Victoria and Alberts

On our next trip to Disney, I am planning on taking DW to Victoria and Alberts for dinner one night (assuming I’m lucky enough to get a reservation that is). I don’t want to ask whether or not people think it is “worth” it, since such a subjective question can be hard to answer. What I’m more interested in is for those who have dined there in any of the three different experiences, how was your experience? Would you recommend it? How successful have people been at getting reservations at the 180 day mark? Is there somewhere else I should be looking for that kind of food and dining experience? I should point out that we will have the deluxe dining plan when we go, so we will get to experience our fair share of signature restaurants as well. Sorry for the rambling post but thanks as always for all of your help!

I have never eaten at Victoria and Albert’s but every so often you cannot book through Disney and have to call them direct. There number is (407)939-3862- just in case

DH and I ate there a handful of years ago. We’re foodies, were (at the time) in our late thirties, and wanted a nice dining experience away from the kiddos one night. While the food was very good, we both thought the atmosphere was a little too stuffy for our taste. We dressed up nice, so we fit in fine, but it was so quiet, we were afraid to converse in more than a whisper! With all the chandeliers, fresh flowers (which were gorgeous), quiet and dressed up people, DH mentioned to me that it felt like we were having dinner at a funeral home! We love upscale food, but we have favorites at home and at WDW where we can have the same high-end experience in a slightly more relaxed atmosphere. Just my 2 cents! Enjoyed it certainly, but we don’t feel the need to go back. We liked Jiko just as much. I like California Grill even more!

Oh, and we travel at less busy times, and we did not have any trouble getting exactly the date and time we wanted for the standard seating at the 180 day mark. I even checked back days and weeks later and there were still openings.

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Thanks for the feedback! We’re traveling in September and had the same thought about a night away from the kiddos

I have eaten both in the regular dining room and at the Chef’s Table. Both are beyond superb; the Chef’s Table meal was the best meal that I have had ANYWHERE (and I’ve been to a lot of high-end restaurants all across the country). The regular dining room certainly ranks near the top of the list as well. If it wasn’t for the $$$, I’d eat there every trip.

The Chef’s Table is the hardest ADR to get in all of WDW. I logged on and hit search at 179 days, 59 min, and 45 seconds and I was only able to get it for the 7th day of my 7 day trip. The regular dining room is a bit easier to get; if you are on-line right at 0600 (Eastern time), at your 180 day mark, you should be able to get an ADR. I’ve also seen them show up on various days closer in. No first hand experience in the Queen Victoria Room.

The Chef’s Table is an incredible experience. If you’ve ever watched Iron Chef, it’s like having 8 of those courses, plus several desserts, each presented by the executive chef, and each served by an individual waiter. The meal is customized to your individual tastes/allergies/restrictions over the phone several weeks in advance. If you order the wine pairing (we ordered one to share) the Sommelier describes each wine (a different one for each course) as it is being served. The meal lasted 5 1/2 hours; it was a wonderful evening spent with friends (old and new), and with a full view of the kitchen, there was always something interesting to watch. But it comes at a price. With 2 add-ons, 1 wine pairing, tax, and tip it came in at a little over $900 for my wife and I to do it. Was it “worth it”? As a “once in a lifetime” experience, every penny.

The main dining room is no less awesome in quality, it just has fewer courses (appetizer, first course, main course, and dessert) and is served in the formal dining room. As opposed to a “custom” menu, each course has 3 or 4 selections to choose from. My wife and I made it a point to order different items and we tasted back and forth; every one was over-the-top delicious. The service is likewise impeccable.

I have eaten at all but one of the Disney signatures as well, and although every one is excellent, V&A is an order of magnitude above any of them. On that same trip we ate at Citricos, Narcoossee’s, California Grill, Artist Point, Brown Derby, Le Cellier, and Monsieur Paul (having eaten at Jiko and Flying Fish on past trips). Based on food quality alone, I consider Monsieur Paul to be the best of them. For the overall experience, California Grill wins; the food is second only to MP, and timing it to see Wishes from the deck makes for a “perfect date night”. Jiko rounds out my top 3 signature list. Morimoto Asia in DS is also excellent, but I’m not certain if it is on the DP. The Boathouse also looks very promising, but I haven’t had a chance to eat there yet.

Hope this answered all of your questions.

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Our family ate at V&As last year - we are a family of 5 - me, DW and 3 DDS 916,14,14) - it was a birthday meal for my 16 year old. We ate in the standard room with the tasting menu (around 9 courses) and I agree with Bswan - it was an order of magnitude above the other signature restaurants in Disney. We have eaten at Michelin start restaurants in the UK and so are used to fine dining - I found the atmosphere to be perfect (and we are not a naturally quiet family!) and the food was fantastic. It is in my top 3 restaurants that I ever visited and has the best individual plate (veal with mushroom lasagne) that I have ever had. I booked this at 180 days out - I had to call them direct as there where problems on the website (and the standard CMs on the ADR normal phone number couldn’t make the booking). If you like good food, lots of courses and the atmosphere of a fine dining establishment then I cannot recommend enough

Glad to see that you chimed in here @bswan26 - you are one of the Liner Disney Dining experts!

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