Is Blue Bayou overrated?

[BlueBayou]

I have WONDERFUL memories eating there in my childhood back in 1979. I waited until my kids were 3 and 6 I think before a booked.

The food was fine - I had a bit of travel nerves so all I ate was a salad. What my DH and I had was good.

But there was some magic that overtook my children. Maybe it was something to do with the tablecloth or the candles on the table - but my kids behaved better at that meal than they ever had eating out. That alone was worth the $$$.

 

[DoomBugger]

It might be overrated but you should see for yourself as it is a unique experience and the service is usually pretty good.

 

[wazowskiLOVER:)]

I think its a combination of the atmosphere, being in the right mood, and having great company with you. If you're gonna be trippin' about how much this meal is going to cost and how far you are from the water, obviously you're not going to have a great time.

I like it for the overall experience and the people who are with me. In order to make the money worth it, you have to leave all your inhibitions behind and just enjoy it for what it is. A great atmospheric restaurant with good food and conveniently inside the park

I LOVE IT, but thats just me !

 

[Sherry E]

hmmmmm.....maybe i'll think about doing a dessert there, then. if we could get enough seating near the water, i would kind of like to try it out. if we do the dessert, then we won't feel like we wasted too much money if it turns out we didn't think BB lived up to the hype. the park will be closing at 8pm on both days of our trip, but maybe we could do the late afternoon thing.

thanks again for the feedback!

Mugglemama, I, too, am considering a dessert at BB in a few weeks. The trouble is, we only have limited time and I don't know where to fit it into the schedule, unless it is a mid-day dessert! I ate a real meal there as a young child decades ago, and I was not that impressed with it. It is not my type of food, but other people LOVE it. Sure, it is cool to see BB once, but the only reason I would even want to go back there now is because one of my friends has never been inside BB and wants to see it, AND they serve the cookie boat (which looks more like a brownie boat), which I don't think they served 30 years ago when I was there!!! The thing is, just so we don't seem totally cheap at the BB, we would probably each have to order a cookie boat just to give them some money, rather than just ordering one and splitting it, and only paying $9.00 for the whole bill! And I am not sure if we each could finish a whole cookie boat ourselves! When we did a dessert meal at Carnation last year, there were three of us, so, even though we all shared the desserts with each other, we made sure to order three things so we felt less frugal that way and gave them SOME money for each of us!

 

[Mugglemama]

Mugglemama, I, too, am considering a dessert at BB in a few weeks. The toruble is, we only have limited time and I don't know where to fit it into the schedule, unless it is a mid-day dessert! I ate a real meal there as a young child decades ago, and I was not that impressed with it. It is not my type of food, but other people LOVE it. Sure, it is cool to see BB once, but the only reason I would even want to go back there now is because one of my friends has never been inside BB and wants to see it, AND they serve the cookie boat (which looks more like a brownie boat), which I don't think they served 30 years ago when I was there!!! The thing is, just so we don't seem totally cheap at the BB, we would probably each have to order a cookie boat just to give them some money, rather than just ordering one and splitting it, and only paying $9.00 for the whole bill! And I am not sure if we each could finish a whole cookie boat ourselves! When we did a dessert meal at Carnation last year, there were three of us, so, even though we all shared the desserts with each other, we made sure to order three things so we felt less frugal that way and gave them SOME money for each of us!

i'm still thinking about it. we'd likely order 3 of them, but ice cream seems to upset the tummies of some in our group when we are traveling (not sure why, but it never fails), so i'm not sure it's the best idea. we are only there for a very limited time this trip as well (2 days), and i hate to "waste" an hour eating ice cream, when we could just go on the POTC ride to be "inside" the ride, you know?

i know that a lot of people really get a lot of "fun" out of certain food experiences...my DH is totally this way. unfortunately, i don't feel that way about any of the food experiences at DL. at least not yet, lol.

we go back in june, doing 5 days to celebrate my oldest child's graduation from high school, and i'm just thinking the BB experience might be better left for that trip. on this trip, it seems everyone in the house agrees that with only 2 days and shorter hours (only 10-8, e-gads!), we are just going to be all about rides, rides, rides!

