Reviews of Garden View Lounge Tea
Read prices, menu items, and more
Menus at Garden View Tea Room
Reviewed by Fitzboyzmom Review Date: 01/08/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
I can't say enough nice things about this place. We arrived almost 45 minutes past our reservation, and past the time they were seating people. Long story short, it took us almost 90 minutes to get from Wilderness Lodge to the Grand Floridian. I had been emailing the manager at the restaurant to let them know we were coming, but her last note said that they could not take us it was too late. However, when we arrived, the hostess was very gracious and told us to relax and come right in and relax.
This was a special thing we were doing for my step mom and kind of a surprise, so I was so happy that they let us in.
The tea was very nice and the food as well. A really nice thing to do with the ladies, although my son enjoyed his Mrs. Potts tea (chocolate milk). I can't wait to go back.
Pros:
—Cons:
—Reviewed by Alson Review Date: 06/08/2017
Rating: (9) Recommended
Have 2 daughters with birthdays during June so we decided to go on our last trip. Sunday afternoon at 2:30 was our time. Showed up a little early and were seated immediately. Party of 4, my 3 girls who range in age from 13 to 20 and me, the dad. The 2 birthday girls received a long stemmed rose. We had the 4 course tea and it was very nice. My daughters all enjoyed it and I did too. Out server was very attentive and explained any questions. The place was only about half full. I wore nice khaki shorts and a polo shirt and easily fit in. My girls all wore dresses because they wanted to dress up. The food was good and we enjoyed the experience. We took lots of pictures and would do it again. No complaints at all.
Pros:
Fun, atmosphere,foodCons:
NoneReviewed by Momof4 Review Date: 03/03/2017
Rating: (9) Recommended
I had tea with my 2 girls on Feb 28th. It was our first time here and we enjoyed it. The tea room is small and was very busy but our server, Amanda was wonderful. I enjoyed the light and airy feel of the room. We each ordered the Bedfordshire and I was surprised at the amount of food we received. We all liked and disliked different things but that was the point for us. We wanted to try things that we may not order off of a menu. We all agreed the curried chicken salad was our favorite. The pastries were good but very sweet so we did mostly tasting. We all ordered different teas and found them all enjoyable. I highly recommend giving this a try. It isn't a must do for me but definitely something different. It was a lot of fun spending the time relaxing with my girls.
Pros:
Great service, relaxingCons:
—Reviewed by jjcscanlon Review Date: 08/10/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
My husband and I, along with our teenage daughter enjoyed our Grand Floridian Tea experience. We had reserved a table for 3, but then my picky son decided to join us after he went and picked up some food for himself at Gasparilla Grill. I thought he'd stay at the food court, but he brought it to us - not sure they were happy with that, but didn't say anything to us about it (I wasn't happy he tainted the tea experience LOL).
We all had the Buckingham Palace which was $25 per person, but included a pot of your individual tea choice (kept warm in it's own "blanket" cozy, traditional tea sandwiches (which you could pick and choose from 5 different varieties), a scone and jam tart with fresh strawberry jam, clotted cream and lemon curd and choice of pastries or English Trifle.
The "courses" were spaced nicely and we did not feel rushed, but the amount of goodies you get certainly ensures that this outing can serve as a meal replacement - and looking at it that way, the price of the outing doesn't seem as bad.
the Tea Room was at about 60% capacity, but they do encourage reservations as the room is on the smaller, (yet bright and airy) side overlooking the pool area.
We really enjoyed all the menu offerings we chose and my daughter is still talking about wishing she had gotten the tea we had both had to bring home (a custom blend for the tea room called : Princess Breakfast Tea - A sweet custom blend of South African organic rooibos flavored with vanilla bean and a hint of strawberries. Rich in antioxidants and vitamins, and naturally decaffeinated.)
Since we've been married 19 years ago, we've probably been to Disney over 40 times and we always try to do new things. The Tea was a first time for us and we will most likely do it again.
Pros:
atmosphere, welcomed respiteCons:
noneReviewed by wendybarrie Review Date: 05/23/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
This was my second time at tea, and I still love it, and find great value in it. I did not give it an excellent because I still think there is some confusion that comes along with the tea if your server doesn't work to sort and make things clear. We opted for three different tea menus, and we did not understand that one had two courses, one three and the other four, so when my friend received her second course we sat and sat until the server asked why she wasn't eating then explained she was the only one with that course, which was fine I wish he would have better explained. Also, make sure to ask about the sandwich selections and substitute where you find necessary.
Pros:
Different and a nice midday paceCons:
—Reviewed by mawdryn Review Date: 04/20/2018
Rating: (8) Recommended
Had tea reservations here on March 26th. Check in was a bit disorganized. No one seemed to know what they were doing, which is odd, because things have always run smoothly for us in the past. This was our third time having tea at the GF.
Service seemed a bit rushed.
The food and tea were wonderful. We had fruit, cheese and crackers, tea sandwiches, and lots of yummy desserts.
Pros:
Food and Tea OptionsCons:
In Need of RefurbReviewed by cdcinnamon Review Date: 05/01/2020
Rating: (7) Recommended
We always plan a trip to the tea room when at WDW. It's our way of 'spoiling' ourselves and it's a great break from all the hustle and bustle of Magic Kingdom. Always very relaxing, the staff is wonderful and the tea is delish. Add a glass of bubbly and it's a great way to relax.
