News on the Disney Springs front!
The mega food outlet occupied by Pollo Campero, Bodie’s All-American, and Babycakes NYC has an official closing date now. The Downtown Disney Marketplace spot will shutter its doors on Wednesday, March 19.
Pollo Campero at Downtown Disney Orlando
The combo restaurant will close to make way for the continued re-imagining of the Downtown Disney area as it morphs into Disney Springs.
Speculation has abounded regarding what businesses and restaurants will survive and make it through to Disney Springs. Already we have seen the rollout of four food trucks — portending the closure of some restaurants while capitalizing on a hot trend at the same time.
Fantasy Fare Food Truck
Pollo Campero, Bodie’s All-American, and Babycakes NYC join the casualty list that also includes Cap’n Jack’s, which closed for good in 2013. The waterside seafood restaurant had been around nearly since the dawn of Disney World time, having opened in 1975.
Capt,n Jack’s Closed in 2013 to Make Room for New Disney Springs Development
Opinions have been mixed about Pollo Campero (see our review here), a chain offering Latin American flavors, and Bodie’s, which features burgers and other American fare.
The closure of Babycakes NYC is likely to be more impactful.
Babycakes NYC in Downtown Disney
The New York-based bakery specializes in gluten-free and vegan baked goods, which also do not contain refined sugar. As the number of Disney guests following special diets continues to increase, we’ll be interested to see how Disney answers the demand for specialty items if the closure of Babycakes NYC is permanent.
We’re watching, and we’ll keep you posted.
Bakery Items at Babycakes NYC
Select shops and food courts at various Disney resorts will continue to carry BabyCakes NYC products for the immediate future.
Will you miss Pollo Campero, Bodie’s All American, or Babycakes NYC? Leave a comment and let us know how the closure will impact you.
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I never understood the Pollo Campero thing at all.
It just seemed really odd in the heart of DTD in such a huge location.
When Disney announced Disney Springs almost exactly a year ago, the scale of the project seemed immense and almost certain to cause chaos, but Disney really seem to be nibbling away at the problem very well and with the absolute minimum of fuss (considering the huge task!).
The DFB is going to get busier by the time it all opens in 2016!
I seem to be in the minority in that I liked Pollo Campero. I always got the grilled chicken, which was a nice alternative to the usual fatty fast food choices. I’d pull the chicken off the bone and wrap it up in the tortillas that came with the meal along with a bit of whatever side I ordered. And when the line at Earl of Sandwich was snaking out the back door and I didn’t want to wait, I could usually walk right up to the counter at Pollo Campero and be eating in minutes. I will be sorry to see it go.
Are they going to tear down that building, or just close the restaurant?
Kev — Sounds great to us! 🙂
Christie — The rumor has been that the closure will make way for an expansion of the World of Disney store, but we’re still awaiting official word.
Jan — We’ve had decent experiences, too. It will be interesting to see just how the “foodscape” unfolds as they continue to develop and announce new restaurants and shops.
I’ve never understood how that works, because the Lego Store is all renovated and expanded and in between the two.
Christie
Christie — According to the (sort of ancient) map I have on my desk, it looks like from an aerial view, Lego sort of sits in front of Pollo Campero, and that the restaurant actually is separated by a walkway (from that angle) from World of Disney. It will be interesting to watch it unfold, though! I personally have a hard time wrapping my mind around how World of Disney could get any bigger. 🙂 But it’s always super-busy, so I’m sure they see a need to expand it. I think this map is from around 2010. Might be time to pick up a new one next week when I’m there for the Mighty St. Patrick’s Festival!
I went to BabyCakes last year for the first time. I had to ask a CM where it was cos I was expecting it to be a store on it’s own not in the corner of a fast food place. I got a red velvet cupcake (there was no taste) and a coconut donut which was delicious! I’ll be sad to see BabyCakes go, the food was unique and something different.
I’d like to see it pop up somewhere else, maybe on the west side but it seems DTD is all over the place with Disney springs being constructed and things being changed.
So bummed about BabyCakes going out. I did wonder if that’s why you can now get some BabyCakes cupcakes at the allergy stand at Animal Kingdom. I thought it was kind of random, but I’m hopeful it’s because Disney recognizes that those of us with gluten allergy like deserts just as much as everyone else! Hopefully they’ll still be relocated somewhere within Disney Springs….
