Disney’s Beach Club Resort boasts two of the most popular restaurants on Disney property: Cape May Cafe and Beaches & Cream, not to mention an outstanding grab-and-go location. If you are staying the Beach or Yacht Club, or happen to be in the area, make sure to check out the great Beach Club dining options.
Cape May Cafe
Cape May Cafe, located just beyond the resort lobby on the ground floor, is a character meal by day, and a New England Clambake by night. Minnie, resplendent in colorful beachwear, presides over the magnificent Minnie’s Beach Blast Breakfast. You’ll find the other characters (usually Goofy, Donald, Chip, and Dale) also in their swimming attire. (Tell Goofy that his life vest looks a little small for him!) The large restaurant is ringed in bright vintage-style beach umbrellas (look for the umbrella motif repeated in the carpet and in the beautiful tile work of the buffet stations). The surrounding space is railed (overlooking the indoor walkway to the Yacht Club) rather than walled, so the restaurant has an open, airy atmosphere. The interior walls are decorated with murals of Victorian seaside scenes, canvas beach chairs (folded flat and mounted to the walls), and croquet sets. Look for a little Hidden Mickey near the entrance to Cape May Cafe on a spotted plate on the right hand wall.
You can request your choice of a table, booth, or banquette (though of course, accepting the first available space is the fastest way to be seated!). The buffet offers a wide array to please healthy eaters, meat lovers, and even the picky – everything from Chorizo and Four Cheese Scrambled Eggs to Hot Quinoa Cereal. You’ll find Frittatas, Hand-carved Glazed Ham, and Creamy Cheddar Grits. And of course, Mickey Waffles await with your choice of toppings (whipped cream, syrup, chocolate chips, strawberry melba, etc.). Chocolate croissants and sweetbreads on one hand, yogurt and fruit on the other. You will definitely not leave hungry!
- Seafood reigns at dinner at Cape May Cafe (which is not a character meal). The buffet offers:
- Crab Legs
- Steamed Mussels
- Steamed Clams
- Herb-marinated Salmon
- Chilled Peel-n-Eat Shrimp
- Batter-fried Shrimp (Sunday & Wednesday)
- Fried Clam Strips (Monday, Thursday, and Saturday)
- Batter-fried Calamari (Tuesday & Friday)
You’ll also find Cape May Seafood Chowder, Four Bean Salad, Pickled Red Beets, Steamed Red Potatoes, Steamed Corn on the Cob, Quinoa Salad with Hearts of Palm, and Jicama Slaw. If seafood does not appeal, Pasta and Hand-carved Strip Loin are on hand, as well as a children’s buffet with Macaroni & Cheese, and Chicken Drumsticks, and Cheese Pizza.
Beaches & Cream
While the Beaches & Cream Soda Shop is most famous for its ice cream sundaes, some guests say they serve the best burgers on property. Also popular is their Grilled Cheese (a blend of six cheeses!) with tomato bisque. Say “Happy Thanksgiving” with Roasted Turkey on Challah with dried cranberries, smoked Gouda, jalapeño jam, and fried onions. Beaches & Cream even has an outstanding veggie option with a burger composed with house-made quinoa, black Beans, and Portabella mushrooms served with garlic-pepper corn cream.
And you know Beaches & Cream won’t let you down if you want a good malt or shake to wash down the burger, fries, and deliciously crispy onion rings! But save room for dessert, and take a leaf from the kids’ book when they tell you they have a regular stomach (which might be full) and a “dessert stomach” (which nearly always has room). Beaches & Cream is particularly famous for their jaw-dropping Kitchen Sink. The arrival of a Kitchen Sink will be announced with fanfare (and flashing lights) to the restaurant at large – and guests at all the tables will enthusiastically repeat after the server, “A whole can or whipped cream?!” It’s a party! A metal sink serving dish is heaped with scoops of vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coffee, and mint chocolate chip ice creams, doused with a veritable rainbow of toppings – hot fudge, butterscotch, peanut butter, chocolate syrup, marshmallow creme, strawberry, and pineapple. Then comes the Whole Can of Whipped Cream studded with big pieces of banana, generous wedges of brownie, cake, cookies, and chunks of chocolate bar. Onto all this they rain down sliced toasted almonds, dark and white chocolate shavings, milk chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, chocolate sprinkles, rainbow sprinkles, and maraschino cherries! They really throw in every flavor plus the kitchen sink – in a kitchen sink! (If there are any elements your family wouldn’t enjoy or there are allergy concerns, tell your server.)
The Kitchen Sink isn’t even the only iconic ice cream at Beaches & Cream. Their signature sundaes have avid fan bases. Are you on #TeamNoWayJose or #TeamMudSlide? (The No Way Jose starts with chocolate and vanilla ice cream followed by peanut butter and hot fudge sauces, whipped cream and a generous sprinkling of peanut butter and chocolate chips. Meanwhile, the Mud Slide is vanilla ice cream with a hot fudge covered brownie, lovingly smothered with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and Oreos!) If you want to keep it simple, get a banana split. If you want to try something new, they’ve got an amazing grilled banana bread with ice cream, whipped cream, peanut butter, and caramelized bananas (think Elvis!). Basically, there’s no way to go wrong at Beaches & Cream. In the past, Beaches & Cream didn’t participate in the Advanced Dining Reservation system, but they do now. The restaurant space is small, so plan ahead.
Beach Club Marketplace
If too many big meals have had a slightly un-magical effect on your digestion, you might be in the mood for some lighter fare. The Beach Club Marketplace is the perfect antidote. You can choose their Grain Arugula Salad with vegetables, feta, and lemon vinaigrette or Caesar Salad with Chicken. The Soup of the Day in a Bread Bowl will also go down easy. Sandwich choices include Turkey with Bacon and Chipotle Ranch Slaw on a multigrain roll or Roast Beef with Gravy, Horseradish Cream and Cheddar on a sub roll. For a relaxing meal, take your salad or sandwich into the nearby Solarium. (You’ll be near enough to zip back with your refillable mug.) A series of small tables with wicker basket chairs march along the window-lined Solarium hallway. The Solarium itself is filled with comfortable plaid-patterned furniture, high ceilings with window topped walls soaring above. Beyond, the Breezeway and Drawing Room at the Beach Club Villas also offer secluded seating areas. You’ll feel as though you’re a guest in a cozy but luxurious private beach cottage as you put up your feet, take a deep breath, and enjoy your delicious lunch!
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