The Everything Victoria & Albert's Thread

[dburg30]

DW and I ate at V&A for the first time during our trip the week after Thanksgiving 2010 (TR link below). We live about 100 miles from New Orleans and have experienced some nice restaurants there but none are 5 diamond like V&A. We're not exactly "country come to town" when we go to nice places but they are not our usual place to visit...not for lack of desire to try but more for lack of availability in our small town. With that said, when we dined at V&A, we NEVER felt out of place or worried about some etiquette faux pas. The CM's weren't the least bit snooty or snobbish. They knew how much to explain, how much to instruct and when to say nothing. The correct silverware is given with each course, removed when done and new silverware placed for the next course so you don't even have to wonder which fork to use! It was the best dining experience ever for us! As for the wine with each course, when we made our reservations, we asked if we could split a wine pairing between us because we were leery about that much wine. We reminded them when we arrived and it was not a problem. They gave us a small pour of the appropriate wine with each course. The CM chose the correct wine based on what we each ordered. And don't worry about what to eat or not eat either. Everything served is edible. Try it all and eat whatever you desire. Just don't pick the soup bowl up to slurp the last bit (even though you will want to because it is so good) and you'll be fine!

Awesome info, thanks! So basically if you pick up your knife and fork and have this deer in the headlight look like "what now" they will probably notice, and offer gentle suggestions on how to enjoy your dish??

 

[Mrsjvb]

pretty much yeah.

for the most part only a few items require 'special' training.. like lobster or crab legs. and really it's almost intuitive but if you have issues do not hesitate to ask for assistance.

as for pouring smaller amounts.. tell ya what, next time invite me and I will help ya out. DH and I can kill a bottle without trying and since he drives, I tend to kill the larger amount....

I am toying with the idea of trying to get the Victoria room next Trip although I am perfectly content with the standard option.

 

[AAshleySEG]

My DH is trying to decide what to wear, I am wearing a cocktail dress and heels, have a pic of a suit he loves (he is a bow tie guy), wanted to see if you guys thought it would be too dressy or if it is appropriate for V&A Thanks for all the advice about the food and wine! I am even more excited, and have nothing to worry about on that front anymore!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Having been multiple times, there is nothing that is "too dressy" for V&A. I have seen people in military dress uniforms, and also men in Black Tie. Possibly White Tie might be a bit over the top, but still not out of place.

Personally I wear dark slacks, a blazer, and a pastel shirt with a Mickey tie.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I made our first ADR for V&A a couple weeks ago. After going to WDW last weekend, I'm wondering if we may need to rethink it. I realize it's a tasting menu. How large are the portions? My DH & I ate at Bluezoo Sunday. We shared the shrimp (I had 1 shrimp, my DH had 2) & scallop (we each had 1 scallop) appetizers, the pork entree & 2 desserts. I ate 2 bites of pork to save room for dessert. It was outstanding, but I was getting too full. We didn't eat half of either dessert, but left stuffed. We had a similar experience of wasting a lot of food at Jiko the night before. Do you think V&A will be worth it for us? Will we fill up too fast to fully enjoy the experience? I'm still stuffed from the weekend, so it seems like a lot of food at the moment.

 

[Mrsjvb]

I made our first ADR for V&A a couple weeks ago. After going to WDW last weekend, I'm wondering if we may need to rethink it. I realize it's a tasting menu. How large are the portions? My DH & I ate at Bluezoo Sunday. We shared the shrimp (I had 1 shrimp, my DH had 2) & scallop (we each had 1 scallop) appetizers, the pork entree & 2 desserts. I ate 2 bites of pork to save room for dessert. It was outstanding, but I was getting too full. We didn't eat half of either dessert, but left stuffed. We had a similar experience of wasting a lot of food at Jiko the night before. Do you think V&A will be worth it for us? Will we fill up too fast to fully enjoy the experience? I'm still stuffed from the weekend, so it seems like a lot of food at the moment.

well honestly if you share and still leave that much food then yeah I would seriously rethink spending that kind of money. I don't think you are allowed to split at V&A, so you'd each pay full price no matter what you ate.

First you get an amuse bouche, which at our last trip was 4 different( one bite each) tomato based morsels.. yes you can make ice cream out of tomato. weird, but true. that's NOT counting the actual tasting menu. now I did skip one of the courses( the seafood one) as I don't do seafood and politely declined the offer of something else to be prepared. I may have left a bite or two of each course( and had to send away the bread basket as I could have eaten just that and been perfectly content) and I did NOT share my dessert but there is still plenty of food.

