The Crescent Lake Dessert Crawl at Walt Disney World

Crescent Lake in Walt Disney World is an amazing area filled with Disney Resorts, dining, amenities, recreation, and more that guests love to enjoy. Located just steps from Epcot’s International Gateway, Crescent Lake features a large boardwalk that connects Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts, Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, Walt Disney World swan Hotel, and Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel with several restaurants and lounges in between them. Guests love to take leisurely strolls along Crescent Lake and explore all of the sights and sounds found there, as well as eat at the many amazing restaurants located throughout the area. While every restaurant and dining option has some great menu choices, guests are sure to love participating in a Crescent Lake dessert crawl and indulging in some amazing options. Here are some of the best desserts to be found along Crescent Lake!

1. Kitchen Sink – Beaches & Cream Soda Shop

A great spot for decadent ice cream and milkshake desserts is Beaches & Cream Soda Shop at Disney’s Beach Club Resort. The full service restaurant is designed to evoke the nostalgia of an old fashioned ice cream shop from the Atlantic shore with pastel colors and oldies playing on the jukebox. Guests can dine on American favorites before getting to the amazing desserts including the popular Kitchen Sink. Advertise as serving four guests, the Kitchen Sink is the ultimate ice cream treat combining scoops of vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, cookies and cream, and mint chocolate chip ice cream topped with literally every topping available including hot fudge, whipped cream, and sprinkles.

2. No Way Jose – Beaches & Cream Soda Shop

Also found at Beaches & Cream Soda Shop is another ice cream concoction that is sure to be a favorite of any peanut butter loving guest! The No Way Jose features scoops of chocolate and vanilla ice cream that are topped with peanut butter morsels, chocolate chips, whipped cream, and a cherry and served up in a classic tall ice cream glass. The No Way Jose is definitely good enough to share, though guests won’t want to while enjoying their Crescent Lake dessert crawl!

3. Key Lime Tart – BoardWalk Bakery

Over on the Disney’s BoardWalk Inn side of Crescent Lake is a grab and go quick service dining location that is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day. The BoardWalk Bakery is a great option for guests who are looking to grab quick pastries, salads, and sandwiches throughout the day, but it also serves up some delicious desserts including a Key Lime Tart. Combining a rich crust and tart key lime flavor, this smooth and creamy pie perfectly captures the flavors of Florida and is a great dessert crawl option to enjoy.

4. Tiramisu – Trattoria al Forno

Found near the BoardWalk Bakery is Trattoria al Forno, a casual Italian-style eatery that is open daily for breakfast and dinner. The interior of the restaurant is warm and inviting with vaulted high ceilings, warm wooden and brick accents, and cozy booths. While the Italian specialties available as main courses are delicious, desserts also highlight the flavors of the country including the delicious Tiramisu. The wonderful dessert features Lady Fingers soaked in espresso and layered with Italian mascarpone cheese for a rich and creamy dessert with a little pick me up.

5. Affogato al Caffe – Trattoria al Forno

Another great dessert highlighting Italian flavors and ingredients at Trattoria al Forno also offers a little jolt of caffeine to keep guests going on their dessert crawl around Crescent Lake. The Affogato al Caffe combines frozen coconut-vanilla bean milk, chocolate-hazelnut ribbons, and amaretti cookies to create a decadent dessert that is sure to make guests feel as though they are truly in a small trattoria in the heart of Italy.

6. Tartufo – Il Mulino

A different variation of Italian cooking is celebrated at Il Mulino over at the Walt Disney World Swan Hotel. The full service restaurant serves up cuisine from the Abruzzi region of Italy in an environment that combines old world charm from exposed brick and beams with modern elegance and industrial lighting. After enjoying traditional Italian menu items for dinner, guests can indulge in a classic Italian dessert that is both sweet and refreshing. Tartufo features classic gelato encased in a chocolate shell and accompanied by whipped cream and zabaglione, a cream sauce created with whipped egg yolks, sugar, and wine.

7. Molten Chocolate Lava Cake – Shula’s Steak House

Next door at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort is Shula’s Steak House, an upscale classic steakhouse that celebrates the 1972 Miami Dolphin’s perfect season under the coaching of Don Shula. After enjoying steakhouse classics amongst football memorabilia and photographs, guests can indulge in a great dessert that is also considered to be a classic. The Molten Chocolate Lava Cake combines a perfectly moist and rich chocolate cake with a creamy and warm chocolate lava filling that oozes out after the first bite.

8. PB & J Shake – The Fountain

The Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort is also home to The Fountain, a full service dining location that offers up American diner favorites. Featuring a bright interior with tables, booths, and plenty of barstools at the counter, The Fountain is in a convenient location and open to the lobby, making it an easy stop on the Crescent Lake dessert crawl. Open daily for lunch and dinner, the restaurant offers up some delicious milkshakes just like a classic diner including the PB & J Shake. This wonderful dessert combines peanut butter and strawberry ice creams with whipped cream and Reese’s Pieces on top for an unforgettable take on a childhood favorite.

9. Strawberry Shortcake – Todd English’s bluezoo

The final stop on the Crescent Lake dessert crawl brings guests to Todd English’s bluezoo at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel. This full service restaurant is open for dinner only and serves up fresh seafood classics in an upscale dining room that is themed to feel like under the sea. Guests are sure to love dining amongst brightly colored table settings, chairs, and mosaic pillars while taking in contemporary and abstract lighting and architecture. In addition to fresh seafood, guests should order the Strawberry Shortcake which features marinated strawberries, a vanilla sponge cake, champagne sorbet, and white chocolate.

10. Pineapple Upside Down Cake – Todd English’s bluezoo

While enjoying all that Todd English’s bluezoo has to offer, guests should opt to order up a second dessert that takes an American classic and updates its flavor profile. The Pineapple Upside Down Cake is a nod to the classic dessert made in decades past, but features a passion fruit component that packs major flavor and makes it the perfect end to the Crescent Lake dessert crawl. The dessert at Todd English’s bluezoo features caramelized pineapple, cherry ice cream, and a caramel passion fruit sauce for a rich and moist cake with immense flavors!