Cake Bake Shop at the BoardWalk is now open

[JoJoGirl]

But that's my point. They are staying at those hotels to save money. I never said they don't splurge on anything. They will by nature be more choosey on how they spend their money.

Or they have a certain budget overall, and are happy spending less on resorts and more on dining.

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

Or they have a certain budget overall, and are happy spending less on resorts and more on dining.

Right. But they are by definition budgeting and choosing where to spend their dollars. You have a larger percentage of customers staying on the monorail that don't have a budget or have a much larger budget. Those people would spend a lot more at CBS if it was in closer proximity to their hotel. Being at BW, they will most likely now hire a Minivan to get to and from their hotel.

 

[SL6827]

After looking into this place more, I absolutely believe they will have reservations booked for a few people with intent to split one piece of cake. The atmosphere, decor and experience alone will be a big draw for some guest. Too any of those type guest and it could become a price fixed meal as someone already mentioned.

 

[Disneylover99]

But that's my point. They are staying at those hotels to save money. I never said they don't splurge on anything. They will by nature be more choosey on how they spend their money.

Right. And maybe they’ll choose to dine at The Cake Bake shop.

 

[Lewisc]

You have a larger percentage of customers staying on the monorail

That would be a better location. Does anyone think a location near the GF was offered and rejected by CBS?

a price fixed meal as someone already mentioned.

or a minimim per table or per person.

Edited to add I'm sure wording could politely state take out is for people who want to try our desserts. Dining room is for guests who want to eat and enjoy beverage.

 

[Disneylover99]

Right. But they are by definition budgeting and choosing where to spend their dollars. You have a larger percentage of customers staying on the monorail that don't have a budget or have a much larger budget. Those people would spend a lot more at CBS if it was in closer proximity to their hotel. Being at BW, they will most likely now hire a Minivan to get to and from their hotel.

I don’t know how true that is. So many people save up for years to stay at those Monorail resorts. And there are lots of families who choose to stay at Monorail resorts for convenience because they want to be near MK. That may be their only splurge.

Anyways, I think there are plenty of people with money staying at Boardwalk/Yacht Club/Beach Club/Swan/Dolphin/Riviera. Many stay at these resorts over monorail resorts simply because they prefer the proximity to Epcot, not necessarily because those resorts may be slightly cheaper than a monorail resort.

 

[JoJoGirl]

Right. But they are by definition budgeting and choosing where to spend their dollars. You have a larger percentage of customers staying on the monorail that don't have a budget or have a much larger budget. Those people would spend a lot more at CBS if it was in closer proximity to their hotel. Being at BW, they will most likely now hire a Minivan to get to and from their hotel.

Categorizing people’s spending habits by where they are staying sounds simple but is really quite fraught. It’s entirely possible for a person to be budget-minded without compromising their experiences. The key is doing what you want, but in the smartest way available.

I stay all over WDW — Monorail, Crescent Lake, AKL, wherever I want to that trip. I’m not compromising my hotel choice, but by renting DVC I’m getting the most for my $$. My hotel bills are usually comparable to staying at Coronado Springs. That satisfies my sense of frugality while still getting me the experience I want.

No matter where you stay, there are are plenty of ways to eat wherever you want, whenever you want. People who want to eat at Cake Bake while staying at GF or AKL can easily do so after a morning at Epcot. Or for an evening meal, Ubers back to the hotels are not that expensive. Probably far less than the tip to the server at the restaurant.

But to your point above, say we assume that people who stay at the Grand Floridian and Monorail resorts are more likely to be big spenders. If so, wouldn’t the expense of an Uber or Minnie Van be less of an issue for them, making the location of Cake Bake matter less, not more? If they want to go, they will.

Edited some typos

 

[bdrex28]

Right. But they are by definition budgeting and choosing where to spend their dollars. You have a larger percentage of customers staying on the monorail that don't have a budget or have a much larger budget. Those people would spend a lot more at CBS if it was in closer proximity to their hotel. Being at BW, they will most likely now hire a Minivan to get to and from their hotel.

I might slightly disagree on that but I can only speak to our own situation.

When our kids were young we stayed at VGF and even BLT, but that's because it was easy access to Magic Kingdom.

Now we'd rather stay at BWV any day of the week over VGF or even Riviera. We love the location and it makes it super easy to get to Epcot and Hollywood.

It's not about budget, although we are DVC members and yes the points charts are better at BWV, but it's 100% location for us and we just like BWV better.

We rate location as our #1 priority.

