The (Pine)apple of My Eye

Hello my fellow earheads! I hope your holidays were wonderful. Although we were jam-packed as always, I managed to make some time to visit Disneyland in celebration of my husband's 30th birthday. A few firsts, such as a dinner date at Carthay Circle (it was incredible), and riding Guardians of the Galaxy as many times as we could (even more incredible) really made the trip extra special. A big shoutout to our awesomely obsessed Disney friends Mike and Judy who made the trip with us, and aided in planning this surprise mini vacation for my hubby.

Pro Tip: Disney's new Max Pass feature allows you to get free PhotoPass pics!

Me with my whip circa 2012. Note the face of pure jealousy from the girl in the back.

It seems all too long ago that "cold" weather graced us with its presence in California. Lucky for us, it has been nothing but sunshine these last few weeks and it doesn't appear to be going away any time soon. With this warm weather, ll I can think about is slurping up one of the most classic summertime Disney treats. You know the one I mean... it's creamy, yellow, and oh so sweet. You got it - I'm talking about the Pineapple Dole Whip.

​My cravings inspired me to take a deeper dive into this cult-driven Disney favorite. Sure, it's always been there since I can remember, but where did it all start? Have you ever wondered why Dole made its mark on the company and just how it swirled its way into the parks? I was definitely curious how it all began.

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A photo of the The Tiki Room from the 60's, back when United Airlines was the sponsor

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​In the Year BD (before Dole Whip):
The Enchanted Tiki Room opened at the mothership inside Adventureland in June of 1963. At the time of its opening, the attraction was sponsored by United Airlines, who was in the midst of promoting flight deals to the new (I know, crazy right?) state of Hawaii. It wasn't uncommon that Disney would bring on sponsors to help develop and maintain the attractions. In the case of The Tiki Room, the Polynesian flair lent itself perfectly to the theme that United Airlines wanted to express, and a natural partnership was born. It wasn't until 12 years later in 1976 that the Dole Food Company took over as the sponsor. Back in those days, the cute little Hawaiian Hut only served Dole pineapple juice and pineapple spears. 

​Its Grand Debut:
Everything changed in 1986 when Dole rolled out their "soft-serve pineapple flavored frozen dessert" - thankfully known today as Dole Whip. From that moment, the Tiki Room was no longer in our minds as a must-do attraction but the place where we braved the long lines to get our cold dessert. The Dole Whip and Dole Whip Float (the soft serve with the addition of pineapple juice). 

The treat quickly became so popular that Dole had to hire a company to license the Dole Whip. The Kent Precision Foods Group took over the licensing of the whip in 1997 and even derived a new recipe that is officially certified as vegan, due to its non-dairy creamer (spoiler- it's not actually frozen "yogurt"). 

This requires anyone who licenses their product as Dole Whip to use the company's commercial soft-serve machine, which gives the dessert its "unique air pressure". The recipe, tools, and ingredients are distributed by Kent Precision Foods Group to ensure total consistency, and it makes for a super easy-to-make product. Although Pineapple is the most popular, Dole Whip has multiple flavors in its Rolodex, such as orange and raspberry, with six tropical flavors in total. In fact, 4 of the 6 flavors are completely free of artificial flavoring. Pineapple, however, is not yet one of those. Dole is very particular on what they change in the recipe in order to keep it completely consistent with the one fans know and love today. ​

Another Disney Success:
Although Dole had its product being served at other locations such as zoos, universities, and even brick and mortar stores, fans solely associate this creamy delight with Disneyland and Walt Disney World. A rep from Kent Precision Foods Group, Jamie Schwartz, totally credits the cult-following to Disney. 

"Disney has literally created Dole Whip devotees. [They] built [up] the brand."

If you don't find yourself at one of the US parks this summer but are really craving this delectable treat on a hot day, take your shot at making your own! Recipes can be found all over the internet, like this one.  Or if you wanna spice things up, try the newest Disney addition available at the Disneyland Hotel - Dole Whip Float with a splash of rum.