a day ago
Disneyland's Blue Bayou: Is This Restaurant Worth It?
If you've been on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland Resort, you've probably wondered about the restaurant that's literally inside the ride at the very beginning of your journey. As your boat glides through the slightly foreboding but kind of romantic bayou, you can spot guests eating at a Southern-inspired restaurant.
Dark with beautiful twinkling lanterns, a huge willow tree, dressed up waiters, and a 'patio' overlooks the waters of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride — THAT is Disneyland's infamous Blue Bayou restaurant. It's a restaurant full of intrigue and mystery. And if you're anything like me, you've probably REALLY wanted to try eating here.
^ The view from my boat on Pirates of the Caribbean.
Recently, the Blue Bayou has been popping up all over my FYP. As one of the more elegant and pricier sit down restaurants at Disneyland, people are wondering if the price point is worth it, what the vibes are actually like, or if the food is any good.
*Editor's note: BuzzFeed was provided part of this trip free of charge; however, we were under no obligation to give a positive review. The writer paid for this meal.*
Well wonder no more! I FINALLY got to dine at the Blue Bayou and it was quite the culinary and sensory experience. Here's how it all went:
Reservations at the Blue Bayou get snatched up pretty quickly but guests are able to make a reservation online or through the Disneyland Mobile App up to 60 days in advance. I didn't have a reservation on a recent Disneyland trip but I kept checking the Disney app and was lucky enough to get a table for two the day before.
Tucked away on a cute street in New Orleans Square, the Blue Bayou exterior blends in perfectly with the other store and shop fronts. The restaurant entrance is right beside the exit of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.
My reservation was for 1pm and I would have been seated right away but I requested a 'waterfront' view, so I waited about 30 more minutes. After all, I wanted the FULL Blue Bayou experience here.
We were seated in prime spots (aka right by the water with a perfect view of guests about to meet their destiny on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride) and two things stuck out to me: the cooler temperature and moody lighting of the restaurant.
It was cool. You didn't need a jacket but it is distinctly cooler than other indoor rides or buildings at Disneyland. I'm not sure why this is — maybe to protect all the pirate animatronics from the hot weather? All I knew was that I was thankful for an escape from the steamy, sunny outdoors.
And second, it was dark in a spooky but also kind of romantic way. The table candle lights, strung up patio lanterns, "fireflies" in the bayou, and occasional shooting star — it was a vibe for sure. I felt completely immersed in this new environment, that I kind of forgot I was in the middle of Anaheim and not in New Orleans. Sitting by the water only enhanced this experience.
Back to the main event, the meal! First our drinks arrived. I ordered the Sweet Peach Iced Tea with Rum ($18.75) and my friend ordered a glass of prosecco, Le Grand Courtage, Grand Cuvee ($13.00). The Sweet Peach Iced Tea was perfectly sweet, slightly tart, and very refreshing. A little on the pricier side but I would definitely recommend it.
By the way, the Blue Bayou is one of the only restaurants you can order alcohol at in Disneyland Resort along with Carnation Cafe, River Belle Terrace, Cafe Orleans, and Docking Bay.
Then our appetizers came: we ordered the Crab Cakes ($18.00) and the Heirloom Tomato and Watermelon Salad ($15.00). The crab cakes had a nice spice to them but they were a little dry. And personally, I like to eat my watermelon plain and by itself.
I ordered "A Taste Of Blue Bayou" which included an appetizer, entree, and dessert for $79.00. This appetizer was the Fig and Prosciutto Salad and it was delicious — probably my favourite appetizer. The prosciutto was perfectly salty, balanced out by the smoothness of the Manchego cheese and herbed vinaigrette. Loved all the different textures in this.
For our main, we split the Cajun Surf and Turf. And it's a good thing we did because this thing was I say too big? This came with bone in ribeye, clams, mussels, prawns, clams, potatoes and cajun butter. This dish was filling and decadent to say the least. The ribeye was cooked well and a little over seasoned. The prawns had a lovely smokey flavour to them— but some of the natural flavour was drowned out by the amount of sauce on it. The cajun butter was melt-in-your mouth delicious.
Again, this dish was huge and we didn't even come close to finishing it. Hand included for size context.
And finally, our dessert came. Now THIS was chef's kiss. It was the Brown Butter Banana Cake and it was the star of the meal. The cake is ooey gooey, caramelly, and soaked in bananas foster sauce. It's topped with candied walnuts and vanilla ice cream. I'm drooling just thinking about this! This would have gotten extra brownie points if the cake was warmed up.
In total, our meal for two came to $154.90 before tip. That included two drinks, three appetizers, one main, and one dessert. I think next time we would order our own mains so that we could try more of the menu.
The food was good, the drinks were great, the service was fantastic, and the atmosphere was one-of-a-kind.
Overall, the best part of it all was the ~vibes~. When you're on a ride at Disneyland you're taken to a whole new world. Eating at the Blue Bayou was a beyond immersive experience where you get to indulge all your senses, especially your sense of taste. One of the most fun parts was watching the boats of riders pass by as we were enjoying our meal. They'd often wave at us and we'd wave at them. We were part of their ride experience and they were part of our dining experience. Mid bite, I'd hear screaming in the distance as the boats descended into their pirate adventure! Or some riders would scream at us, "What are you eating?"
Hot tip: ride the Pirates of The Caribbean before you eat at The Blue Bayou for an extra immersive experience.
Would I eat there again? Absolutely! What about you? Would you give it a try? Let us know your favourite foods to eat at Disneyland Resort.
For more travel content with Tasty Trips, check out fun things to do in Aruba, the Banff Cocktail Trail, and some culture shocks about visiting Japan.
