There's A Purple Mermaid Doughnut At Disney & You Deserve To Be Part Of Its World

Did you really think that Mermaid Cupcakes were the only swimmingly fantastical sweet Disney had up its sleeve? Of course you didn’t; you’re wiser than that. It will, therefore, likely not surprise you that Mermaid Doughnuts are coming to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. — although your lack of surprise probably won’t stop you from gasping with delight at the images of this gorgeous treat currently flooding Instagram all the same. Debuting on Aug. 19 at the Magic Kingdom, the Mermaid Doughnut looks like the kind of thing Ariel would long for if she were still stuck underwater. Something tells me doughnuts wouldn’t do well in a saltwater environment.

Disney World’s Mermaid Cupcakes are old news by this point, but they were quite notable when they first appeared earlier this summer: One arrived at the beginning of June at the Magic Kingdom eatery known as the Main Street Bakery, while the other splashed (sorry, not sorry) onto the scene just a few weeks later at Disney’s BoardWalk via the BoardWalk Bakery. Both cupcakes featured pastel frosting piled high atop a yellow cake base (funfetti for the Main Street Bakery treat and plain for the BoardWalk one); then, they were topped off with an edible mermaid tail — the Main Street cupcake’s tail was a cookie, while the BoardWalk’s was made of white chocolate. They swept the internet as soon as they appeared, because… well, just look at them:

They’re stunning:

And now, it appears the Disney World bakers have outdone themselves yet again. The Mermaid Doughnut, which will be available starting Aug. 19, is a yeast doughnut topped with purple icing and crunchy, edible sprinkles; meanwhile, the seashells and sand dollars sitting atop the treat — termed "treasures" — are all fashioned out of white chocolate. I assume the green mermaid tail sticking out of the center of the doughnut is also made of white chocolate due to the fact that it looks more like the tail on the BoardWalk Bakery’s Mermaid Cupcake than it does the Main Street Bakery one; however, that's an educated guess on my part.

It is, in a word, spectacular.

(Although, as a side note: I will admit to being somewhat confused by the various sources reporting on this doughnut right now that have noted it's a yeast doughnut, but which also insist on describing it as “cakey” or “like a cake doughnut.” The whole point of a yeast doughnut is that it isn’t cakey; in fact, cake doughnuts and yeast doughnuts are two entirely different treats. Cake doughnuts are dense and, well, cake-like, their texture achieved with leavening agents like baking powder and baking soda. Because they don’t rely on yeast, the dough doesn’t need to rise before you fry it up. Yeast doughnuts, meanwhile, involve — you guessed it — a yeasted dough, which means they need to rise prior to frying. Once they’re all cooked, you end up with something light and airy.)

(But I digress.)

For all its photogenic beauty, though, the Mermaid Doughnut is only available in one place: A quick service spot in the Fantasyland area of the Magic Kingdom called Prince Eric’s Village Market. (Naturally, the Mermaid Doughnut makes its home in the portion of the park dedicated to The Little Mermaid. Where else would it be?)

Prince Eric’s Village Market, which opened in 2013 as part of the New Fantasyland expansion that landed at the Magic Kingdom in 2012, can be a little tricky to find; a small stall with not much in the way of signage, it’s tucked away behind the Seven Dwarf Mine Train roller coaster. But if you look for Prince Eric’s Castle, which houses the Under the Sea — Journey of the Little Mermaid ride, and Ariel’s Grotto, the meet-and-greet area for the red-haired mermaid, you should be able to locate it fairly easily: Just turn around, and it’ll be right there. It offers a selection of drinks and snacks, both sweet and savory.

The Mermaid Doughnut isn’t the only new menu item to have made its way to Prince Eric’s Village Market recently; flavored Frozen Coke and Lemonade drinks also arrived this summer, allowing visitors to spike their frozen treats with their choice of Green Apple, Vanilla, Cherry, Watermelon, Toasted Marshmallow, or Red Passion Fruit syrups. Still, though — the real showstopper is undoubtedly the doughnut. Be on the lookout for it if you’re visiting the Magic Kingdom soon; it’s probably as delicious as it is beautiful!