If I could take back this experience I would. First off, our server forgot our drink orders and was giving everyone else more attention than our table, even other servers. When it was time for our server to give us our orders, he completely got everyone mixed up! As if we were a different table. There were only 2 characters & before we booked we were promised at least 4! When we finished our meal, we got the bill. We had told our server before hand that our bill needed to be split. He split the bill but never came back to collect out payment! When we gave our bill to the manager, since our server was busy, we put a Disney gift card to pay for part of our bill, the manager left then came back explaining how they "are a third party hotel & cannot take Disney gift cards.". That to me is ridiculous! They are a hotel INSIDE Disney world, how is it possible to not take gift cards. When the manager came back he said he would try and see what he could do. He then brought the general manager of the hotel and she even said the same thing, but rudely. When we decided to use our card, the manager didn't look at what was written on the bill and charged us for NOT only our bill, but our friends bill as well. Then when we told them to fix the bill the manager charged out card for another $75 which was what our original bill was supposed to be. So our card was charged twice and one for the full amount with our friends & our split amount. The manager had promised us that the charge wouldn't go onto our account. When we looked at our bank, we were charged for both swipes of the card and now we're $150+ down on our card. When we called the hotel to try and reverse the General manager of the restaurant decided to give us a run around, so we decided to ask to speak to the general manager of the hotel. We were put on hold for 20+ minutes. This was a horrible experience
(1)
Diane H.
Someone should have told me it's 60$ per a person for a dinner buffet because we have these two characters walking around..OUCHHHHHHH. If they had the seafood like they do on friday's i wouldnt be as pissed. I felt sooo embarrassed bringing my friends here...not knowing what we were in for since we were staying at the hotel. Having to cough up the bill for 4 people sucked majorly...
(2)
Kalynne M.
Awful!!! It was a good thing we had a gift certificate so we didn't have to pay! Outdated decor and tables that are too close together is the least of this restaurants problems. When I made the reservation via phone, I was told it was buffet style, with three choices of meat plus a soup, salad and dessert bar...and that the mac n cheese was great. Well there wasn't any Mac n cheese and no salad pasta or bean dishes in the salad bar. Just four bowls of different lettuce, chopped cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and onions. That's it...even chuck e cheese offers pasta and bean salad. Then there was a totally bizarre assortment of pickled veggies in large jars?! Icky!!! Then a few small bowls of shredded cheese and croutons. The bread assortment looked like a faux display and my kids wouldn't eat any of it. You then wait in line to have a "chef" chop your salad and add dressing. We waited over ten minutes as they did not have a bowl to keep the dressing on the side. The kids menu is $17.99 per kid. It's all gluten free and tasteless. Our kids ordered chicken strips and said they tasted more like fish sticks. Their meals came with carrot and celery sticks with a side of ranch dressing. What happened to a healthy veggie like green beans or broccoli? Celery has no food value and the ranch dressing negates the healthiness of the rest of the plate. The kids were miserable, so we let them eat dessert. The desserts were waxy chocolate tarts and not at all impressive. My husband and I ordered the 16oz prime rib after seeing a neighboring tables burnt salmon. The prime rib was really barely 12oz including huge gobs of fat. The soups were clam chowder and fiesta chicken, not crowd pleasers. Our server failed to clear plates to the point I cleared out table out of disgust. Our bill came to $129, but with our gift certificate we paid $9.... Way to much $$$ for this horrible food and service. Only redeeming grace was the Pluto and goofy character visits.
(1)
Lisa W.
We were staying at the Dolphin and woke up to a rainy day. We decided to try the character breakfast and we weren't disappointed. The characters came around to each table, took pictures and signed autographs with everyone. While we were there, it was Chip, Dale, Goofy and Pluto. The breakfast buffet had specialty juices, omelette station, French toast, breakfast meats, potatoes, grits, oatmeal (and toppings), baked goods, cereals, etc. Our family especially enjoyed the lower buffet for the kids complete with Mickey waffles. Is the breakfast pricey? Yes, but you are at a hotel on Disney property with characters, so I felt that it was good. Our server was great.
(4)
Stephanie S.
