We did the the EPCOT International Dinner and Illuminations Dessert Grand Gathering in June 2008. There were 10 of us -- 8 adults, DS6, and DD2. We were there for DD's 2nd Birthday.
The short version is that we all loved the experience of doing it. The food was OK. I typed a longer summary a while back that I have pasted below.
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This is one of the most difficult topics to find good info about. We did the International Dinner and Illuminations Dessert in June.
The event was scheduled for 7:00 in the Odyssey building. We checked in early and waited outside with several other families. At a few minutes before 7:00, they began calling families and escorting everyone to their tables which were seated for the exact number of people in the party and had signs on the table with the name of your group's celebration (X's Birthday, Y's Graduation, etc.). Each member of the party is given a commemorative pin. In addition to being a collectible/ souvenir, this pin was needed for admission to the dessert area.
The buffet menu included items from "Around the World":
Bread basket- garlic, multi-grain, & pretzel breadsticks with butter, parmesan-red pepper dip, & hummus
Canada - white cheddar soup (LeCellier)
California- salad (Garden Grill)
China - Stir Fry Vegetables
Mexico- Zucchini,tomatoes, peppers, onions, corn & beans with cilantro
Japan- Brown rice with tofu & edamame
Norway- Boiled new potatoes with dill
Morocco- Spiced chicken with tomato & chic peas
Germany- Bavarian roasted pork with red cabbage
France- Burgandy braised beef with mushrooms and pearl onions
United Kingdom- Fried haddock with tartar sauce & lemon
Italy- Cheese tortellini with alfredo cream & pea, petit pasta with roasted garlic marinara
Kids Table- Apple slices with carmel dip, carrots with ranch dip, fried chicken strips with barbecue sauce, Smuckers Uncrustables PB&J sandwiches, macaroni and cheese
The food was good, but not great. The selections didn't necessarily compliment each other. Throughout the meal, there was a DJ and MC that played music, introduced each table, and had the kids up dancing. Minnie and Goofy joined the party to dance with the kids, then headed to the photo station at the back for group portraits.
We were celebrating DD's 2nd birthday and were seated at the back of the banquet room near the food and photo area. So when we were ready, we made a point to be one of the first families to get our photos taken. There was a Photopass photographer, but these were some of the poorest pictures we had taken all week.
After the pictures, we were done with our meal so we stepped outside. The CM's outside asked us to wait a few minutes and let the kids play with their flashlights before escorting us to the viewing area. Being the first to the viewing area, we got a spot right on the front rope. There is no seating in the viewing area, so everyone just stands and grazes the dessert tables.
The desserts were good and the view of Illuminations was amazing. When the fireworks were over, they encouraged everyone to mingle in the area and have more dessert instead of fighting the crowds. We did and were able to relax and get some great group shots in front of Spaceship Earth on the way out.
For dinner alone, we would prefer any character meal or any of our World Showcase favorites over the International Dinner. However, the Illuminations Dessert portion was a great experience that we would have never had the chance to do otherwise, so we are glad we did it.
