Kids really can't wear nice shorts to Dinner?

[DisneyKidsDad]

If the rule is no shorts, the no shorts.

 

I do not agree with this rule but I will follow it.:)

 

It is Disney's house so their rules.

 

Thank you for being another voice of reason. :D

[kcruzgrl]

Having been on DCL 6 times, I have the answer to this... My husband and boys wear nice kahki shorts to dinner. Not on formal night, or in Palo of course. But, no one cares and it is super casual. There are a lot of people who do dress up like traditional cruises and we always intend to, but when we get on board we relax and dress nice, but casual. You have a good mix of both. For goodness sakes, one night we all dress like pirates for dinner. :)

[MSNEmommy]

We put our kids in dressier clothing (dress on DD and dress pants on DS) even when smaller just because they behaved better if they knew they had dressed for the occasion. I imagine there is some wiggle room for children because some of them need, literally, wiggle room. I'd rather a child behave "per code" and be nearly naked than be dressed per code and act like a snot.

I can understand not wanting to buy half a wardrobe to comply with dress-codes. Maybe one pair of slacks would last the cruise if only worn to dinner and extra napkins protected them from spills?

My kids are older now (12 and 10) so will certainly be per dress code or eat in the buffet on their own. If eating with their respective clubs is an option they can do that too. Lucky for me, I have foodie children who are happy to dress for dinner if it means a nicer menu. Good luck to the OP.

[TOlson70]

The only night we let our kids wear shorts on the DCL cruises we've been on was for the pirate night celebration. We used the rare times when we were all together and dressed nice to get photos taken by the cruise photographers.

 

Saw plenty of people wearing shorts though, didn't bother me in the least. I get the need for rules and the idea without enforcing them people will start to take advantage of other rules, but I really never felt that n Disney it was a big ordeal.

[aspen36]

I was on the Wonder in December. We were sat with two other women who were very, very shy. It was painful to get them to speak. Then next night we ate at Beach Blanket Buffet, the night after that was Palo. On the last night we went to the dining room to give the Maitre D, waiter and assistant waiter their tips. The Maitre D asked why we weren't eating in the restaurant. We explained about our table mates. He told us we really should have had him switch us to a different table. We explained that we new that was an option but with such a short cruise it wasn't necessary. He begged for us to eat in the dining room that night. I explained I was not dressed appropriately. I was in long shorts and a blouse. The shorts kind of looked like capris. He said I was dressed just fine and not to worry. He was very nice. I felt really bad about dining in the main dining room in shorts, but this guy was not talking no for an answer.

[Host Mick]

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See? Touchy subject.

[waterbound]

Is it enforced? No.. but the way I look at it is that its a written rule.. why not follow the rules?

 

Its a dress policy.. Most people have dress policies at work.. If you get up in the morning and you ask yourself "Is this appropriate?" than it probably isnt.. To me, it works the same here.. You have a written dress policy and you are questioning if its enforced (appropriate).. so the answer is you probably already know the answer.. but you are wanting to get a different answer..

 

Yep.. People do get uptight when you have people constantly wanting permission to do something they know they shouldnt..

[s'smom]

My niece was 14 at the time did wear the dress up white shorts with a cute top and cute wedge heel sandle. It was really cute and dressy. They did not say anything to her but that was about 4 years ago. For my own children, I tend to like the more dressed up attire, even more my 2 year old. But that is just me. :)

I would think that for a toddler, it would be ok if the parents choose it.

[jenseib]

I am going to have my DD dress in Princess dresses. (and a pirate one night) She loves to dress up in them and she thinks she is royalty then. So then better manners....usually. LOL!

My DH is a jeans man. I will have to see if he even has a pair of nice pants that even fit anymore...And we'll probaly do the napkin thing for spills so he can wear them each night too! :D

[ma23peas]

We all get in a tizzy on things like this, but there needs to be some perspective...

 

During my college summers I would come home and work for a company that ferreted me out to different corporations for secretarial/admin work...I was very conscientious and wanted to look professional...I went to a local high end dress shop and at the time they were selling beautiful short/blouse ensembles..they had matching tights you'd wear under them..I had nice dress shoes to go with them..the shorts came past my knees...they were dry clean only! :)

The boss called me in to his office and said the other 'ladies' had complained about my wearing shorts....and asked me not to wear them again, now let me tell you this was a TRUCKING company! I go back into my office and there sat the other two ladies (who must have complained, wearing skin tight blue jeans with rips all in them and cigarettes hanging out of their mouths with a smirk)....really? I had no idea that AAA Cooper was a trucking company, for all I knew it could have been an insurance office...so I always dressed in business attire.

