Sometimes you go on vacation, ready to try new foods of all sorts, and when it’s all said and done you’re just searching for the one thing that will feel just like home.

While Disney World is known for some of its extravagant treats and surprising food trends, a lot of times just the simplest of desserts is what our tummies end up in search of. Luckily for you, opportunity knocked and we were ready to step through the door of a much a place where time slows down for a bit (and the temperature is a few degrees cooler).

It’s almost a “blink and you’ll miss it” kinda place but we’re willing to bet that if you’ve strolled right down the middle of Main Street U.S.A., you’ve probably at least glanced in this restaurant’s direction. It’s kind of hard to miss the Main Street Plaza Ice Cream Parlor with such big-name restaurants like The Plaza Restaurant and Main Street Bakery neighboring it, but it fares alright in its Victorian-style get-up.

You might not notice the longer waits for this place on cooler days but it’s almost certain to pack in the crowd when that Florida temperature starts creeping up!

Atmosphere

This cozy little ice cream shop is truly something special! With its corner lot real estate facing the adjacent Cinderella Castle just down the way, it’s in a prime spot to be one of the last shops you get to before entering into one of the themed lands or a priority stop as you’re steadying yourself to leave Magic Kingdom for the day.

Either way, when you stop by the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor you almost can’t help smiling at the realization you’re right where you’re meant to be. The inviting smiles from the Cast Members working behind the counter where your frozen treat will be served and the incredible blast of AC you’ll experience right as you cross the threshold into the tiny quick service restaurant is just what your body (and your sweet tooth) have been craving!

There’s no seating once you’re inside and you’ll make a choice to either veer left or right to place your order in line at one of the registers just ahead of you. Once you’ve placed your order, you’ll walk your receipt over to the counter where a Cast Member will greet you, confirm your order, and serve you as soon as it’s made!

You can even watch a few of these treats being created while you’re waiting!

Menu

The menu here is tiny but mighty! Since we’re talking about an ice cream parlor you guessed it —  most of the creative concoctions whipped up here mainly consist of ice cream! You’ll find everything from hand dipped shakes, to sundaes of almost any flavor, and you’ve even got a full array of toppings totally at your beck and call!

If you’re really looking to commemorate your treat, you can also opt for the Mickey Kitchen Sink which serves your ice cream sundae in a whimsical souvenir sink!

Eats

We don’t know if it was the sweet smells swirling in the air around us or that we were just that hungry but we decided it was high time we do our best to curb our sweet tooth cravings. We ended up deciding to order the Plaza Ice Cream Sundae…

…Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich…

…and Ice Cream Float.

But we’ll slow things down a bit and tell you all about them individually starting with the Plaza Ice Cream Sundae first. This sweet thing is made of Hot Fudge, Whipped Cream and a Cherry served in a Freshly Made Waffle Bowl with your choice of Two Hand-scoops of Ice Cream and will cost you $8.79.

We opted to have ours made with a scoop of vanilla and a scoop of chocolate ice cream, but overall is a super solid treat. We think the beauty of this one is that it’s a tried and true classic Sundae. Aside from the scoops of ice cream, you’re combining it with the creamy fluff of the whipped cream, warm gooey hot fudge, and fresh cherry topping.

Everything here tastes familiar put together, which could be it’s double edge sword. While it’s effective and a well made treat, there’s nothing super outstanding about it to leave a long-lasting impression and truly WOW you with any over the top creativity. If you’re looking for something more out of this treat, we’d recommend asking to jazz it up with some more interesting ice cream flavors and opting to add additional toppings to really keep your taste buds screaming.

Up next we tried out the Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich for $7.49. As you’ve probably gathered this treat is made of two giant chocolate chip cookies with a scoop of ice cream (flavor of your choice) sandwiched in between them.

It’s another fairly basic treat that’s almost certain to please even the pickiest of dessert lovers (especially since you CAN customize it to your tastes. We really enjoyed this treat, but in full transparency, it’s extremely hard to mess this one up. This is a treat that can appeal to so many different tastes solely because of how versatile it can become with a single decision! You can opt for something sweet and clean with a classic vanilla bean or get as adventurous as opting to try out a raspberry sorbet between the cookies.

We opted for cookies and cream on this particular visit and while it had a great crumbled cookie mixed into the creamy vanilla, we wondered if the flavor of something like mint chocolate chip might have helped give it even more personality.

Again though… nothing totally exceptional this go around either. That’s not to say we didn’t love our choice, but although satisfying, it wasn’t anything much to write home about either. Initially the chocolate chip cookie was harder to cut or bite into since the ice creams temperature made it a bit tougher but we found it much more agreeable to fall apart in our hands (and mouth) once it warmed up against the sun and began to melt just a bit!

Last up on our list to try out today was an Ice Cream Float. This is a treat that goes way back mixing a scoop of ice cream plopped into a fountain soda or root beer beverage of your choice for $6.79.

What can we say — it tasted just as great as it looks! We opted for a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream to be dropped into a FANTA Orange soda beverage and it was delightful! We were so pleased with our decision on this combo and loved the frothy bubbles the float made at the top of our drink.

This was another “oldie but goodie” treat that’s been done in dozens of variations before but it’s a trusted treat for a reason. It’s easily a fan favorite because of the seemingly endless combinations you can make with it. Our combo yield a taste result of something resembling a decadent creamsicle flavor and made our taste buds run wild with excitement!

Overall

We were very critical on some “classic” takes on ice cream treats but they were able to hold their own. While not super thrilling treats in every combination that you can come up with, that’s kind of the point of this restaurant.

There’s really a common ground for most everyone to find something that will satisfy their cravings here and we’re happy that it’s passed our taste tests with flying colors.

Nosh or Not?

Come on down to this leg of Main Street U.S.A. if…

• You’re looking for crowd-pleasing treats of all kinds! Who can resist the creamy ice cream flavors here that can be made into so many different treats and flavor combos? If you’re looking for a solid place to please even the pickiest palettes, this is a solid bet!
• You’re looking for a treat without all the fluff! You can be as low-key as you want with the treats here or let your imagination run wild!
• Shareable desserts sound attractive. If your stomach (and your budget) isn’t quite sure that getting individual snacks is the keenest idea for you and a friend or family member, this could be a great place to really make that dollar count without leaving your stomach feeling weighed down.

March right on down Main Street U.S.A. if…

• Ice cream just doesn’t do it for you! We get it, while we’re huge fans of the frozen goop that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone. If your taste buds just wouldn’t agree (or your gut), there’s nothing wrong with nodding as you pass by.
• You’ve GOT to stop somewhere with indoor seating. Yeah… we got nothing for you on this one. It just doesn’t exist here.

Your ideal treat is a bit more complex than what can be made here. Trust us when we say we’ve seen all that Disney World has to offer for desserts. If you’re looking for more variety, we’d understand.

We’ve eaten EVERYWHERE at Disney World! While you’re here, check out a few of our latest reviews below and stay tuned with us at Disney Food Blog for even more!

REVIEW: This Magic Kingdom Quick Service Restaurant Is DESSERT HEAVEN

What’s your favorite treat to order from The Plaza Ice Cream Parlor at Magic Kingdom? Leave us your order in the comments below!

The post REVIEW: You Really CAN’T Mess Up These Classic Disney World Treats first appeared on the disney food blog.