Big, Bigger, Biggest: Ice Cream in Disney World

With it being so darn hot in Florida, is there really any snack better than ice cream? There are so many ice cream options in Walt Disney World that no two places are really alike. Some are basic yet classic and other ice cream options are insanely over the top. 

We put together the ultimate guide for ice cream lovers. Below is every place to get ice cream in Disney World, including places to find the biggest, most outrageous ice cream masterpieces on the property!

The BIGGEST Ice Cream

Beaches and Cream

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If you are a “go big or go home” type of person, then plan a reservation for Beaches and Cream so you can get the Kitchen Sink Sundae where you can get everything INCLUDING the kitchen sink in your sundae. Make sure you have people to share this with because with 10 scoops of ice cream, every topping they offer, an entire can of whipped, and a cherry on top served in a literal kitchen sink, there’s no way you could finish this on your own. At only $35, it’s actually a pretty good deal for a family going out for ice cream at Disney World!

The Plaza Restaurant

The Plaza Restaurant is connected to the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor, so of course, they are known for classic hand-scooped sundaes, but here for the 50th Anniversary Celebration is the sundae of sundaes! We bring you the Cheers to 50 years sundae, which is chocolate and vanilla ice cream, topped with brownies, caramel popcorn, cookies, hot fudge, caramel sauce, whipped cream, and of course, EARidescent sugar. This is another HUGE sundae that can feed a whole family, and not just for dessert. This is perfect for one of those eat dessert for dinner kind of nights. You are on vacation, after all.

Unique Treats

Salt and Straw

Four words: Fried Chicken ice cream… Salt and Straw is known for creating small batch wild ice cream flavors. Fried Chicken ice cream was one of their Summer 2022 picnic flavors. Finishing out the summer season, Salt and Straw is offering flavors like Boysenberry Oatmilk Sherbet, Goat Cheese Marionberry Habanero,  Wild-Foraged Berry Slab Pie.

Clearly, some flavor series are more tame than others. The weirdest flavor to ever come out of Salt and Straw… Dracula’s Blood Pudding which was made from actual pig’s blood and mealworms. Want to create memories? Get a flight of the weirdest flavors on the menu and try them all! 

L’Artisan des Glaces

Do you like ice cream? Of course, you do, that’s why you’re here. Do you like hot bread? We can’t be friends if you don’t… Well, you can combine those two things at this French pavilion ice cream shop in EPCOT with a Croque Glace. This is a scoop of homemade ice cream in any flavor sealed in a warm, fresh brioche bun with a magical sandwich maker contraption. Boom. 

Marketplace Snacks

Depending on when you visit Disney Springs, Marketplace Snacks can either be “meh” or “Oh my goodness amazing”. There is no in-between. Right now they are fully in the amazing category by featuring not 1, but 5 bubble waffle sundaes! Not just any sundaes, oh, nay nay. These are themed none other than the Fab Five! There is a Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and even Pluto-themed sundae. And that’s not even the best part… The bubbles in the waffles themselves are even Mickey shaped!!

Florida Style Milk & Cookies

Dino Bites Snacks

Can you really beat the taste of a fresh cookie? Yes, you can by making it 2 fresh cookies. Then you can make it even better by squishing ice cream between those two cookies and then rolling it in sprinkles to help hold everything in. It’s perhaps the messies snack ever, but bring your baby wipes, folks, because this is totally worth it. 

Gideon’s Bakehouse

Wait, this is an article about ice cream, why are we mentioning Gideon’s Bakeshop? That’s because this Disney Springs hot spot has what they call “Hot Cookie Hour”. During these special one-hour time slots, Gideon’s sells their famous quarter-pound cookies hot out of the oven with a scoop of local ice cream on top. Hot ooey-gooey cookie plus ice cream… queue the sound of angels singing, my friend! Currently, there are two Hot Cookie Hours, the first being from 2:00 – 3:00, and the second being from 7:00 – 8:00. 

Vegan Ice Cream Options at Disney!

