A May weekend of Beach Club Eats! (plus 'Ohana!) (Update 5/17: Cape May Breakfast!)

[BlovesC]

Hello all! We (DH, the salty nut, and me, the sweet tooth!) just returned from an all-too-brief weekend getaway at Beach Club Resort. It was our first time there and I can definitely tell you it won't be our last! We booked the stay as a quick 'relaxing' trip but still made a few park-centric plans...and those went out the window pretty much as soon as we first dove into Stormalong Bay.

Not too exciting a lineup here since we barely ventured out of the resort, but if it's sold at BC, we pretty much sampled it, so those with BC stays around the corner might be interested at least!

Lunch at Beaches & Cream (1)
Snack at Kringla Bakery Norway, Margarita from Le Cava in Mexico
Dinner at 'Ohana
CUPCAKES!
Breakfast at Beach Club Marketplace
Lunch at Beaches & Cream (2)
Drinks at Martha's Vineyard
Dinner at Cape May Cafe
Breakfast at Cape May Cafe

And a parting shot of our new favorite thing in the WORLD, Stormalong Bay!:

 

[BlovesC]

DH and I arrived at BC pretty early, explored our room and the pool, and hopped on down to Beaches and Cream a few minutes before noon. We'd eaten here for the first time in January, when we'd experienced a No Way Jose, and couldn't wait to try a full meal!

We both had glasses of water, and then I ordered a single burger and onion rings, because I'd seen soooo many pics of this combo here on the DiS and it always looked amazing. Now, while I'm a huge fan of burgers, I almost never order them at Disney because they typically make me feel so gross afterwards from all the grease. Don't get me wrong, I could tear through a pint of ice cream and a half-dozen cupcakes without even a belly ache, but I have a strange sensitivity to fried foods and grease. I also HATE onions. Sooo, naturally upon hearing my order, DH gave me The Look.

He ordered the turkey sandwich and fries, which caused ME to give HIM my own look, as he's really not a turkey guy.

Turns out, DH is always one step ahead of me, because I made it through almost half of the burger and exactly one onion ring before I started whining that I couldn't stomach anymore, and DH said he expected to hear that so he'd ordered what I normally ate since I'd gotten what he wanted. We swapped plates and all was well! I enjoyed the fries much more than that one onion ring, and they give a TON! The turkey was also much higher quality than the typical sliced cold cuts. And the buns at Beaches and Cream as SO good...multigrain and baked right on property daily!

There was no argument whatsoever on dessert however, as we both wanted the No Way Jose again!

Which was of course fantastic and amazing and the perfect size for sharing.

Less than twenty minutes after finishing that monstrosity we'd plunged into SAB. Which was a reoccurring theme of the weekend...gorge ourselves, then hop into the pool and float along the lazy river groaning at our full bellies!

Up next...an afternoon diversion at Epcot for snackables!

 

[bluejasmine]

Smart man!! Lol

 

[CanadianPaco]

We are so going to Beaches and Cream this summer! Looking forward to more...

 

[jedijill]

Great start....I've never stayed at BC but its on my list. Love Beaches and Cream!

Jill in CO

 

[BlovesC]

After a couple hours in Stormalong Bay, we changed and decided to make our first trek from BC to Epcot. It was our first time ever through the International Gateway, and holy cow, it's not a lie! We made it from the BC lobby THROUGH the turnstiles into Epcot in exactly six minutes at a leisurely pace. That's pretty awesome!

Unfortunately, that amazing proximity was pretty much wasted on us. We'd already had very scant plans in the parks, but we were soooooo relaxed from our first few hours at BC already that stepping into the hustle and bustle of the park was kind of a turn-off. We made our way around the world showcase for a bit and DH had been dreaming about the jalapeno margarita at Le Cava, so off we went!

The bartender asked DH "how spicy do you want it?", and when DH said "SPICY spicy!" the bartender sort of giggled maniacally and got to work. That was a little intimidating! But DH loved it, perfect amount of heat for him. I can't handle spicy as well as he can, but I had a sip and I enjoyed it! It's interesting having that much heat through a straw...since it doesn't burn your lips and tongue on the way into your mouth you can actually really taste it before the heat kicks in!

We hopped onto Maelstrom in Norway and then made a stop at my favorite Epcot snack spot, Kringla bakery! I chose the perennial favorite, school bread!

I know school bread was on sort of a downward spiral for awhile there, but either it's gotten bigger and better again or it just REALLY hit the spot at the time, because this was the best serving of school bread I've had in at least the past year! It was HUGE and perfectly soft on the outside with tons of nicely chilled cream on the inside.

DH chose the troll horn, which I think used to be called the cloudberry horn?

He liked it well enough, but he too prefers the school bread.

Next up....'Ohana dinner!

 

[BlovesC]

Although Kona Cafe has actually retained its spot as our #1 TS in WDW for a few years now, DH and I never tried 'Ohana until our first time this past January. And we both LOVED it. DH was so excited for this reservation!

