As much as Disneyland is about rides, fireworks, and World of Color, it's also about eating great dessert. But when it comes to Disneyland, eating great dessert doesn't just mean taste; it means visual appeal, too. In a land full of Mickey-shaped treats and Olaf-inspired candy apples, there isn't a better place to feed stomachs and eyes at once. If you need some help on getting started, here are some noteworthy ones not to miss.
]
10. Ice Cream at Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor (Main Street U.S.A.)
Located on Main Street, Gibson Girl is the poster Disneyland parlor not just because of its convenient location, but also for its old-fashioned, ornate décor. Though their ice cream is from *drumroll* Dreyer's, they'll turn it into orange floats or hot fudge sundaes with chocolate chip cookies. Not bad.
9. Whoopie Pie at Jolly Holiday Bakery (Main Street U.S.A.)
Whoopie pies are served year round at Jolly Holiday Bakery, but their flavors change with season. This spring, we'll be seeing chocolate on chocolate action: soft brownie cakes served with white chocolate mousse and rainbow sprinkles. Indeed the best kind of action.
8. Character Candy Apples at Candy Palace (Main Street U.S.A.)
An apple a day keeps the doctor away, even if it's dipped in chocolate – wait, especially if it's dipped in chocolate (and, of course, designed as Mickey). At Candy Palace, apples are turned into their maleficent counterparts: sugary balls of cuteness prone to making little kids hyperactive. Character designs change too, so popping into the store to see what's new is always fun.
[
7. Churros at Churro Carts
Churros: you can use them to swordfight (like how actors do with baguettes in French movies), they're long in length (so they last longer), and they never fail to stain your lips with sparkly sugar. Even if you can cheaper ones at Costco or elsewhere, you're at Disneyland, so an overpriced one is, really, just another part of the experience.
6. Citrus Cheesecake at Carthay Circle (Buena Vista Street in California Adventure)
Fancy people who plan to dine at Carthay Circle should take note of the restaurant's citrus cheesecake, a cheesy concoction with California berries and orange essence. If you'll be downing duck wings or Angus beef burgers for lunch or dinner, you best be sure to wash that stomach down with a dessert as light and creamy as this one.
5. Chef Cookie's Deep Dish at Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue (Frontierland)
Barbecue is all about going big, and dessert is no exception. At Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue, pizookies are deep-dish, not New York-thin. They're made specifically for the kind who can't resist a freshly baked cookie — especially when there's ice cream oozing in between its edges.
[
4. Mickey Macaroons at Jolly Holiday Bakery Café (Main Street U.S.A.)
Mickey macaroons are the definitive Disney dessert: colorful, sweet, and cute as hell, you'll be feeling the endorphins Disney tends to inject into its food, rides, and the like. This spring, a pistachio macaroon will be sold alongside the bakery's signature raspberry rose, so look out for that.
3. Pineapple Float/Dole Whip at Tiki Juice Bar/Enchanted Tiki Room (Adventureland)
The drought is upon us, and because you can't hide out at Splash Mountain or Pirates of the Caribbean all day to keep cool (unless you're OK with spending most of your trip in a line…), getting a pineapple float or dole whip at Tiki Bar may be the best way to pause your sweat glands. If the line's too long, go into Enchanted Tiki Room during the show, grab a dole whip (news: there likely won't be a line!), and leave early if you please. You're welcome.
2. Beignets at Café Orleans (New Orleans Square)
Beignets are the airy cousin of the donut. Though dough, oil, and sugar are in its blood, it's also got mountains of powdery sugar that give it its unique identity. At Café Orleans, you'll be served Mickey-shaped beignets with vanilla crème anglaise and raspberry Coulis as dipping sauces. Their shape create an opportunity for climatic moments: first, you bite off an ear, nibble on the second, and finally — monstrously — you eat his face. So G-rated. So Disney.
[
1. Fantasy Funnel Cake at Stage Door Café (Frontierland)
Dough and powdered sugar can be even more fun when the dough is fried as a web, creating multiple pockets to hold the sugar. At Stage Door Café in Frontierland, classic funnel cakes are served with powdered sugar, strawberry fruit and syrup, or chocolate brownies and chocolate syrup – and topped off with Mickey-shaped whipped cream, naturally.
Disneyland is located at 1313 S Harbor Blvd, Anaheim.
Follow Stick a Fork In It on Twitter @ocweeklyfood or on Facebook! And don't forget to download our free Best Of App here!
