After a long day of rides, even the most conscientious eater would agree that nothing hits the spot quite like a one-of-a-kind theme park snack. And in fact, over the years, some parks have developed signature sweet treats and savory sides that have become legendary must-haves; essential elements of any visit!
Today we’ll take a cross-country tour to sample the special snacks that transcend generations and become part of a park’s personality. From accidental anomalies to treats designed through extensive testing to fit into ultra-immersive lands, these must-try extras are fan favorites for a reason. How many have you tried? Which of these 15 snacks are must-haves, or signature treats that complete your visit? Which other snacks belong on our list?
1. Blue ice cream
Location: Kings Island (Cincinnati, Ohio)
When Kings Island opened in 1972 – just a year after Walt Disney World – it was Taft Broadcasting’s take on the modern Magic Kingdom formula (including hub-and-spokes lands radiating out from a central icon). The park originally featured Hanna-Barbera’s cavalcade of cartoon characters (think The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Yogi Bear, and Scooby-Doo) and, in 1982, debuted the beloved “Smurf Cone” – a tantalizing swirl of blueberry-flavored ice cream. The sweet treat was removed from the menu in 1992 before fan backlash quickly restored the blue snack, and it’s remained a family tradition ever since!
Though other Cedar Fair parks have experimented with the unusually-tinted cones, Kings Island’s “blue ice cream” is the kind of generation-spanning tradition that just can’t be forced. The treat (and its original Smurf Cone name) has become the subject of Cincinnati t-shirts, Facebook groups, and more, inspiring spin-off treats like blue ice cream fudge, blue ice cream cotton candy, and (the pièce de résistance!) blue ice cream hot chocolate at the park’s annual Winterfest.
2. Cinnamon bread
Location: Dollywood (Pigeon Forge, Tennessee)
Dollywood is a park all about tradition. Its Craftsmen’s Valley area isn’t just an authentic recreation of a late 1800s Appalachian village – it’s a living showcase of real craftspeople demonstrating the daily life of the people of the Great Smoky Mountains at the turn of the last century. Candlemakers dip and carve the wax before your eyes; leatherworkers trim and sew wallets and belts to order; woodcarvers, potters, and blacksmiths show their skills… You may even catch the creation of real apple butter right out on the paths of the park.
There’s no better place to see the park’s authenticity and sincerity than in its signature cinnamon bread. The smell of sugar, butter, and cinnamon wafts from the Grist Mill where the pull-apart bread originates. Piping hot and served with apple butter or icing, it’s a world-class treat that makes any visit to Dollywood complete.
3. Gator nuggets
Location: Gatorland (Orlando, Florida)
Located just a short drive from the hustle and bustle of Orlando is the Roadside Wonder: Gatorland; an astounding animal adventure park only Florida could produce. Evolved from its origins as a mid-century tourist trap, Gatorland today is a full-fledged theme park in its own right, fusing the natural wonders of a nature conservation park with the thrill of Florida’s oldest residents. No, not them… alligators!
The park’s most famous snack is probably also its strangest: “gator nuggets” served at Pearl’s Good Eats. Those brave enough to try the curious reptilian snack report that (you guessed it) they taste like chicken (also a reptile, technically), albeit with a salty or fishy twist. It’s certainly a snack you can be proud to have experienced. And no, the park does not use their own alligators.
4. Beste Brezeln
Location: Busch Gardens Williamsburg (Williamsburg, Virginia)
Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Virginia brings to life “the old country” in themed lands representing England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Canada, Italy, and Germany. Naturally, entertainment and food are as much an attraction as any roller coaster, with authentic options in each of the park’s villages.
But one of the best must be in Germany where the warm, baked smell of “Beste Brezeln und Bier” (that’s “Best Pretzels and Beer”) wafts through Oktoberfest. There, hand-made pretzels are twisted into classic shapes, slices into nuggets, served with pizza toppings, or coated in brown sugar and cinnamon. Beer cheese, spicy mustard, nacho cheese, and sweet cream cheese icing are available as dipping sauces. It’s just one of the park’s many tasty European-inspired treats.
