The re-imagined California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort debuts September 9, with reservations open starting August 26.
A major makeover transforms the restaurant – a sleek, contemporary interpretation of mid-century modern California design, with warm oranges and yellow hues reminiscent of the 1950s. You may not recognize the dining room, but those spectacular views of Walt Disney World Resort are still part of the show.
The new menu features seasonal ingredients and a lighter touch – the popular flatbreads are back, but Chef Brian Piasecki is also using the wood-burning oven for creations such as baked local prawns with charred lemon and savory meatballs with herbed orzo. Look for updates to longtime favorites, such as the Grilled Pork Tenderloin, which is now the Pork Two Ways – grilled tenderloin and lacquered pork belly with goat cheese polenta and mushrooms. The oak-fired filet of beef returns with heirloom tomato risotto, marinated baby vine tomatoes and basil.
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The sushi bar expands with a new omakase menu – 12 courses of pristine seafood with no menu, just chef’s choice. The menu might include ama ebi (sweet shrimp) tempura, lobster sashimi, crunchy Japanese bone marrow with sesame beef tartare and red onion marmalade, and spicy-crusted oysters.
With 250 choices on the wine list, there are 80 by the glass, plus 10 varieties of sake and eight kinds of crafts beers and ciders. Also, California Grill has its own list of signature cocktails you won’t find in any other Walt Disney World Resort restaurants.
Little Disney touches like a carpet design inspired by the sketches of artist and Disney Legend Mary Blair will please Disney fans (reproductions of her artwork are on display too). And just off the elevator is a new show-stopping wine display, a work of art housing 1,600 bottles. We expect the two new communal tables for 10 will be prime seating, positioned at the north end of the dining room for optimal fireworks viewing. For outdoor fireworks viewing there are now two areas – one on the northwest side, another new deck on the southwest side.
The restaurant opens daily at 5 p.m. For reservations, visit www.disneyworld.com/dine or call 407-WDW-DINE (3463).
For more about the re-imagined California Grill, check out these posts:
Comments
Taking my wife for her birthday, and was thrilled to get a dinner reservation over at California Grill. So the plan is to spend a day at Magic Kingdom, then over for dinner.
So my question: Is it possible to park for the day at the hotel? The folks on staff say there’s a 3 hour window for parking; is that really the case, and is it enforced? Seems a bit strange to me, if you have confirmed dinner reservations…
Thanks for any info!
We got. Ours so happy got up early and payed off going to be a great honeymoon.
Any chance of this being an adult only restaurant now like the cruise ships have? Don’t get me wrong, I love kids, but having a restaurant or two kid free would be awesome!
It’s wonderful to see others are as psyched about the reopening as I’ve been.. plugging the on-line site every day since April.
Will we still be able to sit at the bar without a reservation?
Yes!
Bah!, the Irony…
Over two hundred days ago we booked our family vacation to WDW. We opted to stay at the Bay Lake Tower (at the Contemporary) for no other reason than to sit in that restaurant, have our dinner and watch the fireworks (ok, possibly for the monorail too).
We arrive on August 26th!
I set up a script to watch for when the California Grill page is updated, and almost every night when the park hours are updated I have been checking to see if reservations were open. We arrive next week and it looks like we missed it by *holds up tense fingers* that much…
Thanks for the update Susan. We are visiting for our anniversary in October and hoping to get in!!!
Online reservations always open at 6am, while the phone lines open at 7am. Those are in EST.
This is fantastic news! I was waiting for reservations to open up because I will spending a whole week at WDW mid October for the Food & Wine Festival, No trip to WDW is complete with out dinner at California Grill! Thanks for the update!
As long as it is up and running you can make reservations online anytime after midnight on the 26th, by phone – after 7am. Just spoke with a wonderful cast member – she hadn’t heard about it yet, but she will probably be getting a lot of calls now!
Great news!! We will be at Baylake for Night of Joy weekend.Any chance DVC members will get a preview like maybe Sept 8th.
Looking to book for Dec.. Which be a better way to achieve a reservation online or phone and at what time on aug 26 can I start?
When might the new full menu be available to review? I need more food options to tempt my other half into making a dinner reservation 😉
Great news! This will be a highlight of our F&W trip the last week of October.
Any chance we can get some sneek peek photos of the interior?
Any chance that passholders or Tables In Wonderland members can get a jump on reservations?
Great news! What time on 8/26 will the on-line reservations open? Thank you!
Finally! 🙂 Do reservations open online at midnight or does it start at 7 AM Eastern? Thanks!
What time do reservations open? I have a very special dinner to book; I want to take my girlfriend (she’s never been) for our 1 year anniversary, the specific day is very important to me!
Reservations open at 7 a.m. on August 26!
Will the wdw app lets make res on that day Aug 26 and can we make res at 1201am or do I have to wait until 800am that morning to make res?
Hooray!
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