I was here for lunch. The food was pretty good. Started with the Mac and cheese, which was unusual, but tasty. Then I had the grilled cheese, which was a little greasy, but otherwise not bad. The service was amazing!
(3)
Paul M.
This review is for the Character Dinner at Garden Grove. The pricing for this dinner is different than other character dinners where you have a set price. Here you choose an entree from 4 choices ranging from $29 to $36 and get unlimited salad and dessert bar during dinner. Kids meals are a set $19. I was surprised to see Organic Roasted chicken on the menu and my wife was happy to order that. I had the blackened salmon. Both entrees were surprisingly pretty good. The salmon was not overcooked and was very tasty with the blackening. The chicken was also juicy and delicious. The salad bar is pretty sad when it comes to choices - a couple of greens choices, onions, and tomatoes. What makes it interesting is their selection of pickled items - cauliflower, beans, cukes, even brussel sprouts. I actually managed to make a pretty decent salad with these choices. The chop it or toss it station is a joke though. The chef uses the same dirty bowls to toss everyone's salad. I hope no one with nut allergies eats there... The Character portion of the Dining is just OK. There are 2 characters - Goofy & Pluto. To their credit they give ample time with each table for autographs and infinite photos. However I would have liked to have seen more characters. The venue is very old and could use a big refresh. The servers were pretty good though, pleasant and prompt. Overall this character Dinner is just OK vs other ones I have been to. It is definitely cheaper, we spent less money here than the prior night at Germany's Biergarden and we thought the food at Garden Grove was better. I would probably suggest a Character Breakfast here rather than dinner.
(3)
Kristin C.
Okay, it is expensive here. But it is in Disney Downtown. So discounting that fact, the service and food were amazing! I had the farmer's market salad, and it was so yummy. I was very impressed! It had red and golden beets, delectable candied walnuts, slivers of watermelon radish...on and on, and oh so good! The service was impeccable as well.
(4)
Chuck J.
The food is pretty good, I had the breakfast buffet. The juicers were tasty and omelets were cooked to order. The issue was service. Tons of waiters in house but they are more concerned with clean up than actually taking care of the customer.
(2)
Chrissy B.
Breakfast was mediocre. We ordered off the menu, taking a break from the buffet option. Omelet was eh. Waitress we had was very flighty, couldn't grasp that i just wanted a cheese omelet, no other fillers. She disappeared for long periods and really paid little attention to her tables. Would not return
(2)
Jody K.
We should have known that this place wasn't going to be a good one when we showed up at 6:30 pm and the restaurant was empty with the exception of 2 other families inside. So the soup and salad were endless along with the dessert. But you have to pick from a list of 3 main entree's. I chose the prime rib (medium rare - but it came out medium with barely any pink to it at all). We asked for horseradish and it was the most oddest horseradish that we have ever seen - it was a concoction of horseradish mixed with mayonnaise. The hubs ordered the salmon which was decent. The son ordered the spaghetti. For the 3 of us, the meal came out to over $100 - definitely not worth the price. It's defined as a character dinner, but there were only 2 characters: Pluto and Goofy....I'm pretty sure it was the same person as they rotated in and out....and in and out....and again, in and out. It got to the point where they didn't really go to any tables because they came out so many times that the kids were disinterested. The service was not that great either. Refills were not done and we rarely even saw our server. And now that I think about it, I can't remember if it was a guy or a girl.
(2)
Anthony R.
Pros: In hotel we stayed at. Swan/dolphin not a very "disney hotel" so it started off our stay more disney! Everyday we walked by and we looked in and called it Goofey's restaurant! Bread station had good butter spreads. Pluto was excellent! Cons: Not good food like bad... Bad service (main server and hostesses were excellent) but secondary people failed to deliver plates,straws,napkins on several occasions might have been language problems but still unacceptable no problems like this at disney locations. Very very dry meat. Over priced No one could answer nut issue at dessert table.
(2)
Lisa Michelle A.
Yeah dinner has little choices and saladbat was empty,not good, not cheap. We left and went to Kimonos
(2)
Olivia P.
