I grew up in western New York State where they grow a lot of apples, so my life has been full of apple farms, apple festivals, and apple crisp (oh, man, do I love my apple crisps/crumbles/compotes/cobblers!). So, of course, one of my favorite sweet treats at Disney parks is the good old candied or caramel apple. After all, it’s FRUIT, so it’s HEALTHY! What’s not to like about that? 🙂 Here’s a little info about the varied candied and caramel apples you can find at Disney World; including the ones you can design yourself!
Disney Halloween Decor...Featuring Caramel Apples
Disney-Made
Many of the candied and caramel apples sold on Disney property are made on Disney property. If you head to the candy shops in the parks and in Downtown Disney at the right time, you can even watch your apple go from green to…sheen!
Dipping Apples in Disney's Hollywood Studios
Usually green granny smith apples are used for the candied and caramel apples, because their tart flavor offers a nice contrast with the sweet coatings. The apples are dressed in anything from the typical red candy shells, to chocolate, to plain caramel, and they’re accessorized with fudge, colored sugar, nuts, mini M&M’s, sprinkles, chocolate chips, “rocky road,” marshmallows, and more.
Making Apples at Goofy's Candy Company
Here are a few of the many variations of toppings you’ll find throughout the parks:
Candied, Caramel, and Caramel with Nuts -- the standards
Examples of Disney Caramel Apples
Caramel Apples With Nuts
Decorated Apples at Disney
DIY
At Goofy’s Candy Company in Downtown Disney, you can even have a customized apple made while you wait! Just go to the counter and fill out the form, letting the Cast Members know exactly what you want on your apple…
Goofy's Candy Company Order Sheet
Once it’s finished, they’ll call your name and you’re good to go! (You can click that image for a larger view.)
Disney Apples Can Be Holiday Favorites…
During certain holidays, Disney trots out apples decorated for the festivities. Here are a few apples all dressed up for the occasion:
Apples for Halloween
And I think this spider web apple is so cool — for a better look, check out the reflection in the mirror behind the apples!
More Halloween -- Pumpkin, Spider web, and Skellington
These were all sprinkled up for Valentine’s Day.
Valentine's Day Apples
…And Disney Favorites
Disney sometimes dresses apples up to reflect your favorite characters!
Mickey and Minnie Apples
Check out the Belle Apple
Make ‘Em At Home
Craving a caramel apple and not headed back to Disney for a while? Check out this cool Disney caramel apple kit
(Pssst! A Tip To Minimize The Sticky Factor!)
For those of you who, like me, look at those apples and think “S-T-I-C-K-Y!!!” — just ask the folks behind the counter to cut up the apple you’ve purchased and put it in a box for you! That way, you can eat one wedge at a time and keep the sticky chin factor to a minimum… 😉
What are YOUR favorite Disney apple combinations? Candy, straight-up? Caramel with chocolate fudge? Caramel with nuts? Share your favorite (and maybe inspire a few folks to try it!) in the comments section below!
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Oh, how I love caramel apples! I usually get mine at DHS. I didn’t know that they would cut it into slices! I have veneers, so I had to give up biting into an apple a long time ago. I think I’ll be visiting Goofy’s for a dark chocolate dipped, pecan sprinkled, white chocolate drizzled, caramel apple! yum
Back in March 09 we got the DIY Candied apple from Goofy’s Candy Co. It took a loooong time for them to get it to us.. apparently it was a very busy night for them. We did have them cut it up and it was so good!
One time I remember seeing an apple in the Magic Kingdom decked out to look like Cinderella’s carriage. Supercute!
Janna — Sounds like a great choice! Yep, they’ll cut it up for you. It’s great, because that way you don’t have to eat it all at once.
Angie — They really do go over the top on some of those apples! Good point that Goofy’s can get pretty busy on some nights. Seems like everyone head there for dessert!
Hahaha, I LOVE that photo of the cast member working at Sweet Spells because that was my exact job while on the college program! I even have the blond hair 🙂 This post brings back so many memories spending hours hammering in the sticks, dipping apples, scraping caramel around with my spatula, then sticking on the toppings. The hardest ones to make, by far, are the candy apples, since we had a short time limit before the HOT, melted candy started to harden. Fun times, oh how I miss it!
