Disney World’s $800 Tiana’s Adventure New Year’s 2025 Dinner
Walt Disney World has announced an expensive dinner party to ring in 2025 with a view of the Magic Kingdom New Year’s Eve fireworks, Princess and the Frog characters, delicious New Orleans-inspired buffet, and more at California Grill atop Contemporary Resort. This shares details about the culinary adventure along with our commentary.
For starters, this is nothing new. Contemporary Resort has been doing these fancy New Year’s Eve parties since at least 2019. That year, there were a couple different Disney and Pixar options for families held in the ballrooms, which could include fireworks viewing from the rooftop or not. These options were $199 to $299 each.
There were also options at about a half-dozen other Signature Restaurants all around Walt Disney World that included live entertainment or some other ‘show’ component. Looking back at the descriptions now, these sound adult and intriguing, and Disney did not publish pricing–you had to call the WDW-DINE phone line to inquire. Smart move! My bet is that none of them eclipsed the $400 mark, but I truly do not know, because even then, I knew they’d be more than we were willing to pay.
Last year, Walt Disney World brought these back with a culinary event at California Grill for New Year’s Eve called “Alice’s Whimsical World of Wonderland.” This was advertised as offering shimmering champagne, delightful wines, marvelous food, and one-of-a-kind entertainment. As you dine, feast your eyes on a fanciful ice sculpture created to celebrate 2024 and California Grill. Ring in 2024 as the fireworks spectacular from Magic Kingdom fills the sky above.
Immerse yourself in the whimsical surroundings of California Grill—transformed into an immersive romp through Wonderland. You may see characters from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland throughout the evening, you’ll come face-to-face with The Doorknob in the entryway, you may also get a chance to wave hello to Dinah the Hat Lady—but beware of the Queen of Hearts! Oh, and the White Rabbit will be DJ.
This might sound super weird, and like Disney’s attempt at a family-friendly rave scene. But don’t worry, it’s also upscale and inexplicably expensive! The cost for Alice’s Whimsical World of Wonderland was $799–yes, you read that correctly. That includes tax and gratuity, though, so maybe it was a bargain after all!
Again, all of that was last year. So it should come as no surprise that they’re bringing the idea back–albeit with a totally different theme and set of characters. Here’s the announcement from Walt Disney World:
Ring in the New Year with a fantastical evening. Enjoy shimmering champagne, delightful wines, marvelous food and one-of-a-kind entertainment as part of Tiana’s New Year’s Adventure at California Grill!
Enchanting Entertainment – Immerse yourself in the whimsical surroundings of California Grill—where you’ll see Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen. They’ve stopped by to sample the cuisine, meet some new friends and assist Tiana’s friend Chef Matthew. But wait… there’s a twist!
With the help of Mama Odie’s magic, Louis and a few of Tiana’s other critter pals have crashed the party. Throughout the night, Mama Odie will cast playful spells to help Louis and friends stay out of sight of Tiana and Naveen. However, Tiana is smart—she will get to the bottom of who crashed this party. But she’ll need your help to do it, so be prepared to join in the action!
We hope you come dressed in your best for Tiana’s New Year’s Adventure at California Grill and are ready to dance to beats from live musicians! Plus, we’ll cap the evening and start 2025 with a fantastic champagne toast at midnight.
Delicious Dishes – As you float between the rooms, you’ll indulge in delicious New Orleans-inspired dishes—including delectable caviar—with our chef’s creative twist. Menu highlights include the following:
Chilled Appetizer Station
- Beef Tartare
- Chilled Raw Bar Display
- Caviar Station
- Chopped Salad
Wood Burning Appetizer Station
- Chicken “Drumstick”
- Squash Blossom “Doughnut”
- Creole Pizza
- Muffaletta Pizza
- Rock Shrimp Po Boy
- Corn Fried Oysters
Sushi Station
- Maki
- Sashimi
- Nigiri
- A collection of original sushi creations
Hot Seafood Station
- Lobster Ravioli
- Jumbo Sea Scallops
- Blackened Redfish
- Seafood Boil
From the Grill and Rotisserie
- Suckling Pig “Porchetta”
- Smoked Duck
- Beef Tenderloin
- Pan Seared Lions Mane “Skate Wing”
- Gumbo
Desserts and Interesting Breads
- Beignets & Chicory
- Assorted Housemade Truffles and Bon Bons
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- King Cake
Tiana’s New Year’s Adventure at California Grill Event Information
- Date: December 31, 2024
- Check-In Time: Begins at 7:00 PM
- Event Time: 7:30 PM to 12:30 AM
- Reservations: Call (407) 824-2013 to book this experience. Guests under 18 years of age must have parent or guardian permission to call.