Our waiter was Rafie and he was amazing, very informative on the menu. I got the blackened salmon meal, which was delicious. There were four meal choices and for each one included a salad bar and desert bar. I got the bacon vinaigrette on my salad and it was delicious along with my meal. I also got their seasonal red sangria which was also delicious. Only complaint was that it was a character meal and we only saw two characters, Goofy and Pluto.
(4)
Shalay C.
I had to interrupt the two chatting hostesses to ask for a table for one (I'm traveling for work). They gave each other a look, then said, "We're closing in a few minutes." "So you're not seating any more?" I asked. "No." As I walked away, I couldn't help but notice their hours. They're open until 9:30, and it was only 9:12. Lovely.
(1)
Randy G.
Gloria rocks the omelet station! ...the rest of the place needs more of her. Their breakfast buffet selection is vast and they offer quality food but they constantly run out of fruit, pancakes, plates, etc. We ate breakfast at the Garden Grove six days (because we stayed at the Swan) and almost everyday I needed to ask for things that were empty on the buffet - and it's not really crowded. For what the Garden Grove charges for breakfast I shouldn't have to ask them to refresh their buffet stations. We did two character breakfasts (one Sunday + one Saturday) and one character dinner (Monday) - all 3 pretty weak. Only two characters each time, just Goofy and Pluto. Very disappointing for the cost. The dinner menu was very limited selection and just average food. Kid meals are more expensive than most places at WDW.
(3)
Clelia G.
I give it 4 stars because the quality of food is superb. It was buffet and the charge was $23.50 per adult and $15 for kids 3-9 They have fresh juices that were delicious. They bake everything there and you could actually see thru a window how they bake their goods. I made myself the most delicious parfait. All the berries were so fresh and they had flax, plain yogurt and other healthy stuff that I can't remember the names . And of course all the other breakfast items looked very good as well.
(4)
Bill L.
So disappointing. Went out of our way for a character dinner at Disney and went to the swan. Worst decision of our vacation. The place was empty at 6:30 and resembled a hotel lobby cafeteria. Kids had the "baked" chicken tenders which they had one bite and couldn't eat any more. I tasted them my self, dry and tasteless and were $17 each. Salad was underwhelming as well as the soup. Entrees just as underwhelming. 2 adults 2 kids 1 bottle of wine = $150 (before tip). Any other place in Epcot would of been so much better for the price. Wish I read the reviews before i made this mistake.
(1)
N M.
Ate here for breakfast and wished we didnt! I wanted to order off the menu but the waitress told me it will take forever. Told me twice not to bother ordering off the menu. So i go with the highly suggested breakfast buffet and what a disater. As soon as i walked down I thought wow I should just wait forever and order off the menu. I got the hash browns which were formed in greasy, hard discs, the sausage was ok and then when i got a pancake Wow they were hard as a rock. I thought ok ill get some fruit and yogurt. Well the yogurt looked like it had sat out a very long time and they only fruit options were over ripe bananas and two very small bowls of blueberries and black berries. Another small bowl empty. Luckily they make fresh mickey pancakes for the kids which i had to order bc to nothing seemed fresh. Also i watched eggs made to order swimming in oil and old pan grease pieces. Nonetheless we didnt not return during our stay. When we stay at a resort we typically have the breakfast buffet every morning - not here! I know that they are renovating the hotel and hope they not only tear out the interior which is very dated but have management come in and seriously consider changes in the menu and improving food quality!
(1)
Charles J.
What a disaster. First, you should know that there are three items on the menu. Three. Beef, chicken or fish. With only three options to choose from, I would have thought our server would know we didn't need 10 minutes to review the menu. Drink orders took forever to arrive.Food was mediocre at best. I have had better prime rib at Outback for a fraction of the price. This place is expensive for what you get. The "secret weapon" of this restaurant? It's never ending desert buffet. Only thing is... by the time we had finished our main course (at 7:45 pm), 4 of the 7 deserts were completely out and the restaurant had no way to make any more. We were left with carrot cake cupcakes instead of the chocolate mousse and key lime pies we had been eyeing as we walked to our table. So many restaurants on Disney property are so much better at the same price point. This place should be closed and reimagined as something worthwhile.
(1)
Jake L.
