While you know Disney parks get decked out for the holiday season, you might not consider that their menus get the same treatment — with seasonal goodies you have to show up at the right time of year to get a taste of. And while you’re sure to find tasty treats no matter what time of year you head to the park, at certain times of year you’re guaranteed to find something extra special.
These are some of our favorite times of year to visit Disney parks and get our munch on. Yum!
1. Valentine’s Day, February
The name of the Valentine’s game is chocolate — the more elaborate, the better — and Disney doesn’t disappoint. You’ll always find holiday mainstay like chocolate-covered strawberries, chocolate cake, decorated cookies and cupcakes, and special menu items at select restaurants. It’s in presentation that Disney tends to go over the top: last year, Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Valentine’s Day treats were arrayed on a 6-foot-long chocolate-coated table with edible chocolate signs…. though we can’t recommend eating everything that looks good enough to eat (remember, that table is only chocolate-coated!).
2. Earth Week, April
You might not have Earth Week down on your calendar as a major holiday, but it’s the only time of year you’ll find Worms & Dirt tarts and cupcakes. While neither worms nor dirt sound particularly appealing as foodstuffs, never fear: the worms are of the gummy variety while the dirt is chocolate cookie crumbs. Everything else is chocolate and fruit — certainly worth sampling if you’re at Disney World in April!
3. Star Wars Weekends, May – June
You probably go to Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for the Star Wars entertainment, with a bounty of Star Wars-themed live shows, parades, and fireworks, as well as guest appearances from the Star Wars cast. But there’s good eats to be had, too, with chocolate and peanut butter Darth Vader cupcakes as well as anything you’d like to eat served up in a collectable R2-D2 bucket. Our favorite R2-approved treat is definitely the bucket of churros with chocolate dipping sauce — and the R2 bucket makes it easy to carry with you, no matter where you’re headed.
4. Summertime Treats
Summer vacation is a traditional time to head out to the parks, and there are treats to match — like the s’more candy apple from Disneyland that’s shown above. Yes, there is an apple inside that monstrosity, it’s just covered in chocolate, graham crackers, and toasted marshmallows for a more elaborate version of this campfire staple. The 4th of July, especially, has plenty of all-American goodies to sample, like the apple pie cupcake (vanilla with apple pie filling, buttercream frosting, and apple crisp topping) at Hollywood Studios or the peach cobbler you’ll find at Epcot’s Garden Grill.
And don’t forget the drinks, like the red, white, and blue mojitos (in your choice of red berry, classic lime, or blueberry-lemon) at Hollywood Studios or “The American” red, white, and blue striped cocktail (with white tequila, St. Germain Elderflower liqueur, and watermelon syrup) served on the Disney Cruise Line.
5. Halloween, October
Halloween is a great time to visit the parks — and you should certainly come hungry, as there are plenty of treats on offer. Look for pumpkin flavored variations of many things, from the in-park Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte to pumpkin fudge, pumpkin mousse (served in a pumpkin Mickey mug), as well as seasonally-decorated cake pops, cupcakes, and cookies. Disneyland visitors will also find pumpkin beignets in New Orleans Square and gingerbread cookies with skeleton decorations for sale outside Haunted Mansion Holiday, which do a good job of satisfying the gingerbread craving that checking out the mansion’s massive holiday gingerbread house will have caused.
If you visit for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, you’ll even be able to trick-or-treat in the park… though the candy offerings are conventional pre-packaged Mars candy rather than these elaborately-decorated treats… so if you want something extra special for your Halloween celebration, be prepared to pay for it.
6. Christmas, December
Disney parks go all-out for the winter holidays, both with decor and tasty seasonal treats that start to appear just after Thanksgiving. You’ll find Christmas cookies, cupcakes, candy apples, and peppermint bark no matter where you go — with plenty of peppermint and gingerbread variations for the holiday. And, of course, you should also expect to find the usual Starbucks holiday drink offerings — the gingerbread, peppermint, and eggnog lattes are all tasty, even if none of them rival the pumpkin spice latte. California parkgoers will also find that New Orleans Square’s pumpkin beignets have transitioned to gingerbread beignets (served with eggnog Anglaise sauce for dipping at Cafe Orleans) for the month of December.
Other special holiday treats you’ll only find at Disneyland include Mexican favorites for the Viva Navidad celebration in California Adventure, holiday themed cocktails (like the cranberry-garnished Red-Nosed Zebra) at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar, and best of all, homemade candy canes made in the parks (at Candy Palace in Disneyland and Trolly Treats in California Adventure). If you want a candy cane for yourself, be prepared to wait in line: these special treats are made in limited numbers and sell out fast!
7. Movie-inspired treats
Okay, this isn’t exactly seasonal, but when big Disney movies are released in theaters or on DVD, you’ll often find themed in-park treats to snack on… though some may re-emerge on related holidays. Maleficent had candy apples and cake pops shaped like her iconic horns (which you’ll also sometimes see around Halloween or during villain-related events), Frozen offered Olaf candy apples (which you’ll also see around Christmas), and Lone Ranger offered a root beer slush served in a collectable boot-shaped mug (which you’re not likely to see again, considering the film’s popularity).
Though you never know what to expect around movie releases, it’s often worth checking out… especially if you (or your family) are fans!
Have your own favorite Disney parks treats that only show up certain times of the year? Let us know about it in the comments!
