Olaf’s Royal Picnic on the Disney Wish: An Honest Review

There isn’t a lot of firsthand information available online about Olaf’s Royal Picnic aboard the Disney Wish.

That’s why I am SO excited to be able to share my family’s experience at this exclusive event!

What is Olaf’s Picnic?

Currently exclusive to the Disney Wish, Olaf’s Royal Picnic is a highly coveted onboard event.

During the picnic, attendees are served finger foods and desserts, enjoy a special show featuring favorite Frozen characters, and the children are presented with a bunch of exclusive merchandise.

If you’re wondering whether adults can book Olaf’s Royal Picnic without kids, the answer is a very firm NO.

You have to have a child between the ages of 3 and 12 to attend this experience, but the whole family can attend with that child (as far as I can tell).

Is it hard to get tickets to Olaf’s Royal Picnic?

As a first-time cruiser PERIOD (not just with Disney Cruise Line), I went bonkers the day I finally booked Olaf’s Royal Picnic.

When my booking window finally opened for our Disney Wish cruise, the experience, of course, was completely sold out. From what I hear, it had been sold out since the booking window for Platinum cruisers opened.

But I am not so easily defeated! I kept checking the DCL Navigator app several times every day to see if any spots opened up.

Lo and behold, one evening while waiting for our food at Applebee’s, the button appeared to make a reservation! And to my astonishment, I was able to book all four members of my family to attend.

The event immediately said “Sold Out” again when I was done.

This all happened about two and a half weeks before we were scheduled to set sail. So if there aren’t any spots available when you go to reserve the experience, don’t give up hope!

How many people get to attend Olaf’s Royal Picnic?

When we actually attended Olaf’s Royal Picnic, I counted fewer than 20 families in the restaurant.

I’ve heard others say as many as 30 families were present at their picnics, which means the number is likely based on the total number of people rather than the total number of groups.

Since there are over 1200 staterooms available on the Disney Wish, this puts the Royal Picnic in “top tier” exclusivity for a Disney-related event.

The Price Tag

There’s a hefty cost associated with Olaf’s Picnic, no doubt about that.

Currently, children between the ages of 3 and 12 are $220 each, while everyone older than that is $69 per person.

While children 13 to 17 years old can attend, they do not get any gifts. And they can’t take their younger siblings alone – at least one adult 18 or over must be present.

What to Wear to Olaf’s Royal Picnic

My family and I did not go beyond “cruise casual” to attend the picnic.

My daughter was the exception, as she chose to wear her white Frozen 2 Elsa dress (which happened to be the same one Elsa wore on the ship)!

Many other families were dressed in a similar fashion, with lots of polos, t-shirts, and shorts all around.

That being said, I don’t think it would hurt to dress up a bit for this experience if you have the chance.

In the beginning, Dags walks around the room to each table. At one point, she commented on how so many people were “dressed for the occasion.” To me, this implied that such a special occasion might warrant a special outfit.

But there is no strict dress code to attend the Royal Picnic, other than the usual rule of avoiding bathing suits and coverups in the main dining rooms.

The Venue

It should be no surprise that Olaf’s Royal Picnic takes place at Arendelle, the new Frozen-themed restaurant aboard the Disney Wish.

However, guests who have previously eaten dinner in Arendelle will notice that the space is slightly transformed during the picnic! Our Disney Wish dining rotation had us in Arendelle the previous night, so we definitely noticed the changes.

Tons (and tons) of summer flowers and colorful streamers adorn the space, from the entry sign and columns to the chandelier above the stage in the middle of the venue.

The tables used for the picnic are also covered in classic red-and-white checkered picnic-style covers. Sunflower-and-bee centerpieces rest on each table, too.

Characters in Olaf’s Royal Picnic

The characters featured in the picnic are similar to those featured in the nightly dinner show in Arendelle.

That said, things were a little different on our cruise!

We saw Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff at both dinner and the Royal Picnic. Oaken, while our favorite character at dinner, does not make an appearance at the picnic.

However, a totally *new* character named Dagmar Birgir – we call her Dags – kicks off the special event. She introduces herself as Anna’s childhood best friend and current lady-in-waiting to Queen Anna.

Now obviously, Olaf’s Royal Picnic wouldn’t be right without the title character Olaf present!

Rather than a cast member inside an oversized Olaf costume, we got to experience a sensational animatronic Olaf that’s steered around the restaurant atop a serving cart.

Not only is the Olaf puppet fabulously made, but it is also still voiced by the unmistakable Josh Gad!

Is Olaf always in Arendelle’s shows?

Here’s the thing. For our cruise, seeing Olaf at the picnic was extra special because it was the only time we ever saw him.

I’ve been told since then, however, that he is also usually present at the dinner shows each night!

His availability is apparently based on how finicky the Olaf animatronic is at any given time.

In fact, our Royal Picnic was originally scheduled for the first day of the cruise (at sea) but was pushed to the Nassau day. We later found out this is because they had to wait to dock to get a new Olaf after the previous one had fallen off the cart!

This could be why the attendance at our picnic seemed particularly low if some families canceled last minute in favor of pre-booked excursions in Nassau.

