As God is My Witness, I'll Never be Hungry Again - Finished w/lots of pics!!

[Terry's Angels]

I really love this thread - the only problem that is that I find that I've always got to start eating when I read this thread and have crumbs all over my keyboard.

 

[oybolshoi]

Greetings everyone! As always thanks so much for reading and for taking the time to leave me some very nice comments. I really appreciate it!

You find us on the morning of Wednesday, October 25th and we're headed to Cape May Cafe for a 9:30 AM breakfast reservation with Goofy, Minnie, Chip and Dale. This breakfast was for my mom - believe it or not she loved Chef Mickey's when we all ate there a few years ago and she requested that we use one of our dining plan table credits for a character breakfast. She didn't care where it was she just wanted to go to one. Remember that.

Well, given that we were staying at the Beach Club this decision seemed like a no-brainer. And it was pretty nice not to have to worry about transportation for a change - it was just a five minute walk from our villa down to the restaurant.

If you've never tried this location for breakfast I'd suggest you consider it sometime if it's convenient - it's really quite charming. It's smaller than Chef Mickey's in terms of restaurant size, the number of characters, and the buffet choices, but it's still fun. The characters all dress in their beach attire and the restaurant is open on three sides to the Beach Club Lobby and the walkway between the Beach Club and Yacht Club which gives it a very airy, bright feeling. There is no music or dancing or napkin waving like they have over at Chef Mickey's, so it's a more quiet, laid back experience.

We only had to wait about five minutes to be seated - the restaurant was busy but not packed. Do you guys think that at these breakfasts they have an "adults only" area? We were seated in a section that had no children whatsoever, and as other families who did have kids came into the restaurant they were seated everywhere but in our section. I dunno...maybe the wait staff picked up on that vibe my mom was giving off. I think she just needed some coffee.

About the food...the breakfast buffet is pretty standard fare:

OK, maybe this last picture isn't standard fare. I'll be honest here - I don't know what the hell that's supposed to be. Could be bread pudding...could be some sort of biscuit-and-gravy casserole thing...could be good but we'll never know. Those other things must be some kind of breakfast pizza. If I were to offer some constructive criticism to Cape May it would be this: How about you place an informative little placard out here on the buffet so we know what some of these mystery dishes are?

Thanks. I can't speak for anyone else but if I know what something isn't I might be more tempted to give it a try.

Ohhhh, look! Here comes Minnie!!

I think she had a bit of a crush on Jason because she kept coming back to the table. Doesn't she look cute?

Back to the food...here's a shot of my boring and predictable breakfast...

The food was all good and the staff did a nice job of replacing buffet items that had been sitting out too long. Our waitress was good about bringing our drinks but that coffee just couldn't get there fast enough for one member of our party.

The buffet also included that perennial WDW breakfast favorite...the miniature Mickey waffle!

I don't like these small guys because they're always cold and that's no way to eat a waffle. Jason and I usually go to the Yacht Club Galley for breakfast on one day of a WDW visit so that I can order a full size Mickey waffle (you'll have to wait for the last day of my report to see a picture of that baby!).

Be still my heart...it's my one true Disney-love...and my lovey hubby!

If I were ever to consider faking my own death and running away to start a new life with a technicolor cartoon character, it would be with Goofy.

Here's the last shot I took of the buffet.

I miss real donuts. Krispy Kremes are OK in a pinch, but to me they're like eating sugar-spun air pockets - no substance. I like a good old fashioned cake donut that sticks to the roof of your mouth and can only be knocked off by a tidal wave of icy cold milk.

One thing that Cape May also offers is a yogurt bar, but it's tucked off to the side and we didn't see it until we were leaving. I'm not really a big fan of yogurt so this was no real loss as far as I was concerned, but I'm just throwing it out there for those of you who may be going to Cape May for breakfast in the future and who might want to make yourselves a nice bowl of yougurt with some granola and fruit.

Have you noticed anything odd about this review yet? I mean other than the fact that I just recently admited that I harbor a deep, possibly unhealthy attachment to a cartoon dog?

Yeah, that's right...my mom isn't in any pictures. She doesn't like pictures - does not like being in them, does not like taking them, and does not like other people taking or being in them.

She also wasn't enjoying the character breakfast...even though she was the one who really wanted to have one. Turns out she was disappointed that Mickey wasn't at this meal. *sigh* If she'd told me that having breakfast with Mickey was what she wanted I would have booked something different and oh my God it's started..parent/child role reversal! It's just like the cheesesteak incident, isn't it?

