The Grand Floridian at Walt Disney World has always been known for its class and prestige; a beautiful 867-room hotel, the Grand Floridian is known for its stunning Victorian charm and the intricate displays the hotel puts on around the holidays. It is a beacon of luxury among Disney’s already illustrious lineup of resort hotels, and now it is being awarded one of America’s most prestigious awards for travel destinations for a second year in a row. Victoria & Albert’s, one of the preeminent locations for fine dining throughout the entirety of the Walt Disney World Resort has retained its MICHELIN Star status for the second year in a row, crowning it as a truly unique theme park experience that perfectly blends themed dining with class and luxury.
“Every single member of our team is part of this success. Their unwavering dedication and passion for excellence has made this possible,” Chef de Cuisine Matthew Sowers stated. “Each of us, from the kitchen to our reservations office, plays a role in delivering something truly special and to have our efforts acknowledged by MICHELIN is deeply humbling.”
The Surprising Origin of the MICHELIN Star
The MICHELIN star rating system originally began in the year 1900 with the debut of the first Michelin guide, published by Michelin Tire founders and brothers Edouard and Andre Michelin, with the intention of promoting travel through the rising popularity of automobile travel in France at the beginning of the 20th century.
In the early 1900s, travel had been revolutionized, and people were able to travel further and faster than ever before with the popularization of the manufactured automobile. Seeing a demand for travel increase – and knowing that a demand for travel would eventually translate into a demand for new tires – the Michelin brothers set upon the task of creating a travel guide for the average person looking to broaden their horizons. Despite the fact that there were fewer than three thousand cars in France when the first Michelin Guide was published, the Michelin brothers knew that this would quickly change – and that they could play a part in encouraging that change.
The original Michelin Guide was a small red pamphlet, handed out for free, that included maps an instructions on how to change one’s tires, as well as a list of hotels, mechanics, and gas stations that were situated upon popular routes throughout France, further facilitating the average man’s travel. Putting traveler’s minds at ease when visiting new and unfamiliar locations throughout the country meant they would be more inclined to travel further from home, thus further wearing out their tires.
It wasn’t until the 1920s that the Michelin Guide became a paid publication; Andre Michelin was fond of recounting that fateful trip to a tire shop, whereupon he saw a stack of his guides being used to prop up a work bench. From that moment forward, Andre decided that a “man only truly respects what he pays for,” and a new era of the Michelin Guide was born, being sold for seven francs (approximately 40.00 in today’s US Dollar).
Once the publication became a paid service, Michelin started including a list of hotels in Paris, lists of hotels ranked by category, and gutted the guide of all paid advertisements, making it a truly unique piece of publication that operated entirely on its own terms without the sway or pull of its advertisers. As popularity of the guide began to grow, the Michelin brothers employed a team of “mystery diners,” who would travel incognito to some of France’s most popular dining locations with the intention of getting the authentic guest experience without the prestige of the Michelin name influencing their visit.
Within five years of the original paid guide, the Michelin star rating system had expanded from a one-star-only rating system to a ranked four-star rating system (zero, one, two, and three stars total). In 1936, the criteria by which restaurants were judged were published, and became public knowledge for travelers to better understand and judge the Michelin Star rating system for themselves.
Victoria & Albert’s: A Roaring Success in the 21st Century
Today, being awarded Michelin Star status is still a prestigious honor given to only the best of the best restaurants that have proven their exemplary dining experience is worthy of being backed by one of the oldest and most well-respected dining guides in the world.
Victoria & Albert’s status as a MICHELIN Star dining experience was no accident, either; for over two decades, the restaurant has carefully curated its menus, ensuring that guests enjoy a multi-course dining experience that features premium and sustainable ingredients assembled by world-class chefs. Drawing inspiration from Queen Victoria’s historic Jubilee Celebration – the British tradition of celebrating milestone years of a monarch’s reign – the restaurant not only offers exemplary dining and a wine collecting featuring over five hundred different selections for the discerning oenophile.
“Many of the guests that visit us come with MICHELIN recognition in their minds, we want each of our guests to know that the food is an essential part of the journey and our commitment to both hospitality and genuine, gracious, heartfelt service is what completes the experience,” said Israel Perez, maître d’hôtel at Victoria & Albert’s, and recipient of MICHELIN’s 2024 Florida Service Award. “The moment you walk through our doors, you are not just dining with us, you are being welcomed into something that we hope will stay with you long after the last bite.”
In addition to being awarded its MICHELIN Star status for the second year in a row, Victoria & Albert’s has also held both the AAA Five Diamond and the Forbes Travel Guide Five Star Awards since 2000 and 2018 respectively, and has been honored with the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence and the Florida Trend Golden Spoon Hall of Fame (American Regional) award.
A restaurant lauded by many esteemed dining and travel organizations, Victoria & Albert’s made its MICHELIN Star debut last year in 2024 as the first theme park destination in the United States to be awarded such an honor, and considers itself a shining example of how Walt Disney World continued to set the bar for theme park destinations around the world.
Theme Park Shark has reported on Disney’s exemplary dining locations in the past; for those looking to experience the best that the Walt Disney World Resort has to offer, consider checking out Magical Dining, presented by Orlando Health – a yearly charity drive that celebrates all of Orlando’s most in-demand dining locations, including restaurants at major theme park properties right here in Orlando. Typically held for six weeks from August to September, Magical Dining allows guests to experience prixe-fixe menus from some of the most popular dining locales in the city.
Check back soon, as Theme Park Shark will continue to report on the best of themed dining in Orlando, as well as theme park news from Disney, Universal, and theme parks from all across the world!
