Please join me in celebrating my 50th Birthday...Deluxe Style! FINALLY COMPLETE

[LuvLuvLuv]

i want to see your afternoon tea pix!!! i'm anxious!! great reviews as always

 

[nicole0992]

Wow, your pictures and reviews are just wonderful. I have been reading along and loved the comparison you wrote about the DDP vs TIW. Thanks for such great reviews! I look forward to reading the rest of them.

 

[jabead]

i want to see your afternoon tea pix!!! i'm anxious!! great reviews as always

Thanks Deena! I'm so sorry that I am so slow with posting my reviews...stupid little things like work just keep getting in the way of my DIS time. The good news is, I'm almost done with my Tea Review so should have it posted soon.

Wow, your pictures and reviews are just wonderful. I have been reading along and loved the comparison you wrote about the DDP vs TIW. Thanks for such great reviews! I look forward to reading the rest of them.

Thanks for reading nicole!

 

[jabead]

After spending four hours at a busy Magic Kingdom in the hot Florida sun, we were quite ready to head back to the beautiful Grand Floridian Resort for the quiet, coolness, and relaxation that were awaiting us at our 2:10…


Afternoon Tea at the GARDEN VIEW LOUNGE

SHORT VERSION

Highlights – The Grand Tea

Disappointments – Price Increase

Would we return? - Yes


LONG VERSION

Having afternoon tea at the Grand Floridian has become a tradition for DD and me. This began 4 years ago when I took her here (just the two of us, apart from the rest of our family) as a special celebration of her 18th birthday. I remember they gave her a birthday tiara (which she still has now), a rose and sang Happy Birthday. Needless to say, they made her feel like a princess and we were both forever hooked on this place. In fact, I was so hooked that I even persuaded DH to have tea with me here on our Anniversary trip last November.




The Garden View Tea Room is located on the first floor of the Grand Floridian, just off of the lobby. And just like the Grand Floridian Café, it has many windows which overlook the beautiful landscaping of the resort.

View of the Garden View Lounge from the 2nd Floor

View from the Outside

View from the Inside



Afternoon tea is served here from 2:00 – 5:00 every day and reservations can now be made on-line (previous to this trip, we had to call Disney Dining for a reservation). We had an early reservation for 2:10 with the intention of making this our lunch. Since we had had an early (shared) breakfast, we were both quite hungry so each ordered The Grand Tea. According to their menu, this is described as the classic English tradition of Afternoon Tea, Grand Floridian style. We offer you a variety of tea sandwiches, scones and jam tarts, followed by your choice of our freshly baked tea pastries or English trifle, accompanied by a glass of Domaine Ste.-Michelle sparkling wine and your choice of tea. At that time (May 17) the cost of The Grand Tea was $25.50, however in looking at an updated menu from July I see that the cost is now $29.00 (a nearly 14% price increase).


On all of our previous visits to the Tea Room, we had ordered the Princess Breakfast Tea - A sweet custom blend of South African organic rooibos flavored with vanilla bean and a hint of strawberries. However this time, after having discovered the Vanilla Rooibos tea earlier on this trip, we both ordered it when we saw it on the menu here. This tea is described as rich and full bodied with a creamy vanilla finish. We each were served our tea in a pretty china teapot, which was covered by a velvet tea cozie to keep it warm.

Vanilla Rooibos Tea served in a Cozie Covered Teapot


We were also each served a glass of Domaine Ste.-Michelle sparkling wine adorned with a strawberry. DD was very excited to be able to have the sparkling wine with her tea, as this was the first time she was old enough to do so.

Domaine Ste.-Michelle Sparkling Wine



Next we were each served a plate of 5 different finger sandwiches along with duck pate and a sweet onion tartlet. I believe the sandwiches were watercress and cucumber, pear and gorgonzola, shrimp salad, chicken salad (with almonds, I think), and egg salad, each served on different breads. Everything was delicious as usual and we both cleaned our plates.