I am very disappointed about the closing of BabyCakes. I have been enjoying their gluten free products since they opened at WDW. Although Disney is very good about accommodating visitors with dietary restrictions, being able to purchase these gluten free snacks was very nice. I will now have to bring additional snacks from home. Hopefully they will find another home at WDW and will continue to offer their products. Love the donuts!!
@ Jan- you are not the only one. My wife and I also liked Pollo Campero because the flavors of the food were unique. Gonna miss the blackbeans and rice though 🙁 Maybe they will be like the Magnetron store and pop up somewhere else.
I’m not surprised at all with the closing of BabyCakes. While I understand the need for gluten free products they do not market their offerings that way. Because of the very high price I thought they were “gourmet” cupcakes. To my disappointment, they were the worst cupcakes I had ever had. I am sure other experienced the same thing i did, and hence they are now closing. It is good they will still be offering their gluten free products in selected locations to those that need them, but there was not enough demand to warrant an entire shop for gluten/dairy free cupcakes, when there isn’t even a normal cupcake show anywhere in DTD.
I’m seriously going to miss Babycakes! For me, it was a main reason to get to DTD during the week… I do hope it comes back in another form when the Springs opens! But two years is a long time to wait for amazing GF goodies!!
I am so sad to see Pollo Campero go! We always loved that one; really good, fresh food, and a nice location to get away from the super crowds for a while!
We are big fans of Bodie’s and Pollo Campero. We were there last September, after the announcement that the building these restaurants occupy was scheduled to be torn down to make way for the Disney Springs construction. We asked several employees about what was going to happen to them. They all said that, though (at the time) they didn’t know when the restaurants would be closing, all three – Babycakes, Pollo Campero, and Bodie’s – would eventually be re-opening somewhere in Disney Springs. Maybe plans have changed since then, but I would find it especially hard to believe that, with so many visitors looking for gluten-free baked goods options at WDW, Babycakes would be leaving permanently. The other two… who knows?
I didn’t even know they were closing. I’m glad we got to try both on our last trip in April 2013. I love Mexican food and I thought Pollo Campero was decent. I liked the salsa bar. I’m not sure that World of Disney needs to be any bigger.
I too enjoyed Pollo Campero. The food wasn’t what was so wonderful about it, so I understand why not too many fans there. Really hard to compete with KFC’s recipe when it comes to fried and now even grilled chicken. The only unique thing was the tortillas and salsa bar. What I liked and will miss is the fact that a family of four that are passholders could all eat there and bring home leftovers for under $30. Now where else can you find a deal like that at WDW? I’m a bargain hunter and food lover. So I’m curious to see what the Disney Springs will offer for family meal deals and passholder families. Wish the parks would start offering family meal deals. Please do a blog about that!! Love to see what you come up with! Thanks.
I’m sad to hear about Babycakes closing. As a vegan, this is one of the few places I can get a fun dessert that isn’t sorbet, which is what I usually get at the restaurants because it’s all they have. I really hope Disney either sells their products elsewhere, creates their own line of Babycakes-style desserts, or lets them open in a different location for those like me and people with allergies!
My son always looks forward to eating at Pollo Campero when we’re at Disney. Now we have one near where we live, so he won’t be totally deprived of one of his favorite chicken places, but he will be disappointed to see it gone. The chicken is seasoned to suit a South American audience (the lines of Spanish-speakers are huge at meal time at the PC near our home), and I appreciate being able to get things like bean and cheese empanadas. The food is much less greasy than standard American fast food chicken. The family meals were also a pretty good deal. We did find Babycakes at the Landscape of Flavors food court at Art of Animation; they offered a sealed container with four mini-cakes for $6.95. Our friend who eats GF was delighted! So I would hope they would offer at least one or two Babycakes selections at each resort food court or grab and go, and at least a small bakery window somewhere at DTD.
Losing Babycakes from the parks and resorts would be a bummer. I haven’t used this location, but the g-free, dairy free cupcakes were a godsend to my allergy-laden family during our last stay at AoA.
I’m going t miss Pollo Campero, as their citrus grilled chicken was unique on property. I always stopped for lunch there on every trip to WDW. I really liked their Latin inspired side dishes and the prices/lines were much better than the other DTD counter service resaurants.
I wont’t miss BabyCakes. Tried cupcakes there several times but as someone who can eat dairy and wheat I found they had a beany aftertaste and where fatty and overly sweet. I wonder if people realized they used coconut fat and high fructose guava syrup.
