Cake Bake Shop at the BoardWalk is now open

[Minnie1222]

This was a nice head-to-head of CBS vs. Gideons:

https://www.wdwmagic.com/dining/the...-disneys-best-bakery-for-cake-and-cookies.htm

View attachment 908589

Personally, for me, it's Gideon's all day, especially considering that the cookie on the right costs a dollar more and has 120 fewer chocolate chips! I mean, I know quantity isn't everything, but come on now. Cake may be a bit of a different story, but Gideon's is described as richer, if not as delicate. Again, with the price difference being what it is, I think I'd go Gideon's there too.

Yeah! The amount of missing chocolate chips is really visible.

 

[Brian Noble]

This was a nice head-to-head of CBS vs. Gideons:

But you aren't really buying the cookie--in either case. You are buying an entire experience. This reminds me of a story someone told me about attending a ZingTrain session.

If you've been to (or are somehow connected with) Ann Arbor, you've probably heard of Zingerman's Deli. This place has a reputation such that the New York Times sought fit to let people know that they were selling Ruebens at a one-day pop up in Chelsea---a place where you can barely swing a dead cat without hitting a great Jewish deli.

The thing about Zingerman's is that it is...very much not cheap. The Rueben starts at $20. Want a side of potato salad? That's another $6. This is not sit-down service, mind you. Counter service. They will bring you your sandwich if you are eating there, but in a paper tray.

And they sell like hotcakes.

This brings me back to the ZingTrain story. A friend of mine attended one of their one-day sessions as part of a corporate retreat. And, the first thing that the facilitator said was: "Look, we get it. No one wakes up in the morning and says to themselves 'Today I'm going to get a $20 deli sandwich for lunch.' That's because we don't sell sandwiches. We sell an experience, during which you happen to get a sandwich."

So, if CBS can do this...and it sounds like they know how to based on the following they've generated already in Indy...then it will work. The big question is: can they do it? One of the key tenets of Zingerman's is that they are based in and around Ann Arbor. They do not franchise. They do not want to expand to other places. Their form of expansion is new, complimentary business in and around Ann Arbor: the bakery, the creamery, the farm event space, the downtown event space, the candy company. And, the training organization.

This is not CBS opening a store in the far-flung reaches of Bloomington. They are opening in another time zone, far from the oversight of the mother ship, drawing from a completely different labor pool, and they may or may not have other constraints that Disney has placed on them in order to be an operating participant at WDW. Will the Orlando outpost lose something in the translation? Time will tell.

 

[BrianL]

But you aren't really buying the cookie--in either case. You are buying an entire experience. This reminds me of a story someone told me about attending a ZingTrain session.

If you've been to (or are somehow connected with) Ann Arbor, you've probably heard of Zingerman's Deli. This place has a reputation such that the New York Times sought fit to let people know that they were selling Ruebens at a one-day pop up in Chelsea---a place where you can barely swing a dead cat without hitting a great Jewish deli.

The thing about Zingerman's is that it is...very much not cheap. The Rueben starts at $20. Want a side of potato salad? That's another $6. This is not sit-down service, mind you. Counter service. They will bring you your sandwich if you are eating there, but in a paper tray.

And they sell like hotcakes.

This brings me back to the ZingTrain story. A friend of mine attended one of their one-day sessions as part of a corporate retreat. And, the first thing that the facilitator said was: "Look, we get it. No one wakes up in the morning and says to themselves 'Today I'm going to get a $20 deli sandwich for lunch.' That's because we don't sell sandwiches. We sell an experience, during which you happen to get a sandwich."

So, if CBS can do this...and it sounds like they know how to based on the following they've generated already in Indy...then it will work. The big question is: can they do it? One of the key tenets of Zingerman's is that they are based in and around Ann Arbor. They do not franchise. They do not want to expand to other places. Their form of expansion is new, complimentary business in and around Ann Arbor: the bakery, the creamery, the farm event space, the downtown event space, the candy company. And, the training organization.

This is not CBS opening a store in the far-flung reaches of Bloomington. They are opening in another time zone, far from the oversight of the mother ship, drawing from a completely different labor pool, and they may or may not have other constraints that Disney has placed on them in order to be an operating participant at WDW. Will the Orlando outpost lose something in the translation? Time will tell.

