California Grill on the DDP?

[cherbear]

I'd like others' opinions on whether or not the California Grill is worth the 2 TS Credits on the DDP. I have an ADR and am sacrificing the 1st night's meal--doing CS instead (we're not there a full day anyway) in order to eat at the California Grill another night of our trip, because I heard it was so wonderful. I read through the menu and it sounds delicious. Also, I should mention I'm getting the dining plan free---so the question is, is it worth giving up another day's TS meal in order to eat at the California Grill? Should I cancel it and schedule 2 nights of 1 TS meals? I heard Kona is good and I don't have an ADR there yet.

So far: Whispering Canyon, Sci-Fi, Garden Grill, Nine Dragons (I LOVE chinese), Spoodles, and California Grill. I was also thinking of changing Spoodles to Kona. But I've never had Mediterranean cuisine and that's why I had picked Spoodles. There's just too many great places to eat! Help!

 

[soontobewed07]

YES it is so worth it! One of the best meals I've ever had to eat. If you didn't like something or wanted to add something they were great. I was 7 months pregnant and couldn't have Sushi so the sushi chef suggested a cucumber roll. It was so yummy and I also had Gestational diabetes and the chef put together a great meal for me. The Oak filet with some veggies I can't even tell you how good it was. Wishes was amazing we had a window seat it was truely magical . My DH did get wine and they just added it to our bill.Our waiter was amazing helping us with the menu and even decorated the table with micky glitter for our little munchkin.

I will say 9 dragons was a huge disappointment I love chinese food too but not this Don't fret about giving up a TS you will be so fulyou won't miss it l

 

[cherbear]

YES it is so worth it! One of the best meals I've ever had to eat. If you didn't like something or wanted to add something they were great. I was 7 months pregnant and couldn't have Sushi so the sushi chef suggested a cucumber roll. It was so yummy and I also had Gestational diabetes and the chef put together a great meal for me. The Oak filet with some veggies I can't even tell you how good it was. Wishes was amazing we had a window seat it was truely magical . My DH did get wine and they just added it to our bill.Our waiter was amazing helping us with the menu and even decorated the table with micky glitter for our little munchkin.

I will say 9 dragons was a huge disappointment I love chinese food too but not this Don't fret about giving up a TS you will be so fulyou won't miss it l

Thank you SO much!! I was hoping I would get some positive comments. I really do want to do this one. As soon as I booked our vacation (early June) I called to get ADR there and of course, there was nothing during the fireworks. We have an earlier seating at 5:40 and will have to take the monorail back to MK to enjoy the fireworks there. I am going to try to get a later time if something opens up---but I doubt anyone will cancel their ADR at CG during Wishes! If I can't get it, at least we can eat and still make it back to MK in time to get a viewing spot.

Can you suggest any other "country" for dinner instead of China? My husband doesn't want Japanese, I didn't like German, and La Cellier was booked. So which one of the others would you suggest?

 

[JimMIA]

During our May trip, we ate a "heavy CS" at Cosmic Rays to save the TS for CG. We loved CG, and we will do that again any time we are on DDP. Our meal was not just the best Disney meal we've ever had, it was the best meal we've had in years anywhere -- and here in Miami, we are used to very fine dining.

 

[CarolMN]

I think it is worth it - we paid for the DDP on our last trip and the CG meal turned out to be my very favorite meal at WDW. Even my DH (who never seems to care where we eat) said we should eat there again. Very good food. Very good service. And very good atmosphere, too - esp since we were fortunate to get a table near the windows and were just finishing dessert when WISHES began.

I hope to eat there again - & maybe catch a sunset.

 

[Nancyg56]

My family also thought it was worth it. I think it is a wonderful way to end a Disney trip, good food in a restaurant with an amazing view.

 

[Golden Rose]

I've never been on the DDP before, but we paid OOP for CG last trip and just loved it. We're going back on our next trip, on the DDP, and we're tentatively going to have two of us eat on the plan and have my mom (who is on plan, but eats very light meals) either pay OOP or split her meal with DS (who is 2, and doesn't have a plan.) Mom is likely to be interested in either an appetizer or a flatbread or an entree, but probably not more than one thing, so we figure we'll save her credits.

We're really not sure what DS will eat there...

 

[soontobewed07]

Can you suggest any other "country" for dinner instead of China? My husband doesn't want Japanese, I didn't like German, and La Cellier was booked. So which one of the others would you suggest?[/quote]

We love Rose and Crown also keep trying for Le Cellier try a Lunch ADR instead of a Dinner one. People cancel their ressies all the time. Just remember all taste buds are different and you just might like 9 Dragons.

Is this your first time on DDP?

 

[Golden Rose]

I would do Marrakesh (in Morocco) if you're feeling daring, and Chefs de France if not. We love both of these, and are planning on doing both on our upcoming trip. I think Chefs de France has particularly good food and it isn't cheap - we keep being surpised they haven't made it a 2 CS restaurant. (I've wondered the same thing about Le Cellier.)

I agree with the people who suggest skipping Nine Dragons. The restaurant is really beautiful, but the food is a disappointment if you're used to pretty good chinese.

A lot of people seem to like the San Angel Inn (in Mexico), although it isn't a regular place we go since we're from Texas and we get great tex-mex and mex-mex nearby. Coral Reef isn't in a country (it's in the Living Seas, or whatever they're calling it now, Seas with Nemo), but it's Epcot and the atmosphere (eating by the aquarium) is one of the most unique. The food is all over the place; we've had great meals there... we've had pretty mediocre meals there. We go for the view, the lobster bisque (which is usually good), and the chocolate wave dessert; anything else good is just a bonus. (Last time our meal there was excellent, but the two times before it was just sort of ok.)