I, for one, think that Disney didn’t have DTD restaurants in mind when they came up with the food truck idea. Disney doesn’t allow food trucks inside its theme parks or resorts.
So sad about Baby Cakes! My four-year old daughter has life-threatening allergy to egg. We’re travelling to Disney for spring break and she was as excited about getting to try a “real” cupcake as she was about seeing princesses. I mentioned the closing to her and she’s so disappointed (and so am I). Hoping we can still have items delivered to table service restaurants or order a cake.
I am so sad at not having BabyCakes any more. They have the best gluten free doughnuts ever. I can understand how non gluten free people would not like the cupcakes. They are not the best cupcakes ever but the loss of the doughnuts is so SAD
We are going to Disneyworld at the end of March and I was super excited to hear that there was a Babycakes in Downtown Disney. As a gluten-free vegan, I have always wanted to try Babycakes and was already planning which items I would purchase. To my extreme disappointment, I came across this post about Babycakes closure which is scheduled a few days before I arrive. I really hope that they open another location at Disneyworld soon as this was the only food that I was looking forward to at Disneyworld.
I’d read somewhere that these places will still offer GF cupcakes in WDW
Although I can’t say with any certainty if it’s true as I’m not keen on cup cakes LOL (now that is a joke!)
Mara at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
End Zone at Disney’s All Star Sports Resort
Beach Club Marketplace at Disney’s Beach Club Resort
Boardwalk Bakery at Disney’s Boardwalk
Gardens Kiosk at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Landscape of Flavors at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
When in the village, I only go to Earl of Sandwich but I did try Baby Cakes after reading an article on a cupcake crawl. Had no idea they were a cupcake for special dietary needs. They were on the expensive side but we were excited to try. My diet is such that I have no need for gluten free or sugar free items and with that being said, they were so bland and dry I was quite disappointed. We went over to Goofy’s Candy and got some cupcakes there. I won’t miss this but I am sure people who need this option will definitely miss it. Hopefully, Disney will make more options available at their own bakeries and eateries.
I thought that it was super over priced, while I can understand why those with specific food needs will miss them. To be honest I liked it better when it was a McDonalds and I could get good cheap coffee late at night at a reasonable price.
I will really miss Babycakes.. I have changed my diet and when I found Babycakes at Downtown Disney; I was over the moon! My husband’s comment was, “Finally, you can enjoy some treats.” I am so upset that they will be out of there before our trip in late March. 🙁
Our son has several food allergies. We will be coming to wdw at the beginning of May. He was so excited to actually go to a bakery where all of the treats were safe! So sad wdw is closing babycakes nyc. I hope they will add another store very soon so everyone can enjoy a special treat while at wdw.
So glad we were able to go to Pollo Campero this last February. We really enjoy the grilled citrus chicken and the black beans and rice. And, when we have 12 of our family with us, it’s one of the cheaper offerings besides being excellent. Still only one of our group is Latin/South American so it does cross cultural lines.
I have been planning my trip to Disney with high hopes of going to Babycakes NYC so my daughter with food allergies could experience normal for the first time. And they are closing a week before we get there. I can’t believe it! They have got to do something to replace this and hopefully before we get there 🙂
I’m so sad that Babycakes is closing! I had wanted to go for some time and finally got to go in January. Not being able to have gluten, I loved that there was a bakery that was totally safe for me to eat. When I tried a chocolate donut for the first time in about 5 years, I was over the moon. Please reopen someplace else, open another bakery that accommodates for dietary restrictions, or make other Babycakes around the U.S.! I would greatly appreciate it!
I got my Birthday cake from Babycakes DTD last year and it was one of the best cakes I have ever had! It is a shame Babycakes has to close! Don’t go!
Very sad to hear Babycakes is closing!! We visited a year and a half ago, and my son, who has food allergies, was able to go into a bakery for the first time and order something that would be safe for him to eat. The look of pure joy on his face was priceless. We all found the doughnuts and cupcakes to be quite tasty. We really hope Babycakes reopens soon in another location. Planning another trip and hoping we can stop at Babycakes again!!
I had a feeling this was coming back in January; I spoke with a Pollo Campero manager who initially asked if I was media, then gave me a very general but overall-sounding downer answer about its fate. I believe she also told me that there was some discussion about relocating Babycakes, but that’s it.
