Ice Cream coming back to Boardwalk

[Bocabear]

I was there a couple months ago, and despite the hotel being full, the Swan and Dolphin were also very busy and Yacht and Beach Clubs both full, there was almost nothing open. It was like bizarro-land. The Italian place was open at the Boardwalk, and the bakery...everything else closed...Beaches and Cream was open but everything else closed. There were no reservation openings available at either restaurant and we were forced to order a pizza from the takeout window... our pick up time was 2 hours and 20 minutes later...When we showed up to get our pizza we had ordered we were told that now that we were there, they would put our order in the queue and we could pick it up in an hour and 15 minutes... So that is 3 hours and 35 minutes after placing our order... It was nuts.
I am glad more is open now, but a lot of that stuff needed to be open then just to handle the volume of customers that were paying to stay there. In retrospect we should have left property for our meals... but while they kept saying reduced capacity, they continued to book the hotels...and the parks I went to were packed...

 

[castlecake2.0]

thank god...now I can get a $4000 Dolphin statue whenever I want

I hope flying fish brings “back” the old menu

You’d also be the first person to call out the company if $4000 dolphin statue store turned into generic Disney store . Saying that, I’m surprised it’s lasted this long, especially in that location.

 

[wdwfan22]

I was there a couple months ago, and despite the hotel being full, the Swan and Dolphin were also very busy and Yacht and Beach Clubs both full, there was almost nothing open. It was like bizarro-land. The Italian place was open at the Boardwalk, and the bakery...everything else closed...Beaches and Cream was open but everything else closed. There were no reservation openings available at either restaurant and we were forced to order a pizza from the takeout window... our pick up time was 2 hours and 20 minutes later...When we showed up to get our pizza we had ordered we were told that now that we were there, they would put our order in the queue and we could pick it up in an hour and 15 minutes... So that is 3 hours and 35 minutes after placing our order... It was nuts.
I am glad more is open now, but a lot of that stuff needed to be open then just to handle the volume of customers that were paying to stay there. In retrospect we should have left property for our meals... but while they kept saying reduced capacity, they continued to book the hotels...and the parks I went to were packed...

Keep in mind the Boardwalk resort wasn’t open a couple of months ago just the villas portion. Also Beach club is closed except the Villas. At Yacht Club both Ale and Compass the marketplace and Beaches and Cream are open. They don’t tend to open a lot of restaurants for just the villas.

 

[Bocabear]

We were in the Lobby of the Beach club watching people checking in...Pool was packed, Beaches and Cream had long lines... So if everything was closed, they were sure busy for some reason...Same at the Boardwalk.
It struck us all as a bit odd that they were claiming such reduced capacity, but everything seemed so crazy crowded...
Perhaps because half of the shops and restaurants were closed...

 

[ToTBellHop]

Agreed. They could also have them do strolling sets instead of street shows if they were worried about a crowd building.

No I don’t book a WDW vacation just to get ample hills and see the jugglers on the boardwalk... but getting ample hills and roaming the boardwalk is always a great part of my wdw vacation. It’s all of the little experiences that add up!

I feel like that’s the last thing they’re spend a dime on...sadly

What is irritating there is that resorts have entertainment budgets that come out of room rates. These pay for pool entertainment, nighttime movies, and these acts. So if they acts don’t return when the Inn reopens, guests are not getting what they’re paying for.

I do understand more dining will open in July.

 

[larryz]

I was there a couple months ago, and despite the hotel being full, the Swan and Dolphin were also very busy and Yacht and Beach Clubs both full, there was almost nothing open. It was like bizarro-land. The Italian place was open at the Boardwalk, and the bakery...everything else closed...Beaches and Cream was open but everything else closed. There were no reservation openings available at either restaurant and we were forced to order a pizza from the takeout window... our pick up time was 2 hours and 20 minutes later...When we showed up to get our pizza we had ordered we were told that now that we were there, they would put our order in the queue and we could pick it up in an hour and 15 minutes... So that is 3 hours and 35 minutes after placing our order... It was nuts.
I am glad more is open now, but a lot of that stuff needed to be open then just to handle the volume of customers that were paying to stay there. In retrospect we should have left property for our meals... but while they kept saying reduced capacity, they continued to book the hotels...and the parks I went to were packed...

There is just NO WAY I'd wait 3 1/4 hours for a WDW pizza. I hope you were incensed enough to send a blistering letter to WDW Guest Communications!

 

[Lilofan]

We were in the Lobby of the Beach club watching people checking in...Pool was packed, Beaches and Cream had long lines... So if everything was closed, they were sure busy for some reason...Same at the Boardwalk.
It struck us all as a bit odd that they were claiming such reduced capacity, but everything seemed so crazy crowded...
Perhaps because half of the shops and restaurants were closed...

