Ice Cream

[ClaraOswald]

Clarabelle's at DCA or Ghirardelli....

As far as ice cream goes, which do you prefer?

What is your favorite thing to order?

 

[lovebug33]

I like Giradelli's because I love their ice cream drinks.

 

[Sherry E]

The last time I got a sundae at Ghirardelli in DCA, I found it to be way too expensive for what I got. It was good, but not worth the money.

However, the advantages to Ghirardelli, for me, included the free samples that they hand out at the door (including seasonal samples around Easter, Halloween Time and the holiday season), and the fact that they accepted the AP discount. I don't know if they still accept the AP discount today (I have heard mixed reports on that), but the last time I got a sundae there, they did. (Over in DL, Gibson Girl -- where I usually go for ice cream at DLR -- did not accept AP discounts, so Ghirardelli won that round.)

Clarabelle's sells the impossibly cute "Mickey pants" sundaes (the Kitchen Sink), and they also have some nifty ice cream bars.

 

[figment_jii]

I also prefer Clarabelle's, but that's mostly because the Mickey pans kitchen sink sundae container is really cute and the sundaes are "unique" in that way. My favorite is the Oswald, which includes two chocolate dipped banana ears.

I like the Ghiradelli sundaes, but I tend not to to there when I'm at DCA because there are locations outside of DCA that have the same options (e.g., there is a Ghiradelli sundae shop in Monterrey on Cannery Row and in Stockton at the Ghiradellie Outlet). I have had ice cream there and it is yummy, so there is nothing wrong with going there if you don't have access to a Ghiradelli shop outside of DLR.

 

[ClaraOswald]

I just looked at the menus and both locations have a sundae I want to try. But...I don't know if I'll want ice cream twice. Not sure how I'll decide...haha!

I have a Ghirardelli hot chocolate question....

Can someone who has had both of these...explain to me how exactly they are different....(obviously one comes with Biscotti, but I'm asking about the drinks...)

Decadent Drinking Chocolate with Biscotti - made with melted chocolate drops and packed with intense flavor in every rich, velvety sip. $4.95

Classic Ghirardelli Hot Cocoa - Topped with whipped cream. $3.50/$3.95/$4.35

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

I just looked at the menus and both locations have a sundae I want to try. But...I don't know if I'll want ice cream twice. Not sure how I'll decide...haha!

I have a Ghirardelli hot chocolate question....

Can someone who has had both of these...explain to me how exactly they are different....(obviously one comes with Biscotti, but I'm asking about the drinks...)

Decadent Drinking Chocolate with Biscotti - made with melted chocolate drops and packed with intense flavor in every rich, velvety sip. $4.95

Classic Ghirardelli Hot Cocoa - Topped with whipped cream. $3.50/$3.95/$4.35

I admit up front I haven't had both. I have had the hot cocoa. My understanding of the difference between those two drinks is that the cocoa is made with chocolate cocoa powder stirred in, but the drinking chocolate has melted chocolate or chocolate chips that are stirred in, so it is probably a richer drink. What I don't know is if milk is the base for both drinks. I thought so, but I'm not 100% sure.

As for the sundaes, I have for the most part enjoyed the Ghirardelli sundaes. The ones I found most disappointing were the ones with a brownie or a cookie at the bottom. I don't know if it's time of day, the way it's all crammed into a tall plastic cup, or the coldness of the ice cream, but the baked item was hard and dry and mostly just an annoyance rather than a feature of those sundaes. The rocky road sundae was a fun one for sharing. My recent favorites though have been the one with the cherry vanilla ice cream (sorry, just can't remember their names on the menu) and the one with vanilla ice cream, strawberry sauce, hot fudge, and the chocolate covered strawberry on top. I was surprised how much I enjoyed that last one. Had it earlier this month.

When I go to Clarabelle's I don't get too excited about the cute containers, but that's just the way I am. At Clarabelle's I always end up ordering one of those ice cream bars because they are good and there isn't anything else quite like it at the parks' other ice cream places.

The last time I got a sundae at Ghirardelli in DCA, I found it to be way too expensive for what I got. It was good, but not worth the money.

However, the advantages to Ghirardelli, for me, included the free samples that they hand out at the door (including seasonal samples around Easter, Halloween Time and the holiday season), and the fact that they accepted the AP discount. I don't know if they still accept the AP discount today (I have heard mixed reports on that), but the last time I got a sundae there, they did.

