Gideon’s Bakehouse Review: Worth the Wait?
Gideon’s Bakehouse is a dessert shop famous for the best cookies in Florida…and maybe the US. This Walt Disney World dining review shares food photos and how the Disney Springs location from Orlando’s best bakery stacks up to the competition. (Updated September 4, 2023.)
Suffice to say, we’re huge fans of Gideon’s Bakehouse, and have been anxiously awaiting its opening at Disney Springs for a while. Their original East End Market location in Orlando is a serious pilgrimage for us–requiring a 2+ hour round trip commute–but one we nonetheless make to stockpile cookies. We usually spend around $50 per visit, but went all out on our first visit to the new Disney Springs location, dropping $70 on delicious desserts and drinks.
Along with Everglazed Donuts & Cold Brew, Gideon’s Bakehouse is a new snack spot at Disney Springs. Both have seasonal treats and loyal fans. However, only Gideon’s Bakehouse is insanely popular to the point that it draws big crowds. Lines will die down eventually, but Gideon’s Bakehouse will be popular for years to come given the quality, as we discuss in this review…
September 4, 2023 Update: Gideon’s Bakehouse at Disney Springs is temporarily closed late last week and at the start of the holiday weekend due to issues with the shop’s air-conditioning. Gideon’s has now fixed the issue and is back in business! Operating hours are 10:00 am to 11:00 pm, with Gideon’s back to being open 365 days per year! (Which is good news for anyone needing their cookie fix, as the original Gideon’s location is closed for Labor Day.)
Gideon’s Bakehouse posted the news on Instagram: “Gideon’s at Disney Springs will reopen today! I got absolutely flooded with supportive messages over the last three days, and I am grateful for your kindness. There’s nothing quite like the weird little Gideon’s community. 🖤 Special love to my team for pulling through. Thank you, as always Patrick, for pushing so hard. Those who have had the pleasure of meeting him know he’s a rare gem to the universe. Byran and the kitchen team killed it (per usual) and kept the glory of our East End family moving at full speed throughout the madness. It was one of those events that tests you, and it’s a gift to see people that care shine so bright in our forever darkness.”
Before we dig into the menu and food photos, we want to briefly address the practicalities of the Gideon’s location at Disney Springs. The bakery is still using a virtual queue as of late 2023, which is comparable to those in use at some restaurants and retail locations at Walt Disney World.
When it’s busy, you sign-in outside the entrance and get a text message when it’s time to return. If you’ve ever been out to eat anywhere, you probably know the drill. Even though the Gideon’s Bakehouse location at Disney Springs is now almost 2 years old, it still uses this virtual queue during peak season, most weekends, and evenings.
The good news is that if you visit Mondays through Thursdays before the afternoon, you can often just wait in a regular ‘ole line to enter Gideon’s Bakehouse. That typically takes 30 minutes or less, whereas the virtual queue can still be over an hour and sometimes up to 3 hours on busier days.
No surprise there, as their regular Orlando spot also can draw big crowds from time to time, too. Our recommendation is to go to Disney Springs first thing in the morning, and check-in at Gideon’s Bakehouse immediately upon arrival. Then do your other shopping or grab a meal (saving plenty of room for dessert, obviously) while you’re waiting for your turn to join the queue. Unlike TRON Lightcycle Run, at least this virtual queue doesn’t fill up for the day within seconds! 😉
Something that did catch us by surprise is the art direction, interior design, and backstory at Gideon’s Bakehouse. Having been to virtually every restaurant and retail location that has opened at Disney Springs in the last ~5 years, we had low expectations on this front.
Disney Springs is fairly formulaic–a consistent aesthetic and repurposed style that’s explained via elaborate backstory. Gideon’s Bakehouse continues this pattern but with a fresh perspective and pretty big twist.
Per the Gideon’s Bakehouse website: “There appears to be a deep and complicated history of the building we inhabit at our Disney Springs location. We’ve managed to uncover some interesting information about the original owner of our vintage space…and it feels like he is unveiling more to us as we rebuild what once was. Care to know more? Visit us in our new location and ask us what we’ve learned. More of the story unfolds with each passing week.”
We haven’t yet had a chance to see the backstory unfold or inquire about it, but Gideon’s has shared some tidbits via social media. What we’ve gleaned from that and our visit is that the location was previously Lindwurm Bookseller, which was owned by Jonathan Lindwurm, a purveyor of rare books and antiquities.
If I had to describe the vibe of Gideon’s Bakehouse in a nutshell, it would be Haunted Mansion meets the Wizarding World of Harry Potter meets Pop Gallery and Funko Pops. It feels mysterious and supernatural, drawing inspiration from Victorian and Gothic styles, plus folklore and the occult.
