Ariel's Grotto menu questions

[sand2270]

ACK
i'm *scared* of all the mixed opinions...
well
we are going anyway (already have the vouchers)
and my youngest DD is a HUGE Ariel fan and loves the other princesses as well.

hopefully b/c my oldest DD will be wearing a birthday pin
they will be a little nice!

and i want THREE pics.
one w/ ea girl alone and one w/ the 2 of them.
i'll settle for 2 though
(the biggest fan and ariel alone--and one w/ both girls and Ariel)

I definitely don't want to discourage anyone from going, just know the food is hit or miss. However, I know going into it that the food in this case is secondary. We are going so my DD has the opportunity to meet all the princesses. I would rather eat some ok food and sit and relax for an hour in an air conditioned restaurant than wait in 5 separate lines in the heat.

I had read the Princess Faire lines were very long and slow moving. My DD knew we were doing the princess lunch so standing in the Princess Faire lines was never an issue since she knew she was going to see all the princesses at lunch.

 

[MaiynaMouse]

I actually had a great experience there. I had two kiddos with me...DS5 and DD3. The princesses took so much time with them. I was worried my DS would think it was too girly but the princesses kept calling him their prince and he thought that was fabulous. They let us take pictures of the two alone with each princess and then again together with each princess. As soon as my DH gets home and I can figure out why my laptop isn't letting me access our server (which has all of our photos on it....don't worry, they're backed up elsewhere as well) I will send some photos.
~mm

 

[aprincess@mail.com]

we went in the beg. of March and we had to wait 30 minutes past our reserv. time. but the food was good. I had meatloaf, dh had chicken, and my lil sis had the spaghetti. which wasnt alot, because we had to buy her a hotdog afterwards. shes nine years old. so it was the cutoff age.

 

[cccdisney]

We ate there last month - as well as many times in the past few years. I can say that each time the service and food gets worse. Last month I had the chicken pot pie and I could not even eat it. Cold and blah! We are done eating there! Next time will try one of the buffets again.

 

[Monkey Monkey]

ACK
i'm *scared* of all the mixed opinions...
well
we are going anyway (already have the vouchers)
and my youngest DD is a HUGE Ariel fan and loves the other princesses as well.

hopefully b/c my oldest DD will be wearing a birthday pin
they will be a little nice!

and i want THREE pics.
one w/ ea girl alone and one w/ the 2 of them.
i'll settle for 2 though
(the biggest fan and ariel alone--and one w/ both girls and Ariel)

Beware - they are pretty strict about only allowing 1 picture (pose) per party. We had 3 little ones in our party and wanted each to get their picture with Ariel, and they wouldn't allow it.

I understand that they don't want a million different configurations for pictures holding up the line, but each of the kids was with a paying adult, so we were pretty annoyed. At least with the princesses that come to the table, you can get a picture with each kid.

At the Lilo and Stitch breakfast, we got pictures with the group of 7 kids, plus each kid alone with Minnie!

 

[Crazy4Goofy]

Sounds like there are mixed reviews about Ariels. I am starting to think I may have made a mistake!! I thought I was doing a great thing by planning on surprising my three kids (DD14 , DD12 and DS7 ) with a visit to Ariels to see all the princesses. We will be celebrating 2 birthdays while we are there. Lets hope the princesses take some extra time with my Kids and that the food isn't that terrible This is our first time to visit and as it sounds right now it may be our last!!

 

[sand2270]

Sounds like there are mixed reviews about Ariels. I am starting to think I may have made a mistake!! I thought I was doing a great thing by planning on surprising my three kids (DD14 , DD12 and DS7 ) with a visit to Ariels to see all the princesses. We will be celebrating 2 birthdays while we are there. Lets hope the princesses take some extra time with my Kids and that the food isn't that terrible This is our first time to visit and as it sounds right now it may be our last!!

We are really picking it apart but the reason we keep going back is because my daughter gets so excited to see the princesses. To me those pictures and her face lighting up when the princesses come by make up for a little mediocre food. Your kids will probably have a great time and say to you as my daughter said to me in Disneyland "You are the best mom ever".

 

[Crazy4Goofy]

We are really picking it apart but the reason we keep going back is because my daughter gets so excited to see the princesses. To me those pictures and her face lighting up when the princesses come by make up for a little mediocre food. Your kids will probably have a great time and say to you as my daughter said to me in Disneyland "You are the best mom ever".

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!! I needed to hear that. I am taking my kids because I know my girls would love to see the Princesses especailly Ariel (with legs , and Belle)!! I guess I shouldn't worry about how great the food is and just concentrate on my kids having a great time and meeting all the princesses!! I can't wait to see the look on their faces when my DH and I surprise them with lunch with the princesses!! btw their grandparents and great grandmother will also be surprising them by joining us for lunch too!! It is going to be great!!

