On March 11, the Disney Parks Blog announced a slew of changes coming to Disney’s BoardWalk Resort. The Disney Parks Blog really stuffed a ton of news into one blog as they revealed BoardWalk would get a new lobby design along with a nearby coffee bar. BoardWalk will also receive new dining options, refreshed guest rooms, and other special touches.
The biggest highlight of the announced changes is that ESPN Club will be closing to make way for The Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers, a new table-service restaurant and bakery. The new spot will open in 2023.
With a new bakery on the horizon, that means the BoardWalk Bakery will become a sandwich shop. BoardWalk Ice Cream which is inspired by Disney’s Beach Club’s Beaches and Cream will remain the same. I felt like a different ice cream concept coming in would’ve happened before any of the above. Maybe even a return to the name and concept of Seashore Sweets?
So, let’s dive into all these changes one by one.
A new lobby design doesn’t sound great. The BoardWalk is known for its unique seashore, turn-of-the-century theme and I’m worried given the current trends of updates that the lobby will lose its charm and character. I get updating things but sometimes we don’t have to fix things that aren’t broken.
The nearby coffee bar will be just off the lobby, and it will have a variety of beverages and quick bites plus new indoor and outdoor seating. Most people are speculating that Belle Vue Lounge is becoming the coffee bar. Out of all my years at the BoardWalk, I never got anything from that lounge so I can’t say that I’ll miss it (I don’t drink after all and there are other options on the actual BoardWalk). I just hope the coffee bar has a good variety of drinks and to-go items. I’m wondering if it will end up being a Joffrey’s? Although I feel like the Disney Parks Blog would’ve led off with that if that was the case.
I also don’t know how to feel about refreshed guest rooms as I thought most of the rooms were already updated? I guess we will find that out once work begins. I’m also curious to see what the special touches will end up being. I just hope they keep the BoardWalk charm and they don’t go full Disney hotel modern.
Now when it comes to The Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers. I am a sweet tooth so I’ll be willing to try desserts and give it a shot. Cakes, pies, and a variety of desserts. Anything sweet should be popular at Walt Disney World, and maybe The Cake Bake Shop will become the next Gideon’s?
The menu for their actual table-service restaurant is vastly different from the ESPN Club. It’s a bit fancier. Who knows if they will update it once they open in 2023 at the BoardWalk.
Just from the initial first reaction of researching this concept and company I feel like it could be successful at the BoardWalk. Although I think a sports bar was more appealing for an actual BoardWalk, and that the current BoardWalk Bakery served its purpose.
ESPN Club was a good spot to watch sporting events. Yes, the food went up and down over the years but the place maintained a nice atmosphere. It was also an easy synergy win for ESPN/Disney. There was also a lot of potential for what they could’ve done with it. ESPN Club got smaller over the years, losing the store and the arcade area. That might’ve hurt its future looking back at it.
I just wonder what will fill that wild American food void at the BoardWalk now. Will the new BoardWalk sandwich shop deliver some interesting items who knows? But you’re losing a larger table-service restaurant that mostly served classic American food.
At the end of the day, change will always happen. It’s inevitable. I’m also not going to lie I’m probably going to miss the ESPN Club, BoardWalk Bakery, and the lobby in its current form. I just hope their replacements are just as good or even better than what I can imagine.
Zach Perilstein is the Editor-in-Chief of the Boardwalk Times
