As darkness falls, a fleet of 800 drones illuminates the night as they transform into breathtaking visuals standing 400 feet tall, recreating famous movie moments right before your eyes. Watch in awe as Peter Pan flies to Neverland along with WALL-E and Eve, dancing together among the stars, all brought to life in a spectacular new way.

Each scene is beautifully synced to classic Disney soundtracks, familiar character dialogues, and an original song that together weave a captivating narrative. Highlights include appearances by cherished characters from Toy Story, Coco, Dumbo, Peter Pan, Up, the Star Wars saga, and beyond.

The 10-minute show is the perfect way to cap off your day at Disney Springs, where you can indulge in dining, shopping, and entertainment. With two showtimes each evening at 9:00 PM and 10:45 PM, planning your visit is easy and ensures that everyone has the chance to experience the magic. Prime viewing spots are located on the West Side of Disney Springs—along the waterfront between the Cirque du Soleil Theatre and Aerophile – The World Leader in Balloon Flight.

Disney Dreams that Soar is just the beginning of an unforgettable summer at Walt Disney World Resort! The tale of Princess and the Frog continues at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom Park, opening on June 28. Meanwhile, EPCOT invites you to join the sing-along “¡Celebración Encanto!” from June 10 through September 6, celebrating the music and story of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Encanto.

Don’t miss the magic of Disney Dreams that Soar this summer, running from May 24 through September 2 at Walt Disney World Resort’s Disney Springs. Make this nighttime experience part of your visit, and let your imagination soar!

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Overview

Looking to satisfy your sweet tooth? Look no further than Salt & Straw when visiting Disney Springs! We are giving you the full scoop on one of the newest offerings at the Walt Disney World Resort. Grab a spoon, and let’s dig in.

Jump to

• Backstory
• Menu

When it comes to beating the heat, there’s no better method than a creamy, frozen snack served via cup, bowl, or cone. Especially when you find yourself in Orlando, FL, where there are at least a dozen treat shops within a stone’s throw from wherever you are. While it’s hard to go wrong with wherever you choose, one establishment stands out in the ice cream ocean and deserves your attention – Salt and Straw Creamery in Disney Springs. Located in Disney Springs West Side, it can be found just near AMC Theaters, Splitsville Luxury Lanes, and Everglazed Donuts & Cold Brew. For those who don’t know, it fills in the vacancy left by the Something Silver store and, if I may humbly state, it does so quite nicely.

It has garnered a massive following for a location that’s only been open since April of 2022. It’s not uncommon for a line to be wrapped around the outside of their entrance, which isn’t surprising. Their take on ice cream is interesting, and I’m a big fan of their brand philosophy, but I’m getting ahead of myself. First, let’s get to know their backstory and who they are.

Salt & Straw: Backstory and Mission

Salt & Straw is the epitome of that self-started entrepreneur success story. Back in 2011, cousins Kim and Tyler Malek opened Salt & Straw after being inspired by their hometown, Portland, Oregon’s strong sense of community. Wishing for someplace that represented that feeling, they landed on what I’d say is the best format – an ice cream shop! In the beginning, their business was a small ice cream cart. After prevailing through the rainstorms of their opening Summer, they evolved Salt & Straw to its intended brick-and-mortar format. Over the years thereafter, they flourished into multiple locations across seven cities. 

As “community” is at the heart of their brand, Salt & Straw supports the ones they launch in and is openly inclusive by nature. The conversations go deeper on their site, but some instances are partnerships with social programs. For example, The Women’s Justice Project in Oregon and their consideration of purchasing their supplies locally. In this way, Salt & Straw sets a standard with actions that further the “good” feeling you get while enjoying their delectable treats. 

Salt & Straw: Their Process

Put simply – Salt & Straw is about taking the traditional ice cream flavoring process and improving upon it through their love for the stuff. While other companies lean into the roads of indulgence, Salt & Straw can be considered as the epicurean route. Their menu includes items for those who love the ice cream parlor classics, like their Double Fold Vanilla and Flaked Mint Chocolate Chip, but what allows Salt & Straw to stand out is their experimentation with odder ingredients, like fruits and herbs. If this raises an eyebrow or two for you, you’re not alone. You can, however, rest assured that these pairings not only lend themselves to the ice cream, but also speak of the region and the specific location of that scoop. This creates a whole, more unique culinary experience that you can only get from visiting that store.

When it comes to conceptualizing new flavors and pairings, Tyler Malek is the “compass palette” for Salt & Straw. When he opened the creamery with Kim, he took what he knew of beer-making at that time, partnered up with local brewers, and applied that combined knowledge to their opening-day menu and future products. The influence of this strategy can be seen at many levels within their operation: there’s the culinary aspect. Whenever they want to create a new flavor, Tyler and Kim look to experts on the ingredients they wish to incorporate. They learn how to cultivate each one’s specific flavor traits that let the final product truly shine. As the “farm-to-table” format is the expectation these days, Salt & Straw teams up with local producers for each store’s ingredients. This allows every location to stand out in its own way.

