Dress Code Question - What Would You Do?

[marikujawa]

The bottom line is wear what you are comfortable wearing, as long as it's not on the list of prohibited items
Dress up as much as you want. Or don't.
Don't worry about what others are wearing and for sure don't concern yourself with what others are thinking about what you are wearing. They are really the last people that you need to concern yourself with.

Yes, it's easy to be considerate of other people's feelings when you get to decide how they should feel.

 

[disneyvoice]

When we ate at Jiko last week we were on the casual side of the dress code - I wore a casual short skirt that I had toured the park in along with a cute tank top with lace, my DH wore Dockers style shorts with a collared Tommy Bahama collared shirt. We were concerned we wouldn't be dressed up enough but we were more dressed up than literally every other person in the restaurant. Everyone else there had on t-shirts with words or WDW pictures on them, several guys had on athletic shorts, women still had their WDW t-shirts and mouse ears on, etc. We were actually really surprised as pretty much everyone there was wearing something that the dress code specified as not allowed. There was a torrential rain storm that night though and the restaurant wasn't very crowded at all so we wondered if a lot of people cancelled due to the rain and maybe they were more lenient with the dress code in order to get as many people in the restaurant as possible.

 

[gillep]

When we ate at Jiko last week we were on the casual side of the dress code - I wore a casual short skirt that I had toured the park in along with a cute tank top with lace, my DH wore Dockers style shorts with a collared Tommy Bahama collared shirt. We were concerned we wouldn't be dressed up enough but we were more dressed up than literally every other person in the restaurant. Everyone else there had on t-shirts with words or WDW pictures on them, several guys had on athletic shorts, women still had their WDW t-shirts and mouse ears on, etc. We were actually really surprised as pretty much everyone there was wearing something that the dress code specified as not allowed. There was a torrential rain storm that night though and the restaurant wasn't very crowded at all so we wondered if a lot of people cancelled due to the rain and maybe they were more lenient with the dress code in order to get as many people in the restaurant as possible.

I don't think they were being lenient, what you observed seems pretty normal based on my experience. Also, graphic t-shirts and t-shirts with writing are both permitted, as long as the language and graphics are not offensive.

Here is what Jiko says is specifically not permitted:

'Not permitted in the dining room are tank tops, swimsuits, swimsuit cover-ups, hats for gentlemen, cut-offs, torn clothing and shirts with offensive language or graphics.'

As long as you are not wearing one of these items you will be fine.

 

[AngiTN]

When we ate at Jiko last week we were on the casual side of the dress code - I wore a casual short skirt that I had toured the park in along with a cute tank top with lace, my DH wore Dockers style shorts with a collared Tommy Bahama collared shirt. We were concerned we wouldn't be dressed up enough but we were more dressed up than literally every other person in the restaurant. Everyone else there had on t-shirts with words or WDW pictures on them, several guys had on athletic shorts, women still had their WDW t-shirts and mouse ears on, etc. We were actually really surprised as pretty much everyone there was wearing something that the dress code specified as not allowed. There was a torrential rain storm that night though and the restaurant wasn't very crowded at all so we wondered if a lot of people cancelled due to the rain and maybe they were more lenient with the dress code in order to get as many people in the restaurant as possible.

Where are those things you mentioned not allowed? Unless WDW pictures are somehow offensive, which I highly doubt

 

[disneyvoice]

I think it says that dress shorts are okay (implying that atheletic style shorts, running shorts aren't) and I thought that men were supposed to wear a collared shirt. It was just much more casual than we thought it would be (so at least we didn't feel under-dressed since we were concerned about that). There was at least one guy in a tank top and a little girl was wearing pajama bottoms. It just wasn't as dressy as we thought it would be (in fact the night we were there it was dressy at all). It didn't affect our enjoyment of the meal which was awesome!

 

[Disneylover99]

I would adhere to the dress code. It's really not a big deal to wear something a bit nicer to the parks if you don't want to go back to your resort and change.