 

[Sherry E]

i'm still thinking about it. we'd likely order 3 of them, but ice cream seems to upset the tummies of some in our group when we are traveling (not sure why, but it never fails), so i'm not sure it's the best idea. we are only there for a very limited time this trip as well (2 days), and i hate to "waste" an hour eating ice cream, when we could just go on the POTC ride to be "inside" the ride, you know?

i know that a lot of people really get a lot of "fun" out of certain food experiences...my DH is totally this way. unfortunately, i don't feel that way about any of the food experiences at DL. at least not yet, lol.

we go back in june, doing 5 days to celebrate my oldest child's graduation from high school, and i'm just thinking the BB experience might be better left for that trip. on this trip, it seems everyone in the house agrees that with only 2 days and shorter hours (only 10-8, e-gads!), we are just going to be all about rides, rides, rides!

I get a lot of fun out of Goofy's Kitchen, but I really could take or leave Blue Bayou! My friend (who is the one who wants to see the inside of the BB) also has tummy trouble with ice cream. I, unfortunately, could probably scarf down a whole carton of ice cream in one sitting! However, that Flying Dutchman has the cookie/brownie thing underneath the ice cream and all the sauce and what not, so I think it will be very filling.

I think you have the right idea - go to BB and do the dessert meal when you have more days in the park. Even if you end up loving it in there and wish you had gone sooner, it still makes more sense to fit that in when you have more time. See, in my case, I originally had this upcoming October trip planned as well a December trip. I had to cancel December and am not sure if I will be able to reschedule it (hopefully I can - I love the holidays at DLR). In any case, I had initially considered that whatever we didn't do in October could be done in December. Now that December is looking iffy, I feel the need to cram in a bunch of things into two days in October, based around people who are joining us and at what times, what everyone's preferences are, and when we would be hungry enough to fit in a dessert meal, and all these other factors! So, Blue Bayou is still up in the air. For a fleeting moment, it looked like MAYBE we would be able to spend 2-1/2 days in the parks, which would open up more time to do BB dessert, but that extra half-day may not yet be determined until we get down there on the afternnon/evening of October 2nd. Anyway, I am trying not to stress about fitting in everything and trying to make everybody happy. We will just do whatever we can handle that is reasonable, and anything else we will have to do on another trip!

 

[Alex2kMommy]

While I think that BB is somewhat overrated by those who are looking for a gourmet dining experience, if you are looking to get a decent meal in a beautiful setting, you won't be disappointed.

I agree.

In planning our first trip, I took one look at the menu (with prices) and balked. NO WAY were we going to pay that kind of money for a park meal! DH agreed.

The first time we rode POTC and drifted through the bayou, I just wanted to stay right there. I begged DH to let me schedule a meal at BB, and he relented. Alas, the place was booked solid through the next 8 days! And this was in late September!

We finally were able to eat there last year for my birthday (October), and I truly loved it. The adult fare is very tasty; I didn't think I'd like the wedge salad, but that was wonderful also. DH loved it so much that we booked another meal there later in the week!

Personally, I think the kids' meals there are lacking. One child ordered mac & cheese but said it was "just OK", and the other ordered a PBJ sandwich; it usually comes fried, like the Monte Cristo, but he didn't want it fried, just a regular PBJ sandwich. They brought a thawed out 'Crustables'. He didn't eat it, very disappointing. Next time he got the mac & cheese.

 

[Mugglemama]

I agree.
Personally, I think the kids' meals there are lacking. One child ordered mac & cheese but said it was "just OK", and the other ordered a PBJ sandwich; it usually comes fried, like the Monte Cristo, but he didn't want it fried, just a regular PBJ sandwich. They brought a thawed out 'Crustables'. He didn't eat it, very disappointing. Next time he got the mac & cheese.

yeah, i don't see anything on the menu that my own kids would be thrilled about, as an entree. their favorite (every last one of them, lol) is the Taste Pilot's Grill over at CA. (which i don't particularly love, myself - but there's no restaurant in DL or CA that i am overly fond of). so if we did BB, it would strictly be for dessert.

those crustables suck! just my opinion. i remember when my daughter was 4, we were at DL, and ordered her a PB&J somewhere in NOS, and it was actually a regular PB&J sandwich that had been cut into a Mickey Mouse head shape. Very cute, and edible. my kids wouldn't touch crustables with a ten foot pole, lol.

when we first had CA added to our AP's back in February of 2002, they had this one restaurant open that we loved. it was back by where the Monsters, Inc. ride is now, and it was more like an indoor food court...they had several different restaurants, so we had our choice between chinese food, burgers, pizza, etc. it was awesome. we went there on our son's 4th birthday, and the staff recognized his birthday sticker on his shirt, and without even saying anything to us, several staff members came over at the end of our meal with a birthday brownie for him and SANG HAPPY BIRTHDAY! it was so cool. it was the only time that place was ever open when we went there. we still check every time we go, but it's always closed so we end up heading back over to Taste Pilot's Grill.

