Disney’s 50th Anniversary celebration is coming to an end, and with it, many of the special limited-time events are ending as well. The celebration officially ends on March 31, 2023, and when it does, the special menu to commemorate the event at California Grill will end with it.
Beginning April 1, 2023, the Contemporary Resort’s signature restaurant will debut an all-new menu. While this isn’t particularly shocking (menus change at Walt Disney World all the time), the format is, and some guests aren’t happy about it. According to Disney, the new menu will consist of “contemporary, market-inspired cuisine.” We aren’t quite sure yet what that entails as Disney has yet to release the details of the new menu, but the photos they’ve shared look amazing!
Disney has stated that the new menu at California Grill will be prix fixe. The menu will include a three-course meal for one price with alá cart options no longer offered. The 50th-anniversary menu was also prix fixe, so this change isn’t technically new, but many expected the restaurant to return to alá carte dining once the limited-time menu was done.
The new format has led to many airing their frustrations online.
Some expressed confusion at the format:
While others just wanted the option to order sushi (we can’t blame them that spicy kazan roll is delicious):
This user straight up doesn’t want that price fix (and brings up an excellent point…that brunch was outstanding):
While this pricing structure was always present at family-style dining experiences like Garden Grill and Liberty Tree Tavern, prix fixe is a direction many other restaurants at Disney World are going in, particularly their fine dining establishments. Recently we reported that Monsieur Paul would also be adopting this format. Keep in mind this new pricing structure does not mean the restaurant will become family-style. You’ll still have options on the menu, which is nice. You’ll simply pay one price and choose an appetizer, entree, and dessert from the menu options.
The fan-favorite California Grill restaurant will soon have a newly updated menu featuring a lot of plant-based menu items.
From a Disney Cast Member;
For this edition of What’s Cooking, I’ve got some exciting, and delicious, news to share about California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. This rooftop location sits atop the 15th floor of the resort and offers stunning views overlooking Magic Kingdom Park and Seven Seas Lagoon. From witnessing an unrivaled firework viewing or simply taking in the sights from above while enjoying an exquisite meal, it’s clear that California Grill is much more than your average restaurant.
And starting May 26, it will be offering an expansion of diverse plant-based dishes for you to enjoy! Whether you live a plant-based lifestyle or simply want to try something new, all of these new items are sure to satisfy you and your tastebuds.
Chef de Cuisine Daniel Sicilia, Chef Matthew Birch, and their culinary team have brought the flavor to these vegetable-centric courses. With inspirations from their backgrounds with fresh ingredients and farm-to-table menus, these chefs have embraced and encouraged creativity, innovation, and the rich history of this restaurant to create a true culinary experience that can’t be missed.
Without further ado, let’s get to the new plant-based menu at California Grill, shall we?
Now onto the entrées. First, we have the House-made Bucatini Cacio e Pepe, a fresh take on spring flavors with sunflower, allium, crispy sunchokes, charred green onions, toasted onions, and a sunflower seed-ramp pistou along with delicious house-made bucatini topped with a luxurious cashew cream sauce – wow!
The other new plant-based entrée is the Peas and Carrots Risotto with heirloom carrots, English peas, green garlic, confit onion, and sweet carrot foam. This elevated take on a classic dish enhances fresh flavors and ingredients in different and creative ways by the chefs, particularly Chef Matthew Birch who crafted the dish to look like everything is sprouting up from the ground. What a way to grow the menu.
Last but certainly not least, we have desserts! For a sweet finish, the Peanut and Banana Torte is a twist on the classic PB&J. It combines shortbread, peanut ganache, miso-caramel, nut crumbles, and caramelized bananas. I don’t know about you, but this dish sounds, and looks, incredible.
A spin on the “Banana Fritters” that were featured at the restaurant back in 2013, the Lavender Sugar Donuts is a special 50th Anniversary item that is now home on the plant-based menu, featuring some updated fresh ingredients in season. It has a coconut frozen dessert, blueberry gin jam, and pistachio crumble. And not to mention the presentation is beautiful!