Tea Sandwiches, Duck Pate, & Onion Tartlet



We were then each brought a plate containing a strawberry jam tart and a warm scone, along with an individual-size jar of strawberry preserves and a side dish with a (way too) small portion of Devonshire cream. Oh, how I love these sweet little biscuits slathered with delicious clotted cream and strawberry jam!

Strawberry Jam Tart and Scone with Devonshire Cream & Preserves



For our last course we were given the choice of: English trifle, two freshly baked pastries, or strawberries topped with whipped cream. In the past we have always ordered the strawberries and DD did so again this time.

Strawberries & Whipped Cream



I decided to change it up this time and went with the English trifle. This delicious dessert contained layers of strawberries, chantilly cream, and sponge cake, topped with a big dollop of whipped cream. YUM!

English Trifle


So our Tea for Two was again “Practically Perfect in Every Way.” With our stomachs pleasantly full, we took a leisurely stroll back to the Polynesian along the walkway between the two resorts…past the beautiful Wedding Pavilion. DD proclaimed that she would like to get married there someday. This would be perfectly fine with me, but as for her dad…well that’s a different story. But a girl can dream, can’t she?

The Wedding Pavilion



And so I can calculate my total savings with Tables in Wonderland…

20% TIW Discount - $10.20


NEXT UP: Dinner at JIKO

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Great review, and yay for rooibos tea! I absolutely love that stuff. Healthy, flavorful, and good for the South African economy. I'm so happy to see it becoming more and more popular in the US

Honestly, I want to go to the Garden View Lounge just to try the princess blend tea - I think rooibos with strawberry and vanilla sounds amazing.

 

[Linda67]

What a wonderful review of the Garden View Lounge and what a wonderful way for a Mother and Daughter to spend time together

By the way, I agree that is no where near enough clotted cream for the scones, I am of the opinion that the cream should be spread on at the same thickness as the actual scone

 

[Tracerr00]

Wow - I love your afternoon tea review!! I don't know if I've ever seen a review of that and it makes me want to get online right now to see if I can get in on my next trip How fun! I'm amazed at how much I learn here! Thank you for your lovely reviews.

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

I keep adding and removing the tea from my trip! I think now I am firmly keeping it in. DS15 doesn't really want to go and I can't get an ADR for 3 on the day it works for us so it looks like it will just be DH and I. Course I am going to feel guilty leaving DS to fend for himself for that time. He can't wait to have an hour or so by himself so I need to just relax about it!

Loving your reviews!

 

[jabead]

Great review, and yay for rooibos tea! I absolutely love that stuff. Healthy, flavorful, and good for the South African economy. I'm so happy to see it becoming more and more popular in the US

Honestly, I want to go to the Garden View Lounge just to try the princess blend tea - I think rooibos with strawberry and vanilla sounds amazing.

DD and I love both versions of the rooibos tea. Have you been able to find it for sale outside of Disney World?

By the way, I agree that is no where near enough clotted cream for the scones, I am of the opinion that the cream should be spread on at the same thickness as the actual scone

That makes two of us!

Wow - I love your afternoon tea review!! I don't know if I've ever seen a review of that and it makes me want to get online right now to see if I can get in on my next trip How fun! I'm amazed at how much I learn here! Thank you for your lovely reviews.

Thanks Tracerr00! And you should definitely give the afternoon tea a try on your next trip.

I keep adding and removing the tea from my trip! I think now I am firmly keeping it in. DS15 doesn't really want to go and I can't get an ADR for 3 on the day it works for us so it looks like it will just be DH and I. Course I am going to feel guilty leaving DS to fend for himself for that time. He can't wait to have an hour or so by himself so I need to just relax about it!

Loving your reviews!

I think you and your DH will enjoy having tea on your own. It's such a quiet and relaxing atmosphere. I also have a 15 year old son and I seriously doubt that he would enjoy it. He'd much rather be back in the room chowing down on some snacks and a soda in front of the t.v. than sipping tea out of a china cup and eating scones.

Your trip is so close...I bet you are getting very excited. Hope you have a great time and I'll be looking forward to your dining reviews when you get back.