Our reservation was one of the late ones, as it was all that was available when I checked (this was a last-minute trip!), our ADR was for 9:15, we checked in at 8:45, and we were seated at just about 9 sharp.

Now, I don't know if we're just lucky or we're exceptionally easy to please (probably the latter!) but despite the plethora of negative reviews this place receives, we once again LOVED it. It was our favorite meal of the trip by a HUUUUUUGE margin.

Our server was excellent, a lovely woman whose name I can't quite remember. I still think the bread at Kona is much tastier than the friendship bread at 'Ohana, but the friendship bread is certainly pretty good. We were starving from a few more hours of swimming, and we put a much bigger dent in the food this time than we did on our first visit. I still say they serve WAY too much for a party of two, but we now have a new theory that we were given pooh-sized portions, because when my DH watched a party of two behind us get served, their noodles and vegetables were on a little tray. WE were given a trough!

Unfortunately we were well into eating when I realized I hadn't yet taken any pics. DH told me just to re-use our photos from January but I don't want to do that. I will say that everything was delicious. I'm not a fan of wings or potstickers so I left those all to DH, who had one or two...I think next time we go we'll ask them to avoid bringing us any, I HATE to waste that much food. The noodles are like crack. I asked the server what was in them to give them that sweet flavor, and she said pineapple juice! I don't eat pork at all, but my DH loved it, and I did enjoy the one piece of steak I had. But for me it is ALL about the chicken and shrimp. I adore boneless chicken breasts especially when its grilled, and the chicken at 'Ohana is just incredibly juicy while still having a great smokey grill flavor. And my only complaint about the shrimp is the messy peel-n-eat factor, but if they were pre-peeled I'd probably eat a few dozen, so it's good portion control!

Despite loading up on all that protein we still made sure to have plenty of room for dessert, which needs no introduction, and which I definitely would never forget a picture of:

*cues the slow jazz music*

coconut bread pudding with bananas foster caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. there are no words!

We happily rolled ourselves out of the Poly and back to BC. I'm pretty sure we'll be back at 'Ohana for dinner whenever the soonest available ADR is.

 

[wilma-bride]

Great start to your reviews. We are also planning a lunch at Beaches & Cream in August, followed by floating around the lazy river at SAB groaning at our full bellies

Looking forward to reading more - great pic of SAB, by the way

 

[chocolateMinnie]

What great reviews so glad you loved the BC. counting down to our first trip there.

 

[deenbrad]

I still say they serve WAY too much for a party of two, but we now have a new theory that we were given pooh-sized portions, because when my DH watched a party of two behind us get served, their noodles and vegetables were on a little tray. WE were given a trough!

As a fellow pooh-sized patron, this made me LOL. We still haven't been there but hoping to try in Dec! I also can eat my weight in shrimp!!

 

[LJD2143]

Lovin' your reviews. We'll be at Beach Club Villas in September - can't wait to experience SAB for the first time!

I've read so many bad reviews of Ohana lately, and I can't help but think that they are not "current" reviews? We just had a spectacular dinner there in February and will be going back again in Sept!

 

[chinarider]

Glad you had a postive experience at Ohana ( there seems not to been too many of those lately). We have not been but, it is on the list of our must do's and we will be there in less than 3 weeks. Thanks for sharing

 

[Kat in GA]

I am in!

My husband and I took a long weekend trip in February and stayed at the Beach club. We were actually able to use the pool one day - the rest of the time was just way too cold.

Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your eats!

 

[gardengirl628]

Great reviews so far! We stayed at BC in July and loved Stormalong Bay too!

 

[BlovesC]

Smart man!! Lol

I'll tell him you said so!

We are so going to Beaches and Cream this summer! Looking forward to more...

Enjoy!! Please have a No Way Jose for me! After having one two days in a row I'm getting the shakes from detoxing now!

Great start....I've never stayed at BC but its on my list. Love Beaches and Cream!

B&C is a magical happy place!

Great start to your reviews. We are also planning a lunch at Beaches & Cream in August, followed by floating around the lazy river at SAB groaning at our full bellies

Looking forward to reading more - great pic of SAB, by the way

Ahhhhhhhh August will be here before you know it, I'm so envious! And do enjoy the post-gluttony floating...I think that's the entire reason why they created the lazy river...it's just enough current to keep you afloat and fool you into thinking you're actually swimming, while not strenuous enough to cause wreak any havoc on your swollen tummy. It's awfully convenient with it being steps away from B&C!

What great reviews so glad you loved the BC. counting down to our first trip there.

Thank you!! And enjoy, it's a fantastic resort!

As a fellow pooh-sized patron, this made me LOL. We still haven't been there but hoping to try in Dec! I also can eat my weight in shrimp!!

I hope you write a review if you go in December! We could gather our evidence and write a shocking expose...'Ohana serves larger portions to the pooh-sized! It'd probably cause an epidemic of diners stuffing pillows under their clothing before checking-in to their ADR!

