The New Disneyland Princess Breakfast
“They say if you dream a thing more than once, it’s sure to come true.” -Sleeping Beauty
We were treated to the most magical experience attending Disneyland’s newest Princess Breakfast Adventure at the California Grand Hotel. Being a former Disney Princess and working at many different dining experiences throughout my seven years with the company, my expectations were high. We also have dined at many character restaurants with our children in the past 6 years, so I had ideas of what it should be like before ever walking in…
When I first heard that Ariel’s Grotto was closing (which was the only restaurant that you could dine with the princesses) I knew immediately that Disneyland would need to replace this experience. Ariel’s Grotto was always busy and people love to be able to have the chance to celebrate a special occasion while meeting their favorite princess and having their cake too (quite literally).
Then I found out that they were going to make a new Princess Breakfast at Napa Rose (my favorite Disneyland restaurant and probably one of the most expensive). And then came the price tag…$125 per person (beginning at age 3). Yikes! My mouth dropped. I know Disney is expensive, but I thought this is crazy.
Find out if the new #princessbreakfast @disneyland is worth the high price! #disneyland Click To TweetFast forward to getting invited to the Princess Breakfast I knew we had to go so I could really evaluate why is it so expensive and if it is really worth the cost! I hate to be the bearer of bad news…but…it is worth the cost. I know, I know, you think I have to say that, but I really don’t and here are my reasons I believe it’s worth the price.
AND I also want to point out that if you were to plan a birthday party for your child (even if you only invite immediate family) you would probably spend about $500 on food, cake, some decorations and a gift (and I think I’m going low, we usually spend even more than that on our parties because we include some sort of activity or entertainment). SO my point is…if you forgo the party and just take the birthday child and parent(s) (possibly a sibling) then I think it equals out, plus it’s WAY LESS WORK!
***PIN THIS IMAGE***
Now here are my reasons I believe it’s worth the cost…(and if you would rather just watch a video about it, I have that too)!
The Atmosphere & Attention to Detail – The California Grand Hotel is one of my favorite places ever (no joke) you feel like you have left Disneyland and have headed somewhere secluded and yet still magical. Napa Rose, the fine dining restaurant inside the hotel has always been a special place to eat, but now it is even more charming. As soon as you step inside, children are given the choice of an autograph book for the characters to sign, there is live music playing, a place to play tic-tac-toe and friendly “adventure guides” are there to greet you.
The table even had name settings to make your little one feel so special with beautiful fresh flowers.
The Food and Drinks – When we checked in I was able to specify that I had a food intolerance to gluten and they relayed the message to my server who did a great job giving me alternative options as the meal went along. It was a 3-course meal, which I thought was super filling and had a great variety of choices. There was also a menu just for special drinks, some alcoholic and some non-alcoholic.
I sampled the “Still Royal after Midnight” which was a super tasty mimosa. We also got the “Fearless Guardian” which was for Rosie. I thought both were light and refreshing.
We immediately were treated to a basket of baked goodies with a fresh lemon curd, Rosie devoured these sweets!;)
The first course was a tower of goodness; Lobster rolls, Abu’s banana wrap, Tiana’s beignet’s, Magic Carpet Parfait and the Tangled Sandwich. I loved the parfait and the banana wrap the best, Rosie loved the beignet the best (no surprise).
Then for the second course we were treated to a buffet that had scrambled eggs, Mickey waffles (they can make gluten free ones), fresh fruits, braised short rib, house made Mac-n-cheese, bar-b-que beef sliders and roasted tomato and asparagus.
Then for our third course, dessert!! We had Pochantas Peanut Butter Crunch, Princess Chocolate Cake Pops (which were a huge hit), Belle’s Bouquet, Ariels Mango Seashells and Mulan’s Firecracker Sorbet (which was so good).
The Characters – Right away you are welcome to meet one of the princesses in the lobby while you wait to be seated.
Sometimes I still run into a princess friend!;)
Then once you are at your table the princesses start to make their rounds.
