Having just booked our first cruise with Disney on the Dream I came to learn that Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Bars could be had at both dinner and via room service. To say I was excited would be a bit of an understatement. Sure there will be white sand beaches, crystal clear waters and a pretty cool Aqua Duck, but the fact that apparently there was 24 hr access to Mickey Bars had the 12 yr old inside me jumping for joy.
That excitement has come to a screeching halt this week as I have recently learned Mickey bars may no longer be available for those cruising on the Disney Dream. Plenty of rumors and guesses are out there as to why they are no longer being offered with the “somewhat official” word out of Disney is that it is a supplier issue. Others claim Disney is trying to cut cost and others seem to think its related to peanut allergies.
The Disney version of a supplier shortage is full of holes as apparently there are still being sold in the parks and they have even been spotted on the maiden voyage of the Disney Fantasy this week. Now its possible that the bars were already in storage on the fantasy and obviously the theme parks have cold storage several times larger than what would be on a cruise ship…so this excuse is still very possible. I just find it hard to believe that a company as large as Nestle (who makes the Mickey Mouse ice cream bar) can have any sort of supply problem to what has to be one of their best customers.
Another rumor among the Disney crazies is that its due to Nestle not being able to make the bars in a nut free environment so Disney has decided to remove them until I guessNestle decides to build a multi million dollar plant for the 4 or 5 people who complained. Don’t get me wrong peanut allergies are a horrible thing and my heart goes out to those children with the allergy, but I sure do wish their parents would stop screwing up things for the rest of us. It is truly tragic that a child may not be able to eat something so delicious but if the allergy is so severe that even being near something made in the vicinity of peanuts will cause a terrible reaction…is a cruise really the best place to be? The answer is No.
While I’m being non PC (admittedly that’s most of the time), there has also been talk of Gluten issues with the bars cause once again the bars are made near wheat. I just screamed a bit out loud as I typed the word Gluten… That word didn’t exist two years ago, now everyone has a gluten allergy. Stop kidding yourself, gluten free is a marketing scam.
Ok – enough complaining.
In my opinion I believe the most likely culprit of the disappearing Mickey Bars is likely due to the increasing popularity combined with the limited storage onboard a cruise ship. While many cruisers would quickly give up real food for a bite of a delicious Mickey ear (raising my hand in shame) cruise ships must be sure to pack enough fruits, veggies and meat which must all be kept in the same limited storage areas. The fact that Mickey Bars aren’t listed on the room service menu tells me these treats have always been somewhat limited. With the rise in tips featured on blogs and message boards letting out the secret that the bars could be ordered via room service, I’m sure Disney has seen the need for more and more bars.
That still doesn’t make it a good decision on Disney’s part as evidenced by multiple message board conversations devoted to the shortage. Cruisers pay a premium for a Disney cruise and the little perks like free cokes and Mickey Ice Cream Bars are what help justify the price. Hopefully the bars will be back when we sail in April and I can report back with a delicious Mickey Bar experience.
Speak Your Mind
You must be logged in to post a comment.