It’s confession time. The only reason I made an Advance Dining Reservation (ADR) at Epcot’s Garden Grill this past spring was for research for my book, Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers. It was a character dining experience that my family never really gave a second look. With Disney fans gushing over Chef Mickey’s and Crystal Palace coupled with all the delicious dining options in Epcot, we passed over this restaurant trip after trip. I’m here to tell you this restaurant is underrated and is one of my family’s new favorites.
The Restaurant
This unassuming restaurant is located on the top floor of the busy Land Pavilion in Epcot’s Future World. The slow rotation of the restaurant sets this eatery apart from other Walt Disney World dining experiences. High above the Living with the Land ride, diners will move through the different sets and enjoy parts of their meal in different climates and landscapes. It took about an hour for the restaurant to complete a full rotation during our meal.
I suffer from motion sickness and was a bit concerned that I would be queasy in this moving restaurant. However, my worries were unwarranted. The restaurant moved so slowly that the motion was undetectable until you noticed that the foliage outside the restaurant was different than it was a few minutes ago.
The Food
Serving only dinner, some of the fresh from the “Land” foods grown in the greenhouses are featured on the plate.
Tables will receive the following:
“
Basket of Warm Breads with Maple Butter
“Living with the Land” Harvest-inspired Farmer’s Salad
Char-grilled Filet of Beef with Red Wine ButterRoasted All-Natural Turkey Breast with Cranberry-Orange RelishSustainable Fish of the Day with Sweet Tomato and Fennel Chutney
Garden-fresh Vegetables, Smashed Potatoes, Rice Pilaf
Freshly Baked Harvest Fruit Crisp with Hand-whipped Vanilla Bean Cream”
The children’s platter serves up an “Oven-roasted
Chicken Drumstick, Baked Macaroni & Cheese, Broccoli, and Crispy Sweet
Potato Sticks ” with Mickey “Mousse” Cookies and Cream” for dessert.
The familiar comfort food is served family-style and is a great option for families who don’t like to stray too far from the tried and true. The food was fresh and tasty even if it wasn’t the most innovative. It was one of the most successful restaurants for our children from a dining perspective. Although they did have a children’s platter, they also found many options from the adult platter to nibble on. It was nice to see them eat something other than mac and cheese!
The Characters
Farmer Mickey, Pluto, Chip & Dale are the usual suspects at this dining experience. Mickey is appropriately dressed in overalls and his plaid work shirt. We’ve been to many character dining experience and this was my toddler son’s favorite. I don’t know if the small size of the restaurant was a factor but we had more character interaction at this meal than any other. I lost track of how many times the characters visited but it was at least three. For a two-year old, it doesn’t get much better.
The Conclusion
A family-style character meal is hands down a better choice for my family than buffet dining. My husband and I don’t enjoy buffets with the kids all that much. One parent has the task of entertaining two hungry kids who are bouncing in their seats anxiously waiting for a visit from their favorite Disney friends while the other is busy filling and delivering plates of food. By the time my husband and I finally get a chance to start our plates, the characters are arriving and we’re busy taking pictures. The result is often cold food for the grownups. With family-style, we never have to leave our table but reap the benefits of a variety of hot foods. We are able to eat at the same time as our children.
I wish I had given Garden Grill a chance earlier. It was a huge success. We didn’t have trouble getting an Advance Dining reservation, the food was nicely prepared comfort food, the character interaction was amazing, and the meal was served family style. So next time you’re about to give the Garden Grill the cold shoulder, give it a second glance. It just may become one of your family’s new favorites.
Lisa M. Battista is the author of Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers and the co-creator of WDW Fan Zone. When she’s not chasing after her little ones, you can most likely find her at the beach or in the kitchen trying her hand at a new recipe. You can follow her on Twitter @DisneyExplorer or become a fan of Beyond the Attractions on Facebook.
This post is part of the Disney Blog Carnival. Head over there to see more great Disney-related posts and articles.
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I love the garden grill! Food is great. Service is great and you get Mickey as opposed to Pooh at the Crystal Palace!
Pooh is great but I think there’s something special about eating with Mickey at Walt Disney World! Thank you for reading.
We too have always skipped Garden Grill. Honestly, it is one place that just never stands out because like you mentioned, so many others overshadow it. I was happy to read I am not the only mom who does not like buffets with the kids.
One of us is always up out of our seats to get something for someone. Hopefully this year with the kids being a little older, it will be better . . fingers crossed! Thanks for the tip on Garden Grill. We are definitely going to have to take the time to try it out.
Beth, I never get my money’s worth at buffets – I’m too busy serving!
Give Garden Grill a try. For us, it was a nice, relaxing meal and I honestly wish I tried it earlier.
[...] Lisa Battista presents Epcot's Garden Grill Deserves a Second Look [...]