The 14 Most Outrageous Theme Park Desserts Ever

If you are visiting theme parks solely for the rides, you are sorely missing out. Many of us are seeking out a different sort of thrill — and it doesn't involve roller coaster-induced G-force. We've come a long way from the standard ice cream cone and churro because thanks to the golden age of social media, we never have to settle for the mundane. Theme parks are continually one upping themselves by creating sweet masterpieces that are bigger, better, and more outrageous than the next — because no one came home from vacation to rave about the boring one-scoop vanilla cone they enjoyed.

We've traveled from sea to shining sea to unearth the most bonkers of all desserts. No stone (or cone) has gone unturned in our pursuit for a slice of sugar-laden heaven. If you're in the market for a 25-pound apple pie or an ice cream sundae so big it uses an entire can of whipped cream, you've come to the right place friends. Get ready to max out your daily allotted calories (and then some) in one glorious sitting. Consider this your theme park bucket list. You're welcome.

Located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Hersheypark is quite literally the Sweetest Place on Earth and our preferred place to stuff ourselves silly with candy from the brand's iconic and impressive lineup. The family-friendly theme park manifests all things chocolate — so you can guarantee they have an extensive menu to satisfy any and all sweet toothes. In recent years, it's one of their newer creations that has made a splash in the land of chocolate lovers -– and Milton would be so proud at this creation pining for a slot on your Instagram feed.

If you happen to find yourself at the park's aptly named Simply Chocolate, behold their glorious line-up of king size milkshakes. Think mega-sized shakes, perfectly delicious on their own, but brought to the next level with the addition of some over the top toppings — that's a mouth full and these are too. Available in three varieties, shakes are topped with everything from chocolate covered pretzels and a jumbo Reese's cup to an entire chocolate cupcake or full slice of cake. If you feast on anything chocolate loaded while visiting, make it one of these wildly inventive shakes.

Located just outside the gates of Hersheypark, you'll find Hershey's Chocolate World — a mecca of all things chocolate. Home to the Hershey brand's largest candy store on earth, it's basically your golden ticket to visiting Willy Wonka's whimsical candy factory, but in real life. Here, you can get your hands on hundreds of different candies, including a 5-pound candy bar. The absolute best way to induce a sugar coma is at their expansive food hall.

Drop any preconceived notions that you may have about a food court because you won't find a basic pizza stand or fast-food Chinese here. Indulge in homemade desserts, including massive cookies, and even a soft pretzel so large it's served inside a pizza box alongside Hershey's special dark chocolate peanut butter ganache for dipping — there's also alcoholic beverage and candy pairings. 

While that is all fine and dandy, it's their newest offering that has made all of our candy-coated dreams come true. You can now stuff your own one-pound Reese's peanut butter cup with whatever your heart desires. The Reese's Stuff Your Cup experience allows you to be the captain of your own destiny as you mix into an empty chocolate cup pretzel bits, marshmallows, Reese's piece, sprinkles, and even miniature Reese's cups. Your creation is completed with fresh Reese's peanut butter direct from the factory that's situated just down the road. The experience is guided by highly trained "tasteologists."

The story of Knott's Berry Farm is so fantastical that it may sound unbelievable — this southern California theme park actually began as a small berry farm. They've come a long way since then, expanding with a destination-worthy nearly 100-year-old fried chicken restaurant and coasters galore. They haven't forgotten their humble beginnings with the fruit — on any given day, one could indulge in all the things boysenberries, from wings and corn dogs to pies and soft serve flavored by the tangy berry.

The Knott's Berry Farm fun bun is easily the most iconic, and outrageous, of all their berry-soaked delights. This hybrid dessert debuted in 2015 and instantly become a fan favorite. Think funnel cake meets cinnamon roll and a heavy dose of the berry with the name "fun bun" deriving from a shortened "funnel cake-cinnamon bun." The cinnamon bun is deep fried and coated in a luscious boysenberry glaze and topped with powdered sugar. It's utterly decadent, sinfully delicious, and is even worthy of its own hashtag. It's worth a trip to Knott's alone — but we suggest stopping for some fried chicken first.

Walt Disney World, in Central Florida, is 25,000 acres of fun offering literally hundreds of dining options, from standard theme park fare to AAA five-diamond fine dining. They also know a thing or two about creating buzz and hype surrounding food — fans have been known to wait hours in line just to grab a cookie or the latest limited-edition cupcake. While everyone is well aware of the holy greatness that is Dole whip, which has since become synonymous with Disney parks, you'll have to venture to one of the property's many resorts for something truly worthy of over-the-top status.