5. Dole Whip
Location: Disneyland (Anaheim, California)
When the Modern Marvel: The Enchanted Tiki Room opened at Disneyland in 1963, it was the first-ever application of Disney’s patented Audio-Animatronics, inviting guests into a South Seas singalong performed by birds, flowers, and tikis. After the Dole Food Company took over sponsorship of the attraction, the Dole Whip debuted. Sold from a thatch-roofed hut accessible from both Adventureland and the Tiki Room’s pre-show lanai patio, the vegan pineapple-flavored soft-serve frozen treat became a Disneyland cult classic.
In late 2018, a rare bit of underutilized property between the Tiki Room and the rivers of the Jungle Cruise was ingeniously adapted as the Tropical Hideaway, a Polynesian patio mixing the mythos of the two neighboring attractions with the story of S.E.A. and a rare animatronic outside of rides. The perfect place to relax with a Dole Whip, the eclectic patio also added some sought-after spin-offs of the snack, including a float (with pineapple juice, above), raspberry and orange swirl variations and “loaded” versions topped with spices and fruits.
Don’t worry… Disney World isn’t without its own tropical treat! Read on…
6. Citrus Swirl
Location: Magic Kingdom (Orlando, Florida)
When Magic Kingdom opened, its Enchanted Tiki Room and the adjoining Sunshine Tree Terrace were sponsored by the Florida Citrus Growers (a natural fit, owing to Florida’s world famous orange-growing status), who worked with Disney to develop the Orange Bird – an citrus-headed bird who’s risen through the Disney Parks ranks to stand among fan-favorite characters created just for the parks.
Fittingly, the park’s signature snack quickly became the Citrus Swirl. Quite different from a Dole Whip in both flavor and consistency, the Citrus Swirl is a twist of vanilla soft serve and a tart, frozen, orange juice slush. A newer “Orange Cream” variation replaces the sour, citrus slush with a sweet orange soft serve, creating a duo of bases (which can then be served as a float atop orange soda.
7. Potato Patch Fries
Location: Kennywood (Pittsburg, Pennsylvania)
Kennywood is as classic as they come. The sensational family amusement park outside of Pittsburg dates to 1899, and contains some of the most historic rides on Earth, like Garfield’s Nightmare (an overlay of the world’s oldest dark ride), the only remaining Noah’s Ark walkthrough dark ride on Earth, and a handful of ultra-classic wooden coasters.
But the park also offers one of the most iconic “signature” theme park snacks outside of Orlando: its Potato Patch french fries. The park receives about 8,000 pounds of potatoes every day all summer long to fuel the hunger for fries. The fresh-cut, skin-on, Idaho potato fair fries are fried twice and are paired with a list of potential toppings including cheddar cheese, bacon, vinegar, brown gravy and a variety of seasoning salts.
8. Boysenberry Fun Bun
Location: Knott’s Berry Farm (Buena Park, California)
Located just a few city blocks north of Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm is sometimes billed as the “World’s First Theme Park.” Originally the literal berry farm of Walter and Cordelia Knott, their recreation 1800s mining town and Mrs. Knott’s famous chicken dinners evolved over the decades into its unique modern mix of historic dark rides and Californian settings with a thrilling roster of roller coasters.
But Knott’s is also the birthplace of a boysenberry – a botanical cross between a European raspberry and blackberry with an American hybrid dewberry-loganberry. The unique, large berries became a local favorite, and Mrs. Knott’s boysenberry preserves put the farm on the map. Today, the annual Boysenberry Festival takes theme park food festivals to the next level… But year-round, you’ll find a selection of boysenberry-flavored sodas and snacks, including the beloved (and sugar-coma inducing) Fun Bun.
Like the berry it’s topped with, the Fun Bun is itself a hybrid (of a funnel cake and cinnamon bun). The deep-fried cinnamon roll topped with boysenberry icing made its debut in 2015 and has since become not only a fan favorite, but a meme-generating piece of Southern Californian pop culture.
