You’ve heard about the Monorail Crawl, Erin just created the Epcot Candy Crawl, and some of you have even attempted “drinking around the World” Showcase, but to my knowledge, this particular mission has never been attempted. It’s a feat only for the strong. A challenge for your sweet tooth. It’s the Cupcake Crawl!
That’s right. Those of you who live for cream cheese frosting, chocolate, cheesecake, and pure decadence — this one is for YOU! Disney Cupcake fans — are you brave enough to try it?
The Disney Food Blog’s “Walt Disney World Cupcake Crawl” Strategy
Here’s the plan. You can either follow this step by step or mix and match, but be sure to visit these five locations and eat 10 different cupcakes by the end of the Crawl! (We understand if it takes you two days on your first try. It takes a while to build up a tolerance.)
By the way, most of these can be purchased for a Disney Dining Plan snack credit, so save up those snacks!
DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS: Cupcakes required = 4
While we still have strength and energy, we’re going to start at the mecca of cupcakes…Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ Starring Rolls Cafe, which closes early. That unfortunate bit of information can cause a sneak attack on your cupcake crawl if you leave it to visit at the end!
Starring Rolls Cafe
Here you’ll find a few of Disney’s most fantastic cupcakes, including the Butterfinger Cupcake, Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcake, and the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcake. Note that this spot closes at 4pm each day, so get here early or face Cupcake Crawl failure! Here are your targets in this location:
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcake: A towering dark chocolate delight. It doesn’t look like there’s any peanut butter in there, but wait until you taste the frosting!
- Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcake: This fluffy confection is anything but light. Rich red velvet cake is covered in heavy cream cheese frosting. It’s all topped with a dollop of real cheesecake.
- Butterfinger Cupcake: One of our favorites, this mountain of a cupcake couples chocolate cake and chocolate fudge filling with that fabulous lard-y buttercream frosting. It’s all covered in Butterfinger candy crumbles.
- Marble Cupcake: One of Disney’s prettiest confections, you’ll find marbled vanilla and white cake stuffed with chocolate fudge and covered in buttercream. A chocolate fudge topper completes the dessert.
DISNEY’S BOARDWALK: Cupcakes required = 2
Exit Hollywood Studios and take the boat to the Boardwalk Resort. Better yet, walk off those cupcakes while strolling over to the Boardwalk! The Boardwalk Bakery is your next stop on this sweet journey.
Boardwalk Bakery
Recently jumping up the list in cupcake importance, the Boardwalk Bakery changes out its seasonal cupcakes, so you never know what you’re going to get! The goal here is get two different cupcakes (if possible) from this location. Here are a few to choose from:
- Oreo Bon Bon Cupcake: A fluffy, chocolate cake confection is stuffed with cookies and cream buttercream icing and topped with vanilla. A bit too “whipped creamy” for our taste, but still a force to be reckoned with.
- Peanut Butter Cupcake: One of our favorite cupcakes of all time, this one should give you back your edge to be sure. Especially if peanut butter frosting the consistency of cookie dough is up your ally… YUM!!!!
- Strawberry Shortcake Cupcake: A lighter choice for those of you already starting to falter, this summery treat (a seasonal item) might just feel a bit less heavy in your tummy. Especially since the filling is strawberries instead of frosting. Note — this one also includes a hint of Grand Marnier, so don’t be surprised if you get carded 😉
DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM: Cupcakes required = 2*Note, should these cupcakes not be available (they’re not as reliable as they used to be!), visit the Contemporary Resort next to get the Black Forest Cupcake and the Dulce de Leche Cupcake — or another of the seasonal varieties!
Head over to the Boardwalk Inn’s bus stop and catch a ride to Disney’s Animal Kingdom for the next stop on our cupcake tour! Because this park often closes early, make sure you’re headed over by 3pm at the latest!
Once there, head to Africa and hightail it to Kusafiri Bakery.