Aloha Isle

Did you know that the iconic Dole Whip is not only delicious, but it’s also vegan?! That means that there is no milk, no eggs, no honey, nothing from animals and is purely plant-based. Sweet! Literally. If you are sticking to a vegan diet, be sure to ask the Cast Members before consuming because we have seen flavors like Coconut appear that are NOT vegan friendly. 

Storybook Treats

Remember that vegan Dole Whip? It likes to appear in specialty cones and floats over at Storybook Treats! Our favorites have been the lemon Dole Whip Lost Princess cone, complete with edible flowers, the Peter Pan float with lime Dole Whip, and last but certainly not least, the Hei Hei cone made with raspberry and lemon Dole Whip swirled and topped with Hei Hei googly eyes and candy piece for his little chicken wattle. Though, be sure to remove the candy piece or ask for them to not include it since gelatin is not exactly vegan friendly…

Milk Stand

Yes! Attention all Star Wars fans! The blue and green milk at the milk stand in Galaxy’s Edge is, in fact, plant-based! While it’s not exactly ice cream, it’s not not ice cream either. It really is a weird, hard-to-describe texture that settles somewhere between a milkshake and slushy, but it is cold and refreshing, which is exactly what you need for an afternoon in Batuu. 

More Dole Whip

Swirls on Water

Now, we know what you’re thinking… Dole Whip is great, but can we get more artificial flavoring and food coloring? Swirls on the Water in Disney Springs has been churning out some interesting Dole Whip flavors and combinations that should be awful, but are honestly quite good.

Since it opened in 2022 we have seen flavors like Habanero, Purple Cheesecake, and a very blue Butter Cookie. The real winner here is the Dole Whip flight that you can get that includes 3 different cups of the latest Dole Whip concoctions, complete with garnishes for around $6! Winner, winner, Dole Whip for dinner! 

Pineapple Lanai

Attention all Disney fans that are 21 or older, Pineapple Lanai at the Polynesian Village Resort is your best place to get some boozy Dole Whip! Get your classic Pineapple Dole Whip with a rum floater and an umbrella and mozy on down to the sandy beach at the Polynesian. You can also get more fun Dole Whip floats in pineapple, lemon, and lime with umbrellas and sprinkles. Why is it that a tiny umbrella instantly feels more tropical than a plain old cup?

Sunshine Tree Terrace

Go and say hi to Orange Bird in Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom down at Sunshine Tree Terrace. While Aloha Isle is all about that classic Dole Whip with a couple of specials, Sunshine Tree Terrace is all about the specialty floats. Our favorite is the I Lava You float inspired by the Pixar short. This float has strawberry soda with passion fruit syrup, orange Dole Whip and popping candy. Sweet, sweet, sweet. Sometimes you need a Venelope-style sugar rush to get through those long park days. 

Tamu Tamu Refreshments

You will have to ask yourself “what kind of lion am I” when you visit Tamu Tamu Refreshments? Here there are 4 different types of Lion King inspired Dole Whip floats, 2 boozy and 2 non-alcoholic. Surprisingly, the Scar themed float was non-alcoholic! The other non-alcoholic float was inspired by Simba. Both the Lion’s Lair and King’s Cooler feature a healthy helping of rum.

Classic Ice Cream Sundaes at Disney World

Plaza Ice Cream Parlor

Go back in time to a simpler era with simple, classic ice cream sundaes done well. Simple flavors and simple toppings just go together so well on a great day. It’s an even better day if you are able to snag a table outside lining Main Street, so you can watch a parade or cavalcade go by. 

Gelateria Toscana

If you’re a bit of a food snob, but you also love ice cream, you need to visit the Gelateria Toscana in the Italy pavilion in EPCOT. Here you can get some basic classic gelato, or order up some complex ice cream dessert like “Affogato” al Cioccolato, which is rich hot chocolate poured over vanilla gelato served with a Pizzelle cookie. 

Haagen-Dazs Kiosk

This is the same ice cream you love at home, but now you can get it in a sundae with high quality hot fudge. Hey, if you are picky about your ice cream and really like this particular brand, head on over to Disney Springs and live your best life, my friend. We won’t judge, just know it’s not the most exciting place in town. 

