Afternoon Tea at the Garden View Lounge

First let me explain the reason behind this dining choice. Having afternoon tea at the Garden View Lounge has long been a tradition for my daughter and me. Our first time was in Nov. 2007 and we were celebrating her 18th birthday.

 

My very happy daughter donning the birthday tiara she was given by our server.

From that time on we were hooked and have included a mother/daughter tea in our plans during every Disney World trip since.

And so, this was our 6th time having Afternoon Tea at the…

 

Here are some pictures of the menu we were presented…

 

 

Since we had already had our lunch, we decided not to have the “Grand Tea” or “Buckingham Palace” like we normally do.
Instead we ordered from the a la carte menu…

 

We each started with a pot of tea and a plate of tea sandwiches…

 

For our tea, we both chose our favorite, which is one of the Garden View Lounge’s Signature Blends…

 

 

Princess Breakfast Tea for Two

 

 

Of course, when sipping tea in a lovely and sophisticated place like the Garden View, it is mandatory to raise your pinkie. :lmao:

And here is a picture of the tea sandwiches…

 

5 Assorted Tea Sandwiches – Pear & Gorgonzola, Curried Chicken Salad, Salmon Salad, Egg Salad and Cucumber & Watercress – Our Rating 4/5
(and as a bonus you receive a delicious little sweet onion tart)

These were all very good, just as they have always been, except for the salmon one. It has replaced the Shrimp Salad in the assortment, and it was not a good change. :sad2: My daughter described the flavor of the salmon as being “like a barn smells.” :confused3 Now I’m not entirely sure what she meant by this, but I can tell you that this sandwich smelled and tasted very fishy. :crazy2: Next time, we will definitely be requesting a substitute, which for me will be my favorite…the Pear & Gorgonzola. :thumbsup2

For our second and final course, we shared one a la carte order of the Freshly Baked Scones…

 

Our Rating – 5/5

We each received a plate with one scone and two small bowls, one with a scoop of Devonshire Cream and the other filled with Strawberry Preserves. While you are given a choice of Strawberry Preserves or Lemon Curd, we have always chosen the preserves. However, after hearing from emmebear and Rachel on the Live Thread that the lemon curd is heavenly here, I think next time I’m going to give it a try. But regardless of which second topping you choose, you can’t really go wrong here once you have generously slathered that Devonshire Cream on your scone. The preserves or lemon curd are just “icing on the cake”.

We were too full for the strawberries & whipped cream, English Trifle, or assorted pastries which are usually part of the next course. So I will finish this review with another picture of my daughter…

 

No tiara this time, but still looking very happy!

And with that, here ends another Mother/Daughter Tea at the Garden View, which was Practically Perfect in Every Way. :goodvibes

ETA: Although the Garden View Tea is not part of the Disney Dining Plan and as far as I know does not offer any other discounts (like Annual Passholder or DVC), it does accept Tables in Wonderland for a 20% discount.