 

[marikujawa]

I think it says that dress shorts are okay (implying that atheletic style shorts, running shorts aren't) and I thought that men were supposed to wear a collared shirt. It was just much more casual than we thought it would be (so at least we didn't feel under-dressed since we were concerned about that). There was at least one guy in a tank top and a little girl was wearing pajama bottoms. It just wasn't as dressy as we thought it would be (in fact the night we were there it was dressy at all). It didn't affect our enjoyment of the meal which was awesome!

You're looking at the part of the dress code where Disney describes what it considers appropriate attire for diners in its signature restaurants. There's another (how low can you go) part that lists clothing that will not be permitted, such as swimsuits, t-shirts with offensive language, torn clothing, etc. Some people consider the list of banned clothing as the "real" dress code.

 

[ShellieMimi]

Yes, it's easy to be considerate of other people's feelings when you get to decide how they should feel.

It's unfortunate that you seem to have been raised to judge others based on their appearance.

 

[marikujawa]

It's unfortunate that you seem to have been raised to judge others based on their appearance.

Wow. Talk about judgments . .

 

[kreckl]

I guess to me if a restaurant has guidelines then they are hoping/asking for diners to cooperate. Is it so hard?

 

[Verity213]

I guess to me if a restaurant has guidelines then they are hoping/asking for diners to cooperate. Is it so hard?

It's certainly inconvenient for someone in my situation. Since I'll be walking around a theme park all day in August in FL, I want to dress as comfortably as possible. To me, that means a t-shirt and athletic shorts (they're not super short, by the way). To fulfill the restaurant's guidelines, since I'm staying off-site, I'd need to choose one of a few inconvenient options: (1) carry around fancy clothes all day, (2) pay an extra $8 for a locker on top of the pricey meal, (3) pay for a round-trip uber to shower and change, or (4) dress in less comfortable clothes at the park. A lot of people have mentioned that you can wear slightly nicer clothes to the park to fulfill the requirement, but most of the options they suggest are not as comfy as athletic shorts in my opinion. For some, I'm sure that would be a great option! But I don't want to feel less comfortable all day in order to fulfill a restaurant's (very lenient) dress code for dinner. Especially if I'm going to show up and see a lot of other casually dressed diners, as disneyvoice mentioned she saw at Jiko.

I'm still thinking I'll pack a dress in my bag, but I wanted to address this comment since I've seen a few like it. It CAN be hard to abide by the dress code when you're staying off-site, trying to save money, and wanting to make the most of your time. Especially when nothing's really at stake. They're just clothes!

 

[holden]

When we ate at Jiko after a day in the parks we just wore nicer "park" clothes. My shorts were flowy and looked like a skirt; shirt was a nicer t-shirt. We brought a change of shoes, left them in the car and changed into them when we arrived at AKL.

 

[Coral Reef Diver]

To me, comfort means a t-shirt and athletic shorts.

A cotton t-shirt actually works pretty well in hot and dry conditions. But in humid climates, a polyester-based knit let moisture evaporate quickly, giving you more cooling when you're active and keeping you dry once you've found a shady place to sit and rest. For those hot and humid Florida days, active wear is lightweight and comfortable, and comes in collared shirts. We get a dinner attire and park comfort in one outfit, without carrying extra clothes.

 

[Princess Mulan]

A cotton t-shirt actually works pretty well in hot and dry conditions. But in humid climates, a polyester-based knit let moisture evaporate quickly, giving you more cooling when you're active and keeping you dry once you've found a shady place to sit and rest. For those hot and humid Florida days, active wear is lightweight and comfortable, and comes in collared shirts. We get a dinner attire and park comfort in one outfit, without carrying extra clothes.

I agree. Today's activewear is light, comfortable and great for packing since it doesn't wrinkle. Modern golf attire is dressy enough for signature restaurants and extremely comfortable for park days. Brands such as Nike, Under Armor and Adidas make great-looking collared shirts, shorts and skorts. Another good option is Athleta, which offers shorts and skorts in a variety of lengths, sizes and styles. Athleta also offers lots of tops and casual dresses that are suitable for parks and signature dinners. Athleta can be pricey, but the clothes last forever and are very easy to care for.

Some of Target's activewear capris and shirts might be considered dressy enough for signature restaurants. Target also is a good source for casual dresses and skirts, many of which are lightweight enough for the parks.

