By Allergy Mom Diva
Dining with the princesses has been one of my daughter’s favorite Disneyland Resort experiences. Naturally, we were disappointed when Ariel’s Grotto closed, but I kept hoping that the Disneyland Resort would bring back some variation of this popular experience. They must have heard my wish, as they introduced the new Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures! We recently checked out this new dining experience, and I can’t wait to share all of the details with you!
Location
From Thursdays through Mondays, guests can enjoy breakfast with the princesses at the upscale Napa Rose, located inside Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.
Diva Tip: Reserve this experience for the first or last day of your trip when you aren’t heading into the Parks, as you don’t need a park ticket to dine at any of the Disneyland Resort hotels.
Experience
The Disney Princess Breakfast Adventure includes a three-course breakfast, along with many princess interactions, photo opportunities, activities, and keepsakes for the kids. This is a leisurely meal that lasts about two hours, where dining is interspersed with visits with the princesses. It costs $125 (plus taxes and gratuities) for adults and children ages 3 and up (under 3 are free!). There are no annual passholder discounts.
Arrival
When we first arrived, we were directed to the lounge to wait for our table. Each of the lounge tables had Rapunzel-themed Tic-Tac-Toe boards to keep the kids occupied during this wait. I liked that extra thoughtfulness, although a certain child (who shall remain nameless) was quite hungry by that time and may have accused her mom of cheating…I’m still trying to figure out how one cheats at Tic-Tac-Toe, but apparently, it’s possible!
Rapunzel or another princess usually greets guests in the lounge area, but that didn’t happen when we went. We also waited about a half an hour for our table, so the princess interaction would have been a nice distraction for my famished daughter (and her hungry mom… Diva Tip to Myself – eat a snack beforehand to prevent my hangry self from arguing with a preschooler about the rules of Tic-Tac-Toe).
Diva Tip: Reserve an earlier dining adventure to avoid missing any experiences. We had the last reservation of the morning, and things were somewhat winding down.
My daughter was also able to choose between two cute autograph books and pens (of course, she picked the princess-themed items!).
Diva Tip: Feel free to use the autograph book, or save it as a keepsake – it’s completely up to you! When I was a child, I loved seeing how many characters’ signatures I could get in my little book. They can also help facilitate conversations between less outgoing kids and the characters. Nevertheless, I sometimes “forget” to give my daughter her autograph book when she is meeting a character (or a princess). The interactions seem to be more engaging and last longer when we aren’t worried about the autograph book. We used it for some of the princess conversations, but not all of them.
Princesses
Each dining table was beautifully set (look at that “rose” napkin inside the tea cup – so cute!). Soon after being seated, we were given drink menus and then greeted by Princess Tiana. Aurora and Jasmine stopped by our table soon afterwards. As we ate, we could see Belle reading a story to children on the patio and Pocahontas practicing warrior poses with other kids.
In the middle of our meal, we were told one mysterious princess needed to swim away soon, and the cast member asked if we wanted to meet her. My daughter was thrilled to find her favorite princess, Ariel, in a separate room. There was a Disney PhotoPass photographer there to take pictures, and we were given a code to download the pictures for “free” (it was included in our dining experience).
Towards the end of our meal, my daughter couldn’t resist any longer and wanted to visit Belle (it is pure torture for a princess-in-training to watch one her favorite princesses for more than an hour without being able to greet her). Typically, kids are brought outside to the patio after the meal is over. She sat on a rug while Belle read a story, and then she moved on to practice warrior poses with Pocahontas.
As we walked back inside to finish our food, a cast member mentioned that there was yet another princess waiting to meet us in the separate room. My daughter excitedly met Mulan there, and we were able to get another code for more digital photo downloads.
Overall, we met seven princesses, and we were able to interact with a couple of them more than once throughout our meal. It was a great experience for those that love princesses!
First Course
The first course was delivered on a tower for all to share. Each person could select one of each item:
- Banana Wraps in a crepe with Nutella and berry compote
- Tangled Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
- Mini Lobster Rolls
- Magic Carpet Parfaits
- Beignets (this was my favorite!)
We also had a separate plate that accommodated my daughter’s food allergies. She was served a vegan Magic Carpet Parfait, the Mini Lobster Roll, a caramelized banana (without the Nutella), and the Tangled Ham Sandwich (without cheese).
Second Course
The second course was a buffet of hot entrée’ selections, and everything we tried was delicious! Papas Bravas were also brought to our table, which are seasoned French Fries served with ketchup.
The buffet food included:
- Mini Chicken and Mickey Waffles
- “Perfect Scrambled Eggs”
- Mac & Cheese
- Bacon
- Sausage
- Roasted Tomatoes and Asparagus
- Braised Short Ribs
- Barbeque Beef Sliders
- Fruit
The chef made my daughter a plate of her own “allergy-safe” food based on the items that she would have liked from the buffet. Of course, Mickey waffles are always a must! These ones were free of the top eight most common allergens.
Third Course
As if that wasn’t enough food, a tower of dessert selection arrived! The desserts were adorable and themed after the princesses. They were (almost) too cute to eat! As an extra special touch, the cast member sprinkled edible gold glitter on the desserts (at the request of the Fairy Godmother, of course!). The desserts were:
- Pocahontas Peanut Butter Crunch
- Princess Cake Pops
- Ariel’s Sea Shells (my favorite – macrons filled with mango and passion fruit)
- Belle’s Raspberry Bouquet
- Mulan’s Firecracker Sorbet (topped with Pop Rocks that completely caught me off guard! I actually thought it was a great addition once I realized why my food was exploding in my mouth)
My daughter again received her own mini-tower of desserts to accommodate her allergies. It included oatmeal cookies, cake pops, sorbet topped with COTTON CANDY (so fun!), and a vegan tapioca pudding. It was very exciting that she was offered a variety of dessert choices, as finding safe desserts is usually challenging.
Keepsakes
In addition to the princess interactions and the delicious meal, we also received a few keepsakes. I already mentioned the autograph book and pen, but each child was also able to choose between a crown necklace or a shield and sword set. There was also a cinch sack to hold all of our goodies. I had heard that guests also received princess themed truffles, but we weren’t given those. I forgot to ask about it, but maybe we didn’t get them because of my daughter’s allergies.
Overall
All in all, it was a very fun experience. My daughter was able to spend quality time with her favorite princesses, and the food was fantastic. With its higher price, I think this is a great option reserved for a special occasion.
Are you now tempted to visit the Disneyland Resort and meet all of the princesses? Contact our recommended travel agent, Patricia at All Dreams for Travel. She can help you plan a magical trip, and best of all, her services are free!
