We’re meandering back through the brand new Harambe Market in Disney’s Animal Kingdom to take you on a full tour and review of some of the treats at Zuri’s Sweets Shop today!

The shop, located outside the main gate of the new eating area, is your stop for all kinds of prepackaged sweets and snacks. You’ll find an assortment of familiar Disney snacks with Animal Kingdom-specific branding as well as a number of out-of-the-ordinary bulk items. But you’ll also find a confectionery counter with freshly made candy, cookies, and other sweets.

We shared a first look at Zuri’s the day it opened. As you may recall, the big story there was the “Match the Species” Treats — aka the “poop” candy. While the treats made a big sensation, they were gone almost as quickly as they arrived. (We’ve spoken to store managers about this, and they claim that the snacks sold well and they aren’t sure why they were pulled from the case. They suggest telling guest services that you’d like to see them come back.)

I can’t wait to show you all that we’ve tried over the course of a couple of visits! But before we get to that, let’s have a look around.

Atmosphere

If you haven’t had a chance to check out Harambe Market in person, be sure to take a look at our tour of this new spot. Disney has managed, once again, to create a brand new part of Animal Kingdom that looks like it’s been there since opening day. The themeing here is extraordinary.

You’ll find Zuri’s Sweets Shop standing across the “street” from the main area that houses the different food windows and shaded seating area. You can actually enter Zuri’s from two different sides.

If you enter from the “front door” — the door across from the eating area — you’ll find a bank of bulk bins just to your left with some intriguing options.

Upper bins store all kinds of better-for-you snacks, like Whole Nuts and Trail Mix.

Lower bins hold Dried Fruits and Yogurt-Covered Pretzels. And check out the aged appearance of the bins! Pretty cool.

A wall of sweets just to your left includes some Animal Kingdom specific branding as well as a few new-to-us treats.

For instance…on the hunt for Gummy Spiders and Centipedes? You’ve come to the right place. 🙂

Less adventurous snackers might prefer Lion King-Themed Animal Crackers.

But it’s not all sweets and treats at Zuri’s. You’ll also find a pretty cool assortment of Spices, Rubs, and Coffee to take home.

Here are a few of those AK-themed items — the familiar Coconut Patties and Rice Krispies Treats.

We also spied Monkey Mix — fun!

Packaged Popcorn choices have been upgraded here too. I love the Zebra Stripe Popcorn! Sweet-salty goodness.

But if you enjoy the distinct flavors of the spice mixes they use at Tusker House, Boma, and other African-inspired Disney restaurants, check out the Harissa and African Spice Popcorn.

However, there are also some great options for guests looking for protein-rich, low-carb snacks. A line of Krave Jerky is a nice alternative to the sugar overload found throughout much of the shop.

You’ll also find a display of African Wines, and towers in the middle of the store contain other goodies.

Fancy some Animal Print Dinnerware to liven up your table?

Center displays offer familiar Disney treats, done up with Animal Kingdom and Lion King packaging.

This Simba Cotton Candy is as fun for the container as it is for the treat.

Make your way around the store, and you pass this perfectly themed Coca Cola Cooler stocked with ice cold Bottled Drinks. I don’t know why, but I absolutely loved this touch.

And finally, we arrive at the star of this show — the Confectionery Cases!

There are two of them, arranged side by side. And many of the items are totally unique to Animal Kingdom.

We’ll take a closer look at some of the items through the glass, and then delve into trying a few things.

Eats

It wouldn’t be a Disney Confectionery Case without a whole bunch of Caramel Apples. And Zuri’s certainly doesn’t disappoint on that front.

We spied Animal-Themed Apples, decorated like Monkeys, Cotton Top Tamarins, and Elephants.

But there were also inventive Mickey Caramel Apples, like this Mickey “Sahara Dessert” Caramel Apple. Get it?

Iced Animal Sugar Cookies in all of our favorite shapes also promise to be big hits.

If your treat must be Mickey-shaped — then Hakuna Matata. They’ve got ya covered.

There are also lots of Cake Pop options.

