Disneyland Dining--Ariel's Grotto

Ariel is the husband's favorite Princess.

 One of the goals for our Summer 2015 vacation to Disneyland was to try all of the character dining.  We figured if we were only going to make this trip once, we better do it up right!  So on the first day we visited Disney's California Adventure, we made an 11:00 am reservation to dine at Ariel's Grotto.

 Ariel's Grotto is located in the Paradise Pier area of the park.  Walk up and over the "bridge" to find Ariel's Grotto on the right hand side, overlooking the water.  Ariel's Grotto features character dining for both breakfast and lunch.

 We checked in outside of the restaurant, were given a buzzer/pager, and when it went off, we went inside.  It was then that we were placed in a line going down the spiral staircase with continuous reminders to stay to the right.  Note:  Checking in and making our way down the stairs (there is an elevator, too) was the worst part of this experience.  We didn't really know where we were going or why, and no one seemed to want to fill us in.  By the time we got to the bottom of the stairs, we had figured out what was happening.

Bathrooms are also located on the bottom floor, just to the left of the bottom of the staircase.

At the bottom of the stairs, Ariel was greeting guests.  A Photopass photographer was on hand to take photos.  Guests could either purchase the photo package or if they had Photopass +, the photo package was included as well as having the photos added to their Photopass account.

 The restaurant has two distinct areas--inside and outside.  The inside was designed to give the impression of being "under the sea" and outside overlooked the water of the World of Color Lagoon.  We were seated inside.  Watching the function of the restaurant, it was evident that all tables inside were seated first and then the outside which functioned well for the visiting Disney Princesses.

We were given menus for lunch and the bread course was delivered to our table. 

The boy was hungry.  Well, we all were given the time change, the 7:00 am park opening, it had been several hours since we had eaten breakfast in our hotel room.  We had even devoured the snacks in our bags waiting in the Olaf meet and greet line earlier in the morning.

 

Soon the music blared and our attention was drawn to the court appointed spokesman for the visiting Disney Princesses.  He delivered his lines in a way that left guests excited and guessing as to which Disney Princess would be coming and once announced, appropriate music played along with a bit of a dance as a the Princess appeared.  The Princesses came out one at a time, with an appropriate amount of time in between as to allow the Princess to get a start moving from table to table.  We were sitting at the table furthest back from the happenings, but could still see and hear just fine.

 The soup course arrived--Lobster Bisque--yummy.  We had a choice of soup or salad with our entree.

 Rapunzel was the first Disney Princess to come to our table.  Great interaction, autographs, and photos.  It was at this character meal that I determined that mom's don't get to eat at character meals. Preparing autograph paraphernalia and readying the camera, and then capturing the shots kept me from getting at my meal.  Oh, well!

Belle was next in her lovely yellow frock.

 And then, our meal was served.  The boy had Sauteed Shrimp and Angel Hair Pasta - with seasonal vegetables and basil, tossed in a tomato broth and very much enjoyed it even though the picture does not indicate as such.  The shrimp came with tails on and had to be cut off.

 I had Fire-Roasted Corn Cakes - sauteed spinach, onions, and shiitake mushrooms with spicy bean salsa and chili oil drizzle and it was delicious.  The boy asked for a bite and gave my dish a thumbs up.  One of the many things I appreciate about the boy is his willingness to try new foods.

The husband ordered the Fresh Catch of the day and was very impressed.

 Soon Tiana and Cinderella were at our table saying hello.

Then it was time for dessert which is a sampler platter featuring creme brulee, an all around favorite of the entire family. 

Be ready to shell (get it?) some bucks for this meal as even for lunch, it was expensive.  We had pre-purchased Premium Character Dining Vouchers and used them to pay for this meal.  The voucher also included tax and gratuity.  There are Passholder and DVC discounts available.

It was, however, one of our favorite meals and experiences.  The food was top notch and the service was great.  Once we got past the chaos of the upstairs, it was as if we were in a different world on the bottom level. 

As far as I know, this is the only place to meet Ariel in all of Disneyland.  The other Princesses can be found in the other park.  If I were in search of Disney Princesses, coming to California Adventure for this experience along with being able to meet Anna and Elsa would do the trick.

How We Checked Off Fantasyland During Morning Extra Magic Hours at Disneyland

We had 4 days to tour Disneyland Park—Magic Kingdom.  Out of those 4 days, we knew we could be a rope drop for 3 of them.  One of those Extra Magic Hours mornings was dedicated to Fantasyland. 

It didn’t take us long to realize a recently re-opened Peter Pan’s would need to be an early morning target.  Wait times shortly after park opening hit 70-90 minutes and stayed that way throughout the day and at Disneyland, this attraction is not a Fastpass attraction.

So, we were a part of the pack that walked through Sleeping Beauty’s Castle and wound our way through the queue for Peter Pan’s Flight.  We were in the first 30 or so people to make it onto the attraction.  The crowd was behind us as by the time we exited the ride, the wait times had hit 70 minutes.

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride was next as the entrance was right next to Peter Pan’s exit.  No wait!   Loved how the beginning of this ride makes an extra turn for the car on the left.  You think you’re going a different direction, but it is really just a U-turn.  Funny!

Momentum was with us at this point and we paced across the courtyard to Snow White’s Scary Adventures.  I vaguely recall this now closed attraction from Walt Disney World and the Disneyland version is better. 

