Fan-Favorites Return to California Grill’s 30th Anniversary Menu, But Needs Bigger Upgrades.
Walt Disney World has announced fan-favorite dishes & drinks returning to the menu for California Grill’s 30th Anniversary starting this month. The rooftop restaurant at the Contemporary Resort will update its prix fixe menu with a fresh dining package. This covers some of what’s on the menu plus a fun look back on WDW’s original Signature Dining Experience as told via longtime Cast Members.
In case you’ve missed it, California Grill replaced its normal a la carte menu with a prix fixe menu for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Celebration almost 5 years ago. When that ended, they introduced another prix fixe menu, which has been offered for the last couple of years with minor refreshes here and there.
Miraculously, the California Grill prix fixe menu has not gone up in price since its debut for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary. The menu is priced at $89 per adult (ages 10 and up) and $39 per child (ages 3 to 9) as of May 2025, just as it was in October 2021. Granted, it received a tremendous amount of backlash back then…but it was also the hottest ADR at Walt Disney World. So people were saying one thing, but enough were voting with their wallets in “favor” of California Grill’s pricing.
At least, that was the case back then. Since the 50th ended, California Grill’s popularity has plummeted. It’s hard to say whether longtime fans were doing nostalgia-fueled homecoming meals back then, or staffing shortages made Advance Dining Reservation availability more challenging, or if it was a matter of pent-up demand. Our best guess is all of the above. Every restaurant has seen an ADR drop-off in the last year-plus, but few places have been as pronounced as California Grill–going from top 5 toughest to easily accessible.
Just in comparing the menu today versus what we had back during the 50th, it appears that one of the ways Walt Disney World has managed to hold prices steady even during an era of inflation is by cutting quality. If you recall the dearly-departed CFO’s infamous “guest waistlines” comment, she also mentioned substituting ingredients and changing suppliers in addition to reducing portion sizes. It certainly looks like the current California Grill menu isn’t as ambitious or upmarket as it used to be–and that alone is a problem for a purportedly “Signature” restaurant.
If you revisit our California Grill Prix Fixe Dinner Review, you’ll notice it’s quite positive. That was from the very beginning of the celebration, when we had a great experience. Subsequent to that, we’ve been back a couple of times, and while the service and atmosphere have been great as always, the cuisine quality has left something to be desired. Due to all of that and more, I would also hazard a guess that word of mouth has soured on California Grill, making ADRs easier.
California Grill now feels more like a novelty restaurant than a ‘pure’ Signature Dining Experience from a culinary perspective. Which is to say that, but for the fireworks view and location overlooking Magic Kingdom, California Grill would be even less popular. Granted, those are big selling points that we’re just hand-waving away, but California Grill used to offer superlative views and cuisine. It wasn’t a place that coasted on the fact that first-timers would pay big bucks just for those big views.
Honestly, California Grill feels more and more like a fancy version of Be Our Guest–that’s arguably the most apt comparison. I say that as someone who thinks the Be Our Guest hate is overblown–but I also think that there should be absolutely no comparison between the two. And yet, there is. In that sense, California Grill doesn’t really feel like a Signature Restaurant anymore. Or at least, not one in the same league as its counterparts along the monorail loop or in the other Deluxe Resorts.
Suffice to say, California Grill has not been high on our list of restaurants to revisit at Walt Disney World. It’s not just the non-Signature quality, it’s also that we favor flexibility when eating “for fun” (rather than the sake of reviews) at Walt Disney World. During any given meal, we might order 3 appetizers, 1 entree, 1 dessert–or 1 appetizer, 2 entrees, 2 desserts–and so on. Really, whatever catches our eyes on the menu. This prix fixe menu doesn’t really allow for our preferred dining style.
We obviously are not alone in this–it’s the #1 complaint we hear about California Grill from readers. Judging by the abundance of Advance Dining Reservation availability, this is becoming an increasingly common perspective, which makes me wonder why Walt Disney World isn’t restoring the a la carte menu for California Grill’s 30th Anniversary. I know this mini-rant is a bit beside the point of the menu change news, but I’ve felt this frustration with California Grill for a while–and feel like bigger changes are what this news actually should be.
Anyway, here’s the announcement about California Grill’s milestone…
Thirty years ago, California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort opened as Walt Disney World’s first signature dining experience, forever changing the landscape of Disney dining.
Located on the 15th floor overlooking Magic Kingdom and Seven Seas Lagoon, this iconic restaurant quickly became popular for its fresh, seasonal menus, royal views of Cinderella Castle and one of the first open kitchens at the Resort. But beyond the contemporary cuisine, what truly makes California Grill special is the people.
