How’d you like to spend Christmas on Christmas Island? That’s how you’ll feel at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort this time of year. With its fantastic location as the hub of the Disney Skyliner system, and a recent refurbishment, Caribbean Beach is gaining some popularity. Come get away from sleigh bells, come get away from snow, and spend the holidays at a tropical escape.
Caribbean Beach Resort Holiday Decorations
The holiday decorations at Caribbean Beach are full of tropical colors, and beach and nautical touches. The vibrant decorations evoke a fun, celebratory feeling. It’s nice to get a break from traditional gold, red, and green, and yet still have that festive feeling.
Have you stayed at Caribbean Beach during the holidays? Which resort is your favorite this time of year?
When the remodel of Beaches and Cream Soda Shop at Disney’s Beach Club Resort was announced, many expressed concern about the new look. I wasn’t too sure of the new look myself, but that was only judging by the concept art. After visiting in person, I am impressed, and was also surprised at the quality of the plant-based burger, too.
On a recent trip with my in-law family from Illinois we dined at Beaches and Cream as a break from our day at EPCOT. I was not too keen on dining indoors. The temperature check at the restaurant helped a little and the distanced tables helped as well. I felt better being seated near the door, and I took my son outside a few times after ordering and waiting for our food.
Beaches and Cream InteriorBeaches and Cream Interior
The dining room is sparkling and much brighter than before. Admittedly, I had not been to Beaches and Cream in ages, but the new interior feels like a great improvement. It is hard to let go of some of the classic, cartoon-like décor, but I feel the new interior does a good job of being both modern and whimsical. Pastel and muted colors are balanced with crisp white and bright metals. A few of the original details, like the small beach balls on top of the booths’ backs, are still there. A jukebox in the corner near our table made my grandmother-in-law smile, though she was disappointed it was not an actual working jukebox.
Beaches and Cream Interior
The menu at Beaches and Cream is simple, full of American soda fountain classics. Burgers and milkshakes, and massive ice cream sundaes, are the staples, but don’t overlook the Reuben that my brother-in-law loved, or the Cheddar Bacon Ranch Chicken Sandwich. My son has a few food allergies, including beef, so when it came time to order I selected a Turkey Sandwich for him from the kids menu and the Plant-Based Burger for me. He is at the age that he loves to try what I’m eating, which is great, but it also means I need to order things that are safe for him to eat. I’ve become a part-time vegan as a result.
All the burgers and sandwiches at Beaches and Cream are $16.00 – $17.00, which is about $4-$5 more than a burger or sandwich at a quick-service location. Here you get to enjoy a table service experience. The Plant-based Burger is topped with plant-based mayonnaise and caramelized balsamic-onion jam on a house-baked multigrain bun. Fresh lettuce and tomato are included too, but the sandwich is served open so you can remove them easily if you wish.
The plant-based mayo and the balsamic-onion jam elevated this plant-based burger. I loved the sweetness of the onion jam, I could not get enough. The plant-based mayo was a little tangy and added a little bit of creaminess. I much prefer to use plant-based mayo rather than vegan cheese to add some creaminess to a plant-based burger. The multigrain bun was flavorful and fluffy, and solidified this burger as one of the best plant-based burgers I have had at Walt Disney World.
Plant-Based Burger at Beaches and CreamPlant-Based Burger at Beaches and Cream
When you order a burger or sandwich you can choose fries or potato barrels (tots), or upgrade to onion rings. Any of the three are a good choice. Our table had a variety of the three and each was served fresh and the perfect balance of crisp and fluffy. No one in our group ordered a milkshake, as the food was filling enough. There is a window outside where you can order to-go shakes and even adult “hard” shakes too. It would be awesome if they could come up with one plant-based shake.
Hard Adult Floats and Shakes To Go at Beaches and Cream
With over 500,000 submitted surveys from our readers, Beaches and Cream gets a 92% thumbs up rating. and is ranked number 15 out of 104 table service dining options at Walt Disney World. Overall, I am glad we stopped in and I would return for the plant-based burger. And my son loved his Turkey Sandwich, too!
Have you dined at Beaches and Cream? What’s your favorite thing on the menu?
When compared to the other Walt Disney World theme parks, the amount of holiday treats at Animal Kingdom is dismal. Still, there are some festive foods to be found if you do a little searching. At Zuri’s Sweet Shop at Animal Kingdom we tried some sweets that will satisfy your craving for holiday time tastes.
Zuri’s Sweet Shop is located in Harambe Village, tucked in a corner of a merchandise shop, across from Kilimanjaro Safaris. Every Walt Disney World theme park has a sweet shop of some kind, carrying many of the same standard sweets like caramel apples, cupcakes, fudge, and crisped rice treats. During the holiday season many of these standard treats are given a festive treatment. On her trip to Animal Kingdom this week, Ivonne decided to give the Peppermint Chocolate Covered Mickey Marshmallow Wand a try, as well as two different flavors of fudge.
Seasonal Sweets at Zuri’s Sweet Shop Animal KingdomChocolate Peppermint Marshmallow Wand at Zuri’s Sweet Shop Animal Kingdom
The Peppermint Chocolate Covered Mickey Marshmallow Wand looks festive with crushed peppermint candy dusted on top. Chocolate enrobed a large Mickey Mouse shaped marshmallow on a stick. Even if you’re not a big marshmallow fan you should give this a try. As $4.99 it was of the lowest-price treats available and won’t weigh you down.
