California Grill - Too fancy?

[SarSki]

My partner and I (both in our mid 20s) are travelling to Disney in May and have booked up to eat at California Grill and Yachtsman Steakhouse. I am now getting really worried that they are both going to be too fancy for us to be able to enjoy ourselves. So I was just wondering what experiences you had had - Did you feel uncomfortable or out of place? Did it ruin your meal?

Thanks in advance!

 

[JimmyV]

California Grill is not formal at all. While it is a "linen tablecloth" restaurant, the servers are dressed casually, and most of the diners are wearing nothing more "formal" than golf shirts or Tommy Bahama shirts. This is pretty representative of what you will see there:

 

[Eastern]

Do NOT be worried! It is not 'too fancy'. Some people will be dressed business casual, but most will be wearing various grades of park-wear. If you look neat and presentable you will be good to go.

If anything, I sometimes feel that the wait staff can be a bit unfriendly. Yes, there are some very good and nice servers, but others seem to lose interest if you do not order a bottle of wine or 3 courses. Do not let this bother you. Look at the menu and get an idea of what you want. Do not let them upsell you on anything you don't want.

ps that picture above is the best case scenario for dressing. On one visit, the couple next to us was actually wearing sweaty shorts and tank tops. And their kids ran wild. Other times, we saw lots and lots of shorts. ymmv

 

[DisneyWishes14]

You will find a whole range of dress at the signatures from shorts and t-shirts to suits and cocktail dresses. Go, enjoy and don't worry about your clothes.

 

[JWigs]

I think like others said. You'll find a good mix of dressed 'up' and dressed down. It's whatever you feel comfy with.

 

[gwynne]

Last time we were there there was a large table that included several school aged children dressed in their harry potter robes.
Overall, there was a mix of folks dressed up, along with other diners who were probably straight from the park.

 

[Eastern]

Last time we were there there was a large table that included several school aged children dressed in their harry potter robes.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

The only WDW restaurant we're you're really going to see people dressed up is V&A. That's not to say you won't see some people in more fancy attire, but it's really more dressy casual...Florida dressy casual...which is more relaxed than say, NYC dressy casual. DH usually wears a golf shirt and khakis or plaid shorts.

 

[vicb]

The nicest, quietest, most adult meal we have had in all our trips to WDW (we have not dined at V&A) was at Jiko. We have dined at Cali Grill twice, both were nice experiences but there will be casually dressed diners there and there will be kids there who may or may not be well behaved

 

[Collette]

You won't feel uncomfortable at all. It's not too fancy. We (my family of five adults) dined there in November. We made the mistake of having our luggage transferred from ASMu to BLT on the day of our reservation. The luggage didn't arrive until well after our dinner reservation time. While we we were dressed a little more casual than we would have liked, no one else seemed to care. It was a great, comfortable, quite enjoyable dining experience!

 

[Hopefully]

My partner and I (both in our mid 20s) are travelling to Disney in May and have booked up to eat at California Grill and Yachtsman Steakhouse. I am now getting really worried that they are both going to be too fancy for us to be able to enjoy ourselves. So I was just wondering what experiences you had had - Did you feel uncomfortable or out of place? Did it ruin your meal?

Thanks in advance!

The OP never mentioned "dress"". OP, what does "too fancy" mean to you?
Are you talking about dress code, or were you thinking setting, or menu?
Those restaurants are certainly more fancy than say a Cracker Barrel or all chain restaurants. Their menus are upscale and will likely have some unusual ingredients. Entree preparation is ofte fancy. They will all also have "regular" food as well. You can ask for sauces on the side.
CA Grill has lots of families. Yachtsman Steakhouse is a bit more upscale and quieter.
I believe these choices could be too fancy for some folks and certainly not others. It totally depends on what you are used to and what you are looking for.
Good Luck with your decision.

 

[smcabee]

There is one fancy place at WDW and that is Victoria and Alberts. Other restaurants might be signature but none of them are fancy in any way, shape or form. Go enjoy your meals and have a great time.

 

[ZoZo]

The OP never mentioned "dress"". OP, what does "too fancy" mean to you?
Are you talking about dress code, or were you thinking setting, or menu?

That's a good point. OP, if you're worried about a dress code, note that folks often go to CG directly from the parks, so are often wearing shots and t-shirts. That's what I've done, and have always felt comfortable.

But if you're asking about the menu, it would probably be a good idea to look at the menu online, ahead of time, to see if it appeals to you (all of the menus are available on the WDW web site). I'm not a super-adventurous eater, and I found that most of the menu items at CG were a little bit too "fancy" for me. For example, their halibut dish comes with "parsnip silk, roasted heirloom beets, arugula, macadamia vinaigrette, and beet syrup." Other side dishes for other entrees includes things like figs, goat cheese polenta, organic mushroom and cranberry bread pudding, and a sausage/lentil stew. Those types of dishes just don't appeal to me! But luckily, there were a couple of dishes that sounded appealing, so I was fine. It's always a good idea to look at the menus ahead of time to see what you'll encounter.

 

[SarSki]

Thanks for all of your replies, I am feeling much better and relaxed about it now!
By 'too fancy' I was meaning mainly the atmosphere/wait staff/dress code. I was a little worried about the food in the beginning, but after looking at the menu, im sure I will find something I like.

 

[figmented]

Neither are too fancy. Most other people don't dress up and the dress code is pretty relaxed. The menus have some stuffier options but there are definitely choices that you can dress down and enjoy as an upscale casual meal. Have fun!