Don’t forget, the anniversary celebrations and treats will continue through March of 2023, so you’ve still got time to enjoy them. Be sure to use #DisneyWorld50 to share your favorites, like the Lavender Sugar Donuts!
Not only does California Grill have this exciting plant-based menu, it also has new seasonal dishes, two of which include the Florida Rock Shrimp Salad and the EARidescent Crème Brûlée. The Florida Rock Shrimp Salad has a history with California Grill, paying homage to former Chef de Cuisine Brian Piasecki’s signature salad for the restaurant. This updated version has similar flavors while lightening it up and adding texture with hearts of palm, petite lettuce, yuzu, avocado, jicama, and crisp rice crackers topped with a ginger vinaigrette.
The EARidescent Crème Brûlée serves up a pineapple-mango compote, hibiscus meringue, hibiscus crystals, and coconut and has become quite the fan-favorite with its glimmer and shimmer celebrating the 50th Anniversary. Pastry Sous Chef Amber Vega took inspiration from California with the hibiscus and tropical flavors that lighten up the taste for spring and summer! Who doesn’t love a little sparkle with some fresh flavors?
There you have it, the new plant-based menu and exciting updates coming soon. If you’re a foodie, California Grill is ready for you with all these enhancements to the ever-evolving menu! And if you’re a wine lover, don’t forget to take advantage of pairing suggestions from the experts for these new dishes. Enjoy!
As part of “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” (aka Disney World’s 50th anniversary), the California Grill is bringing in a new menu for a special dining experience! The favorites recommended on the Disney Parks Blog are the California Grill Sushi Classics Trio, the House-Made Artisanal-Style Duck á la Orange Pizza, and The Oak-Fired Filet of Beef. The first meal listed in those three favorites includes a Blue Crab California Roll, Shrimp Tempura Roll, and Spicy Kazan Roll. The Fireball Sauce (featuring bay scallops, avocado, and mango) tops off the trio!
The next highlight, the House-Made Artisanal-Style Duck á la Orange Pizza, has duck prosciutto and confit, orange-black mission fig jam, pickled shallots, aged blue cheese, and arugula. It’s actually an homage to the classic duck dish from Top of the World, the original restaurant that preceded the California Grill in the ’70’s.
The Oak-Fired Filet of Beef with Black Truffle-Brown Butter Château Potatoes, Golden Raisins Vinaigrette, Cauliflower, and Black Garlic Butter reportedly “has layers of incredible flavors” that would make for an unforgettable dinner. The roasted tomato butter is a cherry on top, but the Château Potatoes also stand out (understandable, since they come wearing “freshly shaved” black winter truffles).
For “The World’s Most Magical Celebration”, this Grill is also serving a new dessert! The EARidescent Grand Marnier Soufflé comes with macerated Florida citrus and Creamsicle Ice Cream. We think those lavender sugar doughnuts on the menu (shown below) will also be worth a try, and there’s several other dessert menu items that sound magical! Having a dessert party to celebrate Disney’s anniversary sounds like the perfect way to commemorate the moment.
This limited-time menu will be available on October 3rd, but you can make reservations as early as September 23rd, and it’s all part of Disney’s big 50th anniversary festivities (which start on October 1st)!
Today, Disney announced further details about the special 50th anniversary dining experience coming to California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
“Upstairs at California Grill, a new dining experience will also be available later this year, featuring a limited-time menu with items inspired by the restaurant’s history,” the announcement states.
We noticed a few weeks ago that reservations were unavailable for California Grill after October 2. The reservations page mentioned a “special dining experience for the 50th anniversary celebration of Walt Disney World Resort.”
Guests looking to secure a dining reservation at California Grill will need to do so before October 2. A message on the reservation page states that the Disney’s Contemporary Resort restaurant will be unavailable after October 2.
“California Grill is currently unavailable for bookings after October 2 as we create a special dining experience for the 50th anniversary celebration of Walt Disney World Resort.”
No other information was provided. The 50th Anniversary celebration begins October 1, 2021.
