[Toriadavis]

I would like to have a romantic dinner at California Grill for our 5 year wedding anniversary. We will be in WDW for 10 nights July 15-July 25. I have heard about the fireworks viewing and it sounds amazing.

Can anybody give my some info. I am sure that you would need to book this ADR at 90 days.
Is there a specific time I should request or just say a fireworks dinner seating and they will know?

Also I am thinking of ordering one of those cute cakes I saw in another thread... any ideas of cost? We will be dining with one other couple as well so we would need to feed four people. Any info would be very helpful. Thanks.

[MissDisney]

We just celebrated our 20th anniversary there last month! It was wonderful.

***Book this at 9 a.m. the very morning you are eligible. Even call the day before to see if they will let you in under the wire since it is an anniversary celebration.

We had a 7:30 reservation, which ended in perfect time to go out on the deck for fireworks (the music and story are all pumped in over the speakers on the deck! There are actually two decks -- one entrance is on the left and the other entrance is on the right. The deck on the right is almost alwyas less crowded, I was told by a CM, and that's where we watched the fireworks.

We had told them it was our anniversary when I made the ressie, so our table was sprinkled with Mickey confetti, and we were given anniversary badges when we arrived. A photographer also came by the table to take an official anniversary portrait, which was sent ot our email address about a week after we got home.

Have fun, and happy anniversary!

[Toriadavis]

Originally Posted by MissDisney

We just celebrated our 20th anniversary there last month! It was wonderful.

***Book this at 9 a.m. the very morning you are eligible. Even call the day before to see if they will let you in under the wire since it is an anniversary celebration.

We had a 7:30 reservation, which ended in perfect time to go out on the deck for fireworks (the music and story are all pumped in over the speakers on the deck! There are actually two decks -- one entrance is on the left and the other entrance is on the right. The deck on the right is almost alwyas less crowded, I was told by a CM, and that's where we watched the fireworks.

We had told them it was our anniversary when I made the ressie, so our table was sprinkled with Mickey confetti, and we were given anniversary badges when we arrived. A photographer also came by the table to take an official anniversary portrait, which was sent ot our email address about a week after we got home.

Have fun, and happy anniversary!

Thanks great info-I am looking forward to this.

[Soundgod]

It doesn't matter what time your reservation actually is.
If you have an early reservation and have finished your meal, you are allowed to return later that night to watch the fireworks.
On the other hand, last year we celebrated my wife's birthday there. We had 9:30 reservations and fireworks were at 10 that night.
We weren't seated until 10:25! This was because most of the people who had earlier reservations took their dammed sweet time paying their checks and finishing their desserts, just so they could watch Wishes at 10. So because these guests were so collectively inconsiderate, there were something like 100 people waiting for tables. It was so bad and so crowded that waiting guests had to resort to sitting on the floor!! No room at the bar or the lounge section.
Of course once Wishes ended, ALL of these previous diners left, en masse.
They didn't need to hog their tables the way they did, they could have come back or just payed and gone out on the catwalk.
The worst of it was because we were seated so late, the MK buses had stopped running so we were forced to pay $23 for a taxi to return us to the Yacht (either that or bus to DTD and then bus back to Yacht finally arriving at 1:30).

By the way, although we'd eaten at Cali Grill many times before, I have never seen the wait this bad. Even on a Friday or Saturday.

[johnkimv]

Originally Posted by Soundgod

It doesn't matter what time your reservation actually is.
If you have an early reservation and have finished your meal, you are allowed to return later that night to watch the fireworks.
On the other hand, last year we celebrated my wife's birthday there. We had 9:30 reservations and fireworks were at 10 that night.
We weren't seated until 10:25! This was because most of the people who had earlier reservations took their dammed sweet time paying their checks and finishing their desserts, just so they could watch Wishes at 10. So because these guests were so collectively inconsiderate, there were something like 100 people waiting for tables. It was so bad and so crowded that waiting guests had to resort to sitting on the floor!! No room at the bar or the lounge section.
Of course once Wishes ended, ALL of these previous diners left, en masse.
They didn't need to hog their tables the way they did, they could have come back or just payed and gone out on the catwalk.
The worst of it was because we were seated so late, the MK buses had stopped running so we were forced to pay $23 for a taxi to return us to the Yacht (either that or bus to DTD and then bus back to Yacht finally arriving at 1:30).

By the way, although we'd eaten at Cali Grill many times before, I have never seen the wait this bad. Even on a Friday or Saturday.

The same thing happened to us. I think fireworks were due to go off at 8pm. Our ADR was for 730 and we weren't seated until long after the fireworks went off and the herd left. Cali grill was one of the best meals I have had at WDW- only second to V&A.

[dznygrl]

Originally Posted by Toriadavis

I would like to have a romantic dinner at California Grill for our 5 year wedding anniversary. We will be in WDW for 10 nights July 15-July 25. I have heard about the fireworks viewing and it sounds amazing.

Can anybody give my some info. I am sure that you would need to book this ADR at 90 days.
Is there a specific time I should request or just say a fireworks dinner seating and they will know?

Also I am thinking of ordering one of those cute cakes I saw in another thread... any ideas of cost? We will be dining with one other couple as well so we would need to feed four people. Any info would be very helpful. Thanks.

We are going to be celebrating our 5-year anniversary at Cali Grill this year too (in May!)

[Toriadavis]

Thanks everyone for the stories and info- I am sorry to hear that there are some issues with the fireworks. I will keep that in mind if we are waiting around a little bit.

Dznygirl- That's cool that we are celebrating the same year anniversary and at the same spot WDW and California Grill-we are also going to be staying at AKL but in Kidani Village-since we are DVC Members. I hope you two have a wonderful anniversary trip.

[dznygrl]

Originally Posted by Toriadavis

Thanks everyone for the stories and info- I am sorry to hear that there are some issues with the fireworks. I will keep that in mind if we are waiting around a little bit.

Dznygirl- That's cool that we are celebrating the same year anniversary and at the same spot WDW and California Grill-we are also going to be staying at AKL but in Kidani Village-since we are DVC Members. I hope you two have a wonderful anniversary trip.

Thank you so much, I hope you guys have a wonderful trip too!

That is so neat that we are staying at the same resort too. You know what they say - it's a small world after all!

[DiZ NeE O8]

thank you for posting this question I have also been interested in doing this.

[jfinke]

We are celebrating our 5 yr anniversary there in a couple of weeks (we had our reception up there). Anyone have any info on any unique desserts, such as the slippers or anything like that?

[Toriadavis]

Originally Posted by jfinke

We are celebrating our 5 yr anniversary there in a couple of weeks (we had our reception up there). Anyone have any info on any unique desserts, such as the slippers or anything like that?

I have read in another post that you can get the slipper but I believe that it is done only at the Cinderella Castle Restaurant. Maybe look in the thread which talks about ordering cakes. I think that is where I saw the info about the slipper. Congrats

[jfinke]

Thanks! I will go look there.

[Soundgod]

Originally Posted by jfinke

We are celebrating our 5 yr anniversary there in a couple of weeks (we had our reception up there). Anyone have any info on any unique desserts, such as the slippers or anything like that?

They've had a version of a molten chocolate cake on the menu since my first dinner there in 2002.
Also, check the menu at All Ears.

Restaurant Dining Menus from Walt Disney World