Blue bayou

[kittyklawz]

I managed to score a lunch reservation for blue bayou when we are visiting in March and we have never been! What are your favorite things to get off the menu? Also if I want to tell them that we would like a water side table how early should I visit the podium to check in for an 11:20 am reservation?

 

[KimberMama]

For 11:20 it might be hard to get waterside, as they open at 11AM and in my experience those reservations all get seated waterside until they run out of waterside tables. It really just depends on party sizes ahead of you and how fast they seat. But it won’t hurt to ask politely and see what they can do. I don’t ask anymore, and our last time at BB we got the best waterside table I’ve ever had.

I don’t think the food at BB is anything special. I’d rather get the Monte Cristo with pommes frites, which means Cafe Orleans. For lunch at BB I get the prime rib, for dinner I get the filet — the filet is better. My husband gets the plant based pasta. I will say we enjoy the overpriced brioche bread service despite the price (bread service used to be complimentary at BB and being a baker, it irks me that it isn’t anymore because bread is so incredibly cheap).

 

[LKing]

I’d rather get the Monte Cristo with pommes frites, which means Cafe Orleans.

Royal Street Veranda is currently offering a Snack-size Mardi Gras Monte Cristo. Smaller, without fries, for $11.49

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[kittyklawz]

For 11:20 it might be hard to get waterside, as they open at 11AM and in my experience those reservations all get seated waterside until they run out of waterside tables. It really just depends on party sizes ahead of you and how fast they seat. But it won’t hurt to ask politely and see what they can do. I don’t ask anymore, and our last time at BB we got the best waterside table I’ve ever had.

I don’t think the food at BB is anything special. I’d rather get the Monte Cristo with pommes frites, which means Cafe Orleans. For lunch at BB I get the prime rib, for dinner I get the filet — the filet is better. My husband gets the plant based pasta. I will say we enjoy the overpriced brioche bread service despite the price (bread service used to be complimentary at BB and being a baker, it irks me that it isn’t anymore because bread is so incredibly cheap).

Royal Street Veranda is currently offering a Snack-size Mardi Gras Monte Cristo. Smaller, without fries, for $11.49

​

We are mostly going for the experience because it's a special occasion and I have wanted to eat here since I was a child.

 

[DizMe]

We are mostly going for the experience because it's a special occasion and I have wanted to eat here since I was a child.

Oh, I totally get that!! I nearly always try for a BB reservation when I go to Disneyland, especially if we're celebrating a birthday. There's just something very special about it for me. There are those who don't think it's worth it, but I'm not one of them. Overpriced? Yeah, if you're only talking about the cost of the food, but it's so much more than that.

The advice above was good. Get there early (whenever they open), request a waterside table, and if it's important to you, say you'll wait for one. They may have a nice table that is close but not *exactly* waterside. I had an 11:10 reservation a few weeks ago and we got the last waterside table, so it's possible you'll get one but if you've told them early that you'll wait, you'll have a better chance, depending on the size of your party. And if they don't have anything, decide if the wait is worth it, because it's likely you won't get waterside until the first round of diners begins to finish up and leave. But it's also possible they have some no-shows or latecomers for the earlier times and they'may be able to accommodate you fairly quickly.

I'd say get there early and give it a try! Good luck!!

 

[irlandaise]

If you can't get an 11:00 reservation, is there a later time when the first group of people is finishing up and you might have a better chance at a waterside table? Or do people leave at such different times that there's no pattern one can go by?

 

[kittyklawz]

Oh, I totally get that!! I nearly always try for a BB reservation when I go to Disneyland, especially if we're celebrating a birthday. There's just something very special about it for me. There are those who don't think it's worth it, but I'm not one of them. Overpriced? Yeah, if you're only talking about the cost of the food, but it's so much more than that.

