We are back at the Beach Club Marketplace, the Beach Club Resort’s counter service restaurant and merchandise location.

Better known in many ways for being a gift shop, the Marketplace tends to get overlooked in favor of some the more popular spots nearby. After all, when your neighbors include locations like Beaches and Cream, the BoardWalk Bakery, Trattoria al Forno, and The Crew’s Cup Lounge, it can be hard to make a splash. And heck, staying at a resort that practically has its own water park thanks to Stormalong Bay, you can always grab a quick meal at Hurricane Hanna’s without ever leaving the pool area!

But here we are at this unassuming stop tucked in the back of the Marketplace to check it out a little more. The last time we visited the Beach Club Marketplace, it was to grab a late night dinner (well, not counting our annual holiday visit to see the Beach Club’s Gingerbread Carousel). But our more recent stop here was in the A.M. hours. I’d heard something about a French Toast Bread Pudding that seemed pretty fantastic, so over to Beach Club Marketplace I went!

Atmosphere

The Beach Club Marketplace is located by the Beach Club’s courtyard entrance.

No matter which way you enter, the souvenirs and registers will greet your eyes sooner than the food counter and grab-and-go options, most of which are tucked in the back corner (aside from the dry goods, which have a bit more prominence).

There are just a few tables and chairs directly in front of the Marketplace, and it doesn’t seem like much until you realize that there are some downright beautiful places to take in your meal if you have a look around. The shaded white tables and chairs by the courtyard tend to be my preferred seating area.

But if you’d rather eat indoors you can find a wall of comfy seating down the hallway that leads to the Solarium — the room where the resort has just started hosting Afternoon Tea in the Solarium Gardens on select dates.

Be sure to explore the nautical elements at the Beach Club during your visit…

… right down to the brand new carpets!

The Beach Club really is a lovely resort, even if it doesn’t carry quite as high a profile as some of its Deluxe Resort counterparts like the Grand Floridian, Polynesian Village, or Animal Kingdom Lodge. But enough exploring for now… time to grab the most important meal of the day!

Eats

Upon entry, the first thing you’ll notice with regard to food is an abundance of pre-packaged items such as cereals, soup, Pop-Tarts, and chips.

Roomy refrigerators include all the regular beverages, but also an ample selection of frozen goods — handy for the Disney Vacation Club members staying here.

And, of course, your Rapid Fill Mug Refilling Station offers soda, coffee, iced teas, and hot cocoa.

Things get a little more interesting once you head towards the back, with a decent dessert collection including plenty of cheesecake slices and Cupcakes.

An otherwise ordinary pastry case does offer a cool signature item with the Coconut Bars.

Keep an eye out for the gluten-free bakery options like the OMG Cookies and Brownies, and even a few goods from the Erin McKenna Bakery.

Now, even before we give you a close-up shot, you’ll probably be able to tell from the photo below that the hot food options are limited by the small menu size.

A simple selection of sandwiches and flatbreads make up most of the entrees for lunch and dinner.

Likewise, the breakfast menu is also laid back, featuring just four choices: the Scrambled Egg Platter, Breakfast Sandwich, Oatmeal or Grits. (Though I will say the rather garden variety platter and breakfast sandwich are greatly helped by a side of yummy, cheesy Potato Casserole — a total standout here!)

So, with a focus on the basics, you may be surprised to learn that the most exciting breakfast item finds its home on the Kids’ Menu! Along with a Scrambled Egg Sandwich, they also offer French Toast Bread Pudding for the kiddos.

A small side of bacon and grapes come along with the plate.

And there is also a small container of maple caramel sauce along for the ride that spruces things up a bit. I’m sure you could get more of this if you asked.

The serving of bread pudding itself is on the small side, as expected with a kids’ meal item.

But let me tell you…. those kids are having all the luck! The nicely warm pudding is topped with oodles of cinnamon along with dots of golden raisins. The maple caramel sauce is basically caramel-flavored syrup, offering additional unique flavor.

After digging through the cinnamon topping (you’ll see swirls baked in, too!), I found that the base of the bread pudding wasn’t overly sweet, making it a really enjoyable breakfast for us big kids, too. And even though it’s a small serving custom-made for little ones, the dense base provided a hearty enough start to my day.

I have to say, the French Toast Bread Pudding was a really nice find, especially considering the overall simplistic menus at the Beach Club Marketplace.

Overall

No matter where you start your Disney day, it’s always fun to see some variation among more commonplace breakfast items. Dishes like Tonga Toast at the Polynesian’s Captain Cook’s (or Kona Cafe, if you’re opting for Table Service) and even the go-ahead-I-dare-ya Pop-Tarts Breakfast Sandwich at Everything Pop spring to mind. So finding the French Toast Bread Pudding solely on the Kids’ Menu here is a bit unfortunate — I’d love to see this as a full adult meal entree.

But, hey, when we’re in Disney World, aren’t we all just kids at heart, anyway 😉 ? So my vote is go for it, especially if you’re looking to start your day with a little vacation splurge at the Marketplace.

Would you like to try the French Toast Bread Pudding? Let us know in the comments below!