Big news from Magic Kingdom!
It was announced last week that a certain Princess meet and greet would finally be returning to Magic Kingdom, and that day is finally here. That’s right — Ariel has returned to her Grotto!
Ariel’s Grotto is located next to Under The Sea — Journey of the Little Mermaid in Magic Kingdom. The meet and greet spot has been closed ever since the parks closed in 2020 due to the global pandemic, and today it finally reopened! The estimated wait time was 30 minutes when we hopped in line, and the wait time was accurate!
Ariel is back in her Grotto and there is currently a 30-minute stand-by wait to meet her! 🧜♀️ pic.twitter.com/FOVYsRYd0u
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) January 22, 2023
We were able to meet Ariel for the first time in a while!
She sends all her best out there to ALL OF YOU!
We're finally a part of Ariel's world again! 🌟
Ariel's Grotto is welcoming guests once again in Magic Kingdom starting today 🐠 pic.twitter.com/3OPgoqKgQM
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) January 22, 2023
We enjoyed seeing Ariel again in her regular spot!
One thing we also noticed is that there is no PhotoPass photographer available at this meet-and-greet. Instead, there’s an Automated PhotoPass camera hidden among Ariel’s thingamabobs that she’s collected.
If you’re hoping to meet Ariel, be sure to check your My Disney Experience App to see when she’ll be meeting guests. Be on the lookout for another character experience returning to Magic Kingdom next month, and stay tuned to DFB for all the latest Disney news!
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When was the last time you met Ariel? Tell us in the comments!





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