I could do without the portions that feel influenced by Pop Gallery and Funko Pops. The artistic sensibility of those feels at odds with the gothic realism of the Jonathan Lindwurm portrait and interior design. That’s simply my preference–I love the look of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Haunted Mansion, but have less affinity for those other things.
Regardless, the appearance of Gideon’s Bakehoue is a breath of fresh air as compared to other recent retail and dining additions to Walt Disney World in the last several years. We’ve repeatedly derided the common Disney Springs style that looks like “rustic hipsters move into an old barn and find some eclectic decor on clearance at Anthropologie.” That’s uninspired and has been played out for some time.
Elements of the style at Gideon’s Bakehouse may not be to my personal tastes, but that’s my problem. The vibe, atmosphere, and look are all undeniably ambitious and culminate in a moody and immersive experience. It’s powerfully evocative, and is praiseworthy for that. (These photos don’t even begin to do it justice–I did a really poor job.) Kudos to the design team on this one. Other Operating Participants and Imagineering should take notes.
Speaking of personal tastes, we’ve found the two of us seldom agree on what’s best at Gideon’s Bakehouse. We also often find ourselves surprised by what we each love, defying the menu descriptions and our normal individual preferences. Prior to first trying the cookies a few years ago, we were both skeptical they’d live up to the hype and apprehensive about the abundance of chocolate chips.
However, Gideon’s Bakehouse does live up to the hype, and often subverts expectations. You really need to try a few random varieties for yourself to see which ones you prefer. The good news is that when it comes to these cookies, there’s only varying degrees of great–nothing is bad or even average. With that important caveat out of the way (and admission that this review is basically pointless), here are some photos, descriptions, and tasting notes…
Let’s get the seasonal ones out of the way first, starting with Santa’s White Christmas Cookie. Here’s the official description: “Santa’s White Christmas Cookie has become a yearly favorite! This White Chocolate Chip Cookie is filled with notes of Coconut, Sweet Caramel, Vanilla, and Nutty Flavors. We take it a step further by adding freshly ground White Christmas coffee beans throughout the Cookie. Cookie Elves then add the crunch of coarse sugar, our signature sea salt, and a pinch of Christmas glitter!”
One of the few cookies we had not previously had from Gideon’s Bakehouse, this is a good way to start because it underscores how difficult it is to describe Gideon’s cookies. It’s basically the Nutcracker in cookie form, a Christmas ballet of sweet and savory flavors. Also, each bite is a little different, with prevailing flavors being vanilla and white chocolate.
Next, the Cookie Vom Krampus. Official description: “All the goodness of our rich and velvety Triple Chocolate Cookie (which is really five kinds of chocolate) with the added bonus of cool and refreshing chopped Andes Mint (which makes it SIX kinds of chocolate)! During the 24 hour process we take to make our Cookies, that mint soaks into every ounce of that almost 1/2 pound ball of chocolate dough creating the perfect chocolate mint experience with every bite! Krampus shows up every December to step on Santa’s fun.”
I’m a huge fan of Christmas folklore (my favorite is Jólakötturinn, the Icelandic Yule Cat that eats kids who don’t finish their chores and get new clothes before Christmas) so the name of this alone scratches me right where I itch. I’m also a total sucker for mint. I absolutely love this, but it usually takes me a couple of days to eat a single cookie because it’s so chocolatey and indulgent. Definitely the richest cookie we’ve had from Gideon’s.
The only other new-to-us cookie is the Coffee Cake Cookie. This is described as “an extra Buttery Vanilla Bean Cookie filled with Cinnamon Strudel and topped with our Homemade Double Baked Butter Crumbs! Buttery. Crunchy. Extraordinary. Built to be paired with an Iced Coffee. A perfect start for your morning. A relaxing part of your evening.”
This has the exterior consistency of traditional coffee cake, plus the interior of a cinnamon roll blended with cookie batter. The exterior texture is crunchy, which gives away to a perfect gooey center. It’s absolutely fantastic, and a great option for those turned off by the more chip-heavy cookies. All of Gideon’s cookies are buttery, but this one is really buttery. It’s Sarah’s new favorite cookie, dethroning the next one…
For our last cookie, a familiar favorite: the Pistachio Toffee Chocolate Chip. Description: “A long-standing favorite in our community, this flavorful Cookie mixes our favorite chocolate chips with crunchy toffee pieces. Top that off with lightly salted pistachios and perfection is achieved. Sweet and Salty. Soft and Crunchy. Known for being our most sophisticated and addictive flavor, this is the Cookie that the Orlando Weekly suggests you try first.”
We’ll second that endorsement of having this be your first pick at Gideon’s Bakehouse. I never would’ve imagined loving a pistachio-toffee-chocolate chip cookie so much, but the flavors meld together beautifully. It’s ambitious but also approachable. This is now Sarah’s second-favorite cookie. My personal favorite is the Cookies & Cream, which we did not get at Disney Springs. (My other favorite is the Frankenstein, exclusive to October.)
