CA Grill vs. Jikos - Relaxation Factor?

[michellex2]

I need to decide between these two restaurants for myself and my elderly mother (84/frail health/wheelchair). She likes all kinds of food. I have 8:20 pm reservations at both restuarants on a Saturday night which should allow us to see Wishes at CG (we'll see Wishes from MVMCP so that won't be our only chance.) We are staying at AKL which would make Jikos an easier place to access, however, we also have a car and a disabled parking permit, so transportation issues shouldn't be huge. I've heard that CG is very loud and that is my only concern. Is it loud enough to not make it a relaxing meal? How do the two restaurants compare, both in food and in a mellow, relaxing atmosphere? I need to cancel one of the ADRs so am hoping I can get some suggestions that will allow me to make a more informed decision.

 

[MickeyCrazed]

We've been to both and thought the food and atmosphere were much better at Jiko. Our meal wasn't bad at the CG, but it was a much busier atmosphere!

 

[dvcgirl]

I need to decide between these two restaurants for myself and my elderly mother (84/frail health/wheelchair). She likes all kinds of food. I have 8:20 pm reservations at both restuarants on a Saturday night which should allow us to see Wishes at CG (we'll see Wishes from MVMCP so that won't be our only chance.) We are staying at AKL which would make Jikos an easier place to access, however, we also have a car and a disabled parking permit, so transportation issues shouldn't be huge. I've heard that CG is very loud and that is my only concern. Is it loud enough to not make it a relaxing meal? How do the two restaurants compare, both in food and in a mellow, relaxing atmosphere? I need to cancel one of the ADRs so am hoping I can get some suggestions that will allow me to make a more informed decision.

I'd go with Jiko. First of all, the food is very good. It's also very good at CG, but it is definitely louder than it is at Jiko. And IMO, the whole Wishes experience from CG is *way* over-hyped. They only dim the lights slightly, and so you really need to go outside to be truly seeing the fireworks in the dark. Secondly, it's loud in the restaurant and so it's tough to hear the music. And there are always those people who drink water for an hour after their dessert to hang onto the table so they can see the fireworks. And so there's usually lots of rushing around right after the fireworks with tables changing, people coming in from the observation deck and so on. We love CG, but we book our table way before the fireworks or for a nice late seating when we can focus on enjoying the food and not the craziness around Wishes.

Jiko has a better atmosphere, is quieter and the Animal Kingdom Lodge is a very cool resort. We love to stroll outside to see the animals both before and after dinner....always very relaxing and the food is always very good.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

Jiko

Lori

 

[MinnieFan4ever]

I totally agree with everyone else. Go with Jiko, it will be a lot more relaxing and the food is wonderful.

 

[Ron from Michigan]

I would go to Jiko's. CG and Jiko's are our favorite places to dine at WDW . Jiko's is more is quiter and less crowded.

 

[ciera321]

We LOVE Jiko and it's now on our "must do" restaurant list every trip. Fresh and so flavorful. Absolutely wonderful food!!!

 

[Belle5]

Funny you should ask this. When DH and I were deciding where we wanted to dine for our night out without the kids this coming January, we thought of Jiko as the place where we have had the most serene dining experience. Now, that doesn't mean there aren't kids there. (Last time we were there we had 5 of ours--the 6th was ill) There is just something relaxing to us about the atmosphere. On the other hand, we felt quite a bit more tense at CG. Probably from all the hustle and bustle and noise.

 

[lyncruiser]

I agree CG is very busy and loud. However, last time we were at Jiko (a Monday evening), it was pretty much the same. We had an 8:30 p.m. ADR and weren't seated until almost an hour later. Once we were finally seated, we had one of those awful 1/2 booth banquet seating arrangements where we were just inches from the table next to us. The people at the next table were sick and constantly coughing and blowing their noses -- all 5 of them!

We quickly lost our appetites and left after our appetizers. So, I don't really have a good answer to the question of how to avoid crowds, noise, children, sick people, etc. in WDW restaurants, especially now that so many people are using the Dining Plan.

Sometimes, I think Jiko is a problem simply because it's the only sit down restaurant at AKL and, unlike the Epcot Resorts (by walking) or the MK resorts (by monorail), there are no convenient alternatives since AKL is so far away from anywhere else. I think Jiko becomes the default place to eat for this reason.

I think it helps to plan a late dinner (though, as our most recent Jiko experience shows, even that isn't fool proof).

One thing I find helpful at CG is to specifically request the wine room. It's a small, more quiet room than the main dining room. You can't see Wishes from it, but we don't care. It's quieter -- that's all we care about.

Jiko also has a wine room but I don't think they use it for regular dining -- just special events.

If you want something more quiet than CG or Jiko, try a late dinner at Artist Point. We find AP is fairly quiet after 8:30 p.m. or so. Before that, it's full of noisy kids.

Be forewarned, too, that Saturday night is likely to be busier than other nights wherever you go.

 

[michellex2]

Thanks very much everyone. I cancelled California Grill and will do Jiko. The chances sound better for a mellower atmosphere, plus it will be nice to not have to drive anywhere, but simply walk back to our room. It sure does help with these decisions to get input from people who have been to Disney for those of us who have never stayed there!

 

[Uncleromulus]

I think you made the right decision!!

 

[bicker]

CG is deliberately frenetic... it's one of the hallmarks of the place. It's definitely not the place to go for a relaxing dinner.

Jiko's is excellent. You cannot go wrong there. I also like Artist Point and Citricos for relaxing, fine dining.