This review is for the character dinner at Garden Grove. As mentioned in other reviews, you pay a flat price depending on what entree you want, and the entree comes with sides, the salad bar and the dessert bar. Pluto and Goofy were the characters the night we ate there, and each character spent more than enough time with us as the restaurant wasn't very busy that night. The prime rib was solid, and between the sides and the salad we had more than enough food. Service was friendly and excellent as well.
(4)
Ron L.
I have a bias against expensive restaurants, and that counts for Garden Grove, hence the low rating. But then, this is Disney, and everything is overpriced here, so what do ya do? Unlike California's Disneyland, you can't just walk across the street and eat at Denny's. The food was pretty good, though. We got filled up, so that was good. Entertainment was provided by Goofy and Pluto; Goofy kept getting on one knee and proposing to the ladies (finally, my wife had her chance at a real tall-dark-and-handsome, but she'd say she's already married to a goofy). The inside kinda looks and feels like the Garden Court, a high-end restaurant inside the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Good if you have a lot of excess cash to blow, but I recommend you meet and greet the characters elsewhere, and leave the resort and eat at a better-priced restaurant.
(3)
Stephanie R.
We came here for lunch, no characters or buffet, just a small lunch menu. I ordered the fish tacos which were fabulous. Actually all the food looked great. My problem, and the reason for the 1-star review is something that built up throughout the entire meal...the actions of the server. It is absolutely a sign of poor management -- our server, Frans G, was carrying around the pitcher of water by the top sometimes and had his thumb IN the water the remainder of the time (which was most of it). Pretty much whenever he was on the floor he had the water pitcher, and was holding it in a way that was totally unacceptable. Now you may ask why I was so intent on watching him? Well it was simple, my water glass was empty and I was thirsty. So this server who walked past me innumerable times never looked at my glass...but I really didn't want water from him after what I saw. So we saw him (at our table) when we ordered, saw him when the food came out, and then when he brought the bill...that was it...he never refilled drinks or anything. The grand finale was the fact that 18% gratuity was added to a check that deserved no more than 10% if I was being nice! So he received over $30 to disgust me...UGH!
(1)
Chan L.
We ordered the mahi tacos, sides of warm german potato salad & fried rice. The food was too salty and nothing great to come back for. Service was good.
(2)
Nicole S.
I have to admit I'm taken aback by some of these reviews. We came for breakfast with the characters we saw Chip, Dale, Goofy & Pluto. My two daughters were ecstatic. There were only a couple of other people dining with us & the characters came around and greeted the kids multiple times! The food was delicious and the staff was great. This outing made our Disney vacation. We will definitely be returning!!
(5)
Makena K.
I was annoyed that they took so long replacing the empty dishes on the buffet line. This should never happen, especially if you're spending an average of $50pp. Really??!! Then the seafood risotto chef kept disappearing. But when he finally was present, it was the best damn risotto I've tasted. Loved it. And loved the dessert selections. I have one more restaurant coupon. Might use it an give the restaurant another chance just because of the dessert selections and the characters. BTW, get ready to spend $12 on parking. They don't validate.
(2)
Karen R.
The food was really good. The service was also great. They did run out of food for a while but it wasnt too long so it was ok. Only two characters but it was relaxing and fun.
(4)
Eric L.
The food was mediocre. Service was fine. Price is awful, even for Disney. AND, they don't validate parking, which means you can add $9 on top of your bill for that, if you're local.
(2)
Allyson M.
This is the first place I had breakfast when we went to Disney World. The breakfast selection is pretty good (as in quality - selection isn't any different from other buffets) - sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, pastries, etc. There's also an omelette station. The fun is when the characters come out. We went on a Saturday morning and Pluto was roaming about. If we ever visit Disney World again, I'm sure we'll come back.
(4)
Dawn C.
We dined here one night for dinner. It was a seafood buffet with average quality food. The service was pretty good, but for the price, the food could have been MUCH better. The highlight of the meal were the Disney characters roaming around, which is fine if you're 10 and under. I would definitely recommend eating at the Disney parks or hotels over this restaurant!
(2)
Matt W.
It was quick- but definitely on the bad side of average as far as the food goes. A character came around which was nice...and the kids were very excited!
