Plaza Gardens Tea Party

[Pinkradleygirl]

Hi everyone.

I'm looking at booking this for May when we go as a surprise for DD as it'll will be her birthday the week before we go.

I've read bits and pieces about Plaza Gardens but I'm all confused now(DH says thats not too hard ), and wondered if anyone had been and had information to share such as the difference between the birthday tea party and a normal party, whats avaliable to eat and can you order a birthday cake?

Thanks for all the help!!

Maxine

 

[britchic4]

I think the CMs have a note of all the birthdays and seat them accordingly. You can order a cake and they sing, but otherwise I think all the food is the same as for everyone else (possibly the child gets a little soft toy too - someone else can confirm that). There's cakes, pastries, jellies and yoghurts, sausages, egg, hash browns etc.
It gets very busy and chaotic but it seems to work quite well apart from the scrum to get in since nobody queues (!).

 

[A Small World]

Thats right the food is the same for everyone but if you book a birthday tea you also get a birthday cake for your table, the birthday person gets a present (usually a soft toy) and the characters all sing to him/her. They also seem to seat the birthday parties in the main part of the restaurant nearer the buffet

Its mainly sweet things but there are often savouries as well such as pizza, sausages, hash browns as well as yoghurts, fruit salad and drinks.
It is a help your self buffet so you can go back as often as you want.

We really enjoyed it but didnt do it as a birthday tea just a normal tea party.
My feeling is that you have loads of cake there anyhow so it seems a waste to pay extra to get a birthday cake as well. I think Id rather just do it as a tea party and then a cake elsewhere at another meal. When we went there were quite a few birthday groups and most of them had left most of teh birthday cake on the table so if you do go and have it as a birthday tea take a bag with you to put whats left of your cake in to take with you.

 

[maleficent_man]

Just to echo what others have said...I've done this a few times (non-birthday) and it's great fun.

 

[Pinkradleygirl]

Thanks for the replies - did you all book before you went or booked on the day?

I like to plan our trip - but the plan usually goes out the window once we get there!!!

 

[A Small World]

We booked at City Hall a few days before. The only problem with this was you only pay when you arrive at the restaurant and they woudlnt seat us til we paid so a CM had to take us to the till and then we were seated. By this time most others were seated and had got to the buffet and characters were coming round.
We got round it by DH staying with DD at the table so she wouldnt miss any characters and I did the food run.
I would like to do this again when we go in Summer but I think we'll book in advance so we can pay beforehand

 

[britchic4]

We booked in advance but didn't pay - they seated us but brought a bill straight away.

 

[ruthiebabie]

We booked in advance (table of 8) - the CM took 7 of the group to the table and I went off and paid the cashier.

 

[sara969]

My feeling is that you have loads of cake there anyhow so it seems a waste to pay extra to get a birthday cake as well.
I think Id rather just do it as a tea party and then a cake elsewhere at another meal.quote]

Exactly my opinion too!
We are going in November and will be celebrating my daughters 3rd Birthday there.
We will book her Birthday Celebration at ''Cafe Mickey'' we will have a nice meal and have her Birthday cake ordered there.
We have booked the Character Tea at Plaza Gardens, but just as a tea without the birthday cake as i know the Buffet there is full of sweets, cake, cookies, and other desserts and i felt it would be a waste of money ordering a Birthday cake and not managing to eat it as we would be full from all the sweets things on the buffet and it would get too sickly!
I would recommend having the birthday celebration at a resturant such as Cafe Mickey as you get character interaction and you can eat the birthday cake instead of a dessert after your meal.
You could still do the Character Tea though as an extra treat.
Thats what we are going to do

 

[Pinkradleygirl]

My feeling is that you have loads of cake there anyhow so it seems a waste to pay extra to get a birthday cake as well.
I think Id rather just do it as a tea party and then a cake elsewhere at another meal.quote]

Exactly my opinion too!
We are going in November and will be celebrating my daughters 3rd Birthday there.
We will book her Birthday Celebration at ''Cafe Mickey'' we will have a nice meal and have her Birthday cake ordered there.
We have booked the Character Tea at Plaza Gardens, but just as a tea without the birthday cake as i know the Buffet there is full of sweets, cake, cookies, and other desserts and i felt it would be a waste of money ordering a Birthday cake and not managing to eat it as we would be full from all the sweets things on the buffet and it would get too sickly!
I would recommend having the birthday celebration at a resturant such as Cafe Mickey as you get character interaction and you can eat the birthday cake instead of a dessert after your meal.
You could still do the Character Tea though as an extra treat.
Thats what we are going to do

Thanks for that. We did Cafe mickey on our last trip in February (and May last year), so wanted to try something different. I'd heard that Plaza Gardens was good but was undecided. If you book the birthday party do you get a slice of birthday cake? I was tempted to buy a cake as you can NEVER have too much cake!!!

 

[A Small World]

Unless they've changed it you get a whole birthday cake for your party not just a slice

 

[JC Butterfly]

when you book the birthday party, does everyone in the group pay the birthday price? or only the birthday person?

does everyone in the group get extra goodies? or only the birthday person?

Can there be more than one person in the group celebrating the birthday?

 

[A Small World]

when you book the birthday party, does everyone in the group pay the birthday price? or only the birthday person?

does everyone in the group get extra goodies? or only the birthday person?

Can there be more than one person in the group celebrating the birthday?

I think everyone pays the birthday price but only birthday person gets the gift. I dont see why you couldnt have more than one celebrating the birthday

 

[kevg1889]

We had the character meals at Plaza Gardens, Lucky Nugget and Cafe Mickey and they were all very good in their own way, but nothing will ever compare to Cafe Mickey for a birthday celebration. If you read my trippie, all the meals are covered in great detail, particularly Cafe Mickey, which warrants a full thread all to itself.