Switching to the cakes, we have the Peanut Butter Cup Cake Slice. While they’re not unique to the Disney Springs location, this was our first time ever having Gideon’s cake. In the past, we’ve never been able to bring ourselves to compromise on getting fewer cookies, so we’ve skipped the cake.
Frankly, that was a colossal mistake and having to order this for the sake of “research” forced us to see the error of our ways. This is gloriously decadent, with moist chocolate cake and ridiculously creamy and smooth peanut butter frosting. Unlike the cookies, this tastes exactly how you’d imagine, and is the best conceivable version of a peanut butter cup anything.
We also ordered the Double Frosted Cake Slice. Official description: “A Gideon’s Exclusive! It’s no secret that we’re a little Buttercream obsessed, so we’ve created a line of Double Frosted Cakes! That’s right! 3 Layer Cakes covered in two complementary layers of Buttercream. Maybe the greatest thing ever in the history of ever.”
Another fantastic cake, with a balanced chocolate mocha flavor. As with the other, the quality here is off the charts and the serving is colossal. A highly recommended, indulgent, and shareable dessert. We preferred the PB Cup Cake, but both were exceptional. While these cake slices are both worth the money, if you’re on a budget, you should stick to the cookies. They’re still the star of the show at Gideon’s.
We also ordered two nitro cold brew coffees on tap: Ginger Snap and the Original Peanut Butter Cold Brew.
It had been a while since Sarah has had any caffeine, and she quickly went from being a bit tired and quiet to being quite animated, hyped, and chatty about her Ginger Snap Cold Brew. In fairness, both of these cold brews were excellent, but she was about ready to RIP THINGS IN HALF in celebration of her coffee. (I also enjoyed my Peanut Butter Cold Brew, but we both preferred the Ginger Snap. As with the cakes, highly recommended, but allocate your budget to the cookies if forced to choose.)
Finally, a quick word on pricing. As noted at the top of the post, we dropped ~$70 during our first visit to the Disney Springs location of Gideon’s Bakehouse. Each cookie is $6 and the cake slices are $9. All of these are shareable–definitely not single servings. We usually eat one-third or half of a cookie in one sitting, and it takes us several weeks to get through our stockpile. (Gideon’s cookies freeze really well.) Suffice to say, everything at Gideon’s Bakehouse is worth the money.
Ultimately, Gideon’s Bakehouse will go down as our #2 new thing of the year at Walt Disney World after this little beauty. These cookies have won countless awards and they’re truly the best we’ve ever had; it’s great to see a local success story be spotlighted at Walt Disney World. Even better that the detail and atmosphere of its location puts almost everywhere else at Disney Springs to shame. Beyond that, these render pretty much every other cookie or cake at Walt Disney World obsolete, as you can have something superior for about the same price. Gideon’s Bakehouse is absolutely worth your time and money–plus your stomach, luggage, and freezer space!
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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!
It definitely does not live up to the hype . No one in our party of six cared for the cookies which seemed to be globs of chips held together with a little bit of half raw cookie dough . Tried 3 different cake slices . Will give them a thumbs up for the key lime cake and the peanut butter chocolate. The red velvet cake was gross and not edible . Overall I would not go back. Can’t believe people actually think their products are that good to wait 210 minutes to purchase them
It definitely does not live up to the hype . No one in our party of six cared for the cookies which seemed to be globs of chips held together with a little bit of half raw cookie dough . Tried 3 different cake slices . Will give them a thumbs up for the key lime cake and the peanut butter chocolate. The red velvet cake was gross and not edible . Overall I would not go back. Can’t believe people actually think their products are that good to wait 210 minutes to purchase them
I don’t think any cookie is worth waiting 2.5 hours for. On a not very busy day at Disney Springs we walked up to the two workers outside the store who politely requested our name and phone number to get in the virtual queue. The wait was over 2 hours just to get a text so we could stand in line for another 30-35 minutes to buy a cookie? Not likely.
We went back a few day later (on a Tuesday afternoon around 3:00) and the virtual queue was over an hour and then the line was 15-20 minutes more. I will probably never go back and will let others know of this style of operation.
@Tom Bricker, thanks for clarifying. I suspected as much but haven’t kept up on newsletters lately as you probably noticed from not having to delete as many shall we say acidic comments… As storage space got real cheap, programmers have become lazy. Hence why Windoze takes 80 bazillion GB of space on your hard drive.
Is it just me, or did WordPress change something where the reply button no longer works? It looks like replies aren’t being grouped with the comment any longer for others either.
It’s not just you. Here’s info from our last WDW news roundup:
“A quick website housekeeping note before concluding this Walt Disney World news & rumor roundup. I’m aware that the “reply” feature in comments is not working. This happened last weekend while making a range of other improvements to the site. On the plus side, the site should now load faster and content shouldn’t shift around, among other less noteworthy enhancements. It wasn’t immediately evident to me since my reply option still exists on the backend, so I’m not sure which upgrade broke it. Two steps forward, one step backwards.
