Lamplight Lounge
| Lamplight Lounge | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Interactive map of Lamplight Lounge | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | February 8, 2001 (as Avalon Cove) December 20, 2002 (as Ariel's Grotto) June 23, 2018 (as Lamplight Lounge) |
| Location | Anaheim, Orange County, California, United States |
| Coordinates | 33°48′18″N 117°55′15″W / 33.805124°N 117.920884°W |
Lamplight Lounge (formerly known as Ariel's Grotto and Avalon Cove) is a restaurant in the Pixar Pier area of Disney California Adventure, part of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California.
Overview
[edit]Lamplight Lounge carries the fictional backstory of being a former warehouse that was refurbished into a venue for working animators.[1] It is named after the character of Luxo Jr., who is Pixar's mascot.[2][3] Theming throughout the restaurant references different Pixar films.[4]
The two-story[5] restaurant is located by the bridge at Pixar Pier. Guests travel down a staircase and into the dining area, which contains a large outdoor balcony next to the bay with views of Pixar Pier.[3][6][7] The menu is mostly changed from the previous restaurant occupying the building, Ariel's Grotto.[1] A kids menu known as Budding Artists is also available.[1]
The restaurant contains a secret dining room known as The Office, located just outside the main dining area. A code is required to enter it and the room can fit groups of around ten people. The private room contains board games on the wall that can be taken down and played by those there. A small patio is accessible outside it.[8][2][9][10]
History
[edit]Lamplight Lounge originally opened with the rest of Disney California Adventure on February 8, 2001[11] under the name Avalon Cove. At the time, the restaurant was managed by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck. The 350-seat seafood restaurant was made to resemble a sandcastle from the exterior and was among the most expensive restaurants in the park.[12][13] However, the restaurant closed at the end of September the same year.[14]
With Wolfgang Puck no longer in ownership of Avalon Cove, Disney decided to open in its place a restaurant more catered to families.[15] After reopening, food became more American and Disney characters were added to the experience.[16][17] The restaurant eventually rebranded to Ariel's Grotto, which opened on December 20, 2002.[11][18] During this time, the restaurant was a character dining experience themed after The Little Mermaid.[19] The venue also contained the Cove Bar.[20]
In late 2017, Disney announced that the Paradise Pier section of the park, where Ariel's Grotto was located, would be rethemed into a new area known as Pixar Pier. The restaurant was shut down alongside the rest of the land the following January to make way for the renovation.[21][22] The next month, it was revealed the location would be renovated into a Pixar-themed restaurant known as the Lamplight Lounge. It reopened on June 23, 2018 with the new theme.[20][23][24]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Valdespino, Anne (2018-05-23). "The Lamplight Lounge at Disney California Adventure will have a new menu – but yes, the lobster nachos will stay". Orange County Register. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- 1 2 Peters, Lucia (2018-06-27). "A Disneyland Restaurant Has A Secret Dining Room At Pixar Pier — Here's How You Can Get Inside". Bustle. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- 1 2 Tremaine, Julie (2023-08-05). "This is the single best restaurant in all of Disneyland". SFGATE. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ Block, Tara (2018-06-27). "From Bubbling Cocktails to Pixar Details, This New Disneyland Restaurant Is a MUST Visit". Popsugar. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ Martens, Todd (2018-06-22). "How Disney's Paradise Pier, the 'antithesis' of Walt, became California Adventure's Pixar Pier". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ DuBois, Megan (2023-08-15). "How I got a seat at Disneyland's hottest brunch – no reservations". SFGATE. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ Kragen, Pam (2018-06-22). "Pixar Pier debuts Saturday at Disney California park. Here's what you need to know". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
- ↑ Caramanna, Carly (2022-04-17). "Disneyland has a secret dining room, no membership required". SFGATE. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ Heard, Stephen (2023-02-03). "Travel bites: The hidden bunker where celebrities eat at Disneyland". Stuff. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ Caramanna, Carly (2023-10-28). "9 of the best Disney California Adventure restaurants". SFGATE. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- 1 2 "Avalon Cove". D23. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ Reckard, E. Scott (2000-05-17). "New Disney Theme Park Nets Puck Seafood Restaurant". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ Sterngold, James (2001-02-11). "A Park Adults Can Love". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ Ballon, Marc; Yoshino, Kimi (2001-10-02). "2 Businesses Depart California Adventure". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ Emmons, Natasha (2001-10-08). "DCA eateries face changess". Amusement Business. 113 (40).
- ↑ Harris, Bonnie (2002-02-06). "Disney Looks to Boost Adventure". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ Sterngold, James (2002-02-24). "Fantasy Lands' Ailing Turnstiles". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ "Ariel's Grotto". D23. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ Johnson, Brad (2016-08-12). "Disneyland Restaurant Review: Ariel's Grotto". Orange County Register. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- 1 2 "Disneyland will replace popular Ariel's Grotto and Cove Bar with a new waterview lounge". Orange County Register. 2018-02-22. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ "Say goodbye forever to these favorite Disney California Adventure rides". The Mercury News. 2018-01-08. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ "Frumpy Middle-aged Mom: Saying a Disney goodbye to Ariel's Grotto restaurant". Orange County Register. 2017-12-19. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ Pereira, Alyssa (2018-02-23). "Disney California Adventure to open new waterfront bar inside park". SFGATE. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ Sterling, Justine (2018-02-23). "Disneyland Is Getting a New Pixar-Themed Waterfront Bar". Thrillist. Retrieved 2026-08-24.