By: Merritt Grusecki, a Marvelous Mouse Travels agent
If you have ever been to Disney World (or gotten a list of the best snacks there from your Marvelous Mouse Travels advisor!), you know that getting a dole whip is a must-do while you’re there! What is a dole whip, you ask? It is a soft serve frozen dessert that is made by the Dole Food Company, famous for their pineapples. The original dole whip flavor was a dairy free creamy pineapple flavored creation. Due to its huge popularity at the Disney parks, there are now lots of different flavors and varieties to be found at the parks, Disney Springs, and even at some of the Disney resorts as well! There are even seasonal creations that are constantly being rotated on and off the menus, so you can’t try all of them in just one visit. This article highlights four of my favorite dole whip creations currently on the menus at the Walt Disney World Resort, but be sure to be on the lookout during your visit for new ones to try!
For the first dole whip creation of your trip, you don’t even have to enter the parks yet! Disney’s Polynesian Resort has a special quick service window, called the Pineapple Lanai, that specializes in dole whip, with both classic and creative concoctions. You can find the Pineapple Lanai directly outside the resort lobby, on your way over to the resort pool.
When I visited, I chose to indulge in the classic pineapple swirled with vanilla dole whip. The sweet and tart flavors of the pineapple blend perfectly with the creaminess of the vanilla for a refreshing treat—a classic for a reason in my opinion! A cup of dole whip costs $5.49 currently, or one snack credit if you have the Disney Dining Plan. Tip: If you do have the Disney Dining Plan, make it a float with pineapple juice! At $6.29, it is an even better value for your snack credit! At the time of writing, they are also offering a special Valentine’s Day themed dole whip creation for just a couple of weeks, but this one’s just for adults! It is a float made with raspberry dole whip and sparkling red wine, topped with fresh berries. Make sure to ask your Marvelous Mouse Travels agent about any special seasonal dole whip treats that you could get at Pineapple Lanai when you visit!
Another dole whip creation that you can find outside of the parks at one of Disney World’s resorts is at Disney’s Old Key West Resort. This is off the beaten path for most Disney World visitors, but so worth taking the time to seek it out if you’re a real dole whip connoisseur! Here, there is a quick service location called Good’s Foods To Go located on the water between the check in and pool areas.
If you look under the “Snacks” portion of the menu, you will see the Key Lime Swirl. This dole whip creation consists of lime dole whip swirled with vanilla dole whip and topped with graham cracker crumbs. If you like key lime pie, you will love this dole whip! It’s quite tart with the addition of the lime flavor, but the vanilla helps to mellow it out a bit and the crumbs taste just like the crust of a key lime pie. This is being offered currently for $5.79, or one snack credit on the Disney Dining Plan.
Now that we’ve covered dole whips at the resorts, it’s time to head to the parks! While other parks do offer different dole whip creations from time to time, Magic Kingdom is the OG place to get your dole whip creations and has my favorite dole whip creation of them all! There are two different locations in Adventureland that offer dole whip creations, Aloha Isle and Sunshine Tree Terrace. If you are walking into Adventureland from the castle hub, you will see Sunshine Tree Terrace first on your right hand side—but my favorite creation lies in wait at Aloha Isle, tucked behind Aladdin’s Magic Carpets next to the Tiki Room.
On their menu, they offer classic pineapple/vanilla dole whips, floats with pineapple juice, and dole whip served on top of warm pineapple upside down cake. But my favorite creation there is the Tropical Serenade float! This fantastic float consists of Pineapple Orange Guava juice (POG juice) with coconut dole whip, topped with a pineapple upside down cake cake pop. This is so delicious! If you like fruity tropical drinks (without alcohol), you will love this float! Tip: Allow the coconut dole whip to melt a bit into the POG juice before drinking; the blending of flavors really makes this treat! The cake pop is also delicious, with a strong pineapple flavor and coconut coating. I would buy just the cake pop alone as a special treat! This is currently priced at $7.99 and is not being offered as a snack credit on the Dining Plan, but it is so good and the fact that it’s really two desserts in one still makes it well worth it in my opinion!
On your non-park days during your vacation, be sure to check out Disney Springs, a shopping and dining complex on Disney property. It’s at Disney Springs that you’ll find quite possibly the most fun dole whip creation on property—a dole whip flight! Yes, not just one—not just two—but three different dole whip creations in one! This can be found at Swirls on the Water, a quick service stand on the bridge near Rainforest Cafe.
The exact flavors in the flight change seasonally, but one of the flavors is always the classic pineapple/vanilla swirl creation garnished with a wedge of fresh pineapple on top. The other flavors offered at the time of my visit were cotton candy flavored dole whip swirled with lemon flavored dole whip garnished with real cotton candy and a dollop of lemon curd, and cherry dole whip swirled with lime dole whip and garnished with strawberry boba pearls and a Maraschino cherry. Unfortunately, they were out of the cherry/lime swirl at the time, so I ordered extra pineapple/vanilla swirl instead. If one of the flavors in the flight doesn’t appeal to you, just ask the cast member to switch it out with one of the other flavors instead! I loved both of the different flavors that I received; I was initially worried that the cotton candy dole whip would be too sweet but it was the perfect pairing for the tart lemon dole whip. The flight comes with a super cute cardboard holder that fits all three mini dole whip creations, so you don’t have to worry about juggling all three flavors.
The mini size dole whips are the perfect way to share with your family or friends as you explore Disney Springs—or do what I did and eat all three, they are small enough to not melt too fast before getting the chance to eat them! This flight is currently being offered for $7.99 and is not eligible for a snack credit on the Disney Dining Plan—but again, still well worth it for what is really three desserts in one!
