Olaf’s Royal Picnic on the Disney Wish: My Honest Opinion (2024)
If you’re considering doing Olaf’s Royal Picnic on the Disney Wish, then you’re in the right place.
I’m here to offer you an unbiased, brutally honest review as a mom who brought both of my daughters (12 and 3 years old) to see it.
I went back and forth on whether or not to do Olaf’s Royal Picnic with my family. The price tag was huge, and my daughters were a little outside of the ideal age for this activity.
On the other hand, I knew it would be fun and a unique experience.
I considered cancelling it a few times, but decided to stick with it. Was Olaf’s Royal Picnic worth it? I would say yes, it was worth it – but there are a few things I want you to keep in mind about it too.
I’m going to go over:
- Pros and cons of Olaf’s Royal Picnic (good reasons to do it + some things that could have been better)
- What is included in the price (the food, songs, and gifts you can expect)
- If Olaf’s Royal Picnic is worth it, and things I wish I knew beforehand
- Alternatives to Olaf’s Royal Picnci if you decide that it’s not for you at this time
Pros and Cons of Olaf’s Royal Picnic
Here are the best and worst parts of Disney Wish’s Olaf’s Royal Picnic
Pros of Olaf’s Royal Picnic
It’s unique and very exclusive
Olaf’s Royal Picnic is an intimate, exclusive event and unlike any other entertainment or character interaction that you’ll have on the Disney Wish.
It only takes place on the Disney Wish, and only 20-30 people can see it (out of a ship with over 4,000 passengers.) So, that means that being able to see the show is actually quite rare.
Meeting the characters
You don’t have a ton of time with the characters, but it is really special to have them visit your table, chat with your kids and sign anything you want.
Kristoff, Anna and Elsa were all so good at acting like their characters, they were really talented actors and were great with the kids.
Great service
You’ll receiving the same great service at Olaf’s Royal Picnic as you will anywhere else on the Disney Wish, or cruise line for that matter.
You will have a table server who will offer you drinks, and bring you everything you need and make sure you’re doing ok.
The souvenirs
The swag that the kids (3-12 year olds only) are given to take home is decent quality. I wasn’t sure if my 12 year old would be interested in any of it, and planned to donate most of the stuff she was given.
But surprisingly, she wanted to keep most of it. It’s all very well-made and useful.
You can’t find these souvenirs anywhere else at Disney – its exclusive to the Olaf’s Royal Picnic event.
Both of my daughters loved the stuffed troll, and have it sleeping in their beds. the activity book is definitely geared to younger (ages 6-8 max) but that’s ok.
The show
The show for Olaf’s Royal Picnic follows a storyline, which I don’t want to spoil for you. But we really enjoyed how it had a beginning, middle and an end.
The characters are brought out in stages – first character on stage is Dagmar Birgir (Anna’s childhood friend), then Anna and Kristoff, then Olaf, and then finally the famous Elsa.
The staff of Arendelle is incorporated into the dances and songs too.
The whole thing is well coordinated, sings all your favourite catchy songs form the movie Frozen, and gives you brief moments to interact with Anna and Kristoff and then with Elsa.
The baked goods
I’ve heard mixed things about the food that is served at Olaf’s Royal Picnic. We weren’t crazy about the sandwiches (they weren’t bad, they just weren’t amazing like other food on the Wish) but I was really impressed with the sweets they brang us.
My husband and kids loved the carrot cake bars, and the kids loved the ice cupcake that they’re given.
They even made separate cookies for me, because I said I preferred plant-based baked goods. they made special ones just for me, and they were delicious!
It’s good to know that they’re able to accommodate dietary restrictions.
The atmosphere
The Arendelle restaurant is already really nice (our favourite restaurant on the Wish is Marvel, but Arendelle is our second favourite.)
Arendelle is decorated it especially for Olaf’s Royal Picnic, giving it a Misummer vibe with flowers and colourful ribbons.
There are also special picnic table clothes laid out of the tables. They definitely try to transform the environment into a summery picnic feel, which makes it even more special.
Cons of Olaf’s Royal Picnic
I don’t have anything ‘bad’ to say about Olaf’s Royal Picnic, but nothing is perfect. Here are some of the things that I thought could have been better, that caught me off guard, or that I would say to think twice about.
Not all of the seats are that great
It’s important to know that you’re not guaranteed a seat right next to the stage at Olaf’s Royal Picnic. (This was the impression I had before I signed up – all photos and YouTube videos showed people experiencing the event right at the edge of the stage.)
Some of the seats are ideal, and some are less than ideal. Seats are randomly assigned when you arrive.
We showed up early, and were given a card with table number 111. When we were escorted in, we were brought to a table that was much further from the stage than other tables.
I was a little disappointed about that initially, but it turned out ok.
You can watch our short video of what the experience was like here:
The sandwiches aren’t the best
I mentioned that we loved the sweets and baked goods that we were served at Olaf’s Royal Picnic.
The sandwiches were fine, but nothing fancy. (Maybe this is to make them more appealing to the kids.)
My 12 year old did not like the sandwiches; she said she wouldn’t eat it again, but my husband thought they were actually pretty good. I thought mine were ok (vegan option.)
Either way, I’d just come with low expectations of the sandwiches. Some people recommend “coming hungry” to Olaf’s Royal Picnic, as you’re served so much food.
While that is true, the sandwiches you’re given at Olaf’s Royal Picnic don’t compare to all the amazing food you can eat for free elsewhere on the ship, such as at Marceline Market, or even the poolside dining areas.
