Walking up to King Triton’s Garden, you might recall some dialog from the 1989 animated feature, The Little Mermaid:

Triton: “Oh, Ariel. How many times must we go through this? You could’ve been seen by one of those barbarians! By… by one of those humans!”
Ariel: “Daddy, they’re not barbarians!”
Triton: “They’re dangerous. Do you think I want to see my youngest daughter snared by some fish-eater’s hook?”

Even though you’re human, King Triton invites you to visit his garden. You may even have a chance to snap a photo with his daughter and to get her autograph.

Triton’s Garden isn’t just a beautiful patch of pools, plants, and paths. It’s also a playful water garden where “leaping laminar streams”— also known as “rod of glass” streams of water—jump over the walkways and reenter the ground without a splash.

King Triton has seven daughters, but only his youngest is honored with a sculpture in Triton’s Garden. (I thought parents aren’t supposed to favor one of their children.)

For an autograph, you’ll need to find the real Ariel, not the bronze Ariel. Head over to Ariel’s Grotto within Triton’s Garden.

Don’t confuse this Ariel’s Grotto with the one at Disney’s California Adventure. That Ariel’s Grotto is a restaurant that’s the home of “Ariel’s Disney Princess Celebration.” It replaced the former Avalon Cove restaurant, which is part of Yester California Adventure.

Ask Ariel to show you her dinglehopper.

Triton’s Garden—also known as Triton Gardens—opened at Disneyland in early 1996, replacing Tomorrowland’s Alpine Gardens. Before it was Alpine Gardens, it was the site of the Monsanto House of the Future.

With the changeover to Triton’s Garden, this plot of Tomorrowland officially became part of Fantasyland. According to Disneyland Entertainment Times Guide pamphlets, Triton’s Garden was in Fantasyland, “next to Sleeping Beauty Castle.” In reality, it was still on the Tomorrowland side of the Matterhorn walkway, right next to Astro Orbitor and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters.

The last day of operations for Triton’s Garden was August 17, 2008.

Before the end of October 2008, the gardens were transformed into Pixie Hollow. The idea is that as guests wind down the path, past the “enchanted pond,” they’ll feel that they’ve shrunk to fairy-size—magically!

Ariel’s throne is now a teapot. Depending on how you look at it, it’s either a giant teapot, or if you buy into the fantasy that you’ve shrunk down to fairy-size, it’s a normal-sized teapot and you’re really small. There, you can meet venerable Disney star Tinker Bell and her four co-stars from the 2008 Tinker Bell movie—Silvermist, Iridessa, Fawn and Rosetta.

Click here to discuss this page on the Yesterland Discussion Forum at MiceChat!

Disney Afternoon Characters The Spirit of Pocahontas Home

© 2009 Werner Weiss — Disclaimers, Copyright, and Trademarks

Updated February 6, 2009.

Photograph of Triton sculpture at Triton’s Garden, Disneyland: 2006, by Werner Weiss.
Photograph of gardens at Triton’s Garden, Disneyland: 2003, by Allen Huffman.
Photograph of water shooting at Triton’s Garden, Disneyland: 2003, by Allen Huffman.
Photograph of Ariel sculpture at Triton’s Garden, Disneyland: 2003, by Allen Huffman.
Photograph of Ariel sculpture close-up at Triton’s Garden, Disneyland: 2008, Chris Bales.
Photograph of Ariel’s Grotto sign at Triton’s Garden, Disneyland: 2008, Chris Bales.
Photograph of Ariel’s Grotto without Ariel at Triton’s Garden, Disneyland: 2008, Chris Bales.
Photograph of Ariel emerging at Triton’s Garden, Disneyland: 2003, by Allen Huffman.
Photograph of Ariel waving at Triton’s Garden, Disneyland: 2003, by Allen Huffman.
Photograph of Pixie Hollow sign at former Triton’s Garden, Disneyland: 2008, by Allen Huffman.
Photograph of Tinker Bell meet-and-greet at Pixie Hollow, Disneyland: 2008, by Allen Huffman.