Top 5 Bakeries at Disney World
Fans of baked goods and desserts rejoice, as here’s our top 5 best bakeries at Walt Disney World! Most participate in the Disney Dining Plan with both snacks and counter service meals offered. Notable about this list is that every single location here is located in the Epcot Area or Disney Springs, with no locations in Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios…so not exactly perfect representation.
While the Magic Kingdom used to have one of the best bakeries in the Main Street Bakery, since it converted to a Starbucks location, its menu has been a subpar and generic mix of Starbucks desserts, and options like Gaston’s Tavern and Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery simply have too thin of menus to really compete with the other entries on this list. In fact, outside of the locations on this list, there are few spots at Walt Disney World with enough menu options to really qualify as standout bakeries. There are many spots with a couple of standout items, but few locations with heavy-hitting bakery menus.
As big fans of desserts and sweets, this is a bit disappointing, although probably a good thing for both our wallets and our waistlines, as it’s probably for the best that we can’t do a daily “Walt Disney World Bakery Hop” on our trips. As much as we might lobby for cupcakes being made their own food group at the top of the food pyramid, you’re still only “supposed” to have 4 servings of cupcake per day, and we would definitely exceed that amount if more bakeries would around Walt Disney World. 😉
With that said, here is our list of the top bakeries at Walt Disney World. Below each pick is a brief synopsis as to why it makes the list…
5. Sunshine Seasons
Okay, so Sunshine Seasons isn’t really a bakery. Just because it’s one of the top counter service restaurants at Walt Disney World doesn’t mean it can’t also doesn’t have a great bakery selection. In fact, those baked goods are a big part of the reason why we think it’s such a counter service standout.
It’s standouts in terms of baked goods are primarily the desserts, which we’ve noticed change fairly regularly and are substantially different and far more diverse than what you’re likely to find elsewhere at Walt Disney World. Our favorites include the key lime pie, strawberry shortcake, chocolate mousse cake, and assorted cheesecakes. Think of Sunshine Seasons as the Bo Jackson of Walt Disney World dining: a true two sport star (assuming eating is a sport…which it absolutely is).
4. BoardWalk Bakery
Disney’s BoardWalk Inn makes up for its lack of a good dedicated counter service restaurant with this great bakery. For the last couple of years, we’ve stayed at the BoardWalk Inn (and its Disney Vacation Club villas) more than at any other Walt Disney World resort, and that always means one thing: CUPCAKES FOR BREAKFAST! Now, I’m not going to say that we stay at the BoardWalk so we are “forced” to eat cupcakes for breakfast, but…well, it’s a nice perk.
Since its makeover and expansion last year, BoardWalk Bakery has gotten even better, with a more diverse menu and much more breathing room for guests inside. Despite the ‘bakery’ name, it has a fairly diverse menu with both sweets and sandwiches. The Mickey Oreo and Coffee Mochi cupcakes are time-tested favorites of ours here, but there are a lot of new items you won’t find anywhere else on property. Add its show-kitchen to the mix (demonstrating that the items here aren’t shipped in from an off-site central kitchen as is the case with other spots) and BoardWalk Bakery scores serious points with us. It’s a hair below #2 on this list, and if you factor in the sandwiches and other foods, it might actually be the top overall pick here…
3. Les Halles Boulangerie & Patisserie
Being named the “second best” anything at Walt Disney World should be an honor given the size of the resort and the number of competitors in just about any category, but I suspect fans of this bakery will feel it was robbed of #1. Truthfully, I suspect most Walt Disney World fans would probably name Les Halles Boulangerie & Patisserie the best bakery at Walt Disney World. It might even be a landslide victory.
This blog isn’t a barometer of public opinion, and while Les Halles is a great bakery, we think a few of its sweets are “misses” and that it’s slightly overhyped. That doesn’t mean there aren’t several great options at Les Halles–there absolutely are–and its flaky pastries and sweet desserts really give this place the feeling of a boulangerie you might find on a street in Paris. It’s a must do in World Showcase, even if it doesn’t take the crown.
2. Kringla Bakeri og Kafe
Walk a few minutes from France to Norway, and you’ll find our #2 bakery, Kringla Bakeri og Kafe. When you arrive, look for the pretzel wearing the crown. You know any place with a king pretzel as a mascot is going to be good! Kringla’s claim to fame is School Bread, which is pretty much universally adored by Walt Disney World fans. We love School Bread, but that’s far from the only reason why Kringla is #1. In fact, the other amazing desserts are actually overshadowed by School Bread.
