Has anyone been to the original Gideon's Bakehouse?? Is it worth the trip?

TwingleMum

DIS Veteran
Joined
Dec 12, 2002
Messages
6,775
I may have a car on my next trip. Is it worth the ride to go to the original Gideon's?? I had Gideon's my last trip and while the cookies were good the cake was amazing. But I heard the cakes may be different at the original store and not be as generous with the frosting. Any thoughts?? I may be driving from MCO to WDW so I was thinking of taking a detour to the original location on my way from the airport.
 
Heard from several people that the original store has no line.
Go figure.
 
The original usually doesn't have too long of a line, usually about 5-10 minutes. Things to note: Due to the location of being in the East End Market, parking can be hard to come by, especially on the weekend. Also, remember the coffee cake cookies are exclusive to the Disney Springs location so you can't get them there. But there are a lot of really cool shops and food options in East End so it may be worth checking out!
 
I'm a local, so I go all the time. There is usually a bit of a line (15-20 minutes) on weekends. Weekdays, particularly midday, don't have much, if any, of a line. As PP noted, parking can be difficult, especially on weekends; Saturdays even moreso than Sunday.
The cookies and cakes are identical. They are both made in a production kitchen in Winter Park. Neither location does any baking on site.
 

If it's on both menus, it'll be exactly the same at both locations.

We went to the original before the DS one opened and parking was killer but there was no line. It's basically a kiosk inside a food hall/market. I was in and out in less than 5 minutes.
 
In regards to taking "the detour" keep in mind that you will be going the opposite direction from WDW when you leave MCO. At the minimum you are talking an additional hour long trip and mostly likely an hour and half. Plus you will have to deal with the I-4 reconstruction.
 
The original is the only one we go to. So much better than the crowds at DS. There’s also other stores in the little mall it’s in which is nice.
 
Heard from several people that the original store has no line.
Go figure.

Because locals realize it’s just OK. But because it’s on Disney property and has hype (and hype begets more hype), tourists think it’s amazing. It’s no different than Georgetown Cupcake or any other tourist trap food item.
 
There is hardly ever a long line at the original location, however it’s a decent drive down I4. Typically by the time I factor that in, I decide to go to the Springs location. Waiting 3 hours at springs is preferable to driving 90 minutes round trip on I4 IMO. That being said there’s other stores/eateries at East End, including a place with a great grilled cheese
 
Thanks everyone. I think we may do the detour b/c we really aren't planning to go to a park anyway nd we are arriving pretty early. I'll have to research what else is there (East End) .
 
Everyone saying there is no line - that's wild to me. I guess I haven't been since they opened at DS. I went to the EE location before they ever opened DS and every time I went, there was a 20+ minute wait.

Parking is also a nightmare, and it's just a single small bar area inside the market.

The only reason to go to East End's location is because the actual market is nice and has a lot of other great food in there. If you go, you should plan to have lunch there. Some great choices are La Femme du Fromage (artisan cheese - they have delicious flatbreads), Domu (ramen bar), Hinckley's Fancy Meats (sandwiches - my husband had a bison sandwich there that he still talks about).
 
Everyone saying there is no line - that's wild to me. I guess I haven't been since they opened at DS. I went to the EE location before they ever opened DS and every time I went, there was a 20+ minute wait.

Parking is also a nightmare, and it's just a single small bar area inside the market.

The only reason to go to East End's location is because the actual market is nice and has a lot of other great food in there. If you go, you should plan to have lunch there. Some great choices are La Femme du Fromage (artisan cheese - they have delicious flatbreads), Domu (ramen bar), Hinckley's Fancy Meats (sandwiches - my husband had a bison sandwich there that he still talks about).
There is often a short line (20-30 minutes) on weekends, but I have never encountered a line on a weekday.
 
Because locals realize it’s just OK. But because it’s on Disney property and has hype (and hype begets more hype), tourists think it’s amazing.

The locals are mostly the same locals and DS has the advantage of thousands and thousands of visitors coming for the first or only time. I have 365 days this year to check out the new doughnut place one town over from me and if I like it, I can have another literally any time I want. - I had exactly six hours this entire year in which I was in DS to get those cookies and the next opportunity won't be for two years or more.

The cookies are really good. 20 minute wait good but not hours of wait good (no baked good is worth that). They deserve hype.
The coffee is awful and if you've ever had one of those pre-made "iced lattes" that come from the machine at 7-11 then you'll know what I'm talking about.
 
If you just want cookies, you can pre-order the day before from the orlando location and then run in to pick them up, which allows you to skip the line if there is one. If you want cake you can't pre-order that, though - you have to stand in line. The orlando location also doesn't have the cold brew.

We've pre-ordered cookies twice and were able to pick them up within 2 minutes of getting to the store. Use the Next Day Preorder link on their website (not the regular pre-order link which is for large catering orders).
 















Receive up to $1,000 in Onboard Credit and a Gift Basket!
That’s right — when you book your Disney Cruise with Dreams Unlimited Travel, you’ll receive incredible shipboard credits to spend during your vacation!
CLICK HERE














DIS Facebook DIS youtube DIS Instagram DIS Pinterest DIS Tiktok DIS Twitter

Back
Top