Disney 100 Years of Wonder & Mickey Mouse Club (Bonus: Pixar)

For their 100th anniversary celebration, Disney has introduced two new cereals this year. What's interesting to me is that they're being handled by Post, when it's usually Kellogg's and General Mills fighting for the honor.

Name: Mickey Mouse Club
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: Post

Review: This "confetti cake cereal" contains cute little puffs reminiscent of cake pops, that have a hint of colored sprinkles. As far as birthday cake cereals go, it's not terrible - it's just kinda plain. It's not as sweet as Birthday Crunch, and I think it would benefit from the addition of marshmallows, like LOL Surprise! did. For a genre I'm already not a big fan of, it doesn't really have anything to hold my interest.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Like firing a confetti popper over a bowl of milk.

Name: 100 Years of Wonder
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: Post

Review: This burdensomely-named cereal (why not give it a subtitle like the other one?) features big red, blue (and purple mix) Mickey Mouse-shaped pieces, that seem like they would have been more appropriate in the other cereal. It purports to be a fruity cereal - and there is a strong fruity aroma - but it smells fruitier than it tastes. There is a minor resemblance to Red, White & Blue Crunch, but with less flavor. It's not unpleasant to eat; it's just disappointingly plain.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Pink, but plain - like the cereal, it looks and smells better than it tastes.

So this was a pretty lackluster celebration for Disney, in my opinion. The boxes are pretty, but the cereals could be better. They're all pomp and no circumstance. I would have been happier for them to have just re-released the Disney Princess line of cereals. Not that they were any better, but I would have loved to have had the opportunity to correct my previous oversight and document the full lineup.

Addendum: As of July 2023, I've noticed a new box on the shelves emblazoned with Disney's 100 Years of Wonder banner. It's a tribute to Pixar, but I'm not being fooled into buying it, because it seems to be the same "confetti cake cereal" as Mickey Mouse Club.

Honoring Those We've Lost

This Memorial Day weekend, I'm honoring the cereals I've had that have been lost, from an era just prior to my starting this blog, before I had the foresight to meticulously document each novel cereal variety I encountered. Without detailed notes, and sufficient photo evidence, I can't give these cereals a proper review. But I still want to remember them.

January 2019

Let's start with the cereals that (fortunately) made it into this picture of the top of my fridge (seven boxes? how quaint!). January of 2019 was apparently a good month for novelty cereals. Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios and Pumpkin Spice Cheerios, being the only two of these that are still around, have both been reviewed elsewhere. Fruity Lucky Charms is one that I've been looking for the past few years, to no avail. I don't remember much about it, except that the regular pieces (the ones that aren't marshmallows) are pink and fruity.

Hostess Donettes cereal was an interesting novelty; the loops had an unusual texture that effectively imitated the white powdered donuts they're modeled after. But the effect was somewhat off-putting for a cereal. The two cereals on top are two different flavors of Pop Tarts cereal. I thought they were only so-so, but Brown Sugar Cinnamon was a little bit better than Frosted Strawberry, if I recall correctly. As a fan of Sour Patch Kids, I was excited when I saw it in cereal form, but I remember the cereal not being very good.

The ad on the side of the box reveals a few more novelty cereals that have come and gone. To my knowledge, Oreo O's is the only one that's lasted (and it's not even my favorite of the bunch). Nutter Butter cereal is one that I miss, as it used to be one of the few straight peanut butter cereals you could get. I have proof that I owned Chips Ahoy cereal at one point - I'd love to try it again and compare it to Cookie Crisp. I don't remember Nilla Wafers Banana Pudding being a cereal, but I regret missing my chance to try it. Another cereal I've had, though my only proof is a blurry box in the background of a random selfie from June of 2018, is Peanut Butter & Cocoa Pebbles - which sounds like a Pebbles cereal right up my alley!

August 2019

On the subject of cereals I've had and then forgotten, here are two that I have proof I had at one point (specifically, in August of 2019). They must not have made much of an impression on me, but I love the pink-and-blue aesthetic of Cotton Candy Crunch. I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't like Froot Loops Birthday Cake, considering my general ambivalence towards birthday cake flavor.

February 2018

Here's Super Mario Cereal from February of 2018, at a point when I had started to document interesting cereal varieties, but before I was in the regular habit of photographing them poured into a bowl. The cereal calls itself mixed berry, and it has marshmallows, but I remember it being very bland - another cheap, pop-culture tie-in novelty that exploits name brand recognition.

