Gideon’s Bakehouse Review – Best WDW Cookies?

If you’ve scoured the internet enough to look for Disney World reviews or looked closely at the small, gothic themed boxes displaying the Gideon’s Bakehouse name that people are holding around Disney Springs, you might have wondered: What in the world?

I shared the same exact sentiment when I first saw Gideon’s Bakehouse in-person. In fact, more than the dark and eerie theming, I wondered why it seemed like such a mystery to even get into the shop to try any of their baked goods. However, from the moment I stepped inside Gideon’s Bakehouse to the second I bit into one of their seasonal cookies, I understood why there was so much hype to the name. Gideon’s Bakehouse gives guests not just extremely delicious cookies, but also gives them an entire experience when walking through their doors. Now comes the next question: How good is a Gideon’s Bakehouse cookie and could it be the best cookie on Walt Disney World property?

Here’s everything you need to know about Gideon’s Bakehouse, including how it got its gothic theming, why they’re so popular, our review of their baked goods, everything they offer, and tips on how to get yourself one of their delicious cookies.

What is Gideon’s Bakehouse?

Located in The Landing area, directly across from Jock Lindsay’s Hanger Bar, Gideon’s Bakehouse is 1 of 10 specialty dessert shops at Disney Springs.

More specifically, Gideon’s Bakehouse is 1 of 2 specialty bakeries known for their cookies (the other being Summerhouse on the Lake). When their doors opened in the summer of 2020, the dessert experience at Disney Springs was changed forever. Gideon’s Bakehouse serves up a variety of cookies, cakes, and coffee – all with very unique but intriguing flavors.

Gideon’s Bakehouse’s mission statement says it all:

“Our cookie isn’t a product. It is a history, the sweet and the salty, the thrill of a first kiss, and the solitude of a heartbreak. Our desserts are emotional, personal, and we want to share our journey with you.”

And when you step through their doors, you’ll immediately experience how they do all this so artfully.

History of Gideon’s Bakehouse

You must be wondering how Gideon’s Bakehouse got its gothic theming – or even its name.

So the story goes, Gideon’s Bakehouse founder Steve Lewis bought what he thought was an antique cookbook from 1898. When Steve reviewed the book, he found that the margins were filled with scribbles and doodles from what appeared to be a young boy who wanted to become a baker. The name written in the back of the book was “Gideon,” so Steve decided to call his bakery “Gideon’s Bakehouse” in order to fulfill that unknown child’s wishes.

It’s those scribbles and doodles in the margins of the book that gave the inspiration for the strange works of art, aging books, and Victorian-era antiquities you see, and even the cards you receive when you purchase a cookie at Gideons’ Bakehouse.

What many guests at Walt Disney World also don’t know is that Gideon’s Bakehouse didn’t get its start at Disney Springs.

Gideon’s Bakehouse officially opened its first physical shop in late 2016 at East End Market, Central Florida’s original food hall. It didn’t take long for people to catch on to the quality of their baked goods.

But what makes Gideon’s Bakehouse so popular?

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The Cookies at Gideon’s Bakehouse are Nothing Like You’ve Ever Had: A Review of the Gideon’s Bakehouse

You don’t even have to take one bite of one of their cookies to understand this.

Take one look at any one of their cookies and you’ll see one of the many reasons these cookies are highly coveted. The first time I had one of their cookies (The pistachio toffee, to be specific), I noticed 2 things: 1) the cookie was the size of my face, and 2) the cookie was so dense that I almost dropped it when the worker handed it to me.

And then I took a bite.

It had the slight crunch on the outside. It had the soft-but-chewy inside. It had semi-soft chocolate chips, soft pistachio chunks, crunchy toffee bits, and the occasional crunch of salt that never overwhelmed the overall taste. And its taste! Even with all those ingredients, you could taste each individual ingredient but also taste the way they compliment each other.

That first bite was as close to the feeling Anton Ego had when he first bit into his plate of Ratatouille as it could get.

Here’s a list of their current cookie flavors you can review and whet your appetite:

• Original Chocolate Chip
• Peanut Butter Crunch
• Cookies & Cream
• Candied Walnut Chocolate Chip (only available on Wednesdays at East End Market)
• Pistachio Toffee Chocolate Chip
• Triple Chocolate Chip
• Gideon’s Bites (for those who need a smaller serving of goodness)
• Coffee Cake (yes, this is a cookie, and it’s only available in the morning at Disney Springs)
• Dark Coffee Cake (only available after sunset at Disney Springs)
• Banana Bread Chocolate Chip (my personal favorite right now)

So many guests loved their cookies that, within weeks of opening their first location in East End Market, they were named the Best Cookies in Orlando, Florida, the United States, and the Planet Earth from publications like the New York Times, The Boston Globe, Sports Illustrated, and Delish.com.