(2)
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Address :1200 Epcot Resorts Blvd
Lake Buena Vista, FL, 32830
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : No Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Average Outdoor Seating : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes
Melissa M.
If I could take back this experience I would. First off, our server forgot our drink orders and was giving everyone else more attention than our table, even other servers. When it was time for our server to give us our orders, he completely got everyone mixed up! As if we were a different table. There were only 2 characters & before we booked we were promised at least 4! When we finished our meal, we got the bill. We had told our server before hand that our bill needed to be split. He split the bill but never came back to collect out payment! When we gave our bill to the manager, since our server was busy, we put a Disney gift card to pay for part of our bill, the manager left then came back explaining how they "are a third party hotel & cannot take Disney gift cards.". That to me is ridiculous! They are a hotel INSIDE Disney world, how is it possible to not take gift cards. When the manager came back he said he would try and see what he could do. He then brought the general manager of the hotel and she even said the same thing, but rudely. When we decided to use our card, the manager didn't look at what was written on the bill and charged us for NOT only our bill, but our friends bill as well. Then when we told them to fix the bill the manager charged out card for another $75 which was what our original bill was supposed to be. So our card was charged twice and one for the full amount with our friends & our split amount. The manager had promised us that the charge wouldn't go onto our account. When we looked at our bank, we were charged for both swipes of the card and now we're $150+ down on our card. When we called the hotel to try and reverse the General manager of the restaurant decided to give us a run around, so we decided to ask to speak to the general manager of the hotel. We were put on hold for 20+ minutes. This was a horrible experience
(1)Diane H.
Someone should have told me it's 60$ per a person for a dinner buffet because we have these two characters walking around..OUCHHHHHHH. If they had the seafood like they do on friday's i wouldnt be as pissed. I felt sooo embarrassed bringing my friends here...not knowing what we were in for since we were staying at the hotel. Having to cough up the bill for 4 people sucked majorly...
(2)Kalynne M.
Awful!!! It was a good thing we had a gift certificate so we didn't have to pay! Outdated decor and tables that are too close together is the least of this restaurants problems. When I made the reservation via phone, I was told it was buffet style, with three choices of meat plus a soup, salad and dessert bar...and that the mac n cheese was great. Well there wasn't any Mac n cheese and no salad pasta or bean dishes in the salad bar. Just four bowls of different lettuce, chopped cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and onions. That's it...even chuck e cheese offers pasta and bean salad. Then there was a totally bizarre assortment of pickled veggies in large jars?! Icky!!! Then a few small bowls of shredded cheese and croutons. The bread assortment looked like a faux display and my kids wouldn't eat any of it. You then wait in line to have a "chef" chop your salad and add dressing. We waited over ten minutes as they did not have a bowl to keep the dressing on the side. The kids menu is $17.99 per kid. It's all gluten free and tasteless. Our kids ordered chicken strips and said they tasted more like fish sticks. Their meals came with carrot and celery sticks with a side of ranch dressing. What happened to a healthy veggie like green beans or broccoli? Celery has no food value and the ranch dressing negates the healthiness of the rest of the plate. The kids were miserable, so we let them eat dessert. The desserts were waxy chocolate tarts and not at all impressive. My husband and I ordered the 16oz prime rib after seeing a neighboring tables burnt salmon. The prime rib was really barely 12oz including huge gobs of fat. The soups were clam chowder and fiesta chicken, not crowd pleasers. Our server failed to clear plates to the point I cleared out table out of disgust. Our bill came to $129, but with our gift certificate we paid $9.... Way to much $$$ for this horrible food and service. Only redeeming grace was the Pluto and goofy character visits.
(1)Lisa W.
We were staying at the Dolphin and woke up to a rainy day. We decided to try the character breakfast and we weren't disappointed. The characters came around to each table, took pictures and signed autographs with everyone. While we were there, it was Chip, Dale, Goofy and Pluto. The breakfast buffet had specialty juices, omelette station, French toast, breakfast meats, potatoes, grits, oatmeal (and toppings), baked goods, cereals, etc. Our family especially enjoyed the lower buffet for the kids complete with Mickey waffles. Is the breakfast pricey? Yes, but you are at a hotel on Disney property with characters, so I felt that it was good. Our server was great.
