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View Full Version : Blue Bayou - dinner review - October 31, 2004



cstephens
11-09-2004, 09:50 PM
For anyone who's interested, I've posted a review of dinner at the Blue Bayou on October 31, 2004. Here's the link (http://www.colddeadfish.net/dlrrests/bluebayou103104.html).

Thanks.

3894
11-10-2004, 04:21 AM
Thanks for the review, cstephens! Those stuffed mushrooms sound divine.

Dlandmom
11-10-2004, 06:05 AM
Thanks for the review, cstephens! Those stuffed mushrooms sound divine.
I had that a few months back and didn't like it much. The stuffing was much too dry.

Mrs.N
11-10-2004, 06:41 AM
Thanks for the great review! We have only eaten dinner there but have always been pleased. The portions are quite large so we now just share an entree and get an extra soup or salad.

rentayenta
11-10-2004, 06:51 AM
Mmm. The mushrooms do sound good.

pisces
11-10-2004, 09:29 AM
I have the utmost respect for your reviews, but you know I always like a great deal of description, and always have questions, which you don't have to answer if you don't want to.

1. What made the clam chowder good? Were there lots of chunks and large bits? What were the bits?...bacon, potatoes, huge clams? Was it super thick, or thinner?

2. What was it about Blue Bayou that you didn't like before? Was it just the service, or were there foods that were not pepared adequately?

CONCERN: I don't mean to get snippy, and I'm glad you got the table you wanted; but, why give away waterside tables to folks who didn't have priority reservations?

If they had already seated you, and I (with a priority reservation) had arrived, that'd mean I'd have had to wait for a specific waterside table.

Do you think that's fair?

I think it's great that they take walk-ups, especially if they have empty regular tables, but shouldn't the actual waterside tables be held specifically for priority reservations?

RStar
11-10-2004, 09:45 AM
I know people often say that B.B. isn't worht the cost, but I love it! I usually go for the lunch, just as much atmosphere for a lesser cost, but still plenty of food.

Great review, thanks!

LoveDL
11-10-2004, 10:56 AM
We always do lunch at the BB. We really don't see much difference in price as eating anywhere else in the park with our family of 6.
I'll review the clam chowder since we had it on our last visit. Dh and I both liked it, lots of potatoes, not too many clams, and they were not too rubber-bandish. Overall good, but mine is LOTS better :) .
Dawn

Surfingstitch
11-10-2004, 10:58 AM
I might have to get a kids meal if I eat there. I don't really like seafood.

It sounds like a lot of fun though.

Andrew
11-10-2004, 11:28 AM
Sure, if you like mushrooms (ew).

Seriously though, great review! I've never been able to sit by the water. Gotta do that sometime.

cstephens
11-10-2004, 11:46 AM
1. What made the clam chowder good? Were there lots of chunks and large bits? What were the bits?...bacon, potatoes, huge clams? Was it super thick, or thinner?

Well, it wasn't the best clam chowder I've ever had, but it had good consistency - I don't care for watery chowder. There was a lot of potato and other stuff (can't remember specifically), though not loaded with clams, but the flavor was still very good. I would assume that it's the same clam chowder served elsewhere in the parks, but I don't know that for sure. It's been a while since I've even had clam chowder in the parks.


2. What was it about Blue Bayou that you didn't like before? Was it just the service, or were there foods that were not pepared adequately?

Mostly, it was the horrendous service. I've always found the food to be ok, but not spectacular. I think for lunch, I mostly had the jambalaya, which I did like and which tasted good. However, the service really made it unpalatable to eat there for me. I remember on one lunch visit, we finally managed to flag someone down for refills, and that was the only refill we got for our entire meal. We had a table of 6 or so, as I recall, so we were there for a little while.

Also, for the prices charged there, and especially since other restaurants opened up at DCA and Downtown Disney, I would rather spend my money elsewhere for better food, much better service, and in some case, less expensive prices. Yes, the atmosphere at the Blue Bayou is wonderful, but for me, I can get a bit of that just by riding Pirates.


CONCERN: I don't mean to get snippy, and I'm glad you got the table you wanted; but, why give away waterside tables to folks who didn't have priority reservations?

