If you’re a fan of Frozen or have a little one who is, you’ve been WARNED.

Disney Cruise Line’s NEW mega ship — the Disney Wish — features one-of-a-kind experiences — from a Star Wars-themed lounge to a Marvel-themed dining experience. But there’s something special onboard for Frozen fans too! Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure is an interactive dinner experience that’ll put you at the center of all the fun. Thanks to a media invite, we’ve been able to explore ALL of the Disney Wish, including Arendelle. Is this spot a must-do for Frozen fans? Is it reason enough for you to book a cruise on the Wish A.S.A.P.? Let’s dine at this spot and find out together!

Atmosphere

At Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure, you get to dine while celebrating the engagement of Anna and Kristoff (right after the events in Frozen 2).

In terms of backstory, you pick up right where Frozen II left off. Anna and Kristoff are engaged, and this is their royal engagement party! Elsa and Olaf are hosting the event, and the catering is provided by Oaken’s “Hearty Party Planning Service…and Sauna” (of course!).

As you walk in, you’ll encounter lots of deep reds and greens. You’re essentially walking into a design meant to mimic some of the castle seen in the film.

There are also some portions that feed into the more blue colors of the movie castle designs.

You’ll find family portraits…

…suits of Armor…

…busts of Anna and Elsa…

…and other decor meant to really make you feel like you’ve been transported into the world of Frozen.

Really take a second to look around and admire all of the little easter eggs and hidden details!

They’re amazing!

You will spot a whole bunch of things inspired by the films!

There were so many paintings to look at, including ones of Kristoff and Sven…

…the whole family…

…and ones you’ll recognize from the movies!

And one of the suits of armor has a sign congratulating Anna and Kristoff on their engagement!

Once you’ve passed the front portion, you’ll head into the actual restaurant. The restaurant is designed to look like a theater-in-the-round, with a center stage and dining tables placed around the stage.

It really helps you feel like you’ve got a good seat from anywhere.

We will say, though that the seats further away from the stage will naturally be a little less hectic than those right up front.

And there are some areas that feel a bit more tucked away.

The seats are covered in a beautiful blue fabric and the places are set at the table.

Our table was pretty central to all the action, so we really got a great view of all of the entertainment — which we loved!

Throughout the restaurant, you’ll find traditional tables and chairs.

At each table are some glasses, silverware, and napkins.

The chair backs feature some more colors and patterns influenced by the Frozen films.

Even the table numbers fit in with the flower designs.

You’ll also want to look carefully at the plates. Hidden in them are designs meant to look like Anna and Elsa!

And be sure to look UP at the ceiling designs and lighting fixtures too — everything really fits in with the theme and adds another element to the story.

Now that we’ve gone over the general atmosphere, let’s talk about the BIG star of the experience here — the entertainment!

Entertainment

There is no shortage of entertainment at Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure!

Anna and Kristoff made their way around the tables, sporting some special party looks. They chatted with us about Anna’s engagement ring (we got to see it in person!), what Sven was up to (cooking some carrot dishes, of course), and what they did to get ready for the party. They even thanked us for coming!

Celebrating Anna & Kristoff’s engagement at Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Experience onboard the #DisneyWish #mediaevent #hosted pic.twitter.com/QSHICREdtT

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) July 1, 2022

 

During the meal, you’ll also see a fun version of Olaf. He’s sitting on top of a special stand that can be rolled around, and functions sort-of like a puppet.

During your meal, there are several musical performances. You can enjoy being serenaded by Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf…

…and even “local” musicians who “specialize in Nordic renditions of familiar Frozen songs.”

During our dinner, we heard a bunch of the songs many fans surely love from Frozen I and Frozen II. There was a rather hilarious “Let it Go” sing-a-long with Kristoff and Oaken. It even included Oaken showering Kristoff with confetti at one point — pretty amazing!

We also heard them sing Love is an Open Door, sans the evil Hans! Kristoff even pointed out how awkward this was by telling Anna at one point that this wasn’t their song. We loved those meta moments!

We also got to hear the entire gang sing Some Things Never Change from Frozen II, hear them talk about the engagement party, and more!

In between bigger songs, there were all kinds of things to look at — like when Oaken has to come out to sweep the confetti from the floor using a hilariously small broom and dust pan!