- Price: The cost for this experience is $799, including tax and gratuity.
- Payment & Cancellations: Full payment is due at the time of booking. Cancellations must be received at least one day prior to the event to avoid being charged full price.
As you dine, feast your eyes on a fanciful ice sculpture created for Tiana’s New Year’s Adventure to celebrate 2025 and California Grill. Finally, experience the first moments of 2025 as the fireworks spectacular from Magic Kingdom park fills the sky above.
Our Commentary
There’s no sense in trying to make sense of Tiana’s New Year’s Adventure at California Grill or its price. This is super limited capacity and niche, so there really doesn’t need to be that much demand in order for it to sell out. Given the maximum occupancy of California Grill and that the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve is far and away the busiest in the parks and highest-booked in the hotels, this will fill up even if less than .01% of guests book it.
With past New Year’s Eve events like this, we’ve learned that there are enough people for whom money is no object. These things sell out regardless of the value proposition. In this case, Walt Disney World is making the calculation that the high-rollers are also big fans of Princess and the Frog. I’m not so sure that’s a safe bet, but what do I know!
This isn’t unique to Tiana’s New Year’s Adventure–it’s what I’ve always found perplexing about these New Year’s Eve dinner parties. Who are they even for? For the sake of discussion, let’s say we’re still DINKs who were willing and able to spend big bucks to attend a fancy New Year’s Eve dinner. What would our ideal version of that look like?
Food-wise, this sounds pretty good. Entertainment-wise, it does not. All we’d want in that regard would be live musicians (similar to the extinct Brunch at the Top at California Grill) plus a photo op with Minnie and Mickey Mouse in a ball gown and tuxedo, respectively. Maybe other members of the Fab Five dressed similarly, mingling with guests. I know these costumes exist at Walt Disney World, because I just attended a DVC party where they were weirdly dressed like this in a dance party!
It strikes me as odd that Walt Disney World is taking an event and venue that lends itself to something sophisticated and adult, and trying to broaden its appeal to families. If we were still DINKs, we would not want to attend this because it sounds too juvenile and family-oriented. Maybe I have a unique perspective in being a ‘Disney Adult’ who has had my feet in both worlds, but I’m perfectly fine with something like this not catering to my family. Not everything needs to!
Let the couples, for whom the cost is more palatable anyway, have fun with a sophisticated dinner party. What I’ve described above would probably cost Disney less to produce and would feel more upscale. Charging guests $599 per person for a more elegant evening seems win-win to me.
Beyond that, I will reiterate one of my common concerns with upcharge offerings like this. One of my recurring fears as a longtime fan is been that Disney is inflicting long-term brand damage for short-term financial gain.
We’ve seen this with the elimination of free FastPass, entertainment cuts, nickel and diming, catering to the affluent, crowds and long lines, and a laundry list of other complaints. Not to mention Disney’s falling reputation, which is based on all of the above plus other issues. We’ve discussed all of this at length–no sense in belaboring the point here.
Beyond that, there are examples of very niche product offerings that are clearly aimed at the wealthy. Most notable of these is the abandoned Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser. Same goes for the $100,000+ private jet Disney Parks worldwide “adventure” and the Cotino Storyliving by Disney communities.
Galactic Starcruiser was a colossal failure, but I’ve wondered whether–even assuming it were a financial success and didn’t close prematurely–was it worth all of the negative headlines? All of the aforementioned offerings cater to a small handful of guests, but have an outsized digital footprint. Is the monetary gain worth the brand damage and loss of goodwill?
