Freaky Friday Sunday Brunch by Alex McVetty

Editor's Note: In honor of our Freaky Friday week on From Screen to Theme, all of our Days of the Week writers have been moved to a different day for this week only. Reuben will return to Sunday Brunch next week when Alex returns to her usual Hidden Mickey Monday column.

This week I'm taking over Sunday Brunch and I hope to prove I love Disney cuisine as much as Reuben! There are so many favorite snacks and restaurants that came flooding into my head when I got the challenge to write this article but one stood out given I got the great opportunity to work there this past summer. I hope to share with you the short (and sweet) run down of the operations, secrets and the must eats of the Main Street Confectionery.

First, the store is divided into three main areas: the bulk counter, kitchen and prepackaged treats. Ill try and touch on each one.

Made on Main Street: Spoilers ahead! Not everything in the Confectionery is made on site. Well, maybe this isn't much of a spoiler because of the prepackaged candy, popcorn and bulk M&Ms and jelly beans that are evident around the shop. Those guests on the dining plan should know that almost everything $3.95 and under counts as a snack. A good tip I picked up was that many guests purchased prepackaged candy to bring home with their unused snacks. I do want to mention that not everything in the bulk counter is made in the kitchen. All of the cookies, nut clusters and toffee are products of a company that partners with Disney. However, the majority of products like the specialty apples (dipped in chocolate, caramel and chocolate bars among other things), fudge, marshmallow pops, pretzel rods and chocolate dipped strawberries are all made in the kitchen!

Another thing that sets the Main Street Confectionery apart from other candy shops is that the kitchen is visible to all guests. That also means that all the rich smells fill the air for Cast Members and guests alike to drool over. I had many guests comment on how difficult it must be to work there because of the smell and how they could never work there because everything is so tempting! Well, the one piece of advice I have is to never come hungry! The group of Cast Members that work in the kitchen exclusively are specialty trained and can make hundreds of pounds of candy and confections daily!

My sweet tooth: Initially I thought I could try everything the Confectionery makes during my three months working there but I soon found out that three months were not nearly enough time to get through the vast menu of sweets this shop had to offer! One of my favorites though is the pretzel rod dipped in homemade caramel and pecans. It has a great balance of savory from the salted pretzel rod and sweet from the caramel and pecan coating. Another confection that is at the top of my list is the big Mickey krispie head dipped in chocolate. These krispie treats have the same soft texture and flavor of the ones everyone makes at home with a little added magic!

Magical Moments: Although it doesn't look like your typical merchandise location, the Confectionery offers discounts to Cast Members as well as annual passholders. And what could be better than discounted candy? Well free candy of course! If you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary or even your first visit, stop by for a magical moment (see Reuben's Sunday Brunch a few weeks ago)! Cast Members at the Confectionery aren't limited to giving out marshmallow pops so you never know what tasty magical moment is in store! Even if you aren't celebrating, samples of different products are given out all through the day! If you spot a Cast Member making cotton candy stop by and you could get a sample of the freshly spun sugar! The 'show' of the products is very important and if any piece of candy is too small compared to a reference or doesn't look as uniform as it should, it is cut up and given out as samples to the guests. This high standard ensures that every guest has the best experience possible!

A New Look: This past summer the outside facade of the Confectionery got a reimagined look and paint job. The new bright red trim on the windows make the shop stand out in a midst of all the lights and action on Main Street. To conclude, Its impossible to mention everything about the Confectionery in one short article but I know Reuben will be back to sample and report on more Confectionery sweets in the future! And even though I worked primarily in my other ten locations this past summer, I do call it part of my home on Main Street East and miss it everyday. The truth is, the Confectionery is one of the few places in the world where everyone is just a kid in a candy store.