Now I admit to being a tad disappointed that Chip and Dale were too busy perfecting their new dance routine with that family of 25 on the other side of the restaurant to ever make it over to see us, but that's the way it goes sometimes. There's no reason to sulk about it, especially when Goofy and Minnie visited many times.

If my mom knew that I'd posted this picture here for the world to see she'd run me over in my driveway the next time she visits. But really, it just cracked Jay and me up so much that we had to share it - and because of it we referred to her (secretly) as Grimace for the rest of the trip.

So, in a nutshell, we liked this buffet just fine. If you have never had a character breakfast at WDW I would suggest going to Chef Mickey's for your first experience - all the classic characters are there and it really is a hoot. But if you're looking for a different character experience Cape May is a great alternative in a convenient location - a five minute walk from Epcot, a ten minute boatride from MGM, and a big shady busstop out front to get you anywhere else you might want to go.

Give it a try, I think you'll like it!

Coming soon, Jason and I make a break for it and end up at Beaches and Cream...can it possibly live up to all the ice creamy hype I read about here on the DIS?

 

[oybolshoi]

Brenda -
I absolutely LOVE your posts!!!! Oh and the reviews aren't bad either! What do they put in the water in OFallon, Missouri cause I gotta get me some! You are a riot!!!
Thanks so much for taking the time to write, you're very talented. I can't wait to read Plankton's trip report!!!!! When will you post it? no pressure of course.....

Tamara, thank you very much!

But I must caution you against drinking the local water if you ever make it to St. Charles County unless you've got a water softener / filtration system... it's nasty! For everyday good humor Jason and I drink Dasani; when we're looking for a more intellectual approach to funny we try Evian or Gerolsteiner.

 

[oybolshoi]

I just found this thread, and I'm all caught up. Great reviews, you're making me hungray, and cracking me up at the same time! And, we're foodies (the hubby's a chef) so it's great to see how much you enjoy what you've gotten.

And, can you PM me your Sticky Toffee Pudding recipe please?

Nynaeve, I sent you a PM - thanks for reading!

 

[oybolshoi]

After spending three-plus hours at MGM with my parents Jay and I were ready to make a run for it. For some reason I still don't understand I had agreed to cancel our dinner reservations for the evening over at Blue Zoo...it worked out well though, because Jason and I basically ended up with the rest of the day to ourselves.

We decided that this was the perfect time to have a late lunch at Beaches and Cream, a small little ice cream parlor / grill located in the Beach Club just across from Stormalong Bay. Considering it's proximity to such a large pool complex it's easy to understand why this place gets so busy. Pick your times wisely, my friends, because they do not accept reservations here.

Jason and I arrived about 2:30 that afternoon and were seated immediately. By the way, you'll notice that the clock on the wall reads 3:15 - I took these pictures as we were leaving. It's a cute little place, isn't it?

Our waitress confirmed that the dining plan is accepted here and can I get an Amen! - all the dessert items on the menu except for the Kitchen Sink are included as a dessert choice! I believe the appetizer choice was soup or salad, but we passed on those so that we could save some room for the important stuff.

Jason and I both ordrerd a single cheeseburger with fries...

As cheeseburgers go, this wasn't bad. Not too greasy, lightly crisped bun, and a nice chunk o'cheese melting on top. The fries were actually pretty good - light and crispy and they sure tasted good with mustard poured all over them!

And now the real debate begins...what to order for dessert? I had read so many good things about Beaches and Cream and drooled over so many yummy pictures here at the DIS that I was almost afraid we were going to be disappointed. This stuff can't be that good, can it?

Oh, how we agonized.

Thank goodness Plankton is a take-charge kind of vacation mascot. Here's what he said, "You! Cretin! You'll get the Milky Way Sundae. And you! The other cretin! You'll get the No way Jose. And you'll share them both with me and that way no one gets hurt."

The official description of my dessert, the Milky Way Sundae, is as follows: Bundt cake topped with three scoops of vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, butterscotch, whipped cream and a cherry.

This thing is huge! It was very good but it was really too much - I could only finish about half of it and Plankton was more interested in Jay's choice than mine.

The No Way Jose is described as a peanut butter and hot fudge delight with chocolate and vanilla ice cream, peanut butter and chocolate morsels, whipped cream and a cherry.

