Hi Karen!
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! I am delighted to hear that you have a dinner reservation at California Grill. It is one of our favorite dining experiences!
First, I suggest that you check the
park hours for the date of your dinner. We have always been able to utilize
Resort & Theme Park Transportation when returning to our resort hotel after dinner reservations, but given your dinner time, I understand why you might be concerned. Buses returning to Walt Disney World Resort Hotels stop service two hours after park closing. Although you could try catching the
Resort Monorail back to Magic Kingdom after dinner, luckily, you can walk as well. Given the short distance to Magic Kingdom from Disney's Contemporary Resort, I would suggest that you walk unless you have folks with you who have difficulty walking. The resort monorail operates until one hour after the last park closes. Once you get back to Magic Kingdom, you could catch a bus to your resort hotel.
If, for some reason, you are delayed with dinner, I recommend that you use the
Disney Minnie Van™ Service Connected by Lyft. Using the Lyft Mobile App, search for a ride, and select a Disney Minnie Van™. The vehicles are adorable and our drivers have always been courteous. The door-to-door service is reassuring late at night and very early in the morning as we make our way to and from
advanced dining reservations.
Also, one of the reasons we adore dining at California Grill is because we can view the
Happily Ever After fireworks show from the restaurant - the window views are stunning. Check the time of the show for the date of your reservation. When we have visited in the past, the show has been at either 8:00 p.m. or 9:00 p.m. depending on the time of year. If you care to see the fireworks, I suggest modifying that dining reservation once you determine the time of the show. If you cannot modify the reservation, try arriving early and see if they will escort you upstairs to wait in the lounge until your table is ready!
Karen, sending you lots of pixie dust as you prepare for your trip!
Magic and memories,
Donyell