Dining at Ariel’s Grotto

I did very little research for my Disneyland trip, as I enjoy the element of surprise, but we did want to book a nice place to eat for our date night. I originally made a reservation at the new Carthay Circle restaurant as it seemed to be getting great reviews online. When I checked the menu and didn’t fall head over fin for any entree I decided to continue to look around again and eventually chose Ariel’s Grotto. Yeah, maybe it’s not the first place you’d think of for an elegant dinner but I’m about to change your mind…

As a huge admirer of chandeliers and creative lighting fixtures, or “chandy candy” as I deliciously coin them, there was a lot to appreciate when looking up at Ariel’s.

My friend recommended dining here at dusk to witness the sunset and the lights of Paradise Pier being turned on for the night. It was nice to see the change from day to night from this point of view.

Of course Ariel was there and as we first walked in too! I remembered the entrance of this restaurant from a video of these adorable little girls in Disneyland from The Ellen Show.

I didn’t really know how dinner was served here. You do order an entree but there is a set appetizer and dessert which was kind of nice as both were an assortment of foods and flavors. This sour dough bread flower was cute.

Our appetizer tier.

Fabulous, aquatic chandy candy! I couldn’t stop peeping the ceiling.

It came as a surprise that this was a character dining experience but I definitely didn’t mind when a parade of princesses came around to take pictures with. Aurora liked my crown of course. I was also surprised at how much faster they made their way around the restaurant compared to some places I’ve been to in Walt Disney World. For example at the Crystal Palace here, Piglet has sat down with me before and done a bunch of cute things. Jim thought they may have been quick because we didn’t have any kids with us. Little do they know, I become 5 years old at the mere mention of Disney.

I had to sneak a close-up of Belle’s dress because it had some lovely rhinestones on it.

I had the chicken and it was delicious though I ate it too fast to photograph it. hehe. Here is our dessert plate. The lava cake was so good I’d go there just for that! The white chocolate Ariel was adorable though I felt odd taking a bite out of her fin. In the bottom left corner there is a white chocolate conch shell. Loved the dedication to theme.

The bathroom had this fabulous glowy mirror that I had to share. Do check it out if you go! Pretty bathrooms are another favorite of mine to admire.

Another pretty light. Much nicer in person.

Night time view from inside.

I really enjoyed the dim, bubbly atmosphere of Ariel’s Grotto. The food and service were excellent along with the view. The location on the water made it so nice and the interior design was fun. I’m glad we chose to dine here and highly recommend swimming in to try it!