Ummmm, wow. That does look like a delight, doesn't it? You know what? It tastes even better than it looks. Even though I would not have been able to finish this dessert, either, I wish I had ordered it too. The tastes were incredible, like eating a frozen peanut butter cup with ice cream. So good...I wish I was eating it right now.

The final verdict? Beaches and Cream deserves the hype it's received here on the DIS. Go hungry and consider sharing 'cause those portions are huge and do they ever taste yummy!

Coming soon, an evening of eating around the world showcase. That's right...we're not finished with the Food & Wine Festival yet!

 

[WDW Poly Princess]

But I do have one last picture to share from the evening:

Loving your reviews so far! And the pictures- YUM!

Just one question. Is that tootsie roll in the foreground sitting on.... an ear?

 

[oybolshoi]

Loving your reviews so far! And the pictures- YUM!

Just one question. Is that tootsie roll in the foreground sitting on.... an ear?

Oh, the horror!!! Yes it is an ear. We had the same reaction when we first found it in the bag...someone at one of the MK candy stations was giving out "gross out" candy...ears...fingers...eyeballs...pretty much what you'd expect for Halloween.

It makes for a great shot wirh Plankton, doesn't it?

 

[Jennifer48]

One question, has your mother ever been to WDW? She never seems happy to be there. Its the Happiest Place on Earth!!

Beaches and Cream is great. We made a special trip over there in October '05 just to have the Kitchen Sink. It took 4 of us and we made a pretty good dent in it. I'll have to find those pictures. We saw others eating regular food and I wondered how good it was. Looked yummy!

 

[eliza61]

Beaches and cream is a "must do" for my family almost every disney trip. We usually skip the food though and go straight for the desserts.
Glad you loved it.

 

[Bonnie151]

I've been reading along- completely hooked since your first post, but I have to out myself now to say that that photo of your mother with Minnie is absolutely priceless. I was laughing so hard last night I practically had tears running down my face (how rude of me!!). I think DH thought I was cracking up until I showed him the thread.

*Fantastic* reviews!

 

[oybolshoi]

Back again to wrap up the day. As I mentioned earlier for some reason we ditched the dinner reservations at Blue Zoo...I think it had something to do with the dining plan and the building pressure to use those credits for meals rather than going to a restaurant that we would have to pay additional money out of pocket to dine at. I really regret canceling this reservation...so much so, in fact, that Jason and I decided that we're going to have to go back to WDW over our anniversary in May 2007 and give it a try...with cash, I might add!

So...having also ditched the parental unit Jason and I make for Epcot. It's time to eat around the world...again. I must preface this portion of the tale: since it was getting so dark we didn't take pictures of the food booths this evening. But we did come back the next afternoon for even more food and took several pictures of the booths then. Food only for this portion, sorry to disappoint you guys.

Tonight we start the gastronomic tour with my perennial favorite food booth - France. Ah, France...your surly demeanor is surpassed only by the tastiness of the treats we so willingly over-pay for.

What you see before you were three of the yummiest samples we tried all evening. In the background a Sparkling Pomegranate Kir...I've always been a big fan of Kir Royales, so I figured I couldn't go wrong with this and I was right! This could have tasted like fizzy cough syrup if they'd used too much of the Pomegranate liquor, but someone in France knows how to pour a drink and this was just right...a hint of sweetness but really very light and refreshing. So good that we ordered a bottle of Pama Pomegranate Liquor once we returned to the armpit of the Midwest to help us endure the desolate vacation-less months ahead of us.

The Food? Oh, yeah that was good, too.

That slightly over-cooked offering to the left is formally known as a Chausson au Fromage de' Chevre. American translation: Goh-t Cheeee-ez Tarrr-t.

Despite being a bit more brown than I would have preferred, this cheesy tartlet was excellent and flavorful without being overpowering. Didn't pair too well with the Kir but we managed to choke it down anyway.

And look at that little baby on the right...Creme Brulee au Chocolat. American translation: Chalk-let Krem Brew-lay.

What is there to say? This was better than we had any reason to expect...crispy, melted sugar topping...cool, rich creamy chocolate...squabbling over who got to eat the last spoonful chased with some of that Kir (which was just fabulous with this dessert!).

The only thing that could have spoiled the experience at France was an order of escargot; American translation: S-Car-Go.