 

[NuJoy]

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[AngiTN]

I agree. Today's activewear is light, comfortable and great for packing since it doesn't wrinkle. Modern golf attire is dressy enough for signature restaurants and extremely comfortable for park days. Brands such as Nike, Under Armor and Adidas make great-looking collared shirts, shorts and skorts. Another good option is Athleta, which offers shorts and skorts in a variety of lengths, sizes and styles. Athleta also offers lots of tops and casual dresses that are suitable for parks and signature dinners. Athleta can be pricey, but the clothes last forever and are very easy to care for.

Some of Target's activewear capris and shirts might be considered dressy enough for signature restaurants. Target also is a good source for casual dresses and skirts, many of which are lightweight enough for the parks.

Kohl's also has a lot of good choices. I get all of DH's park clothes there. Like I said above, he wears the same things he can wear on the golf course, many of which (at least around here) do have requirements about shirts and types of shorts allowed. And it's why they fit well for recommendations for Signatures, the rules are similar. Just got some Chap's "Cargo" golf shorts in the mail yesterday for that matter. Cargo in the loosest since of the word as they do have cargo pockets but they are hidden so they don't run afoul of the course dress codes. And they are quick dry. Jackpot for Disney.

 

[NuJoy]

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[AngiTN]

I bring these up when what to wear comes up, since they really are great for theme park use. They put X's in all the check boxes.
Wicking fabric
Pockets (I go bagless thanks to these)
Comfortable
Work for signature dining
Can get wet
Cute

Sparkle Skirts. Can even Disney Bound with many of them. They are all I wear at Disney (and Universal for that matter).

 

[Hopefully]

It's certainly inconvenient for someone in my situation. Since I'll be walking around a theme park all day in August in FL, I want to dress as comfortably as possible. To me, that means a t-shirt and athletic shorts (they're not super short, by the way). To fulfill the restaurant's guidelines, since I'm staying off-site, I'd need to choose one of a few inconvenient options: (1) carry around fancy clothes all day, (2) pay an extra $8 for a locker on top of the pricey meal, (3) pay for a round-trip uber to shower and change, or (4) dress in less comfortable clothes at the park. A lot of people have mentioned that you can wear slightly nicer clothes to the park to fulfill the requirement, but most of the options they suggest are not as comfy as athletic shorts in my opinion. For some, I'm sure that would be a great option! But I don't want to feel less comfortable all day in order to fulfill a restaurant's (very lenient) dress code for dinner. Especially if I'm going to show up and see a lot of other casually dressed diners, as disneyvoice mentioned she saw at Jiko.

I'm still thinking I'll pack a dress in my bag, but I wanted to address this comment since I've seen a few like it. It CAN be hard to abide by the dress code when you're staying off-site, trying to save money, and wanting to make the most of your time. Especially when nothing's really at stake. They're just clothes!

And, IMO, you did not mention choice #5. Not book an expensive, Signature restaurant on a day in August that you are in a theme park all day when even an $8 locker rental cost is going to be painful for you. There are scores of WDW restaurants that are non Signature that do not have a requested dress code
Enjoy your trip!

 

[JerseyJanice]

I think it says that dress shorts are okay (implying that atheletic style shorts, running shorts aren't) and I thought that men were supposed to wear a collared shirt. It was just much more casual than we thought it would be (so at least we didn't feel under-dressed since we were concerned about that). There was at least one guy in a tank top and a little girl was wearing pajama bottoms. It just wasn't as dressy as we thought it would be (in fact the night we were there it was dressy at all). It didn't affect our enjoyment of the meal which was awesome!

The guy in a tank top surprises me. Those are a big no-no for gentlemen to wear to restaurants around here. Maybe they can wear them in a pizzaria or McDonald's, but even the local pub will not sit a man wearing a tank top in the dining room.

We did Deluxe Dining in 2012 and went straight from the parks to signature restaurants (Artist Point, Flying Fish and California Grill). My son wore nice cargo shorts and golf shirts. I wore nice capri pants and tops. I carried deodorant, Gold Bond powder, a hairbrush and some make-up.

When we arrived at the buildings, we immediately went to the restrooms and freshened up. I am certain we were presentable, and it wasn't that hard to do.