 

[Disney Dreams]

Okay, reading the latest posts on this thread and just HAVE to comment again.

Perhaps most importantly: Why do you want to go to the Blue Bayou? If it's for amazing food, it's not the place to even consider (unless you want a Monte Cristo, which is not my choice of fare). If you want a unique place to eat with AMAZING ambience, you have already over-thought it and should have PS ressie made.

What I read that made me feel the need to post again is the "we'll just do dessert." IMHO, this is not going to give you the opportunity to really take in the setting, relax, and enjoy the moment.

There have been comments about "wasting time from a tight schedule" or "take time out from only 2 days." You are not doing either. Every minute spent there is PART of your trip. The Blue Bayou is not "time out" from your Disneyland experience, it's another wonderful element of it.

If you ride Pirates, are you losing time from your day? No. It's part of your day. Same with eating at the Blue Bayou.

To say that you could just ride Pirates over and over instead of spend time in the Blue Bayou is not correct. It's not the same experience at all.

Also, if you are going during shorter park hours, you are going when there is considerably less crowds. This means, less people also eating that the Blue Bayou. In theory, that means a better shot at a water table than during the busy season.

I guess if you are eating at the Blue Bayou (and I think this question applies to Mugglemamma too) so you can say you have "been there, done that," you should skip it. If you are looking for a unique dining environment that can be a great part of a busy trip at Disneyland, don't miss it!

- Dreams

 

[Mugglemama]

I get a lot of fun out of Goofy's Kitchen, but I really could take or leave Blue Bayou! My friend (who is the one who wants to see the inside of the BB) also has tummy trouble with ice cream. I, unfortunately, could probably scarf down a whole carton of ice cream in one sitting! However, that Flying Dutchman has the cookie/brownie thing underneath the ice cream and all the sauce and what not, so I think it will be very filling.

I think you have the right idea - go to BB and do the dessert meal when you have more days in the park. Even if you end up loving it in there and wish you had gone sooner, it still makes more sense to fit that in when you have more time. See, in my case, I originally had this upcoming October trip planned as well a December trip. I had to cancel December and am not sure if I will be able to reschedule it (hopefully I can - I love the holidays at DLR). In any case, I had initially considered that whatever we didn't do in October could be done in December. Now that December is looking iffy, I feel the need to cram in a bunch of things into two days in October, based around people who are joining us and at what times, what everyone's preferences are, and when we would be hungry enough to fit in a dessert meal, and all these other factors! So, Blue Bayou is still up in the air. For a fleeting moment, it looked like MAYBE we would be able to spend 2-1/2 days in the parks, which would open up more time to do BB dessert, but that extra half-day may not yet be determined until we get down there on the afternnon/evening of October 2nd. Anyway, I am trying not to stress about fitting in everything and trying to make everybody happy. We will just do whatever we can handle that is reasonable, and anything else we will have to do on another trip!

yeah, i hate trying to cram things in while we're there. this will be the shortest trip we've done in several years. we had AP's until 5 years ago when we moved out of the Los Angeles area. we used to go so often (couple times a week or more) that we never felt rushed, because what we didn't get to do one day, we could just do a few days later. since moving out of state, it's been hard getting used to these multi day trips, because we just feel like we have to get everything done on that trip. we typically go for 3 days one trip, then 5 days the next trip. we just couldn't swing the third day on this particular vacation (we're driving down from Boise, Idaho and have lots of family to visit all throughout california and then also in AZ before heading back home).

just today, DH and I were discussing whether or not it would be better to move down to AZ so we could get our AP's again, lol!! funny how, as adults, we consider making major life decisions based on how they will affect our ability to get to DL more often, LOL!!! we didn't go to DL much as kids, and since having our AP's for the years that we lived near the park, we are so completely addicted. our family literally talks about DL every, single day. my kids, even the 16 year old, are saying on pretty much a daily basis..."I miss Disneyland!!!"

