Blue Bayou menu and Grad night questions!

[disneymomoffour]

I am a WDW veteran, and need help with DLR! I have 2 unrelated questions:

1. We will be going to DLR for 5 days (with hoppers), but 4 of them have grad nights. I know grad nights are in the evening at DCA, but I read that the teens get park hoppers for both parks during the day. How bad are the crowds with grad nights going on? Any advice on how to navigate?

2. My daughter wants to eat at Blue Bayou, but is a little uncertain with the entrees. (She wants to eat there for the atmosphere, but isn't too fond of southern/cajun food.) I don't see any appetizers/desserts on the menu online. Does anyone know what they are currently offering for desserts and appetizers and the approximate cost? (I called DLR dining but coudln't get an answer.)

Thanks!

 

[MAH4546]

There are no appetizers. All meals come with an appetizer soup, salad or shrimp cocktail.

 

[Agent 86]

Re: Grad Nights

I'm sure that other, experienced posters will chime in, but based on my research for an upcoming trip in May this seems to be somewhat "standard".

- At both parks, no noticeable difference until around midday.
- Around midday, the grads will start to enter Disneyland.
- Disneyland gets increasingly crowded with the grads as the day goes on.
- Disneyland can be extremely busy later in the evening.
- Most posters recommend getting a park hopper and going to California Adventure in the afternoon / early evening to avoid the grads at Disneyland.
- The grads eventually move to DCA (I'm still not clear on when this happens, that is, whether they need to be in DCA before it closes or whether they can enter DCA at any time which means that they stay at Disneyland until Disneyland closes and then head to DCA).

Basically, hold a park hopper and on grad days / nights, be at Disneyland at opening, do all of the rides which would attract teenagers (e.g. Space Mountain) in the morning. Then head to DCA. Possibly move back to Disneyland when DCA closes (although as noted, I'm still unsure about when the grads start to leave Disneyland in the evening).

 

[mad hatter fan]

2. My daughter wants to eat at Blue Bayou, but is a little uncertain with the entrees. (She wants to eat there for the atmosphere, but isn't too fond of southern/cajun food.) I don't see any appetizers/desserts on the menu online. Does anyone know what they are currently offering for desserts and appetizers and the approximate cost? (I called DLR dining but coudln't get an answer.)

Thanks!

Much of the food is too strongly seasoned for me. I was able to get the salmon made without all the cajun spices. I was told this was the only item that they could do that with. Also, you can get an adult sized kids meal item. I know others have posted about being able to so that.

 

[gottalovepluto]

@Agent 86 has a good run down. In our experience they do not even start to leave until after 10pm and even then there are a lot of grads in DL past 11pm. They are NOT anxious to leave DL for DCA. Your best bet will be getting into DL as early as possible in the day and returning after DCA closes at night. I'd do my best to see DL fireworks on the non-grad nite. We watched late PTN on a grad nite & it was fine crowd wise so I recommend that if they run the late one.

At BB when you settle on an entree consider picking the salad with dressing on the side FYI, it can be overwhelmingly strong when they drench it. Are you committed to dinner or a grad nite date for BB? I ask because we did lunch on a grad nite & teenagers in the boats kept yelling at us (thankfully we never understood) & screaming for the heck of it. I can't imagine what it would have been like at dinner when even more were in the park. Ever since that we've stuck to only doing BB on non-grad nites. If non-grad nite is not an option I'd do lunch over dinner on a grad nite.

 

[PoohsFan1]

Are you committed to dinner or a grad nite date for BB? I ask because we did lunch on a grad nite & teenagers in the boats kept yelling at us (thankfully we never understood) & screaming for the heck of it. I can't imagine what it would have been like at dinner when even more were in the park. Ever since that we've stuck to only doing BB on non-grad nites. If non-grad nite is not an option I'd do lunch over dinner on a grad nite.

I completely agree with this, if you can, try to go to BB on a non grad night date. When we were there 3 years ago (it was our first trip to DLR), we happened to have dinner on a grad night date. The teens riding in the POTC boats were so obnoxious with their yelling and screaming at the dinner patrons. Don't get me wrong, we loved everything about the restaurant (it was one of our best meals the entire trip) from the food, ambiance, and the service, but we really could of done without the grads being there...that part made the experience awful. When we return for our second trip in June, we are planning on dining at BB for dinner and we are also making sure that it will not be on a grad night party date.

