A Dining Experience 50 Years in the Making

A California Grill Adventure

Going back to the hotel after a long trip at the park can wear you out. Sometimes, all you need is a nice meal. California Grill’s 50th Anniversary Celebration Meal is perfect if you’re staying at the Contemporary or Bay Lake Tower, any of the monorail resorts, or if you feel like heading over and eating one of the best 50th Celebration dinners that Walt Disney World has to offer.

The Food

Both the California Grill Sushi Classics Trio and the Braised Beef Short Rib Wontons were amazing. The word ”spicy” in the description of one of the sushi rolls might persuade you into not getting it. However, I’m not the biggest fan of spicy foods, and I thought it was one of the best sushi rolls I have had. The spiciness is not overpowering. It is the perfect amount.

The Braised Beef Short Rib Wontons was the star of the show, however. I took one bite and said, “This is the best thing I’ve ate in my entire life.” I luckily dined with two people willing to share, and they were both jealous they got the sushi instead of the wontons. I highly recommend dining with at least one other person here, so you can try two of these appetizers- or “Market Inspirations” that mentioned here.

Is it even a real, fancy, sit-down restaurant, if there isn’t complimentary bread being served? The bread here was warm, fluffy, and delicious. Now, I’m somewhat picky when it comes to the oil that comes with bread at restaurants. I tend to lean more to wanting butter with my bread instead. This oil however, went perfectly with the bread. There were no complaints around the table on this.

For “Chef’s Journey,” or the entree, we all got the Oak-Fired Filet of Beef. It was fine. It did not wow me. It tasted like any other filet mignon. I personally think there are better filets out there, and better filets at other restaurants in Disney World, like at Jiko or Le Cellier in EPCOT.

I like my filets to be cooked around medium-rare, but I order them as medium in restaurant, because most places tend to undercook them. That was not the case here. My filet was around medium well plus. It was still quite good, but not my favorite filet mignon in the world or even in WDW.

For desert, I got the Five Magical Bites Fifty Years in the Making, and it was okay. The honey (bottom left) and lemon (left of the chocolate 50th castle) bites were not good. The mouthfeel of the lemon was unpleasant. Both flavors were very powerful, like you were licking a lemon, or having a smackerel of honey with Winnie the Pooh. The small carrot cake (top left) was delicious, and I’m not a huge carrot cake fun. While the strawberry (top right) and chocolate (bottom right) bites were good, but, let‘s be honest, there are better deserts out there.

Another person I dined with got the Earidescent Grand Mariner Crème Brûlée (not pictured), and said it was very good.

During our “Sweet Creations” dining portion, our waiter gave us a surprise dessert that was a lot better than the Five Magical Bites Fifty Years in the Making, even though the surprise “Birthday Cake” was similar to a funfetti cake you could buy at the store and make yourself.

Overall, this was a great dining experience, but I wish the main 50th dessert was better. Everything else was amazing, like the sushi rolls and wontons, or were good, like the filet. I rate this a 7/10 experience. If you have older kids and want to take them to an upscale dinner, I recommend coming here during the Magic Kingdom fireworks. It makes for an unforgettable atmosphere.