I wish I had known about the cutting up tip! On our last trip, the 11yo got an amazing concoction at Goofy’s and neither one of us could actually eat it!
That tip is up for the running as most awesome-est tip of the year!
This is my all time favorite snack in WDW. I generally go to the Confectionery on Main Street. I am going to MK this Saturday and can’t wait to pick one up!
Just started my diet..why do you have to torture me AJ? UGH!
Heather — Maybe it’s YOU in the pic!! I have no idea when I took that 😉 I worked in a candy store on summer and gained so much weight — I can’t believe you spent your college program working in there! I’d be done for! 🙂
George — Oh no! Sorry to hear about the inedible apple! I put off buying them for the longest time, because I KNEW I wouldn’t be able to eat the thing; but I finally gave in and the CM offered to cut it up! Huzzah!
Allison — Lucky you! Do you know what kind you’re going to get? Candy? Caramel?
Chip — I know, I know! We started our no-cheating-til-Disneyland diet today, and I fear the next six weeks of food blog posts!
Just a small correction (?) and a fun fact:
Candy apples are made with red delicious apples (or at least they are at the MK) Granny smith are just for carmel ones.
And the fun fact: The Confectionery at MK is the ONLY place on Disney where they MAKE the carmel. Everywhere else (Studios, Goofy’s Candy Co. etc.) it’s from a can. Ick.Just something to know before you buy one!
Emily — great info; thanks! Too bad they don’t ship the homemade caramel over to the other apple outlets in the parks…
or to my house 🙂
Thanks for the awesome tip on getting the apples cut up, AJ! I love caramel apples but they’re so messy to eat that I usually buy one to take back to our room. Sometimes on a warm day the caramel would melt off the apple and pool at the bottom of the box and then re-harden. 🙁 If I can get them cut up, then I can enjoy it right then and there! I agree with George, awesome-est tip of the year nominee!
Chip — For real!
Madoka — You’re Welcome! I think it’s pretty great that they do that, too. Some of those apples are SO caked in yummy stuff that it would be impossible to get a bite!
Amanada Tinney and I were just ogling the create-your-own candy apples at the DTD Westside store. I’ve been avoiding trying them for ages because I knew I’d probably end up with a $400 apple by the time I was done. 😉 I may have to break down after this post!!
Zanna — you can always cut ’em up and share ’em with the fam! 🙂 Or food-process them down for Baby G.
Wow AJ, what a great, lovely post! You’re doing a great job!
Does anyone know if they sell such a apples at Disneyland Paris?
Hi Max!! Thanks for popping over to the DFB! I’m not sure about caramel apples in DLRP; I’ll put out feelers on twitter and facebook to see (sadly, I haven’t been there yet.)
Max — I’m hearing YES, they do sell Caramel Apples in DLRP!
Great, I will try such an apple during my next visit! It will be my first candy apple. But AJ, with your wonderful article, you encouraged me to taste one of them!
Do you know exactly where they sell them? Boardwalk Candy Palace, maybe?
Max — From what I’ve read online, it does look like the Boardwalk Candy Palace is the place to get candy apples in DLRP. Not certain if they have caramel apples, but definitely candy ones (which are the classic ones, anyway!).
Hi,
I’d like to know if this is the same candy apple’s we had as we sat on Main St in the MK waiting for the parade to start?
Can you purchase the chocolate carmel apples to send north? If so, how do I do it? Also, I read that there is a kit you can buy to make your own. How do I purchase that?? We were there in February 2010 and they were wonderful. My grandchildren and kids now want more………………..
Appreciate any info you can give me.
Thanks,
June
Hi June — I’m not certain that Disney ships the caramel apples. To find out, try calling their WDW Mail Order service. If you’d like to make your own caramel apples, you can order the caramel apple kit here. Good luck!
I love caramel apples but my favourites are not found at The Main Street Confectionary or Karamell Kuche even though they both make their own caramel on site; I find theirs to be too soft and much prefer the harder though stickier caramel of the apples sold in the other shops like Goofy’s Candy Company. It seems to stick to the apple better so you get the perfect bite without the caramel coming off all at once.
Can u place an order for the caramel apple’s and pick them up before you leave the park?
Do they sell apples like this in DLP? I am going next month and would LOVE to get one.
Many Thanks!