Disneyland Princess Breakfast Adventure
It’s here! My review of the Disneyland Princess Breakfast Adventure. I will be completely honest in this review, by stating….it was an ADVENTURE. I truly have so many opinions on it and want to give you all the information I can in a clear way, without writing a novel on the subject (Yes, I really have that much to say!) So, without further ado let me take you on my adventure.
Before arriving on the morning of our reservation I did as much research as I could. You know me…. research it as much as possible, to the point where I feel like I’ve “done it” before I even arrive. Disney had only been offering this event for about 2 weeks before we arrived, so information was scarce. I had the Disney website, and a couple of social media references to view. Directly from the Disney website it states……. “A Fairytale Experience for Everyone. Experience a magical morning of food and fun while forging new friendships with beloved Disney Princesses. Immerse yourself in a world where princesses share their passions and stories of adventure with the young and young at heart!” Another quote on the site states……… “Dine on a delicious three-course breakfast as you enjoy personal interactions, photo opportunities, a fun takeaway bag and themed activities with Disney Princesses—all within the elegant surroundings of Napa Rose.” The final statement that had me excited was “Guests will share a final fond farewell with a personal Princess portrait moment and enjoy a special keepsake to remember their unique Disney Princess experience.”
Based on this information I knew I would be fed A LOT, meet some Princesses, take some photos, and have a fun takeaway bag. This all sounded pretty amazing to me and I was totally ready to shell out the $125 PER PERSON (tax and gratuity not included; Everyone 3 and older is $125 each; No AP discount). I love BEING a Disney Princess, and I love that I could share this special experience with my mom on my birthday trip. Yes, it was a splurge but one I wanted.
Now, to the actual DAY!!!
This breakfast takes place Thursday-Monday mornings from 8-12 at Napa Rose. I’ve eaten here 2 times before, and everything I’ve had was amazing. You can read about my character breakfast experience at Storyteller Café here. We were able to score a highly coveted eight o’clock reservation. Every reservation comes with 5 hours of free parking at the Grand Californian. We stayed close, so we were able to walk over. When we arrived, we checked in and took a seat in the lobby. The lobby had a really cute tic-tac-toe board set up for us to enjoy while we waited. We sat down and observed others as they came in. My mom was also busy fixing her mouse ears because they had broken on the way over. (Shout out to the Grand Californian for having a sewing kit for us to use.) As I watched the next group check-in, I saw that each child in their group was given an autograph book and a princess pen. Uhhmmm…. I didn’t get one! I’m pretty sure we are all paying the same price here, and the website does say a “fairytale experience for EVERYONE”. In my fairytale I get an autograph book and princess pen. But…. oh well. I moved on.
We walked to our seats. The tables had a beautiful flower arrangement (very princess-y). It also had a clever adult beverage menu. My mom and I don’t drink so we set it aside (after I took a picture for this article). The event “Adventure Guide” came to our table and explained that we would meet several princesses during our morning, and when we were finished we could head outside for a couple of surprises. She also gave us our own tic-tac-toe board to continue the fun. Our server also greeted us and explained that we would enjoy 3 courses during our morning. Rapunzel’s Tower, a buffet, and a selection of desserts.So…here’s my break down…
The FOOD)I have a shellfish allergy, so the chef came out to address my needs. We then received Rapunzel’s Tower of appetizers. The tower came pre-stocked with 2 of everything, but because of my allergy we also received a separate plate with all the selections, minus the lobster roll. So, technically we had 3 of everything. All the items were tasty except the replacement lobster roll, which was a corn roll on a gluten free bun. It was a hard pass. My favorite was the little ham sandwich. My mom loved the chia seed pudding. While we were enjoying those items, they brought us a basket of breads with tasty lemon curd. Yup, it was tasty but appeared to be more of an afterthought. Maybe if it was on the table first, we would have enjoyed it more.
We were then escorted to the buffet where they offered a selection of breakfast and lunch items. Eggs, bacon, fruit, wagyu sliders, and mac and cheese. The chef was also there and let me know that all of the items were safe for me to consume. I appreciated that he remembered. While we enjoyed the buffet items, a server also brought out a fresh basket of fries letting us know that they were safely fried in grease not contaminated by shellfish. It was a nice touch, again. It was crazy how much food was presented to us. The random fries were strange, but still appreciated. After all this food, I decided to order a hot chocolate. It had a giant whip cream rose on top. It was nice, but nothing fancy. I just wanted the cute rose topped drink.