(4)Stephanie S.
I was here for lunch. The food was pretty good. Started with the Mac and cheese, which was unusual, but tasty. Then I had the grilled cheese, which was a little greasy, but otherwise not bad. The service was amazing!
(3)Paul M.
This review is for the Character Dinner at Garden Grove. The pricing for this dinner is different than other character dinners where you have a set price. Here you choose an entree from 4 choices ranging from $29 to $36 and get unlimited salad and dessert bar during dinner. Kids meals are a set $19. I was surprised to see Organic Roasted chicken on the menu and my wife was happy to order that. I had the blackened salmon. Both entrees were surprisingly pretty good. The salmon was not overcooked and was very tasty with the blackening. The chicken was also juicy and delicious. The salad bar is pretty sad when it comes to choices - a couple of greens choices, onions, and tomatoes. What makes it interesting is their selection of pickled items - cauliflower, beans, cukes, even brussel sprouts. I actually managed to make a pretty decent salad with these choices. The chop it or toss it station is a joke though. The chef uses the same dirty bowls to toss everyone's salad. I hope no one with nut allergies eats there... The Character portion of the Dining is just OK. There are 2 characters - Goofy & Pluto. To their credit they give ample time with each table for autographs and infinite photos. However I would have liked to have seen more characters. The venue is very old and could use a big refresh. The servers were pretty good though, pleasant and prompt. Overall this character Dinner is just OK vs other ones I have been to. It is definitely cheaper, we spent less money here than the prior night at Germany's Biergarden and we thought the food at Garden Grove was better. I would probably suggest a Character Breakfast here rather than dinner.
(3)Kristin C.
Okay, it is expensive here. But it is in Disney Downtown. So discounting that fact, the service and food were amazing! I had the farmer's market salad, and it was so yummy. I was very impressed! It had red and golden beets, delectable candied walnuts, slivers of watermelon radish...on and on, and oh so good! The service was impeccable as well.
(4)Chuck J.
The food is pretty good, I had the breakfast buffet. The juicers were tasty and omelets were cooked to order. The issue was service. Tons of waiters in house but they are more concerned with clean up than actually taking care of the customer.
(2)Chrissy B.
Breakfast was mediocre. We ordered off the menu, taking a break from the buffet option. Omelet was eh. Waitress we had was very flighty, couldn't grasp that i just wanted a cheese omelet, no other fillers. She disappeared for long periods and really paid little attention to her tables. Would not return
(2)Jody K.
We should have known that this place wasn't going to be a good one when we showed up at 6:30 pm and the restaurant was empty with the exception of 2 other families inside. So the soup and salad were endless along with the dessert. But you have to pick from a list of 3 main entree's. I chose the prime rib (medium rare - but it came out medium with barely any pink to it at all). We asked for horseradish and it was the most oddest horseradish that we have ever seen - it was a concoction of horseradish mixed with mayonnaise. The hubs ordered the salmon which was decent. The son ordered the spaghetti. For the 3 of us, the meal came out to over $100 - definitely not worth the price. It's defined as a character dinner, but there were only 2 characters: Pluto and Goofy....I'm pretty sure it was the same person as they rotated in and out....and in and out....and again, in and out. It got to the point where they didn't really go to any tables because they came out so many times that the kids were disinterested. The service was not that great either. Refills were not done and we rarely even saw our server. And now that I think about it, I can't remember if it was a guy or a girl.
(2)Anthony R.
Pros: In hotel we stayed at. Swan/dolphin not a very "disney hotel" so it started off our stay more disney! Everyday we walked by and we looked in and called it Goofey's restaurant! Bread station had good butter spreads. Pluto was excellent! Cons: Not good food like bad... Bad service (main server and hostesses were excellent) but secondary people failed to deliver plates,straws,napkins on several occasions might have been language problems but still unacceptable no problems like this at disney locations. Very very dry meat. Over priced No one could answer nut issue at dessert table.
(2)Lisa Michelle A.
Yeah dinner has little choices and saladbat was empty,not good, not cheap. We left and went to Kimonos
(2)Olivia P.
