The Best and Worst Cheat Snacks at Walt Disney World When Counting Calories

If you've logged into Instagram any time within the last year, you've probably seen about a dozen different snacks at Disney worthy of their own posts!

While some of these may be better suited for Instagram than WW or My Fitness Pal's logs, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy yourself while on vacation and completely give up. If you're going to indulge, though, you want to make sure it is worth it, right? At least that's how I'm wired! So without going for the cupcakes or cookies, let's take a look at some of these Instagrammable Disney treats and if they're worth the splurge or not!
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BEST: Dole Whip

Dole Whip is a great cheat meal treat that has a bit of a cult following on Instagram - and now some more variants - that you can enjoy without guilt. At only 90 calories per half cup per Dole's website, you can try the various flavors at the parks and it makes for a great treat on a warm day. In my experience, I typically get about 1 full cup in my Dole Whip cups from Disney (if you really aren't sure, you can bring a measuring cup and scoop it in there - they even make collapsable ones so you can shove it in your bag without worrying about it being bulky or in the way).

While the classic pineapple-vanilla swirl is my favorite, I heard the Rapunzel inspired lemon cone made with Dole Whip is also delicious! They also have a Hei Hei cone inspired by Moana (pictured above) and an Up-inspired cone (with white chocolate bits) made with mango and raspberry flavored Dole Whip, respectively, as opposed to pineapple. Over at the Pineapple Lanai at Polynesian Resort is the Heart of Te Fiti cone featuring lime flavored Dole Whip (which is the base of the Peter Pan float in Magic Kingdom)!

BEST: Prepackaged treats

While the pastries you also find at the Confectionary counters don't apply here, there are quite a few prepackaged snacks - ranging from salty, sweet, sour, or any combination of the above - that aren't are terrible when you're counting calories, so while they aren't as Instagrammable as some of the baked goods... the packaging is still adorable and you can still curb your cravings, so it's a win-win!

The treats pictured here are all chocolate sweets, but there are also prepackaged candies from Goofy's Candy Company (which have Goofy on the packaging) and some more salty or cracker-based treats like trail mix, cheddar crackers, etc. from Chip and Dale's snack line.

BEST: Popcorn

BEST: Churro

There are plenty of popcorn options at Disney that range from cheddar to birthday cake, but you can’t go wrong with good ol’ fashioned popcorn from a cart! An ounce of popcorn is only about 100 calories, plus rather than using real butter, they use a vegan-friendly flavoring. This is another snack that’s great to share (which saves you money!).
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If you do want a flavored popcorn that's prepackaged, they do provide the nutritional info, so this would be another good time to utilize measuring cups if you really wanted to track exactly what you're eating. 

It’s hard to say exactly how many calories are in a Disney churro because while the estimated amount per churro is about 150-250 calories (depending on size), Disney’s are very long (so likely closer to a 200-250 range) and I question their definition of a serving size because some of the serving sizes on their cookies is for half of it. However, regardless, this sweet treat is a bit lighter than many other options if your sweet tooth is feeling needy, and if you aren’t terribly hungry but just need a bite of something sweet, they’re great to share with a friend! Plus, because churros tend to be lighter, they probably won't sit as heavily in your stomach as something else that's super high in carbs or sugar.

WORST: Mickey Pretzel

Your average calories in a large soft pretzel can be in the 450-500 range… so that’s probably a fair estimate for the Mickey pretzels. These are great to share, so if you really want it for Instagram, try splitting it in half to share with a friend. If you’re that hungry, you’re better off having a meal, especially since soft pretzels aren’t known for being very filling snack options! ​

WORST: Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar

While a tasty treat on a hot summer day, this one is not the most diet friendly of our options! If you’re pounding pavement and getting nearly 30,000 steps per day at the parks, then this may not be your biggest concern. But if you’re having a more lowkey day, save your 330 calories, 22 grams of fat and 28 grams of sugar for something more worth it if you really want something sweet since these bars aren’t the most filling of desserts. The ice cream stands have other options - like fruit bars - that are much lower in calories, and sometimes don't have any added sugars!

WORST: Mickey Rice Krispy Treats

There are a variety of rice krispy treats available at the parks, so the calories can vary from whether you want chocolate dipped ears, the entire thing with chocolate and candy, or just a traditional rice krispy. You may think you're not doing too bad by having a plain one... but they come in at 270 calories! Ears alone covered in chocolate? That number spikes to 300. If you really want a Rice Krispy Treat with manageable calories, just have the name brand mini ones! This is a shame, too, because they used to make a plain one that was 170 calories... but that seems to be a thing of the past. 

WORST: Kakigori

I’ve seen Kakigori be shared by other Disney blogs as a healthy alternative, but I disagree. Kakigori is sweetened with syrups which are loaded with, as you can probably guess, added sugars. This doesn’t even include the condensed milk options or if you add alcohol into the mix. While Kakigori can sometimes be low in calories, Disney also gives you an amount that will rival the size of a child’s head. But even if we wanted to give Disney the benefit of the doubt, there is not really any nutritional value here.

(Worst of the) WORST: Turkey legs

Love them or hate them, these snacks are pretty popular… and also probably the worst possible thing you can get at Disney for your health! Your average roasted turkey leg runs at about 1,100 calories and 54 grams of fat, per the USDA. Need I say more?

Remember, most of my recommendations wouldn’t classify as healthy... but are more so meant to be enjoyed on occasion if you’re determined to have something but not experience guilt. What’s your favorite Disney snack? Let me know in the comments!