A BE40 CREW; DEPARTING MLB; DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL FOR DEST WHEN ATC RESTR THEIR CLB TO 12000 FT.

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AFTER FILING AN IFR FLT PLAN FOR AN ALT OF FL240; AND RECEIVING A CLRNC TO EXPECT THAT ALT 10 MINS AFTER DEP; ORL APCH ASSIGNED 12000 FT AS A FINAL CRUISE ALT. I INFORMED THEM THAT WE NEEDED A HIGHER CRUISE ALT WHICH WAS DENIED. AT THAT TIME; WITH A LINE OF TSTMS TO NAV AROUND; I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO DECLARE MINIMUM FUEL FOR OUR DEST. IF ANY FURTHER DELAY OR ADDITIONAL VECTORING OCCURRED WHILE ONLY A NARROW RTE THROUGH THE TSTMS WAS SAFE; OUR FUEL RESERVES WOULD HAVE BEEN BELOW A SAFE AMOUNT FOR THE CONDITIONS. THE RTE FILED WAS WELL S OF THE ORL AREA AND LEFT MORE OPTIONS FOR TSTM AVOIDANCE. UPON LNDG; OUR FUEL REMAINING WAS 1065 LBS. THIS IS THE RESERVE THAT WAS PLANNED; BUT FLYING FURTHER AROUND THE STORMS AND MUCH HIGHER. I WAS ASKED TO CALL ORL APCH AFTER LNDG; WHICH I DID. THE CTLR WAS VERY UPSET THAT I DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL. HE SAID THAT AT NO TIME CAN AN ACFT FLY HIGHER THAN 12000 FT ON THAT RTE. SEVERAL DAYS EARLIER; I FLEW THE SAME RTE AT FL250. IF A PLT WITH LITTLE EXPERIENCE WERE TO HEAR THIS CTLR'S ANGER; THEY MIGHT LET ATC KNOW IF A LOW FUEL SIT DEVELOPS.