After 9/11, many resorts lost a lot of business. Guests were staying in resort buildings to full capacity to make it look crowded and full. But yes a number of places are closed and what is open is crowded.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

What is irritating there is that resorts have entertainment budgets that come out of room rates. These pay for pool entertainment, nighttime movies, and these acts. So if they acts don’t return when the Inn reopens, guests are not getting what they’re paying for.

I do understand more dining will open in July.

shell game accounting. The reality is the customers have made it known they just want to go...what they’re paying for is irrelevant

After 9/11, many resorts lost a lot of business. Guests were staying in resort buildings to full capacity to make it look crowded and full. But yes a number of places are closed and what is open is crowded.

not the same scenario at all. I hate the 9/11 comparison There was an overdue recession at wdw after 9/11...it actually started before.

not the same scenario yet

 

[mattpeto]

The original owners from AH are in the process of opening their new shop called "The Social" in Brooklyn NY. Those are the people I want to see return to WDW and they have told me they are open about it again one day.

 

[Lilofan]

shell game accounting. The reality is the customers have made it known they just want to go...what they’re paying for is irrelevant



not the saw scenario at all. I hate the 9/11 comparison There was an overdue recession at wdw after 9/11...it actually started before.

not the same scenario yet

Stayed at Coronado. Many guest hotel buildings shuttered. Casistas packed with guests. It makes actually operational sense. Shutter buildings, pack them in other buildings.

 

[CastAStone]

Oh lord, I hope not. Sorry, but I like when it's not what I can get at home and I know the owners lol

Ha! I know Jeni’s and Charly a little bit too. I did a project for them back in 2009.

 

[CastAStone]

Again, not the point. Both are higher quality ice creams for sure, though I see them as equal, but there are like 5 Jeni's within a handful of miles from me. It's not special, nor is the other big local one (Graeters, which I like more than either personally). Zero AH unless I travel to NY for work. If Jeni's or Graeters (which I do love) came to Disney, I'd rarely to never visit. Nothing other than I can get it at home and easily too.

I've never had salt and straw so that might interest me.

Graeters would be a better fit at WDW than the hyper-premium brands mentioned here IMO.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Stayed at Coronado. Many guest hotel buildings shuttered. Casistas packed with guests. It makes actually operational sense. Shutter buildings, pack them in other buildings.

that was low occupancy conditions. I actually helped design them (not that it was a big deal/hard).
There was a significant recession that hit the middle class starting in early 2001 and continued for several years...that was the target demographic in those days. It started when dot.com but has a delay in Orlando until after the 2000 hubbub.

that was the first time they had the huge number of hotel rooms in a large recession...so it became necessary.

they’ve done a more complete mothball this time because covid allowed them the cover to lay off everyone and do it.

but this is not the same scenario.

 

[PascagoulaRun]

The original owners from AH are in the process of opening their new shop called "The Social" in Brooklyn NY. Those are the people I want to see return to WDW and they have told me they are open about it again one day.

I popped in the Ample Hills in Astoria this weekend and their business seemed to be doing very well. Was nice to grab some Ooey Gooey Buttercake again. Hopefully they can get their production issues back on track and get back to opening new stores.

 

[Bocabear]

There is just NO WAY I'd wait 3 1/4 hours for a WDW pizza. I hope you were incensed enough to send a blistering letter to WDW Guest Communications!

I had a long conversation with the manager...She agreed the system was horribly flawed and vowed to take it to upper management.. But who knows if she did... I would never order a pizza from them again after that...And evidently there were a lot of people that night that were furious about the same thing...

 

[mattpeto]

I popped in the Ample Hills in Astoria this weekend and their business seemed to be doing very well. Was nice to grab some Ooey Gooey Buttercake again. Hopefully they can get their production issues back on track and get back to opening new stores.

All of their stores were producing profits, the original owners just made some financial mistakes and it cost them their business. They had to start over.

I'm sure the new owners at AH are still successful.

 

[CastAStone]

Where do you find Salt & Straw or Jeni's, never heard of them. Love ice cream and always ready to try something new. I'm happy I will be able to get my No Way Jose at the end of the month.

Jeni’s is at Whole Foods in my area. It’s generally available at the kind of stores that would sell $10 pints of ice cream.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Jeni’s is at Whole Foods in my area. It’s generally available at the kind of stores that would sell $10 pints of ice cream.

Pairs well with

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

the original owners just made some financial mistakes

That’s putting it nicely. Haha.

 

[CastAStone]

Pairs well with
View attachment 558124

And the $6 pre-peeled Orange