The advice above was good. Get there early (whenever they open), request a waterside table, and if it's important to you, say you'll wait for one. They may have a nice table that is close but not *exactly* waterside. I had an 11:10 reservation a few weeks ago and we got the last waterside table, so it's possible you'll get one but if you've told them early that you'll wait, you'll have a better chance, depending on the size of your party. And if they don't have anything, decide if the wait is worth it, because it's likely you won't get waterside until the first round of diners begins to finish up and leave. But it's also possible they have some no-shows or latecomers for the earlier times and they'may be able to accommodate you fairly quickly.

I'd say get there early and give it a try! Good luck!!

I would totally be fine with waiting, do you think I should get there right when they open to ask about it? It is myself, husband and 2 children.

 

[maleficent55]

The chicken gumbo is good

I usually get the filet mignon if they have it

 

[DizMe]

I would totally be fine with waiting, do you think I should get there right when they open to ask about it? It is myself, husband and 2 children.

I would, yes. Also, don't be let down if they tell you a long wait time for waterside--they often do that but the reality is that it rarely ends up being the long wait time they tell you. Just say you want to wait and see what happens.

I do want to add that I wouldn't find Blue Bayou worth it if I was in the seats closest to where you walk in (farthest from waterside). That would ruin the whole thing for me. First or second rows are fine with me but I almost always get waterside because (a) I try to get the earliest seating time, (b) there are usually only 2-3 of us, and (c) I'll wait. Now when we went as a family of 5, it was harder to find tables for us waterside so we would sometimes take a table farther away if it was really busy. But that was before the current reservations system so it worked differently.

 

[KimberMama]

Royal Street Veranda is currently offering a Snack-size Mardi Gras Monte Cristo. Smaller, without fries, for $11.49

​

I tried that last month and was surprised to find it was the insides of a Monte Cristo dipped on corn dog batter and fried – no bread

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I would totally be fine with waiting, do you think I should get there right when they open to ask about it? It is myself, husband and 2 children.

Yes, I would check in (in person) at 11am, politely make your request and indicate that you don’t mind waiting. It never hurts to share that this is your first visit ever and you’re fulfilling a childhood dream! They might tell you it could be a long wait, but don’t let that deter you. I think they say that to everyone. And even if you had to wait a good amount of time, it will be worth it to have one of those tables. I’ve asked very nicely many times and never been denied (nor really ever had to wait all that long).

 

[bakofarmgirl]

i go for the chicken gumbo! and usually share the prime rib but gumbo is a must

 

[LKing]

i go for the chicken gumbo! and usually share the prime rib but gumbo is a must

Have you tried the gumbo at Tiana's? If so, how does it compare?

 

[Lisa24jks]

Have you tried the gumbo at Tiana's? If so, how does it compare?

I am not the poster you asked, but can't help but weigh in. Both are good! But, different. The one at Tiana's is spicier than the one at Blue Bayou and perhaps a stronger flavor profile overall, IMO. But, Blue Bayou's is still really good. (and probably better for those that can't handle spicy foods as well).

 

[bakofarmgirl]

Have you tried the gumbo at Tiana's? If so, how does it compare?

i have not, maybe worth trying next month on our trip

 

[CayBoo]

I've always shown up a little earlier than our scheduled reservation time and asked the host politely what the extra wait would look like for waterside. Depending on when they've been recently sat, it could be anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. But I've found that when we choose not to wait for the waterside, they do a great job of making sure we get the second row, which still feels just as magical in my opinion. It's such a fun atmosphere in there! I try to eat at the BB at least once a trip. I keep checking in to see if one pops up for our last minute trip in a few weeks.

 

[kittyklawz]

From the second row can you still see the water?

 

[CayBoo]

From the second row can you still see the water?

Oh definitely. It might not be the greatest view compared to being waterfront, but you still feel close to the ride. They tend to have the second row placed in between the first row, so you have a direct view of the water. After the second row is a walkway for the guests and servers to make their way through the restaurant. I wouldn't want to be back in the fourth row which backs up to the front doors. They have a small wall that you walk around to keep most of the daylight out, but it still feels like the least magical spot in the restaurant in terms of theme in my opinion.