California Grill worth it?

[sbgla]

Eaten there several times over the past few years and enjoyed it every time. If it fits in with your schedule then book the table for around 60-70 minutes before the fireworks at MK and go out on the balcony to get a great view of the show. They also pipe in the the music/commentary.

 

[LSLS]

I know I'm in the minority, but I would say no way. I wasn't that impressed with the food (I actually thought the Wave had significantly better food). I think I would do Flying Fish, Narcosse, and the Wave are all much better options.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

My husband is not into fancy places to eat and thinks it's a waste of money. Me on the otherhand enjoy fine dining. I would like to get input on your experiences and if if you felt it was worth the price?

1) Hubby is right for this one.
2) Yes, the food can be pretty good, but the high noise level spoils the meal.
. . . And, we didn't even mention the little kids who frequently are allowed to wonder around.
. . . Plus, when one pays this much money for "fine dining" one assumes people would dress for the occasion, and not look grubby.
3) Because of DDP, you get diners who simply do not know how to act at better dining places.
. . . with DDP, people forget how much they are truly spending, and Disney counts on this
. . . this is the same principle as using chips in a casino, or a room charge card and on cruises
. . . in many cases, if people actually put out cash, they would think twice about the purchase

 

[justme0729]

YES! Loved it... one of the best steaks I've had and creative twists on it... the view of the castle too! Love this place.

 

[Nancyg56]

My family plans Dining as part of our vacation, so some of our meals are planned with Wishes in mind. CG is a great place to eat if you want to include a beautiful view of WIshes or of the Magic Kingdom. The food is good, Expensive but good. CG is NOT fancy, and will not be the quiet romantic meal many people envision that it will be. It is loud, and frequently has unruly children who are up past their bedtimes. I like this restaurant but do not book it every trip.

If you and your DH want a signature dining experience that is the opposite of CG, but still includes Wishes, consider Narcoossees. As in all Disney restaurants with the exception of Victoria and Albert's, this is a family restaurant, but the atmosphere is more intimate, and a lot less noisy. I have never had a complaint with service at CG, so I think the service wis comparable, both have been excellent. YOu can time the meal so you can step outside and enjoy Wishes from the veranda.

I think you can manage your costs if you choose meals or items carefully, and still have a lovely dining experience.

 

[goofyintoronto]

I know I'm in the minority, but I would say no way. I wasn't that impressed with the food (I actually thought the Wave had significantly better food). I think I would do Flying Fish, Narcosse, and the Wave are all much better options.

Im with you on this. This use to be my fave place (before the refurb), but not anymore. I was not impressed with my last two meals there. The last time i went, i ordered the flat bread which was good....I had it with a salad, which was one of the worst salads i've ever had. Yes, a bad salad. He took the item off the bill which was nice of him (considering he's the one that raved about how good it was and highly recommended it). The previous meal I had was a filet I believe....I cant remember exactly. The filet was ok but the side that came with it (some potatoe dish) was not good. I'd pass on this place unless you have your heart set on seeing fireworks. Oh, I'd like to mention that @TheRustyScupper is correct about the noise level and people dressing very casually and kids running around. The only thing that really bothered me was the noise. I honestly couldnt hear my table mate talk. I had to keep asking him to repeat what he was saying.

The best meal i've ever had, or should I say the best FILET i've ever had in disney was at Artist Point this past trip. Omg, I cannot say enough good things about it. So incredibly tasty.....the entire meal from start to finish was phenominal.

I will also say that the wave is a really good option as well. I loved my meal there. I'd pick the wave over cali grill in a heartbeat.

 

[DizneyLizzy]

this is what my (picky eater husband) and I did in September. He said it was his most enjoyable disney experience we had ever done just the two of us. He even tried sushi for the first time! We shared a sushi roll, a flatbread, and an appetizer. It was enough, but we weren't starving when we showed up. He got a fancy cocktail, I got a Shirley temple bc I was pregnant. We snagged a window table in the lounge so we didn't even use our adr table. The hosts and servers were great with that. Our lounge waiter was like, why would you move?! Ha. We watched hallowishes and it was awesome. We are going to try to make this a date night tradition anytime we're traveling with grandparents to watch the kiddos

You know you can enjoy without buying the expensive entrees. Last two times we all shared the appetizer flatbreads (delicious and big) and sushi.

 

[hodad]

Sometimes I like to go to the California Grill for a single sushi roll and cocktail.

 

[sbgla]

The sushi always looks good. Only problem is that on the DDP - the mental demons wont allow me to order the sushi as it is a poor return for 2TS :-(

Maybe they should do a bigger sampling platter that would make it more worth the 2TS

 

[hodad]

If OP's husband thinks a multi-course meal is a waste of money, he might find solace in the ability to have a small delicious meal for around $30 while his partner goes to Dining Plan chowtown.

 

[jasperess]

I'm with LSLS and goofyintoronto.

California Grill was once my husband and my favorite restaurant on Disney property. However, we went back since the refurb and the food was just ok and we had bad service as well! I was really disappointed. I do think it was cause the waiter (and maybe kitchen?) was overwhelmed, and I am willing to give them another shot in the future (because we had suck a lovely experience our first time), but it likely won't be for a few trips...

 

[Stitch808]

We tried it there just this last trip as our first signature restaurant. It wasn't at all fancy, but a little higher class than your normal TS. We really didn't have any issues with kids running around being unruly, but we did have a late ADR. Overall, it was a nice dinner with Holiday Wishes to cap the night. I don't think it is a must every trip as there are other signature dining restaurants throughout WDW that I want to try.

 

[OKW Lover]

I'm also of the mind that CG isn't worth it. For the same price you can go to any of several other "signature" restaurants and have a quieter meal with food that will be better than CG. No, I'm not saying CG is bad, it isn't. Just that other choices are better.

Consider Artist Point, Jiko, Yachtsman and possibly the new Flying Fish. Or head over to the Dolphin for Blue Zoo.

 

[DISNEY1975]

In the real world, it would definitely not be worth it, but at Disney you are paying skyrocket prices at any table service, and I would say CG is worth the small increase in price.

 

[Sweet Pea Reed]

DH and I will be having dinner there in February for my 40th birthday, as it's a place I've always wanted to try. We are on the DDP --- so would this entitle us to an entree and and a dessert? If we ordered apps, could we then pay for those out of pocket?

 

[sbgla]

DH and I will be having dinner there in February for my 40th birthday, as it's a place I've always wanted to try. We are on the DDP --- so would this entitle us to an entree and and a dessert? If we ordered apps, could we then pay for those out of pocket?

2 TS credits per person will get you an Entree, Dessert and non-alcoholic drink. You can pay out of pocket for apps, sides and alcoholic drinks if you like. If you want to see the fireworks I suggest booking for around 60-75 minutes before the start of the show.