What's the Deal with Dole Whips?
Read on to find out where you can get Dole whip inside and OUTSIDE of Disney parks.
If you talk to almost any die-hard Disney snack fan, it won't be long before a certain Disney snack enters the conversation - the Dole whip. The Dole whip is soft serve frozen pineapple sorbet, and is a refreshing treat on a hot tropical Florida day.
When I think of Florida, though, I think oranges. So how did the Dole whip become a staple of Walt Disney World? The history is that in the late seventies, Dole took on the sponsorship of the Enchanted Tiki room. The Dole whip was designed initially specifically for the Disney parks and no other place. By the mid-eighties, the Dole whip was being sold at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, and the rest is history.
Dole whip is served four ways at Disney parks:
Classic - just Dole whip soft-serve pineapple sorbet in a dish
Twist - Dole whip and vanilla soft-serve swirled in a dish
Float - Dole whip floating on pineapple juice in a tall glass (my personal favorite)
Dole whip float with rum (sometimes called Captain's Pineapple) - sometimes found where Dole whip floats are served. Amazing and life-changing, but not available at all locations.
So, where can one get this lovely treat?
It used to be that at Walt Disney World, one could only find the Dole whip at Aloha Isle in the Magic Kingdom, or at the Polynesian Village Resort. However, that has changed in recent years with more locations selling the treat. They are...
At Walt Disney World:
Aloha Isle - Adventureland - Magic Kingdom
Tamu Tamu Refreshments - Harambe - Animal Kingdom
Marketplace Snacks - Disney Springs
Pineapple Lanai - Disney's Polynesian Village Resort
Trader Sam's Grog Grotto & Tiki Terrace - Disney's Polynesian Village Resort *
The Drop Off - Disney's Art of Animation Resort
*Trader Sam's Grog Grotto and Tiki Terrace serve ONLY the alcoholic float version called a "Spikey Pineapple".
Also, during the International Flower & Garden Festival and the Food & Wine Festival, additional Dole whips might be served (some with booze!) at EPCOT.
At Disneyland:
The Tiki Juice Bar - Disneyland Park
You can also find a Dole whip flavored donut at Disneyland's Donut Cart on Main Street.
So, you've had your Dole whip at Disney, and now you're home...
The good news is, the Dole whip is no longer exclusive to Disney Parks. In fact, inspiration for this post came from an evening visit to Menchie's Frozen Yogurt in my hometown where we saw a sign for Dole whip lime. We stopped in, and not only did they have the lime flavor, but the real, honest to goodness, pineapple flavor.
After doing a little more research, I've learned the pineapple Dole whip is also widely available at Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt.
Not near a Menchie's or Orange Leaf? Dole has a page dedicated to where Dole whips are currently sold and it is linked here. Scroll to the bottom of the linked page to see them. While many of these are theme parks in other parts of the country, if you are close to one and love the Dole whip as much as I do, you are in luck.
Enjoy your Dole whips and until next time... see you real soon!
