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- Smith Family, KY
Description And Comments
This is Ariel’s home turf, next to the Under the Sea ride. In the base of the seaside cliffs under Prince Eric’s Castle, Ariel (in mermaid form) greets guests from a seashell throne.
An older couple from San Antonio visited the Grotto but didn’t find what they were expecting:
The description of Ariel’s Grotto on the park map read, “Visit Ariel and all her treasures,” which led us to believe it was some sort of walk-through gallery. Curious, we were ushered into Ariel’s Treasure Room. Imagine our surprise when we saw a young woman dressed only in a clamshell bra and a fish tail. When we told her that we didn’t want to have our picture taken with her—I could just imagine having a picture of a scantily clad woman on my desk—she looked hurt and said, “You don’t want a picture of me?”
Touring Tips
- This attraction offers Lightning Lane via Genie+.
The Grotto may close 30-60 minutes before the rest of the park. The greeting area is set up almost as if to encourage guests to linger with Ariel, which keeps the line long. The queue isn’t air-conditioned, which is surprising for a venue that’s supposed to store fish.
See our Disney character meet and greet tips and frequently asked questions page for more information on meeting characters.
Meet Ariel at Her Grotto Wait Times
This chart shows you roughly how long you'll wait for Meet Ariel at Her Grotto when you visit on a day with a given Magic Kingdom Crowd Level. The blue bars represent the average "peak" wait time (that is, how long the line will be at its busiest). The bottom and top black lines represent the range of peak wait times to expect (for you fellow nerds out there: it's the 5th percentile and 95th percentile of peak wait times). Please note that these are estimates, and for a better forecast for your travel dates, see Meet Ariel at Her Grotto Wait Times.
Attraction Photos
Special Comments
- This attraction is climate-controlled (has air conditioning and heat).
Special Needs
Other Attractions in Fantasyland
- The Barnstormer
- Casey Jr. Splash 'N' Soak Station
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Enchanted Tales with Belle
- "it's a small world"
- Mad Tea Party
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Meet Cinderella and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall
- Meet Daring Disney Pals as Circus Stars at Pete's Silly Side Show
- Meet Dashing Disney Pals as Circus Stars at Pete’s Silly Side Show
- Meet Princess Tiana and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall
- Mickey's PhilharMagic
- Peter Pan's Flight
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid
- Walt Disney World Railroad - Fantasyland
Touring Plans with Meet Ariel at Her Grotto
- Magic Kingdom Happy Family One-Day Touring Plan
- Magic Kingdom Two-Day Touring Plan for Parents with Small Children - Day 1
- Magic Kingdom One-Day Touring Plan for Grandparents with Small Children
- Magic Kingdom Two-Day Late Arrival Touring Plan for Parents with Small Children - Day 1
- Magic Kingdom Parents' Plan-One Afternoon and One Full Day - Afternoon