We presume the Disney Wish chose not to include Olaf in the dinner shows for the last two nights of our cruise so that guests who missed him the first two nights wouldn’t feel cheated. Fair enough.

All that said, it would appear the Disney Wish also has a full-sized Olaf costume that is used for Frozen events in the Oceaneer Club as well as the dinner show and Olaf’s Royal Picnic. Sometimes.

Honestly, we’ll never know the rhyme or reason behind why sometimes the costume is used, sometimes the animatronic, and sometimes nothing at all. Just cross your fingers and hope for the best!

Food and Desserts Served

There is no Olaf’s Royal Picnic menu to choose your treats from.

Instead, there is an excellent selection of sandwiches, pastries, and desserts brought to the table, with enough on each plate for everyone to enjoy.

Because there was no menu, I can’t tell you with 100% certainty what was in any of the stuff we ate. But I can tell you what I think we were served, to the best of my ability!

Drinks

Everyone gets a drink. Children are offered lemonade or water, while adults are offered tea or water. I’m sure if I’d wanted lemonade or my child had wanted tea, though, we would’ve been accommodated.

Snacks

First of all, there were four types of finger sandwiches. This is what I tasted:

• Tuna salad
• Egg salad
• Cream cheese and (finely diced) cucumber
• Salami and cream cheese (I’m least sure about this one)

There were also slices of small tortilla wraps filled with ham, cheese, and a condiment, which may have been a seasoned mayonnaise. This was my favorite non-dessert item!

We also received scones filled with fresh berries and drizzled with royal icing.

Desserts

Once we finished our finger foods, we were brought an equal amount of desserts!

The first was like a combination of a brownie and custard, though the custard was firm on top and the bottom tasted more like cookie dough. It was great!

We also had creme-filled cookie sandwiches heavily dusted in powdered sugar and in the shape of Mickey’s head. A fruity red jam was smeared on the inside of the cookies, and they were heavenly.

But my absolute favorite dessert of the picnic HAD to be the one that, at first glance, appeared to be an ice cream bar.

It’s not an ice cream bar.

While it may sound odd, once you bite through the white chocolate coating, your teeth will sink into the most delicious carrot cake you’ve ever had in your life.

Trust me, even if you’re not a carrot cake fan, you will be blown away by these bars. They are dense, moist, sweet, and just… YUM!

Specialty Treats

My children were each given a special dessert that my husband and I weren’t, and that was the ice cupcakes.

While my kids didn’t eat much of them, I simply didn’t have room left to try one myself after eating everything else (whoops). But I could tell they were chocolate cupcakes with a massive heap of bright white buttercream on top and a white chocolate Olaf stuck on top.

What Happens at Olaf’s Royal Picnic

During the picnic, several favorite songs are performed by Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Dags, and even Olaf, including:

• “In Summer”
• “Fixer Upper” – featuring the Rock Trolls!
• “Let it Go”
• “Reindeer(s) are Better Than People”

Kristoff even gets the kids to help him perform his reindeer song with the help of their new mandolins, which is really cute.

I want to note, though, that while Elsa is sometimes singing live at other Disney parks and shows, she is most definitely lip-syncing to Idina Menzel at the picnic.

The show also includes a brand-new storyline. I don’t want to spoil the ending for those who hope to attend (you can contact me if you want the spoilers), but it involves a special surprise for Olaf.

After the picnic, each family gets several minutes with Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff to chat, hug, get autographs, and take pictures. (DCL will take photos, but you are welcome to use your phone as well.)

Olaf’s Royal Picnic Keepsakes

The good news about the exorbitant cost of this experience is that the kids do go home with a ton of gifts, and all of it is specially labeled with “Olaf’s Royal Picnic,” making it truly rare Disney merch.

These are the items they receive:

• A nice, large cinch bag featuring Olaf’s face
• An Olaf baseball cap
• A domed drink tumbler with a twisty straw
• A plush rock that literally transforms into a rock troll
• A woven necklace made with magic crystals
• A mandolin with an attached pick
• An activity book with crayons, stickers, and punch-outs
• A fleece picnic blanket that folds up for carrying

Only the children ages 3 to 12 attending the Royal Picnic are presented with gifts.

Naturally, this is why their ticket prices for the event are so much higher. 13- to 17-year-olds are charged the adult price because they don’t get the swag. Womp womp.

Another gift that was not advertised is a special leather-bound photo print of our kids with Kristoff, Anna, and Elsa after the show! We received two (one per child) and found them on our stateroom bed later that day.

We also got the digital photographs, but we had purchased the unlimited photo package ahead of time.

Is Olaf’s Royal Picnic worth it?

This is a very subjective question, but my personal answer is that Olaf’s Royal Picnic is 100% worth the cost.

Here’s why:

• Exclusivity. The picnic only happens once per cruise, the number of attendees is kept extremely low, and this show only happens on the Disney Wish (for now, anyway). Disney doesn’t get much more exclusive than that.
  
  
• Content. The show itself is really cute and well thought out. The animatronic Olaf, if you’re lucky enough to meet him, is astounding. And there’s another… version… of Olaf I don’t want to give away, but I was thoroughly entertained by its appearance!
  
