Blue Bayou... Worth it?

[Vallie]

Hi all!

I'm starting to plan my upcoming trip to Disneyland and started looking at places to eat!

I'm contemplating the Blue Bayou (hope I'm spelling that right) but I noticed the prices are on the higher end.

I've never been to Disneyland before, but I believe that I saw the same resturant at Tokyo Disneyland when I went there a couple months ago.


My question is, Is it worth it to have dinner there? Why or why not?

Also, do we need to make reservations for this restaurant?

Thanks so much!

 

[HydroGuy]

Hi all!

I'm starting to plan my upcoming trip to Disneyland and started looking at places to eat!

I'm contemplating the Blue Bayou (hope I'm spelling that right) but I noticed the prices are on the higher end.

I've never been to Disneyland before, but I believe that I saw the same resturant at Tokyo Disneyland when I went there a couple months ago.


My question is, Is it worth it to have dinner there? Why or why not?

Also, do we need to make reservations for this resturant?

Thanks so much!

Hmmm, I do not remember seeing BB at TDL. BB at DL is the signature restaurant. It is pricey. The food is really good, the service is generally really good, and the atmospere is unique and magical.

Reservations are highly recommended. Is it worth it? Well, that depends. Since getting into BB is difficult that means the demand is high - which it is. So enough people think it is worth it to keep it constantly busy.

Is it worth it for you? That depends how you want to spend your money. If you want a unique dining experience and have the mnoey, then yes. But like any nice restaurant you can always takes that money and eat three more normal meals somewhere else. Your choice.

 

[kiwitravel]

It is worth doing once but only if you have the time, make an early reservation and then arrive early and request a waterside table, I wouldn't do it unless you got a waterside table....

The food was ok but I wouldn't rave over it.... It certainly is no michelin
star quality, what you are paying for is the location...

 

[Vallie]

Hmmm, I do not remember seeing BB at TDL. BB at DL is the signature restaurant. It is pricey. The food is really good, the service is generally really good, and the atmospere is unique and magical.

Reservations are highly recommended. Is it worth it? Well, that depends. Since getting into BB is difficult that means the demand is high - which it is. So enough people think it is worth it to keep it constantly busy.

Is it worth it for you? That depends how you want to spend your money. If you want a unique dining experience and have the mnoey, then yes. But like any nice restaurant you can always takes that money and eat three more normal meals somewhere else. Your choice.

I'm pretty sure there is a Blue Bayou at Tokyo Disneyland. I just went in November, and when we were on the pirates ride, there was a resturant at the beginning of the ride that looked very similar to the pictures I'm seeing online for Disneyland.

I found some info about it here...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Bayou_Restaurant

http://www.tdrfan.com/tdl/adventureland/restaurants/blue_bayou_restaurant/index.htm

Maybe it has a different menu? But I'm pretty sure its the same concept/resturant as the one in Disneyland as far as I can tell.

Money is not an issue, I'm just wondering more about food quality. It looked like an awesome place to eat at TDL.

Thanks for all the advice, looks like it might be a good place to make some reservations!

It is worth doing once but only if you have the time, make an early reservation and then arrive early and request a waterside table, I wouldn't do it unless you got a waterside table....

The food was ok but I wouldn't rave over it.... It certainly is no michelin
star quality, what you are paying for is the location...

Thanks for the help! Can I request a waterside table over the phone??

Also I see you are a kiwi!! I just traveled for 2 weeks to New Zealand in Feb and I LOVED it!! What a fantastic country!!!!

 

[kiwitravel]

Thanks for the help! Can I request a waterside table over the phone??

Also I see you are a kiwi!! I just traveled for 2 weeks to New Zealand in Feb and I LOVED it!! What a fantastic country!!!!

No you can't request a waterside table when making a reservation... If going for lunch then make your reservation for the first seating (1130 I think) and arrive about 20 minutes before and request a riverside... If dinner then arrive about 20minutes before your reservation and do the same... Typically you have to wait about half an hour for riverside...

Yes we are quite proud of our little country...We have travelled alot and it gives us an appreciation of what we have....

 

[Vallie]

No you can't request a waterside table when making a reservation... If going for lunch then make your reservation for the first seating (1130 I think) and arrive about 20 minutes before and request a riverside... If dinner then arrive about 20minutes before your reservation and do the same... Typically you have to wait about half an hour for riverside...

Yes we are quite proud of our little country...We have travelled alot and it gives us an appreciation of what we have....

Thanks again for the info! I'll keep that in mind.
Why is Riverside worth the wait?? Is it right beside the ride??

I've traveled quite a lot, and next to Japan, NZ is my fave country! I'm currently living in AUS, but I'm from Canada. As soon as I stepped into NZ I wished I had decided to complete my teacher's college program there instead! Its a lot like Canada, but the scenery is just amazing!

 

[kiwitravel]

Thanks again for the info! I'll keep that in mind.
Why is Riverside worth the wait?? Is it right beside the ride??

I've traveled quite a lot, and next to Japan, NZ is my fave country! I'm currently living in AUS, but I'm from Canada. As soon as I stepped into NZ I wished I had decided to complete my teacher's college program there instead! Its a lot like Canada, but the scenery is just amazing!

The food is not worth the money, its the atmosphere which is best right by the water.....

We went to Europe last year, we loved Scotland (and the scots) but found the rest of UK and Irish scenery (including the lakes district) a little underwelming....Loved the old buildings and castles though, over here any building over 100 years old is ancient, in Europe over 1000 years old is more the case... Loved the Swiss alps and the greek Islands as well.... Not made Canada yet.

 

[ConnieB]

Be sure to check the menu at Cafe Orleans which serves simliar food, especially the infamous Monte Cristo for quite a bit less cost. And Cafe Orleans has Pommes Frites which I don't believe you can get at Blue Bayou!