Although the show was supposed to involve some special effects (like fiber optics for the ice) and panoramic windows showing the Northern Lights, we didn’t really see that during our dining experience. There was a moment when Elsa was “making magic” in the show, but nothing happened.

There were also supposed to be table crafts, but we didn’t see that during our visit, nor did we see a grand finale that brought the audience to its feet. Since this is the first sailing, it’s possible that Disney is still figuring out some technical aspects of the show.

Alright, now let’s move onto the menu!

Menu

The menu at this spot features Nordic-influenced cuisine and combinations of traditional Nordic flavors along with more modern dishes.

You can choose from seafood, rustic game dishes, and dishes that serve as a nod to the Frozen movies.

There’s a variety of appetizers including one with a sampling of fish, scallops, a ham tart, and more.

You’ll also find salads and soups.

There are a number of entrees to pick from, including the pork tenderloin, sea bass, and more.

There are also some vegetarian dishes…

…and “lighter” options.

Queen Anna would not allow dessert to be skipped (of course!), so there are a few different sweet treats to try, including a chocolate bar!

You’ll also find a no sugar added dessert and ice cream sundae.

There are also kids menu options including soup, salad, entrees…

…more entrees…

…Disney Check Meals, and desserts!

You’ll also find a drink menu with some alcoholic and non-alcoholic options.

Now it’s finally time to eat!

Food

We started our meal with the bread service which is Six-Grain Viking Loaf served with a roasted onion dip. Like the bread at the other rotational dining locations, we found it kind of hard and chewy. It didn’t really taste very fresh.

For our appetizer, we grabbed the Jarlsberg Cheese and Rosemary Ham Tart, which features Gala Apple, and Williams Pear Compote. This is basically a quiche, but we found it to be a bit bland.

We also tried Blushing Oaken’s Chilled White and Green Asparagus. This is served with pea tendrils, heirloom tomatoes, radish, and dill. Although these might seem like boring vegetables, these were VERY well-cooked and tasty. This is a light and fresh appetizer that won’t fill you up so you have plenty of room for your entree and dessert — because, PRIORITIES!

Next was Elsa’s Royal Baked Scallops, featuring a shrimp tarragon bisque, rainbow carrots, leeks, and a flaky pastry.

And since Sven’s favorite food is carrots, we couldn’t help ourselves, and we grabbed Sven’s Favorite Carrot Soup, featuring caraway and rye sippits. This soup could’ve used a bit more…something — we found it to be bland.

While we didn’t get to eat it, we did get a peek at Anna’s Koldtbord. This comes with “hot” smoked salmon, smoked Fjord trout horseradish lefse, salmon gravalax, sweet shrimp, dill honey mustard, and crisp Knackerbrot.

For our entrees, we tried the Garlic & Thyme Roasted Beef Rib-Eye which comes with double-baked potato, buttered broccoli, sweet honey-roasted carrots, and cabernet jus. This was very tasty, but one thing we noticed during our meal — a lot of the meat we received was relatively cold by the time we got it.

We also got to grab the Pan-Seared Chilean Sea Bass which is served with white asparagus, petite leeks, savoy spinach, Romanesco, peas, kohlrabi, rainbow carrots, seared scallop, pea tendrils, and Mjod vinaigrette.

This was one of our top five things we ate during our time on the Wish! It was light and flaky with loads of flavor (and not too fishy). We also liked the bonus scallop on the side. We have generally loved Sea Bass dishes on ALL of our Disney cruises, and this one was a win for us, too.

But wait, we’re not done eating yet! We also chowed down on the Juniper Spiced Roasted Chicken Breast, served with scallions, duck confit double-fried potatoes, and Estragon wild mushroom ragout.

This tasted like a basic rotisserie chicken and wasn’t really anything too unique, save for the juniper. We’re also not a big fan of the junpier seasoning, although it does fit into the Scandinavian theme with the food here. But we thought it gave the dish a sort of pine tree flavor to us. Maybe it’s an acquired taste.

Next we tried the King Agnarr’s Dry-rubbed Roasted Pork Tenderloin. This features buttered chard, honey butternut squash, Yukon gold potato puree, crisp shallots, and a red currant port wine reduction. This was one of the better entrees.

