Victoria & Albert’s Reopening Date & Details
Walt Disney World has announced the reopening of Victoria & Albert’s at Grand Floridian in July 2022, plus a look at the reimagined restaurant. This post covers opening date & details, Advance Dining Reservation info, and commentary about the value proposition of V&A’s in light of the astronomical price increase. (Updated June 11, 2022.)
This is the first major restaurant reopening news since Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, and one of only a handful of dining options to return in 2022. The biggest recent development was the return of normal character dining, which allowed some fur character food spots to return to normal. The good news is that the vast majority of noteworthy restaurants already reopened last year, with that happening on a near-weekly basis over the summer.
The bad news is that no additional character dining experiences have returned since the aforementioned interaction changes, likely due to a face character shortage. Additionally, a handful of Walt Disney World’s best Signature Restaurants still have not yet returned, likely due to the lack of international programs. At least Victoria & Albert’s is now leaving that ‘closed’ list and reopening next month! Here are the details from Walt Disney World…
Victoria & Albert’s fine dining restaurant at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is preparing for its momentous return on July 28, 2022. Advance Dining Reservations will open for V&A’s beginning bright and early on June 20, 2022.
Several readers have asked what “early” means, and we don’t have a good answer. The timing for new ADRs to be released by Walt Disney World is inconsistent. Sometimes it’s right at 6 am, sometimes it’s an hour earlier, other times it’s later. On some occasions, it seems to be gradual, with times slowly loaded into the ADR system over the course of hours. (Advance Dining Reservations are never released at midnight, so at least you can get some sleep.)
Victoria & Albert’s, a recipient of the AAA Five Diamond Award since 2000 and Forbes Travel Guide Five Star Award since 2018, is known for its unmatched dining experience with exquisite dishes made with ingredients from across the globe.
The flagship Walt Disney World restaurant is the only one in Florida to hold the honor of having both the AAA Five Diamond and the Forbes Travel Guide Five Star awards. Only 26 other restaurants in the United States have this same unique distinction.
Not only will the flavors at Victoria & Albert’s be enhanced, but the interior has been overhauled in preparation for its triumphant return. The newly reimagined Victoria & Albert’s dining room brings guests into a Victorian-styled setting with murals and wall coverings that showcase a timeless elegance and subtle inspirations of a whimsical garden.
For a more intimate evening, the private Queen Victoria’s Room or the coveted Chef’s Table with a front-row seat to the culinary masterminds at work may be the option for you. The world-class wine collection found within its wine cellar, with over 500 selections, perfectly pairs with your dishes by the sommeliers on staff. If you’re interested in zero-proof cocktails, there are delicious beverage pairing options for you as well.
Upon reopening, guests will savor their way through the Chef’s Tasting Menu at Victoria & Albert’s. Each dish balances elegant ingredients with unique flavors. With the ever-evolving menu at Victoria & Albert’s, guests will be able to indulge in dishes such as Colorado Lamb with pickled blueberry and violet mustard and line-caught turbot with fennel fondue, and Pernod beurre blanc.
Those who enjoy the finest of beef can upgrade to the Wagyu A-5 Miyazaki with sauce romesco and potato rösti. Chocolate lovers will revel in the Spectrum of Chocolate, an ombré featuring specialty sourced chocolates with accents of buttermilk, Grand Marnier, and vanilla.
These dishes are masterfully created by the talented culinary team led by Victoria & Albert’s Chef de Cuisine Matthew Sowers. He has been working at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts since 2006, with over 15 years of culinary experience at Victoria & Albert’s, in addition to curating menus for Remy on the Disney Dream and Fantasy.
With more than 30 years of experience, Pastry Chef Kristine Farmer was part of the opening team at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and currently leads the pastry team of the resort, including its three signature restaurants, Disney’s Fairytale Weddings, and even the production of the gingerbread house.
Then there’s the storied Culinary Director, Chef Scott Hunnel, who has his own long legacy at the Grand Floridian and Victoria and Albert’s. The James Beard award nominee now provides direction and mentorship to chefs across multiple resorts, including the team at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
Sommelier Israel Perez serves as the maître d’hotel where he and his award-winning team pay special attention to every detail of the dining experience. For over 20 years, he has created memorable experiences for guests at various signature restaurants across the Walt Disney World Resort.
Leading the talented chefs is Executive Chef Kevin Chong, who oversees all culinary operations at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. It is no small feat, but this chef and his team uphold the reputation that has long been established for these delicious eateries.