 

That being said, Disney can't sit there and write out a whole list of what kinds of shorts they will allow or not...if you say shorts are allowed then you get these Daisy Duke wearing short people who will be in a tiff that they aren't allowed to wear them but the preppy kid over there with pressed khaki shorts is allowed..they don't say no jeans allowed..and many jeans I wouldn't pay a nickel for, you bend over and see fault lines!

 

So give graces, use common sense, don't be a stickler...some people have ALL their luggage lost on the airplanes and only have the clothes on their backs...and nowadays cruise lines as well as airlines are so limiting on luggage just to fit 4 men's jackets and pants for formal night oh and shoes/shirts/ties...takes up more than half the allowable weight! You're sitting down 95% of the time you're in the dining room and can't see people's legs anyhow, give grace, get grace.

[Host Mick]

The reason that the cruise lines have dress codes or recommendations is that they are trying to set an atmosphere or a mood for the dining room or for the ship for the benefit of your fellow passengers. They however have enough manners not to scold the passengers that disrespect their suggestions hence the "I wore my dressy Daisy Dukes and they didn't say anything" comments.

It's simply rude to the other passengers to ignore or "bend" the dress codes. If that's a real problem, then perhaps a cruise line or a shoreside resort with no dress codes is a better vacation choice.

Or better yet, spring for the pants, you can afford it. It's easy, just skip a few Starbucks lattes.

[ducklite]

and many jeans I wouldn't pay a nickel for, you bend over and see fault lines!

 

Uh, not if you wear a thong. Just saying.

 

So give graces, use common sense, don't be a stickler...some people have ALL their luggage lost on the airplanes and only have the clothes on their backs...and nowadays cruise lines as well as airlines are so limiting on luggage just to fit 4 men's jackets and pants for formal night oh and shoes/shirts/ties...takes up more than half the allowable weight! You're sitting down 95% of the time you're in the dining room and can't see people's legs anyhow, give grace, get grace.

 

Four jackets? For a seven night cruise with a formal night, dressy night, and Palo stuck in for good measure, my husband would take one jacket, two slacks, one suit and two dress shirts. One pair of shoes for both. Use a little common sense in packing (wear the sport coat while traveling) and you won't be over weight on luggage. Nobody will notice if you wear the same jacket/shirt/pants to dinner a few times, but they will notice if you are not at least making an effort to follow the dress code.

[ducklite]

Or better yet, spring for the pants, you can afford it. It's easy, just skip a few Starbucks lattes.

 

Or skip the Lattes and lose the weight so you can get back into the clothes already in the closet... That's a win-win!

[shellster1]

Feel free to dress your kids in nice Khakis at dinner! You will see many, many kids in shorts....expecially boys.

 

Exactly! Little girls have so many cute sun dresses and such, but with toddler boys we are so limited. I'm going to do the cute khaki shorts with a button down shirt, tucked in. Hmmm...what about his shoes?? :)

[travlingrlclt]

I just got off the 4 night Dream cruise and every night was "cruise casual" so yes there were lots of young boys in shorts.

[AddictedtoFL]

I wear short (not sport short) every night except formal night and Palo.

Here is a tip for you, if you have Disney’s clothing. you can wear to any dinner including Palo/ and Formal, Disney attires trump everything everyone else is wearing :D.

[skoorbnibor]

I am pretty sure my toddler in shorts, a button down shirt and a tie was better dressed, and set the proper atmosphere than many adults, on our last cruise.

 

I think that the over all look, not the specific attire, is what matters. Make an effort to get your kids neatly dressed? I bet they look just fine

[Pattyjo9951]

I just love seeing my boys in a nice pair of plaid dress shorts with a matching top so I will be dressing my boys in shorts! I think it looks just as nice a a pair of pants. We all get so uptight about breaking the rules on a cruise ship, I really hope none of you ever speed while driving! You would not want to be breaking any of the rules! I think that we need to not be so harsh on each other. I myself would not wear shorts in the dining room nor would my husband but my two boys I don't see it being a big deal.

[jenseib]

From the reports coming back so far from the Dream, there isn't a dressy night, and all dinners seem to have a lot of shorts...men and women...and jeans too.

[ducklite]

I wear short (not sport short) every night except formal night and Palo.

Here is a tip for you, if you have Disney’s clothing. you can wear to any dinner including Palo/ and Formal, Disney attires trump everything everyone else is wearing :D.

 

I disagree. I have personally seen someone denied access to Palo while wearing a Mickey t-shirt. Thank God there is one venue onboard that actually enforces the written dress code.