There’s nothing quite like the delightful decadence of chocolate, and like so many other elements of enjoyment, Walt Disney World has an assortment of options toward this guilty pleasure. As vacation time rolls around, it’s practically mandatory to toss dieting plans aside, and when indulgence is the goal, the parks and resorts have you covered. The vast array of sweet treats are sure to please even the most gluttonous of chocoholics.
1. France pavillion – Epcot
Pastries and ice cream and crepes – oh my! There’s no shortage of chocolate-infused options within Epcot’s France Pavilion. The crepes are the handiest choice to grab-and-go from an outdoor cart on the bordering edge of the pavilion. Ice cream, strawberries, and of course, chocolate are the toppings du jour. If you have the time to venture a bit further into France, consider Les Halles Boulangerie and Patisserie or L’Artisan des Glaces. The focus is on ice cream at L’Artisan des Glaces, and the star of the show is undoubtedly the Chocolate Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich. Naturally, no visit to France would be complete without pastries, and this is the specialty at Les Halles Boulangerie and Patisserie. where chocolate dominates the dessert menu. Among the crave-worthy choices are eclairs, mousse cakes, and the famed Pain au Chocolat (chocolate croissant).
2. Karamell Kuche – Epcot
France isn’t the only Epcot representative chocolate specialist! Germany’s Karamell-Kuche is a sweet retreat with a unique twist. Chocolate paired with caramel is a game-changer, indeed! The offerings are known to change semi-regularly at Karamell-Kuche (which is German for Caramel Kitchen, by the way), but every menu item includes some degree of genuine Werther’s caramel among its ingredients. It hardly matters if the caramel comes as a drizzle or a filling – blend Werther’s famous caramel with chocolate and you’re certain to please your taste buds. They don’t stop with simple cookies and cupcakes, either! Karamell-Kuche’s outrageous choco-mel combo delights may include pretzels, marshmallows, dipped strawberries, apples, pineapples, brownies, and crisped rice treats. Talk about a double doozy! Is there anything they can’t make more desirable with this brilliantly yummy combination?
3. Ghirardelli – Downtown Disney
Outside of the parks, another famously delicious name provides the cure for a persistent sweet tooth. The menu at Downtown Disney’s Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop reads like a guide to blissful temptation, with ice cream treats receiving top-billing. It’s not all chocolate, but when Ghirardelli is the name, chocolate is most certainly the game! Brownies, cookies, and dipped strawberries round out the options. If you’re desperately seeking the ultimate in chocolate revelry, Decadent Drinking Chocolate will not disappoint. The chocolate shop offers an exceptional lineup of Ghirardelli’s signature chocolate squares, if you’d prefer to keep a snackable stash at the ready. Chocolate really does come in every size, shape, and form here – have a little in the form of a topping, or go whole-hog with chocolate ice cream, chocolate brownies or cookies, chocolate chips, and chocolate chips. So much more than whipped cream, nuts, and a cherry at Ghirardelli. If you visit with a few friends or family members (or if you have a second – or third – stomach), try your luck with the Earthquake – eight scoops of ice cream, eight toppings, bananas, whipped cream, almonds, chocolate chips, and cherries.
4. T-Rex Cafe & Rainforest Cafe – Downtown Disney
While Ghirardelli shines a spotlight on desserts, it’s not the only Downtown Disney location worthy of consideration for a chocolate fix. A couple popular restaurants will find you rolling in regret if you fill up on appetizers and entrees. Make sure you save room for dessert at T-Rex Cafe and Rainforest Cafe… or better yet, skip the meal altogether and dive right in to colossal treats like the Chocolate Extinction or the Sparkling Volcano! T-Rex Cafe’s Chocolate Extinction serves four – or maybe one ridiculously hungry caveman. It’s a mammoth portion of chocolate fudge cake, paired with ice cream, and topped with whipped cream, fudge and caramel sauces, and Butterfinger crumbles. Even Fred Flintstone would approve of this masterpiece. Meanwhile, at Rainforest Cafe, the Sparkling Volcano can satisfy three with all the pizzazz of a jungle jubilee. This chocolate brownie cake is covered in ice cream, whipped cream, and chocolate and caramel sauces. And that “sparkling” aspect comes in the form of a brightly popping sparkler emerging from the center of the “volcano”. By the way, that’s only part of the fanfare with this lively treat. Wait until you experience the delivery to your table!
5. In-park bakeries – Various
Bakeries and sweet shops are in abundance, both in the parks, and at the resort hotels. A longtime favorite, The Main Street Bakery now lacks some of its allure in the baked goods department. Most of the edibles available here are now Starbucks branded, since the renovation that put the coffee mega-company front and center on Magic Kingdom’s Main Street U.S.A. While it still draws plenty of guests, it has also left many disappointed by the traditionally beloved baked treasures that are no longer to be found there. Depending on the sweets you seek, you still have numerous options to fall back on. A few that have been rising in popularity as of late: Sweet Spells and Starring Rolls Cafe (both at Disney’s Hollywood Studios), Candy Cauldron at Downtown Disney, and Boardwalk Bakery at Disney’s Boardwalk.
Sweet Spells and Starring Rolls Cafe complement each other so well. Sweet Spells focuses heavily on the “candy” side of chocolate, with a variety of brownies, cookies, dipped fruits, and fudge specialties. S’mores Squares and Mickey Peanut Butter Cups put a genuine Disney spin on classic favorites here as well. Starring Rolls Cafe also offers cookies and brownies, with additional temptations such as chocolate croissants, eclairs, and a respectable selection of Disney’s famous oversized cupcakes! Speaking of Disney cupcakes… they seem to come up with new flavors and styles constantly, so it’s always worth considering multiple stops to examine the selections at various cupcakeries (if this is your sweet treat of choice). Boardwalk Bakery often has an impressive selection on-hand as well, along with cannolis, cakes, brownies, eclairs, and much more. Candy Cauldron is another shop that hones in on candied specialties, but they have a wide assortment of baked goods such as cookies, brownies, and even MORE cupcakes. Disney cupcakes are such a big deal that there are websites devoted solely to outlining suggested paths for “cupcake crawls” throughout Walt Disney World property.
6. All you can eat buffets – various
Surprisingly enough, some of the best dessert spreads are found as afterthoughts on any of the various buffet meal options throughout property. In fact, the dessert bars could easily be buffet meals on their own merit. Bite-size nibbles of every sort demonstrate Disney’s masterful attention to devilishly sinful sweetness. Mickey ears on mousse cakes, brownie bites, cookies, ice cream, and everything under the chocolate umbrella are there for the taking, on an unlimited basis. And believe me – it’s hard to limit yourself to sampling only an item or two. While the entrees are the main attraction at any of these locations, the desserts are not to be underestimated. The co-starring role is not a designator of lesser value in this scenario, so plan ahead, and dive right in!
You can’t go wrong in any dessert direction at the Walt Disney World Resort. There truly is no bad option when it comes to chocolate offerings. It’s all a matter of pacing yourself and preparing for the options that await. The only wrong turn is filling up before the final course, so pack your second stomach, and indulge. After all – you’re on vacation!