 

[saintfan]

I celebrated my 50th there. Best place to enjoy a b/day. HAPPY BIRTHDAY

 

[vettegirl]

What a beautiful review of the Tea Room! I just love the GF to pieces

 

[jabead]

I celebrated my 50th there. Best place to enjoy a b/day. HAPPY BIRTHDAY

I totally agree! Oh, and thanks for the birthday wishes.

What a beautiful review of the Tea Room! I just love the GF to pieces

Thanks Lori!


Putting the finishing touches on my JIKO review. I should have it up this evening so stay tuned.

 

[jabead]

After a short nap we felt refreshed and ready to head out for dinner. We took the Resort monorail to Magic Kingdom and then caught the bus to Animal Kingdom Lodge for our 7:55…

Dinner at JIKO


SHORT VERSION

Highlights – Birthday Card and Complimentary Birthday Dessert, Tibs Watt, Short Rib

Disappointments – Filet with Mac & Cheese

Would we return? – Probably



LONG VERSION

We have not been to Jiko since we stayed at the AKL in 2001. DH, DD, and I (the other two kids had fun at Simba’s Clubhouse ) had a wonderful meal there. I had the filet with the macaroni and cheese and enjoyed every last bite…I was even tempted to lick my plate because the red wine sauce was so delicious. I often wanted to return to Jiko during our many trips since then, but it seemed to always get bumped from our dining plans in favor of closer, more convenient restaurants. But this time I was determined to return to Jiko and again have the filet with mac & cheese.


First I must apologize for the quality of my pictures from this dinner. It was rather dark inside this restaurant…not San Angel Inn dark, but dark enough to make picture taking a little difficult. Every time I took a picture with a flash I felt like I was blinding everyone in the area of our table. So consequently I only took a few of the pictures (the more important ones) with my flash on, which is why some of my pictures are dark and blurry.

The first picture that I took while standing just outside of the restaurant didn’t come out very well, so I’ve borrowed this one which was taken at pretty much the same viewpoint. For those of you who have never been to Jiko, I wanted you to see how pretty this restaurant is. I only wish it had just a little more lighting so that you could fully appreciate the décor.

DD opted to just have water to drink but I spotted a cocktail on the menu that sounded like it was right up my alley … the Sunriser with Parrot Bay rum, banana liqueur, orange, pineapple and cranberry juices. And yes, it tasted as good as it sounds and much better than it looks in my dark, blurry picture.

The Sunriser



Our server then brought out a bread basket with a flaxseed focaccia and a bread that I think was honey wheat with a touch of cinnamon, along with some tasty tandoori (spiced) butter. This was a nice change from the usual sourdough-type breads that are served at most of the Signature restaurants. However, it didn’t come close to the delicious rolls served at Yachtsman.

Bread Basket





For our shared appetizer, we chose the Tibs Watt in Pannekoeke. This is described on the menu as… Braised Beef rolled in “Crepes” with Peppadew-Olive Tapenade. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this appetizer, but it turned out to be quite good, with just the right amount of kick (aka spice) to it.

Tibs Watt




For my entrée, I of course ordered the filet, but asked if the macaroni & cheese could be substituted for the side dish that was currently listed on the menu (can’t remember now what that was ). Our server went into this spiel about how he went to battle for all of us Jiko mac & cheese lovers against the new chef when he wanted to completely remove it from the menu. In the end, the chef conceded and made it still available by having it as one of the options on the children’s menu. His story was somewhat interesting the first time we heard it but then we overhead him proudly tell two other tables in our area the exact same story when they apparently also requested the mac & cheese, and it became almost humorous.

Ok, getting back to the actual food now. I would love to say that the filet and mac & cheese were as good as I’d remembered them to be, but sadly they were not. The filet was fine, but not nearly as good as the one I’d had at Yachtsman Steakhouse, and not even as good as the one DD had had the night before at California Grill. As for the macaroni & cheese that I had such fond memories of…HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT. This tasted like plain macaroni, without the cheese. Perhaps they forgot to add the cheese? Anyway, for me, even Kraft mac & cheese out of a box has more flavor than this stuff had.

