The Cake Bake Store Restaurant by Gwendolyn Rogers is a brand new sit-down eating spot and bakery at Walt Disney World, changing ESPN Membership on the BoardWalk inside strolling distance of EPCOT. This covers every little thing it’s worthwhile to know: opening date, full menus for breakfast, lunch & dinner with costs, the right way to eat right here in the course of the smooth opening, in addition to a little bit of commentary concerning the controversies (plural) of this new WDW eating idea.
Let’s begin with the Cake Bake Store Restaurant’s opening date, as this has develop into a typical reader questions for the final couple of years. Not since House 220 and Toy Story Roundup Rodeo has a restaurant had as many building delays as Cake Bake. (So actually, not that way back since these are nonetheless two of Walt Disney World’s latest eating places.)
The torpid tempo of this undertaking has truly develop into a little bit of a punchline. Or a minimum of, it was till this month. The Cake Bake Store Restaurant has been doing restricted testing and trial operations for invited visitors, Forged Members and varied VIPs over the course of the final week–and had its partitions down earlier than that as of the primary week of October. So we knew its debut someday this month was inevitable. It’s been 84 years, however that day has lastly arrived…
The newest replace is that the Cake Bake Store is NOW (smooth) OPEN as of October 24, 2024!
The bakery facet of The Cake Bake Store quietly opened its doorways and greeted visitors vivid and early this morning. The desk service restaurant will open for dinner service at 4 p.m. on Thursday, October 24.
Beginning on Friday, October 25, the restaurant facet of the Cake Bake Store will open at 7 a.m. for breakfast, which might be served till 11 a.m. Instantly thereafter, lunch and dinner might be served from 11 a.m. till 11 p.m. The bakery facet might be open every day from 7 a.m. till 11 p.m.
Throughout these smooth openings, the Cake Bake Store is just accepting walk-ups. Count on it to often attain capability over this coming weekend as it really works by means of lengthy traces of bloggers, vloggers, influencers, and Floridian followers who must be “first.” Given the excessive menu costs (extra on that in a minute), it’ll be fascinating to see what natural demand seems like amongst common Walt Disney World visitors as soon as the substitute preliminary rush is over.
Reservations for Cake Bake’s grand opening and past might be obtainable within the My Disney Expertise app and through DisneyWorld.com sooner or later within the close to future. (Inside the subsequent week is what we’ve been informed, however no specifics past that.)
It’s price noting that Walt Disney World nonetheless has but to announce an official opening date for the Cake Bake Store. It’s doable they wish to give this an extended runway for making changes throughout trial operations, because the Cake Bake Store has already confirmed receptive to visitor suggestions. It would behoove them to heed a bit extra of that.
Listed below are the total and remaining menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner on the Cake Bake Store Restaurant by Gwendolyn Rogers:
The Cake Bake Store has been mired in controversy because it was initially introduced.
Many Walt Disney World followers have been upset about ESPN Membership closing, interval. It provided a handy spot inside strolling distance of each EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios to look at main sporting occasions, making it the uncommon non-lounge venue serving such a function.
The Cake Bake Store was principally the antithesis of ESPN Membership. I don’t wish to paint with too broad of a brush about visitor demographics or something, however the vibe of the Cake Bake Store is principally Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for truffles. You might be greater than welcome to attract your individual conclusions about to whom that appeals versus a sports activities bar.
In any case, this was exacerbated when Walt Disney World introduced the “shock” closure of Huge River Grille & Brewing Works over on the opposite facet of the BoardWalk earlier this 12 months. Air quotes round shock because it was something however, as this restaurant had been unpopular (and terrible) for some time nothing. Abrupt might be the extra apt time period. The larger shock was that Huge River didn’t shut years in the past.
Regardless, it’s honest to say that the closure of Huge River added extra credibility to issues concerning the eating slate at BoardWalk. From an goal perspective, it was laborious to take significantly complaints about ESPN Membership’s closure. If it have been as in style as some followers claimed, it could’ve stayed open. The distinction with Huge River gone is that BoardWalk now has a scarcity of straightforward and approachable choices, and I can see why that may upset frequent BoardWalk visitors or DVC homeowners right here.
Fortunately, Trattoria al Forno nonetheless exists–and is without doubt one of the greatest mid-tier desk service eating places at Walt Disney World. To not point out the numerous different choices round Crescent Lake within the Swan & Dolphin or Yacht & Seaside Membership Resorts. And people through the Skyliner at different close by resorts. Oh, additionally those a brief stroll away inside EPCOT’s World Showcase.
