Celebrating National Milkshake Day at Disney

There is a very simple mathematical equation that should be solved every summer, and it goes like this: summer weather + vacation = ice cream. Even though I struggled to learn the times tables- ok you caught me I never memorized them at all!- this is one problem I’ve been able to solve since I was in preschool. The best time of the year for ice cream is definitely summer, and something about vacation vibes and warm weather make the sweet, satisfying treat that much better!

Photo credit: wideopencountry.com

National Milkshake Day is June 20^th, just in time for the warm up we’ve all been waiting for, and it comes right at the start of that oh so sweet vacation season. My mind immediately jumped to all of the amazing milkshakes I’ve enjoyed when vacationing in my favorite place and I was recalling memories of my favorites when I realized something shocking…I haven’t had a milkshake since my last visit to Walt Disney World! Trust me, I plan to fix that on June 20^th by ordering a few of my favorite vanilla-based shakes- hey I’ve got to stay true to the National Day! I’ve at least narrowed it down to the vanilla-based variety, yet that one big question remains- which ones should I order?

The Shake Shakedown

I’m a self-proclaimed ice cream nerd, so narrowing down my very long list of delicious milkshakes has been a tall task. Across Walt Disney World Resort, there  are countless shakes that range from classic vanilla served in a traditional metal cup to massively wild ice cream creations served in mason jars! So, which ones should be on your radar on June 20^th? Read on to find out!

Whispering Canyon Café– This shake won’t win award for creativity, but the reason behind the allure of the classic vanilla shakes at Whispering Canyon Café can be summed up in one word…BOTTOMLESS. You can order other flavors too, but it’s National Vanilla Milkshake Day- go for the classic! The shakes are pretty standard and are sometimes milkier than I prefer, but all things considered, this is an epic deal that is fit for June 20^th!

Paddlefish- When I think of Paddlefish, the first image that pops into my head is the beautiful rooftop (boat top?) seating area that lets you look out on the new Springs and take in the entire Marketplace and Saratoga Springs areas. If you pair that with a cocktail and some fresh seafood, you’re in for a quintessentially perfect Disney evening! If you finish it off with one of their specialty milkshakes though, you’re really in for a treat! I would recommend the Vanilla Brownie Milkshake on National Vanilla Milkshake Day because not only does it fit the bill for vanilla-based shakes, it comes with cubes of super-fudgy brownies and is served in an adorable mason jar. The brownie bits whipped into the vanilla ice cream succeed in making the shake super thick and decadent, just the way I like them.

TIP: On June 20^th, you can get a Vanilla Brownie Milkshake for just $5!

Tune-In Lounge- If you’re visiting Hollywood Studios on National Vanilla Milkshake Day, congratulations- you just hit the famous Disney milkshake jackpot. Over at Tune-In Lounge, you can walk right up to the bar and order food and drinks from the full 50’s Prime Time Café menu without a reservation, and lucky for you, that menu includes the famous-for-a-reason PB and J shake! To keep with the holiday, this shake starts with vanilla ice cream before real peanut butter and grape jelly are blended into the mix and poured into a tall glass and topped with whipped cream!

Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater– The Sci-Fi is another one of those famed Disney restaurants that is notoriously difficult to book a reservation for. It’s the setting, the giant movie screen, and the car/tables that keep people coming back to this nostalgic spot, and for me, classic American food comes with the territory here. When you’re placing your order in your very own 50’s-era car, order a vanilla shake! The shake itself is pretty standard, but there’s something about being presented with a traditional diner glass filled with a shake, a long spoon…and the classic metal cup holding some bonus shake that couldn’t fit in the cup!

Photo credit: tradzak/Instagram

Sprinkles- While Sprinkles is definitely not known for their milkshakes, hear me out. If you’re at Disney Springs and you’re looking to fill the National Milkshake Day quota with a nontraditional shake variety, do not take the bait of the huge, made-for-Instagram Planet Hollywood Observatory shakes…unless you don’t plan to consume it after you take a photo of it. Instead, opt for a shake over at Sprinkles! When I visited with a cupcake-obsessed friend, I had no choice but to order something from their menu, and while I’m not a cupcake person, I decided to try one of their shakes. You can choose any flavor of ice cream and have it whipped up with a cupcake flavor of your choice…a bit of an odd concept, but I went for it! Their cupcakes are super fresh, and the ice cream is thick and very flavor-dense. My favorite combo is to order one scoop each of vanilla and coffee ice cream with a salty caramel cupcake as the mix-in. The coffee truly enhances the caramel flavor and does a great job of ensuring the drink isn’t sickeningly sweet.

Ghirardelli Soda Fountain- As I like to do, I’ve saved my favorite for last. I’ll be honest; I will choose a scoop or two (or three or four) of ice cream over a milkshake any day of the week, so when I visited Ghirardelli and saw an item billed as ‘the sundae you can sip’, I was too intrigued to opt for my usual brownie sundae, so I gave it a try. As far as thickness, flavor concentration, and overall satiety, the Nob Hill Chill has the others beat tenfold! Ghirardelli’s super thick and creamy ice cream is the reason I love it so much, and when they whir two scoops of the vanilla variety in a high-speed blender with their house-made hot fudge…wow. I got through about ¾ of mine and I felt like I had eaten a 5-course meal…this thing is not for a novice ice cream eater! Their billing really does hold up, and if look for me on June 20^th, the first place you should check is the queue at Ghirardelli! Where will you go for your vanilla-based shake? Let me know in the comments below, happy sipping!

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Special thanks to Maria Salerno for writing this article:  Hiya pal! I am a NYC-based writer/musician thrilled to be bringing you all things Disney! I’m a WDW Annual Passholder, so you can find me in the parks regularly throughout the year. In addition to being a Disney Parks loving girl, I’m also a Disney toy and merchandise collector, a runDisney enthusiast, and Disney music and movie aficionado. You can follow me on Instagram: NYCtoAP and find me on YouTube: NYCtoAP. Thanks for reading, hope to see ya real soon!