12 Absolute Best Ways To Eat Dole Whip At Disney World

Days at Walt Disney World are full of characters, rides, fireworks, and, of course, snacks. While there are some iconic treats you absolutely must pick up, like popcorn and Mickey pretzels, neither of these quite smother the Florida heat like Disney's famous Dole Whip. Of course, you could go with another Disney ice cream, but a Dole Whip is so much more refreshing.

A Dole Whip is named for Dole, a company you probably know for fresh and prepackaged produce. In swirled form, Dole Whips look a lot like ice cream but are essentially sorbets. In general, the Dole Whip options are even vegan, even if there are several dairy-based options served at Dole Whip stands. Vegans will want to take extra care to ensure that the Dole Whip they order is actually vegan.

As a Walt Disney World local, my family and I visit Walt Disney World at least a few times a week. There has been more than one occasion where we've, in fact, gone every day for at least a short visit, sometimes only for fireworks. On our visits, I've sampled many treats around Disney World, and I can tell you that some Dole Whip offerings absolutely stand out and become memorable, must-get treats, but others are better left alone. I have collected some of my favorite ways to eat a Dole Whip in hopes that during your next Walt Disney World vacation, you'll find as much delight in a Dole Whip as I do.

In addition to theme parks and resorts, Walt Disney World has its own upscale shopping and dining district. You can't take more than a few steps here without running into a great restaurant, and one of my favorites is Wine Bar George. Here, you can frequently find George Miliotes, the restaurant's namesake master sommelier. The upscale feel of the bar is perfect for grabbing a glass of your favorite wine, but there are also some fruity, more playful options.

Among the sweeter sips are some frozen drinks, and though there are a few to choose from, the Frozcato is absolutely elite. This drink is a mixture of pineapple Dole Whip, Moscato, and vodka. The combination is ultra-sweet and has a somewhat mild bite with the added vodka. You can get a Frozcato in the restaurant or from The Basket outside Wine Bar George. To me, it's the perfect drink to grab while shopping and taking in the ambiance of Disney Springs.

This Dole Whip favorite is different from others because it's a frozen drink rather than a soft-serve ice cream. In fact, your Frozcato will come with a straw, and it is very sippable. If you're looking for a different spin, there's also a frozen old-fashioned on hand made with Dole Whip orange. It may not be ideal for classic old-fashioned lovers, but for those wanting a sweeter spin on the drink, it may be perfect.

To most of the country, orange juice is the perfect breakfast juice. Disney World, however, has a delightful alternative called POG juice. This is a combination of passionfruit, orange, and guava juice, hence the POG abbreviation. The combination of these juices makes for a sweet, but not too sweet, juice that has just the perfect amount of intrigue. I've had it in a glass for breakfast at Kona Cafe, with Champagne during our club-level stay at Coronado Springs, and, perhaps the most delicious way: with Dole Whip.

Over in the Magic Kingdom's Adventureland, not far from Aladdin's Flying Carpets, you'll find Aloha Isle, a quick service with plenty of Dole Whip treats. There are a few more adventurous options befitting the land, like the Tropical Serenade. As delightfully delicious as this flavor is, the name is an allusion to Tropical Serenade, the original name given to The Enchanted Tiki Room, the show that took Tropical Serenade's place and is very close to Aloha Isle.

The Tropical Serenade is a Dole Whip float with POG juice as the liquid and a soft serve swirl of coconut. Sticking out of the drink, you also get an upside-down pineapple cake pop. I love getting a Tropical Serenade for sharing with my son. I enjoy the delicious, cool treat, and he gets the cake pop. It doesn't get better for a Disney kid.

Aloha Isle offers another float option that's a little more on the classic Dole Whip side if that is more your game. Rather than POG juice, a pineapple float uses a base of Dole pineapple juice and a hefty swirl of classic pineapple Dole Whip. Alternatively, you could choose a vanilla ice cream soft serve in the juice, or, my favorite is going for a swirl option with pineapple and vanilla mixed together.

The pineapple juice can be pretty tart with all of its sweetness, so while the dose of juicy goodness is great, the ice cream pairs well, too. Vanilla offers a smoothness factor that will make it feel like you're not just munching through a pineapple with every bite.