I’m disappointed but not surprised. I LOVED the grilled chicken–they must have marinated that stuff for days, the way the taste went down to the bone–and (sigh) plantains. They had a high percentage of ethnic customers, too, who loved the food. Ah well, must make room for more overpriced Disney merchandise….
I am gluten free and I will REALLY miss the Babycakes. I live an hour and a half away from downtown disney and every time I go over I’d stock up on cupcakes and doughnuts! I was over @ d-town this weekend looking forward to stocking up and was so disappointed to see it was closed. Disney parks in general are great with gluten free options in there sit down and quick service restaurants but they lack sweet,”dessert-y” options. I sincerely hope that Disney puts Babycakes back in Disney Springs.
Shame on Disney! So sorry to hear that this is closed. Was one of my daughters favorites. Food was always good and a nice change from the same ole same ole. I think that needs to be worked into the new plans. Nice family atmosphere with good simple food. Don’t like the fancy expensive places.
Never understood why a vegan and gluten free bakery was in a chicken restaurant. I talked to the owner of Babycakes NYC a while ago at a demo in Orlando and she was pretty positive that they would be looking for another space when the downtown disney location closed. I know they supply baked goods to some of the hotels including World of Animation resort and I have seen their gingerbread cookies in the Grand Floridian. Can’t imagine Disney would sack a place like this that is filling a growing dietary need.
I was at disney last weekend and found out the devastating news that BabyCakes is no longer there. My husband and I live in FL and come very regularly for their items as he has many dietary restrictions. The bakery was a God send for us, and we told everyone we knew about it. I don’t have celiac or gluten/other allergies and babycakes items are my fav desserts! The donuts and cupcakes were awesome! I am very sorry to hear that we will not be able to continue to get these items, as it looks like the other items offered at the resorts are the prepackaged choc cupcakes, blondies, and cookies. I hope that a full baby cakes bakery will return to some place at wdw or even in orlando. We already miss it!!
My son has autism and is on a gluten free diet . We always visit baby cakes NYC several times on our holiday as it is a reward for him after a hectic day of sometimes over stimulation. I am totally devastated by the news of the closure and hope that it is in fact a relocation !!!
Joanne- I read, I think on wdwmagic, that BabyCakes NYC cupcakes are now available at a certain kiosk at DAK
So sad to see babycakes go. It is hard to be 6 and celiac and we were looking so forward to taking him somewhere special just for him.
I was totakly bummed today when I found out Pollo Capero/Baby cakes was gone.I,along with my 11 year old son used to have great options from the gluten free menu. It was affordable and my husband and daughter could also find plenty of yummy things to choose from. We finally found a gluten free option from one of the food trucks but I don’t think we’ll be going back to Downtown Disney very often anymore with the lack of meal choices for my son and I. Wahhhhhhh:((
Totally bummed. We LOVE babycakes NYC and will miss having it here in our backyard so very much. Our visits were frequent while we lived in Celebration and had become less frequent but were equally important since we moved into downtown Orlando. Ugh. My heart is sad for this loss.
well we loved pollo companero’s fried chicken . they messed up the menu at earl of sandwich too no more cannon balls and reduced sandwich size. Therefore we will no longer be eating at Downtown Disney. We will just eat before or after we do our shopping. Since there will no longer be a convenient good food option in downtown Disney We ate at raglin road and it took 2 hours for us to eat. It was good but too long and too expensive. both earl of sandwich and pollo companero were reasonably priced.It was also the best fried chicken since my husband’s aunt’s at her restaurant in Kenosha Wisconsin Florence’s fried chicke fried chicken.
I can’t believe they closed the only GF and Vegan bakery… So terrible. Kills me! I used to get several cupcakes and donuts as my desserts for the week we visit, I come here every few months. Disney is great about GF food, hopefully they will give Babycakes NYC a new home
So very upset that they closed Babycakes. My son is severely allergic to dairy and egg, we were there two years ago and made 3 trips back to dtd just to get some snacks for him, he was so happy to try his first donut. We’re going back in August and just found out the news, so upset, we are hoping they offer their products around some of the parks…..
PLEASE RE-OPEN POLLO CAMPERO IS THE BEST CHICKEN EVER SINCE THEY CLOSE I DID NOT GO TO DTDISNEY NO REASON !!