Ariel’s Grotto at Disneyland’s California Adventure Park!
At the sweet age of 5, there are very few Disney characters that cause my daughter’s eyes to light up as much as the Disney Princesses. One of her absolute favorite parts about visiting Disney is meeting the characters and having them sign her autograph book. This has almost become a ritual for her, and she looks forward to it almost more than riding her favorite ride, Ariel’s Undersea Adventure.
Because this particular trip was meant to commemorate her 5th Birthday, I decided to make it extra special by researching the character meals offered by Disneyland. It was an immediate no-brainer when I stumbled upon Ariel’s Grotto character breakfast!
Ariel’s Grotto is located in Disney’s California Adventure, on the boardwalk to Paradise Pier. There are two opportunities for Disney Princess enthusiasts to share a meal with Ariel and other Disney Princesses: Breakfast is served from 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM, and Lunch is served from 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Reservations are HIGHLY recommended. If you want to take in the ambiance of eating under the sea, but would prefer to not meet the Princesses themselves there are also options for Dinner or World of Color dining options.
After you check-in, you are provided with a buzzer that will alert you when your table is ready for you. This helps the anticipation build which can be a great thing, or a minefield for a meltdown depending on your little one’s tolerance ;-). Thankfully our wait was not long, and we descended down a beautiful spiral staircase that brought us into Ariel’s Grotto restaurant and to meet Ariel herself!
Before your party is seated, you have the opportunity to meet Ariel and have your picture taken with her. Because we had the Disney Photopass all the worry and concern about capturing this perfect moment melted right away. The smile on Roo’s face was so bright I almost needed sunglasses, that and I was tearing up at how excited she was!
Ariel took the time to talk with her, ask her about her Birthday, dance with her, sign her autograph book, and pose for a photo without making her feel the least bit rushed.
We were escorted to our seats on the patio, which I was initially disappointed about because I wanted to take in all of the themed magic, but once we sat down and looked around all disappointment faded away.
I quickly realized that we had one of the best seats on the entire pier and the closest view of Mickey’s Ferris Wheel! Our reservations were early enough in day that the breeze flowing through the patio was warm and refreshing!
Our waiter was a treat to dine with. He arrived promptly to take our drink orders and returned with a basket full of wonderfully delicious pastries and fruit while we waited for our main course to be prepared. He also made particular note of addressing those in our party who had food allergies and making recommendations based on those allergies, which was lifesaving (literally)!
Shortly after our beverages and starters were delivered a royal trumpeter announced the arrival of the princesses one by one. The official roster of princesses can change daily, but we had the pleasure of meeting these princesses:
Tiana: We had no idea that we would get the chance to meet Tiana, but the ENTIRE family was excited when we heard her signature New Orleans music prior to being announced. Representation is so important and meeting Tiana affirms that for us, but more importantly for little Roo!
Rapuzel: I loved seeing Rapuzel’s long hair, and we hardly ever see her in the park, so this was a real treat!
Belle: Although Roo met Belle on our last visit, she was still just as mesmerized!
Cinderella: After Tiana, Cinderella was the highlight of the morning! Roo was dressed as Cinderella, and to sweeten the moment Cinderella even danced and twirled with Roo (check out the video below)!
In the midst of meeting Princesses our food and arrived and boy were we impressed! Each of the adults ordered a different variation of breakfast offering, and all of us were happy. The food was well seasoned and plentiful; we even had food left over to take home!
My primary “gripe” about the experience was that it was a bit rushed. I would liken it to a wedding reception, you spend so much time greeting all of your guests and having a great time, that you realize later that you didn’t get a chance to sit down and take it all in. However, the Princesses spent ample amount of time with Roo to make sure that she felt special, which is something that doesn’t always happen when the line in the parks is wrapped around the building.
To help make our Roo feel even more special our waiter delivered a cupcake to the table, and we sang Happy Birthday! If seeing all of your favorite Disney Princesses and having a cupcake all before doesn’t make your day special I don’t know what will *smile*!
Overall, our experience at Ariel’s Grotto was truly magical. This was our first character dining experience and was Roo’s experience in lieu of a 5th Birthday gift, which was what I had to remind myself when presented with the bill! This experience though magical, would be placed in the splurge category, however the look on Roo’ face when seeing her favorite Disney Princesses devote time just for her made this experience priceless.
*Check current pricing and menu here.
Here is a snapshot of our Ariel’s Grotto Character Breakfast experience:
