My family and I love to try different desserts, especially when we’re traveling—and Disneyland is one of our favorite places for a sweet treat. The Disneyland bakery team comes up with so many delicious, delectable desserts for different locations throughout the park that it can be hard to pick just one. I know that I cannot pick a single favorite so, instead, here are five of my favorite places for enjoying dessert at Disneyland Park.
Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe: Pineapple Upside-Down Bundt Cake
Ever since Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe opened on Main Street, it has become one of my favorite places in the park to visit for so many reasons. Jolly Holiday, along with its “regular” food menu, offers some of the best treats resort-wide. With an ever-changing assortment of desserts and pastries, Jolly Holiday is a one-stop shop for desserts. They have everything from muffins and cakes to éclairs, pies and cheesecake, to simple Mickey Mouse cookies. The desserts here change quite often and Jolly Holiday always has holiday-specific items, as well. However, right now, my favorite thing from Jolly Holiday is the Pineapple Upside-Down Bundt Cake—it is absolutely amazing and a perfect summer treat.
Desserts from Jolly Holiday Bakery & Cafe. Photo by Megan Walker.
Tiki Juice Bar: Dole Whip
Of course, the famous Dole Pineapple Whip is going to make this list! I make it a point to pick up this tasty and refreshing treat every time I visit Disneyland, because it’s simply the best. I used to solely get the whip itself but after trying the Dole Whip Float a couple trips ago, I’ll never go back to just a whip. The combination of whip with pineapple juice is too good to pass up. I try to get my Dole Whip before heading into the Enchanted Tiki Room so I can enjoy it during the show. Nothing beats indulging in a cool, refreshing Dole Whip Float all while enjoying the air conditioning and the fun in the Tiki Room (especially on a hot summer day).
The Plaza Inn: Strawberry Shortcake
The strawberry shortcake at the Plaza Inn is by far one of my favorite treats from the entire Disneyland Resort. Made with fresh strawberries and cream on an even fresher-tasting and fluffy cake, the strawberry shortcake from Plaza Inn is absolutely delicious and a must-have for me on trips to Disneyland. It’s a pretty decent sized dessert so it can absolutely be shared, as well—if you’re willing, that is! It can be incredibly hard to get on busy summer nights with just about everyone in the restaurant looking for a plate of it, but if you manage to get your hands on one, you won’t regret it.
Strawberry Shortcake from Plaza Inn. Photo by Megan Walker.
Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor: Ice Cream Cones
No trip to Disneyland would be complete without a scoop of good old-fashioned ice cream from the Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor, located right in the middle of Main Street. There’s something so nostalgic about this place that makes it somewhere I have to stop when I’m at Disneyland. I love the look and feel of the old-time ice cream parlor, and it makes for a perfect treat while you wait for a parade or fireworks along Main Street.
Holiday Treats
For each holiday and other special event at the resort, the bakery team comes up with new and unique limited-time offering dessert items. Christmas, Halloween, Chinese New Year—you name it, they have a special dessert for it, and they are all delicious. I can honestly say I haven’t had one of their special-event desserts and hated it, I have generally liked them all. So much so, that it’s actually frustratingly so due to the fact that they aren’t permanent fixtures on the menus. The best part of these special desserts are that the chefs incorporate the ingredients from the season into almost every offering; there are lots of pumpkin options in the fall, and the winter brings treats full of cinnamon and peppermint. A few highlights for me are the pumpkin cheesecake and pie during Halloween time, and the fresh gingerbread cookies, and Yule Logs during the winter holiday season.
Halloween treats include this caramel apple cupcake with pumpkin mousse on top, featuring Donald Duck. Photo by Megan Walker.
If you haven’t “eaten your way through Disneyland” yet in terms of desserts, you’re missing out. Next time you’re in the park, try a dessert or two, and you’ll know what I’m talking about. Sure, they might not be the healthiest foods out there—but you only live once, and it’s Disneyland, after all—so indulge and have fun (and you can always walk it off).
