Disney World chefs held an internal churro contest in April, and two Animal Kingdom snacks took gold. Both have quietly been on menus since early October, at $7.99 and $8.29.
Walt Disney World's chefs have their own Olympics. The only event is churros.
The Disney Parks Blog revealed Thursday, Nov. 5, that two snacks at Disney's Animal Kingdom won gold in the Churro-lympics, a property-wide cooking competition held in April. Culinary teams from across the resort were challenged to reinvent the classic Disney churro.
The winners are the Churro-misu Cold Brew at Isle of Java and the Dole Whip Pineapple with Chili-Lime and Churro Sundae at Warung Outpost. Both came from Chef Brad and his Animal Kingdom culinary team. Disney only shared his first name.
"Both of these were gold medal-winning entries," Chef Brad told the Disney Parks Blog.
Here's what the medal ceremony skipped. Neither treat is brand new. Disney announced both on Sept. 3 in its fall snack lineup, and the menu tracker Theme Park IQ logged both as added to Disney's menus on Oct. 5. Thursday's post is the backstory, not the debut.
It also skipped prices. The cold brew is $7.99 and the sundae is $8.29, based on Disney's menus as tracked by Theme Park IQ and reviews from WDWNT and Disney Food Blog.
How did the Disney World Churro-lympics work?
Disney kept the rulebook mostly secret. The blog post says the contest happened in April, covered the whole resort and asked chefs to rethink the churro with new flavor combinations.
Disney didn't say how many teams entered, who judged or what else medaled. So somewhere out there, there may be silver and bronze churros nobody gets to eat.
What is the Churro-misu Cold Brew?
Think tiramisu, but in a cup. Disney describes it as Joffrey's sweetened cold brew topped with mascarpone cream, dusted with cocoa powder and finished with a crunchy churro. Disney's September announcement called the topping a house-made tiramisu cold foam.
"We wanted the flavors of the classic tiramisu," Chef Brad said.
Disney Food Blog's reviewers found the coffee strong, with only a little sweetness. Good news for coffee people. Less good news for anyone hoping for dessert in a cup. They also warned that the churro gets soggy fast, so eat it first.
What's in the Animal Kingdom Dole Whip churro sundae?
Pineapple Dole Whip, chili-lime marinated pineapple, coconut and half of a classic churro. Chef Brad describes it as a mix of sweet, tart, spicy, creamy and crunchy, and he told Disney guests like it as a cool snack on hot days.
Reviewers liked the base more than the star ingredient. WDWNT gave the sundae 4 out of 7 on Oct. 12, calling the Dole Whip "perfect as usual" and the churro "lackluster." Disney Food Blog wanted more chili-lime kick.
So the weakest part of a gold-medal churro sundae is, apparently, the churro. Disney Food Blog has a name for Disney World's spotty churro track record: the "churro curse."
Where can you get the Churro-lympics treats?
Both are at Disney's Animal Kingdom, and you'll need park admission.
Churro-misu Cold Brew: $7.99 at Isle of Java
Dole Whip Pineapple with Chili-Lime and Churro Sundae: $8.29 at Warung Outpost, near the Feathered Friends in Flight! bird show
The sundae is also headed to Happy Landings at Typhoon Lagoon, but Disney lists that spot for 2027. Disney hasn't said how long either treat will stay on Animal Kingdom menus.
What other new churros does Disney World have?
Plenty. Disney's Sept. 3 fall lineup listed 10 new churro items across the resort. A few of them:
Bavarian Cream-filled Churros at Anaheim Produce, Hollywood Studios
Churro Overdrive at Energy Bytes, Magic Kingdom
Churro Strawberry Shortcake Sundae at Sunshine Seasons, EPCOT
Maple Bacon Churro Fries at Avalunch, Blizzard Beach
Disney didn't say whether any of those were also Churro-lympics entries. Only the two Animal Kingdom treats have been named as winners.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
Disney Parks Blog (Nov. 5, 2026), the Churro-lympics, Chef Brad's quotes and the two gold-medal treats
Disney Parks Blog (Sept. 3, 2026), the original fall menu announcement and the count of new churro items
Theme Park IQ (Oct. 5, 2026), menu prices and the date both treats were added
WDWNT (Oct. 12, 2026), the sundae review, price and Typhoon Lagoon plan
Disney Food Blog (Oct. 10, 2026), reviews of both treats and the "churro curse"
Laughing Place and BlogMickey (Nov. 5, 2026), additional Churro-lympics details
The Main Street Mouse (Sept. 3, 2026), the list of new churro items and locations
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