California Grill concept art

[dolce20]

As an Interior Designer, supreme WDW goer (38 times in 38 years) and Contemporary Resort lover, may I just say that I'm extremely disappointed in the new concept art by Puccini Group for the newly re-designed Cali Grill.

This restaurant is the signature dining and viewing experience in WDW with so much history. It's the top floor of the original WDW hotel. What a special job the Puccini designers were given! What an opportunity to creat magic..and sadly it looks like a flop. Beige hell! Totally uninspired taupe and tan boringness!

What a missed opportunity. So institutional. Looks like a bad airport. Where the special, exciting and upscale beauty I was looking for? Damn. At least the food and views are still there.

Would have loved a wink at Contemp's past with some color, retro-futuristic theming.

Boo. Okay, I'm done complaining. Onward!

 

[NDdon]

As an Interior Designer, supreme WDW goer (38 times in 38 years) and Contemporary Resort lover, may I just say that I'm extremely disappointed in the new concept art by Puccini Group for the newly re-designed Cali Grill.

This restaurant is the signature dining and viewing experience in WDW with so much history. It's the top floor of the original WDW hotel. What a special job the Puccini designers were given! What an opportunity to creat magic..and sadly it looks like a flop. Beige hell! Totally uninspired taupe and tan boringness!

What a missed opportunity. So institutional. Looks like a bad airport. Where the special, exciting and upscale beauty I was looking for? Damn. At least the food and views are still there.

Would have loved a wink at Contemp's past with some color, retro-futuristic theming.

Boo. Okay, I'm done complaining. Onward!

Is the color listed the FINAL color or just a mark up for the photo? It can be changed right?

 

[dolce20]

Thanks for "re-posting" my post! ;-)

Even if they alter the color scheme a bit, the whole feel of the design is a bit sterile to me for this special venue.

Such a bummer!

 

[docdebbi]

agreed, i am very disappointed. personally, i am not a fan of booths for fine dining. and it is just plain boring. no style, no class. hope they don't mess up the menu and bland it out too. and i rarely complain about what disney does. i'm one of those rose colored glasses folks when it comes to them, but here, i'm disappointed

 

[Joseph Robinson]

Link for the lazy.

 

[dolce20]

agreed, i am very disappointed. personally, i am not a fan of booths for fine dining. and it is just plain boring. no style, no class. hope they don't mess up the menu and bland it out too. and i rarely complain about what disney does. i'm one of those rose colored glasses folks when it comes to them, but here, i'm disappointed

I'm totally with you - rose colored glasses, trust in the Disney designers and imagineers, huge fan, not a complainer!

When they got rid of the Adventurer' Club I was beyond peeved.. I'm not a big fan of the DDP and now this..well, I guess there are a worse things in the world than a bland restaurant design...but it's such a shame because we all know how wonderfully beautiful most WDW restaurants can be!

 

[dolce20]

As posted in other thread: As far as WDW goes, this is a very important restaurant; a very special venue..I just think they're crapping out. Wasted opportunity. Look at the excitement and modernity of Flying Fish, Blue Zoo..This beige/tan plan they got in place has nothing special..it's so safe.

 

[Pooh'sBuddy]

I had a conversation this morning with a friend who LOVES Cali Grill. She, too, is very disappointed in the colors and the layout of the long stretch of booth seating. The tables are too close together. It looks so not private, like they're trying to pack more people in like cattle.

 

[dolce20]

It's not even dressy enough! Bland beige booths is not special enough. I hate complaining but this really sucks! Interesting to hear you and your friend agree!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I really don't care for it. I am a person who LOVES the Contemporary...never once have felt that it's cold and sterile like many say it makes them feel. But this Cali Grill concept art...this makes me think cold and sterile. Minus the natural lines of the room, it kind of feels like office decor...i.e. for the corporation that wants to look a little cutting edge without compromising too much of the conservative appeal.

I could be OK with what they've shown us IF there were more accents and flourishes of some sort added. Something about this art just makes it all look and feel so incomplete and cold.

 

[Polydweller]

Don't like it either. Doesn't look like a signature to me. I especially dislike those long benches wi tables for two. Looks like a diner or roadhouse that would fit 1 DDP credit place better than a 2 credit restaurant. But it's still supposed to be a signature restaurant isn't it?

 

[Sans Souci]

Don't like it either. Doesn't look like a signature to me. I especially dislike those long benches wi tables for two. Looks like a diner or roadhouse that would fit 1 DDP credit place better than a 2 credit restaurant. But it's still supposed to be a signature restaurant isn't it?

That is exactly what I thought. I don't like being close to another table when I am paying top dollar to dine.

 

[worldfanatic]

Hey Goobers!
It doesn't open til the 2nd half of this year.
Go complain about something else til then.

PS
It's gonna be great when it opens. Watch.

 

[dolce20]

Goober? Listen, we all have no choice but to wait and see what the end result is HOWEVER I'd like to know how you figure it's "goober"-like to have an Intelligent conversation about the pictures we were presented with today..?

I am a professional Interior Designer with 17 years experience and have spent my entire adult life studying the works of WDW hotel/restaurant designers such as Robert AM Stern and Michael Graves. I've been to WDW 35+ times over the past several decades and have come to appreciate all the beauty within WDW. The furnishings, fabrics, lighting, architecture, landscape...99% of the time they get it right.

From my professional experience, while renderings and concept drawings are never 100% accurate in showing the final product, you can always get the general feel for what direction the designer is going for. In this case, the booths are fine but the overall feel is bland and uninspired (and a bit crowded for signature dining). We're all entitled to our opinion and discuss these things because we care...not because we love to .

❤ the Contemp!

 

[durangojim]

I like booths, but I don't like this. Very boring and bland. Too "contemporary". Maybe it will look better in person.

 

[NiarrNDisney]

It reminds me of the Wave and Coral Reef

 

[rael ramone]

looks like a Perkins or a Waffle House. Perhaps the cuisine will match (but not the prices of course).

 

[Sloan]

I'm a huge, huge fan of the California Grill and the Contemporary. I'm frustrated by the long refurb, because I don't like going that long without eating there! That being said, the concept art is pretty dull, and makes me wonder why it is such a long project when the changes seem relatively modest. This has long been and should be a true Signature Dining restaurant, and a real opportunity to at least get near the 'cutting edge' of design (knowing that they are probably not going to actually push any boundaries on this ...). It does seem like they are really playing it 'safe' if this concept art is anything close to what is really going on.

Because I love the place so much, I'm going to really try to reserve judgment, hope for the best, and count the days until it re-opens. Until then, I'll suffer even more knowing that I may be less than thrilled with the finished product.

 

[dolce20]

Sloan, you rock!