How long for average dinner for 2 at California Grill?

[JennysSeven]

I'm making dining reservations for a last-minute trip so my options are rather limited. We'd like to eat at California Grill and watch fireworks from there. I have 2 options on 2 different days. One would be a ressie at 5:55 on a night that Wishes starts at 9:00, and the other would be a ressie at 8:45 on a night that Wishes starts at 8:00. The 5:55 is a better dinner time for us, but I'm wondering if we'd be done in an hour and have to kill a lot of time before the fireworks start. About how long does a meal there last? Is there anything else worth checking out at the Contemporary while we wait? Or would we have time after dinner to go to one of the other monorail resorts and still get back before 9:00?

 

[Nancyg56]

For us, dinner at a signature restaurant woudl take about 90 minutes. If the earlier timeframe works for you, take it. You could then explore the CR or take a ride on teh monorail to the Grand or Poly and explore those resorts.

If you prefer exploring first, take the 8:45 ADR, go early and see if you can watch WIshes before dinner.

 

[Dean Marino]

Allow 1.5 hours.

 

[Sweet Pea Reed]

Dh and I ate there last week, and we spent 2 hours there, ordering an app, dinner and dessert. There are some shops in the contemporary that you could always spend some time in.

 

[Lisa F]

I say that 1.5 hours is fair. I can do it in 1.5 hours with 3 courses if we go right when they open because service is a bit quicker before the restaurant fills. by 5:55 it will be full so I'd say 1.5 hours is a minimum and with waiting for a table and dealing with the check, it could be closer to 2 hours.

 

[Uncleromulus]

We get drinks--then apps--then the meal--and then dessert--ordering one at a time.

So our meals take usually take at least 2 hours at CG.

 

[steg]

90 minutes has gotten us to the point of being able to order dessert just before fireworks and come back to it after fireworks.

 

[JennysSeven]

Thank you everyone! We've decided to keep the 5:55 ressie and drop the later one. After reading the responses here, I think that will work out best for us!