Orlando is home to a tourist attraction dedicated to chocolate lovers. The Chocolate Kingdom Factory Adventure Tour goes behind the scenes to reveal everything a chocoholic could want to know about how chocolate starts as cacao beans and is transformed to the creamy, dreamy chocolate bar.
Take a look at this guide before visiting the Chocolate Kingdom.
Location: 9901 Hawaiian Court
A short history: The idea for Chocolate Kingdom began in 1938, when 18-year-old Herman Bar left his home in Germany to travel to Switzerland to study chocolate craftmaking. He earned a degree from the Elite Zukofa Pastry School, then moved to Buenos Aires, where he rented a shared workspace and began his chocolate business. Over time, with the help of son-in-law Bernie Schaked, Chocolates Bariloche became the largest chocolate factory in Argentina.
From there, Schaked and his wife, Adriana, moved their family to the United States and had many successful years with a small shop in Miami. Their son, Edgar, encouraged an expansion after he graduated from college and together they opened Schakolad Chocolate Factory, a handmade, "on-premises" European-style chocolate business. Today, franchise stores are located throughout the United States, and there are two Chocolate Kingdoms in Florida. The Orlando location is near the Schakolad headquarters in Orlando. There is also a Chocolate Kingdom in Kissimmee.
The Chocolate Kingdom tour experience: Chocolate lovers take a tour with a personal guide who joins forces with a handsome prince and his dragon sidekick as they make their way through the interactive Cacao Tree Greenhouse, a one-of-a-kind Chocolate Museum, a Mystical River of Chocolate and a Micro Batch Bean-to-the-Bar Factory that uses Old World machinery. Tours last about 45 minutes and visitors can customize their own chocolate bar for an additional cost.
Special events: Chocolate Kingdom also offers adults, kids and family groups the chance to have a more extensive chocolate experience or even a birthday party at the factory. One favorite is the Hands On Chocolate Making Experience, which costs about $300 for up to 15 guests. Other party or hands-on experience options include chocolate wine samples for those of legal age, chocolate tastings, wine and chocolate pairings and dipping-chocolate instruction.
Hours: Monday-Sunday 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
Factory tours begin at 11 a.m. and are scheduled each hour on the hour with the last one beginning at 5 p.m. While walk-ins are welcome, Chocolate Kingdom recommends calling ahead for availability.
Tickets: Factory Adventure Tours cost around $17 for adults and $13 for children 4-12 years old and can be purchased through the Chocolate Kingdom website.
Products: Chocoholics and their friends are able to purchase cocoa bean products like candied cocoa beans or crushed cocoa nibs through Chocolate Kingdom, or buy assorted chocolates online or in stores through its sister company Schakolad Chocolate Factory.
For more information:
Chocolate Kingdom (Orlando)
9901 Hawaiian Court
407-705-3475
www.chocolatekingdom.com
Cox Media Group
