By: Nick the Disney Devo and his wife Barbie
In January, my wife and I treated ourselves to Afternoon Tea in the Garden View Lounge at the Grand Floridian.
They are open from 2 pm-6pm daily.
We were staying at the Villas at the Grand Floridian, and we wanted to explore all of their restaurants.
Located right off of the main lobby, The Garden View Lounge is an open air area that looks upon the gardens outside. Comfy chairs and sofas give this a very relaxed atmosphere.
Everyone starts off with a pot of tea, with many different varieties to chose from, including traditional tea selections, as well as custom blends made exclusively for the Garden View Tea Room. The menu accurately describes the teas and their flavors and the wait staff is knowledgeable, if you have questions as well. They will happily make recommendations for you that will go along with your luncheon choices or taste preferences. We felt the service here was perhaps the best we have ever received, and not just at Walt Disney World, just in general!
Barbie chose:
Prince Edward Tea – $30.00 Per Guest
This was the “Chef’s recommendation”, a delicious array of assorted pâtés, and Cheeses, served with Cumberland sauce. The flavors melded perfectly. It was accompanied by freshly baked scones served with jam tart. Included is your choice of tea with a glass of Fonseca Bin 27 Character, Port, which Nick really enjoyed, because Barbie doesn’t drink.
Nick chose:
The Grand Tea – $35.00 Per Guest
The classic English tradition of Afternoon Tea, Grand Floridian-style. A variety of tea sandwiches, scones and jam tart, followed by a choice of freshly baked tea pastries, strawberries and creme or English trifle. This is served with a glass of Domain Ste-Michelle sparkling wine and choice of tea. The tea sandwiches were excellent.
Scone and Jam tart from the “Prince Edward Tea.”
Our server offering chocolate covered strawberries along with other delectable treats!
You can also have appetizers, which include Assorted Tea Pastries, a British Cheese Plate, English Blue Stilton Cheese, English Trifle, freshly baked scones and assorted tea sandwiches.
We had a wonderful Tea here. The food was lovely and we were having a wonderful time chatting with the young couple that sat next to us. We became fast friends, as so often happens at Disney when you meet awesome people!
This is not on the Disney Dining Plan, but Tables in Wonderland is accepted, which gives a 20% discount, but includes an automatic 18% gratuity. We often give extra for excellent service, and the service here, as mentioned above, was superb.
The entire experience, which is meant to be enjoyed at a leisurely pace, was well worth the price. The food and tea was delicious, and making new friends made it all the better.
Portions of this article were originally posted on the Disney Musings Blog, which Nick the Disney Devo co-writes with his wife Barbie, with articles contributed my friends from all over the world on a wide variety of Disney topics.
My wife and I first enjoyed Afternoon Tea at the Grand on our honeymoon. We have returned almost every trip, enjoying it tremendously every time! Absolutely magical! (What else can we say?!)