 

[JadeDarkstar]

dont move to az lol you will hate it im locked in side most the year couse the heat here ahhhhhh save me..well norrthern az might be ok lol

 

[Mugglemama]

dont move to az lol you will hate it im locked in side most the year couse the heat here ahhhhhh save me..well norrthern az might be ok lol

i feel for you! we lived in kingman for 2 years before moving up here to boise. and although kingman is typically ten degrees cooler than phoenix, it's still pretty toasty. we felt "locked inside" for a good portion of the year as well, i must admit. although here in boise, it's kind of the same thing, only we're stuck inside during winter.

and honestly, i can't decide which is worse.

summers here can be hot here, too...hotter than i really expected. this summer was milder than our first summers here though. i'm not even sure we really broke 100 degrees this summer more than a couple of times.

but it's sooo tempting to move back to the heat and ugly scenery of the desert, just to get myself within half a day's driving distance of DL, lol!!! it used to take us only about 4.5 hours to get there from our house in kingman. now, we have to drive for 2 days, ugh.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

hehe i wish i lived where it snowed again but hay this is where i am stuck. this year im gona try make my self go out side more but man its just so hot. im gona start a whole new day scedual after we get back from trip lol

i know its hot every where in the summer even in MI it was

 

[DizMe]

BB is like Disneyland itself. Is it overrated? To many, yes. To many, absolutely not. Do you go to DL for the rides? If so, there are plenty of cheaper options, but they aren't "special." Same with food and BB. Everyone has a different opinion of what's worth it, what's overrated, what is fun and what is good. It's just impossible to answer this question for someone else, just as it's impossible to answer "Is a resort hotel worth the extra money?" My advice is to try it and see for yourself. That's the only way to know. I personally think Goofy's is a waste of money, but respect the fact that most people disagree with me on that, so I don't usually offer up my opinion.

 

[RuthieT]

How do you go about getting water view? Do you think it would be hard to get a water view for 3 the 1st week of December?

 

[Mugglemama]

BB is like Disneyland itself. Is it overrated? To many, yes. To many, absolutely not. Do you go to DL for the rides? If so, there are plenty of cheaper options, but they aren't "special." Same with food and BB. Everyone has a different opinion of what's worth it, what's overrated, what is fun and what is good. It's just impossible to answer this question for someone else, just as it's impossible to answer "Is a resort hotel worth the extra money?" My advice is to try it and see for yourself. That's the only way to know. I personally think Goofy's is a waste of money, but respect the fact that most people disagree with me on that, so I don't usually offer up my opinion.

that's a very fair answer. i just wanted to get peoples' overall opinion of it, that's all. i think i'll probably skip it this time around. we might try it on the next trip, but who knows.

because our family is still full of a bunch of little kids, we're much more focused on the rides while at DLR, rather than the food. we never do the character meals, either. i know a lot of people feel strongly about the "whole" experience of DL...including the shows and parades, etc. we just never have overly interested in those things. the focus is always the rides for us.

i really appreciate everybody's feedback, it was really helpful!

 

[Sherry E]

i feel for you! we lived in kingman for 2 years before moving up here to boise. and although kingman is typically ten degrees cooler than phoenix, it's still pretty toasty. we felt "locked inside" for a good portion of the year as well, i must admit. although here in boise, it's kind of the same thing, only we're stuck inside during winter.

and honestly, i can't decide which is worse.

summers here can be hot here, too...hotter than i really expected. this summer was milder than our first summers here though. i'm not even sure we really broke 100 degrees this summer more than a couple of times.

but it's sooo tempting to move back to the heat and ugly scenery of the desert, just to get myself within half a day's driving distance of DL, lol!!! it used to take us only about 4.5 hours to get there from our house in kingman. now, we have to drive for 2 days, ugh.

Mugglemama, you are in Boise? One of my childhood friends moved from Los Angeles to somewhere near Boise - I think it may be called Meridien or something (is that right?) - almost a decade ago. They just moved to another house nearby, but not sure if it still in Meridien. I know that, coming from L.A., it was quite an adjustment for my friend, but her husband had to go there for work and she eventually grew to love it when she made their home 'theirs.'

 

[Mugglemama]

Mugglemama, you are in Boise? One of my childhood friends moved from Los Angeles to somewhere near Boise - I think it may be called Meridien or something (is that right?) - almost a decade ago. They just moved to another house nearby, but not sure if it still in Meridien. I know that, coming from L.A., it was quite an adjustment for my friend, but her husband had to go there for work and she eventually grew to love it when she made their home 'theirs.'

yes, meridian is nearby.

and YES, it has been a HUGE adjustment. in fact, i haven't quite adjusted yet, lol. i miss L.A. so bad. i miss real mexican food, and culture, and the ocean...and in-n-out burgers!!!! plus most of my family is all out there in SoCal.

but boise is cleaner, and cheaper, and safer. i used to work at mattel, but left to stay home full time with my kids. that's when we moved, because we were dropping down to just one income. now that i'm working from home, i would love to go back home, or at least get closer to it.

i don't think i will stay for 10 years, lol. they don't like us californians too much out here.