  
• Swag. The sheer volume of gifts is very much worth the ticket price when you consider how much the items would normally be priced individually. Add the fact that they are specifically branded to the picnic, and you’ve got yourself some high-value merch to take home.
  
  
• Memories. The looks on my kids’ faces throughout all of it were priceless. They marveled at each and every gift they were handed. Olaf and the rock trolls had them mesmerized. When Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff each came by our table, they were visibly twitchy and excited.
  
  
• Those carrot cake bars. I’m kidding… sort of. Listen, the reality is that your kids probably won’t eat half of what’s served at the picnic. If you want to get your money’s worth out of the food, you’ll probably have to eat it all yourself.
  
  But I would’ve eaten all of the carrot cake bars if I’d had the stomach space.

With all of that said, we are very much a Disney family. Both of my children (my son included) were already fans of Frozen. For us, this made the experience feel extra cool.

If you’re cruising with Disney more for the luxury and less for the Disney Wish characters or merchandise, then you might want to leave the picnic reservations to someone who will thoroughly appreciate them.

Tips for Olaf’s Royal Picnic

Here’s what I wish I’d known before we attended the Royal Picnic!

• Book a concierge room if this is a MUST-DO for you. I wish I was kidding, but the reality is that the Wish has more concierge rooms than any other DCL ship, and concierge cruisers get first dibs on just about everything – including Olaf’s Royal Picnic.
  
  Concierge is a LOT more expensive – like twice the price of other Disney Wish verandah rooms. I know we couldn’t swing that, no matter how important the picnic was to me. But if you can, go for it!
  
  
• Don’t give up on reservations. People cancel or change their cruise plans all the time! Plus, Disney might just add a few open tables closer to sailing if the spots have been taken up by larger families.
  
  When you get on board, you can also head to Guest Services and ask to be added to the waitlist. You might not get a spot, but they often give some kind of “pixie dust” to waitlist guests they’re unable to accommodate!
  
  
• Be flexible. Olaf’s Royal Picnic was moved to a totally different date on our cruise, and it happened at the last minute. If going to the picnic is really important to you, you might need to be prepared to give up other excursions or onboard activities.
  
  
• Dress up a little. As mentioned above, we weren’t given any kind of dress code ahead of time. But since this is a very special occasion celebrating Olaf, I don’t think it would hurt to err on the side of fancy!
  
  
• Go hungry. REALLY hungry. I did NOT expect to be served the volume of food we received. We’d eaten a fairly normal lunch about three hours prior, and I wish we’d just grabbed a snack from Marceline’s Market or skipped lunch completely.
  
  While I was able to consume all of the delicious offerings at the picnic, I was hardly hungry for dinner. Fortunately, the change of date had the picnic fall on Pirate Night, and that menu is fairly skippable anyway.
  
  
• Bring an extra carry-on if you’re flying. I was able to shove all of their gifts inside their Olaf cinch bags (they are good-sized bags), but only barely. Carrying them individually counts as two additional personal items on a flight, so taking another suitcase to pack them (and any other souvenirs) in just makes things easier to deal with.
  
  
• There are other opportunities to meet Frozen characters. If you just can’t get into Olaf’s Royal Picnic no matter how hard you try, it’s not the end of the world.
  
  You should see meet-and-greets with Anna and Elsa on the schedule for both kids and adults to interact with them throughout the cruise.
  
  Oceaneer Club also hosts a “Coronation Celebration” event that usually features Anna, Elsa, AND a costumed Olaf. While adults aren’t allowed to attend, it will give your little ones an opportunity to hang out with their favorite snowman!
  
  But while Kristoff (with Anna) might stop by your table during your dinner at Arendelle, unfortunately, the Royal Picnic is the only way I know of to get some extended one-on-one time with the big lug.

Is there a Disney Wish Royal Tea Party?

If all things Frozen aren’t really your family’s thing, you might be wondering if the Royal Tea Party from the four older Disney ships has made its way to the Wish.

The short answer is no. Olaf’s Royal Picnic has apparently taken the place of the Royal Tea rather than supplementing it.

In my opinion, this is a great move. The Frozen movies are wildly popular, and Olaf’s picnic is more appealing to both boys and girls.

Plus, you still have a chance to meet all of Disney Wish’s available princesses at the Royal Gatherings which are held for a couple of hours once or twice per cruise.

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I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to attend Olaf’s Royal Picnic with my children while they are still young enough to really feel the magic.

Of course, I feel the magic too, but there’s definitely a “lost period” somewhere between 13 and 22 where we just don’t appreciate Disney as much as we should! (Or was that just me?)

If all of this has convinced you that you simply MUST go, I wish you all the luck in the world and hope some pixie dust takes you there!

Looking for other ways to make your cruise special? Check out my Disney Wish Halloween on the High Seas recap, and see what drinks are good to get at Hyperspace Lounge.

Read my complete Disney Wish review for all the info you could possibly need.

Snorkeling at Castaway Cay is also a great way to have some totally free fun!