Blue Bayou Reservation Question

[KCmike]

How hard is it really to get a reservation for this restaurant? I know you can try to walk up each day. My son told us that this was one of the things he would really love to do someday. So here I am trying to figure it out. Can I just call the reservation line?

 

[figment_jii]

Blue Bayou is one of the most popular dining locations in DLR, so it's not uncommon for them to turn away walk-ups, especially during busy days. If you know you want to eat at the Blue Bayou, I would strongly consider making a reservation ahead of time. It's usually pretty easy to get a reservation, but not necessarily a day-of reservation. I've heard the CMs at the podium tell guests that they were fully booked for the day far more often than I've heard them accepting walk-ups. You're best bet, if you want to do a walk-up, is to try eating at an off time (e.g., mid-afternoon).

You can make a reservation by calling or online.
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/disneyland/blue-bayou-restaurant/

 

[BadPinkTink]

I eat here every year, I go at the end of June. I always make a reservation between 60 and 40 days out. I wouldn't risk trying for a walk up if its a must do meal, especially now that it is part of a dining package for Paint The Night parade and more people are making reservations.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Online is the easiest way to reserve IMHO, at the link figment posted above. I also highly recommend reservations. Keep in mind there is a cancellation policy where you get charged if you fail to show or decide to cancel with 24 hours of the reservation.

 

[nikkislaght]

I made resi's for our April trip end of March.. without any problems.. go online check out the availability on the day you want and make your booking.. 60 days out you can start ..

 

[tdhickey]

100% make a reservation, it's often booked solid.

 

[algae]

Yeah, definitely make a reservation as far ahead as possible. They rarely take walk-ins since they are usually booked solid.

 

[avalon451]

Here's a trick I've done several times to get fast service and a waterside seat with little wait:

Make a lunch reservation, preferably as far out (60 days) if you can, and ask for 11:30, the first seating. (I mean, you probably don't have to go the full 60 days out, but it's nice to be sure). Show up at the podium by 11:15 and check in, and ask if you can please be seated at a waterside table. You'll be among the first seated, and I have never NOT gotten waterside with this method, since those fill up first. Also if you take a look at the menu online here beforehand, and have a pretty good idea of what you want, you can order quickly and get ahead of the kitchen rush.

Last year I went on a solo trip, and did the BB dinner package with Fantasmic seating, so I couldn't do lunch. I made a 4:30 dinner reservation and asked for waterside when I checked in. They predicted an extra 45 minute wait, but they seated me in 30 minutes. It was lovely, and good service.

Have fun! Wave at the boatloads of people as they drift by!

 

[gottalovepluto]

...I have never NOT gotten waterside with this method, since those fill up first...

You are very lucky! I want some of that luck next time I go! We use the exact same method and sometimes we get waterside- sometimes not. Always in water proximity though, placed in the 1/3rd of the dining area closest to water, which is still great, but not necessarily waterside.

 

[Minniekins]

So, if you want to wait to be able to have waterside dining, where do you wait? Is there any seating or is it all standing?

 

[AussieCaribou]

There is limited seating at the entry. We have had to stand many times.

 

[wench]

It's not hard at all to get a reservation there. It's very hard to get a walkup. If you are forced to try for same day though, be sure to check the website for a reservation first thing in the morning each day. I've been able to snag one that way once or twice. But, tons of people try to get walkups, so there is a lot of competition for very few, if any, available time slots.

 

[tdhickey]

So, if you want to wait to be able to have waterside dining, where do you wait? Is there any seating or is it all standing?

Best to check in about 30 mins early (or more) and request waterside. They'll let you know the wait time for waterside, it can be anywhere from 20 minutes to 1.5 hours to request waterside - that's with a reservation. Stand-by, probably pretty unlikely.

 

[avalon451]

When I requested waterside for dinner last year, they gave me a buzzer, you know, one of those light up buzzy things that lets you know when to return. They told me I could wander down the alley and gave me specific parameters that included the shop down the way. (I think it was "no farther than the entrance to the alley, and no farther than the umbrella the other way, or something like that.) There was no room at that time in the entryway to sit, though I returned and was able to snag a bench about ten minutes later.

 

[Minniekins]

Thanks to all answering my questions on a place to sit or standing while waiting for a waterside table, appreciate you taking the time!

Now, one more thing, wondering if you have an ecv, and can walk, do you leave it outside somewhere or does it come in and park it somewhere? TIA!

Also, have any of you had any of these dish and can say how you enjoyed them?
Slow-roasted Beef Strip Loin, Surf & Turf, or Broiled Filet Mignon?

 

[theluckyrabbit]

We have never had a problem getting a reservation at BB, but it helps that we try to be very flexible about times. We rarely have a problem getting a waterside table by checking in about 30 minutes early and by, again, being flexible about our reservation time. It helps to know that we don't have anything pressing afterward on our schedule to force us to rush or stress. And yes, we also have heard walk ups being turned away on a regular basis.
DH and I have shared all three dishes mentioned (strip loin, surf & turf, filet mignon). With the split fee ($12 extra), we both got gumbo or salad and extra sides, so there was plenty of food for each of us. While the style of food at BB isn't our favorite (a bit heavy and rich), we enjoyed our dinners. Splitting the entrees helped so that we weren't overly stuffed afterward.

 

[Minniekins]

We have never had a problem getting a reservation at BB, but it helps that we try to be very flexible about times. We rarely have a problem getting a waterside table by checking in about 30 minutes early and by, again, being flexible about our reservation time. It helps to know that we don't have anything pressing afterward on our schedule to force us to rush or stress. And yes, we also have heard walk ups being turned away on a regular basis.
DH and I have shared all three dishes mentioned (strip loin, surf & turf, filet mignon). With the split fee ($12 extra), we both got gumbo or salad and extra sides, so there was plenty of food for each of us. While the style of food at BB isn't our favorite (a bit heavy and rich), we enjoyed our dinners. Splitting the entrees helped so that we weren't overly stuffed afterward.

Thanks for sharing your experience! That's interesting, we've never done a split meal before. Any chance you remember which of the three was best, or which provided the most , say, bang for the buck, so to speak? we both are beef eaters but the splitting the entrees would definitely save some money might be a good idea! I'm not sure it's our fave kind of food there either, but definitely excited about the restaurant itself and all!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Well, our most recent split meal was the strip loin, and there was definitely plenty of food to go around. Just as a disclaimer: neither one of us likes to eat huge meals at the parks, so BB meals are probably some of the larger entrees we indulge in at DLR. For a hearty eater, maybe a split meal wouldn't be enough. For us, we finished our meal and didn't even have room for dessert.

 

[Minniekins]

Thank you!

 

[scrapperkimmydee]

We made them ahead of time. It was an easy phone call to make. While we were checking in, I heard a lady making reservations for the next day. This was during Spring Break. I was rather surprised - maybe they're not as busy as they used to be?