Blue Bayou - thoughts?

[twodogs]

Did your confirmation say 2 hours? Maybe the app confirmation is based on regular BB reservations and hasn't been updated with what is listed on the website.

My confirmation said exactly what I posted above, which I also copied and pasted from the link in your post. I think it depends on how you interpret the bullet points. To me, I interpreted the first bullet to indicate that RB Standard, BB premium and RZ Standard all had the policy listed below that bullet, which was 2 hours. Then the next bullet was RB Premium, which has a 1 day cancellation. The red lettering was added by me above, so I will copy it without that coloring, directly from my email. The bolding was put in by Disney in the email so this is exactly how it looks in the email:

Cancellation Policy

• River Belle Terrace Fantasmic! Brunch and Dinner Dining Experience – Standard Package Cancellation Policy
  
  Blue Bayou Fantasmic! Lunch and Dinner Dining Experience – Premium Package Cancellation Policy
  
  Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante Lunch and Dinner Dining Experience – Standard Package Cancellation Policy
  You must cancel at least 2 hours prior to your reservation to avoid a per-person cancellation fee. If you fail to cancel by then or are a no-show, the credit card provided at the time of making your reservation will be charged $10 per person.
  
  
• River Belle Terrace Fantasmic! Dinner Dining Experience – Premium Package Cancellation Policy
  You must cancel at least one day prior to your reservation to avoid a per-person cancellation fee. If you fail to cancel by then or are a no-show, the credit card provided at the time of making your reservation will be charged $10 per person.

 

[LKing]

My confirmation said exactly what I posted above, which I also copied and pasted from the link in your post. I think it depends on how you interpret the bullet points. To me, I interpreted the first bullet to indicate that RB Standard, BB premium and RZ Standard all had the policy listed below that bullet, which was 2 hours. Then the next bullet was RB Premium, which has a 1 day cancellation. The red lettering was added by me above, so I will copy it without that coloring, directly from my email. The bolding was put in by Disney in the email so this is exactly how it looks in the email:

Cancellation Policy

• River Belle Terrace Fantasmic! Brunch and Dinner Dining Experience – Standard Package Cancellation Policy
  
  Blue Bayou Fantasmic! Lunch and Dinner Dining Experience – Premium Package Cancellation Policy
  
  Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante Lunch and Dinner Dining Experience – Standard Package Cancellation Policy
  You must cancel at least 2 hours prior to your reservation to avoid a per-person cancellation fee. If you fail to cancel by then or are a no-show, the credit card provided at the time of making your reservation will be charged $10 per person.
  
  
• River Belle Terrace Fantasmic! Dinner Dining Experience – Premium Package Cancellation Policy
  You must cancel at least one day prior to your reservation to avoid a per-person cancellation fee. If you fail to cancel by then or are a no-show, the credit card provided at the time of making your reservation will be charged $10 per person.

Ohh, I was interpreting it differently. The website doesn't have the bullets. I thought the premium package cancellation policy was what was listed under the lower RB Terrace reservation and the standard cancellation policy was what was listed under Rancho del Zocalo.

Why call it a premium package cancellation policy if it is the same as a standard package cancellation policy?

 

[twodogs]

Ohh, I was interpreting it differently. The website doesn't have the bullets. I thought the premium package cancellation policy was what was listed under the lower RB Terrace reservation and the standard cancellation policy was what was listed under Rancho del Zocalo.

Why call it a premium package cancellation policy if it is the same as a standard package cancellation policy?

I thought the same thing! So confusing!!! I thought it was one day for my BB package at first, but then I reread it several times and decided it was saying the first 3 packages were 2 hours, and only the RB Premium was 1 day.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten Blue Bayou reservations the night before or the morning of our visit. It’s the only way I can get them since I rarely plan a visit 60 days out. Just keep refreshing!

 

[LKing]

I thought the same thing! So confusing!!! I thought it was one day for my BB package at first, but then I reread it several times and decided it was saying the first 3 packages were 2 hours, and only the RB Premium was 1 day.

Thank you!

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Thanks for the insight everyone! As @gardenrooms put it, you only graduate high school once. This was the first thing she asked for (aside from the overall visit), so making it happen is the goal. There are enough positive opinions in here that it's probably worth another try. Actually, the GOOD NEWS...I snagged a reservation during my stalking this evening. Stalking pays off!!! I'm not sure how I feel about the time, but I got a 4:40pm dinner. If I stick with this, I figure an early breakfast, this early dinner, and then later evening snacks...since I'm thinking that the park should be open until midnight. By this point, we will have been on Pacific Time for about a week and a half and our tummies are likely to be thoroughly confused on when to be hungry

@LKing I was looking in the F! pkgs as well during my stalking. The trip is late July, so I missed the 60 day mark by about a week. I saw lots of availability for the other restaurants but no BB. That line in your picture also reminds me of the PotC line during our Dec 2015 trip. I knew about the attraction closures, but you're right about that not being the people watching experience we enjoyed at Cafe Orleans on our last visit.

