The Little Thing That Could SURPRISE You in Disney World

You might think you know EVERYTHING there is to know about Disney World, but the Most Magical Place on Earth can truly SURPRISE you.

Magic Kingdom

Sometimes special snacks pop up (for a limited time only) at unique locations. Or a ride may unexpectedly close only to suddenly reopen a few minutes later. Scheduled refurbishment closures, changes in entertainment times, adjustments to walking paths — all kinds of things can catch you off guard in the parks and resorts. But sometimes the surprises you’ll encounter will be pleasant ones — and that’s just what we spotted recently.

On February 13th, we were strolling through Magic Kingdom on a rather brisk day. Temperatures were in the 40s-60s (depending on the time of day you looked). That’s VERY different than the steaming hot 80-degree temperature you may have been expecting!

©Weather Channel

To be clear, Disney CAN reach really hot temperatures (dangerously hot temperatures sometimes), but it can also hit some surprisingly COLD temperatures at certain points of the year. If you don’t plan ahead, you could be caught in the middle of 50-degree weather with nothing but a tank top and pair of shorts (perhaps fine for some, but a bit chilly for others).

We knew this weather would be coming since we had checked some weather forecasts ahead of time. We even shared a list of 9 packing essentials for those cooler days which you can see right here!

You Might Need a Sweater!

But, now back to our stroll in Magic Kingdom. As we were walking through the park, we found something a little more unique. Over at the Main Street Plaza Ice Cream Parlor, there was a sign that wasn’t for ice cream, sundaes, or anything of the kind. Instead, the sign was for…

Ice Cream Parlor

…HOT COCOA! It seems that because of the cooler weather, Disney wanted to bring out a bit more of the warm beverage and make sure guests who were feeling cold knew that they could pick up some warm liquid goodness at Plaza Ice Cream Parlor.

Gotta Stay Warm Somehow!

Now, to be clear, hot cocoa is a regular item on many Disney World restaurants. In fact, at Magic Kingdom alone you can find it regularly on the menu for many quick service locations, including Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe, Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe, and even the nearby Casey’s Corner.

But, the drink does not appear to be listed online on the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor menu. So while you may find it at several spots, you won’t necessarily find it everywhere regularly. On particularly cold days, however, you may see hot cocoa pop up in more places so keep an eye out for those special signs (typically held by Cast Members near the front of the restaurant or sometimes on display in the restaurant).