Should I skip it? - Victoria and Albert's

[writerriann]

I hope I don't incur any V&A flames here

So DH and I are headed to the World May 14-22nd. While there, we have reservations on Tuesday night at V&A in the regular $125/pp room. DS4 has a date with the Neverland Club at the Polynesian.

I'm thinking about canceling. While the V&A menu looks "good" to me, it doesn't just blow me away. For that amount of money, I want to knocked off my feet. We already have reservations that week at Cali Gril, The Wave, Kona, and FF. We've also eaten in the past at Fulton's and Yachtsman and really liked both. Hubby would like to go back to Fulton's

We're also going on a unexpected trip to Vegas at the end of June. My thoughts are starting to lean along the lines that I would rather spend mega $$$ there rather than going to V&A. I'm thinking I could eat 2 additional really good meals at Disney (thinking maybe bluezoo or Narcoosees) for what we'd spend at V&A, and then we would still get fancy $$$ single meal in Vegas.

Honestly, we have some really nice locally owned restaurants in my town. I can get things like Kobe and other specialties that are on the V&A menu just down the street, so I'm not seeing what would make it so fantastic for us to go there - at least maybe not this trip.

What makes it so special? Am I just not getting it? Some of the reviews lately seem a little blech too. Has it lost its luster? Is 2 nice meals a good trade?

 

[soulmates]

No flames here.. I too made ressies last trip and canceled a week before we got there. In the end, it came down to dollars and cents. For the 2 of us, it would have been close to $400 with a tip. It's just food, right? I would have had nothing to show for spending that kind of money. So, I made ressies at Artist Point, the signature restaurant where we stayed, Wilderness Lodge. AMAZING meal. We got the "Sweethearts Dinner". For a fraction of the V & A money, we got 2 Disney etched wine glasses, personalized menus as well. Our server saw that this was my DP's first trip ever to DW, so he brought her Mickey ears, a Tink glow pin and her very own Princess Certificate!! We got EXCEPTIONAL service, amazing food and the price was right. No regrets. Good luck.

 

[WDW Princess 71]

I have done V&A twice in the last 10 years, once for a milestone birthday celebration, and last year for my parents' 27th wedding anniversary. We go to WDW every year but V&A is not something we do on every trip due to the cost and also, we like it to be a special treat. It really is up to personal discretion if you think it is "worth it" or not. For us, when we do a V&A dinner once every several years, it is special and worth it to get extra dressed up in nice dresses and suits and ties. We dress up other nights as well, as we eat at signature restaurants every night of our week-long trips, but not THAT dressed up. Also, in the other restaurants, even though they say they have a dress code, it is never enforced and there are always people ruining the atmosphere in theme park wear. No flames, that is just my opinion, when I spend $40 for an entrée, I like to be around other people who are dressed appropriately, not like they came straight off of Space Mountain. So for us, we enjoy that at V&A, everyone is dressed well and that it is adults only, and rarely when there are kids over 10 years old, they are usually very well behaved. Unlike at the other signature restaurants, there are always misbehaving children somewhere in the restaurant. We also love the added touches of the personalized menus, the roses at the end, the multi-course menu, and the overall ambience and feeling of really being treated for a special night at WDW. I mean, where else are you going to get a cashmere shawl to wear if you are cold at the table, and have a lovely cushioned “purse stool” brought over to put your purse on by the table? It’s the little things that make it special. Yes, it is very expensive and there are other great signature restaurants at WDW, but for a special treat every once in awhile, I think it is totally worth it and a night to remember. But again, everyone has their own idea of “what is worth it”. Some people would think it is crazy to ever spend $125/pp on a meal, while others might go there on every trip.

 

[ElizabethB]

A good friend dined there for the first time a few months ago. She had heard about it from dh and me for years and had never tried it.

Well, she was blown away by the food and ambience. Said now cannot imagine a trip to WDW without an evening at V&A.

 

[OhThePain]

V & A is nice and all, but it isn't cheap. If you question it at all, I'd say skip it. You seem to have a decent plan by getting rid of V&A and doing 2 other nicer meals, or spoiling yourself a bit in Vegas. Vegas has much better dining options than V&A. V&A is very nice but it only appears to be nicer than it is because your in Disney (IMO).

 

[writerriann]

OhThePain: That's sort of what I was thinking... that it's really nice because we're at Disney World whereas in somewhere like Vegas, NYC, etc., it wouldn't quite fit the bill.

Not to say anything against V&A since we've obviously never been, but it seems like a lot of money if I'm not sure about getting a bang for my buck.

I'd be interested in hearing some more opinions from some DIS foodies - especially about what I've suggested as our alternative choices.

 

[Pakey]

V&A is one of the top 50 restuarants in the US and has consistently been on that list for several years. We try to eat here every trip and yes, the food will blow you away. We also eat at other restaurants on that top 50, 5 star, 5 diamond list and V&A is much cheaper than any of the others we have dined at (spending $350 at V&A as opposed to spending $800-$1200 at a Las Vegas 5 star, 5 diamond rated restaurant for the same number of courses with wine).

