Ariel Grotto Questions/Meet and Greet

[mgrace79]

OK So in Feb we will be experiencing our first DL vacation as Family. I want to do a character dining for my DD who will be turning 5 right before our trip. I was leaning toward Ariel Grotto since DD LOVES Ariel. Is this the only place where you can Meet and Greet Ariel? And is it Guaranteed that she will be there I don't want to make reservations only to find out she isn't there. Is it better to do the Breakfast/Lunch/or Dinner??? Sorry for all the Q's Don't won't to spend that much $$$ and end up disappointed. THX for all the help. LOVE this Board i stumbled acrossed it and now Im hooked, lol

 

[Girimama33]

Ariel is always there, so you should be fine there. When we ate there DD just had a Cinderella makeover at BBB. She wanted to see her, but she was not among the four in the M&G. Ariel may be found at the princess M&G by IASW, but that is not a guarantee.
We really enjoyed our lunch there so my suggestion is lunch or dinner vs. breakfast.

 

[Happy 2 B Me]

I read on a post that Ariel only at the entrance to the restaurant. The post read as though she does not go from table to table like the other princesses. It appears your daughter would only see and/or get her picture taken with Ariel before you are seated. The poster said guests were moved along very quickly to .

Please all the Restaurnt to verify this information as this is what was posted I do not know from first hand experience.

 

[krispin41]

I read on a post that Ariel only at the entrance to the restaurant. The post read as though she does not go from table to table like the other princesses. It appears your daughter would only see and/or get her picture taken with Ariel before you are seated. The poster said guests were moved along very quickly to .

Please all the Restaurnt to verify this information as this is what was posted I do not know from first hand experience.

My DH and I were there in July, and this was our experience. However, she may get a few more minutes than we did.

 

[mgrace79]

I'm hoping with it being off season and her wearing its my bday pin she might get a little extra time! Thx for the replies!

 

[ladeeesquire]

we like AG and I find lunch to be the best meal. We've been maybe 5 or 6 times. Ariel is always only at the entrance and you will do a quick photo with her before you are seated. I've actually had the photopass guy try to really rush us even on the photo saying that we only have time for me to snap my own photo with ariel and dd and not another including me!!! Just saying, the interaction with Ariel will be very brief. Its more of a photo op.

The interaction with all the princesses will be very brief ("hello princess, you look so beautiful") sign book, pose for pic, move on. I do not believe they spend more than 45 secs-1 min per table. Having said that, my dd always enjoys the experience and the food is quite good. My dd especially loves the dessert plate. We like to sit outside because I find it more peaceful

If you're looking for something with lots of character interaction you should go to Surf's Up... but you won't find princesses

 

[caltex]

My family and I were at AG in August. As the others have pointed out the interaction with Ariel is brief. Hi, sign autograph book, picture with my camera, and then the photopass picture - that's it. Probably a 3-5 min meet/greet at best. BTW the other princesses in attendance were Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Belle, and Jasmine (very friendly and played her part well).

 

[deanimal]

My cousin, who's a WDW vet, gave me a tip she uses for her daughter's favourites. She brings a prop of some sort from their favourite movie at the meet and greet. For Cinderella she brought stuffed Suzy and Perla toys and got Cinderella to interact with them. She said it doesn't always work but it's worth a shot. My daughter loves Merida, so we're bringing our stuffed triplet bear dolls to the meet and greet.

 

[NWT]

I took my daughter there a few years ago right after new years. It is a little slower then. My daughter was happy with the time she spent with Ariel. Probably more than if you were to see her in another area of the park. There was time for pictures, an autograph and a little chat.

I loved Ariel's grotto. Get to enjoy a meal and drink while the princesses come to you. Every princess that is at the dinner will eventually make it to your table. So, no worries. I find it beats standing in line in the other areas of the park hoping that once you get to the front the princess you want to see will still be there, because they exchange them out.

 

[mgrace79]

Has anyone had any luck with just doing a meet and greet there w/Ariel or do you Have to have reservations? Just curious

 

[cari12]

Has anyone had any luck with just doing a meet and greet there w/Ariel or do you Have to have reservations? Just curious

You have to have a reservation. When we were there in 2009, she is downstairs so you stop there for a quick meet and photo on your way to your table.
However during the Halloween Party that year, she was out greeting guests with Prince Eric.

 

[busymom232]

we went a couple of weeks ago. my dd4 enjoyed it, the food was good and if princesses are a must its a good way to save time, but for 3 kids and 2 adults it was abut 160 and u literally have a princess come say hello take a pic and there gone not even a minute.... if princesses arnt a must or u have time to go stand in line i think goofys was a much better meal charecter wise we had an amazing unforgetable evening there this trip, between seeing the charecters many times there interaction with my ds1month and chip and dale joking around with pluto and the kids it was amazing

 

[Missyk1124]

We were just there two weeks ago. The lunch at AG was good but pricey and you really do only get a minute with each princess. We found that the princess area near Small World was much better. Yeah you stand in line for 15 minutes but you get a lot of time with each of three princesses and we saw Ariel there several times. She spoke to my daughter for quite a while and took many photos. I told my daughter to think of several questions for the princesses and it really helped their interaction and lengthened the time.

