REVIEW: You'll Have to Be FAST to Really Enjoy Disney World's Latest Refreshing Treat

There’s just no denying that the temperature in Disney World during the summer can sometimes be pretty miserable thanks to that Florida sun!

A sunny day in Animal Kingdom

Luckily, you’ll find plenty of cold and icy treats most places in Disney. From ice cream and frozen drinks to a nice cold glass of water, you can find lots of things to cool you down and get you nice and refreshed. One popular icy treat in Disney World is kakigori, typically found at Kabuki Cafe in EPCOT’s Japan Pavilion. We recently spotted it outside of EPCOT though, and we couldn’t wait to see what it was like!

Sometimes there’s nothing better than stopping by Kabuki Cafe on a hot day to pick up some kakigori, a Japanese-style shaved ice covered in sweet flavored syrup, often served with sweetened condensed milk.

Kakigori from Kabuki Cafe

So imagine our surprise when we were strolling through Animal Kingdom recently and saw that kakigori was on the menu over at Caravan Road! We obviously had to try it!

Caravan Road

This version is watermelon flavored and was topped with sweetened condensed milk.

The sign indicated that it was part of “A World of Voices,” the celebration for Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. This celebration typically starts in May, and since we’re just a few days away from the start of that month, it makes sense that it popped up now!

According to the sign, kakigori originated back in Japan and was first served to Japanese aristocracy during the summer. Later, it found its way to the public.

Kakigori Sign

This kakigori was so, SO refreshing and quickly cooled us down. The ice was hard and crunchy, as it should be, but it does melt rather quickly so you’ll want to eat it FAST!

The watermelon flavor was subtle but definitely present, and it didn’t taste artificial (like a watermelon lollipop or something) as watermelon flavored foods often can. This definitely had a more real watermelon flavor to it, which we really enjoyed!

Watermelon Kakigori

The sweetened condensed milk gave this kakigori an almost smoothie-like vibe, as it made it just a little bit sweeter and milky. We actually liked that addition, as it made things a bit more unique!

If you’re a watermelon fan and just want to cool down with a delicious treat, this might be for you. Watermelon haters should probably look elsewhere though!

Perfect on a hot day in Disney World

For $4.99, this is a fairly inexpensive Disney treat, but you are paying for ice and syrup, so keep that in mind if you like a little more value in your snacks. The other downside to our kakigori experience was that it was served in a paper bowl and began melting quickly, resulting in a bit of a soggy mess.

We’re not sure how long this treat will stick around on the Caravan Road menu, so head on over soon if you want to check it out. For the latest Disney snack news and more, don’t forget to stay tuned to DFB!

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Have you ever tried Kakigori in Disney World or elsewhere? Let us know in the comments!