The Grand Floridian’s Garden View Lounge offers a lovely afternoon tea. If you enjoy a beautiful setting, a spot of tea, little finger sandwiches, tiny house-made pastries, English Trifle, and fresh fruit with cream then this experience is perfect for you. Here is my review of an afternoon tea at the Garden View Lounge.
The Garden View Lounge is located inside the Grand Floridian, at the far end of the lobby, on the first floor. There are lovely cherub statues, whimsical seating, and of course fancy tea cups with linen napkins. With the open-air feel to the space, and the floor-to-ceiling windows, you still have that true Grand Floridian essence of fancy grandeur.
The first item on the menu you need to choose is your pot of tea. The choices are vast, but never fear, your waiter specializes in assisting you with your selection based on your individual level of tea experience and flavor preferences. I do not typically drink tea, however I needed some caffeine and I enjoy fruit flavors. Based on these facts, my waiter Kit made a couple of suggestions to assist with my final decision.
I was torn between the Berry Green Tea and Enchanted Forest tea. I decided to go with the Berry Green Tea and I was not disappointed. Green Tea tends to be a bit milder. When you add the enhancements of strawberry, blueberry, marigold, and cornflower you have a very flavorful tea. You will get 4 cups of tea as each person gets their own teapot filled with lovely tea. If you like your tea really sweet then you can add a cube, or two, of sugar.
After ordering tea, you will need to choose your actual tea meal. Prices vary based on accompaniments. All tea meals, including the children’s Mrs. Potts Tea option, include a first course, a second course, and a finale. Other options add champagne and/or a third course as well. Since champagne gives me a headache, I chose The Bedfordshire Tea.
The first course arrived along with a lovely fabric cover to place over my teapot to keep the tea hot. The first course contained finger sandwiches, fruits, cheeses, and Lavosh. My favorite finger sandwich was the Golden Beet and Goat Cheese Sandwich. Other choices were Egg Salad, Sweet Curried Chicken, and Cucumber with Boursin Cheese. There was an adorable Carmelized Onion Tart that was actually quite pleasant. I do not typically care for anything with onion but this tart was delicious with a lightly sweet flavor. The Tillimook Cheese along with the Derbyshire Sage-Infused Cheese, made nice accompaniments to the Lavosh Cracker.
The second course and the finale arrived together on a lovely little silver display stand. The Jam Tart and the Buttery Scone are accompanied by lemon curd, whipped butter and jellied apricot. I was particularly fond of adding the lemon curd to the jam tart. The sweet and sour combination was truly delectable.
On to the piece de resistance; The Finale. You choose between three different options: Strawberries & Cream, English Trifle, or House-Made Pastries. The Strawberries & Cream are fresh and light without being too sweet. The English Trifle is slightly sweeter and creamier. The House-Made Pastries included two French Macarons, a Chocolate-Covered Strawberry, and my personal favorite, a Swan-Shaped Cream Puff.
What visit to the Grand Floridian would be complete without a selfie taken with none other than Richard Gerth? At 91 years young, this gentleman has become a Legend in his own right, and is endeared by all who have the pleasure of meeting him. He is the Official Grand Floridian Greeter and you will typically see him along the front entrance walkway of The Grand Floridian. When he is not doing that, he is assisting Brides as the Official Disney Fairytale Wedding Greeter. Be sure to look for him when you arrive for afternoon tea.
I highly recommend a reservation for Afternoon Tea at the Garden View Lounge. The atmosphere is whimsical, fancy and fun. The food quality and presentation are fabulous. In closure I wish to acknowledge that the Afternoon Tea experience, at the Grand Floridian’s Garden View Lounge, is truly magical.
Are you planning to have Afternoon Tea on your next visit to the Walt Disney World Resort? Please leave your comments in the box below.
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