Pinocchio’s Daring Journey was next.  The crowd really was behind us, or so we thought.  It wasn’t until we went around the corner to Alice in Wonderland that the lines were starting to form. 

The boy and the husband rode Mad Tea Party then we settled in for what was a reasonable wait for Alice in Wonderland.  This attraction has recently undergone a renovation and includes some interesting technology.

It wasn’t 8:00 am by the time we exited Alice in Wonderland.  Storybook Land Canal Boats were our next target, but they didn’t open until 8:00 am.  So we headed to “It’s a small world” where there was no line. 

We then queued up for Storybook Land Canal Boats and other than Jungle Cruise, it was one of the longest lines we waited in during our visit.

But, we had done it.  All of the attractions we wanted to ride, including the boy hopping into the single rider line of Matterhorn Bobsleds.

Staying At Paradise Pier--A Disneyland Resort Hotel

When conducting the research for our summer 2015 family vacation to Disneyland and Legoland, we learned that while Disneyland has many “Good Neighbor” hotels that offer perks and amenities, we wanted to stay “on property.”  There were three on property Disneyland Hotels to choose from:  Grand Californian, Disneyland Hotel, and Paradise Pier. . . in descending order by price.

We originally had planned to stay at the Grand Californian and Disneyland Hotel and quickly realized we were pricing ourselves out of a trip.  So, we changed the plan to a 4 night stay at the Disneyland Hotel and a 5 night stay at Paradise Pier—a shorter stay at the more expensive hotel and longer stay at the less expensive hotel. 

While we enjoyed the Disneyland Hotel, we REALLY enjoyed our stay at Paradise Pier. 

When we arrived, after a long ride from Carlsbad (Legoland), we let Bell Services take our luggage and were greeted warmly by the Cast Members at the front desk.  We were quickly given our room number, keys to the room, and resort information.  I didn’t even wait to call Bell Services with the room number, but instead, told them at the Bell Services Desk located near the elevator.

We used the glass elevator (think Embassy Suites) to take us to the 9^th floor where our room was located.

The room was spacious!  Two queen sized beds and a couch that could pulls out to accommodate more guests if needed.  There was a desk, a TV console that included storage and a mini-refrigerator.  The bathroom was a nice size and so was the double closet.  (By this time in our trip, we had suitcases that weren’t being used as they held laundry so it was nice to be able to store them away and not take up space in the room.)  My favorite part was a small nook with a shelf located in the hallway between the bathroom and main area.  This nook had glasses and the coffee maker.  I turned it into a charging center—as there was an outlet, and our laundry hamper fit nicely under the shelf in the nook. 

Kiddie pool and water slide

Main pool--step only entry and deep end

Hot tub

The pool was located on the 3^rd floor—a roof top pool.  It featured a nice size pool along with a hot tub.  Up a few steps and guest found a kiddie pool and water slide.  This deck also featured a bar that closed at 6:00 pm, a tent covered area that was used for parties or other gatherings, and tables and chairs throughout.  Pool-side beverage service was available during the bar hours.

One of the elevators--themed to the hotel

In addition to the hotel amenities, the best part was the location!  Out our room, down the elevator, across the street, and a short walk through the Grand Californian and we were at either park entrance!  There’s a not-so-secret entrance from the Grand Californian into California Adventure that we took advantage of twice during our stay at Paradise Pier.  If we were headed to Disneyland, we still went through the Grand Californian but turned a different way and ended up coming out at Downtown Disney near the World of Disney Store, just steps from Disneyland’s entrance.

Crossing the street to the Grand Californian

While it may have been a similar distance from the Disneyland Hotel, it sure didn’t seem like it.  Maybe it was because at the Disneyland Hotel, we had to walk an additional distance to our “tower”.  And, we liked the fact that all rooms in Paradise Pier were in one building, not spread out across several.

Ready for rooftop fireworks viewing

What we did take advantage of was watching the Disneyland fireworks from the pool deck.  Each night, weather permitting, the music was piped in and we could watch the fireworks from a comfy chair on the rooftop.  One evening we watched the fireworks from the fire escape deck located just outside our room in the hallway.  Some guest rooms overlook California Adventure and guests would get a nightly view of World of Color. 

Resort entertainment including movies on the pool deck, afternoon pool games near the kiddie pool area, and pin trading daily at 4:00 pm, were also available.  The husband the boy took advantage of the pin trading.

The resort also offered dining with the Surfside Lounge near the lobby and Disney’s PCH Grill—a buffet restaurant that had character dining in the morning and had just started serving a new evening buffet meal when we arrived.  One evening, we ordered sandwiches to go from Surfside Lounge and ate them on the rooftop.  And, we did have breakfast at the PCH Grill one morning.

Prior to checking out the next morning, the Concierge checked us in for our flights and printed our boarding passes.  I had called and inquired if this service was available--yes it was!  Also on the morning of check-out, Bell Services came to our room to get our luggage and even weighed it for us allowing me to make adjustments to the luggage before going to the airport and possibly incurring fees.  Tips all around, of course.

Taking an afternoon pool break.

Our room on the 9th floor

If we were to go back to Disneyland, we would not hesitate to stay in Paradise Pier again.  When I was talking to another guest at California Adventure, he said that he didn’t stay there because they couldn’t offer him a room with a park view.  I then told him about the rooftop fireworks viewing and reminded him that he didn’t have a park view from where he was staying which was the Disneyland Hotel.

A little homework goes a long way!