When you think of Walt Disney World, you probably think of Space Mountain, Cinderella's castle—and, quite possibly, small children going from ecstatic to meltdown mode in five seconds flat, for any one of a number of reasons (they want to ride Dumbo nooow, they lost their grip on their Mickey balloon, their socks are itchy).
But, what you're totally overlooking is the insane food scene at Disney's amusement parks. Specifically, its Halloween food scene.
The kingdom that Walt built goes all out for the holiday, turning everyday sweets into can't-be-missed, Instagram-worthy desserts. Throughout the year, pastry chefs at the theme parks and Disney-owned resorts test out ways to translate Disney's most memorable moments, characters and events (like Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party) into treats.
Those Cutesy Desserts Are Serious Business.
Depending on how ambitious the design is, it can take anywhere from two weeks to several months to develop a new menu item, says Rachel Brent, food and beverage marketing communications coordinator for Disney Parks and Resorts. Sometimes, the pastry concept chef will create mockups of the designs first, or the dessert itself won't be the focus so much as the cup it's served in, like this year's Poison Apple Steins, which the parks' novelty team designs. (In case you're curious, you can have them filled with frozen or hot drinks—or a hot fudge sundae, if you buy one from Plaza Ice Cream Lounge at Magic Kingdom in Orlando, FL.)
The Disney teams also have to consider what sells the best at its various parks. On the west coast of the U.S., where Disneyland's located, visitors love all things pumpkin, so the park is the place to go to try pumpkin cheesecakes, beignets, muffins and cupcakes. On the east coast, guests go crazy for elaborately decorated desserts, like the spider, ghost and monster-topped cupcakes sold at Main Street Bakery during Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom.
The Evil Queen Sells the Best Apples.
Some of the most stunning desserts don't even require paying the cost of admission. Just about 10 minutes east of Epcot is Disney Springs, the shopping plaza formerly known as Downtown Disney, which is home to a number of buzzed-about restaurants and cafés, like Erin McKenna's Bakery NYC and the Indiana Jones-themed Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar. The one that doesn't get enough attention, though, is Candy Cauldron—a Snow White-themed sweets shop that specializes in Disney-fied caramel and candy apples.
Apples decorated like Mickey and Minnie Mouse tend to be the most popular, a Disney Springs representative said, and they're served year-round, though Halloween marks the return of a few seasonally appropriate characters, like a grinning purple Chesire Cat and a horned apple representing Sleeping Beauty's nemesis, Maleficent. While you can find the apples at multiple shops throughout Disney Springs, the best place to find a wide range of them is Candy Cauldron.
You Won't Find Elsa Here.
Despite the current trend of reimagining everything from sloths to hot dogs into Disney princesses, that's one area Disney hasn't dipped its apples into—yet. "It's really important to us to be able to have a finished product that honors the character it represents, so we're really picky," says Darcy Clark, marketing manager at Disney Springs.
Disney's chefs take finding the right likeness very seriously. The team consults with Walt Disney Imagineers and Disney Character Artists to ensure every dessert stays true to the characters. Once a design is approved, they have to break it down into easy-to-follow production steps, so that employees of every skill level can recreate the designs (that way your kid won't get a lopsided blob that's vaguely Mickey-esque, causing said child to erupt into tears).
It makes sense that round, cartoony characters would be easier to translate into caramel apples than, say, a svelte leading lady—even if she is CGI. Frozen fans can find Olaf, but no Elsa; they can get Cinderella's carriage, but no blonde maiden all decked out for the ball.
Even Candy Corn Gets the Disney Treatment.
Since Disney doesn't believe in doing anything halfway, even the most quintessential Halloween candy of all, candy corn, isn't mere candy corn. It's reimagined in three key ways: as fluffy orbs of cotton candy (featuring three tiers of flavor: orange, piña colada and original) sold throughout the Magic Kingdom; as layers of fruit- and vanilla-flavored mousse that's served in push-pop containers at Sunshine Seasons in Epcot; and as a swirled soft-serve, garnished with candy corn pieces, at Storybrook Treats at Magic Kingdom.
Certain Shops Are Known For Having the Best Sweets.
When it comes to touring Walt Disney World, the food and drink options can be overwhelming, so we asked Brent for her recommendations on the can't-miss places to visit for Halloween sweets:
- If you're visiting Magic Kingdom ... Make a beeline for Main Street Bakery, which is known for its Halloween-inspired cupcakes, cookies and cake pops.
- If you're going to Epcot ... Head to Norway Pavilion for a Spooky Olaf brownie that's shaped like a ghost (it's only available the week of Halloween though), then to the Germany Pavilion for chocolate-covered marshmallows at Karamell-Kuche.
- If you're visiting Disney's Hollywood Studios ... Go to the Starring Rolls Café for specialty cupcakes in a range of flavors and designs. If you're visiting after Halloween, hunt down a Holiday Harvest Pumpkin Cupcake—it's topped with a chocolate Mickey Mouse face—and is only available Nov. 2 to 30.
- If you're headed to Disney's Animal Kingdom ... Grab a bat cupcake from Kusafiri Bakery, then a mini-pumpkin muffin from the buffet at Tusker House Restaurant. (You can only get these on Halloween though.)
- If you're in Disney Springs ... Run, don't walk, to Candy Cauldron. Then spend at least half an hour debating which caramel apples to buy. Or cake pops. Or one of each.
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