I personally wouldn’t want to skip out on all the other great options on the ship for those sandwiches, but that’s just me.
Pro Tip: Based on reading other people’s blog posts, it seems that the types of sandwiches you receive at Olaf’s Royal Picnic vary cruise by cruise. There is typically a fish-based sandwich, and some have meet, cucumber and/or cream cheese. (Be sure to let them know in advance if you want a vegetarian option.
You don’t meet Olaf
Not meeting Olaf doesn’t make the experience any less fun, but its worth mentioning in case your kids think that because of the name, they’re going to meet him.
In the early days, Olaf was an animatronic puppet, but when we sailed on the Wish in 2024, it had been changed to a person in a suit by then.
He walked right by our table and waved to us, which was pretty cool!
Pro Tip: We’re pretty sure that the Olaf’s voice is only a recording (not the person wearing the suit) which is likely why you can’t meet or get your photo with him!
The printed-out photos aren’t the best quality
I loved how they took photos of my daughters with Anna and Elsa and then delivered them to our stateroom.
I have to say though, that the photo printing wasn’t the best quality – they probably don’t have the highest tech printer on board.
However, the photos came in a firm binder (I assume, to prevent it from being ruined) which was nice.
The price
The price is obviously the biggest downside to Olaf’s Royal Picnic. At $220 per child, and $69 per adult, this puts a family of 4 at spending a grand total of $578 on Olaf’s Royal Picnic.
The cost you pay will be added to your stateroom bill to be settled before the end of your cruise. Disney Cruises are already expensive, so it can be quite the added cost.
Pro Tip: When you see the charge on your bill, don’t be alarmed if it comes up as “Bibidi Bobidi Boutique.” This is what happened to us, and we thought someone may have used our stateroom number, and we went to guest services! It turned out that Olaf’s Royal Picnic gets charged under that name for some reason.
Is Olaf’s Royal Picnic Worth It?
Was Olaf’s Royal Picnic worth the price? Ultimately, I would say so. Obviously, Disney Cruise Line needs to profit off of the event for it to be worth it.
But what you’re getting out of Olaf’s Royal Picnic for the price is:
- An exclusive performance that can’t be seen anywhere else
- Good quality gifts/souvenirs from the event that are unique to that event
- A chance to chat briefly with Elsa, Anna and Kristoff (Elsa is on her own, and Anna and Kristoff come together.)
- Photos taken with characters (they print them out for you for free and deliver to your stateroom.) You can also take your own photos.
Considering all of the above could easily cost you a couple hundred dollars if you were to buy it elsewhere, I think the price of $220 per child seems fair to me.
When you think about it, the Disney Cruise line puts a LOT of extra effort into just Olaf’s Royal Picnic. They have to pay the actors/performers, make special food and baked goods and the special gifts. It’s expensive, but they put a lot into it too.
What I Wish I Knew Before Olaf’s Royal Picnic
You will be asked to show up 15 minutes before it starts. They don’t open the doors until the start time, but they ask you to be there 15 minutes before. (Some people are there even earlier.)
Leave extra room in your luggage. The gifts you’ll be given can take up a lot of space in luggage, and we actually had to separate things and get create on how to fit it all in.
Ask for a good seat, if its important to you. If you want a better seat then what I had, then I recommend telling the person this who assigns your table. It also helps to be there earlier. (We were one of the first ones there, we just didn’t know that some tables were better than others!)
Bring an autograph book. My older daughter was disappointed that we hadn’t brought an autograph book on the Disney Cruise for characters to sign, so she used the inside of the activity book. Anna, Elsa and Kristoff will all be visiting your table – so bring something for them to sign if this is important to you.
What Is Included in Olaf’s Royal Picnic?
Here’s a brief rundown of what you’ll get for the price.
- The performance, which lasts just over an hour
- Character meet and greets – Elsa, Anna and Kristoff
- Sandwiches on white bread- 3 different kinds, two on bread and one is a wrap shopped in slices. Usually there’s a diced cucumber with cheese, a fish based and a meat based, but they can accommodate dietary restrictions.
- Baked goods – cookies, cupcakes, a brownie*
- A server who works with your table, brings the drinks you want and the meals and gifts that come with the show
- Souvenirs – picnic blanket, troll plush toy, ukelele, crayons and activity book, a special cup with straw, Olaf cap, Olaf drawstring bag, necklace
Pro Tip: The types of sandwiches vary by cruise. What we got was slightly different than what we read other bloggers received when they did Olaf’s Royal Picnic. Let them know in advance through the My Reservations tab if you have dietary restrictions. I found them very accommodating.
Alternatives to Olaf’s Royal Picnic
If you decide that Olaf’s Royal Picnic isn’t for you, there are a few other ways to get a similar experience.
Request tables close to entertainment at dinner
If you request a table close to entertainment during dinner, then you may be seated close to the stage during the Arendelle dinner and will be able to get a good view of the short performance of Anna, Kristoff and Elsa (Olaf does not always come to Arendelle dinner, but I’ve heard that he does sometimes.)
The Royal Gathering
The Royal Gathering is free of charge and allows you to have a quick meet and greet with 4-5 different princesses. (None of them are Anna or Elsa however.) It can be hard to get spots for this.
Final Thoughts on Olaf’s Royal Picnic
I hope that this review on Olaf’s Royal Picnic review has given you a whole bunch of insights that you wouldn’t have otherwise known about.
Olaf’s Royal Picnic has been running for over 2 years now, and a few things have changed. Having sailed with the Wish just a couple weeks ago, I hope that I can share a realistic and current idea of what you can expect from the experience.