I tried the 2 most famous cookies at Disney World, and the bakery with the longer wait was the undeniable winner
I tried giant cookies at two bakeries in Disney Springs to see which one had the best treats.
Gideon's Bakehouse and The Cookie Bar have similar prices, but wait times at Gideon's were longer.
After trying a chocolate-chip cookie at both bakeries, I'd happily wait in line every day.
I've lived near Disney World for almost eight years, so I'm always keeping up with the latest food trends at the parks.
Ever since Gideon's Bakehouse opened at Disney Springs in 2021, I've heard nothing but good things about its massive, ½-pound cookies. But the bakery is known for having hourslong lines, so I've never visited myself.
Recently, I started hearing buzz about a new cookie destination at Disney Springs: The Cookie Bar at Summer House on the Lake. The sit-down restaurant opened its Disney Springs location in 2023, and with it came the chain's cookie-filled bakery.
I was curious if there was actually a new, easier spot to grab a delicious cookie at Disney Springs, so I set out to try each bakery for the first time.
Here's how their chocolate-chip cookies stacked up.
When I approached Gideon’s Bakehouse, the line wrapped around the building.
Gideon's Bakehouse often has such long lines that it operates on a virtual queue, meaning you go in person to put your name on a list and then wait for a text.
On busy days, it can take up to four hours to wait your turn.
I visited with my son at 11 a.m. on a Friday, and about 40 customers were lined up around the building. The bakery wasn't using its virtual queue.
It didn’t take as long as I anticipated to make it inside the gothic-style bakery.
It took me and my son about 30 minutes to enter Gideon's.
In the past, I've seen a similar line and skipped it, assuming the wait would be way longer. The area was well-shaded with umbrellas, so it wasn't a terrible wait overall.
Gideon's has a gothic-style interior with dark and artistic decor. It was a welcome respite from the bright sunshine that covers Disney Springs.
Gideon’s menu is made up of cookies, cakes, and coffee.
We were ushered into a shorter line inside where we could check out the menu of ½-pound cookies ($6), giant cake slices ($9), and flavored cold-brew coffee ($6).
We ordered the bakery's original chocolate-chip cookie.
Gideon's changes some of its cookie flavors monthly, but the varieties available during our visit were chocolate chip, triple chocolate chip, peanut butter crunch, pistachio toffee dark chocolate, and cookies and cream.
To keep things simple, my son and I agreed to share an original chocolate-chip cookie.
It's worth noting that there's a six-cookie limit per customer, so don't expect to walk away with more.
Our giant cookie was nothing short of amazing.
There weren't any seating options at the bakery, so we ventured back into Disney Springs to find a spot to eat our treat.
It only took one bite of the cookie to understand why there's so much hype surrounding the Orlando-based bakery. It was the perfect mix of salty and sweet with rich, decadent chocolate chips both throughout and covering the top of the cookie.
I couldn't stop taking bites of the sweet treat, even when I was full.
The cold-brew coffee was incredible as well.
I've also heard great things about the coffee at Gideon's, so I ordered a peanut-butter cold brew.
The drink was made with peanut-butter flavoring and oat milk, and it was a sip of pure heaven.
Some of my Disney foodie friends have told me they visit the bakery late at night and get a cold brew (sans ice) that they keep in their hotel refrigerator to enjoy the next morning. Next time I stay over at Disney, that's the No. 1 task on my to-do list.
Next, we headed over to Summer House on the Lake.
At around 2 p.m. that same Friday, we made our way to Summer House on the Lake.
There was no line, so we walked straight into The Cookie Bar, located right inside the chain restaurant's entrance.
It's a solid option for Disney Springs visitors who want a yummy, sweet treat without wasting time waiting in line.
The Cookie Bar had more flavors than Gideon’s.
There were way more cookie varieties at The Cookie Bar. We saw flavors that would appeal to all different tastes, from chocolate walnut to orange creamsicle.
The cookies also cost a bit less than Gideon's ($5), but they looked similarly large.
The Cookie Bar also sells cocktails, mocktails, and coffee.
The Cookie Bar offers a few more drink options than Gideon's.
In addition to coffee drinks like lattes and nitro cold brew ($5 to $7), there were offerings like rosé ($14) and espresso martinis ($16).
As a non-drinker, I love a good mocktail, so I was thrilled to find sips like strawberry lemonade ($6) and an elderflower-rose concoction ($10) on the menu.
The chain's sea-salt chocolate-chip cookie was good, but not better than Gideon's.
Because we got Gideon's sweet-and-salty cookie, we ordered a sea-salt chocolate-chip cookie at The Cookie Bar, even though plain chocolate chip was available.
We were glad we ended up with the saltier version and found it flavorful and filling.
Still, the cookie at Summer House tasted more like something I could bake at home. It just didn't have the wow factor that Gideon's did.
But The Cookie Bar gets extra points in my book for its outdoor seating area.
Since Summer House has a sprawling outdoor patio, I was able to enjoy my cookie outside.
The outdoor seating area was comfortable and shady, making The Cookie Bar a great spot for families who need a quick snack and a place to sit.
After trying both Disney Springs bakeries, I get the Gideon’s hype now.
Now that I've gone to Gideon's Bakehouse and tried the ½-pound cookies, I'm a believer.
In fact, I can't imagine visiting Disney Springs again without stopping in at the bakery.
The Cookie Bar is still a great spot if you want more variety and don't want to stand in line. And its outdoor seating is incredibly convenient if you need a place to relax for a minute.
But when it comes to naming the best cookie at Disney World, Gideon's wins every time.
Read the original article on Business Insider
