Should YOU Eat at Disney World's California Grill?
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- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
- California Grill has completely changed… AGAIN. But has it changed for the better? Or was this expensive Disney World meal not worth the price? Find out TODAY, here on DFB Guide.
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California Grill is one of my family's long-standing staples of every year and hands down our favorite meal of the entire trip. We LOVE that place.
We've known our regular server there, Ryan, for nearly 20 years now and every time we go in there for dinner it's hugs all around (he gives FANTASTIC hugs!!) and catch-up time. We know about his life and family, and he knows about ours. He's one of two cast members I consider very good friends and also have personal cell numbers to text and say hello on holidays and give travel dates (both arrivals and "we got home safe"s). The other is one of the bellmen at Boardwalk who we've known for 25 years.
Without even watching the video yet I can say YES, you should eat at California Grill! We have never had a bad meal there. Ever. Even with the Prix Fix menu they've always let us swap things around, split things, substitute things, etc. to get exactly what we want. 😊
Bellman at the Boardwalk??? Would it be Al?
@@randychestnut6591 YES, actually, it is Al! 😄
So no more making a meal out of sushi. No more gourmet pizza and salad combos. Variety was one of the features that made California Grill great. Looks like Disney has used COVID and 50th Anniversary shenanigans to ruin yet another formerly great restaurant.
It is MUCH less "customizable" -- and that's unfortunate for sure. I knew people who went up there JUST for sushi!
A little different take on California Grill. But I got married at WDW last month and had a private welcome brunch the day before the wedding. The food and staff were a 10/10. Having the entire place to ourselves was also incredible. If you ever want to do a private event at Disney then I highly recommend having it here.
We ate there a year ago and the service was horrible. It took over 3 hours to serve a 3-course meal. We arrived just before 8 and weren't able to get out of there until after 11. Several of our entrees were ice cold when they finally arrived. The view of the fireworks was spectacular and I loved how they're able to play the music for it like we were in the park. But it's not worth getting a meal there. It was a major disappointment overall.
Agreed. The last two times we were there we found the service terrible. Serving staff play favorites among clients and we were not the 'preferred' table. We received our food well enough but were mostly ignored by the staff. I guess we weren't flashy enough.
These all sound like the more and more typical experience that people are now experiencing at Disney now. Mediocre food, poor service, absolutely OUTRAGEOUS prices.
Welcome to the new Disney.
I miss the old Disney.
California Grill has always kind of had an A team and a B team in my anecdotal experience. If you're there on the night that the B team is in place, it's gonna take forever and be kind of blah.
@@DFBGuide With amount that each person pays to eat at CG. There should not be blah days. I would rather take my $100+ after tax and tip and eat somewhere else if I am not going to be guaranteed a fabulous experience.
@goddessphantom And by $100+ you mean $130+, after drinks, tax and tip. In fact, that's probably low.
Per person.
Thanks to the new prix fixe menu, my family of 5 - including two “adults” aged 13 & 11 - is on the hook for $400 before taxes & tip (and wine, lol). As much as my wife & I have loved our past meals at California Grill, I can’t justify that price moving forward.
I’ve never understood how Disney can charge kids adult prices. Did Disneyland do this when Walt was still alive? If they don’t want a 13 year to pay the same price as a 7 year old, they should have a’teens’ price half way between the children’s and adult’s.
My teenage son can out eat me.
I remember when this restaurant was 'Broadway at the Top' and came with a dinner show. It was fabulous! Even had a six-year old enthralled. I hate this trend in fixed-price menus; laziness in my view and complete money grab (but what isn't with the Disney company anymore.) These days, Disney tends to 'fix' things that don't need fixing and ruins things in the bargain.
I absolutely love your videos. Not just for the information value but they are just so fun to watch! I don’t know why but they make me so happy.
Glad you like them! Thank you for watching!
11:53 I’m excited to try the peanut and banana torte dessert because the hibiscus 🌺 and I wear one everyday with different colors
Happy Easter everyone 🐰
happy Easter, y’all. 🎩🥂🖤
Love seeing you eating more of the plant based options! Going to Disney world for the first time soon and trying to scout all the Vegan eats!
As always, a very helpful and informative blog. Hopefully we'll get a reservation for this summer.
Thanks so much AJ!!😊😊
I'm sorry, seeing the orange lighting over that parking......much less the parking.....KILLS THE MAGIC! Who the HELL planned that?
Ha ha ha TRUE! You have to kind of not let your eyes dip down from the castle view! I've always thought that about the theme park view in this hotel -- paying so much money but you're mostly looking at a parking lot.
We will be dining here in May. We are staying at the Contemporary and doing all things “monorail resorts” like O’hana and GF cafe. However, I am sure the Cali Grill will be a one and done for us, even if it is the best meal we have ever had!
I was very interested in this review but the audio was so low I could not hear most of it. Please improve the volume. I turned it up as high as I could but nope. Could not hear.
Ate there in 2017 and it was a wonderful experience. Obviously, not nearly as expensive as it is now! We had the fillet for our entrée and it was spectacular. Also watched the fireworks from outside on the observation deck, and that was fun (but I definitely recommend seeing them for main street for the full experience). We shared a dessert, and that is a nice option. Too bad they have structured it to make it so crazy expensive now - but what isn’t these days!?
