Best Cookies Ever Coming to Disney World!
The best cookie shop in the world is opening a new location at Walt Disney World! While this might seem like a rare morsel of unequivocally good news, my first reaction was “oh no, this is going to wreak havoc on my waistline.” In this post, we’ll cover the news plus our (mostly) enthusiastic reaction.
Anticipating to open later this year, Gideon’s Bakehouse is an award-winning bakery that will be opening a new location in The Landing at Disney Springs! Gideon’s is an Orlando institution best known for small-batch, handmade, almost half-pound cookies and cakes.
Not only does their size make these cookies so special, Gideon’s brings its own spin to cookie flavors like Peanut Butter Crisp, Cookies & Cream, and Pistachio Toffee Dark Chocolate. We have heard rumors and tall tales of Gideon’s Bakehouse coming to Disney Springs for the last year-plus, but never did we believe our dream would actually come true…
Gideon’s Bakehouse plans to bring an expanded menu of cookie and cake slices to Disney Springs, plus add its own line of unique iced coffees, like the Original Peanut Butter Iced Coffee. Guests can expect to find their favorite cookie flavors along with new and limited editions offered during special daily releases.
The ever-popular Coffee Cake Cookie (previously only available one month a year) will be on sale every morning, with a Hot Cookie Hour each evening for those looking to cure a sweet tooth after dinner.
“We’re also excited to bring more cake flavors to our new location, offering never-before-seen creations like our special line of Double Frosted Cakes” said Steve Lewis, owner and creator of Gideon’s Bakehouse. “There are more than a few secrets we have up our sleeves that you’ll just have to wait to see. It’s not Gideon’s if it isn’t a little dark and mysterious.”
Gideon’s Bakehouse aims to even make the wait in line entertaining by immersing everyone in a transformative environment that will share our story as guests progress toward the counter. Gideon’s plans to “flex all of our creative muscle in both desserts and décor. We’re passionate, inspired, and ready.”
Guests can also look forward to collectible art becoming a part of the product packaging at the new bakery, which will be located in The Landing across from Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar. The new Gideon’s location is being created with health-and-safety considerations in mind and its operation will model similar guidelines in use elsewhere in Disney Springs.
Here’s the full statement that Gideon’s Bakehouse posted on Facebook:
In terms of our reaction, Gideon’s said it best on Disney Parks Blog: “this opportunity is truly a dream come true.”
Outside of the theme parks and traveling, we seldom dine out. There are only a few exceptions to this: Shake Shack (out of convenience–it’s in the same strip mall as Trader Joe’s), 4 Rivers Smokehouse (which we’ve mentioned repeatedly on the blog and highly recommend), and Gideon’s Bakehouse.
Right now, Gideon’s Bakehouse is a serious pilgrimage for us. Going there to pick up cookies is a minimum 2-hour commitment, potentially more if we don’t take toll roads or traffic is especially bad. (Driving in Orlando will never cease to amaze me–it’s like if you took Southern California traffic, but made it less predictable and cherry-picked only the worst possible drivers.)
Because of this, when we do make the trek out to Gideon’s, we stock up. The last time we went there we spent over $50. In part, that’s because the cookies aren’t cheap, but it’s also because we bought a lot of cookies.
We are hardly unique in this regard. Among Gideon’s Groupies, it’s fairly common to preorder cookies, stock up on the flavor of the month, and freeze them so you can enjoy the Triple Chocolate Salted Andes Mint or the Frankenstein throughout the year.
Suffice to say, it should be pretty clear why we are both excited for Gideon’s Bakehouse to come to Disney Springs…and also a little worried. Easier access will be great, but the added convenience could also be disastrous. (It’s probably no coincidence that we got healthier once we no longer lived <10 minutes from an In-N-Out.)
After jumping around screaming “DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES” for 10 minutes, Sarah’s reaction to this news was, “well, guess we have to eat the full menu for research.” (Uh…we’ve already done that, many times over–these photos are just the ones I could easily find from my archives.)
I’ve never looked up the nutrition information for Gideon’s cookies, but I’m guessing it just reads “NOT GREAT, BOB.”
In any case, this is unequivocally great news for visitors to Walt Disney World. With Ample Hills filing for bankruptcy protection and laying off all of its workers, the future of the previously-announced location at Disney Springs is in doubt. Walt Disney World snacking fans could thus really use a break–something positive–and this is exactly that. I’ll never say cookies are better than ice cream, but…
Gideon’s Bakehouse seriously makes the best cookies in the world–we both agree on that, and haven’t had anything on this level. If you think the Jack-Jack Cookie Num Nums is the pinnacle of cookies at Walt Disney World, you’re in for a revelation. (If you’ve ever only previously had Gideon’s from Polite Pig, you didn’t really have the full experience.) Believe the hype; it’s not hyperbole.
