If Garden Grill was in any of the other parks, I would really want to try it based on everyone’s love for it. When I go to Epcot though, I’m all about snacking around and enjoying the festival offerings. That’s the only park I wouldn’t want to do a sit down meal. However, I LOVE Tusker House. I’ve been for breakfast twice to kick off Animal Kingdom park days. The food was phenomenal, the staff was absolutely delightful, and the characters’ Safari costumes were beyond adorable.
Ate at garden grill for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Very good. Have had yak n yeti but never tusker house. Nomad lounge for the gluten free churros for the win tho! (Food allergy in the house)
Tusker House was first meal at a Disney Park after a 7 year break and it was absolutely delicious!!!!!!! The cast members were easily able to accommodate my little's egg allergy, but most restaurants at Disney can nowadays. I would pick this place anytime over Garden Grill. The food was just BETTER and you cannot beat the outfits!!!
Funny, my SO and I have been talking a lot lately about why all the hoopla about the Garden Grill, because the food just looks so.. BLEH. I mean a Thanksgiving dinner? Tusker House has always been my jam. I liked it tons back in the pre-character days. When I go to Disney, I want food that I don't usually get a lot back home (though admittedly, I DO go out to a lot of 'exotic' restaurants). I get that people like the rotating view of the Garden Grill, and characters and all.. but that food just.. it's just so.... gray. Throw an extra vote towards Tusker for me.
Garden Grill was one of the HARDEST places for us to get a reservation the last time we went to Disney and we were staying in a Disney hotel so booked the earliest date we could.
I like both of these experiences but prefer Tusker House when it is a buffet. It’s too bad that the kids (and adults) don’t get to interact with the characters now. Not planning any trips to WDW or Disneyland until things get back to normal.
I know AJ might pick garden grill. I prefer my character meal to be on a resort day so I don't waste park minutes. It's especially hard to choose a slower meal at Epcot and animal kingdom when there are international foods to try.
I’m already picking Tusker House cause Garden Grill was not a good experience for me. We expected more when we ate there and wasnt super great. For kids, GREAT. Anybody over the age of 13, ehh maybe not super ideal. The food wasn’t too bad! We didn’t get much character interaction. They walked behind us and waved and that was it. I was hoping a worker would come by with them and offer to take pictures. But nope. They just waved and walked on :( i do wish i got a picture with at least my boys chip n dale but they walked past and never saw them again
I love Garden Grill, the food is delicious and the characters were amazing. I wasn't impressed with Tusker House, I felt it was just an inferior version of Boma, which is my favourite buffet restaurant. We had breakfast and the service was not good, we saw the server once when she brought us drinks and then nothing until she brought the bill, no offers of top ups or asking if we wanted anything else. I think she thought that with two adults the tip percentage wasn't worth making an effort for or that was the impression she gave.
My trip is the 5th to Epcot woke up this morning checked my app just to check and snagged a reservation at 7:05 pm, I would just keep checking the closer to arrival a lot of people cancel reservations.
Tusker House is fabulous! You must go if you’re visiting AK. We had the vegetarian and vegan dinner options and nothing we ate was bad, although we’re not at all picky so that must be stated. :) Save room for dessert, try the vegan dark chocolate truffle! It was so fresh and high-quality, like from an artesian chocolate shop. If you have food allergies or don’t eat meat or dairy by choice, you’ll have more options at Tusker House than Garden Grill, though both were good. We didn’t have any alcohol, but the menu had some interesting options and those around us seemed to enjoy their drinks. :)
