Hello and welcome back again my friends and readers. It has been a while since we have come to you guys with a new post, but there is so much magic that has to be shared. After weeks of wedding reception, a Disney Honeymoon, and a week of recovery, here we are ready to dive into the magic of Disney once again. This past trip Abby and I tried a lot of new food items and really tried to take the trip slower than most. Today we are going to escape into the magic of Disney Dining and this is a special one. We decided to have one big celebration dinner before we left and we always wanted to try California Grill. California Grill is atop the Contemporary Resort Hotel. There is a dress code as it is a more upscale dining, but it is a pretty easy going dress code (we will get more into that later). This was a spur of the moment decision; only if we could find a reservation. Now, they also have a walk up list, but we did not want to chance it. Abby was able to find a dinner reservation for 8:05 PM. This was a really exciting find because the fireworks were at 8:15 PM. So we decided to have dinner there and watch the fireworks right before we ordered our meal. So, now that you know the backstory, let’s dive into my review of California Grill! This is going to be a full review so buckle up!
ARRIVAL AND DRINK ORDERS
We were staying at another resort hotel, so we decided to head over to the Magic Kingdom for a bit before we went to dinner. From Magic Kingdom, we took the monorail over to the Contemporary Resort. We did have about 30 min to kill before we could check in (check in process starts about 20 min before reservation) so we wandered around the hotel. The hotel has some stunning views. Check out the photos below for some one of a kind shots of the Magic Kingdom.
After we killed some time, we checked in on the My Disney Experience App. We then followed the signs for the check in desk and waited on some couches around the corner as we waited for our text to let us know the table was ready. It was about ten min until 8:00 pm and we were paged to come to the check in desk. They confirmed our reservation and let us onto the elevator that takes you right up to the restaurant. When you get up to the top floor, you step out and see walls of wine with another check in desk in front of it. We were greeted with a “hello Muting party” as we walked up, and then we were led to a table. Now, I will admit, in all of the excitement, I forgot to grab a photo of the lobby area. We sat down at the table and we had a wonderful view out of the window of the Magic Kingdom. Our waitress, Nicole, came to the table and informed us if we knew our drink order to get them in right away so we could get to see the fireworks. So Abby ordered the Blueberry Lemondrop Martini and I ordered the Sonoma Maple Bourbon Old Fashioned. She then told us to scope out a spot on the walkway to watch the fireworks outside and she would come out and find us. See the photos below of the view and drinks, and let’s talk about what happened next!
FIREWORKS
We walked out onto the walkway and found our spot for the fireworks. There were a good amount of people out there so we decided to go way down to the end to be away from everyone. It actually gave us a little bit of a better overall view of the whole view of the park. Our waitress came out with our drinks shortly after and after a few photos and selfies with the castle in the background, the music was pumped in on the roof and the fireworks Happily Ever After began. This would be our last time seeing the firework show that has touched our hearts, so it was the perfect way to see them for the last time if you ask me. Check out some of the photos above.
I highly recommend seeing the fireworks from up here if you are able to/want to spend the money on the dinner. We will most likely do it again but maybe split some appetizers and not get full meals. The view of the Magic Kingdom is stunning and the fireworks above the park look amazing from up on the roof of The Contemporary. All in all, this was the perfect scene to celebrate our honeymoon with a dinner and fireworks show!
DINNER AND DESSERT
As we got back to our table, our waitress was there shortly after and took our order. She rattled off her favorite menu items and asked us if we had any questions on the menu. We ended up ordering a couple of different things and we will go through them one by one.
First up, we ordered the Braised Beef Short Rib Wontons which consisted of Doenjang Miso-Cola-Onion Sauce, Crispy Garlic-Chili Oil, Radish, and Pickled Lotus Root. This was the star dish of the night. Abby and I could not stop talking about these. The wonton was cooked perfectly and the braised short rib flavor was so powerful and plentiful. It was the perfect appetizer to share and we were glad we did. Our server actually recommended them and we were sure to tell her thank you as they were top notch. I would recommend them if you are looking for an appetizer here that packs a lot of flavor.