 

[smiles33]

As others have said, your interaction will be brief. We were told only one pose (e.g., both my DDs at once, so I couldn't ask to take individual photos of each DD with Ariel) and then the Photopass photographer took a quick photo while DH and I tried to take photos on our iPhone in between his flashes.

Note: this is the same standard applied at other photo options (PFF, Toontown M&G with Minnie, Mickey, etc.).

Still, we didn't see Ariel anywhere else but at AG during our Sept. 2011 trip so I was glad we did it. Was it was worth the price for that? No, not in my opinion but my girls aren't HUGE Ariel fans so it might be worthwhile for OP.

 

[caltex]

My family and I were at AG in August. As the others have pointed out the interaction with Ariel is brief. Hi, sign autograph book, picture with my camera, and then the photopass picture - that's it. Probably a 3-5 min meet/greet at best. BTW the other princesses in attendance were Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Belle, and Jasmine (very friendly and played her part well).

Sorry - I meant 1-2 min meet/greet at best.

 

[twinkletink]

My cousin, who's a WDW vet, gave me a tip she uses for her daughter's favourites. She brings a prop of some sort from their favourite movie at the meet and greet. For Cinderella she brought stuffed Suzy and Perla toys and got Cinderella to interact with them. She said it doesn't always work but it's worth a shot. My daughter loves Merida, so we're bringing our stuffed triplet bear dolls to the meet and greet.

We were just there two weeks ago. The lunch at AG was good but pricey and you really do only get a minute with each princess. We found that the princess area near Small World was much better. Yeah you stand in line for 15 minutes but you get a lot of time with each of three princesses and we saw Ariel there several times. She spoke to my daughter for quite a while and took many photos. I told my daughter to think of several questions for the princesses and it really helped their interaction and lengthened the time.

Thanks so much for the tips. I have heard such mixed reviews about Ariel's Grotto and I know it is pretty pricey, but figured since this was a 'Girl's Trip' it was probably our best shot at doing it.

We have a table reserved at 11:40, hoping earlier is better and hoping that we noted we are celebrating DD's 4th birthday that will help.

 

[mgrace79]

We won't be going until The first week in Feb so in between the MLK and Presidents Day rush. If any goes before then I'd still love your feed back haven't made reservations yet I figured I still have at least a month and will have plenty of time do secure one.

 

[Disneyland 1951]

Princess tips:
Ariel is one of the Princeses that is out often at the side path to the Castle near the Wishing Well. Usually between 10:00am and 1:30pm.
You can meet Cinderella / Fairy God Mother, Snow White / Evil Queen, Aurora, or Ariel.

They are out for 15-25 minutes about once an hour at random times. Sometimes there will be three or more at a time.
Yesterday just before the Space Shuttle flyover, Snow White, Cinderella, and Aurora were in front of the Castle in the crowd.

On slow days they are often not noticed and you can spend a lot of time with them.
If you do not see them or only the Fairy God Mother, come back in 10 minutes and you will probably find a Princess.
Later in the Day or sometimes in the morning just after opening they will be at the entrance.


Ariel is also at the temp. Princess Walk meet and greet towards It's a Samll World. The wait is about 40-50 minutes, and you have a 50/50 shot of meeting Ariel.

 

[mummabear]

Yes you only meet her at the door (not as a mermaid) and then not again, its just a photo and she will sign your autograph book but no other interaction. Our girls were there for their birthdays we had birthday pins (and 1st visit pins) we hAad bought balloons, presents and prdered a cake and had no other interaction. Also we had a group of 12 (and had to pay 18% tip) but our only options with Ariels were 1 photo with everyone or one with just the girls we werent allowed both (our the girls seperatly) which I thought was off, if we had booked two tables of 6 then we could have so whats the difference?
Ariels is on rotation at the meet and greet at iasw, we were trying to track Tiana down there and were told, there a 3 princess out of 7 out at a time that rotate every 45 minutes so 1.5 hours is the most time a princess will not be out however short of standing there for 1.5 hours you arent guareenteed.

 

[Esclavamente]

Yet another thread I'm glad I found to help me prepare for my very first character breakfast.
I called the Dining help line to switch from a Minnie breakfast to lunch with Ariel, because I just wasn't sure that the "it's Minnie Mouse for sure and Could Be ANYBODY ELSE" would work for my little one, because there are a whole lotta characters she hasn't met in movie-form yet! What if it was scary Cap'n Hook and like...Peter Pan and Chip and Dale or other characters she just does not know!?
So, I've been force-feeding her princesses having made this decision...and no one on here has mentioned meeting Belle! Oh dear!
The Dining hotline people were very helpful and did explain that it's always Ariel and x other princesses, so I did ask if it is ever Tiana (my kiddo's fav), or if it's possible that Merida will be a Character Meal Princess. Not really sure what the answer was on Merida, and with Tiana, again, it's a maybe.
I would follow that up with a "hope that was helpful!" but...I know it wasn't.

I am mostly glad I found this thread because in a few Trip Reports I've read though, it seemed like guests had lots of interaction with their princesses or other meal characters...but this will give me a little bit more preparation for the 1-2 min autograph signing scenario.

Oh yeah and I remembered the other perhaps helpful tip I feel like I gleaned from the dining hotline - Ariel's dinner does NOT include meeting princesses! Breakfast and lunch at Ariel's Grotto, meet some princesses, dinner, no. Can you veterans back me up on this info??