Tiana’s New Year’s Adventure at California Grill is like that on steroids. This is a single-night event with a capacity in the low hundreds of people. Even assuming it books up fully, it’s probably not that profitable of an event due to the entertainment costs for Disney and those not being diluted over multiple evenings.
Meanwhile, exponentially more people will read about this news–and you better believe most headlines will include the price. If I had to guess, I’d say that hundreds of thousands of people will learn about this event. The most common reaction isn’t going to be excitement, or even “that’s not for me, but it’s cool they’re doing it for others!”
The number of fans who feel alienated or annoyed by yet another cash grab or offering only for the wealthy is going to dwarf bookings for Tiana’s New Year’s Adventure at California Grill. And there’s validity in those frustrations, as Walt Disney World still hasn’t put in the energy, effort, or budget to restore all of the missing entertainment and “little things” in the parks for regular guests…yet they have time for this.
It’s also worth remembering that almost all Christmas entertainment still runs between Christmas and New Year’s Eve (some runs even further into January), so check out our Ultimate Guide to Christmas at Walt Disney World for more planning tips with regard to which holiday entertainment you might want to see on New Year’s Eve. For Walt Disney World trip planning tips and comprehensive advice, make sure to read our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide.
Your Thoughts
What do you think of Tiana’s New Year’s Adventure at California Grill? Will you be booking this or is it not for you? Let’s say you have the money and are willing to spend it…is this your ideal event or would you prefer something more sophisticated or even more family friendly? Have you ever visited Walt Disney World for New Year’s Eve? Would you ever do it? Planning on ringing in 2025 at Walt Disney World? Agree or disagree with our assessment? Hearing from you is half the fun, so please share your thoughts and questions in the comments!
We did New Year’s Eve at the Edison 2 years ago and it was way less and fantastic!
I find it ironic but not surprising that Lord Iger would make Tiana’s Boring Adventure about a “employee owned and operated restaurant and co-op” then use her to charge and arm and a leg to dive with her. Are all the employees working this dinner going to get to divide the profits amongst themselves? Talk about exploitation. Lord Iger and the entire board should be held to the same standards that they preach to everyone in their movies and attractions. In fact the political side they all support seem to demand that they end all this price gouging, and make it more inclusive so that everyone can come and enjoy this place, not just those with fat wallets and bank accounts, they already don’t pay their fair share. Lord Iger should relinquish his position and turn Disney into a giant Co-op, just like they forced Tiana to do.
Hi Tom,
I live in the NYC area with my family, but I am still shocked that people would pay those prices for a NYE party (whether at Disney or in Times Square). Although we could financially “afford” that NYE party, I could never justify spending that kind of money for a couple hours of my time. In my opinion, there would be so many ways to better spend that money (whether at home or at Disney).
I am in complete agreement with your sentiment that Disney is damaging the brand. We have friends and family members who have come back from Disney and have said that they won’t be going back. They’ve said that for the money that they’ve spent, they could’ve done a European vacation (similar to your Tokyo analysis) or a cruise to Alaska, Hawaii, etc. Disney feels like the opposite of an “all-inclusive.” It’s not clear how much extra you’ll have to spend once you get there.
I appreciate all of your tips to save money at Disney World. I appreciate your thoughtful analysis regarding whether certain upcharges are truly worth it. I’ve followed your advice in our last two Disney trips (August 2022 and January 2024). You’ve saved us so much money and we’ve had an amazing time with our family of five on each trip. We’ve splurged on the Genie+ passes on the Magic Kingdom days (and skipped the EPCOT days and the rope drop strategy worked for us). My husband and I can “afford” all of the upcharges, but we will not pay for any of them due to the way we were raised. We save the money for “boring stuff” like college education for the kids.
Thank you for all you do. It is certainly delivering value to our family!
it’s not the point of the article I know but these pictures really just make me miss brunch at the top all over again (and just when I thought I had finally reached acceptance!).
If’s good, unlimited caviar, $800 doesn’t sound too crazy!
As someone from New Orleans, I came here offended by the price and left offended by muffuletta pizza and king cake out of season.
