WDW bans children from fanciest park restaurant

jeremyleo · Post by **jeremyleo** » Jan Mon 07, 2008 4:31 pm

ORLANDO, Fla. - The home of Mickey Mouse, Tigger and Tinkerbell has banned kids from its fanciest restaurant.

Beginning this week, children under 10 are no longer welcome at Victoria & Albert's in the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Victoria & Albert's is Walt Disney World's only restaurant with an AAA five-diamond rating.

"We want to be the restaurant that's available for that adult experience," said general manager Israel Perez.

Only about three families a month ever brought young children to Victoria & Albert's, said Rosemary Rose, Disney's vice-president for food, beverage and merchandise operations.

Men are required to wear jackets, and women must wear dresses or pantsuits. The hushed atmosphere features live harp music, and the menu, which changes daily, offers seven-course dinners that can last as long as three hours. Prices start at $125 a person.

Rose noted that there are plenty of dining options for families at Disney World, which has 97 other full-service restaurants.

From Sympatico/MSN Travel news (in Canada).
http://tinyurl.com/2eg32u

jeremyleo

nancynohorse · Post by **nancynohorse** » Jan Mon 07, 2008 4:51 pm

I saw that on the TV last night. To be honest, I had thought children weren't allowed all along!

jeremyleo · Post by **jeremyleo** » Jan Mon 07, 2008 7:38 pm

I never would have thought to take my children there - they'd hate it, and the cost translates to a lot of babysitting.

jcodirewolf · Post by **jcodirewolf** » Jan Tue 08, 2008 8:15 am

Now if they would only do that for the Cal Grill.

johno

Post by **Dr. Ravenscroft** » Jan Tue 08, 2008 8:48 am

What is this ADULT Experience they are speaking of?????????

Does this mean that WDW will have it's first Strip Club?

jcodirewolf · Post by **jcodirewolf** » Jan Tue 08, 2008 11:44 am

Dr, it seems Mr Ellison beat you to that punch line.

At least in part ...

To quote from wikipedia-
Ellison was hired as a writer for Walt Disney Studios, but was fired on his first day after being overheard by Roy O. Disney in the studio commissary joking about making a pornographic animated film featuring Disney characters. He recounted this incident in his book Stalking the Nightmare, as part 3 of an essay titled "The 3 Most Important Things in Life".

it's a really funny story.

johno

GhostHost · Post by **GhostHost** » Jan Tue 08, 2008 12:08 pm

If they already knew that most people don't bring their small children then it probably wasn't necessary to make a new policy or announcement about it. It kind of make them look snooty in my opinion. Then again, if you are a parent spending that kind of money to eat then you are probably doing it for some "alone time" away from the kids anyway. The only thing worse than spending that kind of money to eat would be to spend the money and not be able to enjoy it because you are trying to call down little Johnny the entire time while he throws forks at the other guests. I don't have kids (yet) but I feel for parents that just want to eat a meal out every now and then. I'm sure it's frustrating sometimes.

mageloff · Post by **mageloff** » Jan Tue 08, 2008 12:18 pm

GhostHost wrote:If they already knew that most people don't bring their small children then it probably wasn't necessary to make a new policy or announcement about it.

I agree - somethings are best handled on a per case basis. It is kind of like restaurants with a dress code, they handle it with subtle discretion.

wdwannabe · Post by **wdwannabe** » Jan Tue 08, 2008 2:29 pm

So, do you all feel this is a good thing?

Not that I agree with this next statement, but this is Disney World...it is a place for kids.

Now, I do like the idea of them taking a stand on this. It sounds like a place for adults, several course dinner, wine pairings, I don't know too many kids that can do this, and conduct themselves well. I just don't think this is an atmosphere for children. I know if I paid over $125 for dinner per person I would want a calm area! Good heavens, Sunday we asked to me moved to another table...an adult was being very loud and demanding...I have never asked to be moved..this lady was really bad...asking to go into the kitchen and get a condiment! She felt the server was being slow! Would Disney ask her to leave too? I hardly think so, of course I would expect the service to be very high. Maybe she would just find something eles to complain about! ha.

Post by **Dr. Ravenscroft** » Jan Tue 08, 2008 2:40 pm

wdwannabe wrote:So, do you all feel this is a good thing?

Not that I agree with this next statement, but this is Disney World...it is a place for kids.

Well Walt made the parks for everyone, not just kids or adults. I thinks adults need there eatery just like kids have a few of their own, for example the Pizza place over in MGM, that to me is really kid oriented, and of course all of the Character dinning experiences at the parks. I don't really see to many adults around during those things, unless they have kids there.

GhostHost · Post by **GhostHost** » Jan Tue 08, 2008 2:52 pm

Does anyone know what the policy is at "33" at DL? I would imagine it would be similar.

Cheshire Cat · Post by **Cheshire Cat** » Jan Tue 08, 2008 7:01 pm

What if the parents want to eat at VA's, but don't like the idea of leaving the kids with a nanny? Plus, I don't believe that every kid under 10 is a complete Stitch. One of my six year old cousins is probably more well-behaved than me.

Post by **horizons1** » Jan Tue 08, 2008 7:12 pm

Who could afford to take their kids there?!

DisBeamer · Post by **DisBeamer** » Jan Wed 09, 2008 3:57 am

Ehn ... it's kind of a tricky one. I feel for the parents of well-behaved children who (for whatever reason) want to pay that much money for a night out with the kids in an environment that really isn't aimed to children (hell, I'm 30 and I think it'd make me uncomfortable

). But being locked out of one restaurant of allllll the dining that WDW has to offer with your under-10's doesn't seem like that tragic a thing to me.

I would agree with the case-by-case idea, but it's a bit different than a dress code. If you show up to V&A's in shorts, it's obvious you're in shorts. If you show up with little 7-year-old Timmy, it may not be obvious until 45 minutes into the dinner service that he's had enough of sitting still and wants to toss the rolls around. Then what happens? Do you ask people to leave? Do they still have to pay if you make them leave half way through? What about the guests being hit by the rolls - do they still have to pay?

If the restaurant management thinks it's enough of an issue that they went ahead and made it official, even though only 3ish families a month were doing it and despite the air of unfairness to it, I have to think there was a reason that pushed them to it. There are enough other upscale places on property to pick up the slack, I would think.

jcodirewolf · Post by **jcodirewolf** » Jan Wed 09, 2008 10:04 am

Personally I think in a perfect world you wouldn't make these rules. Because parents wouldn't set the kids up to fail. However, I live on planet Earth, and I know people in general often over reach. Oh little Timmy is just an angel he would never get out of hand. However, and the parents know this he has attention span of a ADD fly on speed.

I'm not saying you shouldn't challenge kids. But there is a difference between a 2 hour hike in the white mountains and scaling Everest.

As for the cost issue, have you looked at the prices Bipity-bobbity? Or even the princess Tea at GF.

As to the point of if you want to do it, and are willing to pay for your child and don't want to use a sitter. Then sorry you lose. Why do I have to put up with your child because you want to have a nice dinner, and you can ignore them? We've stopped going to Cal Grill just for that reason. It was my favorite place to eat (my wife and I love it so much we had our wedding reception there!) The last few visits, the place was full of kids wining that they wanted to go to sleep, and sleeping on the couches, and under the tables. It was a total mad house.

To the point that there aren't many adults at the character meals. Gsubandit, I and our spouses would disagree with that. We go without children in tow all the time. We love CP (Pooh is popular), and we would go even without it being one of the few meals at MK. And we are fine with children there. Often when we go to a sitdown meal with nieces and nephews we do things like Whispering Canyon.

johno