 

[kdka421]

I made our first ADR for V&A a couple weeks ago. After going to WDW last weekend, I'm wondering if we may need to rethink it. I realize it's a tasting menu. How large are the portions? My DH & I ate at Bluezoo Sunday. We shared the shrimp (I had 1 shrimp, my DH had 2) & scallop (we each had 1 scallop) appetizers, the pork entree & 2 desserts. I ate 2 bites of pork to save room for dessert. It was outstanding, but I was getting too full. We didn't eat half of either dessert, but left stuffed. We had a similar experience of wasting a lot of food at Jiko the night before. Do you think V&A will be worth it for us? Will we fill up too fast to fully enjoy the experience? I'm still stuffed from the weekend, so it seems like a lot of food at the moment.

Obviously this is going to be pretty hard for any of us to judge, you know best. What I'd recommend is looking at some reviews to get a better idea of what to expect (mine post with pictures of all the food is here, but I'm sure there are tons within this thread). The quantity of food is obviously more than an average meal (each portion is smaller, but there are many more courses), but it also is spread over a much longer period of time. They are glad to let you pace it out as long as you want to take. We spent about 4 hours there.

Hope that helps a little. Let me know if you have any questions I can help with!

 

[tarheelmjfan]

well honestly if you share and still leave that much food then yeah I would seriously rethink spending that kind of money. I don't think you are allowed to split at V&A, so you'd each pay full price no matter what you ate.

First you get an amuse bouche, which at our last trip was 4 different( one bite each) tomato based morsels.. yes you can make ice cream out of tomato. weird, but true. that's NOT counting the actual tasting menu. now I did skip one of the courses( the seafood one) as I don't do seafood and politely declined the offer of something else to be prepared. I may have left a bite or two of each course( and had to send away the bread basket as I could have eaten just that and been perfectly content) and I did NOT share my dessert but there is still plenty of food.

Thanks for the info. How do the portion sizes compare to signature restaurants? I started eating healthier last year, & I find I fill up much faster, when I eat foods I normally don't. Bread is a real problem for me too. I rarely eat it now. When we eat out, I have a tendency to overindulge. I'm actually glad, when I don't care for the bread (i.e. Jiko). I wish we'd tried V&A, before I changed my eating habits. Hindsight, huh?

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Obviously this is going to be pretty hard for any of us to judge, you know best. What I'd recommend is looking at some reviews to get a better idea of what to expect (mine post with pictures of all the food is here, but I'm sure there are tons within this thread). The quantity of food is obviously more than an average meal (each portion is smaller, but there are many more courses), but it also is spread over a much longer period of time. They are glad to let you pace it out as long as you want to take. We spent about 4 hours there.

Hope that helps a little. Let me know if you have any questions I can help with!

Thanks for the help. I'll definitely read your review. Pacing the meal should help some. I really want to try it, but don't want to fill up halfway through the meal & miss out on the later courses.

 

[donnishobson]

We ate at the QV room on our 40th anniversary trip. The food was fantastic and the visual presentation spectacular. The service timing was very good but the but the table-side presentation seems added, not integral. We could hear the same scripted spiel at the other table occupied in the room. The waiters recited - they didn't just talk to you about the food. Although we were never rushed nor did we wait long for any course but the waiters seemed rushed to serve in the main dining room.

There was a huge advantage to the QV room. My husband was sick for our reservation on Mon and they re-booked us for Weds. That would not have been possible with a reservation in the regular dining room. And the change may have caused the service to be less than perfect due to last minute staffing.

I would return to eat there in a heartbeat, but the added expense of the QV room is currently $75 for the dinner and $35 for the wine. And the prices are going up in June. I will stick with the regular dining room next time. The food and presentation are a good value at $125 for sure.

 

[BC1836]

We ate at the QV room on our 40th anniversary trip. The food was fantastic and the visual presentation spectacular. The service timing was very good but the but the table-side presentation seems added, not integral. We could hear the same scripted spiel at the other table occupied in the room. The waiters recited - they didn't just talk to you about the food. Although we were never rushed nor did we wait long for any course but the waiters seemed rushed to serve in the main dining room.

There was a huge advantage to the QV room. My husband was sick for our reservation on Mon and they re-booked us for Weds. That would not have been possible with a reservation in the regular dining room. And the change may have caused the service to be less than perfect due to last minute staffing.

I would return to eat there in a heartbeat, but the added expense of the QV room is currently $75 for the dinner and $35 for the wine. And the prices are going up in June. I will stick with the regular dining room next time. The food and presentation are a good value at $125 for sure.

Thank you for your report. You were fortunate that V&A was flexible enough to change your reservation. As you suggested, your QV room booking had something to do with it.

Alas, we were unable to eat everything on our last QV room visit (too much with the wine pairing). We're back at V&A next month in the main dining room and look forward to it. Prices going up in June, eh?

All the best.

 

[DrGaellon]

My boyfriend and I are going to Walt Disney World in October. We are going the week after our second anniversary, and it will be our first time dining at Victoria and Albert's. I just want to clarify: men are required to wear both jacket and tie?

Also, since same-sex marriage is now legal in our home state of New York, it seems to me that V&A would be the ideal setting to propose. I know I can't do our ADR until July, but is there someone at the restaurant I can contact to help me make the proposal very special?

