Garden Grill was the only restaurant my 5 yo daughter asked to visit again on our next trip and, considering we did 2 princess meals, I think that's really saying something!
The food, I agree, was not spectacular, but it was decent. I especially enjoyed the beef and the turkey with stuffing. The salad and rolls were also good My daughter had chicken legs, broccoli, and mac & cheese. Drumsticks happen to be her favorite food, so she was very pleased with the meal. I don't think she cared for her dessert, but I don't remember what it was and she's not a big dessert eater in general.
The rotating restaurant was the best part for us. We were on the lower tier, so the little could walk up to the barrier and check out each new scene. She especially liked the farmhouse. I thought the curved booths offered more privacy during most of the dinner. It was a little awkward when we passed the front entrance and it felt like all the people waiting or walking by were watching us eat, but it wasn't that big of a deal.
The characters were awesome! They each came by several times. It got to the point that we were just waving to them as they walked by. The server offered to take pictures of both of us with the characters, which never happened at any of the other character meals we did.
Of course I would recommend riding Living with the Land before you eat there to get some familiarity with the scenes (and because it was fun
). We also did the Behind the Seeds tour right before we ate there. It was really interesting for me and the little really liked some of the "special" plants they grow, like Mickey shaped watermelons. Supposedly some of the food they grow in the greenhouses you tour is served in the restaurant, so that was a good way to get the little to eat her vegetables!
Of the princess meals, Akershus was our favorite. It felt more relaxed and they had a parade for the kiddos. The other character meal we did was the Disney Jr. Lunch at Hollywood & Vine. The food was not great, but it was a fun lunch for a Disney Jr. fan.