Crazy rains! I remember seeing Vicki's photos and that was just wild. 
Ladies tea sounds so fun!!! We have to do something fun like that.That was so nice of the good folks at WL to arrange for the transportation to get to GF! Glad you were able to keep your tradition alive!
Do they accept TiW at the GF tea? It may be on my radar for December....hmmm... ladies tea. Sounds good!
Barb: I'm so glad that you shared your proud mom photo of your DS and his girlfriend. They look so lovely!
I love GF tea! It's a tradition now for me too. The lemon curd is absolutely divine. Apparently it's the GF Head pastry chef's family recipe. I could eat a bucket of it.
Jill in CO
Great Review of the Garden View Tea Room.
DD & I have also made it a mother/daughter tradition to go to the tea. We love it.
I am going to take the suggestion to substitute the shrimp tea sandwich for another but I really like the egg salad, so I am going to trade for that one. I also like that you went ala carte. We have a plan to do this also but DD is 11, so she is still going to get the Mrs. Potts tea and she is picky. So it is all good. I want DD to try the scones this time. So I plan to order a plate of scones for her.
I can't wait to return!
We used TIW on our visit.
i took barb's advice & substituted the salmon & got an extra pear & gorgonzola sandwich. it was great advice from barb.the pear & gorgonzola sandwich was delicious.
But I have to ask...did Rachel substitute too or did she give the salmon a try? I'm very curious to know if we had a bad batch or if their salmon salad always tastes "like a barn smells". 
, I not only let him off the hook for dinner but I also offered to go down to Roaring Forks to get him something to eat while he watched the game. 
, I decided to get him a similar salad which was listed on the menu at Roaring Fork.
My DH claims that the victory was stolen from Illinois by a bad call from the refs near the end of the game. So I'm thinking that perhaps his dinner that night may have tasted a bit like sour grapes???
My last installment ended with our early lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern. Since we had already checked off everything on our Magic Kingdom list, we decided it was then time to head back to Wilderness Lodge for an afternoon nap. As we were walking down Main Street to make our exit, my family took note of how crowded the park had become while we were inside LTT having our lunch. I know this because on the bus back to our resort they actually thanked me for making them get up early that morning in order to avoid the massive crowds that had now descended upon Magic Kingdom.
Picture borrowed from Vicki's (GoofySon'sMom) Dining Report
(If you haven't yet read this installment of her report, which I will title "Hang on to your balloons!!!"
Meanwhile, we were happily napping in our room at the Wilderness Lodge and with our drapes closed, were completely oblivious to the storm which was developing. My phone alarm went off 15 min. before we needed to leave for our tea (DH had agreed to drive us to the Grand Floridian). DD and I had just enough time to change clothes and then the three of us were out our door and on our way out to the parking lot to retrieve our car. However, upon reaching the lobby we stopped dead in our tracks when we saw what was happening outside. This was not the usual quick and light rainstorm that we have experienced many times during our trips to Florida. You know, the kind where you pull out your umbrella and continue on your merry wayand then before you know it, the sun is shining again. No this was the "Mighty winds a'blowing, sideways deluge" kind of rain that no umbrella could possibly protect you from.
The kind where you end up looking something like this...
(The picture Vicki sent to Rachel that afternoon for the Live Thread)
So needless to say, I made a quick about face and headed directly to the Guest Services desk to change our reservation to another day. I then soon discovered that there were no other available times that would work with our schedule. While I was breaking the bad news to DD, the Guest Services CM called over a manager to see if there was anything that could be done to remedy our situation. We were then pleasantly surprised when the manager handed us a voucher for a complimentary cab ride over to the Grand Floridian and promised to call over and let them know that we were on our way. And so, with the help of a little pixie dust, we arrived for our tea 45 minutes late, but more importantly we arrived DRY!
But let me back up just a bit to explain the reason behind this dining choice. Having afternoon tea at the Garden View Lounge has long been a tradition for my DD and me. Our first time was in Nov. 2007 and we were celebrating my DD's 18th birthday.
My very happy DD donning the birthday tiara she was given by our server.
From that time on we were hooked and have included a mother/daughter tea in our plans during every Disney World trip since.
And so, this was our 6th time having Afternoon Tea at the...
Here are some pictures of the menu we were presented...
Since we had already had our lunch, we decided not to have the "Grand Tea" or "Buckingham Palace" like we normally do.
Instead we ordered from the a la carte menu...
We each started with a pot of tea and a plate of tea sandwiches...
For our tea, we both chose our favorite, which is one of the Garden View Lounge's Signature Blends...
Princess Breakfast Tea for Two
Of course, when sipping tea in a lovely and sophisticated place like the Garden View, it is mandatory to raise your pinkie.
And here is a picture of the tea sandwiches...
5 Assorted Tea Sandwiches - Pear & Gorgonzola, Curried Chicken Salad, Salmon Salad, Egg Salad and Cucumber & Watercress - Our Rating 4/5
(and as a bonus you receive a delicious little sweet onion tart)
These were all very good, just as they have always been, except for the salmon one. It has replaced the Shrimp Salad in the assortment, and it was not a good change.My DD described the flavor of the salmon as being "like a barn smells."
Now I'm not entirely sure what she meant by this, but I can tell you that this sandwich smelled and tasted very fishy.
For our second and final course, we shared one a la carte order of the Freshly Baked Scones...
Our Rating - 5/5
We each received a plate with one scone and two small bowls, one with a scoop of Devonshire Cream and the other filled with Strawberry Preserves. While you are given a choice of Strawberry Preserves or Lemon Curd, we have always chosen the preserves. However, after hearing from emmebear and Rachel on the Live Thread that the lemon curd is heavenly here, I think next time I'm going to give it a try. But regardless of which second topping you choose, you can't really go wrong here once you have generously slathered that Devonshire Cream on your scone. The preserves or lemon curd are just "icing on the cake".
We were too full for the strawberries & whipped cream, English Trifle, or assorted pastries which are usually part of the next course. So I will finish this review with another picture of my DD...
No tiara this time, but still looking very happy!
And with that, here ends another Mother/Daughter Tea at the Garden View, which was Practically Perfect in Every Way.
ETA: Although the Garden View Tea is not part of the DDP and as far as I know does not offer any other discounts (like AP or DVC), it does accept Tables in Wonderland for a 20% discount.
Next up: Dinner for one from Roaring Forks
Yay for the pear & gorgonzola!
Ladies tea in December, I have my pinkies manicured and ready for this!!!
My condolences for the Illinois loss but at least your DH has a nice wife who delivered dinner!!