So now I have to ask…has anyone else out there noticed a change (for the worse) with this dish? Or did I build it up in my head too much and set myself up for disappointment???

Filet Mignon with Macaroni & Cheese




However, seeing the sheer delight on DD's face as she ate her entrée made up for my disappointment with mine. Instead of taking my advice to order the filet with mac & cheese, she wisely chose a different entrée, the Braised Beef Short Rib served with Truffled Potato Puree, Pearl Onions, Baby Carrots, and a Cabernet-Tamarind Sauce. She described the meat as tender and flavorful, with a delicious sauce…she loved it!!! It was definitely one of her favorite entrees of the trip. So I guess the moral of the story is...Mother doesn't always know best!

Beef Short Rib Entree



We thought we were too full for dessert but when our server brought out a complementary candlelit dessert for my birthday, we somehow found room in our stomachs. This was an Amarula flavored Creme Brulee with a layer of chocolate at the bottom. Previous to this I was not familiar with Amarula but now know that is a quite tasty cream liqueur manufactured in South Africa. It is made with sugar, cream and the fruit of the African Marula tree. Pretty tasty stuff!

Complementary Birthday Dessert - Amarula Creme Brulee




Our server was friendly and attentive throughout our meal. Apart from being a little bit boastful (regarding his mac & cheese story), he was one of our better servers of the trip.



So in conclusion, for me this meal started and ended on a positive note, but had a disappointing middle (entrée). Since the entrée is a very important part of a meal, overall I would have to rate this dinner as just being pretty good. On the other hand, from DD’s perspective this meal was very good, maybe even excellent.



And so I can calculate my total savings with Tables in Wonderland…


20% TIW Discount - $19.20



NEXT UP: Breakfast at Kona Cafe

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Very nice Jiko review. The amarula crème brûlée sounds wonderful - I'd like to try it next time, along with the filet (although I would get it with the accompaniments shown on the menu and not with mac n' cheese).

 

[canoe86]

Nice report, just checked out a bunch of the dinner reviews.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

DD and I love both versions of the rooibos tea. Have you been able to find it for sale outside of Disney World?

I haven't seen rooibos in a lot of places, but sometimes I've seen it at Whole Foods and the local supermarket (Stop n' Shop). It seems to be catching on gradually in the US - 6 years ago I couldn't find it anywhere.

 

[Meteora]

Thanks for the reviews!

Does it sound to anyone else like maybe the new chef at Jiko is perhaps a little less committed to mac and cheese, which might be the reason why its quality has suffered? Honestly though, a lot can change in a restaurant in ten years, and I think Jiko is one that was a roller coaster for a long time in that reviews were either very good or very bad. Seem to be more consistently good since the chef-switch, though--maybe mac and cheese just isn't his thing. Though I seem to remember there being issues with the mac and cheese for awhile, predating the chef and menu switch.

We went in March, and had an earlyish res, which I think helped with the lighting situation, since there was lots of daylight. No one attempted the filet, and everyone really enjoyed their meals.

I'm glad DD got a meal she really liked.

 

[Linda67]

Great Jiko review

Sorry your entree didn't quite hit the mark, it's often the way when you remember something being so outstanding

My DH had the same entree as your DD last time we were there and loved it

I have to say that we both loved our dinner there and would love to go again but I think Sanaa will be next on the list

 

[jedijill]

Those short ribs are amazing! I had them in may. I also love the Amarula creme brulee...I think its better than the old pistachio creme brulee.

Jill in CO

 

[librarygeek]

I love your review of the tea at the Grand Floridian! I hope to do that one day, and I'm really hoping I'll be able to bring my mother because she'd love that sort of thing. I spent a semester abroad in England and one thing I really enjoyed was going to Sunday morning tea at one of the hotels - it looks like GF has a lot of similar options that the place I went to in England had