Abby had ordered another couple of appetizers for dinner as she could not decide on an entree and she really likes appetizers and trying many different menu items. Her first choice of appetizer for dinner was the Hearts of Romaine Salad which had Avocado Dressing, California Blue Cheese, Miso-Honey Bacon and Yuzu Kosho-Sourdough Croutons. The salad was pretty big and it was very good. It is hard to make a salad really stand out but it was pretty fresh and I would order it again.
The next thing Abby ordered was the Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli which hadTomato-Fennel Ragù, Truffle-Goat Cheese Espuma, Basil Crisp. This was really good and another favorite thing we ate on the whole trip. The ravioli was pretty big and Abby ended up getting two so I could try some. It typically just comes as one but they give you the option to order a second one. They do charge you for two so be aware of that. This was so rich and creamy and really did not disappoint. See the photos below of Abby’s Dinner!
I had ordered the Grilled Pork Tenderloin which consisted of Goat Cheese Polenta, Mushrooms, Stone Fruit-lacquered Pork Belly, Cherries and Zinfandel Glaze as sides. This was a beautiful presentation and the pork was so tender. The flavor was on point and the accompaniments on the plate really added to the dish. The goat cheese polenta was really good and creamy. Mixed with the mushrooms and the glaze while adding it to a bite of the pork had the perfect bite made. I was pretty impressed with this dish and would be tempted to order it again. I say tempted because I do want to try many other things on this menu, but it was really good and I would recommend it to you if you are looking for a top notch dish. See the below photo of my meal.
After we had some meal under way, our waitress asked if we wanted another round of drinks and I ordered the Disney Select Knob Creek Small Batch bourbon whiskey and Abby ordered the Blueberry Lemon Drop Martini (again). The drinks were both really good and smooth and we were glad we tried them.
When our waitress brought our second round of drinks to the table, she asked if we wanted dessert and noted that a certain dessert does take some time to prepare so if we wanted that one to let her know so she could put in the order. Well, as it turns out, that was the one we wanted to order. It was the Pistachio-Cherry Soufflé made up of Pistachio Soufflé, Cherry Ganache, Kirsch Anglaise and Fresh Cherries (Dessert contains Alcohol Product). When it came to the table, it was beautifully presented and it did not disappoint. The dessert came through with a big flavor and if you like pistachio and cherries, this will be a dessert for you. The soufflé was very light and delicious. Overall, this was a fantastic dinner and I would recommend it. But wait, there is more!
DISNEY MAGICAL SURPRISE
As we got the check, our waitress came back and told us that Mickey wanted us to have a really nice honeymoon and set down two glasses of champagne. She said “enjoy the view and take as much time soaking it in”. I mean this was the icing on the cake and we could not believe how surreal the view was. We took in the view and enjoyed each other’s company as we had our dining come to an end.
This dinner was top notch. It was a little pricey but it was a finer dining experience and not one I would do every time. If you are looking to celebrate a special occasion, I would say this is a dining experience you should look at! If you are just looking for a nice dinner and a view of the fireworks, I would recommend this as well! Heck, the food was so good, I recommend this dining experience. Did I mention…I recommend this dining experience? Okay, all jokes aside, this dining didn’t disappoint, was worth the wait and lived up to the hype. Have you ever had California Grill? If you have, let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Until next time, continue to escape into the magic, no matter how far!
Muting & The Mouse 
Have eaten there a number of times over the years. Always great food and presentation. The menu has changed many times, so always plenty of new tastes to try. And timing with the fireworks is smart and always fun. You were fortunate to find one last minute – yay for cancellations.
Your post inspired me to put this on the short list.
So happy you ended your special trip with this fun experience!
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Love your review! It looks like you had a great time. And now I am craving those wontons! So, so good! I definitely agree with your recommendations. This is a must do at least once for every Disney fan. It is pricey, but the experience is well worth it!
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