They
let us digest a little as we met a few princesses, and then dessert came
out. We were celebrating my birthday, so
our dessert platter had a little candle, and Happy Birthday written on it. Every dessert was tasty, but Mulan’s was the
most fun and the Pocahontas peanut butter treat was the best tasting.
After dessert we headed outside
where they have water, juice, and coffee as you complete the rest of the adventure. I have to say that the food did not
disappoint. It was on par with the other
meals I’ve had at Grand Californian.
Worth $125 per person for the food alone, probably not. But it’s everything else you are paying for here. Like…….
The PRINCESSES)
From what I understand Rapunzel should
have been in the lobby while we waited, but she was missing. Once we had our first course Belle came to
visit with us. Let me tell you something….
if I had an autograph book, I would have had her sign it. Instead we visited about our adventures, what
we were celebrating, and events from her story.
The BEST thing about this breakfast is the amount of time the Princesses
spend with you. You never feel rushed,
or like they are there to just take a photo and move along. They really visit with you to create a truly enchanting morning. Princess Tiana came over and asked us about her beignets, chatted about
her dress, and again…SPENT TIME! We then visited with Jasmine, and Aurora.
After finishing our meal and paying, we were escorted outside where Mulan shared a story with our small group. We were then led to meet Pocahontas. This was a real treat because she is not found around the parks very often, if at all anymore. She was so kind to teach us her language and visit with us.
The final princess is the one you take your “personal princess portrait” with. The one they talk about on the website. For us, and I’d assume always it was Ariel. She was THE BEST Ariel I have ever met. I told her of my son’s love for her, and what a joy it was to meet her. I was probably “childlike” enamored by her. The Princesses really are the reason you come here, and the quality time is unlike anything else you get in the parks. It was magical.
Now that I’ve explained all the magical parts of this experience, please let me share my overall thoughts about a few things. Yes, the food was good. Yes, the princesses were amazing…but was it worth $125 per person? Well, let me preface this…. I won’t be doing it again unless some changes are made. Yes, changes. Remember in the beginning when I shared everything that the website states as part of this experience…. well let’s clarify……it states that it’s a fairytale experience for everyone. The thing I love about Disney is that you can be a KID no matter your calendar age. It’s what makes this place so magical for me. But…. everyone is not given the same experience. I mentioned the autograph book and pen at check in…. this was not the only thing left strictly for children (even though there is no age discrimination in price). Upon the end of your meal, adults are given the bill and children are EACH given a pink bag with a Disney canvas bag, and either a princess necklace or sword and shield. In full disclosure we also received a pink bag (to share). It had 1 canvas bag and a 2 pack of chocolate truffles to share. Based on what I had read, why did only the children get this bag of “cool” goodies? The last thing I wanted after a buffet was a chocolate coin truffle. I was looking forward to my mom and I each receiving this pink bag. I had even done research to know that she could get the necklace, and I could get the sword and shield for my son. So, when we received 1 joint bag with chocolate, I was seriously disappointed. I talked with someone at the front desk before we departed and asked them if I could trade my chocolate for the sword for my son. Although the manager did seem put out that I had asked, he did honor my request. It’s silly that I felt guilty asking for a child’s toy, but I didn’t think the whole gift thing was being handled correctly. I know that I am not the only one confused and let down by this over site. A fellow blogging friend who is an affiliate for Disney also attended the brunch (as a paying customer) and she did not receive a gift bag. After several people questioned her about the bag on social media, she reached out to Disney to see if there was an oversight. She was told that because she was not there with a child, she did not receive a gift bag. Wait? What happened to “a fun takeaway bag” for her?
In conclusion…. I had a lovely time. I don’t want this inconsistency on Disney's part to detract from the lovely food, atmosphere, and characters. I’m sure with time they will make the necessary adjustments, and everyone will have a magical time. I loved spending time with my mom and having a great experience.