Luckily, Jason decided to pass on the snails. I celebrated his decision with one of these:

That's right...those of you who remember Day 2 of this never-ending digestive saga will recall a frosty beverage of the Lemon Citron variety and a sacred vow to come back for its equally frosty but much more colorful cousin: The Grand Marnier Slushy.

This...this drink...this drink was good times indeed. If it hadn't been for the relentless pursuit of food I could have stayed right there at that booth pounding down these babies until Illuminations started.

Having tried both slushies I offer you now my humble post-alcoholc opinion. The Lemon Citron is definitely more of a daytime indulgence - it's lighter and less sweet, very much like frozen lemonade with just a hint of alcohol. The Grand Marnier is sweeter and denser - it's an evening indulgence, which makes sense really, since Grand Marnier is more of an after-dinner drink anyway. Both were very good, but I think the Grand Marnier was the more popular of the two drinks just based on the number of people we spotted wandering around Epcot with them during the week.

And talk about a conversation starter! There I was perched daintily on a bench slurping orange slush from a plastic cup and someone would plop down next to me, "Wow! What's that you're drinking? Where can I get one? France? Really? Thanks!"

This happened many times while I was waiting for Jason to come back to me with food. I'm happy that I could share the alcoholic squishee-love with so many people. And I hope Epcot never ever closes that booth.

Where else did we eat? Let me think....Oh, Turkey! Look at the size of this portion:

This is Circassian Chicken, Red Lentil Kofte, and Eggplant Salad and at $2.50 per portion one of the best bargains at the whole F&W Festival. I tried it and I didn't really like it, so Jason at the rest. He thought it was quite good.

While he was chowing on that plate o'food, I decided to be daring and purchase something at the Morocco booth:

This is Chicken Bastilla with some mint iced tea. It wasn't bad, but I really struggled with the taste of this sample. My brain and my tongue both had the same reaction: cinnamon...puff pastry...powdered sugar...chicken?? One of these things is not like the others - get the poultry out of the dessert, 'cause never the twain shall meet!

For the record, Jason also liked this just fine. The mint iced tea was very good and very refreshing - it would have been even better on a hot day.

Next stop...Japan. That's right, when you've already had a chicken-puff for dessert why not top it off with some raw fish and beer?

This is the Tokyo Sushi Roll with Crabmeat. We also had a sample of Kirin Ichiban beer, but it took a while for the beer sample to show up because the tap ran dry and someone had to run inside one of the restaurants to get ours. The sushi was sticky and chewy and sort of tasteless. Jason said that the sauces on the side were there to provide flavor, but I can't eat stuff like Wassabi, so I had to settle for washing the sushi down with the Kirin, which was actually pretty good.

From this point we wandered into the Japan-mart where they sell all kinds of great, sometimes tacky stuff including Speed Racer memorabilia! I loved that show when I was a kid, but it's even better watching it as an adult - hilarious, especially because it's not supposed to be funny. Already filled to the brim with alcoholic good cheer, we wandered to the area of the store that sells Japanese foodstuffs. And I bet you'll never guess what we found while we were there! That's right - a Sake bar!!

Well, when in Japan...

I don't recall the name of the Sake, which is too bad because it was really good. If it weren't for stupid people trying to blow up planes with hair gel and mouthwash we could have bought a bottle and carried it home with us and I could share the name with you and we'd all be happy. But it isn't to be. One nice thing - by sampling the Sake inside at the bar we got to keep the cute little cups as souveniers.

We decide to import ourselves to America-town...Let's give that Maine Lobster Roll a try, shall we?

I prefer to call this a Lobster-Dog since it was served on a mini hot-dog bun. This was basically lobster salad on a toasted bun. It was good, which is saying something because I'm not a big fan of lobster, but I'm not sure it was $6.50 worth of good - there wasn't that much lobster in this portion.

From here we decided to grab some cafe mocha and stake out a spot for Illuminations. The only thing I can really say about the mocha is that it was hot, and that was all that really mattered because it was getting chilly-willy out there. This was the first time we watched the show from Japan and it was a great viewing area. We always like to try new vantage points for Illuminations.

The food is done for the day. Tomorrow will bring the final food and wine festival booths for us as well as a drug-filled hazy dinner at the California Grill. I think those were fireworks I saw from the table, but I could be mistaken.

Thanks for reading!!

