For those (like me!) who have eagerly been awaiting the news about booking a reservation for the post-refurbishment California Grill restaurant in Disney’s Contemporary Resort, we’ve got a few new details for you!
Snagging a Table by the Window at California Grill is an Absolute Must!
While there’s no solid date for California Grill to re-open yet, reservations ARE currently available on November 18th. The reservations agent I spoke to said that booking times were also available after this date. (This means that for the next couple of days, you’ll need to have a Disney resort reservation and be calling at exactly 180 days out, using your opportunity to book 10 days after your check-in date in order to make a reservation.)
It’s my guess that they cannot open reservations earlier in the year until they have the final opening date set, but that they’ll be coming soon!
Availability is always subject to change, but I wanted to be sure those of you eager to book were made aware of every last detail. As is often the case with new reservations opening up, your experience could be different (you can see in the comments that some folks have not been able to book) — but keep calling and keep trying.
Don’t forget to check out our recent posts about the new California Grill Menu!
Oak-Fired Three Meat Meatball will be a new Appetizer at California Grill
I’m looking forward to booking my reservation in September as soon as they open up those earlier dates! Please note that this information is subject to change!
Thanks to DFB reader and friend JoAnn C. for the heads up!
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Hi AJ! I’m hoping to book reservations for my trip in December once the 180 day window opens up (I’m staying off property). I don’t quite understand what this means:
This means that for the next couple of days, you’ll need to have a Disney resort reservation and be calling at exactly 180 days out, using your opportunity to book 10 days after your check-in date in order to make a reservation.
Could you clarify? Thank you!
I just called in to Disney Dining because I have clients that want CA GRill this date and they said this is NOT true. California grill reservations are not available yet and no estimated date that they will be…
I’m also eagerly waiting for September! Hope they will publish sth soon!
Jenny — Guests who are staying on Disney property can call 180 days before their check-in date and book reservations for the first 10 days of their trip. Guests staying off property are only allowed to book reservations 180 days out from each individual day of their trip, so they’d have to call back each day to make reservations for the next day of their trip. Hope this helps!
Nicole Spero — I spoke with a Disney Dining reservations agent who confirmed that booking was available on this date. I’m sorry you’re getting conflicting reports. As always, availability is subject to change, but it’s my job to make sure folks know that people are indeed getting reservations for those dates.
Sabrina — Fingers crossed! We’ll keep an ear to the ground!
I just spoke with Disney Dining also but they said they can’t see past Nov 16th unless they have your reservation number. I spoke with a CM named Michelle and they had not even gotten any info on this yet. Thanks JoAnn C & AJ for the heads up though, October opening’s should be just around the corner!
MrHub — Thanks for sharing your experience! I agree that reservations for September and October should be just around the corner. I’ll keep checking in, and if you get any info, drop me a line. 🙂
I just hope that I can get a table any night between 10/27-11-2.
You’re welcome AJ. I stumbled upon quite by accident. I had another reservation made that night with the plan to change to Cali Grill when the reservations opened up. I just took a chance and it paid off.
I hope other dates open up soon for everyone!
Geez I got all excited when I saw the headline and bolted to make my res and no dice…I’m going in Oct.! Haha. Just have to keep my fingers crossed it’ll be open. 🙂
Omg. Argh. I really want to book for October 16th. Fingers crossed they open that date. Knowing my luck ill miss the announcement and have to stick with my yachtsman reservation (boooooo)
Fingers crossed hoping for sometime in September 12-21.
Walt Disney World Guest Mail 3:27 PM
To: kathie
Dear Kathie,
Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World® Resort.
At this time, California Grill restaurant is not yet accepting
reservations. It is still at this time undergoing renovations. Stay
tuned to http://www.disneyparksblog.com for up to date information.
Sincerely,
Dolores Pfeil
Kathie — Thanks for sharing your mail from WDW guest services! As I mentioned previously, we have heard from guests who have gotten reservations for California Grill. Perhaps reservations were only open for a short time, or perhaps Disney isn’t officially announcing their availability yet through their mainstream communications platforms.
Thank you for posting this! Your blog had the details before reps at Disney did! This is a great source for all things Disney!!
You can definitely make reservations on the Disney website for November 18th (that’s the only date open to me because my vacation is before then). I’m assuming if your vacation falls in that Nov 18 and beyond window you should be able to book that week.
