Victoria and Albert’s restaurant at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is the finest dining experience there is at Walt Disney World. It is a small, intimate and elegant restaurant that has been recognized by the nation’s top food critics and has received a AAA five-diamond rating. This is not an every-day dining experience. It is a very special occasion (and extremely romantic) Victorian retreat. A harpist provides background music during your seven course meal, the restaurant itself is lavishly decorated, the menus are personalized, every lady receives a long-stemmed rose and every table is served by not one but two servers, aptly named Victoria and Albert. The menu has a fixed price and the chef selects the perfect wines to accompany your meal du jour.
Advance reservations are required at Victoria and Albert’s. In fact, seating is in such high demand that you can (and should) make your reservations up to six months in advance of your visit.
When making your reservations, you should specify any special dietary needs you or your dining companion(s) may have. If you are celebrating a special occasion, you may order a special celebration cake up to 48 hours in advance. Stating special dietary needs or requesting a special cake at the last minute will likely lead to disappointment so do plan ahead.
Also, do not show up dressed casually. There is a strict dress code here! Dinner jackets are required for men (ties are optional) and either a dress or pants ensemble is required for ladies. This is not fast food but a dining experience. Plan to spend at least two to three hours at dinner here.
Prices for dinner start at $125 per person.
Now, with the dress code, dining time, intimate atmosphere and price of dinner at Victoria and Albert’s, it is difficult to believe that anyone would put up a fuss about their recent policy change barring children from the establishment.
Now, I adore my children, but I personally couldn’t think of anything more irritating than dressing up and spending $250 on a romantic meal for myself and my husband only to find that somebody else with loads of disposable income brought their toddlers along to dinner there.
The ban is only for children under 10 so those with tweens and teens who are mature enough to appreciate such a fine dining experience (and behave appropriately) have nothing to worry about. For those who simply do not want to take advantage of the many child care options available at Walt Disney World, there are 97 other full-service restaurants to choose from.
So what’s the fuss? Would you really want to take your little ones to dinner at Victoria and Albert’s or would you prefer a more adult experience?