Chocolate Lover’s Kitchen Sink at Beaches & Cream

On our Walt Disney World honeymoon, Sarah and I set out to eat an entire Kitchen Sink at Beaches & Cream by ourselves. Back in those days, we were cocky about our abilities, so certain of our talents that we documented the whole ordeal with a time lapse video. Since then, seven years have passed. We’ve gotten older–but no wiser. Our metabolisms have slowed. Ah, wistfulness for those bygone days of our youth.

They say the average career expectancy of a competitive ice cream eater is less than 3 years. After that, the grind takes a toll on the body, stamina decreases, and you lose that spring in your step. Actually, they say that about NFL running backs, but there aren’t any pro ice cream eating analysts, so I think we can go ahead and infer that “they” would say the same about competitive ice cream eaters.

Eager to recapture the glory of that Kitchen Sink experience, I had the bright idea to try the Chocolate Lover’s Kitchen Sink, a variation on the original. When I shared my idea with Sarah, she responded: “You can’t be serious; you got sick eating loaded fries just last week!” “This is one of your greatest ideas and I don’t see anything that could possibly go wrong!” And with that, we ventured over to Beaches & Cream at Disney’s Beach Club Resort…

Those familiar with the regular Kitchen Sink are likely aware that it’s a somewhat eclectic mix of toppings. In the past, we’ve noted that it’s not a dessert that is “good” so much as it is “good fun.” It’s definitely a novelty, but it’s a fun one, which is why we enjoyed it and recommend it.

My hope with the Chocolate Lover’s Kitchen Sink was that it’d combine the novelty of the regular Kitchen Sink, but also feature a more sensible lineup of toppings. The hope was that it wouldn’t be the ice cream equivalent of a Suicide Soda. After all, this isn’t 7 years ago–we are serious adults now.

The Chocolate Lover’s Kitchen Sink contains three scoops of chocolate ice cream, three scoops of cookies & cream ice cream, and two scoops vanilla ice cream. (Exactly the number of scoops as the normal Kitchen Sink.)

It also features two brownies, two Milky Way candy bars, Oreos, dark and white chocolate shavings, chocolate chips & sprinkles, hot fudge & caramel syrup, and an entire can of whipped cream.

We found this more conservative slate of toppings was much more complementary in terms of flavor. Maybe it’s just me, but there’s something about coffee ice cream that clashes with bananas and pineapple, which also don’t taste the best alongside Oreos and orange gummies.

The flavors meshed much better in the Chocolate Lover’s version, although I still wouldn’t say this is my ideal ice cream sundae. There’s a ton going on, and while it’s a better marriage of flavors, it’s far from ideal.

After only a few bites, Sarah ‘threw in her spoon’ for that very reason. She pointed out that it just wasn’t that good, and she’d rather save her appetite and the calories for food she actually enjoyed (our afternoon plan was grazing Food & Wine).

She was most certainly right about the Chocolate Lover’s Kitchen Sink, but due to my extreme frugality sense of perseverance in the face of adversity, I refused to give up on our noble mission. So onward I trudged, mediocre bite after mediocre bite.

The biggest offender for me was the entire can of whipped cream. There’s so much whipped cream that it overpowers everything else, and it’s difficult to locate the ice cream under that sea of whipped cream.

In retrospect, we should’ve asked for this with a half or quarter-can of whipped cream. It’s obvious the whole can aspect is a gimmick, we just forgot how much whipped cream is in a can.

Even setting aside the whipped cream, the Chocolate Lover’s Kitchen Sink left something to be desired. The ice cream used is off-the-shelf Edy’s, and I guess after spoiling ourselves with the stuff at Ample Hills (and elsewhere), we’ve become ice cream snobs?

Don’t get me wrong–even Edy’s ice cream is better than no ice cream, but there was nothing that really gave the sundae an edge, flavor-wise. There were a lot of toppings, but they didn’t come together to enhance the flavor. I guess I expected a bit more? The No Way Jose uses Edy’s, and I remember it being excellent.

As you’ll see from the “after” photo, there’s still a decent amount floating around at the bottom of our Kitchen Sink. It’s my position that this is 90% whipped cream that has liquified thanks to the presence of (10%) melted ice cream.

I’d further argue that this substance was unfit for human consumption. Accordingly, I conquered the Chocolate Lover’s Kitchen Sink by way of consuming its edible components. If you wish to challenge this proclamation, feel free to go through the appeals process…via the comments below, I guess?

Honestly, even the Chocolate Lover’s Kitchen Sink is not that good and is more about the novelty of the experience than anything else. We had sundaes at Ample Hills Creamery a couple of times earlier in the trip, and while I was plodding through this Kitchen Sink, I couldn’t help but think we could be having a cheaper and better ice cream experience across the Boardwalk.

With better ice cream available at Ample Hills, and better food available inside at Crew’s Cup Lounge, it’s a bit surprising that Beaches & Cream maintains its popularity. I realize some of this is because it combines good food and good/novel ice cream creations in a really fun atmosphere, but I cannot help but think that years of internet hype (and we’re as guilty of this as anyone) have helped fuel this fire.

All of this is not to say I wouldn’t recommend Beaches & Cream, particularly to Walt Disney World first-timers. As noted, it’s fun and novel. So much of Walt Disney World vacations is about the unique and memorable experience, and that’s exactly what you’re getting with the Kitchen Sink at Beaches & Cream. It’s a blast to try to conquering this huge sundae, and will make you smile, laugh, and maybe cry. In the end, isn’t that what Walt Disney World is all about?

As I sit here today, one Kitchen Sink older and perhaps wiser, I feel I should share some parting thoughts. If I’ve learned anything as I’ve aged, it’s that one thing surpasses the energy of youth: the stubbornness of a mule. I may no longer have the former, but I have no shortage of the latter…and my supply of stubbornness only seems to increase with age. So, rest assured: I’ve still be putting down Kitchen Sinks (heck, I could take on an Ice Cream Bathtub) when I’m 80 years old. And blogging about the experience.

Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!

Your Thoughts

Do you agree or disagree with our take on the Chocolate Lovers’ Kitchen Sink…or Beaches & Cream, generally? Would you rather stop here, or at Ample Hills? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

19 Responses to “Chocolate Lover’s Kitchen Sink at Beaches & Cream”
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