9. Cheese-on-a-Stick
Location: Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio)
It’s cheese. It’s on a stick. What more do you need to know? Cedar Point is probably the world’s most well-known traditional amusement park thanks to its unbeatable lineup of roller coasters (including the first coasters to ever break the 100-, 200-, 300-, and 400-foot height records, respectively).
In that sense, it’s appropriate that its signature snack is a midway classic: a hunk of fried cheese. Think of it as a mozzerella cheese stick in a corn dog shell, with molten cheese soaking into the bread as you go. The cheese
10. Butterbeer
Location: Universal’s Islands of Adventure (Orlando, Florida)
Ah, Butterbeer. The Holy Grail of in-universe theme park drinks. Universal struck a gold mine in their licensing of the Harry Potter franchise, singlehandedly redefining guests’ tastes… literally. The premise of stepping into a specific, to-scale world plucked from a film had never been done before. But the brick-for-brick recreation of Hogsmeade and the purposeful exclusion of the outside world turned the Wizarding World of Harry Potter into the industry standard. The “Ride the Movies” era was over; now guests wanted to live the movies; to step where their favorite characters stepped; to shop where they shopped; to eat what they eat.
Butterbeer is the pleasantly sweet, cream-soda-meets-butterscotch-flavored beverage sipped by Harry and friends on their snowy excursions to the village of Hogsmeade… and for just 7 Muggle dollars, you, too, can get a taste.
But the best (or for your wallet, worst) thing about Butterbeer is that it’s not alone. Universal’s culinary team brilliantly expanded from the original, chilled beverage with a marshmallow foam and the frozen edition into seasonal hot Butterbeer, Butterbeer fudge, Butterbeer ice cream (a soft-serve swirl of butterscotch and buttercream with butterscotch ribbon), and Butterbeer potted cream.
The “Butterbeer” formula is one Disney has been trying to crack for the last decade… and from time to time, they’ve gotten close! Cars Land debuted with “Red’s Apple Freeze” (a slushy frozen apple juice topped with toasted marshmallow and passionfruit-mango foam). It’s delicious… but it lacks the gotta-have-it-to-be-part-of-the-story sensation (given that the cars drink motor oil). The same apple concoction was delivered to Disney World soon after as “LeFou’s Brew” in Gaston’s Tavern.
Could Disney ever develop a true Butterbeer equivalent for their parks? Read on…
11. Blue Milk
Location: Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Orlando, Florida)
When Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened at Disneyland in May 2019, one of the more curious concoctions guests queued for was Blue Milk, a beverage made famous by its inclusion in Episode IV: A New Hope (and perhaps made less appetizing by the reveal of its source in Episode VIII: The Last Jedi). The impetus here was obvious. After years of building immersive “IP” lands like Cars Land, Pandora, and New Fantasyland, Disney at last had a cinematic world with a built-in drink that fans would clamor for.
There’s just one problem. Blue Milk is… well… an aquired taste. Disney’s culinary team reportedly went through over 100 variations before deciding on the proprietary recipe, deciding early on that the taste had to defy expectations, be unusual, and take guests by surprise. Perhaps as a result, an odd sight has developed around Batuu’s Milk Stand: guests happily hand over $8 for a frothy cup of Blue or Green Milk, pose for a selfie, take a sip, then grimace and throw the remainder away.
Disney’s menu describes Blue Milk as a “non-dairy blend of Coconut and Rice Milk with alluring fruity characteristics” while Green Milk instead offers “zippy citrus and tropical characteristics.” While some fans report loving the strange, frosty mix, others are positively repulsed by the unexpected taste and texture. Sounds like that’s what Disney’s team was going for! But a Butterbeer beater? Probably not…
12. Granny’s Apple Fries
Location: LEGOLAND (Carlsbad, California and Winter Haven, Florida)
Considering LEGOLAND is primarily marketed as a destination for families with kids under 12, it’s clever that the parks’ signature snack is a sweet twist on a classic healthy treat. The Apple Fries are pretty much what they sound like: a green Granny Smith apple chopped into slivers, then deep fried.
