by: guide4wdw – Collin

Our New Favorite Disney Dinner Buffet – Cape May Cafe 

As many of you may know, when I travel to Disney food is inevitably a big part of the experience. We’ve had our dining favorites for years, but recently we stepped out of our comfort zone and typical restaurant picks to try Cape May Cafe at Disney’s Beach Club Resort. This was, without a doubt, a last minute reservation. During our stay we happened to be spending some time at the pool at Disney’s Boulder Ridge Villas (an excellent resort) and decided we would check and see what dinner reservations we could come up with for that particular night. In the past we’ve had fairly decent luck securing truly last second reservations and this was no different. We ended up settling for a 5:15 reservation in hopes that we could skip lunch and just enjoy a nice dinner instead. Long story made short, it was a near perfect meal for our situation.  


Who Is Cape May Best Suited For?  

Truthfully, this isn’t a restaurant I would consider for families with very young children at the dinner meal time. The food is largely seafood based and while there are a fair amount of options focused on kids, they are far less numerous that other Disney buffets at a similar price point. 

However, it is without a doubt what I consider the best buffet for adults on Disney property at this point in time (July 3rd 2018). It’s upscale enough to be a great “night out” and a night away from the busy nature of the parks but at the same time casual enough that you don’t feel out of place in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. The atmosphere makes you feel as if you’re at a beachside restaurant and almost makes you feel as if you walked out the back of the resort you’d be standing on a sandy beach. It really is expertly themed and if you do want get that beach feel, there is even a man made beach just steps away from the main lobby and this dining location. 

The surrounding resort area is truly spectacular and lends itself to some of the most picturesque sunsets you’ll find anywhere in Florida. If you catch the right night with those beautiful Florida sunsets, the scenery alone will make the meal worth your time and money.


What’s on the Menu? 

As with any Disney buffet, menu items will likely change slightly from time to time. Thankfully, this is a buffet offering, so if something that was once previously there is gone, there’s always something else to try. 

The highlight of the offerings in my opinion are the all you can eat snow crab legs. If you enjoy crab legs as much as I do, it’s a dream come true (lol). The crab legs are steamed to perfection, always hot and ready, and there are plenty to go around! On top of that excellent offering, there’s an assortment of breads (the cornbread is delicious), an assortment of different pastas (all of which were great), mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, a carving station, seasoned vegetables, an excellent mixed salad, salmon, fish bites (I can’t remember what type of fish they were, but it was fresh made and fried white fish), a type of soup, a selection of cheeses, ribs, pizza, clams, mussels, a large assortment of desserts, and more that I likely overlooked. The desserts even included a top your own cake section with chocolate sauce and caramel available. (See the array of photos below for buffet options. These photos do not include everything, but there is a massive variety. Pardon the image quality, we didn’t want to freak anyone out with a DSLR at the buffet so we opted for iPhone photos.) 



Everything we tried was excellent and our server was attentive and a top notch cast member. At the end of the meal you’re even brought a warm and slightly damp towel to get rid of the “fishy” smell before returning to the parks or heading outside to enjoy the views or even the festivities of the neighboring Boardwalk Resort. Truthfully, this is a little known and highly enjoyable meal that is easy to get a reservation for and an excellent option for those looking to step away from Epcot for a little while to enjoy a meal or escape the heat for even a short amount time. 

What Does It Cost?

If there’s one down side to this meal it is inevitably the cost of the experience. For our group of four adults the price came out to $191.70 before the tip (around $45 per person). It’s not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but the quality of the food and the level of the experience is ultimately worth the cost in my opinion. If you compare it to other dinner buffets at the parks and resorts, it does come in at slightly above average from a pricing standpoint, but if you have kids or a smaller party, your bill will be inevitably lower. 


I’m a bit bias because we have been to the parks many times, but personally I see the cost of this meal well worth what you receive and the overall experience. To me, it is the perfect night at Disney. A great meal, great company, a picturesque view and live entertainment just steps from the restaurant, and quite possibly a short walk over to Epcot for the fireworks. I can’t really think of anything that would be more enjoyable. It’s a simple night, but sometimes those simple moments with those we care the most about are what really stick with you for years on end. It isn’t always about the attractions, or even the grand shows and special events. Sometimes, something as simple as a meal and a casual walk around Crescent Lake is all it takes to create memories of a lifetime. 



You see, I recommend this restaurant not only because the food is great or even because the cast is excellent, but rather because of the night it helps develop. You can eat here, skip a lunch, or even skip a park day, and enjoy every minute of the experience. Sure, the meal is expensive, but if you couple this night with a pool day or even a short walk over to play some miniature golf at Fantasia Gardens (free vouchers are typically included with some on-property resort packages), you can skip the parks and save a bit of money to make up for the cost of the meal. Some of our “resort days” have created some of the most incredible memories out of our multiple Disney vacations over the years. If you’re on the fence about this one like we were, give it a shot and I can almost guarantee you wont be disappointed. This is not a character meal at dinner (it is at breakfast), but it’s still well worth your time! I highly recommend it and we’ll definitely be back soon.       

Your Thoughts


As always, if you have thoughts, concerns, questions, or even some tips of your own to share, don’t hesitate to reach out to us on Facebook or your favorite social media platform. Give us a follow while you’re there, and we’ll keep the conversation going in the future. We’re not the largest Disney community, but we’re one that’s there and one that listens. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day wherever you are!

Need a Travel Planner?


If you want or simply need a little bit of planning help to make your Disney vacation dream a reality, check out the quote request form below this article for our friends over at Destinations to Travel. They’ll let you do as much or as little of the planning as you’d like and may even save you some money along the way! As always, thatks for supporting those who support us.


Ready to Plan?


Last but certainly not least, if you’re starting the planning process, a great place to start are with some of our top planning articles! Looking for dining? Check out Disney World Dining Tips For 2018. Want to start with some more tips? 44 Excellent Disney World Tips for 2018 or Disney World Planning Guide and Tips For 2018 are a great place to begin! Looking to save money on tickets? Check out our friends over at The Official Ticket Center for great deals that even made it into our 2018 Discount Disney World Ticket selections and another great way to help us create more content through your contributions at no additional cost to you! You’ll probably even save money along the way.


    

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