Hot take on sig dining dress code

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

WDW is for all ages.

I believe only V&A has an age restriction and I would also expect fully compliant dress code attire for that restaurant.

And just because something is called "signature" that does not mean that it has a dress code. In many cases at Disney that means "We are charing you a premium prices or two TS credits for this meal because we can".

My rule of thumb is...
If its in a park I'll wear what I deem appropriate for the park and dining so maybe instead of jean shorts and a graphic tank top I'll wear khaki shorts and a patterned top. I'll still be wearing sneakers though.
If its outside of the parks and I CAN I will wear a dress.

If you want true signature dining and adults only then go to a true signature restaurant.

 

[loves to dive]

The dress code thing doesn't bother me, but even in the parks I rarely wear Tshirts or shorts. I'm a shirt and skort kind of gal, or a sundress in the summer. Colder weather I'm in leggings and tunic of some kind. So my clothes are usually o.k. for signature restaurants. I do wear a ball cap to the parks but don't wear it to eat, I'll go to the bathroom and kind of straighten my hat hair (I wear short hair) and put my cap either in my bag if I'm carrying one it will fit in or on my lap or in a chair at my table.

The kids thing does sometimes bother me but only if they are in my space. I once was eating at Mon. Paul's and my adult son and I were sat at a table where one side was chairs and the other bench type seating. The table next to us had two kids under 10. The kid on my side (the bench seating) decided she was just too tired to sit up so she laid down, which would not be problem except she laid all the way across to my space and kicked me the entire time. Mom and Dad said nothing, by the way, I'm old enough now that I would probably politely ask the child to stop and since I have gray grandma hair they usually listen to me. I've also eaten at places with the same set up where the kids next to me were great. Being kids they were a little rowdy but kept it in their space and the parents actually told us if they were bothering us to let them know. We were fine with it. I've also eaten at signature restaurants where some of the adults have had more than enough adult beverages and were more loud, rowdy and impolite than most children would even think of. V&A's the only place you are truly going to get that signature experience and I've even eaten there where a big table of adults were a tad too loud.

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

I always dress up for signature restaurants. Always. I enjoy it.

There are certain ones where you are more likely to see people dressed up. ( Cali Grill, Topolinos. Citricos. Flying Fish )

I don't really care what other people wear while I am there. Sure I would like some people to dress up a little bit, and a lot do.

I just try and time it so there is more of a chance it will be more adults and more dressed up

Usually my top Sig restaurants will be on a Fri and Sat Night, after 7:30pm

Never really had any issues during those times. I personally have never seen crying babies or anything during those times. Younger kids, sure. But usually the parents enjoy dressing them up a little bit to. Just depends on the day

 

[ScarletFire]

Yoga shorts and running bra make me chuckle but I don't care. I'm oblivious most of the time.

 

[Mle8308]

Say you are staying at All Stars but you are at MK with an ADR at 7 pm for California grill. So are you walking over to Contemporary or hopping on Resort Monorail at 630 pm or are you leaving MK at 4pm to wait for a All Stars bus that you don’t know exactly when it’s coming, 20 minutes on the bus , walk back to your room, everyone shower and dress up, walk back to bus stop, wait for bus back to MK , ride bus to MK, go through security again to walk or monorail to Contemporary?

Exactly! And what if you are staying off property? Or have driven into Orlando for the day to go to a park then dine? It's Disney - which means theme parks and kids! I give people a pass if they are dressed in park clothes in a signature restaurant. Though I absolutely agree that parents should monitor their kids behavior and if it becomes disruptive, then take them out of the restaurant. And no loud iPads or phones blaring Baby Shark over and over again (I do actually like the jingle, just not when I'm trying to relax).

 

[Renata_12]

Yes, Disney does have more relaxed dress codes, but that doesn’t mean people should show up to a nice restaurant in sweaty T-shirts and shorts. It ruins the atmosphere. And yes, bringing small kids to dinner at 8 PM almost guarantees fussing and crying. It’s better to come earlier or choose a different place

 

[Mle8308]

Yes, Disney does have more relaxed dress codes, but that doesn’t mean people should show up to a nice restaurant in sweaty T-shirts and shorts. It ruins the atmosphere. And yes, bringing small kids to dinner at 8 PM almost guarantees fussing and crying. It’s better to come earlier or choose a different place

Probably better to not eat at a Disney sit down restaurant if you don't want to see people in sweaty t-shirts and shorts. Or go to V&A's. It is what it is and it's not going to change.

 

[marielynn724]

Meh. I gave up a long time ago when formal night on cruise ships turned into a come as you are free for all. I used to love getting all glammed up for the night. But if people can't be bothered to go put on some nice pants or a skirt when their room is literally a 5 minute walk from the restaurant, I definitely don't expect them to go through the hassle of returning to their resort to freshen up at a theme park, which could tack an extra couple of hours onto their day.

I have a Disney cruise coming up and it's only one part of a long extended vacation. My suitcase simply does not have the space for a nice dress that I will only be wearing for one evening out of a multi-week trip. I always make an effort to look nice in my outfits but sometimes that's impractical. If the trip wasn't so long and we were only going on the cruise, I would totally go all out and pack something really special. I'm just constricted by packing space this time unfortunately!

 

[JLTraveling]

I have a Disney cruise coming up and it's only one part of a long extended vacation. My suitcase simply does not have the space for a nice dress that I will only be wearing for one evening out of a multi-week trip. I always make an effort to look nice in my outfits but sometimes that's impractical. If the trip wasn't so long and we were only going on the cruise, I would totally go all out and pack something really special. I'm just constricted by packing space this time unfortunately!

That's totally fair. I did a one-way cruise to Alaska and then another month traveling through the interior before flying home. Definitely didn't have any extra room myself on that one!