ESPN Club permanently closes at Walt Disney World's BoardWalk to be replaced with The Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers

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ESPN Club overview

Posted: Friday March 11, 2022 3:34pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Walt Disney World's ESPN Club on Disney's BoardWalk is now permanently closed.

Disney has announced that a new table service restaurant and bakery, The Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers, will be joining the BoardWalk and sources indicate that the ESPN Club will be the location.

ESPN Club overview

ESPN Club opened at Walt Disney World in July 1996 and offered classic American pub cuisine, sports entertainment and shopping, along with live tv coverage of sporting events. The club closed along with the rest of Walt Disney World during the pandemic and has not reopened since.

The Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers has two existing locations in Indianapolis, and you can see those menus for an idea of what to expect at the Walt Disney World location.

The Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers

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headintheclouds5 hours ago

Just doing some digging…it doesn’t like like it’s completely a Disney issue. Her second locations opening date got moved too.

Animaniac93-9811 hours ago

Visible progress?! 😮

DCBaker11 hours ago

Speaking of... here are a few photos from today. https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53682572823_5d1306bd55_o.jpghttps://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53681483697_113e9e5759_o.jpghttps://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53682802965_ffc3637dc8_o.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53681484572_83aaf021cd_o.jpghttps://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53681529212_ae6d356de9_o.jpg

Brian12 hours ago

Still looks better than the Cake Bake Shop.

DCBaker12 hours ago

Here's a look from today at exterior refurbishment taking place at the Boardwalk Resort. https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53682531678_f123e2eb08_o.jpghttps://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53682763400_cb15a8e796_o.jpghttps://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53682307416_35af364a1b_o.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53681445222_0b71016d71_o.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53682307201_d86aab4290_o.jpghttps://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53681444847_9df620db1e_o.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53682763595_b52c2a3a4c_o.jpg

Liloandstitch32 days ago

Any update on the Bon voyage breakfast returning?

lazyboy97o3 days ago

The photos don’t show any signs of corrosion. It is a fiberglass coated product. By being exposed it was also able to dry. Just goes to show that Disney isn’t alone in projects being dragged out.

LSLS3 days ago

Oh I'm more asking that because it's been sitting in Florida elements for like 7 months at this point, not that I thought that was permanent. Side note, I went back to see when I could first see the purple up in this thread. I saw the first announcements in March and laughed at it being over a year at this point for just a restaurant. Then, as I went looking for pictures, realized that was March 2022. I completely zoned out this is over 2 years now.

lazyboy97o3 days ago

The glass mat sheathing is water resistant but it alone does not do everything required of a building envelope. It’s not just rain you have to keep out but also water vapor. The weather barrier also provides a continuous plane to drain moisture that does get through the finish whereas the sheathing is boards with gaps that would allow moisture to accumulate.

LSLS3 days ago

Is that just an extra layer of protection against rain then? I guess I just assumed what they put up HAD to be rain resistant based on how long it was exposed.

EPCOT-O.G.3 days ago

Now we’re watching paint dry

lazyboy97o4 days ago

They didn’t. eXP Board is gypsum-based glass mat sheathing, not EPS rigid insulation. A liquid applied weather barrier would look like paint.

Bocabear4 days ago

to tone down the purple and make it look like something was happening I would guess....I have never seen that done before.....Maybe it is some sort of new proprietary Cake Bake Shop coating to seal in the freshness? lol