When you think of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you likely think of winding paths, lush greenery, and rich experiences based in the history, culture, and beauty of Africa and Asia.
Unless, of course, you’re HERE…
Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama sign
Welcome!!
Welcome to Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama!
Dino-Rama Entrance
This street carnival smack-dab in the middle of Animal Kingdom’s Dinoland, U.S.A. is… well, it’s like nothing else in Disney World, that’s for sure. A brightly-colored and whimsical fair of carnival games and rides with over-the-top roadside-stop flair!
Primeval Whirl
Comet Crasher
TriceraTop Spin
Mammoth Marathon
Mammoth Marathon
It’s also where you can find some traditional carnival treats, like cotton candy and snow cones at Dino Diner, and popcorn at Corn-Ivores Popcorn Cart.
Corn-Ivores Popcorn
Corn-Ivores Popcorn
In fact, it was while stopping by Corn-Ivores that I spotted this sign for a Carnival Cocktail: a blend of lemonade, blue cotton candy, and Bacardi Black Razz Rum.
Carnival Cocktail sign
This, I had to try!
Upon placing my order, I was expecting a cotton candy-topped beverage akin to the Cotton Candy Lemonade that you can occasionally find at the Everything Pop Food Court. Nope! Here the cotton candy is blended into the mix prior to pouring. Sad face.
But at least it’s BEAUTIFUL! Don’t you just want to jump in?
Carnival Cocktail
You can spy the vivid blue hue coming from the drink machines.
Carnival Cocktail in drink machines
But just because I couldn’t see the cotton candy, doesn’t mean it wasn’t there. Because, was it ever! I mean, look at it… this thing is a perfect cotton candy blue.
Top of the Carnival Cocktail
But where the cotton candy was most noticeable was the taste. For whatever reason, my first sip tasted strongly of the lemonade. But from the second sip on, it was ALL. COTTON. CANDY.
Bottom of the Carnival Cocktail
Now, some of my favorite adult beverages at Disney Word are plenty sweet, including the Grand Marnier Orange Slush in Epcot’s France, the Blue Glow-tini found in bars and lounges all over Disney World, and Heavenly Clouds at Epcot’s Nine Dragons.
But the Carnival Cocktail takes “sweet” to the nth degree. While I honestly couldn’t taste much of the rum due to the strength of the cotton candy, that was definitely present, too (though not a ton, I don’t think), judging by the way I felt after the drink, more than the flavor.
I can’t say I would get this again – it’s a one-time only gig, for me. But it’s a fun drink that certainly fits right in at Dino-Rama… an unexpected cocktail in an unexpected section of Disney’s Animal Kingdom!
Carnival Cocktail
So, for now, we’re signing off from Dino-Rama! In the words of Chester & Hester…
Dino-Rama exit
Dino-Rama exit
We’ll “see Y’all Real Soon!”
Would you like to try the Carnival Cocktail? Please let us know with a comment!
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Can you get it virgin? It’s always disgustingly hot when I end up at AK, so it’s not a drinky place for me.
I remember Chester and Hester walking around all the time when this area opened. Seemed like a couple with the umbrella and outfits but they were happy.
Are they still around?
Another drink to try in October.
I’m not too sure about this one, but I’d sure like to try the cotton candy lemonade at Pop Century.
A drink that tastes like cotton candy and lemonade? Sounds absolutely….disgusting! The epitome of “fru fru”…makes one wonder who actually like these concoctions.
Looks good to me! Everyone has different tastes and I don’t think a drink is a reflection of the type of person. For instance, this sounds tasty to me but my favorite drinks are oktoberfest beer or gin!
How would you compare it to the cotton candy-tini at T-Rex? And I understand your disappointment in the premix. Part of the fun should be getting to watch the cotton candy dissolve into your drink!
OMG!! I want to try this at least once!
Keith…And so what if it’s a “frou-frou” drink. Nothing wrong with that. We are all different. If everyone had the same opinion as you, this would be a boring world to live in.
On reading the headline, I thought it might possibly be enough to make me not hate every moment spent in Chester & Hester’s, but on further review…nope. It remains for my family absolutely the worst time for the money ever spent in WDW. Is it just me, or do the CMs there seem more carnie than Disney?!