Dress Code Change (from the Podcast) - anyone else not happy?

[rayelias]

On the podcast, the gang announced that Disney lowered the standards for signature restaurants to allow Tee Shirts. Before, the dress code was "resort casual" and required collared shirts.

Am I alone, or is anyone else not happy about this?

I don't know about anyone else, but there are times that I LIKE getting dressed up for dinner at a nice restaurant, and expect everyone else to be comparably dressed. It's the ambiance. IMHO, the ambiance sort of gets ruined in a nicer restaurant, paying $50-60 a head, and you're surrounded by families in Tee-shirts, shorts, and flip-flops.

Now, I'm no snob and I have no problem with that dress - just not at signature dining. You'll frequently find me at Sci-Fi Dine In my baseball cap, shorts,tee-shirt and crocs. I understand we're on vacation, but signature restaurants were meant to be a little "classier" - thus the dress code. When I want to dine at Narcoosees or California Grill or Artists' Point, I think collar shirt is a minimum. Heck, wasn't California Grill recently jacket required?

There was a time when the signature restaurants were unique, thus the category. Now, (some may say around the advent ot the dining plan), many of the signature restaurants have "dumbed down" their menus and they're pretty generic - with few exceptions, it's pretty much the same menu - steak, chicken, pasta.

I'm in favor of making the signature restaurants more unique, more signature, classier - not bring them down a level.

 

[Bob P]

Hi,

While I agree with you in general, we must remember that Disney never did require collared shorts at their signature restaurants. The dress code is only a suggestion.

Also, I can never remember having to wear a jacket at CG.

My wife and I like to dress up a little when we eat at CG, Flying Fish, Jiko, etc. but we have seen many people wearing theme park attire in those restaurants without being turned away.

I wouldn't be surprised if this thread goes to multiple pages very quickly, but my main point was that t-shirts have never not been allowed in signature restaurants.

 

[honeymo78]

I absolutely hate dressing up but I still enjoy a signature meal. I also hate bringing those nice clothes, nice shoes etc on vacation. Granted my average park attire is probably a little dressier than the average guest. My thoughts have always been that no matter how dressed up and classy looking the guests may be, they could "ruin" or "take away from" the dining experience more than the non dressed up group.

I do agree that the signature restaurants have become less unique but I don't think relaxing the dress code (not that I haven't seen plenty of t-shirts before the change) is really going to take away from the experience.

I have this memory of dining at Citricos in the late 90's with my family. It was a last minute meal and my mom and little brother both happened to be wearing tank tops. The host never even hinted that we should change or were dressed inappropriately (maybe this was before the official dress code but certainly back when fine dining was fine dining). Sure there were plenty of people dressed up - suits and evening gowns even - but its not like we paraded around the restaurant and I honestly don't believe we took away from the experience.

I guess I'm just not one to pay much attention to what people are wearing unless it doesn't cover something that should be covered.

 

[dqpowell]

While I agree with you in general, we must remember that Disney never did require collared shorts at their signature restaurants. [...] I wouldn't be surprised if this thread goes to multiple pages very quickly, but my main point was that t-shirts have never not been allowed in signature restaurants.

T-shirts have been prohibited in the signature restaurants. Here's the old dress code, taken directly off of Disney's website:

Dress Attire is Business Casual
Men: Dress slacks, jeans, trousers, or dress shorts, short or long-sleeved shirt with a collar required. Jackets are optional.
Ladies: Jeans, skirts, or dress shorts with blouse or sweater, or a dress required.
Not permitted in dining room: tank tops, swimming suits or swim suit cover ups, t-shirts, hats for gentleman, cut offs, or torn clothing of any kind.

However, enforcement of the dress code has always been lax.

David

 

[hmp2z]

I agree with the OP; having people dining wearing shorts & t-shirts definitely lowers a more formal, elegant meal to a Denny's style atmosphere. This is par for the course, though; they've been cutting back on food quality, so why not cut back on atmosphere quality, as well? Lowest common denominator - it's definitely the new American way.

We will continue to dine at V&A's, and otherwise will go to nice off-site restaurants like Roy's, Samba Room, or Timpano Chophouse & Martini Bar to get our nicer evening out fix

Cheers!
Heather W

 

[Bob P]

T-shirts have been prohibited in the signature restaurants. Here's the old dress code, taken directly off of Disney's website:

Dress Attire is Business Casual
Men: Dress slacks, jeans, trousers, or dress shorts, short or long-sleeved shirt with a collar required. Jackets are optional.
Ladies: Jeans, skirts, or dress shorts with blouse or sweater, or a dress required.
Not permitted in dining room: tank tops, swimming suits or swim suit cover ups, t-shirts, hats for gentleman, cut offs, or torn clothing of any kind.

However, enforcement of the dress code has always been lax.

David

Now you're splitting hairs!

My point is that t-shirts have always been PERMITTED in signature restaurants, no matter what the dress code says. The OP is lamenting that t-shirts will now be PERMITTED in signature restaurants!

 

[BCV23]

Collared shirts in the suggested dress code was actually a fairly recent addition...maybe 2 or 3 years ago.