Love this restaurant. We have eaten here twice, first time a la carte and second time fixed price. The a la carte time was fabulous from start to finish, best ever meal at WDW. The fixed price menu was okay to good but was nowhere near as good as the first time we were here and not worth the price charged. Won’t return while it is a fixed price meal, which is a shame.
I think they had to make a LOT of changes based on the social distancing requirements in the kitchen, the staff shortages, and other problems. But I was sad to hear they kept it a prix fixe after the 50th ended. That just feels like a money grab to me kind of.
@@DFBGuide Absolutely agree. It was understandable during Covid, but now they should go back to a la carte. In my view it isn’t a top class restaurant if it forces it’s customers to accept a fixed price menu.
Before the pandemic they used to do Sunday brunch here and it was amazing. It was also prefix, but you had bottomless mimosas, and could come back that day for fireworks.
I appreciate that your review included plantbased options. Thank you!
Happy Easter everyone if your going to Disney have a magical day🐣 🐰
We went there for my Birthday dinner on Feb 2. We had a table by the window for fireworks viewing (pro tip: always wear your birthday button). The deluxe wine selection add on to the prix fix price was worth every penny & then some. With my braised beef short ribs wontons I had BV Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve Goethe’s de Latour ‘18. With the fire roasted venison main course, I enjoyed Duckhorn Merlot Three Palms Vyd ‘19. I went with the selection of California cheeses and had the Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Brut. Ruinart is the best Blanc de Blancs not named Krug Le Mesnil.
Outstanding dinner. V&A also has a more elaborate dinner w/wine pairing… but Cali Grill is more accessible, and the. There is the Fireworks.
Trying to decide between CA grill vs Steakhouse 71 and just watching the fireworks from the 4th floor observation deck. How is the view from 4th floor observation deck?
We solved the money issue by only having two people dine at CG and the others at a counter service option. It was a wonderful mother/daughter meal (in honor of my daughter's high school graduation) and the males in our party were not going to eat and enjoy 89 dollars worth of food so they were very content to skip the fancy restaurant. Food stellar, service amazing, views unsurpassed. I say find a way to eat here if you possibly can.
If someone promises Ravioli I want several ones, but they give you one big raviolo so they do not even know what they are doing (menu) 🤗🙈
I dined at Cali Grill once back in 2016 as a special birthday dinner during my DCP and it was one of my favorite meals ever. Even though I'm someone likely to order the full app-entree-dessert regardless, I'm sad to see the prefix menu sticking around. :\
I can’t wait to try this
You're in for a treat!! It's one of my family's staple meals every year and it has never disappointed.
If you want an even better experience than the food alone already provides, ask for Ryan as your server. We've known him for nearly 20 years now and he's _fantastic_ the way that only cast members can be. We consider him a friend.😊
What happens with the fireworks if you go on an event night like the Christmas party music wise?
Really enjoyed this video we are real foodie at the Pittsburgh Traveler. New subscriber look forward to seeing more!
It’s perfect you get the best view of magic kingdom I’m going April 17
I tried California pizza kitchen I loved it now I wanna try California grill and go on that premium private balcony seeing the fireworks 💥
Are there on my last trip 4 years ago, very good food. Doing Ohana this year
Enjoy 'Ohana!
Love it there!
I ate at the California Grill in June 1994
We ate at California grill 2 years ago and it was wonderful. We went back last month and it was not a good experience and the food was not good. It definitely was not worth the money and we will not go back again.
Happy Easter
Sounds good but $85 is a lot
It is a LOT.
@@DFBGuide I spend that much money in a week
Planning to go to Skippers canteen
Woah! You don’t do that to decent food. Who’s the chef, Donald Duck!?! Those recipes have zero science. Oh, nobody cares. They wanna see the show. That’s why the chef is 11 floors away from the kitchen. Price was too good to be true. Oh, well. Remember most are okay with T-bone priced chicken fingers in the park.
Love your videos! You’re as honest as you are professional. 🎉
I never been to chefs Mickey I wanna go their first and try Mickey waffles 🧇
You can get Mickey waffles at contempo cafe -- the fast food spot next to Chef Mickeys! That way you don't have to pay quite so much!
Thank you Aj 😊 I’ll look into it although I wanna dine with Mickey Mouse
ONE ravioli is called a "raviolo."
It sounds like a Harry Potter spell..."WINGARDIUM RAVIOLO!"
@@DFBGuide lol
Hello, I was just wondering if you had a video rounding up vegan options at Disneyworld? Lots of love from Switzerland ❤❤
Hi! We have sections of our videos focused on vegan options, and we have parts of our DFB Guide book that talk about vegan choices. We also have several blog posts about the best vegan options for festivals and in certain parks!
Ah fantastic!! Thanks SO MUCH! ❤
I am scared if elevators bit for Disney world I’m going to be brave I have been taking stairs up to 25 flights it’s time I get over my fear I have been on an elevator since 2020
Do they still have Sunday Brunch? 🙂
No😢
Can anyone dine here or you have to be DVC?
I wish the pixie dust annual pass had more open holidays but ig so others who have regular tickets it’s fair since we can go everyday in Florida those who don’t live here they deserve holidays
Omg
For that price, one of those fancy napkins might just find its way into my purse 😉
The last time I was at California Grill, I saw a man with his family wearing shorts, sandals, and a Mickey hat, and I’m still wondering till this day how the hell did he get past the elevator?
can we get a face reveal?
Doesn’t look good