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Your Thoughts
Have you had Gideon’s Bakehouse? Do you agree that it’s the greatest cookie in the world? What’s your favorite menu item? Excited to see the shop add a location at Disney Springs? Do you agree or disagree with our commentary? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
As a baked goods aficionado, you have me HYPED!!! I just read several excerpts to my husband. I really needed some good news! Hopefully they’re still around (and it sounds like they will do just fine!) by the time I can get back to Disney!
I’m impressed if a bakery cookie can be frozen, and still taste decent after it’s thawed later.
PS- just read your Ample Hills article from March via the above linke, and in retrospect it’s grimly amusing to think that March was the worst you could imagine at the time. Now I feel nostalgic for those “wonderful” days, relatively.
This looks so amazing!
We can’t wait to try this!!
Do you mean the Shake Shack on Orlando Avenue in Winter Park? Mom and I went there earlier this year before the lockdown and had a lovely time looking out the floor-to-ceiling windows to watch the ducks play in the fountain. There were even ducklings.
Yeah. We like to eat outside behind the restaurant before/after hitting up TJs. The view of the lake is lovely.
Tom, Have you tried the cookies from Levain Bakery| New York City’s Most Famous Cookies? I think you’d like them, maybe a tie or a close second. I’d have to admit, though, that Levain can’t compete with the depth of cookie variety and limited editions. Enjoy!
Any chance these will be available for a snack credit?
So excited! Definitely the BEST cookie I’ve ever had!
Woo hoo! We’ve only had cookies from Gideon’s once – and that’s when my in-laws were kind enough to pick them up on the way to meet us at WDW. We ordered every kind they had – it was a LOT of cookies! But we had to go for it when we had the chance. They were tasty and very unique! I’ll be excited to visit the Disney Springs location – and excited to try the cakes!
Haven’t tried these yet, but am so excited for this! Love that Disney is supporting a small locally owned business. Is the Ample Hills in the Boardwalk going to be gone for good?
It’s unclear what’s going to happen with Ample Hills. They haven’t gone out of business–yet. At this point, they’re trying to restructure via bankruptcy, but that was occurring even before the pandemic, so having that be the second blow might simply be too much for Ample Hills to recover.
We are in Ample Hills hometown, Brooklyn, and have always loved their product. However I think they were getting sloppy with training at the Boardwalk location. Last summer I had the worst milkshake ever from there. Such a disappointment!
Also think it’s the old growing your business too fast story with them–hence the bankruptcy…
THIS IS THE BEST NEWS I HAVE HEARD IN A VERY VERY VERY LONG TIME!!!!!!! And you’re not kidding when you say that trek is a major time commitment! We live out of state, but we make it a point to go to Gideons to also “stock up” for several months almost every time we come to WDW (they’re really good after being in the freezer although there’s nothing like getting them and eating them fresh that day!). It’s at least a 3 hour commitment to go to Gideon’s, not to mention a very expensive Uber ride there and back. We’ve also rope dropped Polite Pig for their cookies (limit 1 per person!) many times. This is seriously so so exciting! These cookies will change your lives! There is NONE better in the entire world, and I am a major cookie snob! These cannot be beat. Here’s hoping that the quality doesn’t suffer given the much-more heavily-trafficked new location! Small-batch and handcrafted is what makes them so special! Thank you for sharing a much-needed piece of good news! 🙂
This may be very damaging to my keto lifestyle!! ( I’m guessing there are no keto friendly options?)
I’ll say it: cookies are better than ice cream.
Agreed.
“but I’m guessing it just reads “NOT GREAT, BOB.””
I’m going to have to steal that and use it when referencing any food that is undeniably tasty and unhealthy. That’s great.
It’s from Mad Men. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpUWrl3-mc8
I saw the announcement on the Disney Parks blog and knew you would probably have a post up soon since you have mentioned them here! We’ve had the cookie at the Polite Pig. I’m excited–the other bakery options at Disney Springs don’t excite me, but this does!
Very excited to try these cookies!!
Since cookies don’t melt, I fully expect a blog post where you take your fresh Gideon’s cookie over to Ample Hills and make your own ice cream cookie sandwich!
I’m far from a cookie connoisseur, but those look great.