A reminder about Victoria & Albert’s dress code – be sure to dress to impress, as this is an exquisite and intimate dining experience and the culinary crown jewel of the Walt Disney World Resort. Guests are expected to dress accordingly for this upscale location with semi-formal to formal attire that respects the restaurant’s elegant and opulent aesthetic.
Unlike other Signature Restaurants, the dress code at Victoria & Albert’s is actually enforced.
The reopening of Victoria & Albert’s comes as part of the multi-year transformation of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, honoring its rich history at Walt Disney World Resort while enhancing its iconic Victorian charm and elegance. This grand transformation began with the addition of Enchanted Rose lounge and the reimagining of Cítricos and continued with the reopening of The Grand Floridian Spa. Victoria & Albert’s and the newly enhanced and expanded accommodations at The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa will open this summer.
According to Walt Disney World, the “transformation will continue with updated offerings across the resort over the coming years.” This is great to hear and, to our knowledge, the first time the company has acknowledged that there’s more on the horizon for the Grand Floridian. Here’s hoping the guest rooms receive a redesign very soon.
In terms of commentary, Victoria & Albert’s is one of our favorite restaurants anywhere in the world, not just Walt Disney World. While there are other great Signature Restaurants, this is the unequivocal crown jewel of the Disney culinary landscape, and it’s treated as such.
You might’ve gathered as much from the focus on the awards V&A’s has received and its culinary credentials, but Walt Disney World is quite proud of Victoria & Albert’s and its accolades. From what I’ve heard, Disney is laser-focused on V&A’s receiving Michelin recognition in the new Florida guide (another topic that’ll be covered shortly) and most of its changes have been made to that end.
July 11, 2022 UPDATE: Following the announcement, Walt Disney World has released pricing for Victoria & Albert’s, and the prix-fixe menu now starts at $295.00 per per person. Optional wine pairings start at $150.00 per person, with zero-proof pairings available at $110.00 per guest. This is up from $185 per person at the time of closure for the prix fixe menu, and $250 with wine pairings (as opposed to $445 now).
Victoria & Albert’s was arguably slightly underpriced for what it was prior to the closure. It was always difficult to book, and just about everyone we knew who dined there (us included) left satisfied with the experience and feeling good about what they paid versus what they experienced. No one (us included) left saying “it would’ve been worth it at nearly double the cost!” Accordingly, we’ve removed some commentary about Victoria & Albert’s being a “good value” for what it is.
Victoria & Albert’s has long been “competing” with Michelin-starred restaurants for recognition and critical acclaim, similar to how Disney Springs restaurants compete with other Orlando establishments. This means that the ingredients, preparation, service, and totality of the experience are all second-to-none at V&A’s. Whether it’s worth $295 per person (and up) is in the eye of the beholder–we won’t be dining there at that cost.
When we last dined at Victoria & Albert’s, it cost half that amount, and it was well worth the money. No corners were cut, no details ignored–nothing short of spectacular and far superior to all other restaurants at Walt Disney World. However, it was not so far above and beyond everything else that it justifies a $295 price point. There are plenty of Michelin-starred restaurants in the real world that offer something comparable for far less money.
Without question, Victoria & Albert’s is an expensive experience that is not for everyone–and not just by virtue of its price points. This is haute cuisine, and even after countless courses, you’re not going to leave stuffed. If you’d prefer something simple, straightforward, and laid back, V&A’s is not a good fit.
At Victoria & Albert’s, the service is superlative, attentive and welcoming. Unlike other Michelin-caliber meals, V&A’s is approachable, and not stuffy or smug. As someone who feels unreasonably uncomfortable at many high-end restaurants, V&A’s is a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately, the price increases make it a non-starter for us. I guess we’ll continue patiently awaiting reopening dates for Takumi Tei and Monsieur Paul–the other two best restaurants at Walt Disney World–and enjoy excellent meals at those at significantly lower prices.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Excited for the reopening of Victoria & Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa? Is V&A’s on your Walt Disney World bucket list, or is this type of fine dining not your cup of tea? Excited to see the reimagined restaurant? What do you think of this news? Any restaurant reopening announcements that you’re still anxiously awaiting? Hoping for more ‘restored normalcy’ announcements in the near future? Does this have you optimistic or pessimistic for more dining to reopen at Walt Disney World? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Tom, thanks for the update on V&A reopening. I must admit that my entire family have been loyal Disney fans going back to 1975 with well over 2000 days at DW. We miss the old days of the Grand Plan program we always used and miss the leadership under Michael Isner. Things have changed so much recently that we are not sure if we will renew our annual passes. We have been so happy in the past with Disney that we purchased a vacation house 10 miles from Disney so my entire family, including adult children and their kids can fly in from our home town of Las Vegas when ever they needed a Disney fix. We now wonder if the vacation house purchase was a mistake. Regarding dinning at V&A’s, we love the resturant and have eaten their over 20 times, we have the menu’s to prove it. The new prices are terrible but in-line with the terrible leadership now at DW. When we return to FL in August we will still eat at V&A probably for the last time. We hope the current leaders with their greed and loss of the family theme will be ousted soon.