 

[ambgoph]

My boyfriend and I are going to Walt Disney World in October. We are going the week after our second anniversary, and it will be our first time dining at Victoria and Albert's. I just want to clarify: men are required to wear both jacket and tie?

Also, since same-sex marriage is now legal in our home state of New York, it seems to me that V&A would be the ideal setting to propose. I know I can't do our ADR until July, but is there someone at the restaurant I can contact to help me make the proposal very special?

Congratulations!!! I would call V&A's directly (407.939.3862) 180 days in advance to make the reservation and discuss what they might be able to do.

Jacket is required, tie is optional.

Have a great time - it's a wonderful experience.

 

[Mrsjvb]

My boyfriend and I are going to Walt Disney World in October. We are going the week after our second anniversary, and it will be our first time dining at Victoria and Albert's. I just want to clarify: men are required to wear both jacket and tie?

Also, since same-sex marriage is now legal in our home state of New York, it seems to me that V&A would be the ideal setting to propose. I know I can't do our ADR until July, but is there someone at the restaurant I can contact to help me make the proposal very special?

should be no problem getting some inside assistance. I know you will have the opportunity to speak to somebody prior to discuss the menu as you will each get a specialized one.

IIRC the tie is optional.

 

[DrGaellon]

I called WDW-DINE this morning to confirm dates - V&A is now a 180 day ADR (plus 10 if you're staying on property), not 90.

 

[TwoIfBySea]

We ate at the Chef's Table last week. I did not feel comfortable arriving without a tie (and indeed, everyone else waiting in the lounge before we were brought in was even more dressed up than I was), but they do say ties are optional, and perhaps even more so at the Chef's Table since there are no other parties back there.

Amount of food: I was worried about this too, but it worked out. I have had a very small appetite lately and this was a 10 or 11 course dinner, plus three different bread courses, but the portions really were quite small and very spread out (we arrived at 5pm and did not leave until 8:45), and I was doing fine through the 7 savory courses and the cheese plate, and with the exception of one little thing I didn't care for, I ate every bite (and so did my 12-year-old daughter).

By the time dessert came, however, I was pretty full. I couldn't finish the two dessert courses. And then there was a goodbye course of chocolates, which fortunately they were happy to box up for another day (Others in this thread have mentioned the same thing, so it must be quite common).

My daughter was presented with a long-stemmed rose at the end of the meal. I had wondered how they handled that if the party was two men -- do they both get one? Neither? If you go, DrGaellon, I will be curious to hear!

The chef's table experience was fabulous in and of itself beyond the food -- not only did Chef de Cuisine Scott Hunnel come to introduce most of the dishes personally, but several of the other chefs and line cooks came back to talk with us at various points during the meal when they had a spare moment, and we really got to see a lot of what was going on. The angle isn't great -- it would be nice if the table was raised a couple of feet so we could see more of the action -- but we still saw a lot.

 

[bradleyc]

After reading the DIS Boards for several months now, I have gained a wealth of knowledge. I have just started looking into dining at V and A for our October trip for my 40th birthday. Is there a trick to making this meal affordable other than paying out of pocket for 4 people? Does one of the more expensive Disney Dining Plans cover a meal at this restaurant? In other words, I have read different posts where people buy 1 day of the more expensive plan, the Platinum Plan, to cover 1 day of tours in the parks. If you do split plans, do you have to have a split resort stay?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Have one person (21 or older) in the group upgrade their ticket to an AP. You can then buy (for $75) a Tables in Wonderland card which gives a 20% discount at almost every table Service restaurant, including V&A. This discount is good for up to ten people and does include alcoholic beverages.

 

[TwoIfBySea]

Cheshire's idea is good, and may be the most affordable.

There is indeed a Platinum dining plan that covers V&A (but not the Chef's table). However, they have recently changed the rules on the Platinum plan to require a 3-day minimum. Thus, the "do all you can in one day" Platinum strategy no longer works.

With the Platinum plan retailing at $239 per night per adult, and V&A costing $135 per person in October, you'd need to do a lot more than just eat at V&A to come out ahead.

And on the night you eat at V&A, it may not be wise to have had a huge breakfast and lunch .

And then on the other two days you'd have to find comparably expensive things to do. If you won't be spending any time in the parks, and want to do golfing and boating and getting massages and doing the Richard Petty driving experience and so forth, then sure, it could be worth it. But if you're looking just at the food, well, except for V&A's chef's table I don't think we ever spent over $150 per person per day for food, even on the days we sat down for three table service meals and had a couple of snacks.

[Edit: I looked back at our bill. Not counting our V&A day, our most expensive food day came to $107 per person including all meals and snacks, leaving out alcoholic beverages which are not covered by the plan anyhow.]

 

[bradleyc]

Thanks for the great suggestion! I will look into an annual pass this evening. I guess I would want to drop the dining plan if I purchased the TIW discount card.