Chocolate Peppermint Marshmallow Wand at Zuri’s Sweet Shop Animal KingdomPumpkin Fudge and Cookies and Cream Fudge at Zuri’s Sweet Shop Animal KingdomPumpkin Fudge and Cookies and Cream Fudge at Zuri’s Sweet Shop Animal Kingdom
Each sweet shop usually has a selection of fudge year-round. We were a little disappointed in the lack of seasonal flavors, pumpkin being the only one. Ivonne tried out the Pumpkin Fudge as well as the Cookies and Cream Fudge. Each square of fudge is $4.49, another relatively low price compared to other treats. The Pumpkin Fudge tasted like eating very dense pumpkin pie filling. The Cookies and Cream Fudge tasted just like cookies and cream ice cream, just in fudge form. The fudge is dense and heavy, more so than the fudge we tried at Beach Club Marketplace.
The serving of fudge is large enough to serve as a sweet snack for 2-3 people. The marshmallow wand is not very easy to share, but could be if necessary.
Have you visited Animal Kingdom during the holiday season? Do you have a favorite way to celebrate the holidays in this park?
Just when we need it most, Disney kicks off the holidays with a special treat! The fifth anniversary edition of “The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration,” airs Thanksgiving night at 9/8c on ABC!
Original hosts Derek and Julianne Hough return, kicking off the night with a glittering new holiday performance, while Trevor Jackson (Freeform’s “grown-ish”) hosts from Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Together, they will take viewers on a wintry ride through fan-favorite performances from the past five years and new heartwarming family moments. You’ll also get a brand-new sneak peek into Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure coming in 2021 to EPCOT in Florida.
In addition to magical holiday moments, viewers will also get a sneak preview of Disney and Pixar’s all-new feature-film “Soul,” before it becomes available exclusively on Disney+ (where Disney+ is available) beginning Dec. 25, 2020. Featuring the voices of Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey, “Soul” introduces a middles-school band teacher who teams up with a sarcastic new soul on a mission to figure out exactly what makes life worth living.
Musical performances include:
Emmy® Award-winning hosts Derek Hough and Julianne Hough sing and dance through a medley of holiday classics in a fantastical new show open
GRAMMY® Award-winning singer/songwriter Ciara gives a festive spin on a “Jingle Bells/Jingle Bell Rock” medley (2017)
Multiple GRAMMY® Award-winner Kelly Clarkson belts her version of “Underneath The Tree” (2016)
Global superstar Jason Derulo performs his take on “Silent Night” (2017)
Grammy® Award-nominated OneRepublic perform a rocking rendition of “What a Wonderful World” (2016)
GRAMMY® Award-winner Meghan Trainor and Brett Eldridge share a sweet rendition of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” (2018)
Grammy® Award-winning and multi-platinum-selling artist Pentatonix give their rendition of “Deck the Halls” (2019)
TONY® Award-winning actress Idina Menzel joins fellow “Frozen” star Kristen Bell for a chilling performance of “When We’re Together” from “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure” (2017)
Boyz II Men take on “Let It Snow” alongside ‘December Baby” singer/songwriter JoJo (2016)
World renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli lends his voice to a rendition of “White Christmas” (2018)
Aloe Blacc performs “I’ve got Your Xmas Right Here” (2018)
Global superstar Becky G performs “Santa Baby” (2016)
Following the release of his new album “Christmas in the Islands,” multiple GRAMMY® Award-winning global reggae/dancehall & pop music icon Shaggy sings “Jamaican Drummer Boy” (2019)
What performances are you most excited to see this year?
The holiday shopping season is ramping up, and many people may already be trying to check items off their shopping list. If you happen to be at Walt Disney World, maybe you’re considering an evening at Disney Springs. If so, there’s plenty of options for shopping that doesn’t involve Mickey Mouse merchandise for all. Here’s four places you’ll want to check out to help with your holiday shopping.
Basin
With its assortment of adorable fresh-cut soaps, quality bath bombs, sugar scrubs for helping dry winter skin, or more, Basin is a favorite place to browse. Although the Disney Springs shop has some Disney-themed items, they also have a huge assortment of holiday and year-round items, perfect for a gift for someone on your holiday shopping list.
LEGO Store
Whether you’re shopping for someone young or young at heart, you can find a huge variety of fun and creative kits at the LEGO store. Although there aren’t Disney-exclusive sets here, there are plenty of Disney and non-Disney sets available, and a much wider selection than you’ll likely find at your local store.
Coca-Cola Store
Got a fan of fizz in your fam? The Coca-Cola store sells a variety of Coke-branded merchandise–everything from t-shirts and drinking glasses that look like they’ve come right from an old-fashioned soda shop to items made with recycled cans and pop top tabs. For the holidays, look for merchandise featuring the Coca-Cola Polar Bear and Santa, too.
What’s great about these stores is that their prices aren’t significantly inflated to “Disney bubble” levels. What’s even better is that, if you’re a Disney annual passholder, you get a 10% discount on many of the items at these locations.
Have you picked up any holiday gifts before at Disney Springs? Let us know in the comments.
