Love Disney World Dole Whips? Getting your hands on the popular soft-serve treat just got easier
Disney Dole Whip fans rejoice: There's a brand new kiosk at Walt Disney World's (WDW) Disney Springs, and lovers of the sweet fruity treat will now be able to access the fan-favorite dessert item without buying a park ticket or visiting a WDW resort.
Swirls on the Water, a new food kiosk WDW describes as "the ultimate Dole Whip destination," officially opens March 15 at Disney Springs, the resort's shopping and dining district. On the menu, Dole Whip lovers will find swirls of familiar pineapple and vanilla soft-serve alongside some more unique combinations.
"We wanted to offer guests the classic Dole Whips, but add a bit more to that," Mike Reitzler, executive chef at Disney Springs, ESPN Wide World of Sports and WDW water parks and mini golf tells Yahoo Lifestyle. "If guests want their classic pineapple and vanilla, we've got that, but if you want to try something new, we have a lime and habanero flavor or a variety [celebrating WDW's 50th anniversary] with lemon and blue butter cookie."
Swirls will also be home to the first-ever Dole Whip flight, a trio of beautifully-topped Dole Whips, and menu items like Dole Whip sangria, a Dole Whip float, Dole Whip "nachos" and a cone topped with iridescent sprinkles and a Mickey Mouse candy topper.
The menu will rotate seasonally, says Reitzler.
"Some flavors we've done in the past, we'll be looking to bring back," he says. "Last year, we introduced watermelon and it proved very popular so we want to bring it back this year. Our goal is to change seasonally, with any holidays coming up and also [in ways that incorporate] any sort of Disney characters if something were to release on Disney+ or in theaters."
"We'll always have the pineapple and vanilla, that will be our standard," Reitzler adds, "But it's also about introducing new flavors and keeping things fresh and interesting throughout the year."
Dole Whips — fruit-flavored soft serve frozen treats — first made an appearance in Disney theme parks in 1984, when pineapple-flavored Dole Whips hit menus at Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World. Nearly 40 years later, the colorful fruity desserts continue to evolve and delight park-goers.
"I've been with Disney for a long time and we've seen through the years that our guests really have an affinity for and enjoy Dole Whips," says Reitzler, "whether it be classic flavors like pineapple and orange or something more. People seek those out and it's something they look forward to."
"Whether they're locals or guests that travel here each year, they're always looking for that Dole Whip fix," he adds. "Like, 'It's not really a Disney vacation until I get my Dole Whip.' We really wanted to take that concept and say, 'How can we improve upon this?'"
While some kiosks have sold Dole Whips in the past at Disney Springs, Swirls on the Water will be the first food kiosk at the destination dedicated to Dole Whips, making it the perfect place for Disney fans who don't have a theme park ticket to get their hands on the frozen goodness: While resorts like Disney's Polynesian Village Resort and more difficult-to-access public locations like Disney's BoardWalk also sell Dole Whips, such locations can be tough to get into without a dining reservation on the property. Swirls on the Water will make it easier for Dole Whip fans to satisfy their cravings.
"At the different resorts there are Dole Whip offerings but outside of resorts we're probably it," says Reitzler. "Everywhere else is in the parks."
Swirls on the Water officially opens March 15 at Disney Springs in the kiosk that formerly housed crepe kiosk AristoCrepes.
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