Unfortunately, I’ve tried to remedy this and have hit multiple dead-ends. The site needs an ‘aesthetic overhaul’ that would also fix this and other lingering issues, but that won’t happen until this summer at the earliest. For now, preface a comment with “@username” if you’re trying to reply to someone. Comment notifications work the same as before, so they’re equally likely to see your follow-up as they would’ve been previously. Sorry about that!”
So Melli, are you trying to say there are too many chips in a cookie? I’m not sure that’s possible. I usually use the Ghiradelli recipe and double the amount they call for…
I am a local and have tried cookies in both locations. And frankly they are some of the worst sweets I have ever eaten. The cookie feels half baked, not that you can taste the dough with all those morsels on them. I feel I could roll some dough in a bag of morsels and get the same sad result.
Had to throw the things we purchased out both times as I couldn’t even get my kids to eat them and they will eat just about anything as long as it has sugar in it.
This place is way overhyped. I got in the virtual queue and was called in about 100 minutes from the predicted 120. Ordered the chocolate chip cookie. Aside from the cookie being completely loaded with chocolate chips of questionable quality, there wasn’t a lot to brag about. The cookie tasted of almond extract and raw flour. If these cookies are the
‘best of” anything, then the competition is sorely lacking. Make a batch of toll house and double the chips, you will enjoy the results more.
I’ve heard that Gideon’s Bakehouse closes their virtual queue at 4pm. Does this mean we shouldn’t bother going after the parks close for the day? We’re only going to be there for a long weekend and don’t want to give up a day at the parks just to go to Gideon’s. Having said that, I REALLY want to try their cookies. Thoughts?
I can’t wait to try all of it in a few weeks!
the FOMO is real… nothing is worth that.
So I stopped again tonight. Tried the toffee coffee, cookies and cream, coffee cake and red velvet cake slice. Eh. A novelty worth trying, but I wouldn’t buy any of them again. They will do well because they are in a tourist trap. I’m surprised, honestly, that many people like it do much they have other Orlando locations. I think it’s like Starbucks. the marketing and branding is very strong, it’s super cool themed store is unique and fits great with Disney magic. I think it’s the draw.
Oh to be young again when cookie calories were no big deal, or when standing in line for said cookie did not mean gambling with your life! Sigh
Ok. It’s cool. The Harry Potter type theme seems to fit better at Universal than Disney Springs. but I think DS needed it. I tried one: it was good but I think the marketing hype and image is better than the product. I think k whenever you create a demand by playing the limited edition game, you win. It’s annoying to me as a customer, but most Americans who love to BUY fall for anything. Having said all that, I will definitely want to try some of the more unique flavors eventually. Not waiting 9 hours, so it looks like it may take a year to do so (sigh). Looks like the owner is definitely one smart cookie who has sealed his success for years to come!
Half pound, thick lumps of cake-like dough overdone with too many flavors, toppings and salt? /Insert “That’s a No From Me, Dawg!” gif here/
Looks cool, and aside from nasty coffee drinks, snacks look awesome! Does it stink like coffee inside though?
We are a cookie-loving family! The cookies were much thicker than the more chipped cake cookies, making them very sweet to my liking. I’ll buy it again.
We tried the Gideon’s cookie from the Polite Pig last time we were in Disney Springs, and we were really disappointed! Maybe it’s just our UK palates but it tasted really salty to us? Anyone else find similar?
Yes! I avoided the cookies they described as “salty”. The mint one I did try was great after I removed all the salt crystals on top! I like my desserts sweet but a lot of Americans are into the sweet and savory thing right now. I just finished my second favorite sweet at WDW last night: the caramel butter bar from Caramel Kuche! It’s a great one to take home too as it has a pretty long shelf life.
We tried them for the first time a couple days ago. The cookies themselves were great, but we felt the taste was altered so negatively by the amount of salt crystals on top that we probably wouldn’t get them again. Sad-because we are a cookie-loving family!
We made the trip to the original Gideon’s location in Orlando when we were on our Universal Orlando vacation this past October. We just happened to go on the day they released the coffee cake cookie so there was quite a line, but it was well worth the wait! The cinnamon butter they recommended to dip it in was incredible. It is definitely our favorite cookie by far! Unfortunately we live in Illinois so we are going to have to wait awhile before we can get one again. I wish they shipped out of state!
They don’t ship at all, in or out of state.
I tried the triple chocolate cookie and peanut butter cake nearly 16.00 for the two – So Very extremely sweet I could not eat. Cookies were thick more like a cake cookie with soooo many chips on top, made it way too sweet for my liking. I wont buy again.