Marshmallow Animal Pops are also a fun option! This hippo was the manager’s favorite the day I was there.

But the Zebra and Giraffe Marshmallow Pops were pretty great, too.

Marshmallow Caramel Zebra Spirals were calling my name for sure…

And these haystack-type Brittle looked pretty awesome, too.

So what did we actually try? Glad you asked…

We started with a couple of different Cake Pops. First up — the Cotton Top Tamarin Cake Pop. This one features Chocolate Coating, with garnishes of Coconut and Chocolate Sprinkles.

The cake is Vanilla, however.

But one Cake Pop wasn’t enough, so we also tried the “Sahara Dessert” Cake Pop.

This one features flavors of Vanilla and Cinnamon and is coated in white chocolate. It’s a nice departure from the “normal” flavors, with the crumb coating on the outside.

But we also decided to try a few of the more standard-type confections. The Haystack offered some nice crunch and texture, and I was expecting the typical vanilla-y flavors with coconut. BUT…

…this thing is actually made out of potato sticks and peanut butter!!!!!! It was really the stand-out for me, even though you’d never guess it from the unassuming look. I wished they’d coated it in chocolate… .

The Marshmallow and Caramel Zebra Spiral was sticky and chewy…and very good. But I was a little freaked out by the color. It just wasn’t natural. So I asked the cast member to see the ingredients…

Looks like Blue 1 is the culprit here, but for those of you who are ever wondering what’s in your food at Disney, or who are concerned about potential allergens, etc., you can always ask to see these nutrition books for more details.

The Hippo Marshmallow Pop was just too cute to pass up as well, since it came so highly recommended.

Little ones as well as lovers of super sweet treats will adore this one. I’m not a huge marshmallow fan, but I liked the crunchies that lined the bottom of the treat.

Likewise, the Giant Iced Cookies, available in both Mickey and Animal Shapes, are real winners. These are the same sugar cookies that you can get in lots of spots throughout the Parks and Resorts.

The texture is rich and soft, and it has a nice coating of sweetness from the Sugar Icing. These are great for dunking into milk or coffee if the mood strikes you.

These Solid Chocolate Mickeys were a little confusing to me at first. They aren’t like the Ganache Mickey Tarts that we’ve seen in a couple of other spots. They’re actually solid chocolate. And pretty big!

But that’s not all that’s going on here. Each of the varieties — Dark Chocolate and Milk Chocolate — are infused with additional flavors.

The Milk Chocolate version contained bits of Banana Chips, so there was a subtle crunch and banana flavor as you bit into it. My friend favored this one.

But my favorite was the Dark Chocolate version, which is infused with Chili Pepper! The cast members warned us that this one had a bit of heat to it — and they were right! It’s not too spicy, but you definitely get a sense of warmth, and it pairs beautifully with the chocolate.

Finally, we couldn’t pass up the chance to try one of those mammoth Caramel Apples. I opted for the Elephant Caramel Apple. The make up here is pretty standard: the giant Granny Smith Apple is covered in Caramel, and then coated in White (er, grey) Chocolate.

And in case you’re wondering how you turn an apple into an elephant, that feat is accomplished through the magic of Marshmallow.

Juicy, sweet, and infinitely shareable, this apple was just as good and fresh as other Disney Candied and Caramel Apples I’ve tried.

A note of warning, though: in order to box the apple, the cast members said his trunk and ears had to come off. Since I wanted to get pics of the little guy intact, I passed on the boxing and cutting. Be prepared if you want to do the same. Cutting these apples with a plastic knife isn’t easy.

Overall

Do you love sweets? Do you love the flavors of Africa that you find in the sauces, rubs, and other items throughout Animal Kingdom and Animal Kingdom Lodge? Or do you just dig super Disney themeing when it comes to treats? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you should definitely pop into Zuri’s Sweets Shop for a look around. Whether you’re looking for souvenirs or a treat to enjoy on the spot, you have lots of great options.

Will you be making the trek to Zuri’s Sweets Shop? Tell us in comments what looks good to you!