Only available at cult favorite Beaches & Cream Soda Shop, located at Disney's Beach Club Resort, guests pine for reservations months in advance to indulge in what could best be described as a literal mountain of ice cream. The kitchen sink sundae is made up of 28 ingredients, including multiple flavors of ice cream, fudge, syrups, candy, cake, cookies, and an entire can of whipped cream. To take this one step further, it's all assembled in a serving dish that mimics a kitchen sink. You'll want to grab your crew if you hope to tackle this one as it's designed to serve up to six people. Ordering this one is a true *experience* as you'll also be delighted with a whimsical presentation — don't worry, we won't spill the beans.

We head next to Disney World's original park, Magic Kingdom, for another larger-than-life dessert. We can almost guarantee you that Belle would have fallen in love with the Beast a lot quicker if he served her a massive cinnamon roll at that painfully awkward dinner. Available from the "Beauty & The Beast" themed Gaston's Tavern in Fantasyland, behold the massive cinnamon roll. Roughly the size of Gaston's arm muscles, this beast of a pastry is served fresh and ooey gooey as it's coated in a layer of cascading frosting. Sweet enough on its own, sugar seekers will be delighted to know that you can even request an extra side of the delicious frosting. While Main Street Bakery gets all the buzz for breakfast, this is our preferred way to begin our park day when visiting the most magical place on Earth.

With Dolly Parton as its dreamer in chief, it is of no surprise that imagination seems to be the only limit when it comes to Dollywood's culinary team delighting us with their decadent dining options. The East Tennessee theme park, set to the backdrop of the stunning Smoky Mountains, is home to several globally recognized roller coasters, but most importantly, some serious comfort food. Southern hospitality is embraced and showcased throughout the park with hungry guests ready to dig into award-winning barbecue pork sandwiches or banana pudding made from Dolly's own family recipes.

You don't have to go any further than the Spotlight Bakery, just inside the park's gates, for a true you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it dessert. Just one slice of their famous 25-pound apple pie can feed a family of four. This monstrosity of a dessert requires over 40 apples (that's about 20 pounds) and 3 cups of brown sugar. Available by the slice or as an entire pie (they'll even throw in the skillet it's cooked in), it's made from scratch resulting in a melt in your mouth flaky slice of perfection. Dollywood will even ship it straight to your home for $189.99. They sell on average 29 of these tantalizing full pies each year with it being a popular option for Brides and Grooms seeking something out of the ordinary to serve their wedding guests.

We can say with full confidence that cinnamon bread is the unsung hero of theme park snacks. If you know, you know. Served in a tin-encased loaf, the cinnamon-forward bread is literally dipped in a vat of butter making for the most decadent of all the theme park treats. It's also a big reason why many seek out visiting Dollywood and its sister park in Branson, Missouri, Silver Dollar City. The 1880's-theme park is home to incredible roller coasters and stand-out eats that celebrate mountain culture.

One of their newest purveyors of theme park foodie delicacies, Rivertown Smokehouse, impressively trained their staff in Texas with real smoke masters — but their outstanding barbecue isn't the only reason we can't get enough. We thought we peaked with cinnamon bread, but it was our first taste of their cinnamon bread pudding that left us with our jaw dropped to the floor. The iconic theme park snack is given the bread pudding treatment and the result is the pinnacle of desserts. Every spoonful is sinfully perfect and bursting with flavor from the buttery bread and sweet icing. Get yourselves to the Ozarks stat.

When visiting Universal Studios Orlando or Universal Studio Hollywood, we suggest whizzing right past the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and straight to Springfield. The Simpsons-themed area of the park is an absolute fever dream and a must for fans of the loveable, albeit slightly kooky family. If you're looking to coat the stomach before heading into Moe's Tavern for a crisp pint of Duff Dry — it's true, you can really sip on Duff beer here — the only natural place to stop is at Lard Lad donuts. You can't miss it and its giant ambassador.

The Big Pink is what you're ordering from Lard Lad Donuts — and its fit to feed your entire family. This massive yeast donut is straightforward, but outrageous in presentation. It is generously coated with sweet, brightly-colored frosting and loads of sprinkles. They'll occasionally make other flavors of the day, like Oreo or S'mores, but we always go with the classic. The donut itself is incredibly moist, and prime for the socials.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a marvel in theme park design located at both Universal Studios Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood. The incredible immersion that transports you to the pages of J.K. Rowling's imaginative world isn't limited to the movie-like sets guests can wander through. Food is at the forefront of rounding out this experience that captivates all the senses for a truly magical experience. While some may fancy a visit to the hallowed halls of The Leaky Cauldron for some bangers and mash and cottage pie, or a walk through the infamous Knockturn Alley, one thing is clear: no visit is complete without eating all things Butterbeer.

