Prior to boarding your Disney Cruise, you will have no idea which restaurant you will be assigned to each night until you enter the ship and log onto the guest wi-fi. This did not work in my favor while planning outfits out for the dinners but I tried to go with the flow and just accept I had no control. On the first night of the cruise, we dined at Arendelle, a dining haven inspired by the beloved Frozen franchise. Our seats were not exactly front-row, but they were far from disappointing, offering a decent view of the vibrant atmosphere and lively entertainment.
The adults menu had a lot of adventurous options and I opted for Elsa's Royal Baked Scallops. Aesthetically it was nice, with a large puffed pastry baked onto the top, but the taste I did not care for – the scallops were a tad fishy, and the texture left something to be desired. My dad got the same thing and said his was delicious, so it seems I may have just gotten a bad batch. However, the Garlic & Thyme Roasted Beef Rib-eye, more reminiscent of a prime rib, was delicious. Cooked to (my opinion of) perfection, it satisfied my taste buds and met the requested temperature flawlessly.
The culinary adventure continued with a sip of the Worth Melting For, a Zero Proof drink that, while delicious, leaned a bit too heavily on the sweet side. A whimsical touch was added with a thick sugar wafer featuring Olaf's cheerful face. My kids happily took the sugar overload off of my hands and had no problem finishing the drink.
Unfortunately, I did not save any room for dessert which was quite devastating when the Kvaefjordkake arrived. A butter cake infused with a hint of almond flavoring, it was a delightful surprise. Despite the menu's promise of ice cream, my serving didn't include it – a minor glitch easily overlooked as my appetite had already reached its limit. I gladly took it back to the stateroom and ate it for a late night snack. I'm glad I did because it ranked as my top dessert choice of the entire trip.
During the meal, a photographer makes his way around the room to take pictures at your table. Since I had purchased the (quite pricey) photo package, I wanted them to take pictures at every opportunity. I don't think I will ever go on another cruise without buying a photo package, because I love having the opportunity for the whole family to be in the pictures and not asking another family to take the picture for us. **Note on the Disney photos, I did not realize until the second night that there were photographers set up in the main hall with photo backdrops. Had I known that, I would have gotten family pictures there the first night to show off our Frozen outfits.
As the culinary delights unfolded, so did the entertainment. Singing and merriment filled the air, creating a lively and festive atmosphere. The wait staff, with their exceptional service, elevated the dining experience to new heights. What stood out was the personalized touch – with servers rotate with you each night to the different restaurants and learned our preferences, making us feel like cherished guests in this magical dining realm.
The characters Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf make their way around the room for photo opps, but you are only allowed to take pictures of them from your seats and they are not allowed to sign anything for you at this point. They told us we would have to come back to the Frozen meet-and-greet the following day to get pictures standing with the characters as well as our photo frames signed.
Our first night at Arendelle aboard the Disney Wish was a delightful blend of flavors, entertainment, and impeccable service. Despite a minor hiccup with the scallops, the overall experience left us eagerly anticipating the enchanting dining adventures yet to come on this extraordinary cruise.
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