 

[chickybanky]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!! I needed to hear that. I am taking my kids because I know my girls would love to see the Princesses especailly Ariel (with legs , and Belle)!! I guess I shouldn't worry about how great the food is and just concentrate on my kids having a great time and meeting all the princesses!! I can't wait to see the look on their faces when my DH and I surprise them with lunch with the princesses!! btw their grandparents and great grandmother will also be surprising them by joining us for lunch too!! It is going to be great!!

Aw, that's great! They're going to love it!

 

[pixiewings71]

You will have a great time!! They don't allow more than 1 pic with Ariel but they do with the other Princesses. With Ariel you can take your own pics though, they will actually have you stand next to the photographer and take your picture and if you want to be in it too they will even take one with your camera. They have never rushed us thru our Ariel pic, she always chats with the girls a bit. Just don't expect gourmet food and you won't be disappointed!

 

[ironpig70]

We are really picking it apart but the reason we keep going back is because my daughter gets so excited to see the princesses. To me those pictures and her face lighting up when the princesses come by make up for a little mediocre food. Your kids will probably have a great time and say to you as my daughter said to me in Disneyland "You are the best mom ever".

this is exactly why i do it. for my kids.

 

[sand2270]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!! I needed to hear that. I am taking my kids because I know my girls would love to see the Princesses especailly Ariel (with legs , and Belle)!! I guess I shouldn't worry about how great the food is and just concentrate on my kids having a great time and meeting all the princesses!! I can't wait to see the look on their faces when my DH and I surprise them with lunch with the princesses!! btw their grandparents and great grandmother will also be surprising them by joining us for lunch too!! It is going to be great!!

No problem. I know as adults we can be more jaded . While we were all being honest I realized we were taking away from what the experience is about...kids meeting the princesses.

I try to see Disney through my daughter's eyes and also remember what it felt like when I was a kid. Do I remember what I ate when I was a kid...no? What do I remember...I remember my mom going on Space Mountain with my little brother because she thought he would be scared but she was the one who was sick after (still makes me laugh). I remember my fascination the first time I saw It's A Small World and I still love that ride because it takes me back to that feeling. Meeting the princesses face to face will be a great memory for your kids and none of you will remember or care what you ate.

I hope you have a great trip.

 

[aprincess@mail.com]

let them know that your celebrating birthdays, they sing for everyone!

 

[Crazy4Goofy]

let them know that your celebrating birthdays, they sing for everyone!

I will for sure tell them we have birthdays, my two girls plus my grandmother!! This is going to be sweet!! Thank you all again for helping me realize that its not about the food, only my children and the wonderful memories we will make together!!

 

[Terrif]

My ceasar salad was great (I asked for dressing on the side). The fish and chips, salmon blt was also good. Chocolate cake was yummy!!

 

[lindsnlogansmom]

We went a couple of years ago and my brother in law bit into some sort of screw. It was horrible. He almost broke his tooth and they acted like we planted it there or something! Needless to say we have never been back and probably never will. Even before that incident the food was not very good and we only saw Minnie Mouse and Ariel.

 

[Monkey Monkey]

We went a couple of years ago and my brother in law bit into some sort of screw. It was horrible. He almost broke his tooth and they acted like we planted it there or something! Needless to say we have never been back and probably never will. Even before that incident the food was not very good and we only saw Minnie Mouse and Ariel.

OMGosh!!! How awful!

A friend of mine had a dead fly on her chocolate cake plate at Wine Country Trattoria last week, and our waitress made it sound like my friend put it there too! Horrible service. Walt Disney would be horrified!

 

[ashbyyokosuka]

i just got back from eating there--
and i thought it was OK

i had the penne pasta and my DD (10--an adult ) had the pot pie and hardly ate ANY of it (i told her she wouldn't like it)
youngest had fish and chips and basically ate it all
and DH had a hamburger.

it was worth it for the characters coming around to the table~

 

[pixiewings71]

Just a quick note, my DD11 eats from the kids menu, we just ask for one for her and explain that as small as she is she simply can't order from the adult menu. There hasn't been a problem at all, they've been very nice about it. I mean really, over 9 is an adult? ya whateva! LOL Of course if you prepurchase your vouchers then you will have already paid for an adult meal, might as well get it right?

 

[bumbershoot]

OMGosh!!! How awful!

A friend of mine had a dead fly on her chocolate cake plate at Wine Country Trattoria last week, and our waitress made it sound like my friend put it there too! Horrible service. Walt Disney would be horrified!

I have been unfortunate enough to discover a dead fly in my fave to-go salad from a local place, not once but twice.

Both times DH took the salad back to the place, got a completely new salad (he held onto the nasty one while they made a new one), and probably $20 worth of credit for the future, and they generally threw in a second salad for his trouble.

If the tiny It's Greek To Me in Tacoma can do that for their customers (who have gone HOME by the time they find the nasty thing), one would think Disney could, too! Or at least not look at you like you're carrying flies (or screws! ) around to mess with them.




ashby.....glad to know the characters made the meal worth it. We have a breakfast scheduled there in a few weeks, and I'm hoping they don't mess up eggs too much, LOL, but IF it can keep me from having to stand in the PFF line again for my son (he loves the ladies!) I'm sure it will be worth it...