Disney’s 37-Year-Old Resort Is Getting a Major Dining Update
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is reopening its afternoon tea experience on March 19, 2026, after being closed for nearly six years. The Garden View Lounge – Tea Experience features Alice in Wonderland theming throughout the menu and presentation, with reservations now available as of February 19.
The experience costs $79 per adult plus tax and gratuity, with a $49 children’s option, making it accessible for families rather than being exclusively adult-oriented like some previous versions.
What Closed in 2020 at the Resort
Afternoon tea at the Grand Floridian originally offered an experience mainly for adult guests featuring teas, finger sandwiches, desserts, and champagne, with prices ranging from $35 per adult up to $150 for a Berkshire package including caviar.
Disney also offered the Perfectly Princess Tea Party, a roughly $300 event for younger children that included Princess Aurora appearance, music, dancing, parade, an 18-inch doll, bracelet, rose, tiara, certificate, and themed menus. Both events were hugely popular, often selling out months in advance.
Everything shut down due to COVID-19 in March 2020. When the Grand Floridian reopened that September, the tea parties never returned—until now.
The Alice in Wonderland Menu Appears at Resort
The new experience features a three-tier tea tower presentation. Savory selections include Curried Chicken Salad Playing Card Tart with chicken salad and cherry gelée, Footman’s Feast Wonderland Salmon Crisp with salmon rillette on miso brown butter crisp, Tweedledee Egg Salad Sandwich on beet bread, and Caterpillar Cucumber Roll with butterfly pea-infused cream cheese on pumpernickel.
Sweet items include The Matcha Mad Hatter sponge cake with apricot jam and yuzu buttercream, Tea Party Tart with vanilla tart and coffee custard, Flamingo Croquet Choux filled with passion fruit cream and raspberry crunch, and Painting the Rose Earl Grey teacake painted tableside.
Before the tower arrives, guests receive an Orange-Cranberry Scone with traditional accompaniments.
Premium Twinings Tea Selection
Disney partnered with Twinings to hand-select premium tea blends. Options include London Strand Breakfast, Spicy Chai, Orangery of Lady Grey (exclusive to Walt Disney World), Nutty Chocolate Flavoured Assam, and Blackcurrant and Lavender herbal tea.
Expertly trained cast members serve as tea guides, helping guests select teas and customize them by choosing aromatics added during steeping. This creates educational elements beyond just ordering from a menu.
Cocktails and Specialty Beverages
Two signature tea-based cocktails are available: Mint Tulip featuring Old Forester whiskey, Twinings Peach Mango Tea, and mint, and Mar-TEA-ni with Drumshanbo Irish Gin, Earl Grey Tea, lemon, and honey.
Non-alcoholic specialty teas include Curiosi-TEA with Strawberry Raspberry Tea and shimmering magic, and This Way, That Way with Peach Mango Tea and mint. Champagne and sparkling wines are also available.
Children’s Menu
The $49 Children’s Afternoon Tea includes Queen of Hearts Cheese Toastie, Fanciful Turkey Wrap, and Sunflower Seed Butter and Jelly Bun. Desserts include Cheshire Cat Raspberry Macaron, Chocolate Brownie Branch, and vanilla White Rabbit Cupcake.
The lower pricing compared to the previous $300 Perfectly Princess Tea Party makes the experience more accessible for families.
Enhancements and Options
Additional enhancements are available including Seasonal Cheese Selection and Royal Osetra Caviar with Mini Chive Biscuits and Traditional Accompaniments. A plant-based menu option ensures guests with dietary restrictions can participate.
How to Book This Resort Dining
Reservations opened February 19, 2026. Guests can book 60 days in advance, beginning at approximately 6 a.m. EST online, and 7 a.m. EST by phone, up to 10 days before arrival. Guests staying at Disney World resort hotels can book their entire trip up to 10 days before arrival, potentially up to 70 days out.
Why It Matters
The return of afternoon tea fills a gap in Disney World’s dining lineup that has existed since March 2020. The $79 per adult price point positions the experience as premium but not prohibitively expensive compared to fine dining at restaurants like Victoria & Albert’s at the same resort.
Based on how quickly previous versions sold out months in advance, reservations for the March 19 reopening will likely be highly competitive. Guests interested should book as soon as their 60-day window opens.
