Salt & Straw Opens Soon at Disney World!
Salt & Straw ice cream is coming to Walt Disney World! The scoop shop that’s been a huge hit at Disneyland will soon join the Disney Springs lineup, with a new location in 2022. This post covers details, Salt & Straw’s opening date, plus commentary about our ice cream “research.” (Updated April 17, 2022.)
Let’s start with the latest development. Salt & Straw has announced its new location in Disney Springs will open April 20, 2022. The company hasn’t revealed which flavors will be available at the Walt Disney World scoop shop, but it’s likely a mix of classics, exclusives, and monthly menu items.
Construction walls around the new Salt & Straw ice cream shop were removed last week, revealing the exterior. The inside will feature custom details in its design as well as a 3D mural. To celebrate its newest location, Salt & Straw will give away a free scoop of ice cream to the the first 100 customers at Disney Springs on opening day.
In announcing the ice cream company’s second Disney outpost, Salt & Straw co-founder Kim Malek said that “it’s a dream come true for our little Portland, Oregon ice cream company to have the opportunity to expand our relationship with Disney and open at Disney Springs next year. We love to use ice cream to remix flavors you already know and love while exploring food trends, social issues and small, local makers. It’s so exciting to bring our unique combination of comfort and adventure to the big stage at Disney World.”
The Disney Springs Salt & Straw location will be created by Osmose Design, which has created the unique style for all previous Salt & Straw scoop shops. Its owner and designer, Andee Hess, said that “as huge Walt Disney World fans we were inspired to go really big with an exterior facade that screams ice cream and makes sure we show the world how excited Salt & Straw is to be here. The results will be an epically inviting and tantalizing exciting shop that evokes crafted deliciousness.”
In anticipation of this news, we’ve been thoroughly taste-testing Salt & Straw’s at Disneyland Resort’s Downtown Disney District. Okay, in actuality we had no clue this announcement was coming. Eating all of that ice cream over the last week was simply a happy accident, which is probably the most apt term to describe our copious ice cream consumption.
Since it opened a few years ago, we’ve tried literally every Classic Flavor on the menu at Salt & Straw, and many of the monthly options. This is a big reason why we’ve been openly pleaing with Walt Disney World to replace the now-defunct Ample Hills Creamery with Salt & Straw for the last year-plus. Today, our prayers have been (sorta) answered!
Naturally, this is going to invite comparison between Ample Hills Creamery and Salt & Straw. The two are totally alike, yet completely different.
To draw upon a potentially meaningless analogy if you’ve never tried them, it’s like Ample Hills is In-N-Out Burger, Salt & Straw is Shake Shack, and Gibson Girl/Beaches & Cream is Wendy’s. Very helpful, right?!
Ample Hills and Salt & Straw scoop shops are similar in that both are premium, handmade products. As much as I think the term is overused, they’re artisanal ice cream, with high quality ingredients, inventive recipes, and created in small batches with attention to detail.
Both unquestionably serve a nicer and more ambitious ice cream than the off-the-shelf Edy’s served at fan-favorite Beaches & Cream. No offense to Beaches & Cream, but you’re going there because it’s a nostalgic experience, not because the ice cream is anything special. (In fairness, they’re also much more expensive than regular grocery store ice cream.)
By contrast, Salt & Straw is something special, but less of a themed experience.
Just as Ample Hills Creamery ranked #1 on my List of the Best Ice Cream Spots at Walt Disney World up until it closed, Salt & Straw will instantly be the top pick once it opens. That much is a foregone conclusion.
So that’s how the two are like–both are high quality. The difference between Salt & Straw and Ample Hills Creamery is what each prioritizes. In my view, Ample Hills Creamery was the ultimate in ice cream as an indulgent comfort food.
My favorite order there, the Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Sundae, was rich and decadent, creamery and sweet, with chunks of soft butter cake to add even more sweetness. After eating that, I was in complete bliss, but also wanting to take a long nap.
On the other hand, Salt & Straw is a bit pretentious. Not in a bad way–that’s just how it is. Prior to opening at Disneyland, Salt & Straw’s LA location was on Venice’s Abbot Kinney Boulevard, which is known as “the coolest block in America.” Salt & Straw fit right in.
Virtually every flavor at Salt & Straw is surprising and sometimes downright provocative. I have never–not once–known whether I’ll love a flavor there prior to trying it. They’ve had some misfires that are definitely not to my tastes, but the concoctions are usually unexpectedly delicious, with ingredient combinations you will find nowhere else. I’ve eaten a lot of ice cream in my day, but nothing like Salt & Straw.
Without question, this is going to be a turnoff for a lot of Walt Disney World fans who want something unfussy and straightforward. Many guests will stare at the menu outside blankly for a few minutes and move on to something else because it’s overwhelming and ostensibly unappealing.
I’ll be honest with you–even as a diehard Salt & Straw fan, that “Rad Readers Menu” frustrated me. The names are essentially gibberish and the ingredients are buried in a paragraph of superfluous text. (Although as the writer of a blog that could best be described as “superfluous text,” the irony of that complaint is not lost on me.)
Our strong advice when it opens would be to give Salt & Straw a shot. Commit to sampling a few flavors (assuming that returns–it has not yet at Disneyland Resort) and ordering something.