Remember when a little boy was eaten here? Really rare menu. This hotel and the prices surrounding it make me queasy… and the terrible happening from a few years ago make me never want to step foot on the hotel’s property.
As clarification for anyone else reading this who might be unfamiliar with what happened, a boy was allegedly killed by an alligator at Grand Floridian Resort in 2016.
I would think that if they are serving little boy on the menu then the prices would be much higher than $295. Maybe try the Soylent Green for less money…… : )
This is disappointing. We’ve been wanting to do V&A for a special occasion and decided sometime during our Disney wedding/honeymoon next year would be perfect. The $1000 price tag just took this off our Disney bucket list permanently. I can only hope that after the initial rush bookings might slow down with a potential recession, so maybe Disney will walk this price tag back.
For honeymoon restaurants, do Narrcoosses in time for Fireworks at MK or JIKO at AKL.
Those 2 places were Our favorite meals during our honeymoon plus California grill (during Fireworks).
295 is just below the current per person cost at michellin restaurants. eleven madison is 335 per person, and does not include tip. additionally they are fully vegan now.
There is no across the board cost for Michelin-starred restaurants; we’ve paid as little as $15 for a Michelin-starred meal, whereas other restaurants cost thousands per person.
Also, this is not a Michelin-starred restaurant, so that’s not really a relevant consideration until 2023.
French Laundry in California charges $350 per person for tasting menu not including wine.
While I haven’t been to either restaurant, I could definitely think alot better things to spend $1000 for 2 on instead of it sitting in my stomach .
UGH
We have been to Victoria and Albert before a few times and it was wonderful.
When we were there Spring 2019 my parents, husband and I debated and debated and decided at THAT point that it was TOO expensive.
We really wanted to go back and now it is just TOO expensive!
I’ve been privileged to eat at over a dozen Michelin restaurants in Europe and the US – all but one paid for by business-related expense accounts. I wish everyone on earth could have the experience at least once, but I cannot say that any meal for two is worth the $1,000 this would run, including wine pairings and gratuity. There is only so much that can be done to elevate food before you hit a point of diminishing returns. I’d rather spend the same amount of money on 4-5 nice meals in Disney Springs, which I feel is the only place in WDW at which the full service restaurants are delivering against their price points nowadays.
June 2022 not July 2022, right? Updated?
Oops–you are correct. No time traveling for this update! 😉
I absolutely agree 100%, for some reason (after going to Disney World since 1974) staying at the Poly every trip, this year has been the hardest, most frustrating, stressful planning I have ever done in my life. Trying to book restaurants at the right time, the whole genie thing, park hoping? (And maybe not getting in to eat at that afternoon park) is crazy! And now we can’t even check luggage at the resorts to go home (that was so nice). Will still be fun with for new kids going this trip but your right… management better figure this out and get back to when it worked so smooth, (all inclusive, gold cards, premier and platinum plans, etc.) if you want to pay for it, your choice.
Thank you for all the updates
Jeff, although the complete check it and forget it service that used to exist for Magical Express is gone, the resorts will still hold your packed luggage for you after checkout. That way, if you have a late departure, you can go explore a park or Disney Springs without worrying about it. Just ask the bell hops outside – they’ll tag your luggage and give you the receipt to pick it up when you return for your transportation.
That is insane pricing, I would much rather use that money to pay for Genie+ and not stand in line so long. At the end of the day food goes in one end and out the other and as long as what you put in is nourishing thats all your body needs it doesn’t need a $600 meal which is only going to get pooped out in a few hours. Insane. Sorry just my opinion folks.
I can’t find the new menu prices. Does anyone know? Fyi, there are four Michelin one star restaurants in Orlando including one at the Four Seasons and another at the Ritz.
We had the pleasure of dining at the Chef’s Table at V&A in 2005 for our 25th wedding anniversary. It was a once in a lifetime experience that we will never forget 10 courses with wine pairings. Our home is decorated with 14×22 prints of the fabulous food Chef Scott prepared. Israel was a gracious host. We could never eat that much food at one sitting again but the memories of that night live on each day as I look at my walls. Highly recommend!