@SOCALMouseMommy That is so true! I've had that happen lots of times at WDW and I saw a couple of BB openings when checking to see what was available in the next couple of days. Still, I wanted to keep stalking...a. because I enjoy it (I don't know why) b. because I'd rather have it secured ahead of time if possible. Still, that last minute strategy may be a good way to shift our time if I feel it's warranted.


Thanks again everyone!!!

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

Actually, the GOOD NEWS...I snagged a reservation during my stalking this evening. Stalking pays off!!! I'm not sure how I feel about the time, but I got a 4:40pm dinner.

Yay! I think that’s a great time. It will likely be hot even still at that time and it will be a great break to get off your feet into the A/C and refresh yourself. Then by the time you come back out the evening will hopefully have cooled down a bit.

But July, you might be able to upgrade your dinner to a Fantasmic package if you wish. That was routinely done over the last few years. It’s not happening right now because reservations are booked up due to high demand with Fantasmic just returning but it could be the case by the time you visit.

 

[erinch]

I’ll be at DLR resort solo June 25-29. I’ve been able to score 2 BB ADRs from mouse watchers alerts. I grew up in Redlands, and was at Disneyland the week Pirates opened, I still remember the documentary showing how they put human hair one by one on the leg of the pirate sitting on the bridge.

My family didn’t have much money and DL was a once a year birthday trip, and when your E tickets were gone, they were gone. We would glide past BB and my dad would make comments about how fools and their money were soon parted to spend all that money at a restaurant , when you got the same sight on the boat you paid an E ticket for. So I am REALLY excited to finally eat there and fill that little hole in my psyche.

I would wait all day for a waterside table. As a solo, any hope?

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I would wait all day for a waterside table. As a solo, any hope?

Head to the restaurant about 15 to 20 minutes early and ask nicely at the podium if you can wait for a waterside table. Let them know you’re willing to wait, and maybe share a brief version of your story. Hope it happens for you!

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Yay! I think that’s a great time. It will likely be hot even still at that time and it will be a great break to get off your feet into the A/C and refresh yourself. Then by the time you come back out the evening will hopefully have cooled down a bit.

But July, you might be able to upgrade your dinner to a Fantasmic package if you wish. That was routinely done over the last few years. It’s not happening right now because reservations are booked up due to high demand with Fantasmic just returning but it could be the case by the time you visit.

Out of curiosity, what have summer temps been like in southern California in recent years? It's been a little over 20 years since we were there in July. I remember it being warm but pleasant during the day and a bit chilly at night. For what it's worth, our local highs are in the mid 90s and humid right now and lows are in the mid 70s to low 80s. By late July, it's usually triple digits. We're going to be in the area for a softball tournament for about a week before the Disneyland portion, so we're going to be spending a lot of time outside.

We might. We've never seen Disneyland's Fantasmic. I have a really hard time with them and nighttime shows and while I know WDW's is the inferior version, they weren't fans of that. I'm all for it, but they will likely want to do more ride based attractions.

 

[irlandaise]

Thanks for the insight everyone! As @gardenrooms put it, you only graduate high school once. This was the first thing she asked for (aside from the overall visit), so making it happen is the goal.

I do hope you can take her to Yosemite at some point. It's such a beautiful and incredible place.

(p.s. Tioga Road is opening for the season on Monday.)

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I do hope you can take her to Yosemite at some point. It's such a beautiful and incredible place.

(p.s. Tioga Road is opening for the season on Monday.)

I hope so too! We started to shift away from Disney trips about 6 summers ago and focused on national parks. In that time, she's been to 25 national parks (as well as a bunch of national monuments and other cool places). She seemed really excited about adding to that list this summer and genuinely seemed happy to stay inside Yosemite. It is what it is. Someday!

 

[Pluto468]

I'm glad you were able to get a reservation! I'm sure your daughter will have a great time. We've been to a BB a few times and really like it. I've asked for a waterside table and usually do. (Once we were in the back near the restrooms...not fancy lol.)

You could keep stalking if you want to get an earlier time. I bet one will come up.

Have fun!

 

[Mrjoshua]

I love both Blue Bayou and Cafe Orleans. Always good meals. I feel cheated if I don't eat at both during trips to Anaheim. You really can't go wrong.

 

[Breezer4]

If you’re going for ambiance, Blue Bayou. If you’re going for food, realize it’s a Disney take on Louisiana and your Cajun grandma is not in the kitchen. My daughter nicknamed their gumbo, “Dumbo” because it does not compare to the Gulf Coast.

 

[DizMe]

If you’re going for ambiance, Blue Bayou. If you’re going for food, realize it’s a Disney take on Louisiana and your Cajun grandma is not in the kitchen.

::SPOILER ALERT::
It's also not a real bayou...it's not really an outdoor patio at all!

 

[kimkarli]

Anyone have success getting BB with joining the walk up list?

TIA!

 

[erinch]

I had an 11 am and saw one party get accepted. Other than that, they were being turned away. But I subscribed to a dining reservation finder and had many come up.

 

[DisneylandFan22]

I noticed, at least for the first week in September, BB reservations seem to be lasting longer. Right now there are still late dinner reservations for 9/3.

 

[Aela]

We have reservations at BB this week, but would prefer to do the Fantasmic dining package. Is that an option? When I booked our table the Fantasmic wasn’t open yet.