What do you wear to dinner?

[ChrissyBethS]

Newbies here. My husband and I (in our 40s) are bringing our 5 year old daughter. I have plenty of day time/keep cool in the sun clothes for us to wear, but trying what to bring to wear to dinner at night. From some pictures I've seen it seems many people are in their day clothes.

Our plan is to be in the parks until 1-2; be in the pool for the afternoon, then dinner and maybe an evening show/ride.

Generally I like my daughter and I to wear sundresses. We will be there for seven nights; I was thinking maybe bringing 3-4 dresses for us each, still wear comfortable shoes. Does this seem like a waste to bring? Will I feel "too" dressed up? I'm sure it varies by where you're eating dinner; we do have one reservation at Be Our Guest and one at Akershus.

My husband is planning on polo shirts and Hawaiian shirts for the more fancy places.

Your thoughts?

 

[Redsky89]

I spend most my time eating at cheap places but I've eaten at some nicer ones as well. A majority of people go in their normal clothes they wear during the day. I'll show up in cargo shorts and a tank top pretty much anywhere BUT thats just how I am. There certainly isn't a dress code anywhere.

 

[NiarrNDisney]

Well it depends on the situation and location of the restaurant!

If I am in a park then whatever I am wearing that day is what I will have to wear for dinner.

Casual restaurants (Big River Grill, ESPN Club, Raglan Road, Rainforest Cafe) jeans, nice short, polos, button ups, etc etc

If we have reservations at a nicer restaurant (BlueZoo, Jiko, Kimonos, Wave) we head back to the resort to change (we always set time aside) then we typically go with:
Gentlemen - Jeans or dress pants and a nice button up, linen pants or shorts button ups or polos

Ladies - Summer dresses, skirts and a nice top, Jeans and a button up or nice top

This also applies if we were at a park for just the morning and afternoon but have an ADR at one of the Epcot restaurants we will still head back to the resort

Now in some restaurants (Victoria & Alberts) it is required that men are in coats and ties with women in nice evening wear. While business casual is appropriate (Shula's Steak House) though I personally feel some of the other signatures should require either or both like Artist Point, California Grill, Flying Fish, Narcoossee's, Wolfgang Pucks The Dining Room, Yachtsmans Steakhouse

 

[zurgandfriend]

As stated it depends on the location but usually a clean pair of pressed shorts and a either a polo shirt or a short sleeve oxford shirt tucked in. I tend to bring newish “sneakers” in good condition and wear them with socks. So I guess I more conservative in my dress on vacation or as my DW say I’m an old f#%t.

 

[cw1982]

Most of the restaurants where people tend to dress up are the signatures that are not in the parks. I don't think anyone will raise a brow at you looking like a tourist at Be our Guest because it's in the MK. Same with Askershus. Wear what you want to the restaurants in the parks, but I would dress up more for the upscale places at the resorts.

 

[harryk]

My family has dined at most of the signature restaurants (never at V&A) and shirts with collars and shorts or jeans have been okay at all of them. Ladies generally have been wearing nice clothing, to include shorts and blouses.
We have always been visiting the parks in late November and during December - so long pants have been the general rule. No formal wear has been required at any of these restaurants from Artist Point, Jiko's, Cali Grill, Flying Fish, Narcoossee's, Wolfgang Pucks The Dining Room, Yachtsmans Steakhouse.

 

[Dafid Duck]

I am in my mid forties and I am a kindergarten teacher. In general, I wear a tee shirt / golf shirt and cargo pants when we are in Disney World. I have been known to "dress up" when we are going to a nicer table service restaurant. (I'm used to being quite active while wearing a fun tie, collared shirt and khakis.) I have had a lot of fun riding Space Mountain in a tie just two weeks after the opening of Be Our Guest. It was like the ultimate grown up being a kid moment.

If you want to dress up, just have fun and dont worry about what others think

 

[JoMarch]

If it's a park or basic resort restaurant, you can wear t-shirt and shorts. If it's a upscale resort or signature restaurant - then khakis and polo shirt for the men, sundress or pants and top for the women.

Some Signature restaurant require a jacket for the men.

But most every restaurant in Disney, you can wear a t-shirt and shorts. Disney wants you to enjoy your "vacation."