 

[DizMe]

that's a very fair answer. i just wanted to get peoples' overall opinion of it, that's all. i think i'll probably skip it this time around. we might try it on the next trip, but who knows.

because our family is still full of a bunch of little kids, we're much more focused on the rides while at DLR, rather than the food. we never do the character meals, either. i know a lot of people feel strongly about the "whole" experience of DL...including the shows and parades, etc. we just never have overly interested in those things. the focus is always the rides for us.

i really appreciate everybody's feedback, it was really helpful!

Yep, I know what you mean! I have yet to see a parade or fantasmic and until the princess dinner came along, I always skipped the character meals, too. One year we got a free character breakfast at Goofy's because our sink backed up at DLH, but I couldn't imagine paying what people were forking over for what we got. In the parks, I never watched the shows but got quite a shock when we took dd, 4 at the time, to see Aladdin. Wow!!! I was an immediate fan!!! But in general I don't like things for which I have to wait around, pay a lot of money, and hold a spot to see To me, those are good times to go on rides!

Our girls are now 5, 5, and 8. We always go to BB once during our trip (we go once per year) and we do the princess dinner. Other than that, we skip the entertainment unless we happen upon it and avoid high-priced food as much as is possible. We did see Billy Hill twice but I can't say I'm a huge fan, though it is a good place to have lunch. Overall, I don't like the food anywhere in DL. There is nothing I would rate better than ok except my annual Monte Cristo. I love the potatoes, those white asparagus spears, and the wedge salad at BB, but it isn't cheap (except that I share it 4 ways). It's just...I don't know! Really cool because it is part of the magic, I guess.

BTW...I love your username! Big HP fans here.

 

[Sherry E]

yes, meridian is nearby.

and YES, it has been a HUGE adjustment. in fact, i haven't quite adjusted yet, lol. i miss L.A. so bad. i miss real mexican food, and culture, and the ocean...and in-n-out burgers!!!! plus most of my family is all out there in SoCal.

but boise is cleaner, and cheaper, and safer. i used to work at mattel, but left to stay home full time with my kids. that's when we moved, because we were dropping down to just one income. now that i'm working from home, i would love to go back home, or at least get closer to it.

i don't think i will stay for 10 years, lol. they don't like us californians too much out here.

Yes, I think my friend mentioned missing In-n-Out when she first went there, and she also missed Nordstrom's and The Body Shop (bath and body products)! But once they began to make friends and get settled and figure out where everything was, they began to like it. And they moved their parents and such to Idaho! Another friend of mine just moved from L.A. way up to the hinterlands of upstate New York and is trying to get acclimated, but it is tough being so far away from L.A. I am one of the lone Los Angeles holdouts! I have lived here my whole life and I can't imagine ever living elsewhere, but I know the time will come eventually. The economy is too bad and the cost of living is too high out here, not to mention the next big earthquake (and I hate quakes!) will send me screaming to another state, I am sure! I could never imagine living far away from Disneyland or Catalina Island - my two favorite SoCal places - but I know the day will come....

As for DLR - you know, when I was younger, I did not really care for the food at Disneyland too much, because, quite frankly, their food was not great at all. Blue Bayou didn't impress me, as previously stated. We only ate because we had to. However, as soon as we discovered Goofy's Kitchen and places like the old Monorail Cafe in the DLH, we discovered that DLR could offer some great food in certain places. Then I discovered little things like the chicken skewers in Bengal BBQ and other items at random places, and over time, the food improved at DLR. It got noticeably better, I thought, over the years. So now, almost everywhere we eat has good food (we like it, anyway) - albeit, expensive, but all of DLR is expensive, and we don't do as many rides as we used to. Then again, I don't have kids so I approach it from a different place than you and your family and DizMe's family. If I had kids, it would be all about rides and eating where they wanted to eat. So, while I DO enjoy Goofy's and most of the food (at the table service places, anyway) in DLR, I DO NOT really go out of my way to see any shows or parades. If we stumble upon a parade, then we may stop and look for a bit, but we don't seek them out. And I saw Fantasmic back in the '90s. That was enough for me. I am not a big show person, I guess. That type of thing doesn't interest me. But some DLR guests LOVE that stuff!