Menu Monday: A Tribute to the Dole Whip

It’s fresh and creamy, it’s cold and sweet, it’s literally paradise in a cup. It’s a Dole Whip! If you haven’t heard, this treat is as popular as some characters and attractions at Disney World and has the long lines to prove it. For those of you who haven’t sampled this famous Disney treat; and for those of you, like myself, who are craving one right now, check out this Tribute to the Dole Whip!

So what is a Dole Whip? A Dole Whip is pineapple-flavored soft-serve and the perfect blend of sweet and tang; but I must warn you, it’s addictive! In fact, during one of my trips to the Magic Kingdom last year, I waited in a thirty minute line for a Dole Whip and even got a sunburn in the process. But hey, I have no regrets. It was totally worth it!

Unlike other popular sweet treats at Disney World, like Mickey Premium Bars or cupcakes, Dole Whips can’t be found just everywhere. For many years, Captain Cook’s at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Aloha Isle in Adventureland at the Magic Kingdom were the only locations where this snack was offered.

Fortunately, it seems that Disney has taken pity on us Dole Whip-crazed guests, and I’m glad to report that there are now more places than ever to enjoy a Dole Whip while at the Walt Disney World Resort. Let’s take a look at a few of the old, as well as the new, shall we?

Aloha Isle

This small, unassuming stand can be found just across the way from the Swiss Family Treehouse. It often has long lines branching out from either side throughout the day, and probably with me in one! Aloha Isle offers Dole Whip soft-serve in either pineapple, vanilla, or orange for $3.99, or a Dole Whip Twist Cup of any two of those flavors for the same price. My personal favorite is the Dole Whip Float. It’s your choice of soft-serve in a cup of fresh, delicious pineapple juice for $4.99. For me, it’s the only way to enjoy a Dole Whip! Also, each of the Dole Whip items on Aloha Isle’s menu count as Snack Credits if you happen to be using the Disney Dining Plan.

Tamu Tamu Refreshments

I’m so excited about this. Animal Kingdom now has Dole Whips! Tamu Tamu Refreshments in Harambe Village at Disney’s Animal Kingdom park currently has pineapple soft-serve listed on their menu for $3.99 or a Dining Plan Snack Credit. I don’t know about you, but anything cold and refreshing is what I crave after a long, hot day at Animal Kingdom. Tamu Tamu Refreshments is also offering their pineapple soft-serve with either Dark or Coconut Rum for $6.25. Has anyone sampled the tropical treat from Animal Kingdom? Is it the same as the Dole Whip we all know and love?

Sunshine Tree Terrace

This Adventureland destination has been famous for years due to its signature refreshment, the Citrus Swirl, a cousin of the Dole Whip. A Citrus Swirl is orange slush with vanilla soft-serve ice cream for $3.79. Sunshine Tree Terrace is also famous for the cute and nostalgic Orange Bird! When you walk up to order, be sure to keep an eye out for him behind the counter. While there are fans of the Citrus Swirl, Sunshine Tree Terrace still has never quite lived up to the fame of Aloha Isle; but there’s a change in the wind in Adventureland these days. The change is that pineapple soft-serve and a pineapple float have recently made the menu at Sunshine Tree Terrace with the same prices and options available at Aloha Isle. Hopefully offering pineapple goodness here will mean shorter lines in Adventureland for a Dole Whip fix, but we’ll just have to see.

Pineapple Lanai

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort had long been famous for its self-serve Dole Whip machine at Captain Cook’s; however, the resort, as well as Captain Cook’s, have been renovated and recently reopened with a fresh, new look and a few changes. One of those changes, I’m  sad to say, is that there is no self-serve machine anymore. I got over the news quickly, and I think you will too, when you hear about Pineapple Lanai! Yes, Pineapple Lanai is a special counter and seating area serving up Dole Whips and Dole Whip Floats, a perfect complement to the Polynesian theme. The prices are what you will find at the parks, with a cup for $3.99 and a float for $4.99 or each for a Disney Dining Plan Snack Credit. Although the only flavors offered here are pineapple, vanilla, or a twist of both, Pineapple Lanai does offer something the parks don’t: a Souvenir Tiki Bowl or a Souvenir Tiki Sipper in which to enjoy your frosty treat at $8.79 and $9.99, respectively.

Make Your Own

But what do you do if you’re not near Walt Disney World and you’re experiencing that all too familiar craving for a Dole Whip, or maybe after reading this post you just can’t wait to try one for yourself? Well, now you can make your own at home! United Enterprises Corp. sells the same mix used at Disney World for $24.95 per bag which yields 70 half-cup servings. I have yet to try the mix myself, but from what I’ve heard from other Dole Whip fans, it’s delicious! Once you add water to your mix and let it refrigerate, the mixture can then be put into an ice cream maker. The consensus is that the texture isn’t quite the same as you would get with a soft serve machine, but the taste is that iconic Dole Whip flavor and it isn’t that the most important? If you’re like me and are bent on making a float with your Dole Whip, just add a can of fresh Dole Pineapple Juice and you’re in business.

Vegan Friendly

Just in case you needed another reason to want a Dole Whip, all of the fruit flavors contain no dairy and are Vegan friendly! Seriously, how can you beat a lactose and gluten free sweet snack? It’s a treat that everyone can enjoy and is a whole lot better for you in the long run.

Merchandise

Dole Whip and Aloha Isle merchandise has been seen around the parks in recent years. I’ve been known to sport a Dole Whip t-shirt that I found at the Magic Kingdom a year or two ago, and recently I saw a Aloha Isle sign at the Art of Disney Store in Downtown Disney. When Downtown Disney’s Marketplace Co-Op opened this past summer, Dole Whip enthusiasts saw a few more inspired items, such as Dole Whips included on the design for Adventureland dishes and pillows and a ceramic Dole Whip keepsake box.

Other Locations

While this tribute focuses on the Dole Whips of Disney World, Dole Whips are available at other Disney Resort locations such Disney’s Aulani at the Aulani Lava Shack and Disneyland’s Magic Kingdom. Honestly, I’m kind of jealous of Disneyland’s Dole Whips because I hear they come served with a cherry and umbrella! Also, annual Epcot events, like the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival, has been offering Dole Whips at special snack booths for the past few years too.

So are you a Dole Whip fan? Do you prefer just the soft-serve or a float? Are you one of those, like myself, who has waited in a thirty minute line for this iconic treat?