Dress code at signatures?

[Bettie]

I know everything at Disney is pretty casual, just not sure HOW casual in some cases. Can we go straight from a day at the park to a signature restaurant, or will we need to upgrade to nicer clothing? Or does it vary by restaurant? Just trying to figure out schedule and how much travel time I need to build in for my ADRs.

Thanks in advance!

 

[cbg1027]

You could go straight from a park to a signature if you wear the right clothing. There is technically a dress code for the signatures but it's very lax.

Here's Disney's Official Word:

"Dress Code Guidelines:

Men: Khakis, slacks, jeans, dress shorts, collared shirts.
Ladies: Capris, skirts, dresses, jeans, dress shorts.

NOT permitted in dining room: Tank tops or hats for gentleman, swimwear, cut offs or torn clothing. While t-shirts are now allowed, the policy remains that t-shirts with offensive language and/or graphics are NOT acceptable."

I like to change just so I'm not eating in smelly clothing!

When I go to signature, I usually wear jeans with a nice top and semi-nice shoes. I don't wear sporty flip flops, sneakers, or t-shirts in a signature.

Sometimes, I will dress up when I want to, but it's not necessary.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . There is technically a dress code for the signatures but it's very lax . . .

1) Actually, almost non-existent.
2) As mentioned, with exception of swim-wear and tank-tops, anything goes.
3) That is one reason I refuse to eat at *most* signatures.
4) When paying that kind of money, I want
. . . great food
. . . nice atmosphere
. . . terrific service
. . . quiet environment
. . . guests that don't look like rag-bags
5) Sorry, but the way others look and act does affect my enjoyment !
6) In most cases, all of these criteria have diminished.

7) So, to answer your question, wear what you like.
8) It doesn't make a difference to WDW.

NOTE:
The above is the reason we patronize only five TS eateries at WDW.
And, only two of the five are owned by Disney.

 

[NJEeyore]

Can you, yes of course. Should you, probably not but it is up to you. There are many ways to define *dress* for these restaurants. Many people read the dress code and think "break out the nice tee shirt" others think "casual friday at work" , for others it's "golf club attire". IMHO, I prefer to shower and relax a little befor a good meal. Why rush from the park to restaurant.

 

[Hopefully]

We always freshen up and change before a Signature meal. I agree with Rusty, in a Signature restaurant I expect a nice environment as well.
We wear "Business Casual" to Signatures. Dress pants, collored sport shirt for DH, nice Capris and a dressy blouse for myself.
It is not cocktail wear, but it is not park clothing either.
However, you will most likely be allowed in in park clothes, if YOU are comfortable in that.
Enjoy

 

[lilandvisma]

I used this as an excuse to go out and buy the girls pretty dresses and the baby a nice little dressy outfit Of course it didn't hurt for Mommy to get several new dress shirts, a new pair of dress pants,3 pairs of new shoes and a dress as well LOL. We are planning on getting dressed up. Nothing fancy but dressy, yes. I'll enjoy it as the only time we dress up around here is for funerals! The only signature I'm not planning on doing anything special for is CRT and probably Brown Derby. Though I will make it a point to wear a nicer top those days.

 

[gismo1554]

I just wanted to add my opinion - well mine and other halves. We purposefully went back to the hotel and changed before going to the Yachtsman in 2008. We wanted to dress up a little and it was nice but my other half was very shocked to see people in shorts in the restaurant and actually felt uncomfortable being so dressed up (he was just in smart trousers and a shirt but being someone who rarely wears shirts he wasn't very comfortable anyway lol). You will see a lot of different varieties of the actual dress code being worn but I think as the other poster said it really depends on how you feel about it. Personally even after this experience I would still not go in park clothes but that's just me. The reason these restaurants are signature is for the experience and if you are happy with that being your experience fine but just bare in mind that to some extent you also have an affect on other people's experience, and no I am not saying that the people in shorts and tshirts (with children in swimsuits) ruined our experience but they did influence it and I don't think we would rush back to that particular signature restaurant any time soon.

 

[ElizabethB]

No dress code (other than no swim suits, no tank tops on men, and no offensive sayings/pictures on t-shirts).

Wear what you want to wear. Everyone else does. And, how others dress doesn't mean a thing to me.

I want your kids to be quiet and well-behaved. I don't, however, care what any of you wear!

 

[Colleen27]

We go in park clothes and just plan on wearing a little nicer clothes to the parks on those days - polos and khakis instead of jeans and tees for the guys, dressier capris & a blouse instead of a tee for me. My girls are always a little dressed up at Disney in their customs, so they're good to go any time.

For us, relying solely on Disney transportation, we've found that changing for dinner really isn't a practical idea - by the time we take a bus back to our resort, all 5 of us shower/freshen up and get dressed in a single bathroom, take a bus back to a park and transfer to whatever transportation will take us to dinner we've wasted 2-3+ hours just getting ready for dinner.

 

[Bettie]

Thanks for the replies. I'm not asking because I'm looking for an excuse to wear my rattiest clothing and drag my kids into a nice restaurant in their bathing suits! I live and work in Washington, DC, which is exceedingly stuffy about attire, and my husband and I are quite the foodies, so I am well accustomed to dressing up to go out to dinner. I love dressing up for dinner!

I do, however, want to follow local custom. I know when we have traveled to the Caribbean, for example, "resort casual" was just waaaay too fancy for 99.9% of all restaurants, even the ones costing $100++ per person, and certainly at most beach towns we travel to, the dress code is extremely relaxed in all but the toniest of restaurants.

Especially for some of the nicer restaurants that are actually IN the parks, I am trying to figure out if it's acceptable to wear park clothes rather than schlepping back and forth to the hotel. I would just plan our dining times and locations differently depending on what's considered appropriate attire.

 

[Uncleromulus]

What ElizabethB says!
Other than what is actually prohibited, almost anything else is acceptable.
And there aren't really any Signatures in the parks themselves, except Bistro and Hollywood Brown Derby.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

1) Actually, almost non-existent.
2) As mentioned, with exception of swim-wear and tank-tops, anything goes.
3) That is one reason I refuse to eat at *most* signatures.
4) When paying that kind of money, I want
. . . great food
. . . nice atmosphere
. . . terrific service
. . . quiet environment
. . . guests that don't look like rag-bags
5) Sorry, but the way others look and act does affect my enjoyment !
6) In most cases, all of these criteria have diminished.

7) So, to answer your question, wear what you like.
8) It doesn't make a difference to WDW.

NOTE:
The above is the reason we patronize only five TS eateries at WDW.
And, only two of the five are owned by Disney.

RustyScupper,
I am curious which 5 TS WDW restaurants you patronize. Would you mind telling?