Blue Bayou is really about the ambiance to my family. Sitting in the semi-dark watching and listening the POC ride go by is quite pleasant. We personally think it's one of those "do it at least once" experiences. But, it's pricey enough that we choose to go only once every couple of years....but to do Cafe Orleans nearly every trip. And while Cafe Orleans doesn't have the same ambiance sitting outside and people watching is a lot of fun too!

 

[blackjackdelta]

What may be worth it to one may not be to another. We try to eat there everytime we visit and do get waterside tables. The food has always been good and have had no problems with the service. Others will say the opposite.
As Hydro guy stated, it is how you want to spend your money.

Jack

 

[cloudconnected1039]

I personally feel it's a worthy experience, especially if you've never done it before. The meals I've had there have all been good, I love the gumbo starter they serve you and it's definitely one of the best atmospheres in both parks. And I've always liked going during the summer, just to escape the heat for an hour or so. It also allows you time to relax your feet a bit before you're off to tackle some more rides again I completely suggest it, but it's most likely not going to be the best food you've ever had, which I wasn't expecting either. It's just a great experience

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

I eat there every time I go so I obvioulsy think it is worth it. IMO it is something you need to do at least once, for the atmosphere if nothing else.

 

[blackjackdelta]

No you can't request a waterside table when making a reservation... If going for lunch then make your reservation for the first seating (1130 I think) and arrive about 20 minutes before and request a riverside... If dinner then arrive about 20minutes before your reservation and do the same... Typically you have to wait about half an hour for riverside...

Yes we are quite proud of our little country...We have travelled alot and it gives us an appreciation of what we have....

Actually you can request at the time you make the reservation and reafirm when you check in. It has always been noted when we arrived, just no gauruntee.

Jack

 

[SleepingBeautyBride]

You pay for the atmosphere, not the food. Its worth to go once and experience it but if you are on a tight budget I would skip it all together.

 

[tholczer]

The food is not great. We had complimentary passes and were glad for them. We wouldn't have been happy to pay those prices for that food. Even for the atmosphere. You can always ride Pirates for that.

I must admit to being a food snob, however, and I find most of the food at Disneyland to be sub par.

 

[AmericanItGirl]

Can I request a waterside table over the phone??

The only way to lock in a waterside over the phone is to get a reservation for the earliest seating, which is at 11:30 am. All 11:30 am reservations are waterside (so the only waiting you do is for the restaurant to open...so the wait is comparable to waiting for any other table at any other time). I've gone twice and only have ever done waterside because it has the best vantage point, imo. For that seating, you need a reservation because there are fewer slots/tables available than at any other time.

Is it worth the money? The food's not bad (love their gumbo, but don't expect to get five-star quality food...it is in a theme park after all) and the atmosphere is unparalleled. The dining room is cool and dark, so perfect place to unwind a bit on a hot day. Finally, the bathrooms (for which there is hardly any line) are the nicest bathrooms that the average person (i.e. not someone lucky enough to dine at Club 33) has access to (shouldn't be the deciding factor, but I think it's a nice plus). All combined, I say it's worth trying at least once if you can afford it.

 

[SleepingBeautyBride]

The food is not great. We had complimentary passes and were glad for them. We wouldn't have been happy to pay those prices for that food. Even for the atmosphere. You can always ride Pirates for that.

I must admit to being a food snob, however, and I find most of the food at Disneyland to be sub par.

I agree. Except for the skewers at Bengal BBQ. SOOO good

 

[TheChapman6]

I didn't know you need reservations I'm gonna make some too!! Thanks.

 

[blackjackdelta]

I didn't know you need reservations I'm gonna make some too!! Thanks.

It is a good idea. We go in August and we always see a number of folks turned away because the thought they could walk up and get seated during the busy summer season.

Jack

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

It is always a good idea to make reservations for the table service restaurants (especially the ones with character meals). Fortunately DL isn't nearly as bad as WDW when it comes to making reservations; you don't have to worry about making your dinning decisions 180 days ahead of time.

I usually make my reservations about 20 days before we leave and I have even been lucky and got a reservation for BB a day before we ate there during peak season.

Things like the Fantasmic Dessert and WOC meals tend to become sold out really fast though.

 

[disneyfan67]

Hi all!

I'm starting to plan my upcoming trip to Disneyland and started looking at places to eat!

I'm contemplating the Blue Bayou (hope I'm spelling that right) but I noticed the prices are on the higher end.

I've never been to Disneyland before, but I believe that I saw the same resturant at Tokyo Disneyland when I went there a couple months ago.


My question is, Is it worth it to have dinner there? Why or why not?

Also, do we need to make reservations for this restaurant?

Thanks so much!

I'm going to be very honest and frank here. After years of seeing and hearing about BB on this board, I really looked forward to trying it on my first visit to DL last year. It was a mixed bag to tell the truth and there's some pros and cons to it.

The restaurant itself was beautiful and the location obviously makes BB one of the most unique places to eat at any Disney resort in America. It is an experience, much like eating in Cinderella's castle at MK in WDW and is one of those things that every Disney fan should do once, if they can afford it. Much like eating at Cindrealla's castle in WDW, BB is really overpriced.

The service was good and my server was very pleasant and accommodating. The food however wasn't that good and not worth the price they charge. In reality this restaurant would not survive for long in the real world outside of a Disney theme park. There's a lot of hype to it because of the Disney name attached to it and the large fan base Disney has. The key to it's success is location, location, location. You just can't beat it for that and the experience of eating there in the POTC, made up for my meal which was kind of on the poor side. I think it's a must do for every fan, but you have to go into it with realsitic expectations.