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Another Character Meet & Greet Is Finally Returning to the Magic Kingdom!

The Walt Disney World Resort is picking up the pace in terms of bringing back more character experiences that have been missing since the theme parks and Resorts reopened in 2020.

In the latest update, one popular Disney character meet and greet in the Magic Kingdom is set to return very soon, and we cannot wait to head “under the sea” to meet her once again!

Ariel's Grotto

Credit: Disney

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One of the most beloved, and for the past couple of years, the most-missed character meet and greets in the Magic Kingdom has been Ariel’s Grotto, located in New Fantasyland. The meet and greet can be found adjacent to the Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid attraction, and it has been a popular spot to meet this Disney Princess since the Magic Kingdom’s largest expansion opened in 2012.

After rumors had been circulating on social media that this character experience would return soon to this Disney Park, the official Disney Parks Twitter account has confirmed that Ariel’s meet and greet will start back up on January 22, 2023.

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Times for the return of The Little Mermaid (1989) meet and greet have not yet been confirmed, but when available they will be listed on both DisneyWorld.com and the My Disney Experience app.

If you have a trip to Magic Kingdom Park before Ariel is set to return to her grotto, remember several other character experiences have recently returned, including Daisy, Minnie, Goofy, and Pluto nearby at Pete’s Silly Sideshow in Storybook Circus, and Winnie the Pooh and friends from the Hundred Acre Wood at the Crystal Palace on Main Street, U.S.A. (Now if we could only get Gaston back….)

Ariel

Credit: Pics from the World of Disney

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Disney’s official description of Ariel’s Grotto reads:

Be Part of Her World
Venture into a seaside grotto, where you’ll find Ariel among her treasures. She has gadgets and gizmos aplenty, and she’s always happy to make new friends—especially human ones.

She wants to be where the people are, so stop by and make her dream come true!

As always, we will be back with future updates on Disney character experiences as more news becomes available here on Disney Tips.

About Brittany DiCologero

Brittany is a New England-based writer focused on the history of the Walt Disney World Resort. She is the author of "Red, White, and Disney: The Myths and Reality of American History at the Walt Disney World Resort," and "Brittany Earns Her Ears."