One fact about Dole Whips is that sometimes, simpler is best, and the Aloha Isle has that, too. For that palate cleanser or a sense of the most basic option, you can do no wrong than a classic pineapple Dole Whip cup. On especially hot days in Florida — trust me when I say we have a few — I love snacks that come in a cup because it helps control the melt. An icy treat like Dole Whip is also a great way to beat that heat. It'll do a lot more for you than most of the Mickey-shaped snacks in the parks.

Like the float version, you can order this as a regular pineapple serving, vanilla, or a swirl with the two. For your first Dole Whip, I recommend the basic pineapple. It's also an ideal way to introduce kids to Dole Whip because there are no extras here. In a place like Disney World, where it's all extras, this is a rare find. As far as Disney treats go, this is also a pretty reasonable one: As of this writing, it costs only $5.99.

Our family has formed a little bit of a Dole Whip tradition. Each time we go to the Magic Kingdom for fireworks, we pick up a cool snack at Storybook Treats. This little quick service is right next to the carousel and our favorite spot to watch fireworks. To stay away from the massive crowd watching the fireworks from the front of the park, we prefer the immerse experience behind the castle. While waiting for the show to begin, we once grabbed the lemon-flavored Dole Whip in a cup, but that all changed with the Rapunzel sundae.

This sundae mixture includes berry soft serve, lemon Dole Whip, and a topping of berry compote. I already love the lemon flavor and think it's one of the best Dole Whip flavors all on its own, but paired with berry, it is even better. Before this sundae came out, I had enjoyed the strawberry sundae, also served at Storybook Treats, but substituting lemon Dole Whip instead of vanilla ice cream. Unfortunately, this sundae may leave the menu at some point to make room for other innovations, but at the time of writing, it is still there.

If a cone is more your persuasion, but you still want something fun and themed, then you can stay at Storybook Treats and order an Aurora cone. This delightful cone is both blue and pink to represent the final scene of "Sleeping Beauty" when Aurora and Prince Phillip are dancing. During their dance, the three good fairies look on while casting enchantments to make Aurora's dress pink or blue. The effect creates something of an iridescent look.

To replicate this look in a treat, the Aurora Cone is a swirl of pink Dole Whip strawberry and a blue soft serve. On the ice cream, you also get these white chocolate pearls to represent the magic of the fairies. It all sits atop a sugar cone. Though fun and themed, this is definitely a treat you'll want to be careful of ordering if you're very concerned about a melty mess because you'll have a whole lot of that here. Pro tip: Ask the cast member for a cup on the side so you have somewhere to put the cone when it inevitably becomes too melty.

When you enter the Magic Kingdom, you walk down Main Street toward Cinderella Castle. In front of the castle, you enter a wheel with spokes going to some of the different lands in the Magic Kingdom. One of those lands is Adventureland, home to Sunshine Tree Terrace, as well as Aloha Isle. While Aloha Isle is a little deeper into the land, Sunshine Tree Terrace is located just past the bridge into the land.

Aloha Isle focuses on pineapple flavors, and Sunshine Tree Terrance is all about oranges. Many of the treats are based on the Orange Bird character fans have fallen in love with over the years. He's even been a mascot for more than one Epcot festival. This orange-shaped character dates back to 1970, and he was also a character who guests could meet in Disney World at Sunshine Tree Terrace. Today, you're not going to be able to meet the character, but you can order a few orange-flavored treats. Dole Whip orange in a cup is an option, but an orange cream soft serve adds vanilla ice cream in a swirl. This ends up being something like a dreamcicle, a nice, citrusy way to enjoy Dole Whip. Since you're vacationing in the land of orange groves and sunshine, perhaps nothing is more fitting.

If you have ever been to see a Disney Pixar movie in movie theaters, you are no doubt aware that you will see a short before the actual movie begins. Many of these shorts are, as the name suggests, quick little narratives to express a story, idea, or emotion. More often than not, Pixar's shorts are poignant and heartfelt, and it's hard not to fall in love with the characters in the brief amount of time you see them. "Lava," one of these shorts, came out in 2014 and is the inspiration behind the I Lava You float at Sunshine Tree Terrace.

