First Look! The Garden View Lounge- Tea Experience Reopening!

We got a preview of The Garden View Lounge Tea Experience reopening at The Grand Floridian today! Spoiler, we loved it. Disclaimer, we were not hosted by Disney.

Theme & Setting

The Garden View Lounge is located on the first floor of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. If you’re entering from the main lobby on the first floor or the monorail on the second floor, The Garden View Lounge is on the far end of the resort under Enchanted Rose.

The theme is Alice in Wonderland and they got it exactly right, from the gorgeous wallpaper to the flowers on the plates and tea pots. Even the upholstery is light and pretty but still manages to give a nod to a wild English garden.

The Menu

Tea and an Afternoon Tea Tower is included in the experience. There are eight types of Twinings Loose Leaf Tea to choose from and each person in your party may pick their own tea. Each is served in an individual tea pot along with sugar cubes and milk. There are several teas that contain caffeine and a few caffeine-free options, too.

• Orangery of Lady Grey, contains caffeine- this one is also on the Tea Tour at Flower & Garden in EPCOT!
• Nutty Chocolate Flavoured Assam, contains caffeine
• Exotic Mango & Ginger, contains caffeine
• Redbush Caramel Velvet, caffeine-free
• London Strand Breakfast, contains caffeine
• Spicy Chai
• Lemongrass & Peppermint, caffeine-free
• Blackcurrant & Lavender, caffeine-free

There are two Non-Alcoholic drink options that do not come with the tea service. They are priced separately:

• Curiousi-TEA: made with Twinings Refreshers Strawberry Raspberry Herbal Tea. This is #8 on the U.K. Tea Tour in EPCOT! $7.29
• This Way, That Way: Twinings Refreshers Peach Mango Herbal Tea, Mint, $5.99

Guests ages 21+ can enjoy a small selection of Champagne, Sparkling Wine, and a few Cocktails with alcohol. The cocktail options:

• Mint Tulip: Old Forester 1870 Original Batch Kentucky Straight Whisky, Twinings Refreshers Peach Mango Herbal Tea, Mint, $19.50
• Mar-TEA-ni: Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, Twinings Earl Grey Tea, Lemon, Honey, $18.50

Please note, tea and the other beverage selections listed above were the only drinks on offer. We were not offered water, and Coke beverages are not available.

The Tea Tower, pictured above, is a beautiful display of sweet and savory bites. The bottom tier is the most hearty of the selections, the middle tier is a twist on traditional tea sandwiches, and the top tier holds all of the sweets! In tier order the tray contains:

• Orange-Cranberry Scone:  the scone was substantial and divine. The bake was crusty and crumbly but held enough shape to withstand a dollop of cream and jam. You can see the scone and accompanying spreads in the lead picture at the top of this post. Butter, clotted cream, jam, a beautiful scone, and a cup of Lemongrass & Peppermint tea.
• Footman’s Feast: Wonderland Salmon Crisp with salmon roe
• Curried Chicken Salad Playing Card Tart: this was a big hit at our table. Huge flavor, neat little package.
• Tweedledee Egg Salad Sandwich: the little yellow flag atop the sandwich is such a clever way to stay on theme without being too on the nose. The whole tray was like this. Not exactly subtle, but small touches that just came off charming instead of over the top.
• Caterpillar Cucumber Roll: we can’t really call it a proper tea without a cucumber sandwich can we?
• Tea Party Tart
• Matcha Mad Hatter: this was a favorite at our table! Not too sweet and not too earthy of a matcha flavor.
• Flamingo Croquet Choux: the craqueline was perfect and the tiny choux was so light and delicious.
• Painting the Rose: hands down the most fun of the sweet treats. The rose comes stark white and a Cast Member comes over the paint it red as the Queen of Hearts would want!

Enhancements

There are two selections under the Enhancements section of the Tea menu that you may order in addition to the tower.

• Seasonal Cheese Selection, $21.00
• Royal Ossetra Caviar: with Mini Chive Biscuits and Traditional Accompaniments, $150.00

We got the Seasonal Cheese Selection this time, but we’re already plotting on the Caviar and Piper-Heidsieck ‘Cuvée Rare’ Brut for $480 a bottle when Len is with us for the day.

We promise to listen harder and chew less the next time so we can hear more details about the cheese. We had to get two trays because everything was so nice. A bite of perfectly in-season Black Mission Fig with a bite of any cheese is a joy. We love how many ways Disney culinary is able to present fruit. The fig fruit strip atop the only hard cheese on the tray was so fun.

Reservations & Price

Reservations can be made on Disney’s website or on the My Disney Experience app. Payment in full is due at the time of your reservation. Any enhancements or drinks other than the included tea will be paid at the end of your tea.

Tax and tip are included in the pre-payment amount for the Tea Experience, but you’ll need to add gratuity to your final check if you order anything additional during your tea service.

Adult: $79 per adult, plus tax and tip = $96.48

Child: $49 per child ages 4-9 years old, plus tax and tip = $59.85

Dining Plans are not accepted here and there are no discounts available.

The Other Afternoon Tea

The Garden View Lounge is not the only tea in town! The Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers at Disney’s Boardwalk offers Roses of Gold Afternoon Tea, too.

The Roses of Gold Tea also requires advance reservations but they cannot be made in the My Disney Experience app. You may make reservations:

• In person at The Cake Bake Shop Restaurant
• By phone (407) 574-3040 between 10:00am – 4:00pm EST
• Email concierge@thecakebakeshop.com

The menu for the Roses of Gold Afternoon Tea includes a selection of French teas, a Lemon Blueberry Scone, Tomato Soup, Finger Sandwiches, and six Pâtisserie to choose from.

Pricing at the Cake Bake Restaurant:

Adult: $95 per adult, plus tax and tip

Child: $65 per child, plus tax and tip

 

We loved this experience at The Garden View Lounge, and while it’s too pricy to do often, we think it’s perfect for special occasions. What do you think? Are you planning to enjoy afternoon tea at The Garden View Lounge?