Leading up to opening night, a team was assembled with one key ingredient in mind – passion. “That opening team was really special, everyone brought a different talent and was constantly learning for each other,” Ray, an opening-day cast member, remembers.
It’s that same passion that inspired Ray to craft one of California Grill’s most popular cocktails, the Monterey, or as his regulars call it the “Ray Ray”, which will be returning to this year’s limited-time anniversary menu.
“We’re surrounded by the freshest ingredients,” Ray explains. “The Monterey was made with [flavors of vanilla, pineapple] and lemonade made from scratch. Since the beginning, California Grill has focused on excellence and that still comes through today with local and domestic sourced seasonal ingredients.”
That’s not the only longtime fan-favorite returning to the menu. In honor of California Grill’s 30th Anniversary, a number of popular past dishes will be available. Beginning May 15th and remaining through May 2026, these selections will be marked with a ’30’ on the California Grill menu. The returning favorites include:
- Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli – Served with organic mixed mushroom ragoût, tomato-fennel brodo, and California extra virgin olive oil.
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin – Plated with creamy goat cheese polenta, roasted pork belly, aged balsamic organic mushrooms, and a Zinfandel glaze.
- Blueberry-Goat Cheese Cheesecake – Topped with blueberry meringue, vanilla chantilly, raspberry coulis, and goat cheese mousse.
- The Monterey – Cocktail featuring Licor 43, Pyrat XO Reserve Rum, DOLE pineapple juice, and house-made sour mix.
For opening-day server, Dale, his passion goes hand-in-hand with purpose. “We’re a part of the Disney culture and the world-class service we provide is something you don’t receive anywhere else,” Dale says.
And it’s because of that spirit of service that Dale and other long-time Cast Members have created lifelong connections with guests. Over the decades, the California Grill team has welcomed families who first visited with their toddlers and now return with grandchildren alongside them.
“Something special about Disney is that people come back and vacation year after year and I’ve gotten to see families grow up in front of my eyes,” says Walter, another opening-day server. “I’ve seen kids when they were seven or eight years old and now, they’re 35 visiting with children of their own! I think that’s the real kicker, this place has been here 30 years, and it’s given us an opportunity to build strong, amazing relationships with a lot of families.”
That sense of connection, decades deep and deeply personal, is what continues to define California Grill. For many cast members, the memories they’ve shared with guests are cherished moments of their own.
“Once, I waited on Roy E. Disney, Walt’s nephew. And after the fireworks I went over to the table, and he was crying a little bit, and he said, ‘I’ll tell you, Dale, I’ve seen these a ton of times, and it still gets me’…and that’s my favorite memory of 30 years.” Dale fondly recalls.
Like I said above, if Walt Disney World really wants to celebrate three decades of California Grill, the best way of doing so is restoring the restaurant to its former glory and getting rid of the prix fixe menu. The ‘celebration’ menu has outstayed its welcome by at least 2 years.
Another thing California Grill could do to honor its anniversary is something we discuss in Big Little Things Walt Disney World Needs to Bring Back: restore Brunch at the Top. There’s no good excuse for the ongoing absence of this delightful dining experience. Staffing shortages have been resolved and this is a ‘free’ revenue stream that doesn’t conflict with the dinner menu.
Brunch at the Top at California Grill was our favorite meal at Walt Disney World and we are among this small but vocal minority who would love to see it brought back. Of course, if it does return, it’d probably go the way of Takumi-Tei or Monsieur Paul and have an exorbitant price increase that would likely make it a non-starter for us. (Even if not, having a new baby probably accomplishes the same.) But we’d like to at least have the option and know it’s there for a special occasion.
It’s our understanding that California Grill moved to a prix fixe menu for a couple of interrelated reasons. The first was to increase per guest spending. This made sense at the time, as capacity was constrained and pent-up demand meant many guests were free-spending.
Related to this was the common “hack” among cheap locals and others to book California Grill ADRs and only order appetizers or dessert, slowly nursing plates while awaiting fireworks. It was a low-cost way to experience a nice restaurant and have a great view of the fireworks.
Walt Disney World’s shift to more prix fixe menus began with Be Our Guest Restaurant’s “cupcakegate,” and California Grill followed a couple years later. Around that same time, Space 220 Restaurant also debuted with a prix fixe menu. That had many Walt Disney World fans worried that this was the way of the future. Thankfully, it is not. It’s just what high-demand “experiential” restaurants do to prevent guests from occupying tables without purchasing full meals.
The easiest way to prevent this exploit is a prix fixe menu. It guarantees a minimum spend, thereby blocking those who would book to only do appetizers or desserts as a nice way to see the fireworks.
