California Grill for MK Fireworks

[jess1017]

Does anyone have experience eating at California Grill in the Contemporary to view MK fireworks? I currently have three ADRs, so I want to choose one as soon as possible and release the others for someone else to enjoy!!

My current ADRs are for Friday 12/9 at 5:50 pm, Friday 12/9 at 7:30 pm, and Monday 12/12 at 5:45 pm. I'll make sure to post on the December Cancelled ADR thread when I decide which I'm keeping!

Friday 12/9 is a MVMCP night, but Monday 12/12 is not. Does this affect firework times? I'm open to the idea of having dinner and returning to the observation deck later if all three of my times are too early to see fireworks during my reservation, I wouldn't want to take up a table waiting around!

If I go with the Friday 7:30 pm reservation and eat dinner before, would it be okay to just order drinks and dessert? Is there any way to know what time Wishes will be on these nights? Which reservation do you think is best? Thanks!!

 

[Nancyg56]

Of all the ADR's I think the 7:30 will work out the best if you want to see Wishes during dinner. In the past Holiday Wishes was at 9:30, but I am not sure the time this year. The others are too early to see the fireworks but I have been told you can return if you keep your receipt.

There are rumors that some restaurants will have a minimum order, but so far that is not in place, so you can order drinks and dessert with no problem.

If it was me, I would not have dinner early. I would save it for CG and ask the server to time the meal for you. I would never be able to camp out for at least 2 hours with a dessert and cocktails, and I would not want to dine for an hour and then kill time looking for something to do while I waited.

 

[d96j97]

If you check the park hours, MK Wishes is scheduled for 10:00pm on 12/12. If you have dinner at 5:45, I have read posts that say you can take your receipt and they will let you go up to the observation tower to view Wishes. We have never done that as we have always scheduled dinner within an hour or so of Wishes and have been able to walk out and view them from the top of the Contemporary. It is a magical experience so definitely try to make it happen. We currently have reservations for 12/12 at Cali Grill as well but they are much later than we normally eat dinner just so that we can view the fireworks from the top of the Contemporary. Good luck!

 

[purple figment]

With either the 5:45 or 5:50 reservations you will be finished dining long before fireworks, but you can return just before fireworks, show your dining receipt to the castmembers at the check in desk on the second floor and you will be able to go back up to the viewing deck outside of CG.

If Holiday Wishes is at 9:30, the 7:30 reservation would be a good choice because you will probably be just finished with your dinner. The pacing is slower at the signature restaurants so it usually takes us 90 -120 minutes to finish a three course meal. I would not eat dinner earlier, then try to stretch out dessert and drinks for 2 hours with a 7:30 reservation.

 

[Liberator]

Can I get up to see the 8 pm fireworks and come back for dinner later when I have a reservation for 9:20 pm?