I suspect the whole "Dole Whip" cult is very much tied in with where it's purchased, as well. For some it may be the "taste" of a special time of their lives. I occasionally like the taste of a McDonald's hamburger. Is it a good hamburger? Not really. But I still remember being a kid in suburban Maryland and being excited when a Mickey D's opened nearby and we got to go eat there. As the late Phil Hartman used to say - "Good times..."
McDonald's fries are a similar thing - pretty good, but not AMAZING like the fries at Ocean City, Bethany Beach, or Rehoboth Beach!!!