6 Delicious Facts About Dole Whips

Is there anything better than a Dole Whip? The correct answer, of course, is no. Don’t worry. If you answered yes there is still time for you to come to your senses. At Celebrations, we love the Dole Whip so much that we decided to celebrate it with our latest WDWCupcake Pin Set! In the meantime, stick around for a bit here and let’s take a look at 6 facts about the Dole Whip.

1. What is a Dole Whip?

We’re starting simple here. After all, you may not have been blessed with the gift of eating a Dole Whip yet. In that case, you may be wondering what all the hype is about. You may not even know exactly what a Dole Whip is! We’ve got you covered.

A Dole Whip, in its most basic form is simply pineapple soft serve. It is vegan, lactose free and gluten free. It also happens to be reasonably low in calories, so you can enjoy it without guilt. According to the Dole Soft Serve company, a single serving is 90 calories.

There are now a number of variations on the classic Dole Whip, but we’ll get to those later.

2. When did Dole Whip come to Disney?

Because it is such a staple of the Disney experience, you might believe that the Dole Whip has always been part of the parks. Not so! The original sponsor of Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room was not Dole but United Airlines.

In 1976, United ended their sponsorship and Dole moved in. However, the Dole Whip didn’t appear yet. In 1982 the Veranda Juice Bar became Aloha Isle (at the time located near the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House). Two years later, the Dole Whip first appeared.

Let’s pause here for a bit of “sibling” rivalry. There’s some debate about the above date. Some insist that the Dole Whip didn’t come to Walt Disney World until 1986, the same year it debuted in Disneyland. The evidence is sketchy. That said, Disneyland gets to be first in most other categories, so let’s just give one to Walt Disney World.

3. Where Can You Get Dole Whip?

From such a simple beginning, the Dole Whip has exploded in popularity. For ages, when visiting Walt Disney World you could only find the Dole Whip in Aloha Isle in Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom. Today, Dole Whips in a variety of forms can be found at:

• Animal Kingdom’s Tamu Tamu Refreshments
• Marketplace Snacks in Disney Springs
• Pineapple Lanai at the Polynesian Resort
• Trader Sam’s at the Polynesian Resort
• Barefoot Pool Bar the Polynesian Resort
• The Boardwalk Resort at Joe’s Marvelous Margaritas
• The Silver Screen Spirits Pool Bar at the All Star Movies Resort
• Everything Pop Food Court at the Pop Century Resort
• Typhoon Lagoon’s Typhoon Tilts
• Wine Bar George

You can also occasionally get Dole Whip when visiting Epcot, but only during the Flower and Garden Festival. It is typically available at the Pineapple Promenade Kiosk and/or the Refreshment Port.

4. Dole Whip A-Go-Go

Though the original Dole Whip was nothing more than pineapple soft serve, there are now a huge number of variations available. Among the variations available are the Dole Whip Float (a classic Dole Whip in pineapple juice, Dole Whip Nachos (Dole Whip with waffle cone chips, mango boba pearls, fresh pineapple, strawberry sauce, whipped cream, and rainbow sprinkles), the Spikey Pineapple (Dole Whip blended with rum), and the Simba Sunset (Dole Whip with watermelon, strawberry, and coconut flavored syrups). You can also get Dole Whips in lime, mango and raspberry, as well as in a variety of forms served with alcohol. The variations are only available at certain locations, so be sure to check menus to find out exactly what you can get where.

5. Want to Make Your Own?

In 2020, Disney decided to release an “official” recipe for Dole Whip so Guests could make their own at home. In the interest of full disclosure, this isn’t the exact recipe used in the parks (especially because this recipe contains dairy), but it is still pretty darn good.

Here’s what you need:

1 scoop of vanilla ice cream
4 oz. of pineapple juice
2 cups of frozen pineapple

Blend the ingredients together and serve with a swirl.

For their part, Dole also released a recipe for Dole Whip. If you want to try Dole’s recipe you’ll need:

1 cup of pineapple juice frozen
1 banana, peeled and frozen
2 ½ teaspoons powdered sugar
¼ to ½ cup of unsweetened coconut milk beverage
Add all the ingredients together and blend until smooth.

6. Dole Whip Merch

Dole Whip is so popular among both casual fans and Disney fanatics that a world of merchandise has been produced to celebrate the beloved desert (have we mentioned our new Cupcake Pin?). Disney fan’s have created their own DIY Dole Whip merch, but there’s also an assortment of official items you can purchase. There are face masks, Mickey Ears, Magic Bands, clothing, and even little Wishable plush figures featuring Dole Whip.

Over the years, the Dole Whip has developed an almost cult-like following of devotees. I know, because I myself am a card carrying member. Tasting Dole Whip for the first time is like a rite of passage, an experience that devotees describe in hushed tones of awe and wonder. If you’ve yet to experience the wonder of Dole Whip, don’t panic. There’s still time. I recommend starting with the original. To optimize the experience, start by taking in a performance at Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki room. After Jose and company have filled your heart with song, stop by Aloha Isle, place your order, and then find a place to sit near the Magic Carpets of Aladdin. Take a seat and ready your taste buds. Oh, one final thing: if you’re traveling with friends or family, you should probably order more than one. You won’t want to share.