Of course, we wouldn’t talk about their process without addressing the resulting ice cream! In the overall sense, Salt & Straw’s cream has a richer personality due to the exceptional amount of butterfat in their base recipe. For the sake of clarity – to be considered as such, each scoop of “ice cream” must consist of at least 10% butterfat, the naturally occurring fat in milk that results in the treat’s defining texture. With that in mind, each scoop in a cone or cup from any Salt & Straw shop contains 17% butterfat. This provides a texture akin to a “creamy, soft fluff” rather than simply “frozen milk,” which has a pleasing, cloud-like texture, especially as it begins to melt.

The Takeaway

With a menu full of both mainstay and seasonal selections, where does one even start? If, in fact, you are the old-school type who appreciates tradition, I’d suggest their Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons. For this flavor, they teamed with the world’s first selmelier ( which is essentially a “salt sommelier,” if you’re keeping notes), Mark Bitterman, as it’d be an excellent choice in understanding what Salt & Straw is about. Personally, I say don’t be vanilla – go for the experience! So I tried a few of the current flavor samplings and walked away with the best two at that time.

​Salty Donut Guava and Cheese – Florida Exclusive

What makes this item unique to Florida as one of its “exclusive” offerings is its partnering with Miami-based ‘The Salty Donut.’ Picking their favorite flavor from the artisanal donut shop, Guava and Cheese, Salt & Straw began with a cream cheese ice cream base. They then added in Florida guava curd, glazed brioche donuts chunks, and puffed pastry streusel. While its general flavor is simple and sweet, the salty guava in each ice cream scoop rewards its consumer with a dance of warm, citrusy, sweet flavors within the ice cream in a way that transports you to a coastal boardwalk in the Summer. In contrast to its flavor, the texture has a good amount of complexity. The brioche donut and crumbly streusel provide fun, rewarding layers within each chew. Put simply, it’s a metaphorical dessert party that evokes the idea of “cake and ice cream done right.”

Strawberry Honey Balsamic with Black Pepper – Classic Flavor

If Guava Donut was all about a complex texture over simple, familiar flavors, this is the flip side to that. Starting with the strawberry ice cream base – it’s precisely what comes to mind when you search one out, complete with strawberries. The black pepper is visibly sprinkled across the creamy grooves and adds some spice-play with the balsamic vinegar. The tartness of the vinegar is subtle but still notably present within the sweetness of the ice cream and strawberries, bringing about a coaster of flavors that mingle nicely together. You’d think the flavors would be combative with each other, but they work perfectly together. This over-the-top flavor can be summarized as a childhood favorite enhanced to a grown-up flavor that dares to be different and pushes the concept of what ice cream can truly be.

Being mindful of the prices, I should take a moment to elaborate – I chose a Double Scoop for these flavors, which cost $9.50 plus tax. They also offer Kids’ Scoops for $5.75 plus tax and Single Scoops for $6.95 plus tax. The scoop portions were generous, and a Double Scoop could be considered a snack for two or a dessert for one. Guests can also add sprinkles or some flavor variety with Split Scoops which both cost an additional $0.50 plus tax. Whichever you choose, Salt & Straw is certainly a great option.

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Donut worry, fans. I got your backs in this!

The Food

Donuts: $4.75 – $5.75
Sandwiches: $9 – $13
Fries: $6 – $12

Everglazed offers a total of sixteen different donut types. You can purchase one of the eight “classic” flavors, such as the Strawberry Iced with Sprinkles or Classic Glazed, that are traditional to the donut-making craft. If you want something more unique, try one of “The Funky Bunch” — a series of donuts which are unique to Everglazed, like the Maple Double Bacon or perhaps the Peanut Butter Explosion. This list doesn’t include any of their seasonal offerings (like the 50th Anniversary donut currently offered). Although donuts are what draw you into the shop, Everglazed also has a variety of savory sandwiches to devour that are sure to be a hit. They offer two different kinds of burgers, “The Funky Chicken Sandwich,” and the already-viral, ooey-gooey “Griddled Cheeeeeese.” Each of these comes standard with a griddled sweet bun, but guests can always add a little sweetness to their savory sandwich by substituting the buns with (what else?) a glazed donut for an extra dollar.

In the spirit of knowing that the world loves waffle fries, anyone looking to make their sandwiches into a meal will feel right at home here. There are three different kinds of this delicious side to choose from. You can keep it simple with their “perfectly seasoned” base form of salted and crisped to perfection or opt for “Spicy,” in which case the waffle fries are sprinkled with Buffalo seasoning, drizzled with spicy mayo, and topped with scallions to bring in a few extra elements. For those that “want it all” in their lives, the “Loaded Fries” come fixed with the traditional baked potato toppings of bacon, scallions, and sour cream with an addition of tomatoes, queso, and chili, all of which will surely level the dish up a few notches.