Certianly the experience can be factored into the price/value proposition, but if you are just picking up at the counter, I think it's pretty comparable. Gideon's offers a bit of experience too and, considering the price difference, I'm going to Gideon's. Now, if you are sitting down at CBS for a special meal, that's different and Gideon's doesn't offer that. Still, cookie vs. cookie is pretty one-sided.

 

[Brian Noble]

Oh I absolutely agree that Gideon's is an experience! For sure! But it's not at all the same vibe. And, both are selling vibes. Even in a walk-up situation.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I suspect I’ll enjoy the pick-up experience at CBS over Gideon’s but then I’m not a Cookie Monster

 

[tamitru32]

Well yeehaw! Haven't been to Gideons yet, so will definitely try both in January!

 

[StarCruzer]

Honestly for me the frustration is that the review is kind of just repeating the same few words over and over again.

The biggest factor for me in comparing Gideon's vs CBS is flavor vs just sugar. I don't love desserts that are big sugar bombs.

If a frosting is flavored (chocolate, vanilla, etc) I want to actually taste that flavor instead of just burning my taste buds off with sugar. Both cakes have the cake sponge, frosting, and ganache and yet the only difference mentioned is that Gideon's is "more dense" and has more flavor. But it's not really clear if that flavor is actual chocolate or sugar level. Calling CBS's cake "refined" four times doesn't really tell me anything about the flavor.

Most folks reviewing the cakes all seem to be having wildly different experiences and opinions. So I think a lot of whether it's "worth it" is really going to boil down to individual taste.

If the comparison is just by weight per dollar, Gideon's will win every time.

 

[HokieRaven5]

This was a nice head-to-head of CBS vs. Gideons:

https://www.wdwmagic.com/dining/the...-disneys-best-bakery-for-cake-and-cookies.htm

View attachment 908589

Personally, for me, it's Gideon's all day, especially considering that the cookie on the right costs a dollar more and has 120 fewer chocolate chips! I mean, I know quantity isn't everything, but come on now. Cake may be a bit of a different story, but Gideon's is described as richer, if not as delicate. Again, with the price difference being what it is, I think I'd go Gideon's there too.

Just off appearance, one cookie looks like effort and care was put into making it. The other looks like something you’d find at your local shopping mall, just with more expensive ingredients.

 

[Disturbia]

Oops wrong thread

 

[focusondisney]

This was a nice head-to-head of CBS vs. Gideons:

https://www.wdwmagic.com/dining/the...-disneys-best-bakery-for-cake-and-cookies.htm

View attachment 908589

Personally, for me, it's Gideon's all day, especially considering that the cookie on the right costs a dollar more and has 120 fewer chocolate chips! I mean, I know quantity isn't everything, but come on now. Cake may be a bit of a different story, but Gideon's is described as richer, if not as delicate. Again, with the price difference being what it is, I think I'd go Gideon's there too.

Both those cookies would be a pass from me. We tried the Gideon’s, which looks amazing. We really didn’t care for the half baked texture. And I need waaay more chocolate than that CBS one has. I’d just keep my money & save my calories for something else.

 

[enzy65]

Both those cookies would be a pass from me. We tried the Gideon’s, which looks amazing. We really didn’t care for the half baked texture. And I need waaay more chocolate than that CBS one has. I’d just keep my money & save my calories for something else.

The chocolate chip cookie at CBS needs more chips/chunks in it, it isn’t anything that special. I was at BR CBS a couple days ago and I did bring home a lemon bar. I just ate it and it was still super moist/creamy but it starts out as ewww in your mouth, to oh this is good, to leaving an aftertaste in your mouth. It was very strange, one and done on that item.
I need to try Gideon’s, my DD talks about how good it is, but I have a feeling I won’t like it. We all have different taste buds so of course the reviews are going to be all over the place.

 

[pinkxray]

We check into BW next week. We aren’t doing any sit down meals, so I didn’t make an adr. I am hoping to get get something from the bakery. I have pretty much given up on finding Disney dessert items that taste as good as they look, so I’m hoping these items taste better. I love to bake and want my desserts to taste like butter, chocolate, sugar, etc. Not the weird fake taste most Disney cupcakes have. Also looking forward to the magic bar. I have had the Wilderness Lodge and Port Orleans magic bars and they are no match for the one I make on Xmas, from the eagle brand can recipe. Wondering how these will taste.

