Top 5 Reasons to Visit the Grand Floridian’s Garden View Lounge
After 6 years, the Grand Floridian’s Garden View Tea Room has reopened as the Garden View Lounge! The lounge offers an afternoon tea experience that goes for $79 per adult and $49 per child. While it’s certainly a splurge, here’s why you may want to consider it for your next Disney World vacation.
1. The Tea Experience
This isn’t simply ordering tea from a menu. The cast members present the loose tea leaves in glass jars and walk you through each type, so don’t worry if you aren’t sure what to pick. You can even smell the teas to get a better sense of the aromatics in each tea. While each guest selects one tea, you can try a different one later if you would like. You can choose from among 8 varieties of Twinings loose leaf teas:
- Orangery of Lady Grey
- London Strand Breakfast
- Nutty Chocolate Flavoured Assam
- Spicy Chai
- Exotic Mango & Ginger
- Lemongrass & Peppermint
- Redbush Caramel Velvet
- Blackcurrant & Lavender
2. The Thoughtful Presentation
The presentation of each menu item is beautiful, and Alice in Wonderland fans will love the little nods to the animated film. For example, there’s the Match Mad Hatter cake that is shaped like the Mad Hatter’s green hat or the bright pink Flamingo Croquet Choux that looks like one of the flamingos that the Queen of Hearts uses in her game of croquet. Even the Curried Chicken Salad Playing Card Tart resembles a playing card with its rectangular shape and cherry gelée hearts.
For guests with special dietary needs, there is the Plant-Based Afternoon Tea or Gluten/Wheat Allergy-Friendly Afternoon Tea. If you have any other allergies, items can be swapped out.
3. The Beautiful Space
Before it opened, the Garden View Lounge was completely renovated. Its aesthetic now matches the rest of the newly refurbished Grand Floridian lobby with lots of tree, flower, and bird motifs seen in the furniture, stained glass windows, and carpeting. The lounge is quite small and still feels intimate despite being just off of the lobby.
As the name of the lounge implies, it offers a beautiful view of the resort grounds and gardens, and the floor-to-ceiling windows let in lots of natural light.
4. A Kid-Friendly Special Experience
This afternoon tea is far from stuffy, and the Garden View Lounge can be a perfect special outing for kids who love to play tea party. The lounge offers a Children’s Afternoon Tea that is perfect for kids ages 3 to 9 with its whimsical presentation and more familiar flavors, such as the following:
- Orange-Cranberry Scone
- Fanciful Turkey Wrap
- Sunflower Seed Butter and Jelly Bun
- Queen of Hearts Cheese Toastie
- Cheshire Cat Raspberry Macaron
- Chocolate Brownie Branch
- White Rabbit Cupcake
Adults who are picky eaters will be happy to know that they can also choose the Children’s Afternoon Tea if they prefer.
5. The Wonderful Cast Members and Overall Experience
For $79 per person plus tax, the afternoon tea experience isn’t cheap, but you’re really paying for the experience. You aren’t just there for the tea and light bites. The cast members can make some great recommendations on the tea selection (having the Nutty Chocolate-Flavored Assam with milk and sugar to make it resemble a hot chocolate was great advice), and they truly make the experience special with their attentive service. At the conclusion of your meal, you receive a personalized card with a poem and cards with descriptions of the teas you tried. These are not only a nice touch but a fun keepsake from the experience as well.
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