Is it no mistake that so many guests also buy several cookies from Gideon’s Bakehouse, fly back home with them, freeze them, then thaw them back up to enjoy several days later?

Gideon’s Bakehouse can be so Busy it Sometimes Requires a Virtual Queue

If our review of Gideon's Bakehouse didn't get you yet, let the masses let you know about its virtual queue.

The beauty of this virtual queue though is that once you join, you can wander around Disney Springs, shop, eat, drink, or hang out. Just like any of the virtual queues at Walt Disney World, once your number gets called, you have a specified amount of time to return to Gideon’s Bakehouse and enter the shop. Here’s what you need to know about the virtual queue:

• A virtual queue only opens up when the line for Gideon’s Bakehouse gets too long
• Signing up for the virtual queue must be done in person and not through the My Disney Experience app.
• When the virtual queue is active, find a staff member at the front of the door. They will take your phone number and text you when you are good to return.
• Gideons’ Bakehouse advises that you return within 15 minutes of receiving the text to come back. However, from their website, they also won’t turn you away if you return later in the day.
• With the exception of the holidays, the virtual queue is unlikely to open between Tuesday and Thursday. Mondays can be hit or miss. Friday through Sundays tend to be the busiest with wait times between 2 and 5 hours through the virtual queue.

Gideon’s Bakehouse Offers Seasonal Cookies, Cake Slices, and Cold Brew

If none of the 10 current offerings didn’t tickle your fancy, you should check out the seasonal offerings at Gideon’s Bakehouse.

Each month, Gideon’s Bakehouse offers 1 additional unique-but-intriguing flavor to its guests. Sometimes it’s a flavor to pay tribute to one of their coffees, like the Peanut Butter Cold Brew Cookie, or it’s a season-specific flavor, like The Rocky Road.

Chances are, the next time you visit Gideon’s Bakehouse, you’ll find something new.

But that’s not all.

Gideon’s Bakehouse also offers cake slices. To fit the theme of their massive cookies, these cake slices are colossal 3-layer towers. And trust me, in no way will you be disappointed with any one of their decadent, moist cakes. In fact, don’t be surprised if you see a different cake each time you visit – 3 of their cakes are either random releases or rotating flavors.

And if you need something to wash off your sweet teeth, look no further than 1 of their 5 different cold brews!

One of the Best Offerings at Gideon’s is Only Offered for 2 Hours Each Day

If you go to Disney Springs on a busy day that requires the virtual queue, things can get real tricky for this special offering.

Between 2:00pm – 3:00pm and 7:00pm – 8:00pm, Gideon’s Bakehouse has a special called “Hot Cookie Hour.” During Hot Cookie Hour, guests can enjoy a fresh, hot cookie topped with a scoop of ice cream. What better food to pair with a fresh, out-of-the oven cookie than a scoop of ice cream?

If you’ve got a sweet tooth like I certainly do, this is your ticket to pure goodness.

Gideon’s Bakehouse also Offers a Variety of Merchandise

There’s a good reason why so many guests want to sport the Gideon’s Bakehouse logo.

The gothic theming at Gideon’s has become so well-known that guests can bring a piece of it home with them. Online, Gideon’s Bakehouse sells print art, stickers, pins, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and tumblers you can review. And if you’re into scented things like I am, Gideon’s Bakehouse even sells candles and air fresheners to match their gothic theming

Taking a piece of Gideon’s home with you doesn’t just mean bringing home their cookies!

What Else do You Need to Know About Gideon’s Bakehouse?

There’s actually 5 important things you need to know and review when planning to buy something at Gideon’s Bakehouse.

1. Gideon’s Bakehouse opens at 10:00am, but a line typically forms outside at 9:00am, when the parking garage opens. However, in general, the earlier you arrive, the shorter your wait time.
2. Cookies cost $6, Gideon’s bites cost $12, cake slices cost $9, Hot Cookie Hour costs between $6 and $10, and cold brew costs $6.
3. There is a 7 cookie-per-person limit in store. Despite how large and dense each cookie is, you’d be surprised how many guests would want to purchase more than 7. That’s okay though, because 7 cookies equates to about 3 pounds of chewy goodness.
4. There tends to be less cookie flavor options toward the end of the week. In other words, if you show up to Gideon’s Bakehouse in the first half of the week, you’ll be guaranteed to have access to all of their available flavors – especially their Limited Edition items. This is because each cookie and cake takes over 24 hours to prepare and are sold on a first-come first-serve basis.
5. Gideon’s Bakehouse doesn’t ship their baked goods. If they did, I’d be buying cookies on a weekly basis! However, at their East End Market location, Gideon’s does offer preorders through their website.

So, what do you think? Have you had a cookie or cake from Gideon’s Bakehouse before? And more importantly, which flavor cookie are you getting next?

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