February 2019

I remember seeing Chocolatey Winter Lucky Charms in stores, in February of 2019, and I've been looking for it (in vain) ever since. I don't recall if I actually tried it or not, but I'm sure it tastes just like Chocolate Lucky Charms, with the marshmallows shaped like snowballs and snowflakes. I'd love to see it again, but the Lucky Charms lineup is already pretty busy in the early months of the year, gearing up for their annual St. Patrick's Day haul of Lucky Charms Magic Clovers (seen on either side of this pic).

There are a few cereals I've had over the years that I unfortunately have no photo evidence of whatsoever, but were memorable for one reason or another. The best of these is Ice Cream Scoops, an intriguing variation of Cocoa Puffs featuring a neapolitan mix of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry puffs. It was good; I'm sad that it can't be found anymore. I also remember trying Toasted Coconut Cheerios once - I'm surprised I never got a picture of the box, because it was a beautiful teal color. I like coconut, but I didn't like the cereal; I'm pretty sure I tried it once then gave the box away.

Finally, I want to remember the Batman v Superman cereals that came out, probably in 2016, to promote the corresponding movie. I remember the Batman cereal being chocolate strawberry - which is a flavor combination that could honestly see more recognition in the cereal market. I don't remember the Superman cereal as much, but apparently it was caramel crunch. The more recent DC cereals (which were, sadly, not good at all) remind me of them.

And that will wrap up our reminiscences for now. Like most of the cereals I review for this blog, their time on the shelves is precious and short. But it is largely the purpose of this blog to serve as a memorial to them. Because even though many of them can't be with us today, their memory will live on, so that they will not be forgotten even long after they're gone.

[Experiment] Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Cheerios

Name: Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Cheerios
Variation: Chocolate Cheerios (manufactured by General Mills)

Review: This was, perhaps, the best experiment to come out of my first wave of envisioning fantasy cereals. And the best part is, you can really make it! I used Chocolate Cheerios, dark chocolate oat clusters, and fresh pomegranate seeds. I had wanted to use dark chocolate Cheerios, but I couldn't find any. There was a Multi Grain Cheerios Dark Chocolate Crunch years ago but it's long gone, and the consensus seems to be that there wasn't enough dark chocolate in it. I saw these dark chocolate clusters in the store, and I thought they would be a perfect addition to a bowl of Chocolate Cheerios. The pomegranate is what puts it over the top, though, adding a tart splash of fruitiness that pairs well with the dark chocolate.

I used fresh pomegranate seeds (which are a bit of a chore to prepare), but if this were a real cereal, I wouldn't be opposed to using dried pomegranate - maybe those dried cranberries infused with pomegranate juice? - or even artificial flavoring if that's what it takes. I would have liked to have tried a full bowl of dark chocolate Cheerios, but I think adding the dark chocolate clusters to regular Chocolate Cheerios works. Plus, it gives the cereal some textural variety (it's a bit chewy, between the oat clusters and the pomegranate seeds, but it's quite good), and imitates some of those other "Medley" and "Oat Crunch" varieties you can find on the shelves. You know, I'm starting to think there might be a real market for cereal add-ins. I've put fresh fruit in my cereal before (though never anything as exotic as pomegranate), but these clusters open the door wide to further experimentation...

Rating: 🥣🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Chocolatey, with a splash of pomegranate!

Birthday Crunch

Name: Birthday Crunch
Variation: Cap'n Crunch
Manufacturer: Quaker Oats

Review: This year is the 60th anniversary of Cap'n Crunch, and you know what that means - Quaker Oats is celebrating with a birthday cake-flavored version of their flagship cereal. The colors (blue, purple, red, and yellow) aren't quite as dark as they appear on the box, but it does give them that almost pastel look that's often characteristic of the birthday cake aesthetic. I appreciate that the cereal pieces are shaped like balloons, and not just plain spheres. The birthday cake flavor is not super strong (which I actually think is a good thing). They're kind of like subdued Crunch Berries - with all the crunch that you'd expect. Honestly, I'd just as soon be eating Oops! All Berries, but this is a perfectly acceptable cereal, and as long as it only comes along once every five or ten years, I'm happy to be able to join in the Cap'n's birthday celebration!

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: A little cake-y, but more corn-y than you might expect.