 

[disneymomoffour]

Thank you all so much-very helpful information! I am a little stressed about the grad nights now though-I assumed DCA would get the worst of the crowds. (Honestly a little bummed-especially considering they added a grad night to our week, and we will only have one day without one.) I worked at DL back in my college days, and grad nights were only after hours. So wish they would go back to that! Thanks again everyone!

 

[robin2588]

I'm curious about when the grads "have" to be in DCA as well. Maybe they just let them enter whenever they like. Two of the grad nites in May (14th & 18th) both have DCA closing at 9pm, but when I look at the Grad Nite web page it states:

• A private Disney California Adventure® Park experience with dance parties from 10:00PM to 2:00AM

So I wonder if they are encouraged not to really show up until 10pm. Perhaps Disney takes that 1hr to clean up carsland, and wherever else the grads get to go. They must kick whatever grads are in DCA out at 9 with the rest of the crowds, then let them back in at 10pm. So i'm guessing going to DL between the hours of 9pm-10pm is probably very horrible as the grads have to wait for their party to start.

 

[disneymomoffour]

I'm curious about when the grads "have" to be in DCA as well. Maybe they just let them enter whenever they like. Two of the grad nites in May (14th & 18th) both have DCA closing at 9pm, but when I look at the Grad Nite web page it states:

• A private Disney California Adventure® Park experience with dance parties from 10:00PM to 2:00AM

So I wonder if they are encouraged not to really show up until 10pm. Perhaps Disney takes that 1hr to clean up carsland, and wherever else the grads get to go. They must kick whatever grads are in DCA out at 9 with the rest of the crowds, then let them back in at 10pm. So i'm guessing going to DL between the hours of 9pm-10pm is probably very horrible as the grads have to wait for their party to start.

Uhgg...this is sounding worse and worse. I am used to going to WDW during off season. (ie: september) Unfortunately we couldn't work that out this time. :-(

 

[SMD]

Check the WOC schedule. There's probably a WOC at 9pm followed by the hour of shopping on BVS until 10pm. There isn't going to be an hour between park close and grad night. If anything they'll cut off access to an area early to guests and let the grads in. The grads have park hoppers, so they're able to be in either park all day.

 

[robin2588]

Ah true.. I didn't think of the WOC at 9pm Thanks

 

[gottalovepluto]

Uhgg...this is sounding worse and worse. I am used to going to WDW during off season. (ie: september) Unfortunately we couldn't work that out this time. :-(

You'll be fine! You're researching ahead of time and getting all the best tips You are right in that it will not be at all like off season at WDW but with a sketched out game plan you can avoid the worst of the crowds and have a great trip!

 

[disneymomoffour]

You'll be fine! You're researching ahead of time and getting all the best tips You are right in that it will not be at all like off season at WDW but with a sketched out game plan you can avoid the worst of the crowds and have a great trip!

Thank you!!!!

 

[mad hatter fan]

@Agent 86

At BB when you settle on an entree consider picking the salad with dressing on the side FYI, it can be overwhelmingly strong when they drench it.

Did they change the salad since last Oct? I had the salad then and really liked it. The dressing did not seem spicy to me and I usually notice those things

 

[gottalovepluto]

Did they change the salad since last Oct? I had the salad then and really liked it. The dressing did not seem spicy to me and I usually notice those things

No the dressing itself is not spicey at all. Sorry if that's how that read! What I should have said was they can be very heavy handed with the vinaigrette, so if you aren't one for lots of salad dressing ask for it on the side. (Personally lots of vinaigrette dressing can taste spicy to me, so that's why I said something.) But no, they haven't changed the salad!

 

[mad hatter fan]

No the dressing itself is not spicey at all. Sorry if that's how that read! What I should have said was they can be very heavy handed with the vinaigrette, so if you aren't one for lots of salad dressing ask for it on the side. (Personally lots of vinaigrette dressing can taste spicy to me, so that's why I said something.) But no, they haven't changed the salad!

Oh good! I like that salad. Sometimes it seems like as soon as I decide I really like something they go ahead and change it or get rid of it, LOL!

 

[aluckyduck]

Last year they did the DCA closing like the HalloweentimeParty. If you didn't have a wristband, you had to leave at park closing. Grads are supposed to be in DCA at 11 or midnight (I dont remember) and if they were late security called their chaperones and it was up to their discretion. My DW was a chaperone and she told all the grads, if I get called, you're going home! Don't be late, don't do drugs, don't 'lose' your ticket or wristband.