Afternoon Tea at GF

[leighe]

I am considering taking my MIL to afternoon tea at the GF this trip. I know there are several different options for this. Which would you chose and why? Thanks so much! Oh - neither of us knows much about tea - we definitely aren't coniseurs (sp? and I'm a teacher for heaven's sake ) but I would love to learn. Thanks!

 

[brerbearcreek]

Hi!

This was my FAVORITE thing I did on the next trip and I can't wait to get back. In fact, we ended up going several times the last time.

As for the teas, experiment & see what you like! (they serve Harney & Sons tea and will also sell you some of the loose tea if you'd like but it's cheaper on Harney's site) The staff here is so nice and accomodating. We ended up ordering a la carte everytime instead of one of the standard tea offerings so we could try more. The fruit & cheese plate was excellent and I've spent a million dollars in DFW tracking down the same cheese. The scones & devonshire cream were to die for, I ate SO many - it wasn't exactly a dainty display on my part. The tea sandwiches were also excellent although my sister wasn't too fond of all of them. Also thumbs up to the lemon pound cake!

BTW, one of my sisters is an elementary teacher and she wasn't that enthused about going in the first place, she thought it was going to be uptight and stuffy. She was the one pressuring us to leave the parks later that week to take a couple hours for tea.

Anyway, I've talked your head off! Go & have fun, I hope you love it!

 

[leighe]

That sounds soooo great. I'm really excited about it. Do I need to get a PS? I promised DH this would be a laid-back trip without a lot of scheduling and I've already made 9 PSs - not counting our ressies for Hoop Dee Do Review! Oh well - I tried - really I did!

 

[Belle5]

Leighe,
About PS's...you just never can be sure. You could show up and see a few empty tables or, like when we were there in early December, there could be thirty people waiting standby--none of which were ever seated. All the people with PS's showed up. I really think that the tea is gaining in popularity. I wouldn't chance it. Unless you are staying at the GF so going by there wouldn't be out of your way...

I loved the tea sandwiches that came with my order (Buckingham Palace, maybe? I'm not sure now...)! If you have the opportunity to have a chocolate dipped strawberry, do! I didn't order the tea that is the house specialty. I ordered a cinnamon one that was truly wonderful. (Someone else on this board suggested it.) I'm usually a chocolate nut, but my server steered me away from the chocolate finger cake I was going to select and toward a puff pastry swan filled with a sweet cream. It was to die for! Make sure you try it!

 

[brerbearcreek]

I would definitely get a PS as soon as you can. We had problems getting one.

However, the days that we just decided to go I called from the parks or other resorts for a PS and they told us there weren't any left. We ended up going over to the GF and asking and they fit us in even though Disney Dining said they were full.

 

[dahirsh]

I had the Buckingham Palace last October. And loved it. Would absolutely go again. I planned on choosing a more traditional tea to drink, but it was so hot that I stayed away from anything caffinated. I think I had a decaf raspberry tea. And I choose the strawberries and cream rather than the pastries. Yummy!

Deb

 

[RoeMc1992]

I agree with the last poster. I also had the Buckingham Palace and it was great. I had a peppermint tea and the strawberries and cream and everything was great. Denis was our server and he was among the best I have encountered at WDW.

 

[allyn]

my wife and i tried the afternoon tea during a visit about 3 weeks ago. also both had the buckingham palace. i had the "grand floridian blend" tea or whatever it is called and i can't remember what my wife had. something different. i had the strawberries and cream for dessert and she had the pastries, she tried the swan thingy but wasn't that into the raspberry mousse center.

the couple at the next table said this was their third day in a row at afternoon tea. i guess they really liked it!

our server was terrible so i can't remember her name.

 

[Belle5]

My swan thingy didn't have a raspberry mousse center. It was a white cream filling. So, if they only have raspberry filling in there swan thingies that day--don't choose it!