Pros:
it's always quiet, the treats and tea are delish, the staff is awesome.Cons:
it's pricey and limited menu especially the sandwich selection. Not huge fans of the egg salad or chicken since 2 out of 3 of us are vegetarian.Reviewed by CinCin Review Date: 11/18/2014
Rating: (6) Recommended
This isn't a place you really go for a gourmet meal, but this is a relaxed respite from the hustle and bustle of park touring and the crowds and lines. I've been twice now and enjoyed my first visit in 2012 so well I made it a must do on my recent trip Nov. 2014. I am quite picky about food and made a couple of substitutions and they happily obliged. I dislike onion and seafood so I had them skip the egg salad and the shrimp sandwiches. I had a nice variety of roasted beet, chicken curry and cucumber watercress. I do like the variety offered. The tea was not quite the same as last time and had no leaves in it. There was no need for the fancy little strainer like it used to and it did not get stronger as it sat so the first cup was the same as the last cup. That was disappointing as this is a tea room. The scones were fine but a bit small and they came with a tiny serving of strawberry jam, lemon curd, and cream and not with the little jars this time. The strawberries were sweet and ripe and topped with a layer of whipped cream. This is a much more filling meal that it appears. I really didn't have room for the strawberries but ate a few anyway as it is my favorite dessert. The setting here was elegant and it was not crowded, very quiet, and the views onto the courtyard/garden area were beautiful. The Grand Floridian resort where this is located is beautiful and elegant and transports you to a Victorian age. The resort is lovely and certainly worth paying a visit to and spending some time at even if you aren't staying there. This was such a relaxing meal and there was the lovely piano music drifting in from the lobby. Overall, this is a bit pricey considering it is just finger sandwiches and a few pastries and fresh strawberries so this experience isn't really about the food so much as the atmosphere. Even though this was a bit different with the tea and the china was plain and not getting the little jars of lemon curd and jam for the pastries, I still enjoyed my visit very much and it still remains on my must do list.
Pros:
relaxing, peaceful, elegant and a great getaway from the parksCons:
pricey for what you getReviewed by hsminnie Review Date: 06/12/2014
Rating: (6) Recommended
Sadly, this family tradition is not what it once was. We've been traveling to WDW with our daughters since 2002 - when they were 10, 7 and 2. It is traditional for us to have tea one afternoon while dad gets a break. This time, because they grow up :), only my husband, our youngest daughter (now 13) and I were on the trip. Bob agreed to come to tea for the first time, and it was Abby's first trip as a tea drinker.
50% of the joy at the cafe is the setting. No matter how crowded the GF lobby becomes, the cafe is always a tranquil respite with beautiful views and good service. It also used to be a place to have good tea and delicious food. Some of this has changed - for the worse.
The tea is still good. In fact, our server made a special brew for my coffee loving husband (they were out of the tea he chose) and he loved it. Abby enjoyed the Imperial English Breakfast and I had the Gardenview Blend. Simple choices, good flavors. 🙂
We were told a la carte ordering was no longer an option - unless it was in addition to one of the 'packages'. This was frustrating because I knew Abby would not like the sandwiches. (1 picky eater of three - not too bad, lol.) We all chose Buckingham Palace.
The sandwiches used to be on thin sliced, dense 'appetizer' breads. Now, they are on regular breads. I did like most, but the pear and gorgonzola - my past favorite - has lost something in translation. I'm wondering if they prepare it differently, or if it was just the bread texture. The salmon is a 'spread' type filling, rather than a slice of smoked salmon, which I would have preferred. Our server brought Abby some PB&J when she noticed she only took one bite from her others. That was really sweet - and not necessary.
The onion tartlet is still yummy. I only take a bite or two - but they are delicious bites :).
The raisin scones are delicious, the jam tart is still an icky pile of goo to me.
Then, it was time for the best part. The VERY best part. Fresh, sweet strawberries with Devon cream. It's amazing. It was. It isn't now. They brought a dessert dish filled with pre-sliced strawberries in Cool-Whip. Cool-Whip. I recognized it because my husband started baking this year, and we discovered the joy and ease of fresh whipped cream. Cool-Whip is distinguishable because it tastes like oil. The strawberries were tiny slices and old. They had that fermented taste. Ugh.
Bob and Abby chose pastries. The eclair was ok - pastry can only survive so well in air - and the filling was sickly sweet. Bob had a chocolate peanut butter thing and they were ok with them.
Not that you would need it, but if you want more tea it's an extra charge. Abby loved the china, the tea cozy and the sugar cubes :). We all loved the relaxation the cafe provides.
We'll try to budget for this in the future, but I don't know if it will be a trip requirement. If they would allow a la carte purchases, definitely. But it's difficult to put aside $95 (tax and tip) for substandard eats. To reiterate, the service and ambiance is always a treat. We sit at our table for an hour or more and enjoy. It is always just a shame to see things slip from customer focused to profit focused in such a blatant way :(.
Pros:
Ambiance, staff, tea (the actual beverage)Cons:
Food quality reduced, no a la carte selectionsReviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 01/11/2021
Rating: (3) Not Recommended
Over 10 years ago I had afternoon tea at the Grand Floridian and it was excellent. The table setting, service and food was wonderful. Since then, over the last 10 years I have had afternoon tea, and each time it appears to get worse. The servers do not seem to be interested, knowledgeable, or professional. You would expect tea at the Grand Floridan to be excellent all around. The table setting was not visually appealing. Just silverware when you are seated. They rush out the courses, so therefore you do not get a chance to enjoy your tea. The tea sandwiches are basic and some of the bread was stale. All around the quality, presentation and experience is horrible. The are cutting corners and it shows. Do not waste your time or money.