If they had already seated you, and I (with a priority reservation) had arrived, that'd mean I'd have had to wait for a specific waterside table.

Do you think that's fair?

I think it's great that they take walk-ups, especially if they have empty regular tables, but shouldn't the actual waterside tables be held specifically for priority reservations?

Well, I'm not sure that "fair" enters into the picture here. It's already been stated that you cannot reserve a waterside table when you make your reservation, and you just ask when you check in, knowing that you might have an additional wait. Having a reservation doesn't guarantee you a waterside table without an additional wait, and under Disney's "priority seating", it's not even really a reservation. If you have a 6:30 priority seating reservation, that doesn't mean you necessarily get seated at 6:30. It means you basically get put at the front of the line at that point, but still behind people who had a PS reservation time before yours.

Under the old system, when they specifically reserved a percentage of the tables for walk-ups, it worked the same way. No matter what, if you requested a waterside table, there was usually an extra wait. As a walk-up this time, if I had asked for a waterside table, I would have expected an even longer wait than I had, but as I said, with the difficulties I had, I didn't even bother to ask. And I don't know how many other people were behind me in line. When we first started our wait, there were a lot of people there, and we watched a lot of people go in. By the time my name was called, there were very few people left in the waiting area. Maybe they weren't necessarily expecting anyone else to arrive immediately. (I don't know in what time increments they take reservations.) It would seem silly to leave a table sitting empty in case someone wanted it when there are people waiting for a table. And not everyone wants a waterside table. Yes, it was pleasant this time, and I was especially glad to get it because my friend had never eaten at the restaurant before, and she seemed happy with the waterside table, but I'd just as soon sit in the middle of the restaurant and not have to deal with the people in the boats.

I'm not happy that they've apparently changed over to a mostly "reservations only" system anyway. I hated it when I ran up against it at WDW, and I hate that they've brought it here.

Hamradio
11-10-2004, 08:11 PM
For anyone who's interested, I've posted a review of dinner at the Blue Bayou on October 31, 2004. Here's the link (http://www.colddeadfish.net/dlrrests/bluebayou103104.html).

Thanks.

Thanks for the review. How much was the dinner check?

kisroo
11-10-2004, 09:03 PM
cstephens~thanks for the review! I'm a bit confused about the reservations. We've done both priority (not happy with that system, at all!) and the "rush over first thing in the am" to make reservations. Are they only doing reservations via Disney dining now??
We're going in Dec and didn't make priority reservations because we've had better luck with just walking over there when the park opens.

Thanks for all your reviews!
~kisroo:)

MommyTo3Boys1Girl
11-10-2004, 09:07 PM
We ate there for the first time on November 2nd. The food was great and the service was above average. The prices were about what I expected. We were disappointed in not getting a table near the water and really didn't feel like we were in POTC. We will be sure to request a water table next time.

3894
11-11-2004, 04:57 AM
Are they only doing reservations via Disney dining now??


After riding Pirates, I walked over to the Blue Bayou reservations person to ask for a reservation two days away. No problem. This was a month ago so maybe things haven't changed.

Dlandmom
11-11-2004, 05:44 AM
Re: walk up's, when I was last there in August, I was meeting some friends for dinner. I arrived around 4:30 and was supposed to meet them at 5. I did the walk up and made a reservation for about 45 minutes away. I walked around until 5. At 5, I saw my friends standing outside the restaurant...they had just tried to make reservations but were told no walk ups were being taken.

So, same experience. They probably take just a few walk ups expecting some people not to show for their priority seatings.

SoCalSteven
11-11-2004, 08:40 AM
cstephens~thanks for the review! I'm a bit confused about the reservations. We've done both priority (not happy with that system, at all!) and the "rush over first thing in the am" to make reservations. Are they only doing reservations via Disney dining now??
We're going in Dec and didn't make priority reservations because we've had better luck with just walking over there when the park opens.

Thanks for all your reviews!
~kisroo:)
You can make reservations for the Blue Bayou via Disney Dining unless they are for that day. Then you either need to ask to be transfered to the Blue Bayou desk, or get there in person.