The Garden Grill at Epcot

by Amber Johnson

Character Meals are very popular when dining at Walt Disney World. It is a wonderful way to meet popular Disney characters without waiting in line! When it comes to meeting Mickey Mouse – Garden Grill is our favorite! Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Harvest Feast at The Garden Grill located in the Land Pavilion in Epcot is one of the best character meal experiences on Disney property. Since the restaurant is in the round it is the quietest character dining. The restaurant is small which usually makes it possible to see the characters more than once during your meal.

The restaurant consists of two levels. My favorite is the lower level because the tables allow you to face the outside so you can see everything as the restaurant moves (yes, the floor spins very slowly). From the lower level you can see scenes from the Living with the Land ride below. And the upper level provides a colorful background to pictures with characters.
Tiggerific Tip: Ask your waiter to show you the Hidden Mickey.

The Garden Grill is served family style. Your waiter will bring plates of food to the table for everyone to share.  Dinner begins with a wonderful salad and delicious fresh rolls. The ingredients for the salad were actually grown in the greenhouse below! With a boiled egg, bacon and veggies, it is a wonderful starter to the meal. Bread is served with the salad.

Next comes your main course! For the adults, a platter of three options arrive – turkey and dressing, tilapia and rice plus steak and potatoes. All three are delicious! I must admit, the mashed potatoes are extremely creamy! The turkey and dressing really brings you back to Thanksgiving. We love the gravy so much, we always ask for extra. Being served family style, they bring out another platter of food if you ask. And we always ask! For the kids there is also some more kid-friendly fare with their own platter of chicken legs, mac n cheese, broccoli and sweet potato fries. We always end up stealing the kids mac n cheese – it’s so good!

 

Epcot is our favorite park to visit, so we always begin a Disney vacation at Epcot. Then to finish our amazing first day, we love to dine at The Garden Grill. No matter how many times we have visited, we never get tired of the wonderful food and company of characters. It is such a great way to begin a Magical Disney Vacation!