MAGIC KINGDOM | Light Snack
Posted on Monday, October 10, 2016
Counter Service (quick service)
Dessert or Ice Cream
$5-14 per entree**
After slurping my way through a somewhat melty ice cream sundae experience at Hollywood Scoops, I thought it would be a good time to re-visit the "better option" that I referred to in that review, which is the Magic Kingdom's "Plaza Ice Cream Parlor".
On the end corner of Main Street (opposite Casey's Corner), The Plaza Ice Cream Parlor is in a location that you can't really miss. If you're at the end of Main Street and smell sauerkraut, you're on the wrong side. Just like most of my visits to the Plaza, there was a line starting to form outside the door. The reason for the line is a good one though… the ice cream here is not scooped until you order it… and fortunately, the distance between the registers and the ice cream counter is quite short. You'll spend a good bit of your time here, waiting to get up to the register.
Another slight holdup here might be the fact that the waffle-bowls are being fresh-made on a regular basis, and you may occasionally have to wait if there's a run on waffle-bowl sundaes. It's a good wait though… it means you'll be getting a fresh, crunchy, perfectly delicious waffle-bowl to hold your sundae.
That's not all the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor has of course. There are Ice Cream Floats, Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches, and Double-scooped Ice Cream Cones that seem to be just as popular as the Sundaes. In fact, if you stand near the exit door, you'll probably see an even mix of ice cream goodness, all in the span of a couple minutes.
Being a creature of habit I always seem to get the good old fashioned "Plaza" Ice Cream Sundae, which is hot fudge, whipped cream, and a cherry, served in a freshly made waffle bowl and includes two scoops of whichever flavor of ice cream you want. I always seem to land on the Butter Pecan ice cream but vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, mint chocolate-chip, cookies and cream, a seasonal sorbet (which probably wouldn't work so well with hot fudge on top), and something called "tofutti and rice dream" … which sounds cool, but I haven't been brave enough to try yet.
There's no seating whatsoever at the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor itself, but there are many outdoor, slightly (umbrella) covered seats just across from the exit door. Another option (if you're looking for shade and need a seat) is to take a quick hike up to the Tomorrowland Terrace seating area. You will have to be quick if it's a hot day though… ice cream melts fast on a typical Central Florida day. It's also worth noting that the Tomorrowland Terrace seating trick may not work in the evening, as the Firework Dessert Parties seem to keep taking over more and more of the free seating area up there.
There's not really anything to the Sundae that's going to win an award for culinary excellence, but the fresh made waffle bowls and cones along with the simple fact that they're not scooping the solid ice cream until after you place your order, make the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor a winner in my book. Other than the sometimes long wait outside to place your order, I haven't had a bad experience yet… and so it appears to be a fairly consistent location as well (somewhat of a rarity these days when snacking at a Disney park).