Any true cloak-adorning fan has had a sip of the iconic Butterbeer, first introduced in the franchise's third film and now brought to life in the parks, but it doesn't end with the beverage. The sweet-flavored treat has manifested itself in various forms, including ice cream, potted cream, and our favorite version: fudge. Butterbeer has a sort of vanilla-meets-butterscotch flavoring and that profile is fully embraced in the fudge. With additional notes of white chocolate and a hint of marshmallow, this is a must for sugar lovers with an affinity for Harry Potter.

Everything is awesome (sorry, but we had to) at LEGOLAND California Resort and its sister parks in Florida and New York. Inspired by everyone's favorite childhood toy, the parks are home to family friendly attractions but it is one of their food offerings that have landed these parks national attention. For the true building blocks of a good time at the theme park, Granny's Apple Fries is a must for anyone visiting. It originated at their first park in California in 1999 but proved to be so popular it can now be found at all three U.S. parks.

But, hold up ... what exactly is an apple fry? Basically, green apples are sliced into fry-like shapes before being lightly battered and fried to a golden hue. They are coated (generously might we add) with cinnamon sugar before being served blissfully warm with a dipping side of caramel sauce. It's about as perfect as a piece of fruit can get. The park's top seller is the apple of our eye on its own but with the addition of cool soft-serve vanilla ice cream an absolute home run and should be #1 on your list of LEGOLAND must-eats.

If there was one dessert that was the catalyst for the entire social media movement surrounding Insta-worthy desserts, it would likely be the Dole whip. The now-iconic pineapple-flavored soft serve was created by the Dole Food Company and has been the staple snack of Disney parks across the country and beyond. This surprisingly dairy-free dessert is a favorite of many and an absolute delight on a hot theme park day. This next snack is actually found just beyond the gates of Walt Disney World at SeaWorld Orlando. Known for some pretty outrageous snacks, like a Shamu-shaped ice cream bar or sundae, it's their pineapple twist that will have heads turning in envy as they stroll on by you in the park.

A hollowed-out pineapple makes way for swirl after swirl of the good stuff, Dole whip that is. It is absolutely massive and then topped with whipped cream, slices of real pineapple, and cherries. The combination of fresh pineapple chunks and ice cream just hits the spot. While Dole whip is now available in a variety of flavors, including cherry and watermelon, we think the OG is the best and this is its best form.

We couldn't discuss theme park desserts without mentioning a true classic: the churro. That would be practically sacrilegious. Over at the house of the mouse in Southern California, Disneyland is the mecca of churros. They do them and they do them extremely well. What's so magical about eating a stick-like formation of deep-fried dough at the happiest place on earth? Simply put, you are not limited to the standard cinnamon sugar variety here. Disneyland carries a solid rotation of flavored and specialty churros, like peppermint and sugar cookies. They also roll out the red carpet for some seriously impressive varieties for the holidays, like a pecan pie churro.

There's one churro that may leave you scratching your head because it is totally outrageous, but somehow works. That would be the spicy caliente churro from Senor Buzz's churro cart at Disney California Adventure. The bright red hued dessert hits the tongue with a powerful, fiery flavor that gives off major cinnamon Red Hot vibes. It's unique, a little out there, and a welcome switch up from the standard churro.

We wouldn't dare create a list of theme park desserts without including one of the most iconic of all: the funnel cake. The distinctly American fried food actually has roots in Europe, but we made it all our own (as we typically do). Funnel cakes can be found at almost every theme park, amusement park, and fair in the nation, but it is one thrilling California park that does it better than the rest. Six Flags Magic Mountain, located just northwest of Los Angeles, created a loaded Oreo funnel cake. It all starts with a plain funnel cake that is on its own in peak form. The fried dough is then topped with pieces of crushed Oreo cookies, Oreo crème, whipped cream, powdered sugar, and a laughably generous portion of soft serve vanilla ice cream. Find this one at the park's appropriately named World Famous Funnel Cakes factory.

Located on Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio, Cedar Point is America's premiere destination for some of the most pioneering, industry-forward roller coasters in the world. Home to some drool-worthy eats, you'll want to take a break from their line-up of 18 G-Force-inducing coasters for their famous funnel fries. The twist on the amusement park staples features made-to-order funnel pieces in a fry shape that are coated with powdered sugar. Dare we say perhaps our preferred method of devouring funnel cake as it's totally portable and much easier to pop in your mouth than the standard version — not to mention the usual variety is an absolute mess. 

According to CP Food Blog, you can grab these hand-held pieces of fried heaven at several carts throughout the park. Pro tip: to bring their funnel fries to the next level, grab a scoop of the locally famous Toft's ice cream. The family-owned and operated dairy giant has been making creamy, high-quality homemade ice cream for over a century.