Kusafiri Bakery
A tucked away bakery, Kusafiri has a few of our favorite “wild” cupcakes. Here are your targets on this leg of the journey:
- White Chocolate Elephant Cupcake: The only Disney cupcake we know of with a full-fledged chocolate-molded animal on top, the White Chocolate Elephant Cupcake pairs rich frosting with chocolate cake and toasted coconut. This one also packs the center with frosting, so be ready!
- Zebra Cupcake: This pretty, modern-art-like confection is Zebra-y in a very contemporary way. Stripes of white and dark chocolate are shaved and placed on the cupcake to give the “essence” of Zebra. 😉 We just like the super-thick frosting on top!
- Cotton Top Tamarin Cupcake: Even though I ate this cupcake in the pouring rain with my poncho sticking to my skin, I still loved it! That’s how good it is! Rich chocolate cake, thick buttercream frosting, and your very own chocolate Tamarin on top! Sigh.
DISNEY’S WILDERNESS LODGE: Cupcakes required = 1
From Animal Kingdom, grab a bus to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge! This relaxing oasis is one of our favorite resorts, and it just became even more favorite with the introduction of two new cupcakes in 2011! Your target location here is Roaring Fork counter-service location.
Roaring Fork
Walk all the way through the lobby at Wilderness Lodge and down toward the pool area to get to this counter-service spot. A cozy location with walls made out of “rock,” the cupcakes can be found in the bakery shelves toward the back of the restaurant. While these might not always be available, there should be at least one flavor there so that you can meet your Crawl quota!
- Carrot Cake Cupcake: Probably my favorite cupcake to date, this new addition couples a decent carrot cake base with some of the best cream cheese frosting I’ve found in Disney World — and in copious amounts. Now, understand that the cake part doesn’t matter all that much to me, so for those of you who want excellent cake, this might not be YOUR favorite…
- S’mores Cupcake: An innovative and thoroughly enjoyable treat, this cupcake offers a graham cracker-flavored cake with toasted marshmallow frosting (no kidding!!). You’ll find a few Hershey Bar squares in the center of the cake as well — brilliant!! The marshmallow makes it a lighter (if stickier) dessert.
EPCOT: Cupcakes required = 1
From the Wilderness Lodge, take a bus to Epcot for the last stop on the crawl. You’re headed to Karamell Küche in the Germany pavilion of the World Showcase.
Karamell Küche
This brand new shop in Germany is sponsored by Werther’s and specializes in all things caramel, including some gorgeous cupcakes.
- Vanilla Caramel and Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes: These treats are topped with frosting the same flavor as their cakes, then drizzled with Werthers’ incredible caramel! A feast for the eyes and the stomach. Pick up either one to complete your Crawl!
Will you try it?
So what do you think? Is this on your list for your next visit? With only five stops and ten cupcakes overall, it’s not impossible! Let us know what you think!
And to see more of our favorite sweet treats, head over to our Disney World Cupcakes page!
Thanks to Michael S. for the heads’ up and reviews of the Strawberry Shortcake and Carrot Cake cupcakes and to Melissa Nute for the heads’ up on the S’mores Cupcake.
Jayne @ Four Parks, One Day says
This might help me meet my Four Parks, One Day goal!
Heidi says
I realize this blog post is old but I’m going to WDW in about a month and am determined to do a “cupcake crawl”. However, there is no way I can do it in one day. I’ll do it over my entire stay.
I wish the elephant cupcake didn’t have coconut. I’m not a coconut fan. Of the cupcakes I’ve tried in the past, the Red Velvet cupcake at Starring Rolls is my favorite.
AJ says
Heidi — have a blast on your trip!!
Valerie says
I am ashamed to admit my daughters and I have done the cupcake crawl a number of times. Our favorite is around the monarail route. We always get great cupcakes at the Contempo Cafe. They change seasonaly. We have had strawberry lemonade, spiced apple, pumpkin carmel, and my favorite Choclate mint!