 

[epcot2004]

One of the best things about Disney is that you can have an incredible $200 meal for 2 and not be uncomfortable (I hate dressing up)! We are as respectful as we can be while still feeling like we are on vacation. I wear khaki shorts and polo shirts for 'nice' meals (even Yachtsman). Much easier for my wife to find nice things to wear as she naturally dresses better all of the time. Granted, if we were home I would either skip the establishment or dress up - not at Disney though. Think about it - you just paid (gate price ~$100) to go to EPCOT to dine at Le Cellier. I am not going to be held to a dress code when I paid them to get in to pay to eat (extreme example). Not at all complaining about the prices as we gladly pay for the experience. After the meal we can continue on with whatever else we had planned without needing to go back to the room to change.

 

[Disneydreamer23]

If it's inside a park even places like Brown Derby and places like that I just wear what I'm wearing if I go out to eat like Narcooses I'll get dressed up a little bit

 

[Weather_Lady]

Unless there's a dress code (and only the poshest deluxe resort restaurants have one), we wear our park-touring attire. (T-shirts or tanks with shorts or skorts, and sporty sandals). If I want to "dress up" a bit, DD and I wear sundresses (I bring one that doubles as my dinner-wear and my pool cover-up) and DH/DS wear a polo shirt with their shorts.

Sounds like you and your family will be among the best-dressed wherever you go -- but no, you won't feel "too dressy" -- you'll see lots of others in casual or sporty dresses and similar resort wear. Wear what you like and don't give it a second thought!

 

[JillC LI]

Whatever I wore to the parks for the day is what I wear to dinner since we never go back to our room to change before dinner - gotta maximize our park time! Wear whatever you are comfortable wearing.

 

[stevehousse]

We are doing our first signature restaurant this year. I will wear a polo and nice jeans, wife will wear a nice top and jeans, and my boys will wear polos and khaki shorts!

As long as u don't show up in booty shorts and tank tops, you will be fine...

 

[PrincessMia]

I never, ever change into something other than my normal T-shirt and nice shorts park clothes. For every one of our dinners, we're coming from a park, so comfort is of utmost importance to me. If I were able to stay for a couple of weeks, I would feel like I could take a little more leisure time. As often as we say we're going to slow down, the Disney mania always gets to us and we go, go, go!

 

[JohnD]

I spend most my time eating at cheap places but I've eaten at some nicer ones as well. A majority of people go in their normal clothes they wear during the day. I'll show up in cargo shorts and a tank top pretty much anywhere BUT thats just how I am. There certainly isn't a dress code anywhere.

Unless you're eating at Ohana or Kona, I'd stick with the polo shirt for your husband. Shorts are fine but you may want to consider khakis for more upscale. Dress code for inside a park tends to be more lenient, though. Don't worry about khakis in this instance. But if he's wearing a tank top during the day, keep a change of shirt in a backpack.

 

[HollyAD]

We like to come back to the room before any special dinners and shower/ change. I enjoy having a few opportunities to look nice while at WDW. The extent of my looking nice is a sundress and better flip flops. For my son, it is a collared shirt and nicer sandals.Changing every evening would take up too much time if we did it every night, so we only pick a few. You will see that most people don't dress up unless they are going to a signature restaurant.

 

[LAKid53]

I wear whatever I wore to the park that day, unless dinner is a special occasion, like a birthday celebration. In that case, nice slacks/crops and a nice shirt (not a t-shirt). I believe the Signature restaurants have a dress code - it's on that restaurant's webpage. The only one that requires coat (and maybe tie?) for men and nice dress/skirt/slacks for women is Victoria & Albert.

 

[Hockey89]

I wear whatever I wore to the park that day, unless dinner is a special occasion, like a birthday celebration. In that case, nice slacks/crops and a nice shirt (not a t-shirt). I believe the Signature restaurants have a dress code - it's on that restaurant's webpage. The only one that requires coat (and maybe tie?) for men and nice dress/skirt/slacks for women is Victoria & Albert.

No tie

 

[boilerpicc]

It's totally up to you as to what you feel comfortable wearing. I have eaten in several signature and resort restaurants in my t-shirt, shorts, and sandals. My family does not like to dress up, but we do like nice restaurants. Our favorite part about going to Disney is that you can roll into an upscale restaurant in a t-shirt, and no one cares. My profile pic was taken the day we went to Be Our Guest, so you can see what I wore there. Now, the casual approach works for me, but wear sundressess if you like that. You will see other people that are dressed nicer. It will also make your pictures with princesses at Akershus look nicer

 

[psukardi]

Some Signature restaurant require a jacket for the men.

Sans V&A which places actually enforce a dress code?