GF Afernoon Tea

[blanq]

Believe or not I have a 15 yo son who is interested in attending the afternoon tea at the GF and my DH thought it would be cool too when he heard about it. I am somewhat shocked at DS's request...he is a 6ft, size 13 shoe, sports-loving, clumsy teen...definately not the kind you would think would want afternoon tea. He is about as unrefined as they come but I love the kid dearly. I think he is interested in this english tradition, and truth be told he is interested in all sorts of cultural traditions and experiences so I suppose I should be thankful for that. I am the only female in this family, and the lone holdout. I hate tea. I hate to be prim and proper. Anyway, can anyone give me some information about their experiences with this? Is it a thumbs up or thumbs down? Is it worth the money?

 

[MickeyNicki]

DH and I did this in March/April and we loved it!

Click here for a full review and tons of pics!

http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=24204931&postcount=126

 

[Shell54]

Nice review MickeyNicki If it's any consolation to the OP, my DH and I booked it for the first time in Feb and we both can't wait to try it. We're not prim & proper-ish types. I've read some fun TR's where folks put the tea cozys (sp) on their heads Have fun! It's your vacation.

 

[AZ Navy Wife]

I have had many wonderful experiences at the Afternoon Tea. It is always a wonderful afternoon. Most servers are very aware of how much service or how little service you would like. Every time that I have gone, my entire party loves it and want to do it again. My husband has already made sure that it is booked for our January trip. In addition to tea, you can order pressed coffee as well as alcohol or even chocolate milk. Please don't let that stop you. I don't know that your son would "learn" much culture-wise from the experience, but it truly is a place to slow down and take a deep breath during a Disney vacation. As far as stuffy goes? I've always worn jeans or even shorts and a t-shirt. The staff doesn't care, they see it every day. I hope that you take a chance and try this wonderful hole-in-the-wall...I am always glad that I have!

 

[Luv2Roam]

DH enjoys the tea. The food is good and not something you can just get anywhere else.
One time when we went half the place was men. So word has gotten out.
They offer a variety of beverages from sparkling champagne or apple cider to (of course) tea. You can even get coffee.
I would feel confident anything you order there would be good.
DH once did order one option that included sparkling wine. Not being a wine person he opted for the sparkling apple cider. That was fine. But it is the same brand anyone can buy in the grocery store.

 

[disneyin2008]

Call soon to make reservations....this gem has been a hidden treasure for many years but has become less hidden now and is difficult to get reservations sometimes. Between the small number of tables and the short hours, it can be a challenge!

Plan this as a meal, even for a teenage boy as the little sandwiches and all the sweets are very filling, not to mention the delicious tea! I warn of this because our first time we scheduled tea at 2pm when they opened and dinner at 6:30pm, and we ended up cancelling dinner because at 6pm no one even wanted to discuss food. We ended up sharing a box of popcorn and each had a mickey ear ice cream around 9pm as "dinner", and were fine until breakfast the next morning.

This is, of course, more of a female "thing"....but all three times that we have been there has been at least one male in the room. If he's asking for it, then absolutely go for it....I think I'd hestitate to force it on a teen boy, but I would NEVER discourage one that was asking from going.

On the other hand, my own DH would rather hang by his fingernails from the rooftop than attend a tea.......so consider yourself lucky that your son is more mature than my husband, lol. THankfully I have two lovely daughters to take with me!

 

[mmmears]

We've done this several times. My DM, my DD (even when she was a toddler), my DH and I all love the tea. It looks like hardly any food, but we always leave pretty full. Plus, it's such a nice, calm experience in the middle of all the WDW crowds.

Have a great time!

 

[jeminni]

Go to this. This was one of my best meals last November. I can't wait to go again in December. You wont feel out of place at all. I saw people there in every form of dress and lots of men there. I'm sure you will enjoy it.

 

[disney1990]

Definitely go! My DH & I do this quite often. We took our 2 grandchildren just this past June.

 

[hmm]

I took DW and DD7 to this last week and it was great. Definitely get reservations well in advance because the room is small and nobody is in much of a hurry. The latest I could book ours was 3:50 and we didn't end up leaving there until well after 5:00. Somehow, the time just flew by though because it sure didn't seem like that long. The food was great and the highlight was the Cinderella slipper dessert I had pre-ordered for DD coming at the end.

Just a note that some of the reviews here refer to a box of tea samples they had so you could smell the various teas. While we were there, they told us the box had to be sent for repairs and hasn't returned, so you may have to just trust the descriptions from the menu and the staff like we did. They were very helpful though! I definitely recommend it.

 

[disneylove69]

We did this as a meal. A little on the pricey side and the service was just o.k. but the food was good. The best part is you don't have to dress up and no need for pinkies in the air.

 

[blanq]

Thanks for all of the replies. Based on them, I think I am willing to the this a try!

 

[DLBDS]

My DM, DD11 and I love doing the tea. It's a fun time. Just go and enjoy the tea, food, ambiance and company of your family. The food is yummy! As is the tea....I'm not a big tea drinker myself. I prefer coffee but the Eros tea was wonderful. We're doing tea again in Feb. I hope they still have it!

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . I hate tea. I hate to be prim and proper . . .

1) You just have the right tea experiences.
2) Drink your tea like being in India, or public tea houses in London.
3) Ask the hostess to fill the cup with 2-4 tablespoons of rum or spiced rum. *
4) After 3-4 cups, you would surprised how much you now enjoy tea.

It is called, "East Indian Goods Tea" or "Sailor's Tea.