Did you know that July is National Ice Cream Month (so proclaimed by President Reagan in 1984)? And National Ice Cream Day is the third Sunday in July – the 17th this year.
It’s the perfect opportunity to daydream about our favorite ice cream treats at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort. And while we love the simple, choco-dip Mickey Mouse ice cream bar from a street cart, or a double-dip cone, these are the treats that go far, far beyond – decadent and worth every calorie.
- Any list has to begin with The Kitchen Sink at Beaches & Cream Soda Shop at Disney’s Beach Club Resort. So, you need a few pals to share, but it’s only eight scoops, every topping imaginable and a whole can of whipped cream.
- Hands-down favorite shake is the peanut butter and jelly shake from the 50’s Prime Time Cafe at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We’ve been known to skip the meal and just sip a tall shake at the bar at the adjacent Tune-In Lounge.
- At Epcot, we head to Fountain View Ice Cream for a classic hot fudge sundae – whipped cream and a cherry, served in an edible waffle bowl. Need we say more?
- Scoops are an easy parade treat, but we go all out with the Original Banana Split at The Plaza Restaurant in Magic Kingdom park: chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice cream topped with hot fudge, strawberry sauce, crushed pineapple, chopped nuts, whipped cream and a cherry. Yum!
- When we’re shopping (or taking an intended detour) to Downtown Disney Marketplace, we make a beeline for Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop and order The Haight AshBerry Very Berry Sundae with strawberry cheesecake ice cream smothered with sliced strawberries under a layer of vanilla ice cream with blueberry topping, whipped cream, chocolate-covered blueberries and a chocolate dipped waffle roll. Well, at least there’s fruit.
- The old-fashioned root beer float (we used to call it a “black cow”) quenches our thirst on a hot summer afternoon at Camp Soft Serve at Camp Mickey-Minnie at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The smooth vanilla soft serve ice cream melds with the kicky root beer and takes us back to childhood.
- In Disneyland park, we always stop at Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor for the Firehouse Dalmatian Mint Sundae – two scoops of mint chocolate chip ice cream served in a waffle cup and topped with whipped cream, chocolate chips and a cherry. Sometimes this is lunch!
- At Downtown Disney District at the Disneyland Resort, we love playing at ESPN Zone then ordering the chocolate chip cookie sundae – a Nestle Toll House cookie topped with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, caramel sauce and whipped cream. One more trip up the rock wall!
- At Disney’s PCH Grill at Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel, we eat light and then order the Splitsville Sundae with banana, three scoops of ice cream, caramel syrup (or you can choose chocolate), nuts or sprinkles. Plenty to share.
- Our final pick, perhaps saving the best for last, is the Farmer’s Market Sundae at Catal at Downtown Disney District, an exquisite creation of balsamic ice cream with mint granita and mascarpone mousse. The sweet-tart ice cream, bracing granita and buttery mascarpone is a heavenly match.
We’re sure you have your own favorites – share them with us!
Comments
Dole Whip is the best, I also like the root beer float with soft ice cream at the pier in California Adventure! Very refreshing!
I would like to add that dole whip may not be “Ice cream” but to those of us that are lactose intolerant this is as good as it gets and on a hot day it does it job to keep you hydrated with the float that is the one thing I got my family a couple of different times.
Dole Whip is great and I like the idea of honorable mention, but does anyone remember the orange and lemon swirl at Bengal BBQ? I used to get one nearly every day (hence the tummy). And my absolute favorite is the Nestle Tollhouse Swirl ice cream at the Burrbank Ice Cream shop in DCA. It is simply the best and I can’t find it ANYWHERE outside of the park except for one baseball stadium in Fresno!
Frozen Kungaloosh!
No Dole Whip that is not a complete list
Dole Whip! It’s the “best kept Disney secret” 😉
I haven’t tried any of the treats you mentioned – I guess I have to make a list – but my dad and I cannot go to Disneyland without getting Dole Whip Floats! We’ve even been known to go to Disneyland JUST to enjoy one.
Yes, absolutely … Dole Whips need an honorable mention. You can qualify it as ice cream if you do a Dole Whip Twist (mixed with vanilla soft serve), right? 🙂
Balsamic and ice cream (#10) in the same sentence? I’ll try it; ‘somebody pass the vinegar’.
I love Beaches & Cream hot fudge sundaes! What ever happened to the Goofy bars, they were awesome?
Like everyone else, I’m surprised that Dole Whips and Mickey bars aren’t on this list. But my favorite ice cream treat is the Citrus Swirl at Aloha Isle.
Beaches and Cream No Way Jose. If you love peanut butter, this is it! Also Mickey Ears. Just got one at Magic Kingdom and turned around and fell. Scratched my camera a bit but saved the Mickey bar. I know what’s important. LOL
Agree the list is incomplete without Dole Whip and Mickey Bars but I also like the Ice Cream sandwiches at Sleepy Hollow in Liberty Square.
Dole Whip! Dole Whip! Dole Whip!
