If you are looking for one of the better Disney dining experiences then you would do well to consider lunch at Epcot in the Garden Grill, where delicious food is combined with playful Disney characters who will interact with you throughout the meal.
Booking ahead is advised however we actually got in for the lunch by just booking at the Garden Grill itself as soon as the park opened – we ate at around 1-00pm. You will find the Garden Grill situated in ‘The Land’, which is situated to the right as you enter the park, or you can book at guest relations (located on the East side of Spaceship Earth) as you enter.
You are seated on a very slowly revolving platform (far too slow to worry about any motion sickness), which takes you through various country scenes. We had a designated waitress who was very friendly and helpful - nothing is too much trouble for them and they do add to the enjoyment. There is absolutely no sense of rush and you are allowed as much time as you want in which to enjoy your meal.
Dinner itself consisted of roast chicken, steak, sweet corn, mashed potato with other rotisserie meats on offer – a big bonus is that as well as being delicious, you can order extra portions at no extra cost. Sweets are also very tasty – we had a good choice of ice creams to try and kids get the ubiquitous souvenir mug.
Whilst not one of the cheapest dining options (but then none of the Disney dining offers could be described as being cheap), it cost about $80 for 2 adults and 1 child and was, in our opinion, worth every penny (or dollar).
As you dine you are visited by Mickey, Pluto and Chip ‘n Dale. They are wandering around the platform throughout the meal and are happy to play with you and your kids
– Pluto and Mickey spent a good 5 minutes playing with our son by borrowing his Mickey cap and throwing it back to him, and that kind of thing is priceless for the child. We found this to be a much better experience than breakfast at the Animal Kingdom, which we tried later on the same holiday, where you had a single visit for a photo and that was pretty much your lot as the characters arrived halfway through the breakfast and only just had time to work their way round each of the tables.
All in all this is the best character dining experience we have had at Disney and we would certainly recommend it to others.