Recommendations on Celebratory Dinner (and how to hack Beaches and Cream)

[Disnerdette]

We're (2 of us) headed to WDW for marathon weekend. I'll be running the Dopey challenge for the "second" time (I did 3/4ths of it last year due to the cancelled half marathon.) DB will join me Thursday night. We have my no-fail-night-before-marathon meal at GFC Saturday night, and will spend Monday at Epcot before we head home Tuesday.

I'd love some suggestions of a great celebratory restaurant for Sunday evening. California Grill is out of the question, I know. It must be at a resort since we aren't going to a park that day. We're staying at Coronado and though I like the restaurants there, id love to try something new!

Secondly - I've been dying to get to Beaches and Cream. All ADRs are booked for any time I'm not in the middle of a race I'd love any suggestions on how to make a visit there the least painful. Thank you in advance!

 

[Arielfan98]

Turf Club at Saratoga Springs. The least painful way to get to Beaches and Cream would be to call an uber to the Beach Club. Otherwise, take a bus to EPCOT and then walk/take the boat to Beach Club. You could also take another bus from EPCOT to Beach Club.

 

[Disnerdette]

Turf Club at Saratoga Springs. The least painful way to get to Beaches and Cream would be to call an uber to the Beach Club. Otherwise, take a bus to EPCOT and then walk/take the boat to Beach Club. You could also take another bus from EPCOT to Beach Club.

Thank you! Last year we bussed to MK, then to the Boardwalk for dinner.. and then took one of the friendship boats to HS to take a bus to Coronado. I think the Uber may be less painful!

Any suggestions on a time of day when walk up waits aren't as crazy? Or am I in for a lot of waiting no matter when we go?

 

[prgal0715]

Since you're staying at Coronado, why not head to AKL and try one of the restaurants there? Jiko is a fabulous signature, Sanaa is great and I've heard nothing but good things about Boma.

As for Beaches & Cream, just keep trying for an ADR! People cancel all the time so if your diligent, I bet you'll find one - you literally have to be an ADR stalker to get what you want sometimes.

Just out of curiosity, what is Cali Grill out of the question?

 

[Disnerdette]

Since you're staying at Coronado, why not head to AKL and try one of the restaurants there? Jiko is a fabulous signature, Sanaa is great and I've heard nothing but good things about Boma.

As for Beaches & Cream, just keep trying for an ADR! People cancel all the time so if your diligent, I bet you'll find one - you literally have to be an ADR stalker to get what you want sometimes.

Just out of curiosity, what is Cali Grill out of the question?

I've heard great things about all three at AKL and haven't been. I often forget about them - thank you for the suggestion (and reminder!)

I'll keep trying on the ADR. I've been looking each day (when I can) and haven't had any luck. Fingers crossed something opens up. It's such a bucket list thing for me, and ice cream is great carb loading!

California Grill falls under the "no ADR available" category. It's another one I'm stalking, but in the meantime, Id like to have a back up plan. The last thing anyone needs is a starving Dopey challenge finisher running around the resort!

 

[Arielfan98]

Thank you! Last year we bussed to MK, then to the Boardwalk for dinner.. and then took one of the friendship boats to HS to take a bus to Coronado. I think the Uber may be less painful!

Any suggestions on a time of day when walk up waits aren't as crazy? Or am I in for a lot of waiting no matter when we go?

Try finding a reservation. Most people drop their reservations a few days before. I don't have experience with walk-ups to Turf Club, but I never remember seeing it crowded.

 

[prgal0715]

I've heard great things about all three at AKL and haven't been. I often forget about them - thank you for the suggestion (and reminder!)

I'll keep trying on the ADR. I've been looking each day (when I can) and haven't had any luck. Fingers crossed something opens up. It's such a bucket list thing for me, and ice cream is great carb loading!

California Grill falls under the "no ADR available" category. It's another one I'm stalking, but in the meantime, Id like to have a back up plan. The last thing anyone needs is a starving Dopey challenge finisher running around the resort!

You're right - nobody wants a hangry Dopey Challenger on the loose! ha!

AKL should be a pretty quick Uber or Lyft ride from Coronado and the ADR's are easier to come by - it's just my personal opinion that people can find travelling out to AKL a bit daunting just for a meal. (Not that it's EVER stopped me. lol)

I agree that ice cream is great for carbs and will HIGHLY recommend Ample Hills Creamery at the Boardwalk if you can't snag an B&C ADR. Oh my goodness, it is so delicous! And they have an ooey gooey butter cake sundae. *swoon*

 

[nkereina]

Secondly - I've been dying to get to Beaches and Cream. All ADRs are booked for any time I'm not in the middle of a race I'd love any suggestions on how to make a visit there the least painful. Thank you in advance!

Beaches & Cream has first come first served counter seating. Try going at off times and you may get lucky. When they first open is best for counter seating. They get busy at night, especially around the time Epcot closes and Illuminations is finishing up. If there's no counter seating available, you don't want to wait, and/or they aren't taking walk-ups, there is a to go counter you can still get ice cream from but it's not the full dessert menu.