 

[cherbear]

We love Rose and Crown also keep trying for Le Cellier try a Lunch ADR instead of a Dinner one. People cancel their ressies all the time. Just remember all taste buds are different and you just might like 9 Dragons.

Is this your first time on DDP?

Thanks, I think I will try one of those! However, I'd really rather a dinner than a lunch there. We do eat chinese a lot, so might be better to try something different.
Yes, it's my first time on the DDP. We usually eat mostly counter service meals (I think I mentioned that in my initial post) so I haven't gotten to try much of the sit down meals there.

I would do Marrakesh (in Morocco) if you're feeling daring, and Chefs de France if not. We love both of these, and are planning on doing both on our upcoming trip. I think Chefs de France has particularly good food and it isn't cheap - we keep being surpised they haven't made it a 2 CS restaurant. (I've wondered the same thing about Le Cellier.)

I agree with the people who suggest skipping Nine Dragons. The restaurant is really beautiful, but the food is a disappointment if you're used to pretty good chinese.

A lot of people seem to like the San Angel Inn (in Mexico), although it isn't a regular place we go since we're from Texas and we get great tex-mex and mex-mex nearby. Coral Reef isn't in a country (it's in the Living Seas, or whatever they're calling it now, Seas with Nemo), but it's Epcot and the atmosphere (eating by the aquarium) is one of the most unique. The food is all over the place; we've had great meals there... we've had pretty mediocre meals there. We go for the view, the lobster bisque (which is usually good), and the chocolate wave dessert; anything else good is just a bonus. (Last time our meal there was excellent, but the two times before it was just sort of ok.)

For some reason I thought Chefs de France was 2 TS credits but I must be thinking of the other restaurant there. I like Mexican, but I'd rather not eat it on vacation, since those foods have a tendency to upset my stomach. I had heard some bad reviews last year on the Coral Reef, but maybe it's gotten better over the past year.

Thanks for the help to both of you, and everyone else who posted. I am feeling much better about using 2 credits at CG!

 

[cherbear]

So if I can't get Le Cellier, what should be my next choice? France, Morocco, or the UK? I am hoping to get Le Cellier though---I just read the menu and it sounds delicious!

For anyone wanting to see the menus
www.allears.net ---click DINING (at the top), and then MENUS on the left, and scroll down.

 

[cherbear]

So if I can't get Le Cellier, what should be my next choice? France, Morocco, or the UK? I am hoping to get Le Cellier though---I just read the menu and it sounds delicious!

For anyone wanting to
www.allears.net ---click DINING (at the top), and then MENUS on the left, and scroll down.

 

[Sunshein]

We are going at roughly the same time and so you are and we too are trying to maximize the free dining plan. We have ADR's at Chefs de France, but I was told marakesh was an unexpected gem too. We had ADR's at Coral Reef but after the spotty reviews I have seen here on DIS, we canceled them abd found something better.

Off Epcot, I have heard amazing things about Raglan Road in Downtown Disney so we are going to try that. And we have a special date night planned at the CG too so I am really looking forward to that. Our ADR's are for 6:00 and wishes is at 8:00. Do you think there is a chance we will get to see them?

 

[soontobewed07]

Our ADR's are for 6:00 and wishes is at 8:00. Do you think there is a chance we will get to see them?

Dinner takes about 60 to 90 mins. when you are done you can go out to the deck and watch from there. We had 730pm ADR's wishes was at 9? We got a window seat and our server told us to take our time and enjoy the show. HTH

 

[cherbear]

hmmm...our dinner is at 5:40...If I can't get it changed a little later, think we'd be able to hang around long enough to catch Wishes at 8? (for some reason I am not certain...but it starts at park closing time, right?)

 

[Sunshein]

Dinner takes about 60 to 90 mins. when you are done you can go out to the deck and watch from there. We had 730pm ADR's wishes was at 9? We got a window seat and our server told us to take our time and enjoy the show. HTH

Thank you so much for telling us! I imagine that if we ask for a window seat we will have to wait at least a half hour and then the timing will be perfect. Since it is a date night I have no issue in waiting at the bar and sharing an aperatif with DH!

 

[cherbear]

UPDATE: The only other time I could get (on Sept. 16) was 9:05. So it looks like we'll be keeping our 5:40 reservation---which really isn't so bad. We usually eat dinner around 6 anyway. Depending on if we get seated on time accompanied with how long our meal lasts, we may stay and watch the fireworks from the restaurant OR we will hop on the monorail to get back to the MK. Nevertheless, I will keep trying to get a little later time.

I cancelled Nine Dragons and was able to get a 7:10 ADR at Chefs de France. I didn't expect it to be that easy---maybe they had a cancellation?

I also tried getting Kona for Friday but NO LUCK (of course). The more I think about it, I'd much rather eat there than Spoodles. My original thought was that I've never had Mediterranean, but I've been to Hawaii and had "Hawaiian food" ----but I'm sure Kona is not all that Hawaiian (ie. poi-- YUCK!) and I've heard SO many good things about it here on DIS. Not to mention those Lapu Lapus!!!

 

[soontobewed07]

You could take the 9:05 ressie get to CG a little early watch wishes from the balcony and then eat dinner. It is amazing from up there totally worth it. Also if you get there around 815 or so you can still have a drink and take it out with you. So Romantic

 

[cherbear]

we'd have to get there VERY early. That wouldn't be a problem---but it's just that 9:05 is very late for us for dinner. We usually eat around 6-7, and our all other reservations are between 5-7 (with the exception of one at 4:05---I'm still trying to get a little later...although we could be out on the rides when most others are eating dinner so that could be a good thing)

Thanks for all the tips.