From the Troll Horn to the Lefse to the Berry Cream Puff and beyond, there is no shortage of great snacks at Kringla. One of the few desserts I actually don’t think is amazing at Kringla is the Viking Mousse Cake pictured above, and I’m only featuring it as a ‘photo of caution’ because it’s one of those things that looks so awesome that you can’t help but want to purchase it…try to resist the temptation. Pound for pound, Kringla has the most sweet snack hits, and that’s before you factor in the handful of solid sandwich options it also has on the menu. It may not be the popular choice over the French bakery, but it’s my favorite bakery at Walt Disney World!
1. Amorette’s Patisserie
How is a place many Walt Disney World guests never heard of the #1 bakery the best bakery at Walt Disney World? A combination of poor timing for its debut and relative few splashy menu additions to put it on the radar of guests. However, those who have discovered Amorette’s generally love it.
We first reviewed Amorette’s Patisserie last summer, and did our best to start spreading awareness about this excellent Walt Disney World snack spot. We’ve since revisited Amorette’s many times, often forgoing dessert at Disney Springs table service restaurants just so we could do Amorette’s again. The desserts are hand-made with care with impeccable presentation, and the taste is incredible. Some guests balk at the price, but the desserts Amorette’s serves are better than at least 75% of table service restaurants. Amorette’s is the real deal, and is a must-do at Disney Springs.
Finally, an honorable mention to Big Top Treats. I don’t think I would put it as #6 or even #7 on the list, but right now this list sits at 3 locations in Epcot, one in the Epcot Resort Area, and one in Disney Springs. Not exactly a ton of diversity, and no representation of the Magic Kingdom certainly isn’t a good thing. I would have made the list a top 10, but I am not sure there are 10 really good bakeries on property (I could only come up with 8).
Want more dining tips? Check out our 101 Delicious Walt Disney World Dining Tips. If you are planning a Walt Disney World trip, make sure to also read our comprehensive Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide to make the most of your experience!
Your Thoughts…
Which Walt Disney World bakery is your favorite? Do you have a favorite, must-do snack that you have to get every trip? Any questions about our top picks? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I’m going to Disney World in a month for my birthday and I want an old, cartoon Ariel cake. Armorettes has been recommended but it’s new Ariel….so you know where I could get?
Thank you ❤️
I would call Amorette’s Bakery and also if you have mydisneyexperience.com you could try the chat help. I ask them all sort of less common questions and they are usually very helpful. If you get a clueless or less than helpful person (and usually if they don’t know the answer right off they “leave” for a bit and come back with the answer) I just thank them and try again a bit later with a different person. I’m not sure where else you could get a custom cake at WDW. Good luck and HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Ohh brainstorm! I don’t know if they make cakes, esp cakes to order but what about EPCOT, France, the bakery there? I have not always found their customer service to be very helpful but it’s definitely worth asking by trying to contact them. Persistence is the key and if I can think of anything else I will write back.
We are willing to pay more for truly excellent pastry and baked goods but Amorette’s prices are shockingly high! The cost of a small cake could cover one person’s meal at a pretty fancy WDW restaurant. Kringla Og has some lovely desserts but the school bread has been over-hyped and we just don’t get it; we tried it and were underwhelmed. That said, we loved the baked goods at the Main Street bakery and the bakery in Hollywood Studios and wish they weren’t gone. The Starbucks choices on Main Street are sometimes “pretty good” at best. We have had few really good baked desserts at few WDW restaurants or bakery and other locations. We have had some good ones though.
We absolutely LOVE Amorette’s Patisserie! It’s our first stop at Disney Springs every time we visit WDW. I’ve found their pastries to be miles above the ones at the Les Halles Boulangerie in Epcot. The eclairs can’t even compare. Try the pistachio eclairs. They’re the bomb!
My granddaughter loves the chocolate-covered strawberries. At $2 a pop, they’re expensive, but well worth it. The strawberries are huge. And my granddaughter (an expert on chocolate-covered strawberries) says they’re the best she’s ever tasted…anywhere. We make a few trips to Amorette’s during our visit just for her strawberries.
When we visited in 2017, I got a Mickey Mouse cake. I thought it was cute as it was orange, decorated like a pumpkin for Halloween, but still had the Mickey ears & eyes. Took it back to our resort & put it in the mini-fridge. It was just too pretty to eat. Three days later, I figured I’d better eat it before it went bad. I was expecting a semi-stale cake (it had been sitting there for 3 days, after all) but it tasted like it had just been made that morning.
