New California Grill 50th Anniversary Celebration Prix Fixe Menu
Walt Disney World has announced the new California Grill 50th Anniversary Celebration Menu prix fixe meal coming to Contemporary Resort’s rooftop Signature Restaurant next month during the World’s Most Magical Celebration. This post covers dates, details, pricing, and the full menu.
Note that this 50th Anniversary dinner is in addition to “Celebration at the Top: 50th Flavors & Fireworks at Disney’s Contemporary Resort” coming to California Grill next month during the World’s Most Magical Celebration. That’s a cocktail party featuring fine food, simmering sips, and beautiful music while awaiting the new Disney Enchantment fireworks spectacular.
Walt Disney World is billing that as an “intimate event” toasting to the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World, and will be held in the private Sonoma and Napa Rooms at California Grill. Intimate event is probably right, as we were unable to book a single date for that party’s run when reservations dropped before 6 am last week.
Anyway, here’s the announcement via Disney Parks Blog about the new California Grill 50th Anniversary Celebration Menu prix fixe meal:
In 1971, Top of the World opened on the 15th floor of Disney’s Contemporary Resort, offering two dinner/dancing shows nightly featuring top-name entertainment. In 1981, “Broadway at the Top” dinner show was introduced with popular catchy show tunes sung by talented performers.
In 1995, the space transformed into California Grill — with fresh, seasonal dishes prepared in the stunning on-stage kitchen. The impressive wine list showcasing the finest wines from highly allocated California vineyards further elevated the dining experience.
California Grill was considered a cutting-edge concept (especially for a theme park), becoming a sought-after dining destination for our guests as well as catching the culinary world’s attention. And it continues to dazzle and impress all these years later!
Through the years, the menu has evolved but continues the focus on seasonal dining with a creative blending of flavors, textures, and techniques. The stellar award-winning wine list is still as impressive but has made room for craft cocktails and beers. What has remained constant is the stunning views of Magic Kingdom Park and Seven Seas Lagoon.
As part of “The World’s Most Magical Celebration,” California Grill will offer a limited-time three-course menu with dishes inspired by past favorites as well as new market-fresh creations.
Here are just a few items on this California Grill 50th Anniversary Celebration menu:
The California Grill Sushi Classics Trio: Blue Crab California Roll, Shrimp Tempura Roll, Spicy Kazan Roll — This brings together three of the most popular rolls on one plate.
One of the highlights is the Spicy Kazan Roll with blue crab, yellowfin tuna tataki, and sweet shrimp. What makes this sushi roll unique is the Fireball Sauce with bay scallops, avocado, and mango. (I think California Grill’s sushi is slightly overrated, but many others vehemently disagree–the presentation here is nice.)
House-Made Artisanal-Style Duck á la Orange Pizza – Long Island Duckling with Orange Sauce was on the original Top of the World menu, and with artisanal flatbreads and pizzas from the on-stage wood-fired grills being a guest favorite, it made perfect sense to marry the two.
Enter this pizza with duck prosciutto and confit, orange-black mission fig jam, pickled shallots, aged blue cheese, and arugula — an homage to the classic from Top of the World and a California Grill staple. (I’m a sucker for anything duck–really looking forward to this!)
Oak-Fired Filet of Beef with Black Truffle-Brown Butter Ch̢teau Potatoes РThe Oak-Fired Filet of Beef has been a California Grill staple for ages, and this offers a new spin on that classic dish.
These Château Potatoes are slowly cooked in brown butter and topped with freshly shaved black winter truffles. Then the dish is rounded out with golden raisins vinaigrette, cauliflower, and black garlic butter.
EARidescent Grand Marnier Soufflé – A timeless dessert for the World’s Most Magical Celebration that’s served table-side with macerated Florida citrus and a delicious house-made Creamsicle Ice Cream.
I could do without the artificial flavors necessary to make this EARidescent, but whatever. You all see the stuff I eat–not like I treat my body like a temple. Souffle is an iconic dessert and one that Walt Disney World usually does pretty well. Obviously will be different, but already hoping this can hold its own against the Warm Valrhona Chocolate Cake at Topolino’s Terrace, which is currently my favorite dessert at Walt Disney World.
