Sip, sip, hooray!!! There’s a new afternoon tea experience at Walt Disney World Resort and we’re spilling the tea!
The Garden View Lounge – Tea Experience at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa recently welcomed guests back to the newly renovated space, with a whimsical new twist that transports you to the Victorian era, when afternoon tea reigned supreme.
And it wouldn’t be a proper Disney tea party if there weren’t a nod to the ultimate tea princess herself, Alice in Wonderland.
It’s an experience you will most definitely want to add to your Disney bucket list, so let’s spill…
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The Grand Floridian Resort lobby has always been something special, from the smell…you know that smell I’m talking about…to the grandeur of the crystal chandelier, you know you’ve stepped into somewhere extraordinary.
There is a new addition you’ll notice almost immediately when you walk into the lobby to the left. The Perch is a new bar, offering a perfect afternoon break. Since we had some time before our tea time, we took a seat, because why not?
The bar itself is gorgeous, a nod to the bird cage that used to be there, but it has its own look with beautiful woodwork and stained glass. The additional nod to the past to the birds that used to live in the bird cage, are the birds on the wallpaper throughout the lobby.
I really wish Disney would sell its wallpaper, rug, and all its decor because it’s just so unique and beautiful!
I had the Floridian 75, a Grand Floridian twist on the traditional French 75. It was perfectly refreshing and a great way to unwind after the drive from Tampa. The Perch menu offers a selection of champagne, cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages.
THE TEA EXPERIENCE:
Let’s move on to the Tea Experience. The Garden View Lounge is where it has always been. For those of you who have never been, it’s in the back of the lobby.
The lounge has a new, refreshed look that is bright, airy, and a perfect setting for tea.
We’ll get to the food in a moment, which was absolutely showstopping, but one of my favorite parts about the tea experience was selecting the tea. Our server presented us with a box of Twingings Tea loose-leaf teas in cloches. While we could have selected a tea off the menu, we let our sense of smell guide us.
Each cloche was presented to us, and like a fine perfume, we made our selections based on our favorite smell, and for me, it was the Orangery of Lady Grey, which is exclusive to Walt Disney World Resort.
There are eight Twinings loose-leaf tea selections:
- Orangery of Lady Grey
- Nutty Chocolate Flavored Assam
- Exotic Mango & Ginger
- Redbush Caramel Velvet
- London Strand Breakfast
- Spicy Chai
- Lemongrass & Peppermint
- Blackcurrant & Lavender
Our tea was poured from a beautiful teapot as we were presented with our first course, an Orange-Cranberry scone with a selection of buttery spreads.
THE DELECTABLE BITES
And next is the almost too good to eat experience when the three tiers of everything your Disney tea party dreams are made of arrive at your table.
From sweet to savory, each selection is a nod to Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland”, from the Curried Chicken Salad Playing Card Tart, Caterpillar Cucumber Roll, to the Matcha Mad Hatter sponge cake, it’s all almost too beautiful to eat…but you will anyway because it’s too good not to!
There’s even a tableside “Painting the Rose”, as your server drizzles a berry sauce on the Earl Grey-flavored tea cake.
THE CHILDREN’S AFTERNOON TEA
There is also an adorable Children’s Afternoon Tea, with sweet and savory bites designed for the palates of little ones!
Their tray includes a Queen of Hearts Cheese Toastie, a Fanciful Turkey Wrap, and a Sunflower Seed Butter and Jelly Bun. They aren’t left out when it comes to the adorable desserts! Their platter will be filled a Cheshire Cat Raspberry Macaron, the Chocolate Brownie Branch, and the vanilla White Rabbit Cupcake.
THE ENHANCEMENTS
There are options to enhance your experience by adding a Seasonal Cheese Selection, which we did. We also opted for the glass of Taittinger champagne because you only get 364 days a year to celebrate your UNbirthday!
While we were hosted by Disney for the Tea Experience, we did pay for the enhancements like the champagne and cheese, and it was worth every penny.
A few other enhancements include Royal Osetra Caviar, signature tea-based cocktails, and non-alcoholic specialty teas.
BOOK YOUR DISNEY TEA EXPERIENCE
The Tea Experience starts at $79 for adults and $49 for children ages 3-9. It is booking up fast, but we have found that if you have a larger table, of 4 or more, there are more reservations available in the next 60 days.
It is a hefty price tag at first glance, but given what other afternoon tea experiences cost and the experience you get here at Disney, we feel it is good value since it’s not an everyday thing, and it’s a unique experience you won’t get anywhere else.
