Our Ratings of Afternoon Tea at Grand Floridian: (*rev 01/14/2016*)
. . . food price value: D
. . . food quality: C
. . . food quantity per serving: B
. . . food prep speed: C
. . . food selection: D
. . . seating quantity: C
. . . seating comfort: A
. . . eatery atmosphere: B
. . . eatery convenience: C
. . . staff friendliness: B
. . . staff attentiveness: C
. . . character interaction: n/a
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Our Recommendations:
. . . appys:... n/a
. . . entree:.. Derbyshire Tea
. . . dessert:. n/a
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NOTE1: The "Tea" is in a gracious atmosphere overlooking the pool and gardens of the Grand Floridian. A relaxing way to put a civilized break into your hectic park day. A negative for the true tea aficionado, is they serve only Pekoe (OP)grade for non-green tea. Reservations are almost a must. Casual "park attire" is fine, or you can "dress up".
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You order packages. Anyone can order any package; except being no alcohol for the underage drinkers. Plan upon 1½-2 hours if you do it right and enjoy a relaxing respite. It may sound "stuffy" or "uppity", but not really. It's just people in a quite and sedate atmosphere. Hours: 2:00pm-5:00pm, except December when hours are 1:00pm-5:00pm. Now, you guys don't get discouraged or feel out of place (well, at least not TOO much). There are other gents that get-roped-into-going (I mean join their spouses). Actually, it is a pleasant experience for us dudes. After all, look at all the Englishmen that do it. OK so not the best example, but you WILL enjoy it.
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NOTE2: This is not up to the par of either High Tea or the Afternoon Tea, but it is a good way to spend an afternoon. As an FYI, High Tea and Afternoon Tea are different. "High Tea" is a later-afternoon event with more food, including meats. Also note that the "clotted cream" isn't, and they charge for additional pots of tea. Yeah, I know, it it pretty cheap and cheesy. I actually prefer the Tea at Waldorf Astoria on property and it's less expensive than the WDW Tea, even for the better selections. We enjoyed "Tea" at The Savoy and The Claridge's. The GF Tea does not rise to the quality of either. Take a cab to The Waldorf on property; better pricing, better teas, better service.
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NOTE3: No longer can you order ala carte. You MUST order a package. With package, you may add ala carte items. It seems lots of folks came and did not spend a lot of money. They would just do ala carte. In fact, some simply ordered tea and nothing to eat, or just a few pastries. Disney is in the biz of big revenue, hence the change. Dollars-per-chair-per-hour. The Afternoon Tea is not on the Disney Dining Plan. No sharing of plates to reduce the price per-person.
Sample ala carte items (subject to change):
. . . British Cheese Plate $14.50
. . . Gentlemen's Tea Platter (berries, cheese) $12.00
. . . Assorted Tea Sandwich Plate (five sandwiches) $10.00
. . . English Blue Stilton Cheese $8.50
. . . Strawberries & Cream $6.95
. . . English Triffle $6.95
. . . Scones with Devonshire Cream $3.50
. . . Jam Tarts $3.50
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NOTE4: Disney changed the menu and prices, again. The prices are now OUTRAGEOUS; maybe the famous PT Barnum was put in charge of the menu & pricing. The prices are ridiculously high. I have taken The WDW Tea off my recommended list. We do not expect to return to it soon. I have taken The WDW Tea off my recommended list for guests who come to my desk.
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HIGH TEA PRIMER (from NPR):
{b}AFTERNOON TEA{/b] the kind of fancy-schmancy affair where we might spot Lady Mary of Downton Abbey emerged as a social event sometime around the 1830s or 1840s, Richardson writes in A Social History of Tea. And Anna Maria Russell, duchess of Bedford, led the pack.
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Anna Russell, duchess of Bedford. According to the accepted legend, the duchess, and her hunger pangs, created the afternoon tea tradition. Back then, lunch for the upper crust was generally a light repast served at noon, and dinner occurred no earlier than 7:30 p.m. As legend has it, during one long, food-less afternoon, the duchess felt hunger pangs and ordered tea and snacks to her bedroom chamber. The refreshments did the trick, and Russell soon made this tea break a habit.
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The duchess' well-heeled friends began joining her in this post-lunch tea ritual, the story goes, and the practice spread in aristocratic circles. Though some historical references call this ritual
"LOW TEA" because the ladies would sit in low armchairs while sipping afternoon tea was hardly a humble affair then.
Nor is it today.
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Here's where you'll find those crustless finger sandwiches and an array of dainty scones, cakes, macaroons and other tempting nibbles. Afternoon tea is generally served around 3 or 4 p.m. these days. Richardson says it's a time to mind your manners. Place your napkin on your lap and stir gently. Splashing tea, clinking cups and spoons and finger licking will make you appear beastly.
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And definitely don't devour everything in front of you. Richardson recalls advice that international etiquette expert (and Liv Tyler's grandmother) Dorothea Johnson once gave him: You don't actually want to appear hungry at this meal propriety calls for restraint.
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If you think that's rough, tea etiquette was stricter back in the day. "Women could tell a lot about a man by how he handled tea cup back then," Richardson says. In the 1800s, he says, "a suitable mate could be easily dropped if you saw him mishandling how he put his spoon on his saucer after he stirred his cup."
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Fortunately, the pressure is off when it comes to
HIGH TEA. Despite its name, high tea actually originated with the lower classes. Dinner was served midday in the 1800s, but in practice, working stiffs didn't have the luxury of an afternoon lunch break, so they took tea right after work with heartier fare like pies, meats and cheeses to sate their hunger. Richardson says the name high tea probably evolved from the fact that this evening meal was served at proper dinner tables, rather than on couches or settees. Using the term "HIGH TEA" when you really mean "AFTERNOON TEA" is a dead giveaway you're American.
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"The Ritz-Carlton staff in London always can tell it's an American when they call for high tea at two in the afternoon," Richardson says. But no matter what you request, Richardson stresses, "Keep those pinkies down!" "Americans in the Ritz's tea room stand out because they work so hard to keep their pinkies extended while holding their teacup," he says while laughing. "It makes you look pretentious." Despite all these rules, don't get too hung up on proper behavior and not making a fool of yourself. British tea time is meant to be relaxing. "If you pay attention to your manners, put the napkin in your lap and keep your feet off the table, you'll probably be OK."
Have a great time if you do it.
