Adding rum to Dole Whip has probably crossed the minds of many who have enjoyed that frozen pineapple treat. (Sidenote: VenTiki in Ventura makes their own version once in awhile.)
Disney World first made that wish come true at the 2013 Epcot Flower & Garden Festival with the Pineapple Promenade booth serving up Dole Whip with Siesta Key spiced rum. Last year they followed up with versions with Parrot Bay coconut rum and Myers’s dark rum, and those two offerings soon after found a permanent home at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando.
Tamu Tamu Refreshments, a counter-service spot located in the Africa section of the park, is the only place at Disney World where you can get spiked Dole Whip all year round. Apparently, “Tamu Tamu” is the Swahili equivalent of “Yum Yum,” so that’s appropriate.
Next to the ordering area is an entryway leading into Harambe Fort, a seemingly crumbling edifice “erected 1420.” This all plays into the Imagineers’ backstory for this area’s setting, which is a fictional East African port town called Harambe. (I suggest reading more about it on the Jambo Everyone blog.)
Here you’ll find a somewhat shaded courtyard full of tables. I’d seen this described as a quiet, hidden area to sit down but the secret must be out as there was no shortage of people the Saturday we were there.
Be sure to admire the kigelia (also known as a sausage tree for its hanging fruit) and beautiful, “aged” walls of Swahili-inspired plaster carvings. (This is a tradition in Lamu, the coastal town in Kenya that served as the muse for Harambe.)
Tamu Tamu’s menu offers just three savory dishes — chicken curry, vegetarian curry and African-spiced chicken salad — along with Dole Whip (regular or with coconut or dark rum), snack packs for kids, chocolate milkshakes, soda and bottled water. (EDITOR’S NOTE: As of May 2015, Tamu Tamu Refreshments is no longer serving savory food, just drinks, desserts and spiked Dole Whip.)
The chicken curry ($9.49) is listed as mild, but it does have a bit of a kick. It’s a great alternative to your typical theme park food of pizza and burgers, though you’ll find that at the park, too, of course. (The shorter line here is also a bonus.)
Now, on to the part we really care about: Dole Whip with rum! Technically it’s billed as pineapple whip soft serve ($6.25) but it tastes the same although the texture is softer and more like a Frosty from Wendy’s. The serving size is on the petite side if you’re used to Dole Whip floats, and there’s not all that much rum in there (the cast member guessed less than a shot), but it’s a fun novelty. I would get the coconut rum version again.
No alcohol is served at Disneyland (except at Club 33), so we’ll probably never see anything like this at the Dole Whip stand at the Enchanted Tiki Room. However, Dole Whip can also be found at Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt and Whipp’d, so I think I’ve got to start spiking it on my own. What rum would you pair with Dole Whip?
The Tiki Chick 