Best Fruitful Endeavor
Over the past four decades, the Happiest Place on Earth has been all the sweeter thanks to a frozen treat invented by a UC Davis alum. That makes this iconic, creamy creation the perfect fit for our highly subjective, small-batch, 100% locally made list of our favorite people, places and things. Here's one of our picks for Best of the City 2022.
Photo by Peter Csanadi
If Disneyland is the Happiest Place on Earth, then our region is one of its key dopamine providers. In addition to other local connections to the theme park—for instance, its Main Street Electrical Parade was inspired by an 1895 electrical parade in Sacramento (the world’s first!)—did you know that the iconic Dole Whip, which has been attracting long lines outside the Enchanted Tiki Room for nearly four decades, was invented by a UC Davis alum? Kathy Westphal, who earned a degree in food science and technology from UCD in 1982, was a recent college graduate working at Dole when she was charged with developing a dairy-free, pineapple-based mix for a frozen treat that mimicked traditional softserve. Disneyland and Disney World started, um, doling out Westphal’s creamy creation in the mid-1980s, and the rest is Disney-Davis history. Turns out it really is a small world after all.
READ MORE: Our full Best of the City 2022 list
