Tea, Tea, Which Tea for Me?

[TigerlilyAJ]

I love tea. I like Victoriana. It would seem necessary for me to have tea at GF. But which option should we take? (I'm on the phone with a CM as I type, but she put me on hold repeatedly because she literally knows nothing about any of these choices, has done zero of them.) All experiences and opinions welcome, including possibly other options I should consider, like maybe something interesting at China in EP.

-Perfectly Princess Tea: Special, but so pricey that only one child (9yo) can do it with me and my (free of charge) toddler. It costs the same as taking our entire family of six out for the Pirates & Pals fireworks voyage, so it's pretty hard to pull the trigger on this one. Also, the value of the prince package of goodies seems far below that of the princess package and besides, my DS already has the BBB sword and shield (and I suspect this tea gives the exact same "Sleeping Beauty" ones). Has anyone taken a boy? My DS2 will be perfectly comfortable being the only male there, but I was just curious about the gifts, the interactions, etc., for boys.

-Afternoon Tea: Traditional, wonderful tea choices, and I like how I an customize how much food (and possibly champagne) I might want. Downside is no characters, so might not be as interesting for the kids.

-Wonderland Tea Party: The kids would love, but the toddler is too young (says it's for ages 4-12), and there is nothing for adults, either. But if your kids had a particularly awesome time doing this, I'm happy to consider it.

-Options I don't know about: Educate me!

 

[atisikitabasket]

It could of changed and I might be wrong but I think for the Perfectly Princess Tea the under 3 child will not have any gifts or food. They will let them have some of yours but if you want a gift for them then I think you have to pay the additional child cost. But again I could be wrong and hopefully someone else will chime in. My daughter has done the Wonderland Tea Party a couple of times and loved it. We take the time to check out all the Christmas decorations at the hotel while she does it. I thought someone had posted about a tea being offered at the Beach Club now so you might check into that. Good luck I am sure it will be awesome no matter what you choose. Have a great trip!

 

[Tiggerette]

When we took afternoon tea, there was the Princess promenade. Our server allowed us to get an up-close view, and enjoy a brief waltz. (Not "with" characters, but with each other in the lobby whilst the music played.) It seemed quite usual, other afternoon tea guests also took a moment to step away from the table for an up-close picture. It made for a lovely DisneyTea experience.

However, as someone that enjoys tea greatly, I would not put this as my top three high-teas. The darjeeling was quite improper (i.e.; brewed/steeped incorrectly) and they allowed a switch. We added the cheese course, and found a good majority of the cheeses to be common. For example, the quality wasn't like a cheese course found at a fine dining establishment, but did offer a nice variety of different cheeses, which I imagine was within the necessary profit margin for GF.

I would classify the afternoon tea as a wonderful introduction to high tea in a relaxed family friendly setting. It was so laid back, one would be equally welcomed in hat/gloves as well as polo shirt. I recommend defer the expectation for high quality tea/sandwiches/pastry for another venue. It was an enjoyable experience, and I was glad I had the opportunity to try it personally. I think Victoriana tea lovers would find it an enjoyable Disney afternoon tea.

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

It could of changed and I might be wrong but I think for the Perfectly Princess Tea the under 3 child will not have any gifts or food. They will let them have some of yours but if you want a gift for them then I think you have to pay the additional child cost. But again I could be wrong and hopefully someone else will chime in. My daughter has done the Wonderland Tea Party a couple of times and loved it. We take the time to check out all the Christmas decorations at the hotel while she does it. I thought someone had posted about a tea being offered at the Beach Club now so you might check into that. Good luck I am sure it will be awesome no matter what you choose. Have a great trip!

TY. Yes, according to the CM I called today, the toddler gets no gifts and it's the usual "eat off mom's plate" scenario for food. I'm fine with that, as we will have pre-arranged to split the considerable loot among the two interested children.
For those curious about getting the gifts for those under 3 or kids over age 10, the website offers:
"Infants (up to 3 years of age) can be upgraded to receive the food and merchandise offerings for $234.98."
"For an additional charge of $136.22, Guests of all ages 10 and above may enjoy the spectacular gift package provided to younger attendees."

 

[MermaidMommy]

When we took afternoon tea, there was the Princess promenade. Our server allowed us to get an up-close view, and enjoy a brief waltz. (Not "with" characters, but with each other in the lobby whilst the music played.) It seemed quite usual, other afternoon tea guests also took a moment to step away from the table for an up-close picture. It made for a lovely DisneyTea experience.