 

[focusondisney]

We all have different taste buds so of course the reviews are going to be all over the place.

Exactly!! I have a good friend who has raved about certain restaurants so husband & I try them. And the food is usually just OK, definitely never anything to rave about to us. But everyone likes different foods, spices & textures. And are willing to spend money on different things.

Which is why the over the top criticism of CBS is so annoying. No one is required to go there. Go where you enjoy & let others do the same.

 

[reddog21]

Which is why the over the top criticism of CBS is so annoying

It wasn't over the top it was justified critisism based on pricing not the quailty/taste of the food. That fact they they lowered pricing just showed that they were trying to take advantage of the location and it didn't go so well.

Going forward you'll get more price vs quailty, initial reviews are not steller. I would never go to or not go to a restaurant based soley on someone else's review because peoples tastes are wildly different.

The thing about Zingerman's is that it is...very much not cheap. The Rueben starts at $20

I had a chance to go prior to covid so I'm not sure if things have changed however the sandwich was huge!! I easily got 2 meals from that one sandwich so $20 wasn't a bad price. I probably could have got 3 meals out of it if I wasn't on vacation and didn't want the food to go to waste. From what I have seen so far I don't think CBS falls into this category.

 

[focusondisney]

It wasn't over the top it was justified critisism based on pricing not the quailty/taste of the food. That fact they they lowered pricing just showed that they were trying to take advantage of the location and it didn't go so well.

The price adjustments were laughable. And mocked on this thread as well. If you really fell for that, their strategy worked.

 

[reddog21]

The price adjustments were laughable. And mocked on this thread as well. If you really fell for that, their strategy worked.

Some that had significant decreases and yes others were laughable.

In the world of food when does a restaurant decrease price's in most cases more than %10, the answer is never.

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[Minnie1222]

Cake Bake doesn't have this, right??

 

[nherbert]

If people try the cake and it’s not great eg dry, it would be useful to know if you bought it in the morning or late afternoon when it had been sitting out all day, and/or if you ate it straight away or if it was stored for sometime. I really want to buy some cake but at those prices I would be so disappointed if it was dry - in particular I really want to try the chocolate mint cake
Does anyone know if it possible to determine if a cake was baked on the purchase day, or if had been sitting out for a number of days? Do they say cakes fresh daily?

 

[NYCgrrl]

If people try the cake and it’s not great eg dry, it would be useful to know if you bought it in the morning or late afternoon when it had been sitting out all day, and/or if you ate it straight away or if it was stored for sometime. I really want to buy some cake but at those prices I would be so disappointed if it was dry - in particular I really want to try the chocolate mint cake
Does anyone know if it possible to determine if a cake was baked on the purchase day, or if had been sitting out for a number of days? Do they say cakes fresh daily?

I’d read reviews for other CBS locales for a possible answer to your question. I will say I doubt “stale” cake is being sold purposely by a vendor who has 2 shops under their belt already but hey you never know

Also pointing out that “dry” cake could be due to the method of prep or recipe. I don’t think that all the cake on premise is based on a variation of one sponge recipe but I’ve forgotten a lot about baking and am pretty sure I’ll never relearn it again

Finally, use your eyes to help determine if cake is stale. The crumb will appear dry, the icing edges will have lost their sheen and the cake overall will have shrunk a bit. And don’t forget to look for excessive grease on the base.
HTH.

 

[enzy65]

If people try the cake and it’s not great eg dry, it would be useful to know if you bought it in the morning or late afternoon when it had been sitting out all day, and/or if you ate it straight away or if it was stored for sometime. I really want to buy some cake but at those prices I would be so disappointed if it was dry - in particular I really want to try the chocolate mint cake
Does anyone know if it possible to determine if a cake was baked on the purchase day, or if had been sitting out for a number of days? Do they say cakes fresh daily?

Just at the BR location, the pb pie I got was a piece from one that hadn’t been cut into yet. Obviously this is different from cake, if I would have ordered cake I would have gotten a piece from one that hadn’t been cut into. You are only going to know this if you order at the bakery counter and not having table service. My DD got the birthday cake and it was about 1/2 gone and she said it was very dry, this was in the late afternoon.
I think CBS says they bake fresh daily, but I can’t imagine them throwing out a whole cake that hadn’t been touched at the end of the day, I don’t know maybe they do.