Info about Ariel's

[carolina64]

If you were planning your event all over, would you chose Ariel's again? There are a lot of positive points that are obvious from the photos. It is a very pretty space. But what are the downsides? For example one PJ mentioned that it was a little hard to find on their own. what else should we consider?

Does Ariel's have an outdoor patio?
I found lots of pictures of the inside. It looks like the doors lead outside, but none of the pictures have them open. I have been looking through the planning journals and trip reports, but I can't tell for sure.
thanks in advance!

 

[lpizzuro123]

Unfortunately Ariels does not have an outside patio. Those doors lead to the pool at the resort. That is one of the reasons we went with ADH instead of Ariels. If your reception is during the day you will get nice light but if you open the curtins you look right out at the pool. I believe it is a walkway and it is kind of busy. Ariels is a beautiful space though.

 

[Princess SarahK]

Ariels was my top choice until I went for my planning session and saw it in person. It is beautiful, dont get me wrong! But its best if youre thinking more casual or a beachy/ocean feel. (with the fish carpet and chandeliers)..again it is beautiful but it ended up not being what I had imagined for my day. One of the good and also bad things was that it was broken up into 3 different sections or levels. If you had a buffet there was a specific place for that as well as a specific place for a dancefloor, but if you wanted everything in one big space it may be difficult to accomodate that. Another thing is that we have a lot of children in our party and with the pool being just outside of the windows we were worried it could be a potential problem, having to keep the childrens interest inside rather than fighting them to go play in the pool (Does that make sense??) Anyway.... I am not bashing Ariels or anything, I think it is great. You kind of just need to see it in person and then decide if it works for you and your vision!

If you search the posts you will find plenty of pictures of when its all done up...omg its gorgeous!

 

[ColeV]

I loved it and would definitely use it again. It was just the right size for us, and the fact that it's split up worked for our group. It kept the food separate from the guests and the musicians separate as well. I had what I would consider a fairly formal, elegant affair and it worked very well. I fell in love with the lighting more than anything. Not the fish chandeliers, although the few guests that noticed them loved them, but the up lighting around the ceiling and columns.

 

[carolina64]

oh yeah, there are a lot of pictures! that is what made us focus on it.

there are a lot of good points for that venue.
*most people are planning to stay at yacht/beach or boardwalk.
*there are at least 18 children coming, so the possibility of setting up a separate level/area for them is very appealing.
*DF's first idea was a beach type event no matter where it actually took place. but outdoor events are sometimes chancy.
*I love the look!

downside seems to be
*NO place to sneak a cigarette. we don't smoke, but several guests are hard core. (yes, officially no smoking. but.....)
*the divided dance floor. is there really enough room on one side of the aquarium?
*without a patio, no place for a breath of fresh air for the overheated.This discussion has been going on for three weeks now.

 

[ColeV]

The dance floor is much larger than it appears. We choreographed a big dance to the size of the space and even with moving all of the furniture in our living room for practice it wasn't large enough! I think our planner estimated it at 14' x 24'.
Even though there's not really a "patio", the door to the outside poolside is just before the Ariel's entrance. It would be easy to step out there if someone wanted to.

 

[carolina64]

Are there any other opinions? I looked around but I am still having a hard time saying yes. It was easier picking DF!

Thanks!

 

[carolina64]

 

[lurkyloo]

Would it be possible for you to visit and see Ariel's in person before you decide? Sometimes you really just have to be there to get a feel for the place and whether it's right for you. We were pretty sure we wanted our reception venue, but when we finally saw it in person, we knew the moment we walked in that it was exactly what we were looking for. On the other hand, a few of our potential ceremony sites turned out to be not a good fit when we visited them.

 

[DisneyDJChuck]

Here are some pics and a video of a First Dance at Ariel's- it shows off the dancefloor somewhat:

http://classicdiscjockeys.com/blog/?p=618

Hope this helps!