All this just adds the the bad taste of overpriced EVERYTHING at WDW… we r DVC and I LOVE DISNEY, but it is getting ridiculous!!!!
To add to the Applebees times square point, this article provides some example prices for other places on New Years eve last year (bubba gump shrimp for $1,015 anyone?): https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-years-eve-times-square-tickets-cost/
Even the NYE party in my hometown at a random marriott is >$200.
All this to say that while I would never do any of these things, there seems to be a market for this kind of event and $800 for Disney’s offerings (which I’m pretty sure will have better food and entertainment than any of these other things) doesn’t strike me as outrageous by comparison.
Thanks for sharing–that’s a fascinating rundown.
I guess I should be desensitized to prices on travel and leisure by now, especially in the current ‘era’ where it seems like there’s no shortage of people with lots of disposable income and YOLO attitudes, but this stuff still catches me by surprise.
The pricing is about $200 more than what you’d pay for a party with a ball drop view in Times Square for NYE at an Applebees or lower scale venue and notable less than for any event with a more upscale atmosphere. So Disney seems to definitely be catering in that direction with that price. Difference is this is the California Grill and NOT Times Square where you are paying for warmth, a bathroom, and to be in one of the most if not most iconic place to ring in the New Year.
That’s interesting–I was not aware of Times Square pricing!
It is different, but not THAT much different. With this, you’re also paying for a fantastic, no-crowds view of the Magic Kingdom NYE fireworks. The ability to use a restroom without losing your spot, eat food without a long wait, etc–there are some parallels.
And just to be clear, I absolutely think this will sell out…for the same reason those (presumably) do. It’s not like anyone wants to spend $1k on a NYE at Applebee’s. That’s no one’s idea of a good time or value for money. They do it because they’re a captive audience.
So I guess that sort of answers my “who is this for?” question. I still think Disney could come up with a better concept that’s either aimed at adults or families (ideally the former in this location), but it doesn’t much matter what they do–demand will exist regardless.
It will totally sell out. I am embarrassed to admit I did splurge for a pricey black tie party with a terrace overlooking Times Square and the ball drop last year as it was a bucket list thing. The access to bathrooms (which there are none of in Times Square), food, and warmth was worth it for a one time thing.
The idea of paying that for Disney though, where while crowded, where there is ample food available, restrooms also readily available, and it’s typically a temperate weather vs the freezing cold of TS, makes it a little tougher to swallow. It will sell out no doubt though, and without kids in tow I would maybe consider it.
We spent the turn of the millennium (1999 into 2000) at MK and it was phase 4 closures at all park by 0730. That’s how crowded it was. And while crowded you still had access to bathrooms, food and it was warm.
As a NYC local who has become very desensitized to high prices, even we think the Times Square pricing is out of control (it doesn’t help that most of us don’t want to be in Times Square on a normal day).
Norfolking way pal! Disney continues their relentless pursuit of the last dollar from me! First of all, California Grill has fallen off our list of preferred dining due to pre fixe menus that over overpriced and low in quality. Secondly, the thought of being in a mob during that week has little to no appeal. We were fortunate as DVC members to win a lottery and were able to book OKW and spend 12/31/1999 in the Magic Kingdom. Being there for the Millennium was an amazing experience with our daughter, her friend and my parents. We will treasure that memory.
If the California Grill was like it was two decades ago, this might be something to consider, BUT my experience with my adult daughter in 2023 at CG was a huge disappointment. Completely agree with your assessment of the menu and prices. I have to add that the service at the Plaza Restaurant on Main Street earlier in the day of our CG visit, was far superior to what we experienced at CG. And that was just for club sandwiches and sundaes. Hard pass on these events at Disney. If at Disney on NYE, I’d rough it with a rice bowl from Pecos Bill (a great menu addition and maybe more satisfying than anything on the CG menu), and waiting with the masses in the hub or on Main St for the boom booms!
Agree with the “who is this really for” sentiment. The price and menu says adults, but “help Tiana locate Louis and friends” screams young children (who probably aren’t making it to midnight anyway). Maybe this is their own way of controlling demand, if they actually went all in on a swanky adult New Year’s party, guest demand might crash the phone lines!