Garden Grill lower vs upper level

[McFlea]

Hi All - my family of 5 will be eating at Garden Grill for the first time in February, and I was wondering about the levels. I have read that the lower level is better than the upper. Can you see scenes from Living with the Land from both? What makes the lower level more desirable? We have an ADR for 4:00, which I believe is when the restaurant opens. Would this give us a better chance for the lower level, and should I request it when we check in? Any advice/opinions are appreciated! TIA

 

[pixarmom]

Hello! Garden Grill is our boys' favorite restaurant, so we've been there many many times but we've only sat on the upper level once.

The upper level is a typical table and chair set up. You can still see the rotating scenes from the Land ride, but the view is not as clear into the scenes. The wall of the restaurant is right behind the tables, so when the characters come to the tables, the background in the pictures is usually the wall. It's a little more difficult for our kids to get in and out of the chairs than to slide out the ends of the lower level booths. At at least one point during the rotation, you'll rotate past the server's station, which isn't the best view. You can see all the servers walking around and all the diners around you - like at Chef Mickey's or Crystal Palace (except a smaller setting with family style service.) The upper level wasn't terrible, but we don't prefer it.

The lower level consists of high backed semi-circle booths with more direct views into the Land. In those booths, we can't see the other diners around us. And our kids can't see the characters from the booths until the characters are right in front of us, so the kids eat more! You can't see the servers' stations and the background in all of our photos is the Land scenes, so that's nice too. Our boys sit on the ends of the semi-circle booths so they can slide out of the booth quickly for photos. So we think it's a more relaxed atmosphere and just more pleasant.

As for the strategy, we usually arrive 15 minutes before our ADR and let the CM at the desk know that we would like a lower level booth and we're willing to wait for it. We are usually seated within 5 minutes of our ADR time, but I'm sure that varies.

Hope that helps!

 

[DisneyFamily123]

I don't see any difference. The upper level is really only a few steps higher. I liked it better because we cold see the Living with the Land exhibit and had a nice wall for a background (for photos). The lower level faces more directly toward a clear railing and teh exhibit. To see the exhibit well, just go on the ride before you eat dinner!

Photo...

 

[Agri]

We have eaten at both levels, and had a much better time up top. The booths have a nice view, but its not a lot of fun when someone who isn't on the end needs to go to the bathroom or wants to have their picture taken with a character.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I have never eaten in the lower section, but I ate in the upper section and absolutely hated it. There were other reasons I hated it, and will never go back, but being in the upper level was part of it.

 

[disneybound31]

Hello! Garden Grill is our boys' favorite restaurant, so we've been there many many times but we've only sat on the upper level once.

The upper level is a typical table and chair set up. You can still see the rotating scenes from the Land ride, but the view is not as clear into the scenes. The wall of the restaurant is right behind the tables, so when the characters come to the tables, the background in the pictures is usually the wall. It's a little more difficult for our kids to get in and out of the chairs than to slide out the ends of the lower level booths. At at least one point during the rotation, you'll rotate past the server's station, which isn't the best view. You can see all the servers walking around and all the diners around you - like at Chef Mickey's or Crystal Palace (except a smaller setting with family style service.) The upper level wasn't terrible, but we don't prefer it.

The lower level consists of high backed semi-circle booths with more direct views into the Land. In those booths, we can't see the other diners around us. And our kids can't see the characters from the booths until the characters are right in front of us, so the kids eat more! You can't see the servers' stations and the background in all of our photos is the Land scenes, so that's nice too. Our boys sit on the ends of the semi-circle booths so they can slide out of the booth quickly for photos. So we think it's a more relaxed atmosphere and just more pleasant.

As for the strategy, we usually arrive 15 minutes before our ADR and let the CM at the desk know that we would like a lower level booth and we're willing to wait for it. We are usually seated within 5 minutes of our ADR time, but I'm sure that varies.

Hope that helps!

What she said.

I was going to post EXACTLY this.

Trust us, ask for and wait for the lower level.

 

[disneybound31]

We have eaten at both levels, and had a much better time up top. The booths have a nice view, but its not a lot of fun when someone who isn't on the end needs to go to the bathroom or wants to have their picture taken with a character.

Put the kids on each end of the booth and parents/adults in the middle of booth with the camera- when characters come around the kids slide out for pics and right back in again to eat.

 

[Agri]

Put the kids on each end of the booth and parents/adults in the middle of booth with the camera- when characters come around the kids slide out for pics and right back in again to eat.

It was a party of three adults and we all wanted pictures with the characters. The upper level worked out better for us because the characters could get behind my mother and I and we got plenty of pictures without us having to get up (except for Pluto). My friend was on the other side of the table, so he didn't have to get up either. Only time we both got up was for a picture with Mickey.

When we ate on the lower level, my friend (who was stuck in the middle) also needed to go to the bathroom twice, which meant I had to get up to let him out. My friend didn't want pictures with all the characters, but even one means having to get up.

This was just our experience, but I'm not that keen on getting up and down more times than I need to during a meal.

 

[loveysbydesign]

We had the upper level and hated it! it was very claustrophobic and my kids could not see anything...we were very disappointed, especially when I said to the host that we were hoping to be on the bottom level(which had open seats) and they still stuck us up top. I think they should charge you less if you're stuck up top!

 

[nytimez]

I've eaten at both, I like the lower level better because you can see into the rotating scenes. You really don't get much of a view from the upper level.

I don't find it's any easier or more difficult to get to or from seats vs. booths.

 

[McFlea]

Thank you all for your helpful replies! Like I said, I've never been, so I'll be sure to get a good look while we're waiting and see if one level would suit us better than the other. But my gut tells me we're going to ask for the lower.
Thanks again!

 

[ashg8r]

Hope I'm not hijacking your post, but quick question for those who have been to GG - can they put a high chair at the booths or does high chair mean upper level? Thanks!

 

[glk2009]

Hope I'm not hijacking your post, but quick question for those who have been to GG - can they put a high chair at the booths or does high chair mean upper level? Thanks!

When we were there last year, high chairs were only allowed on the upper level.

HTH!

 

[disneybound31]

It was a party of three adults and we all wanted pictures with the characters. The upper level worked out better for us because the characters could get behind my mother and I and we got plenty of pictures without us having to get up (except for Pluto). My friend was on the other side of the table, so he didn't have to get up either. Only time we both got up was for a picture with Mickey.

When we ate on the lower level, my friend (who was stuck in the middle) also needed to go to the bathroom twice, which meant I had to get up to let him out. My friend didn't want pictures with all the characters, but even one means having to get up.

This was just our experience, but I'm not that keen on getting up and down more times than I need to during a meal.

Ah, that makes total sense...i would'nt want to keep getting up either...mostly we just do kid pics with characters and maybe just one shot with all of us, so I see how that won't work for everyone.