One member of our team thought the sauce was spicy, while another didn’t. But it was a good savory dish (although the pork was slightly overdone, but that seems to be something we’ve seen in all the rotational dining restaurants).

While we didn’t eat it, we also got the chance to get a peek at the Queen Iduna’s Potato Lefse, made with a Marjoram butter crust, heirloom carrots, spinach, celeriac, green and white asparagus, baby Brussels sprouts, leeks, and aquavit Jarlsberg cream. This is a vegetarian dish.

We also got a peek at the Arendelle Kjottkake which is braised meatballs with a rosemary cream reduction, egg noodles, and lingonberry chutney.

While we didn’t eat it, we did get to check out the no sugar added Citrus-Almond Cake. This is made of a lemon almond cake, buttermilk ice cream, and orange fennel salad.

Another one we didn’t get to personally try, but we did get to see is the “signature dessert” — the Troll Family’s Rock Chocolate Bar. This is made with a chocolate cake, pistachio cookie rocks, and hibiscus meringue.

Now it’s time to check out the drinks!

Drinks

For our drink, we grabbed the Frozen Fractals, which is made with Ciroc, Peach, and Moet & Chandon Ice. Although it was tasty, it wasn’t TOO exciting. It was more of a sweet drink, although you could taste the liquor. This is one of those drinks that would probably appeal to a lot of people — and really, you’re really getting it for the glitter in the drink!

Tip: if the glitter settles, stir it up to make it pretty again!

Nosh or Not

You’ll LOVE Arendelle if:

• You’re looking for dinner AND a show — There’s a lot of entertainment here — whether it comes in the form of a sing-a-long, meets with Anna and Kristoff as they walk around the room, and more. If you’re all about being entertained while you eat your food, this is the place to go!
• You’re obsessed with Frozen — This is an easy one. If you’re a Frozen fan, this is a place you can’t miss during your cruise on the Wish. It’s full of details, easter eggs, and references to the movie. You could spend hours in here and probably not find all of the hidden details. It’s a true scavenger hunt for the Frozen obsessed!
• You’re looking for “safe” food options with some more unique flavor twists — While there are some more standard offerings (like a chicken and a steak dish) some of these dishes do feature more unique flavors or come with a bit of a unique twist. With things like lingonberry chutney, dill honey mustard, and Mjod Vinaigrette, you’ll get to expand your palette without being too adventurous.

Arendelle might not be your favorite dining experience on the Wish if:

• You’re looking for a quiet escape — This experience is pretty lively, particularly if you’re seated near the stage. If you’re looking for a quiet dinner to just wind down after a busy day on the ship, this might not be for you.
• You want a more “adult” or sophisticated atmosphere — The atmosphere here isn’t exactly super casual. It is an engagement party, after all! So there is a sense of things being a bit more fancy or party-like. But belting out “Let it Go” with your fellow diners isn’t exactly the peak of sophisticated dining. If it’s a super fancy, more “adult” meal you’re after, a place like Enchante may be more your style.
• You’re looking for super basic eats — While there are plenty of safe options on the menu, there are some more unique offerings. If you just want to stick to fries and a cheeseburger, then you may not fully enjoy the more specialty menu offerings here.

Overall

Overall, we loved the show aspect of Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure — it was a lot of fun! We loved how it started right at the beginning of the meal. There were plenty of surprises during the entertainment (no spoilers!) that made us smile several times. However, some of the random characters sang Elsa and Anna’s songs, and we’re not sure why that was a thing?

However, the food was hit or miss. There were some things we really liked, but some things that needed more flavor. This seems to be a theme with the rotational dining restaurants, though, so it is to be expected.

So that’s what you could expect to experience at Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure on the Disney Wish! Keep following DFB for all your Disney Wish news and updates!

Click here to see our FULL updates from the Disney Wish!

Are you planning a trip aboard the Disney Wish? Tell us in the comments!

Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. We were invited by Disney Cruise Line to attend their media preview of the Disney Wish. Note that when we attend events as media we are 1) Not required to review that event/food on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event/food favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. You can see more in our Disclosure Policy. Thank you for reading. — AJ

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