Here’s the full California Grill 50th Anniversary Celebration prix fixe menu:
What’s that? You demand that we review the 35 ounce Beef Ribeye Tomahawk Steak for Two? Well, if the people have spoken [insert people speaking in the comments], I guess Sarah will have no other choice but to let me order it! (I probably should wait until pricing gets posted before soliciting these demands…)
Aside from than that and the items above, the Five Magical Bites 50 Years in the Making also intrigues me, and I wonder if it has a “backstory.” Some other items look vaguely familiar from current and past California Grill menus. I’m curious if anything else here has a history dating decades-back.
This limited-time three-course menu will be offered starting October 3, 2021. Advance Dining Reservations will be available for booking starting on September 23, 2021.
California Grill’s 50th Anniversary Celebration prix fixe menu pricing is $89 per adult (ages 10 and up) and $39 per child (ages 3 to 9), plus tax and gratuity.
Given the reaction to Space 220’s prices, I’m guessing the response here will be similar.
Personally, I wasn’t surprised by that, and I’m not surprised by this. (My guess before looking was that this would cost $95 per adult.) We’ve been paying out of pocket for a lot of full meals at Walt Disney World restaurants lately, so I’ve become all too familiar with current pricing.
Beyond that, I’d imagine many Walt Disney World fans will be disappointed by the prix fixe menu. This is a trend that began a few years ago with Be Our Guest Restaurant’s “cupcakegate,” and I don’t see it letting up anytime soon. That’s especially true with restaurants that have an experiential component (Disney Enchantment fireworks viewing, in the case of California Grill).
The upside with both Space 220 and California Grill is that they also have lounges, so those wanting the experience without breaking the bank have that option (for now). However, I wouldn’t expect that to last forever, especially if restaurant management sees lower per guest spending among lounge patrons.
In terms of value for money, this prix fixe menu could be good or bad, depending on what you get–just like so many of them. What I’d order for this meal at California Grill would cost $99 (pizza + filet + souffle) on the current menu.
Speaking of which, the maximum cost of comparable items from the current California Grill menu is $109–so you can definitely come out ahead with the prix fixe menu if you order the “right” items. Conversely, if you order the “wrong” ones, the minimum value from the current menu would be $69.
Ultimately, the California Grill 50th Anniversary Celebration prix fixe menu sounds good and gives us an excuse to revisit the Signature Restaurant once the World’s Most Magical Celebration starts, and (hopefully) eat another steak the size of my head.
With that in mind, I don’t really have any complaints with this Walt Disney World news. My real complaint is that Walt Disney World is announcing all of these new things for California Grill, but still has not brought back Brunch at the Top. Hopefully that news is next up!
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Your Thoughts
What do you think of the California Grill 50th Anniversary Celebration prix fixe menu? Will you be attempting to book this Advance Dining Reservation? Disappointed by the pricing or that it’s prix fixe? 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!
Ann,
We had a 6:50 pm. reservation, was served our entree about 20 min before heading out to watch the fireworks just before 8:00, then back in to finish our dinner and get our desserts and coffee. We left about 9:15. Most of the timing depends on what time your reservation is and when you get seated and/or get your check. If you haven’t already booked your reservation, I strongly recommend 2 to 2 1/2 hours (if you want a nice relaxing meal without rushing) before the fireworks begin so you can leave right after, and also would recommend that you let them know ahead of time what time you need to leave and hopefully they will be able to accommodate you.
Responding to Ann” post
November 15, 2021
I know this is an older post but in case you see this .. the question about the time it takes was not answered. Very curious because I’m wanting to know if there is time to eat, watch the 8:00 fireworks and make it back for the Very merriest starting at 9?? Realizing it’s a tight fit but really need to know how long the entire 3 courses take ??
We were there in October 20th. Our reservations was probably around 6:30 pm or that is what my photo timeline is showing, picture of my cocktail was 6:43pm, our desserts arrived around 7:45 right before the fireworks at 8:00 pm. After the fireworks we finished our dessert and we departed at 8:39 pm when the hostess took our picture. Hope that helps.
