I Tried Disney World's NEW 🍦Ice Cream Shop🍦
Does Salt & Straw have a chance against Disney World's top-rated dessert spots? Here's my first-timer thoughts.
As someone who lives pretty close to Disney World, I don’t get to go as much as I would like. Maybe it’s the 9-month-old keeping me home, perhaps it’s the traffic on I-4, or maybe it’s an accumulation of all the above and more…BUT, thanks to the gift of grandparents, I was finally able to make my way over to Disney Springs this weekend to try a spot that I’ve been wanting to try for MONTHS.
That’s right, we’re headed to Disney World’s newest ice cream shop — Salt & Straw!
Salt & Straw is a unique “neighborhood scoop shop” that is located in 7 different states, with the Disney Springs location being the only one in Florida. It took up residence in Downtown Disney at Disneyland way back in 2001 and, in 2022, we Disney World lovers finally had our wish granted. Salt & Straw opened in April and has been serving up some seriously wild flavors ever since.
Here you can find year-round flavors like Strawberry Honey Balsamic with Black Pepper and Panther Coffee Chocolate Tres Leches, plus there’s also a monthly rotating menu of limited edition flavors. November is The Thanksgiving Series and I simply couldn’t resist!
But, why get one when you can try three? I ordered kid-sized scoops of the Parker House Rolls with Salted Buttercream, the Pumpkin & Gingersnap Pie, and the Chocolate Gooey Brownie.
Let’s talk about them in order of my least favorite to favorite of the bunch.
Coming in at the bottom is the Chocolate Gooey Brownie — not because it wasn’t good, it just didn’t stand a chance against the seasonal flavors.
It is made with Salt & Straw’s intensely chocolate-y brownie batter folded into their housemade marshmallow fluff. This flavor is available year-round and is definitely one to reach for if you’re a big fan of chocolate. It has a chocolate ice cream base and there are large chunks of gooey brownie pieces all throughout. And — trust me — those brownie pieces are just the right amount of under-cooked!
Next on my list is the Parker House Rolls with Salted Buttercream. It is made with buttery, toasted rolls glazed with salted buttercream churned into sweet cream ice cream.
This was the most “vanilla” of the ones I tried but had the perfect amount of sweetness to it. I can’t say that it necessarily tasted exactly like I was eating bread in ice cream form, but I’d definitely get this one again! If you have a picky eater with you, this is probably the tamest seasonal option.
And, coming in on top is the Pumpkin & Gingersnap Pie. It has pumpkin pie and coconut cream, crumbled with a sugared crust and molasses-spiked gingersnap. The gingersnap was the most dominant flavor, but the pumpkin was close behind. I’m pretty much convinced that if Christmas and Fall had a taste, this would be it!
All in all, I think that Salt & Straw fits right into the massive dessert scene that has formed at Disney Springs and it certainly is delicious if you’re willing to try the wacky flavors! It’s probably not the place to head if you’re looking for a classic ice cream dish (go to Ghiradelli for that!), but it outranks other spots like Swirls On The Water and Marketplace Snacks for me.
Do you agree? Give it a try and tell me what you thought in the comments!
Other Disney news
Disney revealed all of the new treats that are coming to Magic Kingdom for the holidays. Most of them will only be available during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (which is an additional cost), but a few are all-day offerings. See the full list here.
Starbucks holiday drinks are officially back! You can get any of the returning drinks at all the Starbucks locations across Disney World (and Disneyland) now.
We’ve got a 🎅 GINGERBREAD DISPLAY 🎅 update! They’ll return to:
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa on Nov. 9
Disney’s Beach Club in November
Disney’s BoardWalk Inn on Nov. 17
Disney’s Contemporary Resort on Nov. 11
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge on Nov. 23
The American Adventure at EPCOT on Nov. 25
**Don’t forget that you can buy gingerbread treats and more at all the resorts where displays are located! See the full list of treats coming to each location here.
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Disney merchandise roundup
Note that the following may contain affiliate links. This means I will receive a small commission on any items you purchase at no cost to you. I so appreciate it when you shop through my links so that I can keep this newsletter free to readers!
If you’re a Disney+ subscriber, today is the last day to shop select Marvel, Star Wars, Lightyear, and Frozen merchandise with early access. You can see all the special access merchandise here — just remember to log in using your Disney+ email address to purchase.
Disney’s new Holiday Starbucks Tumbler is now available online. You can get it here.
More holiday Minnie Ears arrived online! Get the Toy Story Ornament Ears here and the super fuzzy Sherpa Minnie Ears here.
I thought that this Mickey & Friends Crockpot was super adorable and would certainly make me smile when I’m forced to get up early to start the holiday meal.
That’s a wrap for this week! If you want to obsess over the latest Disney happenings contact me at followthemagicnewsletter@gmail.com, @followthemagic_ on Instagram and Twitter, or leave a comment!
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