Top 5 Favorite Ice Cream Treats at Walt Disney World

Ah, summertime. It's the season of flip flops, suntans, and lazy days by the pool. And if you're at Walt Disney World it's also the season of melting as soon as you step outside and never-ending heat and humidity. So how do you beat the heat at Disney World? With ice cream, of course!

What is your favorite ice cream treat at Disney?

There's no shortage of great ice cream treats at Disney World and today we'll check out our top 5 favorite, must-have ice cream treats (or places to get ice cream). And as always, if your favorite isn't on our list, make sure you leave us a comment so we know what to try on our next visit. (We gotta keep that Disney Food Bucket List going!).

First on the list has to be L'Artisans des Glaces in Epcot's France pavilion. The artisanal ice cream shop has been serving 16 flavors of homemade ice cream and sorbet since 2013 and it's a must-stop on our ice cream tour!

So many choices at L'Artisans des Glaces in Epcot

Not only can you get your favorite flavor of ice cream or sorbet in a cup or homemade cone, you'll also find macaron ice cream sandwiches (including seasonal flavors), brioche ice cream sandwiches, and one of our favorites: the ice cream martini!

That's right, it's our first grownup ice cream drink on the list. You can choose one or two scoops of any flavor ice cream or sorbet and have it topped with your choice of Grand Marnier, imported Rhum from Martinique, or Whipped Cream Vodka.

Ice cream martini in Epcot's France pavilion

Speaking of grownup ice cream drinks, our next favorite ice cream treat debuted this spring. We're talking about the "adult floats and shakes" that you'll find at Beaches and Cream at Disney's Beach Club Resort.

Five "adult" hard floats and milkshakes are on the menu at Beaches and Cream: S'mores Shake made with chocolate and vanilla ice cream, Amarula Cream liqueur, and Cream de Dark Coco; Root Beer Float made with Hard Root Beer; Grasshopper Float made with mint chocolate chip ice cream and Guinness; the Tropical Sunrise made with rainbow sherbet and Ace Pineapple Hard Cider; and the Stout Float with Guinness Stout and vanilla ice cream.

Grownup floats and milkshakes at Beaches and Cream

Our favorite is the Root Beer Float (we love that hard root beer) and the S'mores Shake. But we're quite sure you can't go wrong with any of the choices. Bottoms up!

Sticking around at Beaches and Cream, our next favorite ice cream treat is the iconic Kitchen Sink Sundae. You'll want to bring the whole family and maybe a few friends to help with this colossal sundae. The menu says the "famous" Kitchen Sink serves four people but we bet you could squeeze a few more folks at the table.

Kitchen Sink Sundae at Beaches and Cream

The sundae is made with scoops of vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coffee, and mint chocolate chip ice cream and it is covered with EVERY topping including: brownies, pound cake, Oreo cookies, peanut butter and chocolate chips, chocolate sauce, peanut butter sauce, caramel, candy bars, bananas, nuts, cherries, and more. Oh and let's not forget the entire can of whipped cream.

The Kitchen Sink Sundae is definitely a must-try treat and an I-can't-believe-we-ate-the-whole-thing adventure.

No list of the best ice cream treats would be complete with this next item: Dole Whip. Yes, technically it isn't ice cream but it's frozen so it made the list. You'll find Dole Whip at the Magic Kingdom's Aloha Isle, at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, and even at Disney's Animal Kingdom (you can get it topped with rum here!).

You can never go wrong with Dole Whip!

We prefer a Dole Whip Float to just a plain ol' Dole Whip in a cone or cup. But no matter how you enjoy it, Dole Whip is a must-have ice cream treat.

Our last gotta-have-it ice cream treat is definitely unique and might not be one you'd think of: the Coppa Delizia from the Gelato Stand in Epcot's Italy pavilion. This one-of-a-kind treat features cookies and cream gelato topped with strawberry sauce, whipped cream, and whole strawberries.

Coppa Delizia in Epcot's Italy pavilion

The Coppa Delizia is rich and decadent and quite big when compared to other ice cream desserts at Disney. You might want to share with a friend (or skip dessert at Via Napoli and just head to the Gelato Stand).

And of course, we have a few honorable mentions on our must-have ice cream list including soft serve ice cream, sundaes at The Plaza Ice Cream Parlor (All-American Sundae we're looking at you), and everyone's favorite, the Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Bar.

What is your favorite ice cream treat at Disney World? Let us know in the comments!

Many thanks to the Disney Food Blog for use of their photos.