Cari
I know this is an older post but in case you see this .. the question about the time it takes was not answered. Very curious because I’m wanting to know if there is time to eat, watch the 8:00 fireworks and make it back for the Very merriest starting at 9?? Realizing it’s a tight fit but really need to know how long the entire 3 courses take ??
Do you think this will be part of a dining plan once they bring them back?
I reached out to Disney, as the old menu still appears after you book your reservation. They told me that we had the option of ordering the old way OR ordering the prie fix option. Which was important to us. We have two kids and even though over the age of 9, CANNOT eat $89 worth of food. They also told me we would be able to view the fireworks. Now, I’m not sure if their information was accurate or not. It was an inquiry on their chat feature, so I have the chat history if we run into problems when we arrive. If they hold true to prie fix only, hopefully they will let us leave without charging us the $10 per person for a missed reservation.
Is the 50th pre fix dinner at Cali supposed to take 2 1/2 hours?
I thought I read that somewhere but can’t find it. The earliest reservation I could get is 5:30 and fireworks are supposedly at 8.
We would like to be back in MK watching them front and center, if possible.
I was surprised today to see 50th Walt Disney merchandise being sold on eBay uk. What a disappointment to anyone wanting something that can only be bought in Walt Disney World.
I wish people would not spoil other people’s enjoyment. Please don’t buy these things.
I’M definitely not turned off by the price, I expect to pay when dining at California Grill. And I would love to experience a special 50th anniversary menu, it’s just the prix fixe style of eating I cannot appreciate. I understand the origins of why they are doing this, but as someone who prefers two appetizers and a few glasses of wine with dinner, this bugs me. I can’t eat an appetizer, entree, and dessert. It’s just too much food. I get anxiety just thinking about the waste. I will pay them what they want, just let me choose how I want to dine. Maybe they will allow for switches/substitutions etc., although I’m not too hopeful. I guess it’s the lounge life for me!
Do you know how long the prix fixe menu will be offered? Will it go past Oct?
I’m a little surprised by some of the dissent here. In contrast to the “Very Merry’ debacle, I don’t view this as either a cash grab or a price gouge. Rather, $89 for a specially designed three-course dinner at a Disney signature restaurant offering high-end ingredients (sushi, duck, filet, souffle) in a celebratory atmosphere complete with fireworks seems more than fair to me. As Tom pointed out, there’s even a way to get a “deal” if you order certain combinations compared to the a la carte pricing.
As for the format, I understand prix fixe isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it perfectly fits the occasion. This isn’t just a Tuesday night dinner in November–it’s marking a milestone anniversary at an iconic restaurant, and the three-course design provides the added pomp and circumstance that makes this an experience, not just a dinner. For those who want a more standard dinner, there are 100s of other restaurants from which to choose. But I’m not sure it’s fair to knock Disney for elevating the experience for those who want to mark this special occasion via fine dining and offering it at what I contend is a very fair price for what you’re getting.
And as far as three courses being too much food, all I can say is–don’t go to Victoria and Albert’s! I’m very much looking forward to this event and hope I can secure a reservation for my trip in December (along with another at Space 220–I guess I fall squarely in Disney’s multi-course diner demographic!). Thanks, Tom, as always for the information, the insight, and the forum where we passionate weirdos can share our obsessive Disney thoughts!
The meal I look forward to most at California Grill is Sunday Brunch/Brunch at the Top. Having read many articles and seen videos of all that yummy food, I’ve wanted to go for ages!
@Maria,
When I spoke with the Enthanted Extras CM last week, she said that only those who purchased the “Celebration at the Top” party would be able to view the fireworks from the observation deck and regular diners would be able to watch from the windows. I think there’s a walkway outside somewhere where you can view the fireworks also but it’s not the prime viewing spot as the observation deck, plus I don’t know that you can hear the music on the walkway.
Will watching the fireworks from the terrace still be available? With the cocktail party going on, are they still going to let restaurant patrons out or come back and watch fireworks on terrace as well?
@Anthony P., I’m with you on the Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli! I might have been less deterred by this prixe fix if that had still been available!!