So far, Apple Fries are a “health-ish” alternative to regular French fries, merely trading potato for apple. But then, the resulting fried strips are coated in cinnamon and sugar, topped with whipped cream, and served with a vanilla cream dipping sauce. You might also choose to accessorize with warm caramel dipping sauce or ice cream. It’s a delicious, one-of-a-kind treat for the whole family.
13. Adorable Snowman Frozen Treats
Location: Disney California Adventure (Anaheim, California)
There’s perhaps no stranger story in Imagineering’s archives than that of the Declassified Disaster: Disney’s California Adventure. After its billion-dollar redesign debuted in 2012, the park’s continued evolution since has been met with confusion by Disney Parks fans. Despite already changing the park’s Paradise Pier from a modern midway to a Victorian boardwalk in 2012, 2018’s continued evolution into Pixar Pier juxtaposed mis-matched IPs and eras in jumbled “neighborhoods” that actually undid the immersive touches of old.
Naturally, the Butterbeer formula returned, transforming Paradise Pier’s ice cream shop into Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats, featuring the Abominable Snowman from Monsters Inc. and his yellow snow (“It’s lemon!”). The resulting soft-serve lemon ice cream is meant to be California Adventure’s Dole Whip alternative, and lines for the stand have been consistently long. The “It’s Lemon” ice cream can also be served as the Pixar Pier Parfait (adding a blue raspberry swirl) or “Snow-Capped” (topped with a white chocolate shell).
14. Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs
Location: Coney Island / Luna Park (Brooklyn, New York)
Hot dogs may feel like run-of-the-mill amusement park fare, but have you ever wondered why? The reason might be thanks to Nathan’s Hot Dogs (a favorite in mall food courts and college campuses), which opened its first stand in 1916 on the corner of Surf and Stillwell Ave. in Brooklyn’s Coney Island neighborhood.
Take the Q all the way to Ocean Parkway and you’ll find yourself amid the glowing midways of Coney Island. This beachfront amusement area retains its classic seaside boardwalk style, including being open for the public to wander through en route to the beach and the model of paying per ride (or purchasing an all-inclusive wristband). Remember, Walt and his designers invented the idea of a single entrance, an admission price, and hub-and-spokes format that have since become standard, so Coney Island’s throwback to competing vendors, attention-grabbing rides, and seaside public promenades are a famous throwback to the origins of amusement (later recreated by Disney in Paradise Pier!)…
Nathan’s has become so associated with Coney Island that it’s hard to imagine a day at the park without a hot dog or even… drum-roll please… that’s right, a “Coney dog” from Nathan’s.
15. Pongu Lumpia
Location: Disney’s Animal Kingdom (Orlando, Florida)
It’ll come as no surprise to Imagineering fans that Disney enthusiasts haven’t always been sold on the idea of Avatar. In fact, when Disney announced that they’d acquired the global rights to construct attractions based on Fox’s box office record-breaking film, fans quickly identified it as Disney’s attempt to get something (some say, anything!) Potter-sized just as Hogsmeade prepped for opening. Thankfully, Imagineers skillfully directed the land away from the (frankly) forgotten film and instead created an original world within the moon of Pandora: the Valley of Mo’ara, set centuries after the movie and casting guests as eco-tourists exploring the moon’s culture and cuisine.
Cleverly, the land’s two dining options, Satu’li Canteen and Pongu Pongu, offer astonishingly “alien” takes on American classics, like steamed cheeseburger pods (traditional bao buns) and, of course, a signature drink (the Pandoran sunrise, made of mixed tropical juices with Melon-flavored Powerade). But the bravest item is the Pongu Lumpia… it’s a pineapple cream cheese spring roll! The exotic, steaming, sweet-and-sour roll feels right at home on Pandora… plus, the Pongu Lumpia was exported back to Disneyland where it resides at the Tropical Hideaway as a perfect pineapple complement to the Dole Whip… talk about full circle!
