Garden Grill Review: A Relaxed, Character-Filled Dinner at Epcot
Looking for a quiet but memorable character meal at Disney World? Garden Grill dinner may be the perfect fit —especially if you want a family-style character dining experience without the chaos.
Scoring a Last-Minute Garden Grill Reservation at Epcot
On the final evening of our Disney World trip, we decided to head back to Epcot for dinner. I was able snag a same-day reservation at Garden Grill Restaurant, located inside The Land pavilion at Epcot.
Garden Grill is a rotating restaurant overlooks the Living with the Land ride and serves an all-you-care-to-enjoy family-style meal.
Dinner at Garden Grill: Family-Style Comfort Food with a Twist
What’s on the Menu?
Garden Grill serves a family-style dinner featuring comfort food. We tend to prefer buffets for character meals, due to our different tastes in food (meat loving son, I’m vegetarian, and my daughter can live on mac and cheese.)
Here’s what we enjoyed during our meal:
- Fresh garden salad (with greens grown right inside Living with the Land!)
- Roast turkey breast with stuffing and cranberry relish
- Grilled beef with chimichurri
- BBQ chicken
- Creamy mashed potatoes
- Mac & cheese (kid favorite!)
- Vegetables
- Impossible meat was served on the vegetarian plate, with mashed potatoes and vegetables
- Berry shortcake for dessert
Everything was hot, fresh, and well-seasoned, and the cast members happily refilled any dishes we wanted more of (Mac and cheese and grilled beef in our case). The mashed potatoes and grilled beef were standouts, and the mac & cheese didn’t last long on the table.
Garden Grill Characters: Mickey, Pluto, Chip & Dale
The character experience at Garden Grill was low-key but delightful. Throughout the meal, we were visited by:
- Mickey Mouse in his farmer outfit
- Pluto
- Chip
- Dale
Each character came around more than once and took their time interacting with our group. They posed for photos, played with the kids, and made us laugh. Chip and Dale stole the show—they had the kids giggling nonstop with their antics.
Unlike some Disney restaurants where characters rush table to table, the Garden Grill character experience felt relaxed and authentic.
Final Thoughts: Why Garden Grill Might Be Epcot’s Best Character Meal
Garden Grill wasn’t flashy, but that was the beauty of it. After days of packed schedules and overstimulation, this meal was a calming, satisfying end to our Disney World vacation.
Whether you’re planning ahead or snagging a last-minute character dining reservation, Garden Grill is a solid addition to any Epcot itinerary.
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I’m a CPA, mom of two, and the creator of Points to Magic. I help people use points to save thousands of dollars on Disney vacations.