 

[staley7580]

Can I just say, are we sisters? You are totaly describing my mom! She wants all of us to go to WDW, but I dont think I can.... Not with her. I dont think she can have any fun though.. theres probably not to many casinos in WDW. I love your review, its giving me lots of ideas in case I ever get the nerve to plan a trip to WDW.

 

[Nynaeve]

I'm jealous! I wanted to try that lobster roll so bad, but never did. and, do you know what's in the Sparkling Pomegranate Kir? My hubby wanted to try that, but the France line was always so long.
I did enjoy my mint tea too though.

Can't wait to hear about California Grill!

 

[oybolshoi]

To answer some questions...

Jen, my mother says she loves WDW but I'm not sure I believe her any longer. We've been numerous times over the years, but she never really gets into it. She always maintains that more than 5 days at WDW is too much... Jason and I were there for 10 days and we could've stayed for another 10 and it still wouldn't have been too much. Just different priorities...she'd never say that 10 days in Las Vegas was too much.

Staley...after reading your post I think your mom and my mom may acually be the same person!

Nynaeve... the pomegranate kir is made with champagne and a splash of pomegranate liquor. Just fill up a flute with champagne and add a dash of Pama and sit back and sip. Yum!

Sorry you weren't able to get to the booth in France - it was pretty popular, wasn't it? There were always people waiting in line for that creme brulee.

 

[DisneyMom5]

I have been waiting for the end of the report to tell you what a great report it is, but since you have spaced it out nicely I thought I might as well chime in with some positive thoughts from a lurker.

Your descriptive ability is only matched by Mary Jo, a girl on my dormitory floor in college who could make a vegetarian drool over her description of Thanksgiving turkey.

Your pictures are great! This thread makes me hungry. And sad that I am not at WDW. But mostly hungry.

(And I laugh when I read the title, as well as your Simpson's referenced one. LOL)

Now I am sorry it might end soon.

Great job!

 

[SleepyatDVC]

This is Chicken Bastilla with some mint iced tea. It wasn't bad, but I really struggled with the taste of this sample. My brain and my tongue both had the same reaction: cinnamon...puff pastry...powdered sugar...chicken?? One of these things is not like the others - get the poultry out of the dessert, 'cause never the twain shall meet!

OMG! Flash back to my Seasame Street days!!!!!!


Loooooove your review! I feel like I got to experience the F&W festival with you without ingesting all those calories! I was getting hungry and then FULL just reading about your meals!

How did you drink all those alcoholic beverages so quickly? Tell the truth. Was every other stop the restrom?!! Lol!

 

[oybolshoi]

OMG! Flash back to my Seasame Street days!!!!!!


Loooooove your review! I feel like I got to experience the F&W festival with you without ingesting all those calories! I was getting hungry and then FULL just reading about your meals!

How did you drink all those alcoholic beverages so quickly? Tell the truth. Was every other stop the restrom?!! Lol!

I wondered if anyone other than me was going to pick up on the Sesame Street reference.

Thanks for reading...and as far as the alcohol and bathroom breaks are concerned...I never really thought about this until you asked the question! Since Jay and I shared everything (well, except for that Grand Marnier slushy) it helped minimize the liquid impact, you know what I mean?

Calories...yeah, lots of 'em. That's where sharing and walking all over the place really helps - I didn't gain any weight at all. Of course it also helps that I rarely finish anything I order but still, we had a lot of food and I'm glad my metabolism kicked into hyper-drive while we were there.

 

[oybolshoi]

I have been waiting for the end of the report to tell you what a great report it is, but since you have spaced it out nicely I thought I might as well chime in with some positive thoughts from a lurker.

Your descriptive ability is only matched by Mary Jo, a girl on my dormitory floor in college who could make a vegetarian drool over her description of Thanksgiving turkey.

Your pictures are great! This thread makes me hungry. And sad that I am not at WDW. But mostly hungry.

(And I laugh when I read the title, as well as your Simpson's referenced one. LOL)

Now I am sorry it might end soon.

Great job!

This thread makes me hungry and sad, too.

thanks for reading - some day I plan on writing a trip report about all the things that happened in between our feeding frenzies.

Happy Turkey Day, everybody!!

 

[zweihund]

Oh, the creme brulee! *drool*

 

[oybolshoi]

Oh, the creme brulee! *drool*

Oh, yeah...I wish I was eating it right now.