Disney bans kids at fanciest restaurant
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ORLANDO Walt Disney World, home of Mickey Mouse, Tigger and Tinkerbell, has banned young children from its fanciest restaurant.
Beginning this week, children under 10 are no longer welcome at Victoria & Alberts in the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, the theme parks only restaurant with an
AAA five-diamond rating.
We want to be the restaurant thats available for that adult experience, said general manager Israel Perez.
Disney says it is responding to its guests desires after surveys showed many diners wanted a more-adult restaurant atmosphere, said Rosemary Rose, Disneys vice president for food, beverage and merchandise operations.
Combined with the research weve done with five-diamond restaurants outside Central Florida and the guest feedback weve gotten ... we stepped back and said its time to take a look at this practice, Rose said.
Still, Rose said there are plenty of other dining options for families. Disney World has 97 other full-service restaurants. She also said that only about three families a month ever brought young children to Victoria & Alberts, which has the highest prices and the most intimate and elegant atmosphere at Disney World.
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.
I get it. Im a parent myself, Rose said.
David Koenig, author of Realityland: True-Life Adventures at Walt Disney World, said the ban on children could be a master marketing stroke for the theme park.
Word will get out, and people will go, Oh, wow, I didnt realize it (the restaurant) was that special of a place, Koenig said.
It isnt the first time Disney banned children from establishments. Disney has periodically barred children who are not with adults from its Pleasure Island entertainment district and from individual nightclubs.
Disney also has an adults-only restaurant on its two cruise ships.