Our waiter was Rafie and he was amazing, very informative on the menu. I got the blackened salmon meal, which was delicious. There were four meal choices and for each one included a salad bar and desert bar. I got the bacon vinaigrette on my salad and it was delicious along with my meal. I also got their seasonal red sangria which was also delicious. Only complaint was that it was a character meal and we only saw two characters, Goofy and Pluto.
(4)Shalay C.
I had to interrupt the two chatting hostesses to ask for a table for one (I'm traveling for work). They gave each other a look, then said, "We're closing in a few minutes." "So you're not seating any more?" I asked. "No." As I walked away, I couldn't help but notice their hours. They're open until 9:30, and it was only 9:12. Lovely.
(1)Randy G.
Gloria rocks the omelet station! ...the rest of the place needs more of her. Their breakfast buffet selection is vast and they offer quality food but they constantly run out of fruit, pancakes, plates, etc. We ate breakfast at the Garden Grove six days (because we stayed at the Swan) and almost everyday I needed to ask for things that were empty on the buffet - and it's not really crowded. For what the Garden Grove charges for breakfast I shouldn't have to ask them to refresh their buffet stations. We did two character breakfasts (one Sunday + one Saturday) and one character dinner (Monday) - all 3 pretty weak. Only two characters each time, just Goofy and Pluto. Very disappointing for the cost. The dinner menu was very limited selection and just average food. Kid meals are more expensive than most places at WDW.
(3)Clelia G.
I give it 4 stars because the quality of food is superb. It was buffet and the charge was $23.50 per adult and $15 for kids 3-9 They have fresh juices that were delicious. They bake everything there and you could actually see thru a window how they bake their goods. I made myself the most delicious parfait. All the berries were so fresh and they had flax, plain yogurt and other healthy stuff that I can't remember the names . And of course all the other breakfast items looked very good as well.
(4)Bill L.
So disappointing. Went out of our way for a character dinner at Disney and went to the swan. Worst decision of our vacation. The place was empty at 6:30 and resembled a hotel lobby cafeteria. Kids had the "baked" chicken tenders which they had one bite and couldn't eat any more. I tasted them my self, dry and tasteless and were $17 each. Salad was underwhelming as well as the soup. Entrees just as underwhelming. 2 adults 2 kids 1 bottle of wine = $150 (before tip). Any other place in Epcot would of been so much better for the price. Wish I read the reviews before i made this mistake.
(1)N M.
Ate here for breakfast and wished we didnt! I wanted to order off the menu but the waitress told me it will take forever. Told me twice not to bother ordering off the menu. So i go with the highly suggested breakfast buffet and what a disater. As soon as i walked down I thought wow I should just wait forever and order off the menu. I got the hash browns which were formed in greasy, hard discs, the sausage was ok and then when i got a pancake Wow they were hard as a rock. I thought ok ill get some fruit and yogurt. Well the yogurt looked like it had sat out a very long time and they only fruit options were over ripe bananas and two very small bowls of blueberries and black berries. Another small bowl empty. Luckily they make fresh mickey pancakes for the kids which i had to order bc to nothing seemed fresh. Also i watched eggs made to order swimming in oil and old pan grease pieces. Nonetheless we didnt not return during our stay. When we stay at a resort we typically have the breakfast buffet every morning - not here! I know that they are renovating the hotel and hope they not only tear out the interior which is very dated but have management come in and seriously consider changes in the menu and improving food quality!
(1)Charles J.
What a disaster. First, you should know that there are three items on the menu. Three. Beef, chicken or fish. With only three options to choose from, I would have thought our server would know we didn't need 10 minutes to review the menu. Drink orders took forever to arrive.Food was mediocre at best. I have had better prime rib at Outback for a fraction of the price. This place is expensive for what you get. The "secret weapon" of this restaurant? It's never ending desert buffet. Only thing is... by the time we had finished our main course (at 7:45 pm), 4 of the 7 deserts were completely out and the restaurant had no way to make any more. We were left with carrot cake cupcakes instead of the chocolate mousse and key lime pies we had been eyeing as we walked to our table. So many restaurants on Disney property are so much better at the same price point. This place should be closed and reimagined as something worthwhile.
(1)Jake L.
