 

5.  Walt Disney World Cheese Danish

(Sunshine Seasons – Epcot® and Various Pastry Counters)

As I am sure readers remember, I recently discussed how the WDW Cheese Danish is, in my opinion, the greatest casualty of the Main Street Bakery refurbishment.  Lucky for me, it can still be purchased several places throughout the parks and resorts.  Click here to read all about my affection for this sweet and creamy pastry.

 

4.  Lemon Meringue Cupcake

(Be Our Guest Restaurant – Magic Kingdom® Park)

This is the dessert that led me to say I would drive all the way to Walt Disney World® just to have one.  Like the aforementioned Danish, this dessert was also the subject of an entire blog post last year.  To learn why I would be devastated if this classic pie-inspired indulgence were gone forever, check out the post here.

 

3.  Funnel Cake

(Sleepy Hollow – MK, Fife and Drum Tavern – Epcot®, Other Various Locations)

The wafting aroma of frying batter or dough is incredibly enticing.  While funnel cakes can be had at carnivals and fairs across the country each summer, there is just something extraordinary about those found at WDW.  The exceptional batter is fried to perfection and dusted with powdered sugar, drizzled with chocolate syrup or topped with ice cream.  Every time the scent of a funnel cake reaches my nose, I am immediately reminded of two things.  First, my powdered sugar-coated fingers and face as I enjoyed my first one at Blizzard Beach Water Park when I was a child; and second, sharing one with my new husband as we watched Wishes Nighttime Spectacular at the Magic Kingdom® Park years later.

 

2.  Pineapple Dole Whip

(Aloha Isle – MK and Disney’s Polynesian Resort)

Truly a rite of passage for any Walt Disney World® fan, Pineapple Dole Whip is more than just hype.  On a hot Florida day, it is a tart yet sweet, perfectly satisfying and refreshingly cool treat.  I have enjoyed at least one (usually more) on each of my WDW vacations.  I liken it to an attraction that I would not want to miss any more than I would Splash Mountain®, Pirates of the Caribbean® or the Haunted Mansion®.  For me, a trip to WDW would not be complete without it!

 

1. Tonga Toast

(Kona Café, Captain Cook’s, Room Service – Disney’s Polynesian Resort)

This indulgent breakfast entrée is prepared by stuffing a thick pocket of sourdough bread with sliced bananas, dipping it in a rich batter, deep-frying it, and coating it with cinnamon sugar.  Sweet strawberry compote completes the dish.   As delicious as Tonga Toast is to eat, my fondness for it goes beyond satisfying a food craving.  For nearly twenty years, it has held a special place in my memories of vacationing at Walt Disney World®.   When I was a child, my family’s stays at the Polynesian Resort were always topped off with breakfast at Coral Isle Café (now Kona Café).  Each time, without fail, my parents would order the Tonga Toast.  Meanwhile, my sister and I would choose something else only to beg for bites when the yummy toast arrived at the table.  These final moments together were the perfect way to end a wonderful week of memory-making.  My husband and I have continued the Tonga Toast tradition via room service as well as at the Polynesian Resort’s quick-service location, Captain Cook’s.  For its deliciousness as well as for sentimental reasons, Tonga Toast tops my list, and I would most definitely cry if it disappeared from the Polynesian Resort’s menus.

(Photo from the author’s personal collection.)

 [poll id=”180″] Why would you miss your choice(s) – because you so love the taste, because of the memories associated with it, or a combination of both?  Let me know in the comments section!

 

head shotKendall 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)

 

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About Lou Mongello

Lou Mongello is a former attorney who left the practice to pursue his passion, and is now a recognized Disney expert, author, speaker, and host of WDW Radio. Learn more…

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