My Disney Girl Princess Tea
(Facts updated June, 2005)

What: My Disney Girl Princess Tea

Where: Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Garden View Tea Lounge

Days: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
(May 29th through July 2nd this will be offered DAILY (7 days a week!).)

Time: 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

How: Call 407.WDW.DINE for reservations

Ages: 3 - 11 years
No "adults only" may attend.

Cost: One adult and one child (ages 3-11): $200 (plus tax, including gratuity)
One additional adult: $65 (plus tax) does NOT include a doll.)
One additional child: $135 (plus tax) INCLUDES a doll.)
Payment in full is due at booking. 72 hour cancellation for full refund.

Restrictions:Event is limited to 40 people

Before I give you the rest of the details, let me begin by telling you that this event is 1st class. You get every penny's worth of this outstanding new event offering from the folks at Disney. The tea party was elegant, intimate, and perfect for your little princess! Not only are the girls showered with "party favors", but are given individual time with Rose Petal and Aurora. They both come to each girl separately and more than once. This is more than your typical "meet and greet" at a character breakfast. The girls are the focus and are clearly the *stars* of the day. Do not hesitate to question the hefty price tag. It is worth it.

Remember, with a limit of 40 people, there will be no more than 20 or so children there. Our tea party was not full, but I'd say there were 15 girls in attendance with families. Some, like us, were 1 child/1 adult, others were 1 child/4 adults, others were both parents and 2 children....you get the idea!

Most of the girls arrived in costume (as my little princess did), but not all Aurora- they were in everything from Mulan to Jasmine to Ariel! Other girls wore sun dresses, and a few wore "park clothes". I must admit that if you were dressed in "park clothes" you might feel a bit out of place as most everyone was dressed "nicer". It is acceptable to wear whatever you want, though. (We brought along a bag with park clothes to change in to, then dropped our "tea party clothes" off in a locker when we hit the parks.)

The Sleeping Beauty soundtrack lilts through the air in the waiting area and gets everyone excited! As you check in everyone is given a name card with a table number on it. DD's said "Princess Ellory" and mine said "Queen Jane"- fun!!

Photo by Vicki

Finally, the trumpets sound and Rose Petal arrives to introduce each princess, present them crowns, and sprinkle the girls with rose petals as they find their placecards.

It is a sitting room atmosphere with windows all along the back wall. (We were able to watch a wedding horse and carriage go by- nicely added to the atmosphere). Everyone sat at tables, couches, or armchairs, all with tables set for the attendees. Each girl is met with a BEAUTIFUL Princess Aurora doll (dressed in her pink dress) in her chair. The doll is of the "Mindy/Penny" quality and dress/tiara/scepter from the miniature costume collection.

It was high tea- china, silver, linen napkins (pink of course!), flower centerpieces, golden tea cozies, and china tea pots for everyone (girls were filled with apple juice, adults with hot tea). The napkins contained a surprise for the girls- a silver bracelet with a dangling pink heart placed there by Aurora herself!

Rose Petal begins by introducing herself and Baron Branch (the court musician- he plays a keyboard that cleverly accompanies her stories). She tells of how she was a rose in a garden and that she was made human. Throughout, the tea pots are served as are the plates of food. Rose is a fabulous storyteller who gets everyone involved and keeps the group focused. She also beautifully sings songs and dances. The youngest of girls (toddlers) or those preschoolers that find it hard to stay seated might want to wait. (It IS entertaining and the food comes throughout the event, but I noticed that the really little ones were having trouble staying focused and just seemed to get a bit squirmy.) Everyone gets a chance to sing along favorite princess songs, which was a lot of fun. Finally, Rose Petal tells the story of Sleeping Beauty and everyone get to join in! Throughout, she goes from table to table focusing on each girl. The attendees finally practice "Hail to the Princess Aurora" (with sign language, too!) in anticipation of her arrival.

Finally Aurora arrives as we are singing! She is in her pink dress and has a real long stem pink rose for each girl. She comes to every table and gives it to them personally. She takes all the time each girl wants to talk, take pictures, and sign autographs. Later, there is a chance for all the girls to learn to dance like/with Aurora, hold a princess dress and curtsy like the Princess, and basically get up and work off some of the wiggles! It is lovely.

Somewhere in all this the plates are taken away, tea pots filled, and the princess cake is introduced! White cake with pink filling (whipped cream and a strawberry accent the plate) is brought to each attendee. It, as were the luncheon plates, was delicious.

Aurora comes around once more to every girl and gives each a thank you card for attending her special tea party and making her day so memorable and filled with sunshine. Again, she takes her time, talks personally with each, and makes every girl feel like the "real" princess. Aurora leaves at this point and the tea party starts to wind down. Rose Petal takes this time to come around one last time to talk, take pictures, and answer questions. Again, she was lovely and talented, and just as wonderful as having Princess Aurora there up close and personal! The guests are then escorted out and instructed to go to the gift shop on the second floor to get a "Best Friends" birth certificate for the doll (be ready to have a name for her!) and a Disney Princess scrapbooking kit!! The trinkets that were a part of this whole event were easily valued at $75+, which makes the $200 price tag for 1 child/1 adult understandable.

One word about the food: It is a very light, finger sandwich type plate. Below is a list of the menu items:

Adult menu:

Garden View specialty teas and a luncheon plate that consists of:
Egg salad sandwiches
Salmon salad sandwiches
Chicken-Almond salad
Shrimp tart
Blue Cheese Barquette
Smoked Cheddar cheese
Sage Derby Cheese
Lavosh (flat bread)
Grapes
A slice of princess cake

The kids plate consists of:

Peanut Butter & Jelly Hearts
Apple Sauce
Ham & Cheese Roll-up
Grapes
Apple Juice
A slice of princess cake

I took a whole roll of film and will make the pictures available to MFL as soon as possible.

Again, this was a FIRST CLASS event which warrants the expense. The New Jersey family we sat with, unable to get a PS, went to this as an alternative to one of the elusive Princess character breakfasts. They were THRILLED to have gone to this instead. You may want to consider this as an alternative just as they did. They also told me that $$ was better spent at this event than at the Luau (which they had attended the night before). Just a thought......

If I can answer any more specific questions, don't hesitate to ask. You can email me at boilerjlj@yahoo.com . Please put MFL in the SUBJECT line.

This was an event that DD will remember, without a doubt, for a lifetime. I highly recommend this once in a lifetime event.

For more photos, see our Photo Essay submitted by MFL Member, Vicki at My Disney Girl Princess Tea