They are able to spend a good amount of time at each table chatting, signing autograph books and taking photos.
The Overall Experience – Once you are done inside, there is more to do outside on the patio. Mulan was having story time and Pocahontas was giving rowing lessons. I would imagine the stories and activities will change depending on the princesses that are on the patio.
As you leave the patio you are ushered in to meet one last princess at a photo location with a photo pass photographer who can take professional photos.
Then as you finally leave, there is one more surprise for your child. They get to pick a beautiful crown necklace or a shield of strength. They also get a draw-string bag with a package of princess chocolates to top it off.
The entire meal and experience could easily take about 2 hours and your child has the chance to see so many princesses without feeling rushed. In the park there is still a place to meet 3 princesses, but chances are you will probably stand in line for at least 40 minutes or longer. Hours of operation for the Princess Breakfast Adventure are: Thursday through Monday 8am-12pm beginning Saturday, March 30th, 2019.
This was such a wonderful experience from start to finish and truly worth the money for a special occasion. So my advice to you would be, skip the birthday party and just let Disney do all the work!;) You won’t regret it!!
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What a fabulous breakfast tea!!! I’m not sure I’ve even enjoyed a Mother’s day breakfast so unique!! lol
It is expensive! And I understand it is not a every day event!!! But I have to be honest, I’ve been shocked at my tap at Chic Fil A!
However, I love special tea parties and I just want to say the cost of food, flowers, entertainment and gifts is so expensive. And that doesn’t even cover the cost of endless hours of labor for the preparations and clean up! I know because I’ve tried to do it.
Cherish the event and enjoy every minute of it!! The memories will outweight the cost! ❤️
This sounds like a great time. I liked the concept of Ariel’s Grotto, but have been very disappointed with how quickly the princesses were ushered from table to table. I used to love the character breakfasts from my childhood (25 years ago) when they were less structured and the characters would just wander and play instead of walk to each table take one photo and leave to the next. This sounds a little more like that experience. It is VERY expensive though. Currently planning a birthday party and our limit on parties is under $200 with gifts and we have over 50 people coming. I just don’t know if that justification would work for me. Maybe as a special treat gifted from family (a pitched in effort). Thanks for sharing!
Wow, you must be one thrifty party planner!;) I need your secrets! I can’t even order pizza for 50 people for $200!! I also think it is a great idea to have the child save for something like this. Our son is saving all his birthday and Christmas money to go on a trip and I think it is teaching him a very valuable lesson that not everything is cheap or easily attainable.
Thank you so much my sweet friend! This was amazing! I now know what to do for Layni’s birthday in the future! 🙌🏻❤️
Yay! I’m so glad you liked the review!
A friend told me about this post and I’m so glad I got to read it! This would be an amazing birthday experience! I love that all the princesses are there too. Thank you for all the info and pictures! 🙂
So glad you loved the post! I’m sure your little princesses would love it!
Thank-you so much for this review! We are taking our daughter for the first time in October and she is princess obsessed! The price tag really made me question whether it would be worth it, but it looks absolutely magical!
It really is amazing! Perfect for a very special occasion.
Looks like such a fun and magical experience!
It really was magical!
So fun!!! I’m so glad to know because I was wondering about it myself 😊😊 Great informative post!!
It would be a great auntie/niece birthday outing!;)
I’m so bummed that they replaced Ariel’s Grotto with this. It is fun for a special birthday but we don’t live in So Cal so when we visit Disney, we are already spending thousands to take our family of 6. It would cost me an additional $800 to take my kids here!! I just can’t do it.
I totally understand! You have every right to feel disappointed, it is very expensive for those already planning an expensive trip. Maybe it could be a right of passage for each child as they grow? Maybe when they reach a certain age they get to go with an adult? That way each child gets to experience it, but not all at the same time. Just an idea.
What an amazing experience! I love it! My daughter would love this, might have to do this with her one of these days!
It is so lovely! The perfect birthday party!