Remember: real rewards await those who choose wisely. Put in a little effort and you’ll likely be rewarded with one of the most mind-blowing ice cream flavors you’ve ever experienced, or at the very least, an incredibly memorable one. Or you can choose to write off Salt & Straw, deciding it’s too adventurous. That’s okay, too. Some people like Topolino’s Terrace, others prefer Tomorrowland Terrace.
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YOUR THOUGHTS…
Are you excited for Salt & Straw coming to Walt Disney World? Have you had it at Disneyland Resort? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment and comparison to Ample Hills Creamery? What’s your favorite ice cream at Salt & Straw? Looking forward to stopping here? Do you agree or disagree with our advice? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
The metaphor between a very good fast food burger and a causal restaurant burger makes me think that it’s going to be twice as expensive and take much longer for a somewhat better product, but like Ample Hills there’s no nearby In N Out burger to compare so I’ll enjoy the alternative.
Also, light years better than the Boardwalk Ice Cream/Krystal burger.
“exploring social issues” in ice cream making – hilarious.
We’ve been online ordering them since moving here. That’s how much we love them. Can’t wait for this to open. We’ll be there Wednesday!!! Too many good flavors!!
We have tried Salt and Straw several times and my husband was disappointed in the flavors he chose each time. Now, I am more than will to try another flavor, but my husband is not. We are staying at the Boardwalk in February, so he will just have to suffer! Lol.
Exciting news! It’s great to start seeing more good news from Disney again. I’m not adventurous at all, but for Tom to be this happy about a shop opening, I’m definitely going to try it!
I think salt and straw is pretentious…there are typically one or two flavors I like and a bunch i can totally pass on…love Ample Hills…great ice cream great flavors, and best of all I love Jeni’s…great ice cream, great flavors, some more adventurous flavors( ala salt and straw) without the pretentious hype…they are just consistently over the top good!
Portland native here. We love Salt & Straw and remember “when.” 😉 We don’t get it when we’re traveling, because we can get S&S with a 5 minute drive, but I’m very happy for their success and for everyone who gets to try it at Disney!
FYI, tasting is back in Portland (at least it was last summer), albeit with disposable spoons. I limited my tasting because of that – usually I taste everything! – but we were still able to taste before we committed. Hopefully that will return everywhere soon.
“Although as the writer of a blog that could best be described as ‘superfluous text’, the irony of that complaint is not lost on me”. Truer words have never been spoken, lol!!!
Have you guys ridden the velocicoaster yet
I’ve commented here before that I was never a huge fan of Ample Hills. They were part of a big wave of Brooklyn-based artisanal ice cream shops in between 2005-2012ish, and I’d place them solidly in the middle of that crowd. My complaint, similar to yours, Tom, was that the ice cream was too heavy, and, also, often overly complicated, seemingly for the sake of it. I’ve only had Salt & Straw a couple of times, but I must have lucked out on the seasonal flavors. I thought it was a superior product. It’s also nice to have their gluten free, dairy free options for my family, who have a variety of allergies. This is a great addition to WDW’s lineup, in my opinion!
Salt & Straw is my go-to for every Downtown Disney visit! Loooove me some gooey brownie. WDW fans are in for a treat if they’re brave enough to try it.
I’m from South Florida I would love to see Sloan’s at Boardwalk. I think it would fit in perfectly.
Sometimes I think Salt & Straw will create a flavor just to see if people will eat it and then just have to up the ante with the next one, because their last batch of “Wild Nettle in Honey Jam with Bits of Shoe that Trod Lilacs” had people on Instagram going “OMG AMAZING YOU CAN REALLY TASTE THE LEATHER!!” It’s always just one favor that someone came up with on a dare. But all their other offerings are delicious. I remember enjoying Pots of Gold & Rainbows awhile back, I miss it. I agree, I think WDW-goers are going to love Salt & Straw or never go there, one of the two (and personally, I think I’ve nailed the salesmanship, you’re welcome Salt & Straw).
I live in the hometown of Jeni’s ice cream opened several years before Salt and Straw and made a name for itself with “unusual” flavor combos. I think odd combos are somewhat of a gimmick to make the brand stand out from the Graeter’s and the like in the world, but they still make good ice cream (though overrated and overpriced, IMO). We ate at Salt and Straw in DtD and enjoyed it quite a bit – I thought their quality was as good as anything I’ve had (Graeter’s is my favorite back here and Ample Hills/France at WDW). I wish they were putting this in the Ample Hills location – we don’t venture to Disney Springs often and the Boardwalk location was nice.
Brilliant
I think I read something wrong…you mentioned that you spent the last week trying out ice cream at Disneyland but that Salt and Straw hasn’t returned there yet. This seems like something I’d really love to try on my trip there in July, if it’s open do you have any recommendations? (I’m adventurous!!)
Samples have not returned yet. By “trying out” I meant we’ve “purchased a lot” of Salt & Straw.
Flavors are very taste-specific. I like all of the salt/caramel ones, plus the olive oil. We both love Honey Lavender.
Oh it is so weird to read this comment not a year later. We *did* end up trying Salt and Straw in DTD and it is a fond memory of sitting on a block of concrete and watching people trudge sans-trams back to the parking garage. Everything we ate there (all two flavors) was delicious, and I am so ready to try something new and crazy on my May trip. Finally, good timing for something!
As a native to the PNW, and a S&S addict for years, let me state for the record that ice cream at WDW will never be the same.