When you book a reservation to dine at the top, California Grill’s brunch, get ready to live the life of luxury. The meal is a unique sit down and buffets hybrid meal. While it is pricey, this meal has a fixed cost of $80 for adults (includes one signature cocktail) $48 ages 3 to 11, we absolutely loved the experience here.
California Grill Brunch Breakdown
- Service: Table Service
- Type of Food: Californian
- Price: $$$$
- Location: Contemporary
- Disney Dining Plan: 2 Table Service Credit
- Tables In Wonderland: Yes
- Features: Buffet options and menu item off of pre fixe menu
- Good For: Romance, Special Occasions
- Menu: Official Disney Menu
A Look Around California Grill Brunch
Check-in for brunch is at the same spot as it is for dinner. The podium is located on the second floor right off the escalator from the main lobby. If you take the monorail you will need to actually go down one floor. After you check in at the podium you will get whisked up to the top floor of the hotel via elevator.
Get ready because upon arrival you are instantly greeted with the offering of a mimosa. If that wasn’t enough there is a live band quietly playing classic Disney tunes for your enjoyment.
The lounge area was just as beautiful as it is at night. I don’t know if it was just because we had a late reservation on the day we went but it was great to have a mostly empty restaurant. When this place fills up it can get very loud and noisy.
California Grill Brunch Menu Items
First off let’s take a look at the serve yourself items.
The first section was filled with meats and cheeses. I like to think of it as the make your own charcuterie board area. This isn’t a typical item my husband and I would order but just like we enjoyed in at Palo on the Disney Cruiseline we love the spread served here.
When eating dinner at California grill one of my favorite things to get is the sushi. So you can imagine I was first to pile my plate high with all you can eat sushi! They have the shrimp tempura roll pictured above as well as a California roll and selection of nigiri (tuna, salmon, and shrimp). Just like dinner the selection was so fresh and delicious. It was hard to not just come here for brunch and only have sushi.
They had a bacon and onion quiche up on the buffet as well. I thought this would be something we loved. Turns out we thought it was a little too pie crusty not enough bacon and eggs. We next to never have quiche so maybe this is par for the course with this dish?
They had these adorable parfaits pre-made at the end of the buffet. If you aren’t a big fan of how they pre-did this greek yogurt they had a station next to it where you could make your own.
In addition, not pictured, they had some salad as well as deviled eggs.
Pastry Station at California Grill Brunch
They hide this area of the brunch spread. It’s not with the rest it’s actually over next to where the musicians are playing.
The star of this section is the Baba Cake pictured above. The cake is warmed up in front of you in a fry-pan with some flame and flair. Make sure you get yours served with Bourbon Ice Cream as well.
The cake was sweet with cinnamon and the pastry I thought it had a touch of citrus flavor as well. My husband deemed this cake the best item in the whole buffet. I was so glad our server recommended we save this for the end. It was a glorified dessert if you ask me!
The pastry spread was up a notch from other buffets at Disney World. On this table, you can find Multi-grain Croissants, Cheddar Biscuits, Sticky Buns, Guava Turnovers, and Scones.
Brunch Entrees at California Grill
If you are struggling to pick your entree item off the menu fear not! This is just like the Disney Cruiseline, you can order as many entrees as you would like.
I opted for the blueberry pancakes for my entree. It was made with Local Blueberries, Vanilla Custard, Blueberry Compote, Warm Canadian Maple Syrup. Everything was super fresh, the pancakes were light and fluffy but super filling. I was hoping for something a little sweeter but it was still a very good dish.
My husband went straight for his favorite, the Chef’s omelet. He loved it but thought it was very much your standard omelet for the high price tag of the meal.
If you can believe it there is a course of desserts after all this food! Our waiter was kind enough to suggest we box it up and bring it home with us. However, we had one major pitfall which is why you will see no pictures here… it melted in the car. I ran to use a few Fastpasses in the Magic Kingdom after our meal and by the time we made it back to the house everything had melted into a giant soup. As a Floridian, I should have known better!
Overall Recommendation for California Grill Brunch
This is a true luxury experience at Disney World. And we do mean experience. Expect to spend a couple of hours here, eating drinking and soaking up the breathtaking views atop the Contemporary Resort. The price is steep so be sure to consider that if budget is a concern. We felt it would have better worth it for us if we had drunk the mimosas (we just both aren’t big fans). Even still especially after writing this review, there was plenty to eat and enjoy.
Remember: just like with an early dinner seating, you may return later to watch Wishes from the rooftop deck by bringing your receipt to the California Grill back to the restaurant check-in desk that same evening.
Let us know what you think of brunch at California Grill in the comments below! Is this a beloved family favorite for you? If you are looking for more food recommendations read Disney World Resort Dining.
I have been visiting the parks annually since my parents first brought me at just a year old. Recently I was able to fulfill my life long dream of being a Florida local and moved from the wintery Northeast to the sunshine and fun of central Florida. Now I am hoping to share my Disney knowledge with you so you can have the best vacation possible!
Whitney- Disney tips and trips
Wednesday 4th of March 2020
This looks amazing, those blueberry pancakes are making me hungry! We stopped in here for dinner one night and it was amazing, I didn't even know they offered brunch.