Haven’t tried their macaroons yet. I keep wanting to, but get distracted by the eclairs every blasted time. Maybe this year!
(And they also have a cake-decorating class $140 for two people) before the bakery opens in the morning. That’s also on my bucket list.)
Apparently both Starring Rolls and The Writer’s Stop are closed now.
Oh my goodness, I should not have read this with an empty stomach! The bakery in France is my favorite for sure, though I do miss the “old” Napoleons that they had there in days gone by. Everything else is great so I’ll survive! 😉
The sad part is when the main street bakery was good i would have put it against anybody i still remember the smell coming out of that place and Having to stop or be disappointed in Myself for not
I’m surprised no one mentioned Erin mckennas vegan bakery? One could never tell those desserts are vegan and Disney really should be ashamed for not offering more vegan food options! They go on about your “health and safety” where then where are the vegan options? There should be much more! Especially considering this mess we’re in right now with this virus and where it originated and why! Zootonic diseases are nothing new, just getting worse and mutating in animals and jumping species! So why does Disney keep pushing meat and dairy if so worried about our health and safety? The next virus will be worse if society doesn’t change their eating habits! Eating dead animals is what’s causing our world destruction!
I wish they would turn the Sleepy Hollow in Liberty Square into a full bakery. I love the ice cream and waffles there. MK really needs a great bakery and I think the atmosphere of Liberty Square could lend nicely to a colonial bakery. Plus, I love Sleepy Hollow and have always wished they would have something bigger than just a refreshment stand.
I don’t really get the hype for the school bread. When we tried it, it was dry and stale-tasting. Maybe it was just an off day, or maybe they served us yesterday’s baked goods, but we got two items and both were mediocre at best. We were there shortly after world showcase opened? Do they serve yesterday’s items early in the day?
I hate to ruin the “magic,” but I’m betting School Bread is prepared at a central kitchen somewhere, frozen, and sent to Norway. The location itself is just too small to have an actual, on-site bakery.
Not quite as nice as the idea of authentic Norwegians slaving in a kitchen to meticulously prepare each piece by hand in the pavilion, but I just don’t see that happening.
That probably explains the School Bread you had. Sorry you had the bad luck!
I completely agree with your list, even though I might switch the order a little bit. Question though, what is your opinion on Kusafiri in Animal Kingdom? That would be my honorable mention if I was composing such a list. It’s always my stop for caffeine and pastries after the morning safari/everest dash.
It’s listed as an honorable mention, but it doesn’t break the top 5 for me. Probably top 8.
I was at BoardWalk this past weekend and stopped by the Bakery for some treats to bring home. When I spotted the cupcake with a fondant ghost on top I thought it was so cute I didn’t even ask about the flavor. Good thing, because if I had heard that it was banana with pineapple I might have passed on it. Turned out to be one of the best cupcakes I’ve ever bought. I like how Disney bakeries make their cupcakes as two-layer cakes instead of just piling up the frosting/topping.
Disney cupcakes are so hit or miss. Some that I assume will be sure-fire hits I’ve found to be not so good, and others that don’t sound all that great turn out to be surprisingly excellent. My “policy” now is to buy pretty much anything that’s unique, and hope for the best!
The school bread is fabulous at Kringla Bakeri go Kafe and I ate probably too many on my last trip, but the waffles there are also worth a mention.
is that an apple cider donut at the bottom of your post?
if yes, is it from Big Top Treats?
Excellent post! I don’t know if it’s classified as a bakery but I also think Karamell Kuche offers the best sweets in all of Disney World. The freshly made caramel corn is just ridiculous as is everything else I’ve had there.
You know, I honestly didn’t consider Karamell Kuche for this post, but it probably could be classified as a bakery. Assuming it is…it’s probably #6 for me. I like it, but I’m not as wild about it as some people. Thanks for mentioning it, though!
It’s probably blasphemy, but I’d not sure I’d put Les Halles Boulangerie & Patisserie toward the bottom of my list! Perhaps the bad Napoleon put me off too much and I need to branch out and try other stuff.
Does the Cronut might put the Refreshemnt Port in the bakery competition? I had one and they are tasty (although so much like a readily-available elephant ear in flavor that I’d save the calories fro something more unique to Epcot).
Nah, single items do not make a location a “bakery.” It’s a baked good sold at a snack stand. Personally, I wish there were a dedicated “unique doughnut” bakery at Epcot. That would pretty much guarantee itself a spot on my list. 😉
Can’t believe you let off Karamell Kuche. It’s my favorite! Followed closely by Sunshine Seasons.
Another vote for Karamell Kuche!