However, as someone that enjoys tea greatly, I would not put this as my top three high-teas. The darjeeling was quite improper (i.e.; brewed/steeped incorrectly) and they allowed a switch. We added the cheese course, and found a good majority of the cheeses to be common. For example, the quality wasn't like a cheese course found at a fine dining establishment, but did offer a nice variety of different cheeses, which I imagine was within the necessary profit margin for GF.

I would classify the afternoon tea as a wonderful introduction to high tea in a relaxed family friendly setting. It was so laid back, one would be equally welcomed in hat/gloves as well as polo shirt. I recommend defer the expectation for high quality tea/sandwiches/pastry for another venue. It was an enjoyable experience, and I was glad I had the opportunity to try it personally. I think Victoriana tea lovers would find it an enjoyable Disney afternoon tea.

I agree completely. DD16 and I do tea at GF every year -- it's a tradition for us. And, we always enjoy it. However, it really is a somewhat mediocre tea. The thing that really drives me crazy about it is that you only get one pot of tea! You have to pay if you want any more. NO other tea that I've ever been to or heard of does that. Everywhere else is always unlimited tea.

The teas used to be better before the recent switch to Twinings, IMO. I was disappointed in the selections when we went this past March. The sandwiches are usually good, and we just get extras of the ones we like and skip the ones we don't care for. Also, you only get one scone, so we always ask for two scones instead of one scone and the strawberry tartlet thing. So, they will allow some substitutions. The dessert selections don't wow me, so I usually get the trifle. And, the strawberries and cream are beautifully presented.

That all said, we started doing the tea when DD was 7, and she loved it then. It is pretty slow, so you'll have to decide if your kiddos will be up for a leisurely pace. It is a nice, civilized break from the hustle and bustle of the parks, so don't let me dissuade you from going. Just don't expect it to be on par with a top tea room.

The Waldorf Astoria at WDW, I believe, is supposed to have a fantastic tea, and I think it's cheaper than Disney, if you want another option.

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

Thanks, @MermaidMommy. I thought the One Pot rule seemed off, too. What a weird place to cheap out, I thought. Or maybe it is done to promote table turnover.

For those readers now curious about the Waldorf, tea is on Sunday afternoons and here is the menu (last updated in Dec 2015):
http://www.waldorfastoriaorlando.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Royal-Tea-Menu_December-20151.pdf

 

[loves to dive]

I do tea at the GF every time I'm at WDW and have been doing it for about 20 something years. It started with my Mama and me, we sent my son who was around 8 or so off to the arcade and it was just girl time. I'm the only girl with 5 older brothers so when I was a little girl, Mama would make a big deal on Sunday's of she and I having afternoon tea. We moved around a lot and there were times when money was sometimes tight but no matter if we were living in a 2 bedroom double wide or a 3 story house, she always did this. We would dress up, the boys and Daddy weren't allowed in the room, if we had a formal living room it was there, if not she would set it up in her and Daddy's bedroom or the kitchen. We would have brewed tea in a pot (no tea bags, loose tea), finger sandwiches which were anywhere from pb&J to cucumber or chicken salad, cookies either home made or store bought. Fast forward to me being an adult with a kid of my own (single mother until he was around 12) and we were able to stay at the GF. We invited my son but he "didn't want no silly tea and scrumpets (crumpets)" so it was just Mama and me. Ever since then I do tea at the GF, if my son is on the trip with me, he joins me, if not I go solo. I've had tea at a number of places including a living room in Scotland and an upscale restaurant in London and, for me, nothing beats tea at the GF.

 

[loves to dive]

Some pics from last year

 

[soniam]

At 6, 2012, DS did the Wonderland Tea Party, while we did afternoon tea at GF. The Wonderland Tea is more about arts & crafts and characters than food. It was cute, but he didn't feel the need to do it again. He is a boy and was 6 at the time though. It might be a little young for a 9yo, but it just depends. Alice from the party recognized him later in the week when we had breakfast at 1900 Park Fare. He was so over the moon about it too One of my favorite Disney memories. The afternoon tea has different options now; however, I have really been wanting to get back and do it. We just haven't found the time between all of the new stuff at Disney Springs and Trader Sam's.