How can you miss “the garbage pail” at Typhoon Lagoon? A huge sundae served in a sand pail ei a shovel.
Just returned from WDW and had the Sand Pail at Blizzard Beach. It was awesome. And how much fun is it to eat a sundae out of a sand pail? 🙂
My favorite is the frozen banana
This list does sound DELICIOUS….but I agree sometime the most simplest things are the BEST!!! Mickey Bars and Dole Whips!! Personally, Disney isn’t Disney without these!!!!!! Yummmmmy!
By far the family’s favorite is Pineapple vanilla swirl from Aloha Isle in Adventureland. A friend told us about it back in 2008 and we go there several times each time we go to Disney World.
French Vanilla Ice Cream from the crepe booth in France in Epcot.
I like the mickey icecream bars, the best, love the chocolate on the outside, sometimes I just eat that part
I make my own – go to frontier land and buy yourself a churro. Then go get your self some vanilla soft serve with hot fudge and put the two together!
Churro sundae!!!! Best treat ever!
P.S. – Disney – you would make my life so much more convenient if you would just sell Churro sundaes without me having to walk all over Magic Kingdom to make them myself!
Do they still have the fruit and yogurt bars? I think they were called something like Minnie Bars? We ALWAYS found them by the Tower of Terror, but were able to find them other places. It’s been a while and I have searched and searched trying to find a frozen fruit bar that has a yogurt coating on the outside like these. I haven’t been able to find anything like them. LOVE ‘EM
Dole Whip!!!!!!!!!
Mickey Ears!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND….Dole Whips are close enough to Ice cream!!!
I LOVE the basic Mickey on a stick dipped in delicious think chocolate…BUT TRULY NO DOLE WHIP??!! those are!!!
I would happily join the team who had to slave away and visit every ice cream eatery in the Disney Parks to compile this list! Please??
And Dole Whip should have at least gotten an honorable mention.
My favorite is the No Way Jose at Beaches and Cream is my all time favorite!!!
I also assume the Dole Whip was left off for some technicality of “not” being ice cream, but it’s a Disney legend by itself.
Also, the Kitchen Sink at B&C may be well-known, but I’ve found that ANY good sundae at B&C is enough for two ice cream fans to share–The word is “plenty”. 🙂
The Dole pineapple whips at Disneyland does not make a hot day complete without it.
Anyone remember enjoying the Fantasia Sundae at the Carnation restaurant on Main Street at Disneyland. That was a great sundae to share. Maybe the Gibson Girl might serve it some day.
What about the Matterhorn sundae inside Disneyland Park at the Carnation Cafe? Yummy goodness there, but you’ll need 4 people to share it!
I am with most of the other commenters. I love a Mickey Premium bar more than any other ice cream on site! A Frozen Sunshine at Beaches & Cream would be my second choice!
Dole Whips need to be on this list.
The other “hidden gem” we discovered on a recent trip was the Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich at DinoBite Snacksin Dinoland U.S.A. It’s a large scoop of ice cream between two freshly baked cookies (either chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin).
Check you sales records…Dole Whip and Mickey Bars have got to be #1 and #2.
When I saw this title all I could think was “oh no you didn’t…” Tempting us will all of this lovely ice cream reading material is like hitting below the belt. It just should not be done. It is cruel. We have no defenses. It reads like a map to paradise!
Walt Disney World should think about bringing back the Ice Cream Social that used to be held at the Garden Grill at Epcot.
That was really fun – afternoons with Mickey and ice cream to boot. That was always a must do for our family. It got us out of the Florida sun in the afternoon, rejuvenated the kids, and we got to hang out with Mickey and Chip and Dale.
Dole Whips are not Ice Cream. They are a Frozen Treat but there is no dairy in them.
FYI, the reason Dole Whips aren’t on the list is probably because Dole Whip isn’t ice cream. It’s a non-dairy frozen dessert, although it does contain sodium caseinate (A milk derivative).
And I’d add the milkshakes at Whispering Canyon Cafe!
So true about the Dole Whip!
All of these are great and I completely understand how the list was made up – but you can never forget the classic Mickey Mouse shaped ice cream treat – it just simply isn’t a ‘complete’ trip to Disney unless my son and I share the ears!
Mickey Bars! Mickey Bars! Mickey Bars! They are the very best…especially while watching the Main Street Electrical Parade!
I agree this is nuts without the Dole Whip or Pineapple Float
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I agree this is nuts without the Dole Whip or Pineapple Float!
No list of best ice cream treats is complete without Dole Whips and Mickey Premium Uce Cream Bars! They’re a Disney parks staple!
I can’t believe you missed out the Dole Whip Float!
Uh. Dole Whip? This list is bogus without it.
You forgot one of my all-time favorites: the Dole pineapple stand with their pineapple sorbet in front of Adventureland in Disneyland! I bought 2 for myself and a group of friends who had never tasted it before to share. Needless to say, it was gone in minutes!! 😀
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