 

[zackiedawg]

Same goes for me - 100% of the reason I stay at Boardwalk is location. That's aside from owning DVC there as my home - I picked it for that same reason. Whether staying in a studio or 2-bedroom, saving points is never a consideration for me. I admit I spend when I go to Disney - but I take adult trips either solo or with friends, so no kids, entertainment and good food is a primary reason for the trip, and because I feel like the trips are already in some ways 'pre-paid' (DVC dues and annual pass are just paid once a year, so each trip I take to Disney, I'm only considering gas and food/entertainment as the expenses)...I tend to just eat, drink, or do whatever I want without looking at the price - I accept everything at Disney will cost far more than it would anywhere else, and I'm there to relax and not think about it. I usually have a pretty good build-up of Disney Visa Rewards too, which alleviates some of the expenses. I'll do Monsieur Paul's, Space 220, Jiko, Topolino's, etc - so the pricing at Cake Bake while high isn't THAT much higher than some of the other places I'm dining at.

I still have no idea if I'll like it, and the ambiance/atmosphere while very ornate and pretty might be a little too 'much' for me if I'm traveling solo or with a male friend - I'm not denigrating it and not saying I need everything to be hyper-masculine either, but just hard to say if it will be catering so much towards a female crowd that I'd feel almost inappropriate there. But I'm willing to give it a try and find out before deciding if it'll be someplace I regularly visit or enjoy, maybe visit on rare occasions with the right person, or not return to at all. Atmosphere, food quality, and whether I think the food merits the higher price will all be part of that decision for me.

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

But to your point above, say we assume that people who stay at the Grand Floridian and Monorail resorts are more likely to be big spenders. If so, wouldn’t the expense of an Uber or Minnie Van be less of an issue for them, making the location of Cake Bake matter less, not more? If they want to go, they will.

Edited some typos

Most of the customers I am referring to are not members of the DISboards. These are the types that have a TA and they implore their agent to plan a WDW vacation for the best rooms available for their traveling party without care of expense. These customers will likely be staying at GF, Poly and CR as they place a prestige/importance of seeing the castle and being close to MK. These same customers do not like hassles thus convenience is key. Booking a Minivan to CBS for one meal. Absolutely. If CBS was located within walking distance and/or on the monorail, they would likely visit multiple times in one trip.

I personally know a few of these type customers. They always do VIP tours and often multiple visits to BBB.

I am not saying this is the sole clientele on the monorail line. I am saying a larger percentage of big spenders stay on the monorail line than at other on-site locations.

 

[JoJoGirl]

Most of the customers I am referring to are not members of the DISboards. These are the types that have a TA and they implore their agent to plan a WDW vacation for the best rooms available for their traveling party without care of expense. These customers will likely be staying at GF, Poly and CR as they place a prestige/importance of seeing the castle and being close to MK. These same customers do not like hassles thus convenience is key. Booking a Minivan to CBS for one meal. Absolutely. If CBS was located within walking distance and/or on the monorail, they would likely visit multiple times in one trip.

Yeah, those folks are out of my league, lol! But do you really think the percentage of those “whales” who would eat there twice a trip vs. only once is going to matter that much to their overall business?

Crescent Lake has six deluxe hotels within walking distance where plenty of the clientele can afford Cake Bake if they want to. Plus two theme parks, plus the Skyliner with another deluxe resort and two more high-occupancy resorts. Plus they host special events like birthday parties, bridal showers and the like. I’m not sure that requiring the whales at the GF to take a cab to get there is going to make or break them.

FWIW, Cake Bake’s original stores in Indy seem to do fine, and I know a lot of ordinary people who go there. It’s not a “rich people only” place. It’s a place some people like and find worth the trip (and the price), and others don’t.

 

[Disneylover99]

If CBS was located within walking distance and/or on the monorail, they would likely visit multiple times in one trip.

Is that what super rich people do? Go to the same restaurant repeatedly? I guess I’ll never know. lol.

I would think they’d want more variety. But I guess, I could see that, especially if they’re trying it out for breakfast, lunch and dinner or doing an afternoon tea.

 

[Brian Noble]

These customers will likely be staying at GF, Poly and CR as they place a prestige/importance of seeing the castle and being close to MK.

Maybe.

Groups that are either only adults or those with older kids might prefer to be in the DS/EP area. I know a bunch of families like this. They can afford to stay wherever they want, whenever they want, without thinking about it twice, and nearly always stay in one of the Crescent Lake spots.

It is not clear to me that there is necessarily a means-gap between the BW/BC/YC crowd and the GF/Poly/CR folks.

 

[bdrex28]

Yeah, those folks are out of my league, lol! But do you really think the percentage of those “whales” who would eat there twice a trip vs. only once is going to matter that much to their overall business?

