Disney says “Let Them Eat Cake” as Gwendolyn Rogers becomes Marie Antionette. The phrase “let them eat cake” is a cruel reminder of the vast gulf between the privileged and the impoverished. It symbolizes the callous disregard for the suffering of others, as epitomized by Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution. That is a rough statement when writing about Disney and happiness and a giant talking mouse. But we can surmise it even further down to being used to describe someone who is completely out of touch with the struggles of the common people, particularly those facing poverty and hunger.
Yes, we know some snarky person is out there saying, but she never actually said that. This may be true, but in the broadest spectrum we are talking about here, it is the adage we are using, as it reflects our feelings towards the way Disney and businesses surrounding Disney are acting towards people nowadays. Nothing speaks louder than the newly opened The Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers here at Disney’s Boardwalk. There is the Restaurant, which we are too poor to eat at, and the Bakery, which we are almost too poor to eat at.
We will be talking about the Bakery side of things for this post because I am not kidding, we cannot afford the restaurant. Like many of you, we work for a living and have to spend money wisely. We must save up for splurge spending. As new business owners we are learning the value of each dollar spent. FNL exists because our owner still maintains a full-time job, while I cover Disney and bring you, the amazing readers, news from Disney. But, we also do not want you to waste your hard-earned money on a product we do not believe in and think is a total ripoff.
The Cake Bake Shop is a total ripoff. It takes money from those who are rich and can afford the finer things in life, but do not know what is actually good or not good. Just because you have marble entranceways, gold chandeliers, and glitter for sale in a 2oz bottle for $36.00 does not mean your services are good or a value. It is like the companies who did construction on the Pentagon and sold them $640 toilet seats. The seat does not cost that much, but they figured the government would pay it because they have the money too.
This new eatery in Disney World is out of touch with reality. Tone Deaf would be a better way to put it. The new Cake Bake Shop is showing its bias towards the rich, and those that want to come to Disney and feel like they are rich for the weekend. Tone deaf to how people are living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to pay to keep a roof over their heads. Just like Disney raising prices every few months, it shows a lack of empathy towards fellow humans who may not have the same means as others.
Disney is a luxury, just like The Cake Bake Shop is a luxury, but as a less-than-rich person, you can tell when someone does not want you in their establishment. There is a vibe check when entering the doors and if you don’t pass that vibe you are not wanted. The Cake Bake Shop is made for those who want to be Insta-famous. For those who want to star on TikTok. It is positioned to cater to the rich and famous, or more importantly it preys on those who want to be rich and famous.
We tried two cakes, the Carrot Cake 22.99 and the Chocolate Cake 24.99, along with the aptly named Marie Antionette which cost $14.99, we spent a total of 62.97 before tax. Then we were asked to add a tip on top, which we declined because all they did was grab a box out of a cooler and ring us up. Yet, we were still charged a 20% tip! Total $79.67, but here is what really grinds my gear, if we DID add a tip, that would have been on top of what we already spent. So we got ripped off on top of feeling like we got ripped off.
UPDATED: Here is an Image of our receipt from today. You can see on the bottom the “Suggested Addition Tip” – How about No.
Was the cake any good is the next question. NOPE! The carrot cake has an aftertaste that we could not get rid of. The Chocolate cake was rich and tasted good, but we can’t tell you that it tastes like a 25-dollar piece of cake. No cake slice tastes like it should be $25.00! It is a piece of CAKE! You charge that much and people will find excuses to say that it is the best piece of cake they ever had because people do not want to feel like they just got ripped off, which they certainly have just been!
Let the Influencers lie to you, and let the rich blogs say how great it was after they could afford to buy the whole menu on the opening day. You will not find that here. We are the ramen-eating, hot-dog-loving, Publix cake-slice-eating, let us go try Blue Ribbon Corn Dog giant mozzarella stick-eating, shop at Walmart, and save up for a year to afford out vacations type of blog. Go buy the kids an extra Mickey Plush, and save yourself the walk to The Cake Bake Shop. Spend half that money and go to Disney Springs and enjoy a cookie or cake slice that is half the cost of this new eatery, save some extra money, but don’t be fooled into thinking just because this place costs an arm and a leg that you are missing out or it is good.