Yes, they still give the AP discount. I got hot cocoa there on New Year's Eve and an ice cream sundae on January 2. AP discount given both times.

 

[Sherry E]

That's good to know (about the AP discounts), longtimedisneylurker. The discounts were one big advantage that Ghirardelli had, that Gibson Girl and Clarabelle's did not have!

Those ice cream bars are yummy! There is a nice close-up of one of the bars (along with other treats) in this blog (from the Disney Food Blog).

The Food Blog embarked upon an Ice Cream Crawl at DLR -- HERE.

And this is another blog, all about ice cream at Disneyland Resort, courtesy of the Disney Parks Blog -- HERE.

​

 

[bcla]

Isn't the ice cream served at Disneyland just Dreyer's? I thought that Disney Parks had a deal going with Nestlé.

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/disneyland/gibson-girl-ice-cream-parlor/

At this old-fashioned ice cream parlor hosted by Dreyer’s™, you’ll find sweetly nostalgic sundaes dressed up with freshly baked waffle cups and cookies. Or keep it classic with floats, hand-scooped cups and cones, and soda fountain drinks.

Certainly the Ghirardelli ice cream locations around here only serve Dreyer's. Kind of ironic since Ghirardelli is owned by Lindt.

 

[Sherry E]

Isn't the ice cream served at Disneyland just Dreyer's? I thought that Disney Parks had a deal going with Nestlé.



Certainly the Ghirardelli ice cream locations around here only serve Dreyer's. Kind of ironic since Ghirardelli is owned by Lindt.

As far as I know (though I could certainly be mistaken), the only ice cream on Disneyland Resort property that isn't Dreyer's can be found in Downtown Disney (obviously Haagen-Dazs, and whatever is used at the table service restaurants in their desserts).

I think that the enormous Kitchen Sink dessert that is sold at the PCH Grill is made with Dreyer's as well.

 

[lovebug33]

But...I don't know if I'll want ice cream twice. Not sure how I'll decide...haha!

This statement is wrong on so many levels.

 

[GatorChris]

I like the Ghiradelli sundaes, but I tend not to to there when I'm at DCA because there are locations outside of DCA that have the same options (e.g., there is a Ghiradelli sundae shop in Monterrey on Cannery Row and in Stockton at the Ghiradellie Outlet). I have had ice cream there and it is yummy, so there is nothing wrong with going there if you don't have access to a Ghiradelli shop outside of DLR.

I was just there at Cannery Row on Tuesday. My wife had to stop in at Ghiradelli since we missed it on our DL trip. Wow, it looks like they took some pricing cues from Disney. Cha-ching.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

That's good to know (about the AP discounts), longtimedisneylurker. The discounts were one big advantage that Ghirardelli had, that Gibson Girl and Clarabelle's did not have!

Kind of one of the reasons actually that when in DL we will head over to the Golden Horseshoe for ice cream sometimes. They only offer 3 sundae choices but they are similar to some of the choices at Gibson girl and similarly priced, BUT you can get your AP discount.

 

[disneyobsessed808]

I love the hand dipped ice cream bars at Clarabelle's so I usually go there for actual ice cream. I'd also rather have soft serve from cozy cones.

Decadent Drinking Chocolate with Biscotti - made with melted chocolate drops and packed with intense flavor in every rich, velvety sip. $4.95

Classic Ghirardelli Hot Cocoa - Topped with whipped cream. $3.50/$3.95/$4.35

The Hot Cocoa is like your classic hot cocoa, but MUCH better than the stuff you get any where else in the park.

The Drinking Chocolate, is like straight up melted dark chocolate, with a very little hot milk added. It is very thick and not as sweet as cocoa.

 

[MommyWithDreams]

Neither....I'd rather go to Gibson Girl on Mainstreet and enjoy a waffle cone.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Neither....I'd rather go to Gibson Girl on Mainstreet and enjoy a waffle cone.

Yeah...we've done that a lot. Hoping to try a sundae this time maybe.

I had a mint sundae at Golden Horseshoe last time. So good.

 

[Off to Neverland 7]

Clarabelle's for the Mickey Sink

 

[kangamama]

If you have kids with you, you've got to spring for the Mickey pants sink sundae at Clarabelles. The Sundaes themselves are pretty basic, but you can't exchange the joy the pants sink brings to the little kids for anything. Pants sink (as we call it in my family) all the way.