The Coffee

Regular coffee and Cold Brew: $4.50 – $6.50
Specialty coffees: $6.95
Toppers: $10 – $11
Flavors: $.50 each
Cold foam: $.75

Nothing pairs with donuts like coffee, and Everglazed embraces this fact with open arms. They offer 3 different brew types: The conventional, freshly roasted Hot Drip-Drip, the refreshing Cold Brew, and the rich and full Nitro. Diving into Everglazed’s coffee rabbit hole, you’ll find some fun, specialty flavors such as their Nitro and Iced flavors: Reese’s, Double Chocolate and Purple Reign iced Chai tea and the menu’s six “classic cold-brew” items: the Cold Standard, Peppermint Mocha, Vanilla Hazelnut, Salted Caramel, Chocolate Mocha, and Cinnamon Bun. On the other hand, you’ll receive no judgement for playing it safe with the traditional coffeeshop flavored syrups: white chocolate, salted caramel, cinnamon bun, vanilla, hazelnut, or peppermint and maybe a cold foam. Either way, there’s something for everyone’s bean brew preference here.

As if acknowledging the natural bond between the two, Everglazed’s Toppers combine five specialty beverages with their perfect doughnut pairing as a cup topper you can nibble from. Guests can choose from the Super Chocolate Topper, the Donut Shop Special, the Peanut Butter Topper, the Cloud 9 Caramel Topper, or the (vegan) Purple Topper. This makes for a sweet experience that caters itself to an easy on-the-go format as the donut sits atop the lid of you favorite 24 ounce beverage. It is worth making note that the only Topper that isn’t a coffee pairing is the Purple Topper. Instead, this item pairs the Purple Glazed Ube Donut with the Purple Reign Iced Chai Tea to provide Everglazed’s guests a completely vegan offering.

Everglazed Donuts & Cold Brew – The Verdict

Guided by the alluring smell of fresh-brewed coffee and daily-baked donuts, I stepped into Everglazed and surveyed the menu. Given its diversity, I sampled one of each of their more popular items: The Super Chocolate Topper, the Funky Chicken, and their Spicy Fries. Beginning on the savory side, the Funky Chicken is a fried chicken sandwich that’s topped with bread and butter pickles and a ranch slaw, then dressed with barbecue sauce and spicy mayo. The chicken was delicious and juicy and its breading held a pleasant crunch despite how much sauce and slaw it contended with. The sweetness of the barbecue sauce and the spicy mayo were the front flavors, with the bread and butter pickles rounding them out to complement the chicken’s taste perfectly. In my opinion, the ranch coleslaw was more of a background player that brought in some extra texture, but without any of the sides, the sandwich as a whole wouldn’t be nearly as enjoyable. With that said, $11 is a high price for just a sandwich — even given its larger size — and I couldn’t justify fully recommending it without the inclusion of a side or beverage.

We’ll shift to sides now and focus on the star of the show for me — the Spicy Fries. The generous serving makes them shareable for two, and the move to make them waffle fries was an excellent choice. Their crispy texture was sturdy and constant while I enjoyed their flavor pairing of Spicy Mayo and buffalo seasoning. Their heat is a lingering one that’s definitely present while not overbearing, and blends wonderfully with the taste of each waffle. They fries are topped with chives that appear to solely benefit the dish’s aesthetics and texture, but actually elevate the flavor as another necessary backend component of every bite. I walked away knowing I’d return for another round of those fries, and I’ll be dreaming about them until that day arrives.

The dulcet duo of the Double Chocolate Nitro Brew coffee and the Brooklyn Blackout donut make up our visit’s sweet treat — the Super Chocolate Topper. I should take a moment and mention that you’ll need utensils to eat the donut. It’s unexpectedly dense and loaded with toppings of chocolate chips, chocolate glaze, chocolate frosting, and chocolate wafers. With that in mind, its density isn’t a deal-breaker. The texture held even after being on top of a wet beverage. The flavor was wonderful and, although it falls just short of being shareable, it’s decently sized. As a combination with its nitro brew partner, the two are the perfect couple. Pinpointing to the coffee specifically, the nitro brew has a pleasant, creamy texture, and while I prefer my coffee a little more on the forefront in taste, there’s an even balance of mocha to coffee in the mix. Given the price, I’d say this isn’t a bad value either.

I’ll leave you with a Pagnotti Pro Tip — The Brooklyn Blackout and Spicy Fries are a surprisingly rewarding pair. On a whim, I combined the two and found they’re a sleeper hit. The combination of sweet, salty, and savory flavors danced wonderfully with the buffalo heat and my taste buds. Don’t you dare judge it until you try it!

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