Sunday Brunch: Aloha, Tastebuds, Welcome to
the Islands!
by Reuben Gutierrez
14 April 2013
Authors' Note: From Screen to Theme dot com Days
of the Week readers know that throughout the year we have special
themed weeks to celebrate the latest and greatest with the Walt
Disney Company. This year we are celebrating the latest and greatest
of the Days of the Week writers, or rather all of them! The
celebration begins this week as we celebrate Alexandra M, Hidden
Mickey Monday's mouse silhouette hunting expert.
A plump and juicy hot dog at a ballpark, buttery
corn on the cob at a country hoedown, foie gras at an elegant French
restaurant, warm and toasty poutine in a Canadian moose lodge'food
seems to taste the best when it has a setting to match. With those
thoughts in mind, I bring you a dining experience that our good
friend Alex believes to be one of the best Disney has to offer. I've
had many a
Dole Whip in my lifetime, and while my first Dole Whip was at
Disneyland four years ago, I did not fully enjoy it until my trip to
the land with my sister and Alex this past winter. One has not truly
had the ultimate Dole Whip experience until the pineapple frozen
treat is enjoyed in the shelter of a tropical thatched roof hut
while relaxing with the lulling melodies of a troupe of Polynesian
parrots.

While most theme park attractions prohibit guests
from having any food or drink, Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room in
Disneyland does not only allow such things but actually encourages
it. The tiki garden pre-show area to the attraction serves not only
an exciting tropical atmosphere, but also access to the park's most
popular snack stand ' the Tiki Juice Bar. Thankfully, this means a
treat enjoyed outside the show can also be brought inside.

The Tiki Juice Bar is located between the entrances of the Tiki Room
and the Adventureland gate

The menu, written in several languages, features the classic
Disneyland/Dole frozen treats

From the Tiki Garden side, there is an additional counter to order
Dole Whips
Having stayed long term at the Walt
Disney World resort, Alex, my sister, and I have all frequently
journeyed to Adventureland under the hot Florida sun for a
refreshing Dole Whip, but no experience can compare to enjoying one
amidst the tropical settings of the Enchanted Tiki Room. Our trip
was in winter for crying out loud, but the Tiki Room Dole Whip
experience is so perfect that we still made sure to have the treat
on that cold February day. The shady palm trees and Pacific Islands
themed atmosphere paired with a distinctly tropical fruit dessert
can make anyone forget about the reality of a cold winter's day.

Alex relaxes under a tiki tree, contemplating whether or not to get
a second Dole Whip for the day

Once inside the Enchanted Tiki Room, guests totally
forget the winter weather since crossing the threshold fully
immerses them in the tropical escape of the Tiki birds. The melodic
pounding of the tribal drums, the rhythm of the rainstorm, and the
music resonating from the Polynesian flora and fauna, all make a
terrific attraction but the experience is enhanced with a Dole Whip
in hand. The same could be said for the Dole Whip, which at
Disneyland is decorated with a tiny paper umbrella for further
thematic snacking. The creamy goodness of a frozen dessert paired
with the flavorful bursts of sunshine and ocean breeze tastes of the
pineapple make the Dole Whip a terrific treat, but tasting it in the
Tiki Room completely transports you to the islands.
I can go on and on, but words can
only do so much to describe this rite of passage for any Dole Whip
fan. Snacks and treats are always a pleasure when viewing any kind
of show, be it live in a theater, on television, at the movies, etc.
So Disneyland's Tiki Room already wins for allowing snacks to be
eaten while the show goes on. Though the experience is made even
better when the snacks offered right outside by its tropical lanai
is appropriately themed to the setting the attraction already so
successfully thrusts you in. The Tiki Room Dole Whip experience is a
prime example of the immersive experiences Disney theme parks are
known for, but also a perfect presentation of how the food taste
experience is ultimately enhanced by the setting it is enjoyed in.
