It was a simple plan: two Disney fans, two days, and a seemingly endless amount of Halloween-themed edible treats. What you are about to read is a taste test of spooky proportions. Seriously, there are so many options for seasonal comestibles at the Disneyland Resort in California that, even split between the two of us, we actually couldn’t try everything available. Here is what we thought about we did have the chance to sample.
The Mickey-shaped Pumpkin Beignets (US$4.19 for 3; US$7.19 for 6) are available at the French Market and Cafe Orleans in Disneyland.
Natalie said: This batch had a lot more pumpkin flavor than I remember last year’s having. These also had a defined molasses aftertaste, which wasn’t a bad thing. The pastry as a whole was a lot flatter than the ones you find at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen in the Downtown Disney District.
Rio said: You can smell the amazing pumpkin smell before you even open the bag! They have a decently strong pumpkin taste. They’re definitely thin, and are about the thickness of a pancake.
The Coffin Cake (US$5.39 each) can be found at The French Market in Disneyland. It is a cookies and cream mousse atop a chocolate sponge cake “crust” with chocolate cookie crumbs on top.
Natalie said: I love how light this dessert feels on your tongue. Despite the fact that drizzle is now chocolate rather than last year’s raspberry, this is still my favorite of the Halloweentime desserts.
Rio said: I definitely loved this, and loved how light of a dessert it was. The frosting tastes great with the cake, but by itself it almost had a weird dye-tasting flavor, so I don’t suggest taking a big scoop of frosting and eating it by itself. I love the Sixlet-like candy balls on top as part of the decoration. These are always a big plus for me on the Disney desserts, and the white chocolate Sally portrait is a great finisher for the piece.
The Mickey Bat Cookie ($3.79) can be found in numerous locations around the parks including Fiddler, Fifer, and Practical’s Cafe in Disney’s California Adventure. It’s a shortbread-style cookie with a chocolate top that was drizzled with orange icing design, and a white chocolate Mickey face.
Rio said: I love shortbread cookies, but this one was a shock to me. It was a pretty bland flavor, and definitely not sweet in the slightest. It’s very hard to taste the frosting, which is like a hard coating on top, so you mostly taste the cookie. If you’re watching your sugar, this is probably a good suggestion, but don’t quote me on that.
The Raspberry Magnolia Lemonade ($6.29) could be purchased at the Mint Julep Bar in Disneyland. The concoction contained lemonade, sprite, raspberry syrup and elderflower syrup. Each drink came with a standard glow cube or a Jack Skellington one could be added for an additional US$4.
Natalie said: This was so refreshing! It wasn’t overly bubbly or too sweet. On the whole, it was perfect for a humid day in the parks. The raspberry and mint garnish was also a cute touch.
Rio said: Delicious!! You can get the light flowery taste with the wonderful fruitiness of the raspberry and lemonade. It has a great feeling on your tongue, almost like when you’re drinking a Cherry 7-Up.
A huge bonus for Rio (who is a huge Maleficent fan) was that you can also get this amazing lemonade in a Maleficent dragon glass which is cooler than cool. It’s around US$16 if you get it with the lemonade, but is US$10 and change if purchased with a fountain drink.
The Pumpkin Spice Latte (US$5.19 for large; regular is also sold) was available at Jolly Holiday Bakery and Mint Julep Bar in Disneyland. The drink can be served hot or over ice.
Natalie said: I got mine over ice. It was quite a bit more milky than other Pumpkin Spice Lattes I have had, which I found I preferred. It seemed to be reminiscent of chai.
Rio said: You can definitely taste the ‘coffee’ taste of the latte, but it has a nice creamy pumpkin spice flavor that I really enjoyed. Very nice on a hot day when you need that extra boost.
The Pumpkin Muffin (US$2.99) can be found several locations including Disneyland’s Jolly Holiday Bakery. It looks like a regular muffin with a crumbly topping and a dollop of cream cheese frosting on top. The muffin has a light pumpkin flavor, and has raisins baked into it.
Rio said: The description pretty much says it all. I thought this would be pretty good, but the raisins really throw it off. The pumpkin flavor is pretty light, and I’d have to say the crumbly top and cream cheese were the best part for me.
The Pumpkin Mickey Cupcake (US$5.99) can be be found at Disneyland’s Jolly Holliday Bakery. The cake resembles a pumpkin muffin with a top of rich buttercream frosting, decorated with edible gold flecks and chocolate pieces.
Natalie said: The cake portion was stuffed full with giant golden raisins, of which I am personally not a fan. I did not enjoy this one. The frosting wasn’t much to speak of, either.
Rio said: It was alright, but it tastes pretty much exactly like the pumpkin muffin. If you don’t like raisins, steer clear of this one. Not only are there many raisins, they’re HUGE! Natalie didn’t like the frosting, but I ate probably more of it than I should have.
The Ursula Cupcake (US$5.99) can be purchased at various locations in Disney California Adventure, including Fiddler, Fifer, and Practical’s Cafe on Buena Vista Street. It is a chocolate cake with a whipped cream-like frosting.
Natalie said: The cake was pretty standard for the Disney Parks. It was moist but not too filling. I would have liked it to have had a stronger chocolate flavor.
Rio said: The frosting was mousse-like, somewhat like fresh whipped cream. The cake was dense, but very moist and the frosting was very light, so it was a nice combo. The pearls reminded me of Sixlets, like I previously mentioned with the Coffin Cake.
The Pumpkin Fudge (US$4.39) can be purchased at either Disneyland’s Candy Palace or Trolley Treats in Disney’s California Adventure. It’s a normal fudge, but with a very strong pumpkin flavor.
Rio said: It has a very good creamy texture, with a raw pumpkin style taste. It was very rich, but very delicious for those who love the taste of pumpkin, and not just pumpkin spice.
The Pumpkin Cheesecake (US$5.39) can be purchased at Disneyland’s French Market. It’s a very creamy cheesecake with a pumpkin flavor and chocolate drizzle as decoration.
Rio said: It was a very nice cream texture that I really liked for my cheesecake, and it had a very nice pumpkin flavor. The frosting didn’t leave a real impression on me, but the cheesecake itself is very worthwhile. I enjoyed this one a lot.
The Caramel Apple Smoothie (US$5.29) can be purchased at Schmoozies in Disney’s California Adventure. You’ll definitely need to like the taste of apple for this one, but if you do this is the perfect refreshing beverage for you. It’s topped with a drizzle of caramel on top as well.
Rio said: This was delicious!! I was so excited to try this one, and it was a must have for me. It’s very sweet, so if you’re having a sweet attack, but you’re not terribly hungry, this would be a great idea. If we didn’t have so many things to try, this is one I would have gone back for a second serving.
We may have potentially gained several pounds and more than one cavity but it was definitely worth it to have such a fun two days. The whirlwind tasting tour was definitely one that won’t be escaping our memory anytime soon. Hopefully our escapades will aid you in choosing what treats you plan to enjoy on your next Dis