Personally, I wish there the option for a prix fixe menu or a la carte menu with a minimum spend. We have no problem hitting whatever requirement might exist; we just want the flexibility to eat as we wish. However, I can also understand why Walt Disney World would not want to go this route–and also isn’t transparent about the real motivations for these prix fixe menus.
Many fans may not like prix fixe menus, but even more would not like being told they need to spend $X in order to dine at a restaurant. Even though they’re effectively the same thing, it’s a matter of optics. Imagine all of the clickbait blog and vlog headlines: “Disney DEMANDS Guests Spend $$$ To Step Inside This Restaurant!” It’s really the same deal here, but a softer way of saying the same…albeit a less flexible one.
Consequently, we previously recommended that readers vote with their wallets and not do California Grill if they disliked the prix fixe menu. That so long as Advance Dining Reservations were snapped up quickly and Walt Disney World had no problem filling tables at California Grill, words were meaningless–only demand would dictate change.
The thing is, demand has changed! California Grill is no longer difficult to book for normal party sizes. Even with a party of 4, there’s availability every single night (usually 4+ time slots) for the next 2 weeks and beyond. This is nothing new, either–California Grill has seen its demand drop off fairly markedly since around the time the 50th Anniversary ended.
It also doesn’t help that, due to the prix fixe menu, California Grill is one of the few Disney-owned restaurants that doesn’t accept the Disney Dining Plan. This doesn’t make much sense. It would be a poor use of credits, regardless, and it’s not like there’s an opportunity cost to accepting the DDP at this point. (It is funny–fans routinely blame the Disney Dining Plan for “ruining” restaurants, and this is perhaps the strongest argument of a restaurant being much better with the DDP than without.)
Ultimately, in more ways than one, it feels like California Grill is resting on its laurels and phoning things in. Its prix fixe menu decision was defensible back in 2021, but nearly 5 years later, it makes a lot less sense–and the supposed Signature Dining Experience as a whole just feels stale. That’s doubly true when contrasted with what the culinary team over at the Grand Floridian has been doing with its top tier restaurants.
California Grill’s 30th Anniversary should be an exciting time that reinvigorates the restaurant–and maybe it still can be. But swapping out a handful of menu items is not nearly enough. If the original signature wants to remain relevant and reestablish its spot atop the list of best restaurants at Walt Disney World–and not just as a top fireworks spot that also happens to serve food–perhaps a bit more ambition should be on the menu.
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Your Thoughts
Think California Grill has grown stale and needs a shot in the arm for its 30th Anniversary? What do you think of the California Grill sticking with a prix fixe menu? Disappointed there’s no a la carte option? Will you be attempting to book this Advance Dining Reservation? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Excited to hear this. Just this morning I was reminiscing with friends about the pork tenderloin. Liked it so much I obtained the recipe to make it at home. Gives me a reason to go back!
Can you share the recipe?
We used to go to California Grill almost every trip… loved it!!, we ordered full meals, not just appetizers… however, with 8 of us, and the price fix, we no longer go .
The only reason we go there now is for the view of the fireworks. They have taken all of the class out of that restaurant.
We ate there a few nights ago because we were staying at Wilderness Lodge and wanted something convenient after playing golf at the newly reimagined Magnolia. As Tom says, one way to avoid raising prices is to lower cost. So the fish option has gone from halibut to grouper to salmon! The service was excellent. The restaurant was packed with mostly adults on a Wednesday night during a slower period in May.
We ate there for the first time last year and absolutely loved our meal.
I was looking over the appetizers this year and noticed the flatbread pizza is missing. Do you know if they changed the menu for this summer versus 2024? We are annual passholders and got 20% off last year, during AP summer days. Which made our California Grill dinner much more affordable for a party of 3. now that we only get 10% off dining this summer, I’m thinking of skipping it. I don’t know if it’ll be worth it.
Tom, what restaurants do you think are worth the money at Disney World?
We would like to try something new, that we have not ate at before. We love, salmon and filet, salads.
i.e. what are your top five must do dinners?
Mine are Topolino’s for breakfast. Topolino‘s-dinner-scallops and escargot.
Toledo – salmon and filet mignon
Terralina- Italian:)
Ale- n -compass-lunch
Bar Riva
My youngest son is turning 10 this summer, and my twins are tweens. Paying $89×3 for them to order chicken nuggs and fries makes zero sense. Disney needs to recognize that sometimes it may make sense to charge adult prices for a 10 year old (eg park tickets) and other times it is sheer lunacy.