This review is for the character dinner at Garden Grove. As mentioned in other reviews, you pay a flat price depending on what entree you want, and the entree comes with sides, the salad bar and the dessert bar. Pluto and Goofy were the characters the night we ate there, and each character spent more than enough time with us as the restaurant wasn't very busy that night. The prime rib was solid, and between the sides and the salad we had more than enough food. Service was friendly and excellent as well.
(4)Ron L.
I have a bias against expensive restaurants, and that counts for Garden Grove, hence the low rating. But then, this is Disney, and everything is overpriced here, so what do ya do? Unlike California's Disneyland, you can't just walk across the street and eat at Denny's. The food was pretty good, though. We got filled up, so that was good. Entertainment was provided by Goofy and Pluto; Goofy kept getting on one knee and proposing to the ladies (finally, my wife had her chance at a real tall-dark-and-handsome, but she'd say she's already married to a goofy). The inside kinda looks and feels like the Garden Court, a high-end restaurant inside the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Good if you have a lot of excess cash to blow, but I recommend you meet and greet the characters elsewhere, and leave the resort and eat at a better-priced restaurant.
(3)Stephanie R.
We came here for lunch, no characters or buffet, just a small lunch menu. I ordered the fish tacos which were fabulous. Actually all the food looked great. My problem, and the reason for the 1-star review is something that built up throughout the entire meal...the actions of the server. It is absolutely a sign of poor management -- our server, Frans G, was carrying around the pitcher of water by the top sometimes and had his thumb IN the water the remainder of the time (which was most of it). Pretty much whenever he was on the floor he had the water pitcher, and was holding it in a way that was totally unacceptable. Now you may ask why I was so intent on watching him? Well it was simple, my water glass was empty and I was thirsty. So this server who walked past me innumerable times never looked at my glass...but I really didn't want water from him after what I saw. So we saw him (at our table) when we ordered, saw him when the food came out, and then when he brought the bill...that was it...he never refilled drinks or anything. The grand finale was the fact that 18% gratuity was added to a check that deserved no more than 10% if I was being nice! So he received over $30 to disgust me...UGH!
(1)Chan L.
We ordered the mahi tacos, sides of warm german potato salad & fried rice. The food was too salty and nothing great to come back for. Service was good.
(2)Nicole S.
I have to admit I'm taken aback by some of these reviews. We came for breakfast with the characters we saw Chip, Dale, Goofy & Pluto. My two daughters were ecstatic. There were only a couple of other people dining with us & the characters came around and greeted the kids multiple times! The food was delicious and the staff was great. This outing made our Disney vacation. We will definitely be returning!!
(5)Makena K.
I was annoyed that they took so long replacing the empty dishes on the buffet line. This should never happen, especially if you're spending an average of $50pp. Really??!! Then the seafood risotto chef kept disappearing. But when he finally was present, it was the best damn risotto I've tasted. Loved it. And loved the dessert selections. I have one more restaurant coupon. Might use it an give the restaurant another chance just because of the dessert selections and the characters. BTW, get ready to spend $12 on parking. They don't validate.
(2)Karen R.
The food was really good. The service was also great. They did run out of food for a while but it wasnt too long so it was ok. Only two characters but it was relaxing and fun.
(4)Eric L.
The food was mediocre. Service was fine. Price is awful, even for Disney. AND, they don't validate parking, which means you can add $9 on top of your bill for that, if you're local.
(2)Allyson M.
This is the first place I had breakfast when we went to Disney World. The breakfast selection is pretty good (as in quality - selection isn't any different from other buffets) - sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, pastries, etc. There's also an omelette station. The fun is when the characters come out. We went on a Saturday morning and Pluto was roaming about. If we ever visit Disney World again, I'm sure we'll come back.
(4)Dawn C.
We dined here one night for dinner. It was a seafood buffet with average quality food. The service was pretty good, but for the price, the food could have been MUCH better. The highlight of the meal were the Disney characters roaming around, which is fine if you're 10 and under. I would definitely recommend eating at the Disney parks or hotels over this restaurant!
(2)Matt W.
It was quick- but definitely on the bad side of average as far as the food goes. A character came around which was nice...and the kids were very excited!
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