Celebration at the Top fireworks viewing now open for reservations at Disney's Contemporary Resort

[danyoung56]

I don't know about many people, but I've done it more than once. Had dinner at the CG, monorailed around to the GF for drinks, then back to the CG for fireworks.

 

[wdwmagic]

Celebration at the Top extended later into the year

 

[HauntedPirate]

I don't understand this extension. I thought HEA is supposed to be more projection/light/laser-focused than fireworks-focused, and thus it's not going to translate as well from a distance. Or will it?

 

[BEARSHOUSE4]

I hope it will...... Been waiting for years to view the show from California grill. Booked it this year finally.....for August! We'll see!!!

 

[Biff215]

I don't understand this extension. I thought HEA is supposed to be more projection/light/laser-focused than fireworks-focused, and thus it's not going to translate as well from a distance. Or will it?

Question is, do they really care? As long as there's someone to book it and "something" to see, Disney will gladly charge you for it. Guess we'll see what HEA brings.

 

[JoeCamel]

Sounds like the upcharge is selling - all that matters for an extension

 

[esskay]

Question is, do they really care? As long as there's someone to book it and "something" to see, Disney will gladly charge you for it. Guess we'll see what HEA brings.

But that already exists. You just book a standard meal at the CG. All this does is adds a new menu and a bigger price tag to what they already offer :/

 

[Nubs70]

If there is unlimited alcohol this could be a great deal!

So it will be like dime beer night at a college bar?

 

[ford91exploder]

I don't understand this extension. I thought HEA is supposed to be more projection/light/laser-focused than fireworks-focused, and thus it's not going to translate as well from a distance. Or will it?

People are paying - hence all thats required for this to be exetended

 

[Jon81uk]

Supposedly the open bar is the only good part, the food (on the first night at least) wasn't amazing and the general feeling was you are better off with a regular table at Cali Grill ordering a la carte.

 

[prberk]

I have been wondering if they ever will close the dine early and come back loophole. Personally I don't think you should be allowed in the elevator unless you have a reservation coming up in the next half hour or if there is space at the bar. Although of course this might mean people with a 7pm reservation try to string out a meal to 10pm. I'm not sure of the best way to implement, but dining at 5pm and coming back at 10pm for fireworks seems strange, to me anyway.

You do have to have a reservation, the last time I was there, at CG to get off on that floor.

Of course we could go back to the "good old days" of just a few years ago when you could just come up the elevator and walk around to the deck and enjoy the view. That was always my special quiet spot at WDW. But now because of the company's shortsighted greed I can't do that any more, no matter what time of day, and no matter the $1500 spent to stay at the Contemporary (or close to it at any other WDW property) over a weekend -- but still not enough to simply walk out on the 15th floor balcony and simply enjoy the view, fireworks or not.

I used to love to do that, even if I couldn't justify the California Grill with family and friends. At least I could steal away back to the hotel and enjoy the view and some time to think and reflect. Now that location is off limits unless I shell out even more money (for dinner or this program). And that, I think, is unfortunate.

 

[blueslegend]

Why not just make an ADR for CG? Sounds like this is just having dinner in a more blah space?

Couldn't agree more. For 200 bucks you may as well just eat at CG with 20% off with a TIW card.

 

[danyoung56]

You do have to have a reservation, the last time I was there, at CG to get off on that floor.

Sorry, but this is incorrect. You can go up with no rez, dine and drink at the bar, and then go out and see the fireworks if you so desire. If the bar gets too crowded, they'll shut this off for a while. If you try it too close to fireworks time, you have less of a chance. I've done this several times myself, and it works great when you didn't have a chance to make a rez 6 months out.

 

[TheGuyThatMakesSwords]

This event confuses me.....

You see, we routinely go to the Grill for dinner. With 20% tip, and several glasses of wine..... over the years, we hit about $180 for a couple.
COULD hit $210. Folks, we eat filets.... we don't go cheap. And we can watch Wishes, if we want to do so.....

Now - $99 a head for appetizers? Why would someone not just book dinner?

 

[drwadadli]

This event confuses me.....

You see, we routinely go to the Grill for dinner. With 20% tip, and several glasses of wine..... over the years, we hit about $180 for a couple.
COULD hit $210. Folks, we eat filets.... we don't go cheap. And we can watch Wishes, if we want to do so.....

Now - $99 a head for appetizers? Why would someone not just book dinner?

We have done CG and personally, I would rather be in a quieter room enjoying appetizers and unlimited beverages then having dinner in a noisy dining room. My wife and I have been called foodies but this is not a restaurant we like to go to. We have been twice and each time it has been very noisy with screaming kids and adults talking very loud just to be heard over the noise. So, yes we would rather pay $99 a person to be a room of on the side away from the restaurant and enjoying unlimited drinks.

 

[COProgressFan]

We have done CG and personally, I would rather be in a quieter room enjoying appetizers and unlimited beverages then having dinner in a noisy dining room. My wife and I have been called foodies but this is not a restaurant we like to go to. We have been twice and each time it has been very noisy with screaming kids and adults talking very loud just to be heard over the noise. So, yes we would rather pay $99 a person to be a room of on the side away from the restaurant and enjoying unlimited drinks.

I have not been to the Cali Grill since the renovation a few years ago. But with my experience of previous years visits, I agree, the dining room is excessively noisy. I'm guessing the acoustics haven't improved much since the renovation?

 

[prberk]

Sorry, but this is incorrect. You can go up with no rez, dine and drink at the bar, and then go out and see the fireworks if you so desire. If the bar gets too crowded, they'll shut this off for a while. If you try it too close to fireworks time, you have less of a chance. I've done this several times myself, and it works great when you didn't have a chance to make a rez 6 months out.

Well, as I remember, the option to go up before dinnertime, as in before the restaurant opened, was completely off. And that actually was one of my favorite things to do: To go up to the 15th floor observation deck during the day or morning, and just look out over the "World," watching the monorails glide by. But when we were there, the elevator would not go to the 15th floor until the restaurant was open, and they told me I would need a reservation. I hope that has evolved, but I was very saddened at that time.

I remember telling them exactly how much money I had dropped down to stay there, and I did not know why I could not enjoy the view that I had enjoyed before, but that did not matter at the time.