Lovin' your reviews. We'll be at Beach Club Villas in September - can't wait to experience SAB for the first time!

Thank you!! And ENJOY! It's a fantastic resort and an amazing pool. So amazing we cancelled all other plans to just stay put at BC!

I've read so many bad reviews of Ohana lately, and I can't help but think that they are not "current" reviews? We just had a spectacular dinner there in February and will be going back again in Sept!

Oddly enough, there's a big thread about a terrible experience at 'Ohana on Mother's Day...which was one night after we ate there! It's shocking to me how incredibly polarizing the restaurant seems to be...I'm sad to read about folks having such horrible food there, but when we go it's simply the best meal of our trip! I hope you have similar luck in September!

Glad you had a postive experience at Ohana ( there seems not to been too many of those lately). We have not been but, it is on the list of our must do's and we will be there in less than 3 weeks. Thanks for sharing

I really hope you find it as wonderful as we did!

I am in!

My husband and I took a long weekend trip in February and stayed at the Beach club. We were actually able to use the pool one day - the rest of the time was just way too cold.

Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your eats!

Thank you! And welcome aboard! At least you were brave enough to experience the pool at all...I can't even imagine keeping myself away from it, no matter how cold it was outside!

Great reviews so far! We stayed at BC in July and loved Stormalong Bay too!

SAB is a vacation into itself! I don't think DH and I have ever returned from a disney trip so fully relaxed and so fully sunburned. And TY!!

 

[BlovesC]

Before I continue, my DH is insisting that I write an addendum to my 'Ohana review. He'd like everyone to know that when they served our bread pudding dessert, I dove into it with the giant serving spoon before he pointed out my error and nudged me towards the much smaller 'normal-sized' spoon on my saucer. I maintain that's irrelevant info to my reviews!

So I know most deluxe resorts are offering their own unique cupcakes at the QS locations now, and the BC's offerings didn't sound exciting to me at all (red velvet, german chocolate)....so when we were killing time before our 'Ohana reservation I couldn't resist checking out the Poly's offerings at Captain Cooks. Their two cupcakes were Chocolate Macadamia and (I think?) Mango-Kiwi...

The chocolate macadamia cupcake was a dense chocolate cake with a fudgy center, a smooth chocolate buttercream and tons of macadamias. Usually I find chocolate-on-chocolate cupcakes way too rich, but this was fantastic!

DH much preferred this cupcake, which was a very fluffy yellow cake with a mango pudding-like filling topped with a light vanilla buttercream and chunks of mango and kiwi. VERY moist and fresh!

And yes, although we bought these on our way out of the Poly after 'Ohana, I promise we didn't eat them until well into the next afternoon!

 

[vettegirl]

Wow the mango cupcake looks fantastic!

 

[ocalla]

So glad you enjoyed BC. It's our favorite resort. There are so many others I want to try, but I can't quite make myself venture from this one!!!

The Mango Kiwi cupcake looks sooooo good. that one has my name written all over it. We have dinner reservations at Kona (our first time trying this) so I think we will have to grab one of those for a quick snack back in the room!!

 

[BlovesC]

Wow the mango cupcake looks fantastic!

It really was, especially for those who might find cupcakes too sweet normally (like my DH)!

So glad you enjoyed BC. It's our favorite resort. There are so many others I want to try, but I can't quite make myself venture from this one!!!

Oh my gosh, I can see why! It's funny, the decor and theme actually kept me disinterested in BC for the longest time. I grew up on the jersey shore with parents who were obsessed with nautical decor, so the BC just never seemed, I dunno, exotic enough for me. But this stay certainly changed my mind. It's gorgeous, and the atmosphere is so relaxing!

The Mango Kiwi cupcake looks sooooo good. that one has my name written all over it. We have dinner reservations at Kona (our first time trying this) so I think we will have to grab one of those for a quick snack back in the room!!

OOH! Enjoy Kona! We love it so much! Especially the bread, noodles, and sushi. You'll be stuffed when you leave but don't let that deter you from snagging those cupcakes on the way out! DH seriously couldn't believe I was buying cupcakes after eating at 'Ohana, but I told him it was an investment for the future!

 

[BlovesC]

We woke up early on Saturday morning and decided we wanted to have some breakfast before hitting SAB, so we hit the Marketplace, filled our mugs with coffee, and ordered two breakfast sandwiches; ham, eggs, and cheese on a croissant.

I loved this. Super soft, warm croissant! I was happy to see they used real cheese, not those horrible, fake, bright orange squares of oil that most fast food breakfast sandwiches contain. I don't normally eat pork products, but the ham was pretty inoffensive, so much so that I probably would have saved a buck and left it off entirely if I'd noticed that option sooner. But this was a very cheap, fast, filling breakfast that I'd happily eat again!

We ate breakfast in the solarium, located a few steps away from the marketplace. How beautiful is this place, seriously?

I think if we became any more relaxed at this point we'd have melted into piles of goo and been unable to move.


Next up: another lunch at Beaches & Cream!