Chef Mickey's or Garden Grill?

[Gummie Bears]

We will be taking our first trip to WDW in June. We need help deciding between Chef Mickey's or Garden Grill for dinner. It's our first time so we're clueless on both places. Is the food good? Character experience better than another?
Any suggestions or advice is appreciated

 

[junebug18]

I have no experience with Garden Grill but we did have Chef Mickey's Breakfast and it was fun, basic breakfast food and the characters were good, we are going back this trip but we are gona give dinner a try.

I see your from Texas where at?

 

[PewamoGirl]

I have been to both places a few times, I really prefer Garden Grill. It has a better character experience for my taste, and the food is a lot better than at Chef Mickey's. Not that Chef Mickey's is bad, but if its one or the other go with Garden Grill

 

[River Country]

Both are great. I prefer Chef Mickey's

 

[debaone]

I would say Chef Mickeys, plus no park admission required.

 

[mrmdisneyfl]

Garden Grill has great food compared to Chef Mickey's and you can see Chip and Dale. Chef mickey's has better chartcaters, but do not care for the dinner there. Breakfast at Chef Mickey's would be an idea.

 

[anjalee6]

We like Garden Grills food better and the atmosphere is much calmer. I really think that the character interaction was much better also. The characters came around a few times to the table during our meal on more than one visit. The only downside is that there is only Mickey in Farmer attire, Pluto, Chip and Dale. Chef Mickey's has the Fab 5 but it is a little more rushed I think an I didn't enjoy the dinner food as much.

 

[EeyoreEma]

We've been to both, and I much prefer Garden Grill, for both food and character interaction. I felt like the food at Chef Mickey's was substandard - we didn't even really like the dessert table. Also, characters were very brief in their visits. We've had great interaction both times we've done GG - they have spent a ton of time with us. The food there has also been very good both times. I will say, however, that they seem to have a long wait each time we go. If you do go there, ask for seating in the booths on the lower level.

 

[Agri]

If you go with Garden Grill, you can make up the character difference at the Epcot Character Spot easily. If you go to Chef Mickey's, you can make up the character difference right outside the Epcot Character Spot.

I definitely WAY prefer Garden Grill to Chef Mickey's. The food is better, the character interaction is better, and you don't feel so rushed and cramped. You'll also almost definitely see the characters more than once at Garden Grill.

(I also WAY prefer Cape May for a character breakfast over Chef Mickey's for similar reasons.)

 

[tlhbdm]

DH and I prefer Garden Grill over Chef Mickey's anyday of the week. We do not like the food at Chef Mickey's but go there just for the characters. We tried Garden Grill two years ago and fell in love with it, it became one of our favorite restaurants and cannot wait to go back when we go in May

 

[sydneysmom]

we haven't been to Garden Grill yet, but it's on our list for next time. One place that's NOT on our list is Chef Mickey's. We went for our second to last breakfast and it was horrible. The food looked completely picked over and some of the serving bowls were just empty.....there was food all over the floor by the cereal dispensers, the characters didn't come to our table until we were just about ready to leave (after waiting for 2 hours to see if they'd come around).
We had our DD and the next table had a couple of kids too....we all waited and waited and finally I went and talked to one of the handlers who said that they were just really behind but they were coming in our room next. Well, when they finally did, it was like Clark Griswold looking over the Grand Canyon. A 3 second "take a picture kid" kind of moment. It was sad for the kids I thought ....

I'm really looking forward to trying Garden Grill......

 

[LuvLuvLuv]

chef mickey's

i will never go back to garden grill ever . plus at chef mickey, you get a decent mickey to get a picture with that's not in overalls and a flannel. the little girl behind us kept calling him "hillbilly mickey"

 

[nanni]

I've had dinner at both. I much prefer Garden Grill. Food is better and the character interaction doesn't seem as rushed. There's also less of other kids running up to the table, which we did have a problem with at Chef Mickey's. The food at Chef Mickey's was okay, but we had a very early dinner seating so it hadn't had a chance to get picked over yet.

Another nice thing about GG is not having to worry about missing a character if you get up to get more food.

 

[Gummie Bears]

Thank you for your help! We have decided on Garden Grill!! I'm sure the kids will love it either way! Thanks again

 

[tiffsix]

Good choice. I would eat out of the garbage before I ever go back to chef mickeys!!!!!!!!!

 

[mikeandkarla]

We have been to both many times. I would choose Chef Mickeys if I could only choose one.

 

[anolen300]

We have been to Garden Grill 3 times and love it. DW loves the character interaction while I love the food. The last time we went we got to see Chip & Dale, Pluto, and Mickey. Each one came by and did not seem rushed to get away since it was all adults and no kids. DW took pics with each and Mickey made our friends take a picture with him.

 

[Gummie Bears]

Good choice. I would eat out of the garbage before I ever go back to chef mickeys!!!!!!!!!

Is it really that bad?! We've really read bad reviews and dinner seems to have the worse reviews, which unfortunately was the only time they had available.

 

[KelleyK75]

I haven't been to Garden Grill but did Chef Mickey's in Sept and we all loved it. It was our favorite place we went on that trip. They had a lot of food choices on the buffet, everything was really good, and the characters were great! We were there for breakfast. We will definitely go back next trip!

 

[DadtoPrinceNoah]

OP...I know that you already made your choice, but I wanted to chime in as well. I agree with everyone saying that the GG is much more relaxed with better food and better character interaction.

But the one thing that really bugged me about Chef Mickey's is that they take your picture before you even sit down and if I remember correctly, it was with a statue of Mickey (not even a "live" Mickey). Then they put a picture package together and bring it to your table while your eating and try to sell it to you. I know that they are just trying to make a buck, but it just bothered me that they were trying to "guilt" me into paying for overpriced pictures while I am eating. I don't know if they do that at any other meals, but they didn't do it at my GG meal.