Like most of the treats at the Sunshine Tree Terrace, it uses Dole Whip orange as the base. For the float aspect, you'll enjoy a strawberry Fanta soda with passionfruit flavors with a topping of popping candy over the orange Dole Whip. The drink is quite striking, with bright orange paired with the vibrant soda, and though neither seems to represent a volcano like you might expect, the orange and the red together definitely represent the lava. If you've had the orange Dole Whip but you're looking to add more flavors to it, this is an ideal option. That said, with the melting powers of the Florida sun, it will also quickly become a drink, so make sure you have a straw nearby.

As a kid, admittedly, Walt Disney World water parks were actually my favorite part of visiting the resort. Of course, at that time, the original Disney World water park, River Country, was still open and operational before its eventual closure. Today, Disney World has two water parks: Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. The two seem to trade off throughout the year and close down for renovations, so depending on when you visit, there's a good chance both water parks won't be open at the same time. In any case, if you happen to make your way to Typhoon Lagoon, between catching some gnarly waves in the wave pool, be sure to stop over at the Snack Shack. Here, you can enjoy one of the sweetest treats that Typhoon Lagoon offers, and it's served in a little clear plastic bathtub.

This sundae is a mixture of two types of Dole Whip — strawberry and pineapple — along with some green matcha tea soft-serve ice cream. It also comes with boba popping pearls that seem to go in and out of stock. So, they may not be available when you order, but the three frozen flavors certainly will be. This Dole Whip treat is the ideal combination of adorable presentation mixed with delicious flavoring.

With as much as I love Dole Whip, I'm always looking for ways to make it a more substantial part of a meal. There's something about eating Dole Whip in a cup that, for example, just makes it feel like far too light when I'm wanting something that's a little bit more. And in times like these, I turn to the pineapple upside-down cake served with a swirl of Dole Whip on top. You'll pick this up at Aloha Isle, like many of my other favorite treats.

This is definitely a snack you'll want to have a spoon on hand for because the Dole Whip makes the cake really soft. It is more of a spoon cake than a fork cake. If pineapple Dole Whip on top of pineapple upside-down cake just feels too pineapple-heavy for you, you can also request this to be made with vanilla or even a swirl of the two together. Personally, I think the swirl adds a nice complement to the cake, with vanilla and pineapple swirling together.

Plus, if you cross under the breezeway nearby, you'll end up in Frontierland and have a perfect parade viewing. So, if you time this one right, you can enjoy your cake in an ideal parade spot. It's the very Disney definition of having your cake and eating it, too.

One of the more recent additions to Walt Disney World's Dole Whip dining spots is Swirls on the Water. This quick service location is located right off the main bridge at Disney Springs. It has a beautiful view of the water as well as all of the shopping areas on the other side. It's also pretty centrally located, making it an easy step to grab a drink or snack as you're making your way around Disney Springs, especially from one side to the other. Unfortunately, however, it's a little bit difficult to predict the various food items that will be here as the menu tends to change with the seasons and sometimes even more frequently. However, I've noticed that the Dole Whip Angry Orchard float is almost always around. I love this as an option at Disney Springs because it is the perfect way to make a sweet treat like a Dole Whip a little bit more adult.

The menu says that you can get your Angry Orchard with any flavor of Dole Whip available on the menu. So, if there happens to be one that would pair well with an apple cider, this would be an excellent place to begin. Personally, I love pairing the pineapple with the apple cider because the sweet and tart pineapple plays nice with a rather mellow, warming apple flavor.

One of the things that Swirls on the Water is absolutely the bomb at is offering unique flavors. These offerings rotate often, so you won't always know what is available until you show up at the stand to place your order. This uncertainty might be a little uncomfortable for some, but if you approach it with an open mind, it tends to make for a pretty delicious Dole Whip snack.

When you order the Dole Whip sampler, it'll come with three flavor varieties in smaller sampling sizes. Even still, it's a fair amount of Dole Whip, and is the perfect amount to share between one or two people if your traveling party is curious about Dole Whip innovations. Very often, the flavors will be accented with various candies, fruits, or other flavoring aspects to really drive home the attempted flavor profiles.