Katelynn says
The Darth Vader cupcake needs to be added to this list. It is by far the best cupcake I have ever had in Walt Disney World. It can be found at many of the restaurants in Hollywood Studios during Star Wars weekends
Cindy says
We are in… My daughter and I are looking forward to this
Jeanette says
Challenge accepted!
Stacey Z says
I love some Disney cupcakes. I will have to do this the next time I am at the world. The gingerbread cupcake is to die for.
Sarah says
This sounds like so much fun. I want to do this, however I was just diagnosed with a corn allergy. SO do you happen to know if these tasty treats are made without all of corn syrups corn starches etc?
AJ says
Sarah — You can usually ask the manager at any of the locations to get an ingredient list. Good luck!
Tim Taylor says
St. Patty’s day cupcake is the best I have ever had anywhere. Got it in Hollywood Studios this past year. Yum!
Maurice says
Just returned from WDW and enjoyed most of the cup cakes. We could not find any cupcakes at
Karamell-Küche (we did enjoy the Carmel and cookies). The White Chocolate Elephant Cupcake at Animal Kingdom was our favorite.
Paul says
Sadly, the marble cupcake is no longer sold at Starring Rolls. 🙁
Rhonda says
No cupcakes at Germany! 🙁
Maggie says
I’m headed to “the World” in 30 days, and am doing a cupcake challenge of my own. I have my list all ready of must-stop places. Many of these wonderful specimens made the cut! 20+ cupcakes in 7 days… can she do it?!
AJ says
Maggie — You can do it!!!
Ripper says
After reading this we were inspired to do our own Cupcake Crawl during our visit for Flower & Garden, in march of this year. Here’s what we managed:
Red Velvet – The Contempo Cafe
Peanut Butter and another Red Velvet – Main Street Bakery
The Piggylicious Bacon Cupcake – The Smokehouse
The St. Paddy’s – Studio Catering Company
Carrotcake Cupcake and Whoopie Cake – Sunshine Seasons Cafe
The Cottontop Tamarin and The White Chocolate Elephant – Kusafiri Bakery
Lemon-Blueberry Cupcke and a Strawberry Cupcake – Boardwalk Bakery
The only place we were planning to go but got shut out was Starring Rolls… they closed at 4:00. Wasn’t expecting that. We plan on hitting them for a Butterfinger and a Chocolate Peanut Butter when we return in October. Cheers!
Sheryl Morin says
I had one I didn’t see listed and it was ‘lemon blueberry’ ~ so delicious!!!
B says
Is the Cupcake Crawl in the Food Guide? Do we have to get the ones on the list or can we pick any as long as it’s from those spots?
Stefanie says
We just returned fro our WDW trip. We did 16 cupcakes in 7 days. We bought five from the Starring Rolls Bakery, three from the Halloween Party in Magic Kingdom, two from our resort (Caribbean Beach Resort), two from the Wilderness Lodge Bakery, and three from the Animal Kingdom (Kusafari Bakery), and one from the Land buffet in Epcot (Apple spice). I couldn’t decide between the carrot cake ginger, the peanut butter and jelly, or the Simba Citrus. I realize that this post is old so several of the cupcakes weren’t available. However, I believe we were able to complete a successful cupcake crawl. We had a blast doing it!
Corey says
We need an updated cupcake crawl
Lorelei Ketcherside says
My daughter’s 11th birthday trip is coming up soon and we’re doing this to celebrate!
DFB Sarah says
Lorelei, happy birthday to your cupcake champ!
Allmodworld says
I love some Disney cupcakes. I will have to do this the next time I am at the world. The gingerbread cupcake is to die for.
idroidzone says
I love some Disney cupcakes. I will have to do this the next time I am in the world. The gingerbread cupcake is to die for.
Bambole Reborn says
Oh my word, I’ve got to try this!! But to save myself from a diabetic coma, I believe I will split each cupcake with my family. I want to taste every flavor, just not consume that many entire cupcakes!