Recently, we told you about about a new menu at one of my very favorite spots in all of Disney World: Beaches and Cream at Disney’s Beach Club Resort.

With so many loyal fans, many of you expressed concern for the changes and wondered if the new options would measure up. I was right there with you! So does Beaches and Cream still rate as THE place to go for burgers and sundaes at Walt Disney World?

Time to find out! We headed over ASAP to try out the new menu…

Atmosphere

Walk into Beaches and Cream, and you’ll feel that you just traveled back in time to that beach side soda fountain of family vacations gone by. From the tall and frosty Orange Sunshine to the flavored cokes, this place will definitely bring back memories.

Don’t you love the beach balls decorating the booths? They’re a completely awesome pop of color and immediately make me smile every time I see them.

Seating is comfortable (snag one of the three booths if you can!). And don’t forget to check out the ice cream cone-shaped lights…

Pastel musical notes and beach towels romp alongside some of the fun dishes served at the restaurant in this colorful mural.

Mirrored glass shelves host a collection of Coca Cola in glass bottles, as well as an impressive array of glassware. This is a great reminder that you can still get your “soda pop” as a fountain drink, or in a cool “nostalgia bottle.”

It’s always fun to check out the selections on the vintage Wurlizter jukebox. What’s your favorite?

Imagineers have used lighting to great effect here in evoking that vintage feel. These always remind me of a 1950s schoolhouse.

I could spend hours oohing and aahing over the little touches that make Beaches and Cream so special. But the rest of the story is the wonderful food, so let’s take a look.

Eats

As I mentioned, we first told you about the Beaches and Cream menu changes back in September.

While there are some things gone from the menu, like the Roast Beef Sub, the Turkey Sandwich, the Grilled Chicken Sandwich, and the fan favorite Double Cheeseburger, guests can say hello to the Angus Bacon Burger, the Beaches Rachel Sandwich, and a Chicken Caesar Sandwich.

I’m particularly pleased that the Tomato Bisque made the cut! More in a sec about that. 🙂

Kids have some new choices too, including Kids’ Complete Meals with choices of Grilled Chicken Strips or Grilled Beef Skewers. These replace the Turkey Sandwich. (Hot Dogs and Hamburgers remain as options as well.)

We were really excited to try some of the new items, but we were also happy to see some classics back!

We began with an old familiar favorite, a Bowl of Chili. Full of meat and beans, this is a hearty bowl of goodness that will fill you right up, and the cheese and chopped onion that top it are great flavor boosts.

I, of course, couldn’t pass up the perennial favorite Tomato Bisque, which  is buddied up with…um…the world’s best Grilled Cheese sandwich…ever.

My friends, there is a six-cheese combo on this sourdough sammich. And while it’s perfect for dipping, it has so much flavor on its own that I insist you at least take a few bites before you start dunking!!

Have you tried this? If you love it as much as I do, let me know in the comments. 🙂

After we filled up on appetizers, it was time to try some new menu items!

You can see a couple of new menu item pics here, but we wanted to try the brand new burgers, which we hadn’t shown off on the blog yet.

So while you may be sad about the removal of the Double Cheeseburger from the menu, we recommend that you give these new ones a try. First up: the Angus Beef Burger. (I added bacon to make it just the way I like it!)

And with the bun made fresh daily in-house, this was awesome.

The burger comes topped with flavorful blue cheese, barbecue sauce, a fried onion ring, lettuce, and tomato.

I was really impressed by the flavor on this one. The blue cheese was sharp and strong, but didn’t overpower the burger. Also, the patty was just right. And I do recommend the addition of bacon — it really works well with the sandwich. This burger is a must-have.

We also ordered the Bacon Angus Beef Burger with Fries. (Fruit is an option in place of fries, by the way.)

With bacon, cheddar, lettuce, and tomato, this was pretty straightforward, but nonetheless very good!

However, I will say that my husband mourned the loss of “just a standard burger.” If you agree with him, be sure to ask your server if it’s possible to get the kind of burger you remember from the old menu. It might just be possible.

Shakes and sodas remain largely unchanged. We didn’t order any this go ’round — there were too many other wonderful things to sample. But go ahead — have your favorite!

Desserts, on the other hand, demanded our attention!

One of the top reasons that I had to schedule a visit during this trip was the Grilled Banana Bread and Peanut Butter. Peanut Butter! And Grilled Banana Bread! Topped with caramelized bananas and ice cream! What?! Where have you been all my life?!

When it first came to the table, I was a little frustrated at the lack of peanut buttery goodness in plain sight. I did finally find peanut butter — it was hiding between the thick slices of warm banana bread…

But the peanut butter was a little scant, so luckily I’d already ordered reinforcements… Now it was perfect.

I really, really enjoyed this. The banana bread is a strong flavor, and definitely not too sweet. The caramelized bananas were slightly runny; I would have preferred more of  a thick caramel sauce with bananas along for the ride; but all in all (and especially with the added peanut butter sauce), this was an enjoyable dessert.

A friend of mine tells me this is actually somewhat similar to the Bananas Foster that used to be served in the old Concourse Steakhouse at The Contemporary (with the exception of the peanut butter and chocolate sauce). If you were a fan of that dish, you might want to check this out!

Next, we went with a comforting favorite: the caramel sundae with two scoops of ice cream. Topped with whipped cream, toasted sliced almonds, and a cherry, this is a classic combo.

I was intrigued that they’re now serving these in a “boat” as opposed to the regular sundae dishes!

Overall

What can I say that I haven’t said before? I truly adore Beaches and Cream, and it remains one of my favorite spots in all of Disney World. The new menu additions are very welcome in my opinion, even though they might be a little chi-chi for a soda fountain. I dream about that blue cheese angus burger, people…and the grilled cheese? Heaven.

I personally love the new menu, and I heartily recommend stopping in to sample the new items (even if your skeptical). And while you’ll probably have a wait if you dine here (and advanced dining reservations aren’t an option) I recommend patience. You’ll be rewarded for your troubles.

How do you feel about the Beaches and Cream menu change? Let us know in comments!