Crescent Lake has six deluxe hotels within walking distance where plenty of the clientele can afford Cake Bake if they want to. Plus two theme parks, plus the Skyliner with another deluxe resort and two more high-occupancy resorts. Plus they host special events like birthday parties, bridal showers and the like. I’m not sure that requiring the whales at the GF to take a cab to get there is going to make or break them.

FWIW, Cake Bake’s original stores in Indy seem to do fine, and I know a lot of ordinary people who go there. It’s not a “rich people only” place. It’s a place some people like and find worth the trip (and the price), and others don’t.

Indianapolis and Carmel:

Buttered Noodles $13

Disney:

Buttered Noodles $18

But to increase a kid's meal of buttered noodles by 38% is fairly drastic. Now, I'm sure that includes Disney Tax and their location costs and maybe even employee costs.

But for me....that's pretty large.

One pure principal, I for one would never pay the cost they want for a croissant. I've been to France and other European countries too many times where I can get a fantastic croissant fresh out of the oven for like 1-2Euro. I'm not paying $12.

One of the best known boulangerie in Paris is Poilane, since the 1920s.....

Croissant freshly baked: 1.4Euro = $1.50

On principal alone I'd hate to spend money there.

I will also fully add my wife, and mother-in-law would go in there and spend a fortune and enjoy it, I'm sure.

I'd be running into Epcot for food and wine while they did so or even grabbing a corn dog at the corn dog stand or I'd even go into the boardwalk deli and grab a sandwich

 

[Dug720]

And the recently opened Summer House on the Lake is pretty much the exact same type of restaurant. They would have probably been competing for the same customer base.

I've eaten at Summer House. It is not frilly and girly. I would not remotely consider it the same type of restaurant.

 

[JoJoGirl]

Indianapolis and Carmel:

Buttered Noodles $13

Disney:

Buttered Noodles $18

But to increase a kid's meal of buttered noodles by 38% is fairly drastic. Now, I'm sure that includes Disney Tax and their location costs and maybe even employee costs.

Silly markup on the noodles and the PB&J for sure. Looks like they are trying to price all the kids meals (except salmon) $18 at Boardwalk, for whatever reason.

Exclude the noodles and PB&Js, all the other kids meals are only being marked up 12-15% from the Carmel shop.

Across the menu the markup is varying by line item, it’s not all the 38-40% that’s being tossed around. Sides have very little to no markup, entrees mostly in the low 30%s, some more, some less. But then Nomad Lounge charges $18 for a bread basket and it sells like hotcakes. Awesome as it is, no restaurant near where I live could get away with that. Disney tax is real for sure.

 

[bdrex28]

Silly markup on the noodles and the PB&J for sure. Looks like they are trying to price all the kids meals (except salmon) $18 at Boardwalk, for whatever reason.

Exclude the noodles and PB&Js, all the other kids meals are only being marked up 12-15% from the Carmel shop.

Across the menu the markup is varying by line item, it’s not all the 38-40% that’s being tossed around. Sides have very little to no markup, entrees mostly in the low 30%s, some more, some less. But then Nomad Lounge charges $18 for a bread basket and it sells like hotcakes. Awesome as it is, no restaurant near where I live could get away with that. Disney tax is real for sure.

I don't know , but does Nomad refill the bread basket?

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

Is that what super rich people do? Go to the same restaurant repeatedly? I guess I’ll never know. lol.

I would think they’d want more variety. But I guess, I could see that, especially if they’re trying it out for breakfast, lunch and dinner or doing an afternoon tea.

LOL. I don't know that I would characterize it as going to the same restaurant repeatedly but definitely, yes, for different meals/experiences including after BBB appointments. I am definitely NOT part of that crowd but know several who are.

 

[JoJoGirl]

I don't know , but does Nomad refill the bread basket?

Not sure. Sounds like I need to research this next week .

 

[matt and beth]

Most of the customers I am referring to are not members of the DISboards. These are the types that have a TA and they implore their agent to plan a WDW vacation for the best rooms available for their traveling party without care of expense. These customers will likely be staying at GF, Poly and CR as they place a prestige/importance of seeing the castle and being close to MK. These same customers do not like hassles thus convenience is key. Booking a Minivan to CBS for one meal. Absolutely. If CBS was located within walking distance and/or on the monorail, they would likely visit multiple times in one trip.

I personally know a few of these type customers. They always do VIP tours and often multiple visits to BBB.

I am not saying this is the sole clientele on the monorail line. I am saying a larger percentage of big spenders stay on the monorail line than at other on-site locations.

Just out of curiosity… do you have any supporting data that the big spenders are on the monorail line and not at the Epcot resorts? Any supporting data would be extremely helpful in analyzing your comments.

We have DVC at GFV, CC, and BWV. Experientially…