Children Banned
Wasn’t it Walt Disney himself who said he wanted a place where both children and adults could have fun together? I thought so, but now it seems that we are going to get some places “adult only”. Although I never been a big fan of all the clubs at Doswntown Disney, I do understand that children should not be allowed into them. (although why not add a kiddies club), but I don’t understand why other on property experiences should be 10+ only.
This is what is happening at Victoria & Albert’s in the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa at Walt Disney World where from now on Children are banned. Yes! I know, it’s the fanciest restaurant with a dinner experience that can last 3 to 4 hours and I guess not to many children would be to pleased to sit there for that time, but it is a Disney location and it somehow goes against the idea of Walt himself, doesn’t it? On the other hand it proofs that Disney isn’t just for the kids (I have to hear that over and over again when I talk about Disney “isn’t it for kids…”), the restaurant (among others) is proof of it but so are the many golf courses, the spa’s and night time entertainment…
What are your thoughts on this!
January 8th, 2008 at 3:24 am
I’m for it. In this one limited case of V&A, being the 5-star, culinary experience that it is, children 9 and under just aren’t appropriate. If your nine year old is very well behaved and you feel they would benefit from this experience, then by all means sneak them in. But remember there is no kids menu (as far as I know there never has been), and that other guests are expecting a certain type of dining experience.
Frankly, I’m amazed Disney hasn’t done this earlier. The amount of families it effects is minimal, there are 95 other great dining experiences available (including a few chef’s tables if you want that experience) where kids are not only available but catered to. The PR for V&A has been great where before it may have been forgotten in most families plans.
What the Grand Floridian needs to add now is a kids program, like Neverland at the Polynesian and like the Disney Cruise offers, so the adults can enjoy this dinner knowing their kids are being looked after by Disney’s best.
January 9th, 2008 at 7:07 am
This seems to be out of place at WDW, especially since this continues the trend of ‘elite’ benefits at Disney. THis makes the experience less than magical, since it seems you must pay an additional premium to get the full experience.
The idea of VIP also destroys the magic.
January 15th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
I see no problem with it. I love kids. I have nothing against them. But some experiences are just not appropriate for them before they have learned how to acting correctly in certain social situations. From every report I’ve heard from friends that have eaten at V&A, the menu there is not kid-friendly, and most kids would balk at eating these foods anyway, so why would someone drop that kind of cash on a meal their child won’t eat? And furthermore, if I am dropping that kind of money to eat dinner, I don’t want a 3-year-old having a tantrum. You pay as much for the atmosphere as the cuisine, in a case like this. Like I said, I love children. I majored in Child Development. I am willing to accept the presence of unhappy children anywhere on property, because even though it’s not *just* for kids, it is about the child in all of us. Some places just are not appropriate for children though.
February 26th, 2008 at 5:24 am
It’s true that all Disney destinations were founded on the ability of parents and children to have fun together. While that’s still the case, Disney is simply trying to broaden their audience by appealing to a wider range of guests. The basis of WDW was founded on families, but as they continue to establish themselves as the very best in guest service, and as the number one vacation destination in the world, they can also devote some of their appeal to exclusively adults.
As a cast member myself, I can assert that we see millions of guests each year – and not just families. We have couples, teens, college students, etc – all looking for a different vacation experience. While most see the Magic Kingdom as the heart of the Disney vacation (which I believe it is), some aren’t completely into the “magic and pixiedust” experience. As a cast, we can fully respect that. After all, we see the effects on fast-paced “park-hoppers” more than most – as you can probably imagine. If some would rather seek a more relaxing, “easy-paced” experience, they always have the option of visiting the adult-only golf courses, clubs, and spas.
When you think about it, Disney makes a successful attempt to offer guests just about anything they could want to do on a vacation. While some of these options do not include children, we must remember that the majority of them do. It’s not a suggestion to leave the children at home while the adults go out and enjoy themselves – it’s simply an effort to accommodate our guests who prefer something different than the classic theme park experience.