We went last year – my daughter was 12 – I explained that she has no appetite for the adult menu, and they graciously allowed her to order if the kids menu. We had an amazing time! The view was spectacular and then to return to watch the fireworks was such a unique vantage point. We would go again to California Grill without hesitation.
How much do you think Brunch at the Top would cost now if it returned in the same format as before? $150/person? $200? That’d be some real sticker shock, but those were some of the best Disney meals we ever had and absolutely worth ~$100/person 5-6 years ago, so maybe it’d still be worth it at a higher price now.
Agree. Brunch was fabulous! $100 seemed a lot but defensible then. Like you I’d guess they’d have to go $200 or so. We spoke to a management person there once that said nearly as much. Their cost to run the Brunch is high. I’m nostalgic for it, but not sure we’d drop $400+ to do it.
“The menu is priced at $89 per adult (ages 10 and up) and $39 per child (ages 3 to 9) as of May 2025, just as it was in October 2021… the cuisine quality has left something to be desired.”
Accounting for inflation, by some measures that’s almost a 15% cut in price; I’m not surprised that Tom and a lot of other people can taste the difference in quality! While I’m not a fan of prix fixe menus, I’m not going back until the quality improves to where it should be to make the California Grill one of WDW’s premier restaurants. (If it means prices need to increase to get better food, I’m willing to pay for it here like I was at Pecos Bill.)
I’d suggest allowing for additional purchases and trades with possible upgrade fees rather than a minimum cover charge, but that’s just my opinion that it sounds better even if it’s technically the same thing.
They have had entree upgrades from time to time (including one right now). I’d definitely be on board with more of that–and just a deeper menu, in general.
I really like what DLP/TDR/HKDL do with different tiers of prix fixe menus. That seems like the right route if they’re going to keep it.
My wife and I were engaged here 20 years ago. From the ring on a glass slipper to a custom dessert to a proposal just before the fireworks began was a perfect way to ask for a yes to the will you question. Despite a desire to go back, the limited menu and decline in quality has prevented us from returning. An an ala carte menu even with minimum spend would allow us to share the place it all began with our son and relive the fondest of memories.
I dine at CG way too often and there are a couple of secrets I’ve picked up over the years:
1- There are a small number of off-menu items you can still order. Notable ones are the Kazan Roll (highly recommended) and the cheese board.
2- You can order additional items that aren’t on the prix fixe menu, and if you order any sushi item as an additional appetiser it is served as a full size starter of the pre-prix-fixe menu size (i.e. double the size). Pretty good value for sharing.
Very interesting–thanks for sharing this.
I wonder if those are separately available on the lounge menu? I haven’t checked that in ages. I do know that they have a different menu (or can have one) for the separate rooms–as I’ve dined there for events and been given a different menu.
Are there still pizzas as apps/are they off menu? Would the cheese board be in place of an app? After 7 trips over 25 years we are finally going to try California Grill (willing to give it a shot understanding it might be one and done for us) but I don’t love the looks of any of the apps on the prix fixe menu. Also they no longer seem to advertise the lower level wine pairing-is that available?
Agreed re: brunch! Bring it back! We ate at CG when we hacked the DDP in 2018 with your site’s advice and had a spectacular meal. We returned in 2019 on our honeymoon for dinner and were not wowed with our food. We did however do brunch that trip and absolutely loved it! Along with Narcossee’s brunch, we would love to revisit those, although to your point, I’m not sure we could stomach the 2025 price for those meals now that I think of it!
Thanks for the read Tom……..I agree that it’s gone downhill since the price fixe menu……How does Topolinos get away with it but Cal Grill can’t? We love the atmosphere and our home DVC hotel is BLT so we always go to Cal Grill but the food at Steakhouse 71 is better
I don’t really consider Topolino’s Terrace a fireworks view restaurant. You can see them in the distance, sure, but it’s not nearly the same as Magic Kingdom and Happily Ever After from California Grill. It is interesting that, despite California Grill having the name cachet and rich history, Topolino’s Terrace is now the more popular restaurant.
We also eat at Steakhouse 71 a lot more often. I’m not sure I’d go as far as to say it’s better–but it’s close enough and definitely cheaper!
california Grill was always a ‘must do’ for my husband and i when we vacationed, but since we moved ed to Florida and are 20 minutes from the park we’ve realized that the experience of fireworks during dessert doesn’t make up for the lack of freedom in ordering. We routinely dropped $300 at dinner but with the limited choices and prix fixe meal we just aren’t interested anymore. There are just so many restaurants of high quality in other hotels that we haven’t been in years. Hey Disney, bring back the old menu!