Ariel's grotto?

[mickey+minnie91]

I made reservations to eat at Ariels grotto. Has anyone eaten here and it is worth it. Any idea whats on the menu?

 

[SunDevilDaddy]

We just ate there last Saturday. You can find their menu all over the internet but I think that it has changed a little bit. I don't remember there being as many dessert options at the restaurant as there are online. But, both the food and service was excellent. In fact, my family was more impressed with Ariels Grotto than with the Blue Bayou.

We had the Hamburger (which was gourmet), Meatloaf, Pasta, and Salmon BLT. All were delicious and everyone felt that it was worth it.

When you go to the Grotto you will walk down a flight of stairs and there your party will be greated by Ariel. You get rushed through a single picture and autographs prior to being seated. From there on, there is no more interaction with Ariel herself. But, 4-5 princesses will enter the dining room throughout the course of your meal and make their way from table to table. They are all excellent and do a real good job of staying in character and interacting with the kids. We found that it is up to you to determine how long they stay at your table... if you interact with them, they tend to spend more quality time with you. If you do the autograph and picture thing they will smile politely and move on to the next table.

Both my kids had a great time and it was well worth the price. Everyone in our party felt that this was by far the best dining experience we had while at DLR.

 

[squirrel]

What's included in the price?

Is it a 3 course meal?

Just lunch/dinner, drink and dessert?

 

[ArielAdventurer]

We really like Ariel's Grotto..we went 3 weeks ago..I think they have scaled it down a bit..I loved the cotton candy that came with every meal..and was sorry it was gone..it added that touch of carnival from the boardwalk of DCA...My daughter missed the pail and shovel that used to come with the chicken nuggets..
I usually get the Boathouse Salad..fish and chips..and the apple dessert...My husband loves the chocolate dessert..I can't remember what it is called..

 

[SunDevilDaddy]

What's included in the price?

Is it a 3 course meal?

Just lunch/dinner, drink and dessert?

It is a 3 course meal. Your choice of side salad, or 2 types of soup. Main course. And of course dessert. I think there were only 3 dessert options when we ate last week, cake, parfait, and maybe a cobbler.

The kids meals are just the same quality as anywhere else in the park. Very lacking... but the adults meals are surprisingly high quality.

 

[Mom2micayla]

We've been there a few times. IMO the food is just "meh". Not bad but expensive for what you get. I've always gotten the pot pie. I really enjoy it (obviously it'll depend on your tastes). Although the last time I went I noticed that all the sudden the portion size of the pot pie was quite a bit smaller than the previous times. My husband has gotten the burger and the fish & chips before and said both were decent. Kids meals are pretty much standard fare. My girls have gotten mac 'n cheese and spaghetti and liked both. They thought the octo-dog was very cool. But generally they are too excited to eat much.

Click on the menu to see what they offer and what to expect as far as prices. The menu appears to be fairly up to date. There may be slight changes to the desserts, but I believe the main courses are correct. http://www.dlresortinfo.com/DCAMenus/dcamenus.html

 

[brenda1966]

I highly recommend the salmon BLT. It is very yummy!

 

[forevercruising]

We used to love Ariel's Grotto -- we went a lot about three or four years ago and the food was excellent; however, we just went again about two weeks ago and we were disappointed in the food. The food quality has definitely gone downhill. We had the pasta and the pot pie, which were both very average. The children's meal was average and we thought the children's meal was very over-priced. We thought that, even though the food was average, the overall value of the adult meal was good because you get a beverage, soup or salad, entree, and a dessert (the dessert was also very average). So, if average food is okay, at least you get a full meal for a fairly low price!

Now...although the food does not get high marks from us, the quality of service, the atmosphere, and the special princess events were excellent! We were very impressed with the time Ariel took with the children at the beginning, before the meal. We also LOVE being seated outside, over the water. When we were being seated, they had not opened that section yet, but, when we asked to sit there, they had no problem opening the section for us.

So: Food = VERY average
Everything Else = Excellent

If I were to advise someone on whether to go or not, I would say YES, just don't expect the food to be top of the line. It's a great place and experience, so it's definitely trying at least once.

I hope this helps! Enjoy!

 

[Misskitty3]

We ate there in November and it was our favorite meal during our whole trip. I had the salad which was awesome and the vegetarian pasta dish which was also awesome.

BTW, you are not required to purchase a meal for your small children either. Our kids (1 yr old and 3 yr old at the time) just shared our meals. So the 4 of ate there and only purchased 2 dinners.

 

[hlbtimes2]

BTW, you are not required to purchase a meal for your small children either. Our kids (1 yr old and 3 yr old at the time) just shared our meals. So the 4 of ate there and only purchased 2 dinners.

Just so no one reads this and thinks they can take the kids and not pay- kids over 3 do require a meal purchase. Under 3 and they eat free at most character meals (buffets).

 

[Misskitty3]

Just so no one reads this and thinks they can take the kids and not pay- kids over 3 do require a meal purchase. Under 3 and they eat free at most character meals (buffets).

Maybe I was given the wrong info, if that is the case thanks for clarifing. Because Ariel's is not a buffet, I was told DH and I could order our meals and our kids could share. That is what we did with no questions asked by the servers.

 

[Amy&Dan]

If your kids were both three or under then you were fine at Ariels or a buffet. If you had had a four year old, then you would have been obligated to purchase a child's meal for them. But children three or under are always free at any Disney restaurant to share off their parents' plates. At a buffet, you can even get them their own plate, they are fine with that. Its just if you order them something specifically at a non buffet you will be charged. You're just not charged to share with a young child. Although, in essence, its the honor system, if you have a smallish four year old they would have no way of knowing that child needed their own meal.

 

[hrhlaurie]

Ariel's Grotto was one of the highlights of our trip. My 3 1/2 yo granddaughter was thrilled and we thought it was a speacial experience. She dressed as Ariel and other little girls were also in princess costumes so it was a festive, party atmosphere.

We didn't feel too hurried when meeting Ariel. She talked to Savanna, posed with her, hugged her and said good bye. It was much less hurried than the character interactions in the rest of the parks.

The food was fine, we had no complaints because we knew we were paying for the whole experience and not just the food but the service was great and we had a great time.

All meals include soup or salad, drink, main course and dessert. I had unlimited iced tea, salad, fish and chips and chocolate cake. It was a lovely interlude during a busy day at the park. I took several photos and posted some on my trip report if you'd like to see the princesses and restaurant.

I wouldn't trade this lunch for anything because it made my granddaughter so happy and much easier than the PFF!