Going straight from parks to dinner...

[jraymond503]

We would like to book a couple of the signature restaurants for dinner, however there is no feasible way to go back to the room and change for dinner without wasting a ton of time...

Is there a way to dress for the park and still meet "dress requirements" for these restaurants?????

For example, we are thinking of eating at Narcoossee's on a MK day, but eating early and then going back to MK.... we don't want to have to go all the way back to AS Movies to change!!

Any advice???

 

[PixieTopaz]

Sorry-but I'd go back and change.

Or I'd stay in the parks until 3-then go back for a swim and relaxation and get dressed for the special dinner.


We never spend the whole day in the parks anyway

 

[tami82]

You could probably do it but if it were me i would be too stressed to enjoy it. I usually stay in the park until 1 or 2, go back for a swim, lay down for about 20 mins (resting for a bit really helps and brings back my energy), then get ready to go. Is it possible to drive your car to the restaurant?

 

[Sammy]

We would like to book a couple of the signature restaurants for dinner, however there is no feasible way to go back to the room and change for dinner without wasting a ton of time...

Is there a way to dress for the park and still meet "dress requirements" for these restaurants?????

For example, we are thinking of eating at Narcoossee's on a MK day, but eating early and then going back to MK.... we don't want to have to go all the way back to AS Movies to change!!

Any advice???

Well, I would say, why not? Pack an easy change of clothing for the little ones, and maybe a fresh shirt for you and DH (I would wear "nicer" bottoms to the park that day, like capris, etc). Run a brush through your hair, and you're good to go! With the strollers, it will be easy to have an extra bag with you.

We've eaten at both California Grill and Citrico's and believe me, you will see all manner of dress at the signature restaurants. We've seen very dressy "evening out" type clothing right down to shorts and tee shirts. At Citrico's, the gentleman next to us had on plaid shorts and a striped rugby shirt

Go and enjoy!!

 

[madalex]

We would like to book a couple of the signature restaurants for dinner, however there is no feasible way to go back to the room and change for dinner without wasting a ton of time...

Is there a way to dress for the park and still meet "dress requirements" for these restaurants?????

For example, we are thinking of eating at Narcoossee's on a MK day, but eating early and then going back to MK.... we don't want to have to go all the way back to AS Movies to change!!

Any advice???

For Narcoossee's, there is a small locker room/changing area by the GF pool. You could bring a change of clothes to the park in the morning, stash them in a locker there and then change before going to dinner at the GF. I am aware of a similar locker room/changing area at AKL (if you are doing Jiko). Don't know about any other resorts.

Otherwise, I would recommend making time to change (and freshen up). The dress codes at the signature restaurants are not very strictly enforced, but it is an upscale atmosphere. You (and your fellow diners) will enjoy your meal more if you have had an opportunity to wash up and change before dinner.

 

[Uncleromulus]

The dress code for the Signature restaurants allows for shorts and T-shirts (and sneakers as well). Just as long as your t-shirt has no "offensive" words or pics and your shorts aren't torn or otherwise cut-off, you will be fine.

 

[milmore104]

It would drive me nuts to have my cothes in a backpack. I would need to iron them or I would go insane! I plan out siggy meals around a short day in the parks then head back to the resort for a bit and change. But this is me.
We do leave the park and head to HDDR or other rest. for mels. Just not the siggy ones.

 

[gillep]

I would imagine that your park gear is fine for the signature restaurants. The dress codes are very open meaning that shorts jeans sneakers etc are all fine there are only a few things that you are not allowed to wear. DH and I went to 5 signature restaurants on our January trip and we went to all of them directly from the parks. We were both in jeans and sneakers I had on mostly dressy tank tops with small sweaters to cover up or nicer t-shirts and DH had nicer t-shirts or polos, not once did we feel out of place, sneakers and jeans were the norm at most of the places we went although some people did dress up. This might be more difficult if you are going in the summer as you might just feel gross from being outside and hot all day, but then again when it is really hot and humid here in D.C. no amount of changing clothes and freshening up really helps anyway. Just remember even though the restaurants are nicer they are still part of a theme park experience so those clothes should be fine. Have fun and don't worry

 

[LaurenT]

Just wear nicer park clothes..if it's a very hot time of year, bring a fresh shirt. Otherwise don't worry about it. We often eat at signature restaurants and I am presentable but not dressed up, as is the case for many of our fellow diners. The only place you can't do this is Victoria & Alberts - but for a $500 meal, I assume you'd want to go shower!
You'll feel like you wated alot of time if you spend 2 hours traveling back to your room, showering & changing and then find that half of the other guests look like they walked right in from the parks!

