Victoria and Albert's Dilemma

Ha! I looked at the Wild Africa Trek, but my wife would immolate me if I put her on a rickety bridge over alligators. It's hard enough to convince her to go on SDMT. :)

Your plan for CG is very intelligent, and I think you'll need the recovery time! We're doing CG on our first full day too, but that's a Tuesday and we're just doing dinner. I have wonderful memories of that too.

We really like V&As but I am also having a hard time booking again with the change, I especially don't like that you don't get any choice for the courses. I have done other menus like this before in SF and NYC and although the food has always been delicious they are just not my favorite.

My husband and I just did the Sense of Africa tour for our anniversary and I cannot say enough good things about it if you think she might be interested in something like this, and there are no rickety bridges involved. Here is a link to the review that I did https://www.disboards.com/threads/j...rmation-thread.3567178/page-201#post-59509749 (I had to spread it over a few different posts). Note that I did not include any of the pictures of DH and I, but we had lots of pictures taken of us feeding the animals.
 
Such a tough decision to make.We have done V & A a number of times and perhaps for us the novelty has worn off slightly so may be biased , I would be tempted to cancel and do another signature meal, so money wasn’t quite as tight.

Dawn
 
We really like V&As but I am also having a hard time booking again with the change, I especially don't like that you don't get any choice for the courses. I have done other menus like this before in SF and NYC and although the food has always been delicious they are just not my favorite.

My husband and I just did the Sense of Africa tour for our anniversary and I cannot say enough good things about it if you think she might be interested in something like this, and there are no rickety bridges involved. Here is a link to the review that I did https://www.disboards.com/threads/j...rmation-thread.3567178/page-201#post-59509749 (I had to spread it over a few different posts). Note that I did not include any of the pictures of DH and I, but we had lots of pictures taken of us feeding the animals.

I didn’t know about the Sense of Africa tour, but it sounds fascinating. It might be a little pricey, but maybe doable? God knows I love animals. :)
 


Okay, so I have a bit of a dilemma. We're going to to WDW in October to celebrate my 50th birthday. We don't have an unlimited budget (we're right at $5500 for the whole 8-day trip), but we did want to do it up special. We booked V&As, which is where I also spent my 30th birthday, so it's mighty sentimental.

Here's the hiccup. I was just casually looking over the details in my prep, and since we booked, they've gone from the option of a 7 or 10 course menu to just the 10 course degustation menu. That's added a considerable amount of food to the evening, and more importantly, another $100 bucks to the evening's base cost.

I know that, yeah, if you're going to do V&A's, it's maybe not the most significant thing. But we were already juuuuuust making the budget work with the original numbers, and when you add taxes and tip, it starts to inch into nosebleed city. I certainly wouldn't mind the thought of spending less - or using that money to do other fun things. And we also don't want to waddle out of there miserably from packing in 10 courses. Even 7 was a lot for me the first time, and I'm a healthy eater.

But then again...it IS V&A's. And you only turn 50 once. I could probably nickel-and-dime some of my other budget items to make up the difference. I mean, I wouldn't be wanting to go back to throw money down the food hole if it wasn't spectacularly unique and special and, generally speaking, worth it.

Thoughts? What would you do?
I would go to to GC instead and spend that extra money doing another signature restaurant or two on other nights. But I know I am spoiled living in NOLA where I can eat amazing food for a fraction of the price. When we lived in NYC I never thought the $$$$ restaurants were worth the price tag either. I realize many others disagree.
 
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I've never been to V&As because I don't think we're V&A people and haven't been compelled to try it, but if I'm answering 'what would I do' as you, a person who has enjoyed V&A in the past, I would do it. As you say, another $100 is not dealbreaker territory when we're talking about doing V&A already. I say go and enjoy!
 
We did V&A for our 10th and 25th anniversary and it was the highlight of our trip both times. There is something so special about dining at V&A. Between the food and service you will find out why V&A is considered one of the top restaurants in the country. Go and enjoy yourself. You only turn 50 once.
 


As for the cost, that's something only you can decide on what makes you comfortable. But as for 10 courses versus 7 courses, I was also a little worried since I don't tend to eat a lot in one meal. But the courses are smaller than those in the 7 course meal and they expect you to take a much longer time to eat. I was able to make it through all 10 even though I often didn't manage to finish dessert when we had the 7 courses. You don't get choices like you do with the 7 course, but they will customize your menu (I'm allergic to seafood and a few other items) plus they can make changes when you're there if you really don't like something if they have it on hand (although I will personally defer to the chef since I've eaten things at V&A I thought I didn't like because it's in the hands of an expert). Do prepare to spend a minimum of 3 hours and possibly 4 with a longer menu.
 
I get the allure of the V & A ressie. In fairness, despite dreaming about it, I have not been there other than to walk past the door once. ha.
If money is no object, what a wonderful idea to treat your wife and celebrate your birthday.
How does she feel about the expense? The reason I think I would have difficulty enjoying dining there, would be that little voice griping about spending a car or house payment on one meal. Maybe I would get over it, but maybe not.
Do you drink? I don't think I caught your dates...but is there a "Party for the Senses" night while you are in WDW? I think it is always on a Saturday.
I know it is not the same, but it looks so neat! As foodie, you get to try yummy items, yet control what eat, as well as meet the folks preparing it. It is certainly cheaper than the chef's table!
The lower priced tickets, I think, are still cheaper, plus you get wine pairings & a commeriative glass and plate.
 