Building partitions got here down a couple of weeks in the past, revealing menus posted outdoors on the Cake Bake Store. With this, a more recent and larger controversy emerged–the astronomical costs drew an amazing quantity of backlash on social media. Whereas outrage is the conventional foreign money of the web, these complaints have been comprehensible.
Actually, we anticipated costs to be excessive and warned followers to brace themselves for the Cake Bake Store at Walt Disney World to be costly given its different areas. It stood to cause that if these have been costly regardless of being positioned in Indiana, the one at Walt Disney World could be even worse. We not too long ago noticed one thing related with the premium pricing at Din Tai Fung at Downtown Disney versus its location in prosperous areas of Southern California.
Even anticipating excessive costs, I used to be shocked by what I noticed when the Cake Bake Store menus have been posted outdoors the restaurant. I’ve been doing this some time–it takes loads to shock me at this level. However you recognize what? Youngsters menus with $18 PB&J sandwiches and $18 grilled cheese, $8 Cokes, $26 eggs, and $26 fruit plates will do it! (In contrast to some, I used to be not shocked by the $32 burger. Ridiculous, sure, however House 220 already has a ~$40 burger if you happen to do the mathematics on the lunch prix fixe menu!)
In any case, Ms. Rogers should’ve heard the refrain of complaints, as a result of the Cake Bake Store menus posted outdoors have been rapidly up to date with adjusted prices. For essentially the most half, costs have been just about lowered throughout the board. (The menus above are the remaining ones, reflecting the mostly-lowered costs.)
Some went down by as little as a penny (kudos on the $0.99 shopper psychology, I assume?), whereas others dropped by over $10. Some gadgets did enhance by a few {dollars} to maintain in line with their classes (which noticed different gadgets lower). With out doing any math, I’d guesstimate that the menu costs dropped by round 10-15% on common. It was an enormous win for on-line complainers, and proof that our tireless efforts do make a distinction.
Earlier than we pressure our shoulders patting ourselves on the backs, it’s price noting that–for the reason that Cake Bake Store was not but open–it was unclear how these value reductions have been achieved. Maybe it was a hole victory, in spite of everything. Perhaps portion sizes have been decreased, provider substitutions have been made, or lower-quality substances will now be used. Personally, I’m not too labored up about all of that. One thing tells me that the $18 PB&J was all markup and the standard of the Coca-Cola (with free refills) is kind of unchanged.
I’ve a variety of ideas concerning the Cake Bake Store costs, a few of which you’ll not like. (Don’t fear, I’m certain most of you’ll agree with most of it.) However, you recognize what, it’s been an extended week of value will increase and that is already loads to digest, so I’m going to hit pause on that.
Partially, it is because I additionally wish to hear from readers to include a few of that reader suggestions into an upcoming article. So now’s your probability to impress your loved ones, buddies, former classmates, inlaws & outlaws, and so forth by having your ideas printed in what is definitely among the many prime 1,570 Disney-related blogs on the web. When making ready your smartest and most astute insights into the Cake Bake Store Restaurant’s menu costs (and no matter else), please take into account the next:
- The Cake Bake Store is owned and operated by a 3rd social gathering, which means that Disney isn’t liable for these costs besides not directly to the extent that they cost hire. (Nevertheless, the existence of different third social gathering eating places–together with in-park ones–which have cheaper menus kind of undercuts that line of reasoning.)
- Cake costs are per slice (albeit huge ones), not for total truffles.
- Listed below are the menus for the Broad Ripple and Carmel Cake Bake areas, for reference.
- The opposite areas are extremely in style, regardless of being costly and in Indiana.
- Cake Bake Store doesn’t use gold flakes, endangered animals, or some other uncommon/unique substances in these dishes or drinks.
I’m trying ahead to studying everybody’s ideas on this one, hopefully considering the above factors. I believe I’ve a fairly good concept of what to anticipate, however am nonetheless open to a wide range of opinions, together with ‘unpopular’ or contrarian ones.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What are your ideas concerning the Cake Bake Store by Gwendolyn Rogers? Will you be eating right here or skipping it? Stunned by simply how costly that is? Assume the costs are price it, even when they do require a second mortgage? Excited for this new bakery and restaurant or will you miss ESPN Membership? Different ideas or issues? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