I just called Disney for Sept 12, first she told me it was available, then after a 5 minute hold they could not get the reservation to take, she said they are working on getting a final date soon. I will be calling back everyday! She said they are able to make reservations for November, but I think you have to speak with them directly. Good luck!!
Any rumors about when we can start making reservations for October? I don’t want to miss out like I did BOG.
Rumors now are that they aren’t taking any reservations. People have been trying for late November/early December, and nothing is open, and the agents can’t book it. 🙁 Tomorrow is my 180!
just got off the phone with disney . trying to make reservations for Cali grill in early part of December. agent advised they cannot book as they do not have any info on when they will actually be opening . today is my 180 will keep checking!!
Today is my 180 and I’m staying on property for 8 days. Tried online and by phone for reservations at CA Grill. No luck. CM says they can’t book and have no info on when they will be able to book.
I called as well and they said they can not book for cali grill my 180 is in a couple of weeks from now. I asked the guy to try an earlier date and he said no we can not book for that day. I do not know how people are getting a booking for this restaurant. I would like one as well
Spoke with someone in reservations and also a web tech. They told me that the reservations for the 18th were not planned and likely a bug. Since I myself work in software I can tell you that this makes a lot of sense given how these things work. If you do have a reservation it will show as a valid reservation in the system. However, when the system opens back up, all reservation slots will be clear and open because they are a new table in their database. This would actually allow for your reservation to still show online even if it is not “valid”. So I recommend that if you got one of the nov 18 reservations you call as soon as they open reservations just to confirm.
Just got off the phone with Disney, they told me it should be anytime now… She said they are showing times and restaurant hours, which they were not showing yesterday, but tables are not loaded. She told me they have some kind of refresher training course for new disney dining reservation employees this week and thinks it will probably after everyone has completed that so they are on the same page:) Good Luck!!
The information you provided here is somewhat inaccurate. While there are reseservations available for 11/18, there are none available beyond that date. There is no opening date or a date that reservations will start being accepted. I am an agent and we have no training scheduled.
I was lucky enough to get a Nov 18 reservation at CA Grill while they were available — they no longer are (at least via the online system). At the end of May I was checking every day and no other day besides Nov 18 was showing open — and Nov 18 stopped showing available at the beginning of June sometime. My Nov 18 reservation IS currently showing up on my online itinerary on the Disneyworld website. Emma’s comment above that the Nov 18 openings were a system bug seems plausible. However, even if it was a system bug, I think it would only be fair that Disney honor the reservations already made for Nov 18 — if necessary, moving/copying those Nov 18 reservations to the new CA Grill database before they open up reservations again.
Hi Jimofh,
It would indeed be awesome of them to keep good on those reservations and disney is known for being awesome at times, that said, if it were me, I wouldn’t take that chance. They do seem aware of the fact that the reservations were made, lord knows we call and ask about them enough, so hopefully they will make the necessary arrangements. 🙂 I called yesterday and the agent said they had no idea what date they’d open. Said that they were running behind schedule. She offered to sprinkle pixie dust on my stay… I had to hold back an “are you serious?!” but it was a nice gesture lol. Fingers crossed they are open for my October trip, if not then at least for my December trip!!
AJ We have reservations at BLT at the Contemporary for early December. I have tried for over a week now to get reservations at California Grill during our stay with no luck. The website says no availability for California Grill, but to call DRC at 407-WDW-DINE to make reservations. But every time I call DRC I am told that they don’t see where California Grill is open to take reservations at any time yet. What am I doing wrong? – Thanks
Steve Hobson — Reservations for California Grill just aren’t available for certain dates, yet. They’ll likely open soon, so keep calling 🙂
Still patiently waiting for dates to open up for the second weekend of November, tick-tock, tick-tock.
Was able to book for Nov 18 when it was the 180 day window. Just called to confirm and they said as of right now i have a reservation the only way I wouldnt have a reservation if CG wouldnt be open in time.
I just called Disney dining for a reservation at CG in Dec. The CS told me they dont know when CG is going to open and they cant make the reservation. Keep checking yourself is the best advise.
As of this morning they still are not taking reservations for CG for as far out as Jan. tried online as well as calling.
Just to further Marcy’s comment we also tried for late January and were told that they are not accepting reservations at this time and to keep checking back.