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I get the allure of the V & A ressie. In fairness, despite dreaming about it, I have not been there other than to walk past the door once. ha.
If money is no object, what a wonderful idea to treat your wife and celebrate your birthday.
How does she feel about the expense? The reason I think I would have difficulty enjoying dining there, would be that little voice griping about spending a car or house payment on one meal. Maybe I would get over it, but maybe not.
Do you drink? I don't think I caught your dates...but is there a "Party for the Senses" night while you are in WDW? I think it is always on a Saturday.
I know it is not the same, but it looks so neat! As foodie, you get to try yummy items, yet control what eat, as well as meet the folks preparing it. It is certainly cheaper than the chef's table!
The lower priced tickets, I think, are still cheaper, plus you get wine pairings & a commeriative glass and plate.


Yeah, money is definitely a big factor. My wife is still at her writers conference but I got a chance to briefly bring it up, and she wasn't happy about the potential added expense. It really is an issue of trying to do this on a very specific budget, and even this relatively small price hike sort of takes it from "we can JUST squeeze this as a special treat" to "more than half a grand all in - are you effin nuts?" And there's not a lot of stuff we consider expendable that we could eliminate at this point to make up the difference.

Some of it is timing as well. We've been spending a good amount of money on my mom, who had a medical issue that required a 4 month rehabilitation, and now requires home care that's coming of our pockets. It doesn't affect the trip much as we saved for it, but it doesn't give us much wiggle room for additional luxuries.

That said, we haven't made any final decisions and we're still evaluating.

(Oddly enough, last night I happened upon my old menu from my 30th birthday visit, and that sort of eased the prospect of not going to V&As if that's what we decide to do. And as my wife pointed out, if we don't go now, that doesn't mean never. We can always come up with a reason for a special celebration.)

I actually did looks into Party for the Senses a few nights ago, as it seems fabulous and is something that's been on my to-do list, but there isn't one the Saturday we're on property. Ah well!
 
Hmmm, hadn’t thought of Shula’s. My immediate replacement options were Yachtsman, Monsieur Paul or Morimoto. I will check them out and thanks!
 
I've been to V&A once, as I was curious to try it, but I didn't care for what to me seemed like an uppity atmosphere, plus I was able to get food that I like only by calling ahead. I appreciate that they accommodated my food preferences, but at most other restaurants I can find things I like without having to make special arrangements in advance.

What I would do in your situation is probably switch to Artist Point, if you'll be there by 10/28, which looks like the last day for which they are currently accepting reservations. They have some nice views there, too.

V&A is really the type of place where you put the meal in the hands of the chef and let them do their thing, not really a place to go for very specific food requests/arrangements for picky eaters.
 
Have you looked at Chef's Table at Flying Fish or Citrico's?

I've been to Vic & Al's once ... and it was fine, but it's not something I'll do again - because even though I'm a foodie, I don't eat cooked fish so half the menu ends up being a double-dish for whomever I'm dining with.

Personally, my favorite place (romantic or otherwise) is Cali Grill. And they do it right for special occasions.
 
Have you looked at Chef's Table at Flying Fish or Citrico's?

I've been to Vic & Al's once ... and it was fine, but it's not something I'll do again - because even though I'm a foodie, I don't eat cooked fish so half the menu ends up being a double-dish for whomever I'm dining with.

Personally, my favorite place (romantic or otherwise) is Cali Grill. And they do it right for special occasions.

We’re set to do CG our first full night there, and FF the night after. (Not-so-unconsciously revisiting my old favorites from my 30th.) I didn’t know FF had a chef’s table, though! I’ll have to check that out.

I also briefly thought about the Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine festival, but some reports I read made it sound kind of chaotic and not a lot of fun, so may pass on that.
 
Personally, my favorite place (romantic or otherwise) is Cali Grill. And they do it right for special occasions.

We ate at California Grill on our last trip and although the food and overall experience was fine, it was expensive and absolutely NOT what I would consider romantic, at least around MK fireworks time when the place will be packed and hopping.
 
The only other minor hitch is that although I've done it, my wife hasn't, and I'd love for her to have the experience. That said, though she's a food lover, it's not as big a deal for her as it is for me.

This is all a lot trickier than it should be. :charac2:

My wife and I just had a similar dilemma... While she enjoy's food, V&A's would be a bit of a stretch of the imagination for her. Add on the cost and we were very wishy washy about it. We ended up cancelling our October reservation when a CG Brunch became available during our stay. We've actually decided to casually bar hop around Disney Springs for an evening trying small plates, etc. to experience more restaurants. Its a relaxing option and I'm truthfully excited for it as much as I am with some of our other reservations. Hope you have a great trip!
 
I have never been to V&A since we are picky eaters and I think the experience would be lost on us.

Quite a few years ago we did do the private dining experience at the GF for our anniversary. I'm not sure if it is still offered. It was expensive, but I think still less expensive than V&A. We met our butler at the piano in the lobby and he brought us to an area on the dock with a table set up just for us. I do remember reading the dock isn't available any longer, but if it is still offered, the balcony alcove was available. You select from the private dining menu in advance. The butler fee and tip would also be extra. Might be worth pricing: 407-824-2474. We ended dinner with dessert and an unbelievable view of the MK fireworks from our table.

Another option might be an Illuminations cruise $299 for the boat and includes soft drinks and snacks. Other items can be added on from private dining:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/specialty-cruises/

We found both of these experiences to be very memorable, but yes, pricey. As others have said, whatever you decide will be a fantastic way to spend your birthday and I hope you have a wonderful time.
 
We ate at California Grill on our last trip and although the food and overall experience was fine, it was expensive and absolutely NOT what I would consider romantic, at least around MK fireworks time when the place will be packed and hopping.

That should be less of a problem for us as our CG night is during a Halloween party, so any fireworks will be hours after we’re there. :)
 

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