We like to dress up a bit for signature restaurants too but I could care less what others wear as long as it's not offensive.

Jackets have never been required at CG.

I also disagree that the signature restaurants have become more generic. Still very different from each other IMO. I do think the price does not always match the quality these days at some of the signature spots.

I think the relaxation of the dress code just matches reality.

 

[Allison]

It doesn't bother me at all because what the policy said and what actually happened were different.

People with tshirts were not turned away. This just makes the policy consistent with what was already allowed.

 

[Bob P]

Collared shirts in the suggested dress code was actually a fairly recent addition...maybe 2 or 3 years ago.

We like to dress up a bit for signature restaurants too but I could care less what others wear as long as it's not offensive.

Jackets have never been required at CG.

I also disagree that the signature restaurants have become more generic. Still very different from each other IMO. I do think the price does not always match the quality these days at some of the signature spots.

I think the relaxation of the dress code just matches reality.

Well said!

The collared shirt "requirement" indeed was not there all along. I remember the first time we went to CG ..we wore theme park attire and so did almost everyone else. But it evolved into a dressier place as time went on.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Well-I'm sort of like honeymo78 and BCV23--I'm not terribly interested in what others wear, unless it's absolutely outrageous. And I don't think swim wear or torn clothes should be allowed.
Fact is, it's a more casual world these days, everywhere. Even at many finer restaurants we frequent in the York-Baltimore area (and I don't mean Ruby Tuesdays or Applebees) , shorts (and not merely dress shorts) and T's are very common. Jackets (unless required at a stray establishment) are almost unheard of.
Disney is just bending to what a lot of folks are actually wearing ON VACATION. There are a lot of people out there who can't (or won't) part with precious theme park time just to dress for dinner. And as has been already observed, they never enforced the dress code to begin with.
And as always, anyone can continue to dress up if that is how they enjoy their meal.

 

[CheshireVal]

It doesn't bother me at all.

 

[CamColt]

While I too like to dress up for a nice dinner, I feel like many above. With the dress code never being enforced before, I dont see much change.

Now if a large majority of people end up where park attire and I feel out of place dressed up for my signature dinners, to the point of me not dressing up at all, then yes, it may bother me.

 

[waltskids]

My DH and I will continue to dress nicer for dinners at signature restaurants so it really doesn't bother us.

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

T-shirts have been prohibited in the signature restaurants. Here's the old dress code, taken directly off of Disney's website:

Dress Attire is Business Casual
Men: Dress slacks, jeans, trousers, or dress shorts, short or long-sleeved shirt with a collar required. Jackets are optional.
Ladies: Jeans, skirts, or dress shorts with blouse or sweater, or a dress required.
Not permitted in dining room: tank tops, swimming suits or swim suit cover ups, t-shirts, hats for gentleman, cut offs, or torn clothing of any kind.

However, enforcement of the dress code has always been lax.

David

Lax is one word for it, nonexistent is probably a better one..

Just last weekend at Jiko, a guy at the table right next to us was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Seems like the new policy's alot like the old one...unless now that they "require" t-shirts, maybe they'll start letting hairy guys in tank tops and guests wearing bathing suits in...yummy!!

 

[soontobewed07]

On a recent trip at CG I forgot my dress shoes and had to wear my Black flip flops.I would have been very sad if I were turned away. Also we went to Yachtmans SH and my DH forgot to take off his hat (bald head=sunburn=hat) otherwise he was dressed alot better than most of the men I had seen that evening and the CM who was a fairly older woman rudely asked him to remove his hat we weren't even being seated we were out in the hall waiting. I too like to dress for dinner but sometimes things happen and you forget the dress shirt etc... Everyone deserves to enjoy the meal and by the way it's Disney RELAX

 

[Stinky_Pete]

I've never understood why people care what other people are wearing, providing it is not "indecent exposure."

If you want to get all gussied up and feel fancy, then fine. But if someone else doesn't feel like it then that's fine too.

As they say, it's not the clothes that make a man (or a woman for that matter). I've met people in tuxedoes who were complete boors...

 

[cmwade77]

I would love to see them have no dress code for any restaurant, as long as it is ok in the parks (not counting water parks) it should be ok in the restaurant.

 

[gina2000]

Since many people come directly from the parks to dinner, I can understand loosening the rules. Truthfully, there are a lot of very, very nice non-collared tees out there. Hopefully, people will be wearing them instead of an old Aerosmith tee-shirt.

On the other hand, the OP mentioned wearing a baseball cap to non-sig restaurants. In our household, it's not done.

So I guess one man's meat is another man's poison.

 

[Twende]

Hi,

While I agree with you in general, we must remember that Disney never did require collared shorts at their signature restaurants. The dress code is only a suggestion.

Hey Bob can you show me a photo of you in "collared shorts"? Sorry when I read it I just cracked up visualizing them!

I guess the change will not bother me too much. I remember having to plan to wear a dressier shirt on the days we did Sig. dining but it was not really a problem for me.

I guess it all boils down to personal taste. I hate seeing clothes with holes and hats on men inside places, but I guess that is old fashioned thinking by today's standards.

 

[Bob P]

Twende.....