 

[disneyvoice]

I got Beaches and Cream in June after using the Reservation Finder. We were really surprised when we got there and the place was basically deserted for most of our meal (we had a 5:00 ADR). It had been a very rainy week (more than the typical afternoon storms, they started in the afternoon and lasted all night) and our CM said they had a ton a cancellations and no shows which they attributed to people not wanted to trek over from Epcot in a torrential downpour. So if by chance you can't get a reservation and you have a really rainy day you should check ADRs for last minute cancellations.

 

[tannerandcatesmom]

We loved Citricos!!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Artist Point or Turf Club are good suggestions.

If ice cream is your main goal, the B&C walk-up window is a good option. It is walk-up. It has a more limited menu and no sandwiches, just ice cream.

 

[Mich123]

I'd recommend Yachtsman for a celebratory dinner. I don't think the reservations are impossible, even though the food is fantastic.

Also, for an alternative ice cream location, you might try Ghirardelli at Disney Springs. They have awesome sundaes!

 

[piccolopat]

Flying Fish on the Boardwalk or Yachtsman. You can go to the walk up window at Beaches and Cream for dessert.

 

[Kaytie]

Turf Club at Saratoga Springs. The least painful way to get to Beaches and Cream would be to call an uber to the Beach Club. Otherwise, take a bus to EPCOT and then walk/take the boat to Beach Club. You could also take another bus from EPCOT to Beach Club.

Not Epcot. DHS. Epcot would require using a park admission, which the OP has already stated is not in their plans.

 

[Shanti]

We're (2 of us) headed to WDW for marathon weekend. I'll be running the Dopey challenge for the "second" time (I did 3/4ths of it last year due to the cancelled half marathon.) DB will join me Thursday night. We have my no-fail-night-before-marathon meal at GFC Saturday night, and will spend Monday at Epcot before we head home Tuesday.

I'd love some suggestions of a great celebratory restaurant for Sunday evening. California Grill is out of the question, I know. It must be at a resort since we aren't going to a park that day. We're staying at Coronado and though I like the restaurants there, id love to try something new!

Secondly - I've been dying to get to Beaches and Cream. All ADRs are booked for any time I'm not in the middle of a race I'd love any suggestions on how to make a visit there the least painful. Thank you in advance!

Use the Touring Plans reservation finder. Get a free Basic Access account for this.

 

[gillep]

Any of the 3 restaurants at AKL/V or anything at the Swan/dolphin resorts would be my post Dopey vote.

 

[barbliny]

How to hack Beaches & Cream is to try and try again!! And be somewhat flexible with time.

I managed to get 2 ADRs just last week (one early lunch and one 9:15 pm after Epcot close) for our September Yacht Club trip - by just looking every 15 minutes or so for a few days while I was doing other things on my laptop. This has worked for me with other hard to get reservations like BOG lunch around noon and Rose & Crown pre-illuminations on multiple trips (R&C this trip, even during F&W).

Also, another hack for a lot of ADRs - it worked for me with Rose & Crown - is if you are a party of 2 and nothing is showing up, look for an ADR for 4 people. Book that and go in and modify it to 2 people afterwards. Disney's system is very clunky, and will hold a lot of 4-tops back and not automatically show them when looking for a reservation for 2. Even though, most of the time parties of 2 wind up at 4-tops anyway since there are not a lot of 2-tops is the restaurants.

 

[Arielfan98]

Not Epcot. DHS. Epcot would require using a park admission, which the OP has already stated is not in their plans.

That is correct. My mistake. Then the OP's best option is to take a bus from Coronado Springs to Animal Kingdom, which is the closest park to his resort, then take another bus from AK to Beach Club.

 

[Disnerdette]

You're right - nobody wants a hangry Dopey Challenger on the loose! ha!

AKL should be a pretty quick Uber or Lyft ride from Coronado and the ADR's are easier to come by - it's just my personal opinion that people can find travelling out to AKL a bit daunting just for a meal. (Not that it's EVER stopped me. lol)

I agree that ice cream is great for carbs and will HIGHLY recommend Ample Hills Creamery at the Boardwalk if you can't snag an B&C ADR. Oh my goodness, it is so delicous! And they have an ooey gooey butter cake sundae. *swoon*

I had no idea about the butter cake sundae. Now I HAVE to go!!

 

[Disnerdette]

Beaches & Cream has first come first served counter seating. Try going at off times and you may get lucky. When they first open is best for counter seating. They get busy at night, especially around the time Epcot closes and Illuminations is finishing up. If there's no counter seating available, you don't want to wait, and/or they aren't taking walk-ups, there is a to go counter you can still get ice cream from but it's not the full dessert menu.

Thank you! We'll try to get there when it first opens. I'd really like to sit in the restaurant instead of doing the walk up, but won't be too disappointed if I get ice cream either way.