The Famous Disney Dessert That Weirdly Gets Elephants Drunk

We all know the famous scene in Disney’s Dumbo (1941) when Dumbo and Timothy Mouse accidentally become intoxicated through drinking water spiked with champagne.

“Pink Elephants on Parade” plays as Dumbo sees pink elephants sing, dance, and play musical instruments during a very trippy hallucination sequence. After the sequence, of course, Dumbo and Timothy wake up, hungover, in a tree and realize that Dumbo can fly.

Now, what if we told you that Disney sells a dessert that actually does get elephants seeing “pink”?

Disney is known for its delicious treats – from its refreshing Dole Whip at Magic Kingdom and food stalls across EPCOT, to its Churro stands and Mickey Premium Bars found throughout Walt Disney World’s four theme parks.

One of Disney’s most exquisite desserts can be found at Boma – Flavors of Africa, an amazing table-service buffet restaurant located at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

The coffee-Kahlua flavored Zebra Dome is served during the dinner buffet at Boma, and Disney Tips recently got to try these for the first time.

A staple dessert, the Zebra Domes consist of a thin layer of white cake, a dome of Amarula Liqueur mousse, coated in a white chocolate ganache with a dark chocolate ganache drizzle.

We personally could taste a strong coffee flavor, and really enjoyed the white cake layer at the bottom. The mousse consistency was delicious, but the passion fruit mousse is definitely our favorite Boma pudding!

Due to popular demand, you can also purchase the Zebra Dome in the quick service location, The Mara, as a grab-and-go treat.

Now, what connects this famous Disney World dessert with drunk elephants?

It’s the Amarula Liqueur! Boma is known for its African recipes, and Zebra Domes are no different. This liqueur is made from the fruit of the African Marula tree, a fruit that is described as having a caramel flavor.

There is a widely known story from Zulu lore that says that elephants get drunk by eating the fermented fruit of the Marula tree as it rots on the ground.

Marula trees are widespread across southern Africa, dating back thousands of years. They can be found in the Miombo woodland areas, the most famous of which is the Greater Kruger area, one of Africa’s best safari destinations.

Colloquially, the Marula tree is amusingly known as the “elephant tree” – we’d love to see some intoxicated elephants staggering around the savannah at Disney’s Animal Kingdom!

 

The fruit is a yellow color on the outside, with white flesh on the inside, and the Marula tree itself can grow up to 16 feet tall.

Like most fruits, Marula can ferment to create Marula alcohol, just as potatoes are fermented to create vodka, and apples to make cider.

Interestingly, some African communities use the Marula bark as an antihistamine and as a prevention for malaria. Marula fruit can even treat stomach aches.

Marula fruit and elephants are connected in multiple ways. Elephants eat the tree’s bark and fruit, and also spread the seeds. Thus, it only stands that the tree and the elephant have become linked in lore over centuries – particularly when it comes to drunken elephants.

The famous “Amarula” cream, similar to Bailey’s, used this boozy story to create a whole drinks brand, with the bottle featuring an elephant in its design. For this reason, the Marula tree is sometimes referred to as the Amarula tree.

So, next time you’re devouring a Zebra Dome at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, remember the crazy antics of intoxicated elephants eating the fermented fruit of the Marula tree.

During the phased reopening of Walt Disney World, Guests noticed that restaurants like ‘Ohana and Boma had stopped offering the famous POG juice — that’s passionfruit, orange, and guava for those unfamiliar — due to a shortage during the pandemic.

Now, Disney has confirmed that the original supplier – Minute Maid – has returned to make this delicious juice with the original recipe!