Kellogg's Crunchy Nut

Name: Crunchy Nut
Variation: Corn Flakes
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: This isn't the sort of cereal that I normally like to eat, but the bold design of the box really caught my attention, with the bright yellow, and the black stripes. It's almost got a Charlie Brown aesthetic. It's flavored with peanuts and honey, so hopefully it's not just a glorified version of Corn Flakes (seeing as even coating them in sugar - which is basically Frosted Flakes - isn't enough to make me like them).

Verdict? They are plainer than what I usually eat. But they do have a sweet and nutty flavor. I don't love them, but I don't hate them either. That said, if I have a choice between these and Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch, I'll pick Medley Crunch 10 times out of 10. And if there were no Medley Crunch? Well, I'd still rather have Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs instead. But nice try, Kellogg's. It's a definite improvement over plain Corn Flakes.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Sweet and nutty.

Dunkin' Caramel Macchiato

Name: Dunkin' Caramel Macchiato
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: Post

Review: I suppose I should begin this review with a confession. I don't like the taste of coffee. That's why I waited so long to buy this cereal at closeout prices. In hindsight, I regret missing the chance to try the Mocha Latte flavor also, but really (to quote Blind Willie Johnson), it's nobody's fault but mine. I remember seeing them both on the shelves, and passing them over time and time again.

Anyway, when you open the box, it smells like you just walked into a coffee shop. I suppose the predominant flavors are caramel and coffee. I like that there are marshmallows involved. The texture of the cereal is pleasant. I think that, if circumstances were different, I could easily like this cereal. I just can't get past that distinctive coffee taste.

As a closing remark, "Dunkin'" seems to be rebranding itself lately to compete with Starbucks. But I'll take donuts over coffee any day of the week. This was a great idea for a breakfast cereal (especially considering that a lot of people drink coffee first thing in the morning), but I would be far more excited by a line of Dunkin' cereals based on different kinds of donuts. Chocolate sprinkles, jelly-filled, Bavarian cream... Think of the possibilities!

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: It's an instant Frappuccino!

CinnaFuego Toast Crunch

Name: CinnaFuego Toast Crunch
Variation: Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Spicy foods are ubiquitous these days (even Cool Ranch Doritos are getting Flamin' Hot), and it's ridiculous how extreme they're getting (anyone for some Carolina Reaper Cheetos?). I'm not a masochist when it comes to spicy foods, but I like the flavor of jalapeños, so I can stand a little bit of heat. I wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to try CinnaFuego Toast Crunch. A spicy cereal? Now that's a novel idea.

They look just like regular Cinnamon Toast Crunch pieces (you could totally prank someone with these), but smell like those Atomic Fireball candies. They taste like "sweet cinnamon heat", but feel like a kick to the back of the throat. You could definitely snack on these dry, but I was curious to find out how they fare in milk (since milk is known to neutralize the effects of spicy foods). They're actually still very spicy in milk.

How spicy is it? I'm not an expert on the Scoville scale (nor am I accustomed to eating a lot of spicy foods), but I'd say it's spicier than jalapeños, and probably more on a level with cayenne peppers. It's not extremely hot, but it's definitely not for the faint of heart, either. It was a fun idea, and I'm glad I got to try them, but I wouldn't voluntarily eat them again. I'm glad they came in a small pouch, and not a full-sized box.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Sweet and spicy.

BONUS: Flamin' Hot Krispies!

Just kidding. I put these red Krispies together all in one bowl, and it really looked like they should be "flamin' hot". But they're not. They're just plain old, boring Rice Krispies.

Cinnamoji Toast Crunch (Luchador Edition)

Name: Cinnamoji Toast Crunch (Luchador Edition)
Variation: Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I was surprised to see another version of Cinnamoji Toast Crunch so soon after the last one - and a little bit hesitant to review it again when I have so many cereal boxes stacked up, since this is just another purely superficial variation of regular Cinnamon Toast Crunch. But here we are. And I'm glad to see that General Mills took my suggestion seriously and added more variation and animation to the faces. Although, having had this cereal - essentially - twice now, I feel that "cinnamojis" are a concept that's better in theory than execution, as the faces just aren't very visible on the cereal pieces (certainly not like they appear on the box). Nevertheless, Luchadores is a fun and appropriate choice for a theme, and further establishes (following the introduction of Churros, as well as Dulce de Leche Toast Crunch) Cinnamon Toast Crunch's reputation as the Latin American representative at our breakfast tables.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Cinnamon-y.