Celebration at the Top extended later into the year

Celebration at the Top extended later into the year

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?

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!!!

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.

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

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 :/

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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?