That’s fantastic–and awesome that you have those photos!
Some of our best memories from Walt Disney World are dining at V&A’s during our honeymoon, and the gracious service and fantastic food. Hopefully we get back there again someday.
Marugo in Akihabara, Tokyo is Michelin starred and their famous katsu was ~¥2100. You can have high quality, Michelin level food without changing a fortune. But hey, it’s Disney so *shrug*
We have an entire Michelin post coming that addresses that at length. Ironically enough, there’s even a photo from one of my favorite Kyoto katsu spots that’s under $20 (Bib Gourmand, but it felt like it deserved a star to my taste buds). 😉
Wow. $295 per person.
We had a September 2020 booking at V&A (as part of a 14-day on-site stay from Australia) to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary before everything was cancelled. We ate there on our 14th anniversary and were looking forward to going back. Unfortunately, Disney have learnt that, since the pandemic, they can put a ludicrous price tag on an offering, blame it on the pandemic, and still see people pay it. Annual passes is an obvious example. V&A is another example of them throwing in a 50% increase because they are making no attempt to hide the cash-grab any more.
Sadly, it seems our family have enjoyed our last holiday at WDW. At least our memories of our previous trips (2014 an earlier) haven’t been tainted by 6:50am alarms to play the Disney+ 7:00:01 am race, nickel and diming on top of enormous hotel price rises, trying to “beat the system” just to get on the headline attractions, and general lack of pixie dust. I genuinely think 2021-2023 will be remembered as when Disney gave up all pretence at trying to make vacations special and were exposed as just grabbing every dollar.
One day, Tom, you’ll re-read your articles about how you advised people to set alarms to check their phones every 120 minutes, how to best refresh your phone at 6:59:55, whether to use wifi or cell data, how to stack attraction bookings, hacks for booking park passes and park-hopping\, entering DHS then immediately leaving to rope-drop EPCOT, and think “wow, at the time I didn’t realise just how bad things had got”. That’s not a vacation, it’s a commando special op.
I wonder if the free valet parking for V&A has also been removed – they might as well snatch that last $20 bill out of my back pocket as I bend over to pay $580 for a basic booking for two. Plus tax, presumably.
“One day, Tom, you’ll re-read your articles about how you advised people to set alarms to check their phones every 120 minutes, how to best refresh your phone at 6:59:55, whether to use wifi or cell data, how to stack attraction bookings, hacks for booking park passes and park-hopping\, entering DHS then immediately leaving to rope-drop EPCOT, and think “wow, at the time I didn’t realise just how bad things had got”. That’s not a vacation, it’s a commando special op.”
I already do recognize how bad things have gotten and how overwhelming this all is for an average family. There’s a reason I say that if you can do Walt Disney World, you should feel confident in traveling literally anywhere in the world. This is the most overly complicated destination we visit, bar none.
I hope the tips on this site don’t come across as endorsement of the policies leading to them. While I do think that some specific fan responses are overblown, the ‘totality’ of the outrage, frustration, etc. is entirely on-point. I love Walt Disney World, but the people making the decisions absolutely need to spend more time in the parks as average guests–half of this stuff would disappear overnight if they did.
V&As was always an under the radar value at Disney. I’d say prices are just more reflective of what you get and where you get it.
It was ~$250 for the chef’s table the last time I was there in 2019. It’ll be a tough mental hurdle to pay more than that for the main dining area.
$445 per person? They are out of their minds. It’s a high quality meal with attentive service. But not worth that price. The demand for V&As has shown they were underpriced and leaving money on the table. Now, I wager that they’ve gone too far in the other direction.
I have dined there years ago. We actually got the Chef’s Table. Scott Hunnel was there and personally prepared our meal. This was almost 20(?)years ago and was a one time thing. I’d like to see what the current prices are going to be!
The top photo of the Grand Floridian is amazing. I’m assumingyou took. I was trying to figure out how and then I thought of the restuarant on top of the Contemporary Hotel. Good shot of where the new Poly tower will show up on the landscape since it looks like it will be built on the shore right above the stern wheeler in the picture. Really cool.
With the announcement of the Michelin guide’s tour of Florida, my first thought was when will V&A open, as that’s the one accolade it’s missing. Looks like stars were handed out already this year, so they’ll have a bit of time to get ready after re-opening.
Any word of where Chef Aimee Rivera went?