It's all relative to what you are looking for. You can get good food at other WDW restaurants but there isn't any place there that is close to the level of V&A.

 

[WDW Princess 71]

OhThePain: That's sort of what I was thinking... that it's really nice because we're at Disney World whereas in somewhere like Vegas, NYC, etc., it wouldn't quite fit the bill.

Not to say anything against V&A since we've obviously never been, but it seems like a lot of money if I'm not sure about getting a bang for my buck.

I'd be interested in hearing some more opinions from some DIS foodies - especially about what I've suggested as our alternative choices.

We eat only at signature restaurants on every trip to WDW, since we are true foodies not only on vacation but at home as well. This is our roundup for our upcoming May trip and it has been the same choices we've done on our past few years of trips (we go annually to WDW): Il Mulino, Artist Point, California Grill, Narcoossee's, Wolfgang Puck (upstairs dining room/not cafe), Jiko, and Yachstman Steakhouse. We love the food at all of those places--I would say that the food quality is a cut above them at V&A. Not a huge cut, but nevertheless an upgrade. IMO, more of the "upgrade" is from the atmosphere, service, and ambience of an upscale, quiet night out more so than the food. Like I said, we love our other signature restaurant choices, but for us, the intimate, peace and quiet and "adult" atmosphere is really appreciated by us, since no matter how good the food is at our other signature restaurants, depending on whether you are seated near families with young children, you can feel like you are in a zoo while having a $200 meal for two.

 

[Tricia1972]

Most of the complaints that I am reading about V&A is that their menu isn't changing as much as it used to, I haven't seen anything that is " 'eh" on the food that they had. Plus, if it's your first time there, you won't notice that the menu isn't much changed from your trip in October.

The food is second to none in Disney or even Central Florida. With it's five diamond rating from AAA, it's critically recognized as one of the best restaurants in the country by esteemed food critics. There is nothing that is comparable to V&A on Disney property at all. There are good meals to be had, but nothing to really compare to V&A

You mentioned Vegas, and there are a few five diamond restaurants in Las Vegas. These would most closely compare to V&A for you. (and to give you an idea on how V&A is priced compared to the rest of the world)

Alex in the Wynn Menu Found Here Cost $195 per person, $295 with wine pairings

Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand Pricing Found Here Two course meal is $89 per person and a four course meal is $195 per person.

Le Cirque at Bellagio Menu found here Three course early 'bites' dinner is $68 per person, and a six course meal will cost $125 per person.

Picasso at Bellagio Menu is $123 for a four course meal

Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace Menu $190 per person, with no wine pairings.

At some of these locations it's possible to eat for less, but I tried to find menus that closely matched V&A's so it'd be a fair comparison.

 

[writerriann]

It's not the money. Actually we already have reservations in Vegas for Joel Robuchon and Le Cirque. We're staying at the Wynn so might hit Alex too.

I really think I just don't find the menu grabbing. Plus, the items we would probably eat (like the turbot and kobe) are all upcharges which I'm not a big fan of.

Maybe I'm expecting too much. Maybe I need to quit printing menus off from All Ears Perhaps I'm suffering from menu overload and it just no longer looks as great as I thought at 180 days out.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

I had reservations and cancelled them, too. I'm not a foodie in the way that you'd need to be to appreciate that sort of out there food, and if I were, there are plenty of restaurants in Manhattan that don't cost nearly as much that I could chose from.

 

[Tricia1972]

I think that in your case, you might be happier skipping it. It just sounds like you aren't into it at all anymore, and that's just fine in the grand scheme of things.

You won't find anything that comes close to V&A in a signature at Disney. The closest is Jiko, and even that doesn't measure up to V&A or the experiences you'll have in Vegas.

I just posted the comparisons to show how V&A measures up with the real world for their menu and their pricing.

 

[LisaInNc]

I guess it depends on what you expect.

I thought that the food was exceptional. We got the wine pairings and they blew us away. Each course even had it's own bread. The service was one of the best we have ever had.

We decided after eating there that we wanted to do less regular restaurants and more fine dining. No more chains for us EVER again lol!

If you think that V&A was expensive...for Valentines day we were in NYC and went to Le Bernadin that meal with tip was $800 for 2 people. We did do the wine pairings and it was worth every penny. I didn't get an etched wine glass or anything to take away with me except the menu and the memories that I will carry for a lifetime! That was a meal I will never forget complete with hottie Chef Eric Ripert!

Lisa

 

[TDC Nala]

I agree there are better restaurants in Vegas...but they're not any cheaper.

 

[writerriann]

I agree there are better restaurants in Vegas...but they're not any cheaper.

That's really my point (I think!) I would rather have better and I think Vegas might be more worth saving the money for.

 

[Micca]

I'd love to try V&A but DW is strictly a meat & potatoes person. That means nothing on the meat other than salt & pepper, and fairly plain mashed potatoes. I will eat anything, and the more exotic the better. In this this sitch, I cannot justify spending what amounts to about 2 weeks groceries for one meal. It's not so much the money, as it is what we'd get out of it between the two of us.