Boardwalk Ice Cream

Make memories down at Disney’s Boardwalk with fun, seaside themed ice cream sundaes. There is something for everyone at this walk up ice cream stand, and then you can eat as you stroll down the way. 

Dinosaur Gertie’s Ice Cream of Extinction

Get your classic soft serve in a cup or a cone here at the famous location in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Just look for the big dinosaur on the lake!  This location also serves up Mickey Premium bars, but more on those later…

Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop

From the second you walk into the shop you know your hot fudge dreams are about to come true. The whole place smells like chocolate, which should come as a shock to no one since that is what Ghirardelli is famous for. This shop has a good selection of various sundaes to make your eyes get bigger than your stomach, most of them featuring some form of their famous chocolate. 

Anandapur Ice Cream Truck

Did your hometown ever have one of those ice cream trucks that served basic soft serve in 3 flavors? You know, the classic vanilla, chocolate, or twist? That’s what this truck is. You can get a basic cone or in a “sundae”, but let’s be real honest with ourselves. There is nothing fancy going on here, just something cold to make you stop sweating for 5 seconds. 

Milk Shakes

Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies

Come get a classic milkshake, or smoothie, or float over at Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies while you’re in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom. We always say to make a bet with someone in your party to a round of Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, loser buys milkshakes!

Hollywood Scoops

Enjoy the latest seasonal milkshake over in Hollywood Studios! For Summer 2022, we had the Key Lime Shake that has a key lime vanilla shake topped with a lemon-lime donut and garnished with graham cracker crumbs. We can’t wait for pumpkin spice season!

Vivoli il Gelato

You may think this place is all about the gelato ice cream and sundaes, but real talk, it’s all about the gelato milkshakes! Hands-down the best milkshake I have ever had in my life. It was like a spiritual experience and straight up ruined me for all other milkshakes. 

Disney World Ice Cream Carts!

Mickey Premium Bar, Mickey Ice Cream Sandwich, Olaf Frozen Fruit Bar

Every Disney World park and Disney Springs has multiple small ice cream carts selling some of those most iconic treats to Disney. I mean, come on, if you didn’t have a Mickey premium bar did you even go to Disney World?

Getting excited about an upcoming trip? Start your countdown with some Mickey Premium bars and Mickey ice cream sandwiches from your grocer’s freezer section!

What About Disney World Water Parks?

Walt Disney World has two water parks, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. Blizzard Beach remains closed for extensive refurbishment, but we still have Typhoon Lagoon. Summer may be coming to a close, but in Florida, it’s summer for a few more months! And what’s a day of summer sun without ice cream?

Happy Landings Ice Cream

If a trip to Walt Disney World hasn’t earned you Parent of the Year from your children, the Sand Pail will! Picture a literal sand pail filled with soft serve ice cream, waffle cone pieces, oreo cookie pieces, sprinkles, hot fudge, caramel sauce, whipped cream, and a cherry on top! The best part is when they’re all done, you have a sand pail to play with. Just be sure to wash it out first!

Leaning Palms

Don’t walk too fast past this quick-service restaurant. They not only serve milkshakes, they understood the tropical assignment. They serve both a tropical shake and a banana pudding milkshake. Yum!

Snack Shack

This is Disney, you have to have Dole Whip at the park! The Snack Shack is your Dole Whip location in Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon. Our beloved Hei Hei cone is still available for purchase here, as is the lime Dole Whip float and classic swirl cups. 

Want to get a little wild? Adults 21 and over can enjoy Dole Whip cocktails like the Habanero Lime Galley Shack Swirl which is a lime-mango Dole Whip swirl, El Jimador Silver Tequila, habanero-lime flavoring, Sprite and chili lime rum. 

What Brand of Ice Cream Does Disney World Use?

If you’re looking to recreate your favorite sundae from the parks, just go down the freezer aisle in your local grocery store for Edy’s Ice Cream! Most of the hard scooped ice cream is the common national chain brand thanks to a sponsorship between Edy’s and Walt Disney World. Though, it’s never quite the same… 

See our article on little ways to bring Disney World home here.