 

[Eeyore's Wife]

I try to wear a cool cotton dress on days we are doing signature dining. As long as I can stop by a bathroom and touch up my face, brush my hair, and put on a dab of perfume I am a happy camper.

In our bag I also carry a pair of small sandals with a kitten heel to wear.I have to do the park in tennis shoes, but like to wear prettier shoes for dinner. My dear hubby finds it hilarious, but it helps me feel pretty.

For my hubby, I just make sure he wears khaki shorts and a cotton top with a collar. He always wears a hat in the parks, so his hair is flat in all our pictures in a signature restaurant.

For the kids I pack a clean plain T-shirts and no one has ever given them a second look. I usually go after their faces and hands with wet wipes on the way to the restaurant and run a comb through their hair.

The kids usually wear khaki shorts every day that are "walking length" no short shorts or cut offs.

This year the baby will be in princess gear each night, and frankly who could find fault with a princess.

Honestly, a touch of preparation and a bit of common courtesy is all that is needed.

 

[Corwin]

We've been to several signature restaurants straight from the parks. I just pack a nice Polo shirt in my backpack, and change shirts right before dinner. I wear a pair of nice khaki shorts all day that go with a T-shirt as well as a Polo shirt.

The only time this didn't work out so well was when my son and I got soaked on Kali River Rapids in AK a few hours before our reservations at Jiko. We both had nice Polo shirts to change into, but our shorts (and underwear) were soaked. I ended up purchasing each of us a very nice bathing suit in the AKL gift shop that looked just like nice dress shorts.

I don't know what my DW does, exactly. I think she usually brings an extra blouse or something, too.

 

[TillyMarigold]

Well, my DH just wore a polo shirt and khaki shorts all day on the days we went to the signature restaurants. And I usually put something in my backpack--either a skirt that folds up neatly and worked with the shirt I was already wearing, or a dress made of a material that crinkles up and can be abused that way.

 

[Pakey]

I've eaten at the signatures many times and there are plenty of people in park attire. You will see jeans, shorts, character tees, flip flops, etc. We like to clean up and dress for dinner because it makes the meal more enjoyable to us but there are plenty of diners who do not. OP, if you want to go in your park clothes, you will be fine, especially at Narcoosees which, along with Brown Derby, is the most casual of all of the signatures.

 

[Jokiho]

My gf and I went to three sigs this past week: Jiko, california grill, and narcoosees. We attended parks first and brought a change of clothes with us for Jiko and california grill. Jikos is generally very, very dark, so we didn't feel too awkward coming in with sneakers and jeans. For California Grill I brought a pair of khakis and was quite relieved. My gf did not bring a change of clothes but she looks elegant no matter what she wears (she also has a habit of overdressing anyway) We brought our gear in our pink tote bag. That was mildly humorous but fine. I was glad we dressed up a bit for California Grill. We also dressed up for Narcoosees as well but that was easy because we didn't go to a park beforehand.

Overall, I feel that there was a wide variety of apparel going on in the restaurants. No one was wearing mickey ears. Personally, I felt the darker the restaurant, the better I felt about being casually dressed.

 

[ElizabethB]

As Uncle R says, parkwear is fine. The only rules are no tank tops on men, no swimsuits and no offensive sayings/pictures on t-shirts. Everything else is a go.

Disney tried to enforce a business casual dress code for the signature restaurants for a while. It didn't work.

People are free to dress up if they want, but there's no need.

 

[Golf4food]

Are you wearing clothes? Then you meet the dress code.

 

[Hopefully]

I agree the dress code is not strictly enforced. That said we always feel better freshening up before a signature dinner. It is a fancier restaurant and I feel it deservers fancier clothes.
If you can not make it back to change, as PP said, I would bring a change of clothes and leave them in the locker. Then freshen up and change before dinner.
I think you will enjoy it more.
Have a Great Trip

 

[Crystal824]

I usually prefer to go back and change. This trip, we are eating at Jiko after half a day at AK. This is our first day there. It makes no sense to go back and change at the resort and then head all the way back to the AK area after only being in the park for about 5 hours. I am bringing a fresh shirt, make-up, and plan to change in the bathroom and freshen up a bit at AKL before dinner.