California Grill dress code?

[LittleMerman]

We are going to California Grill for the first time next month. We are going to Animal Kingdom all day beforehand but wanted to ask what most people wear to the restaurant. This is what's listed on the restaurant website:

This restaurant is a Disney Signature Dining experience offering fine dining with a distinctly magical flair. Guests are expected to dress accordingly in attire that respects the restaurant's sophisticated and upscale aesthetic. Clothing should be clean, neat and in good condition. Please no swimwear.

I've never been to a Disney restaurant where people don't wear whatever they want so I was curious. Thanks.

 

[wdwfan22]

They don't typically enforce the dress code at California Grill. I've seen a bit of everything in there. To avoid looking out of place I would recommend for guys dress shorts, shirt with a collar. For women a nice dress or blouse and dress shorts/pants.

The only restaurant i've seen them turn people away from for not being in dress code was Citricos.

 

[James J]

They barely police it and I've seen a few people in their park clothes, but I've always worn the aforementioned dress shorts and a collared shirt and my wife has worn a dress. Some people go all out and wear cocktail dresses and tuxedos, so each to their own.

It's the one signature meal we've done where we like to make a bit more of an effort though.

 

[Hockey89]

We are going to California Grill for the first time next month. We are going to Animal Kingdom all day beforehand but wanted to ask what most people wear to the restaurant. This is what's listed on the restaurant website:

This restaurant is a Disney Signature Dining experience offering fine dining with a distinctly magical flair. Guests are expected to dress accordingly in attire that respects the restaurant's sophisticated and upscale aesthetic. Clothing should be clean, neat and in good condition. Please no swimwear.

I've never been to a Disney restaurant where people don't wear whatever they want so I was curious. Thanks.

I've seen people in wife beaters.... It's a shame Disney doesn't enforce their dress code because it greatly impacts the experience and behavior....

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Definitely nothing crazy formal and I've never seen any dress code enforced. That being said, we have never seen anyone look too casual and usually like to dress up a little for it. I usually have a backpack with a few little things to help spruce up an outfit. I think last time we went, I went to the parks in a sweatshirt- black yoga leggings-white leather sneakers. I swapped out the sweatshirt for a wrinkle-free babydoll dress crammed into my backpack and used a clip to get my hair into a messy up-do. I've folded and ziplock bagged golf shirts in my backpack for my husband to pair with whatever jeans or shorts he wore with a t-shirt through the day.

 

[Chi84]

There are some people who wear park attire, but they are a definite minority. Most people we see at Cali Grill are dressed a little more nicely, but dress shorts and a nice shirt (collared shirt for men) along with sandals or sneakers are acceptable and probably what you’ll see most wearing.

 

[NelleBelle]

Whenever we’ve eaten at CG, DH and the teen boys wear dress shorts or dockers with a collared shirt and I usually where a nice sundress. I have Seen some wearing park attire but they generally stick out and are in the minority. Agree that it’s a total shame that dress codes aren’t enforced and that there is even a statement about swimsuits not allowed. Surprised there isn’t a sentence about needing to wear shoes!

 

[LittleMerman]

Thanks for all the info. We're eating there the day before we leave for a Disney Cruise so I'll have a full suit for Enchante and other nicer clothes but I was trying to prevent having to go from AK, to the resort, to CA Grill. I don't mind dressing up but I'll be in park clothes for AK.

 

[mkt]

Tophats and tails for the ladies, cocktail dresses and heels for the gents.

 

[JohnD]

We are going to California Grill for the first time next month. We are going to Animal Kingdom all day beforehand but wanted to ask what most people wear to the restaurant. This is what's listed on the restaurant website:

This restaurant is a Disney Signature Dining experience offering fine dining with a distinctly magical flair. Guests are expected to dress accordingly in attire that respects the restaurant's sophisticated and upscale aesthetic. Clothing should be clean, neat and in good condition. Please no swimwear.

I've never been to a Disney restaurant where people don't wear whatever they want so I was curious. Thanks.

I wouldn't advise tank top, short shorts, and flip flops. However, polo shirt, shorts, and closed toed shoes are fine.

 

[christine7257]

Agree with others that you'll see a bit of everything, but park attire (logo tees, athletic shorts) is probably the minority. It was a few years ago, now, but I did once see some young men who were in tank tops given some oxford shirts that the restaurant apparently kept on hand. They just wore them open, unbuttoned and that was apparently satisfactory. It was hilarious because as I was heading to the restroom, the host kind of "chased" them into the elevator to retrieve the shirts. Maybe they thought they were gifts. But, again, this was several years ago.

 

[Imhere]

It's tough to have much of a dress code 75 yards from a theme park.

Golf shirts and shorts of the non-gym variety are fine.

You'll see T-Shirts there, it's just whether or not you are comfortable wearing one.

Nobody wants to wear a #communityshirt

 

[monothingie]

There is nothing worthwhile to dress up for at the California Grill after the change to the new pre-fixe menu.

 

[Chi84]

There is nothing worthwhile to dress up for at the California Grill after the change to the new pre-fixe menu.

We had it twice and liked it. Maybe it’s because it offered the kinds of choices we would go with anyway.

 

[monothingie]

We had it twice and liked it. Maybe it’s because it offered the kinds of choices we would go with anyway.

I just hang out with the best bartender on property when I go now. No more sit down dinners.

 

[NelleBelle]

Not to turn this into a dining review, but as a vegetarian (who has a bad mushroom allergy, and I mention this because WDW seems to think putting mushrooms in all meatless dishes is a good idea)—I used to love CG before the new menu, especially as the chefs would go out of their way if there wasn’t much on the menu that I could eat. Now I don’t even feel it’s worth the bother.

 

[Chi84]

Not to turn this into a dining review, but as a vegetarian (who has a bad mushroom allergy, and I mention this because WDW seems to think putting mushrooms in all meatless dishes is a good idea)—I used to love CG before the new menu, especially as the chefs would go out of their way if there wasn’t much on the menu that I could eat. Now I don’t even feel it’s worth the bother.

I still think a lot of the family style/prix fixe menus are a result of labor and product shortages. We talked to managers at a couple of the table service restaurants on our last two visits and I think there just aren’t enough chefs to “go out of their way” now.

 

[Chi84]

I know people mean well, but we go to Cali Grill often (at least twice a year) and people tend to dress nicely there. It's one of the few places we saw even children dressed up. There may be some families in park attire, especially if you choose an earlier reservation. But if you're asking because you want to fit in, most people dress nicely, especially during the later hours.

 

[JohnD]

When we went, we made the effort to change out of our park clothes into dresses or polos and dress shorts... only to walk in and see entire families in ratty tanks, running shorts, track pants, and dirty gym shoes. We had a terrible experience at CG (for reasons related to bad service and screwups in the kitchen, not the other guests), but the fact that we'd wasted time dressing up for it when the dress code was clearly meaningless, added insult to injury.

In short, the dress code is, in POTC parlance, "more what you'd call guidelines than actual rules..."

I'm not expecting a suit and ball gown. But come on people. At least throw on a collared shirt and a pair of regular shorts. Sneakers are fine. Is it that difficult to clean up just a little bit?

 

[TheGuyThatMakesSwords]

There is no effective dress code.