Ample Hills or Beaches and Cream?

[NYCgrrl]

I'm thinking DGD would enjoy sitting in an ice cream parlor but am not sure which venue has the best ice cream. I'm happiest with just a scoop of gelato or sorbet but she likes the whole gloppy melange complete with rainbow sprinkles, LOL.

Which place do your kids or the kid in you like better?

 

[clutter]

Ample Hills didn't have much seating, if any. But it is better ice cream. But Beaches and Cream might be more fun for you all if you're looking for the ice cream parlor experience.

 

[skyblue17]

Not sure if you're actually still in NYC but we have a few Ample Hills locations here in the city (Manhattan by the High Line, Astoria in Queens, a few in Brooklyn). I LOVE their ice cream but if you're looking for something specific to Disney, Beaches and Cream might be the better choice. Ample Hills does do sundaes but they are more known for their chunky ice creams. You CAN get an ice cream flight, though, if you are a flavor connoisseur!

 

[MomOTwins]

My personal favorite is L'Artisan des Glaces in Epcot's France. Sooooo yummy. Beaches and Cream is just regular Edy's ice cream so unless your daughter really wants the elaborate sundaes there I'd give it a miss.

 

[disneygolfer1985]

Depending on when you go, there is seating just outside of Ample Hills, but as mentioned, there is no seating inside. Personally, I prefer flavored ice cream with the chunks over a sundae, but I have had a sundae at Ample Hills and thought it was good too. We stay at the BWV quite often, so I will go to Ample Hills probably 2-3 times during a weeks stay.

 

[Deb & Bill]

You can even try out the Dolphin Fountain. I thought they had plenty of seating over there.

 

[DisneyHardin]

If you are planning to sit inside at Beaches and Cream, you will need an ADR.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Ample Hills is far superior to Beaches and Cream, IMHO. Beaches and Cream is simply Edy's ice cream. Ample Hills is more of an artisanal ice cream with higher quality ingredients and more creative flavors. As PP's have noted, there is no inside seating, however. The Dolphin has the Fountain, but that's not much better than B&C, IMHO. If you are going to DS, you could also try Ghiradelli's which is definitely a step up from B&C. As PP suggested, the ice cream in the France pavilion is also excellent.

 

[skyblue17]

Ghiradelli sundaes ARE fantastic. I always get one when I am in San Francisco (never had at Disney).

 

[Minnesota!]

Ample Hills wins that battle - the Oatmeal Lace, Sally Sells Seashores, etc. are outstanding!

That said, Ghiradelli is top notch, too. Beaches and Cream was a let down... so basic.

 

[Lou'sMommy]

We love to stay at the Beach Club an have always enjoyed having ice cream from Beaches & Cream. This past summer we happened to try Ample Hills. Wow! What a difference! Their ice cream was divine! Our favorite was the mint chocolate chip but everything we tried was fantastic - yes we made multiple visits. We won't be getting ice cream from Beaches & Cream again - even when staying at BC. It's well worth the short walk to Ample Hills.

 

[NYCgrrl]

My personal favorite is L'Artisan des Glaces in Epcot's France. Sooooo yummy. Beaches and Cream is just regular Edy's ice cream so unless your daughter really wants the elaborate sundaes there I'd give it a miss.

If you are going to DS, you could also try Ghiradelli's which is definitely a step up from B&C.

You can even try out the Dolphin Fountain. I thought they had plenty of seating over there.

We'll be staying at BWI this trip so it seems like we'll have several choices I didn't even think of!? I think it'll be easiest for the young lady to pick which one best fits her wants since I'm not an ice cream enthusiast on her level, LOL.

Not sure if you're actually still in NYC but we have a few Ample Hills locations here in the city (Manhattan by the High Line, Astoria in Queens, a few in Brooklyn). I LOVE their ice cream but if you're looking for something specific to Disney, Beaches and Cream might be the better choice. Ample Hills does do sundaes but they are more known for their chunky ice creams. You CAN get an ice cream flight, though, if you are a flavor connoisseur!

Still in the city but wont have time to visit any of the Ample Hills locales before we leave for Thanksgiving; still good to know for those days the man takes her out and "secretly" treats her.

If you are planning to sit inside at Beaches and Cream, you will need an ADR.

Have an ADR but but aren't they made to be canceled and remade right up onto the end? .

 

[iheartglaciers]

Ample Hills ice cream wins hands down (though I wish they had the cute mini Mickey kitchen sink containers like Beachs and Cream!), but as others have said there's no seating inside and it's not designed like a traditional ice cream parlor (Beaches & Cream is, but you need an ADR to sit down). Both Ample Hills and Beaches and Cream have limited seating just outside the store.

 

[DisneyHardin]

Have an ADR but but aren't they made to be canceled and remade right up onto the end? .

My apologies. You didn't mention in your original post that you had already made an ADR for Beaches and Cream.

 

[Mazz519]

Ample hills has much better Ice Cream but the whole atmosphere at Beaches and Cream is pretty nice

 

[gharter]

If you are looking for amazing sundaes, Beaches and Cream does a very good job.
If you are looking for unique flavors, Ample Hills wins by a landslide.

 

[nkereina]

We did both last week during our trip. I agree with PP that Beaches & Cream has better sundaes while Ample Hills has better flavors. We love the No Way Jose sundae at Beaches & Cream, and got a 6 scoop flight from Ample Hills to try the different kinds. Ample Hills was very good, but that No Way Jose is hard to beat. So we preferred Beaches & Cream.

Ample Hills only has outdoor seating. At Beaches & Cream, an ADR is recommended for indoor seating or there is a to go window but it has a limited menu that does not include the same great sundaes you can get dining in. You can always try your luck as a walk-up at Beaches & Cream as they often have counter seating available which is first come first served.

 

[Tramp&TheLady]

Ample Hills is way better

 

[reluctantredhead]

You've gotten some really great advice here so far, so I'll chime in with an additional thought...may I suggest you try both places if you have the time?

I love both B&C and Ample Hills for different reasons. As several people have said, for scoops only, Ample Hills has far and away the better ice cream than BC...but I think of it as a "get a quick scoop on the way back to the room" kind of place (we usually stay at Epcot hotels, and they are easy walking distance to AH). But at B&C, we typically go as a "full meal experience," or at least a "dessert experience" (haha), where we sit down and linger a bit. We really like going after we're done at the parks for the day, typically between 8-9 pm (we'll have a big lunch and/or a snack to tide us over until then), and we'll share a meal (love their grilled cheese, tomato soup, and onion rings) and a sundae or two. If you're up for it, B&C has the "kitchen sink" sundae, which is GIANT, and the waiters make a big fuss over it. We've ordered it several times when my D was little and she got a huge kick out of it. I think they now have a smaller version of the kitchen sink, but I'm not sure if the waiters still make the announcements/fuss over that size or not.

Hope you and your DGD have a wonderful trip!

 

[chris benton]

I did a comparison of Ample Hills vs the place in France. The place in France is no slouch at all, but A.H. is the truth.