You Should LEAVE Magic Kingdom for This 'Moana' Treat

It’s the holiday season in Disney World, and you know what that means…

It’s the holiday season in Disney World!

…holiday EATS and DRINKS! We’ve tried all the new and returning favorites at EPCOT’s Festival of the Holidays, eaten the exclusive snacks at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and now we’re headed to a Disney Resort Hotel to check out a NEW holiday dessert they’re serving up!

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is home to SO MANY great dining options, but one of our favorite spots for a quick bit is Capt. Cook’s! This counter-service location usually serves up Tonga Toast at breakfast and pulled pork nachos that are worth leaving Magic Kingdom for, but we recently headed over to try a new holiday dessert — the Moana Holiday Cupcake!

I am MOANA! 🌊 The Moana Holiday Cupcake has arrived at Capt. Cook’s at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort 🧁

Chocolate cupcake with Candy Cane Mousse and Chocolate Décor 🍫 pic.twitter.com/OwMbF87bI3

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) December 12, 2022

This is a chocolate cupcake with candy cane mousse and chocolate decor for $6.49. There’s a chocolate palm tree with holiday lights, a chocolate Moana piece, icing “waves,” and some sand on top, too. We were surprised by how big this cupcake was compared to others we’ve seen at Disney, so this is definitely a shareable treat.

How pretty is this cupcake?!

But, we can’t guarantee you’re going to want to share it — that’s how tasty this treat was! The chocolate cake was moist and rich without being too sweet, but the candy cane peppermint mousse filling was the star of the show. You probably need to be a fan of minty desserts to enjoy it but it’s worth trying if you’re used to boring Disney cupcakes. The peppermint flavor did get stronger the more we ate of this cupcake, but the chocolate cake helped to cut down on some of that strong mint.

The chocolate palm tree and Moana figure were a cute addition, but didn’t add any real flavor to the dessert. We loved the sand crumbles though — they added a fun crunch, kind of like a streusel, that helped break up the rest of the cupcake’s texture.

A tropical treat

If you’re looking for a festive holiday treat, head on over to Capt. Cook’s at Disney’s Polynesian Resort to get a bite of this cupcake. While you’re there, check out the renovations to Kona Cafe or stop by Tambu Lounge for a cocktail (and some secret menu noodles!).