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View Full Version : Questions about Tours and Blue Bayou



DisneylandBoy
12-03-2001, 08:10 PM
I have a couple of questions:

1. Has anyone been on the nes Holiday Tour at Disneyland? Is so . . . how was it, was it worth the price and would you recommend it to tenagers who LOVE Disneyland?

2. If anyone has eaten at the Blue Bayou for Dinner: how were the prices, how was the food, and when should we make a reservation to get a table?

That's all . . .thanks!

Crazytigger
12-04-2001, 01:25 AM
No on #1

But I have eaten at the Blue Bayou many times. THe prices are a little bit higher than a regular resteraunt, but well worth the atmosphere and the food is really good. On a busy day you should get there probably an hour before you want to eat just to check it out. Its a great expiereince though.

Vansau
12-04-2001, 03:22 AM
Sadly, I haven't been on the holiday tour either. But I have eaten at BB, and the food was excellent, as was the service. The prices are actually cheaper during lunchtime, so go then. What I would do is go over first thing in the morning and make reservations for lunch then, so you have your choice of times.

KarenW2
12-04-2001, 09:48 AM
My DH and I took the Holiday tour last Saturday & we'd say it was OK to do once, but that's about it. If you haven't been on the new Haunted Mansion or Small World Holiday, then it'll be better for that. But it's quite a while into the tour before you get to do the rides. Mostly, it was a LOT of walking and standing, really hard to do when there were ZILLIONS of people around, like there was on Saturday night! :( A few interesting factoids about the decorating, but he wasn't able to answer basic questions that he should've had the answer to! He told us how many ornaments & lights were supposed to have been put on the tree in Main Street, how many hours it took, but couldn't tell us how many CMs it took (to screw in the lightbulbs!). It was also hard to hear him at times, because of all the other people around us and he didn't project or have a mic so you could hear him talk.

At times, it seemed like he was really reaching to say something holiday related. Like standing at the brink of Tomorrowland, he told us Innoventions has displays of things to get for Christmas gifts (like we don't already know Inno is one giant ad for the companies there!), but that YEARS AGO, when the Carousel of Progress was there, they USED to have a scene at the end that was a Christmas scene! Also, we didn't see anything you couldn't see just by looking around the park for decorations, so that was a bit surprising. I thought there might be some "behind the scenes" stuff on the tour, but there wasn't.

He pointed out Walt's apt. from where we stood on the street below, we didn't get to go in. Also, as he was starting to tell us how they always leave a candle burning in Walt's window, he noticed there wasn't one, so he quickly changed his spiel to say that they now consider the Christmas tree lights to be Walt's looking out on the park! Hokey!

Seeing Small World Holiday was neat, but the group couldn't stay together in the boats, since they stagger the fast pass line & stand-by lines when the boats leave. We walked the Fast Pass lines for both rides, waiting as long as the regular passers did, not walking onto the ride like someone had posted before. But it was better than if we didn't have fast passes, so I guess that's the benefit to that one.

The "preferred seating area" referred to is not a SEATING area, as there were no chairs there, it's just a "viewing area". It's the top level across from the front of Small World, at the end of the parade route. Since I have severe arthritis & all that walking & standing was hard, after spending the whole day in the park, I asked the tour guide for a chair. He went away for a while & came back with one. But then all you could see of the parade was to tops of things, since there were hundreds of people standing below you blocking the way.

The Krispie treat star was big and tasty, but we saved it til after we were on the way home to eat it.

Would I recommend it for "tenagers" (teenagers? :D) who love Disneyland? I'm not sure. It might be a bit on the boring side for you, since it's a lot of stopping & starting, and it takes a long time to get to the rides. At $20 each, it seems a bit pricey for what you get. The Krispie treats sell for three bucks & change in the park and you only get a generic paper hang tag to wear (no pin or button with the tour name on it), so their basic cost was pretty low.

As to Blue Bayou, we've eaten there & it is pricey. Reservations come hard, especially at this time of year. You have to go there first thing upon entry. We tried getting ressies at City Hall, but they weren't able to accomodate us. When we got to BB, there was a line a mile long waiting & reservations were quickly "sold out".

Food-wise, it's very spicey, unless you go at lunch time and have a salad or the Monte "Crisco" (very deep fried!) sandwich. If you like spicey, you'll do well, but for me there are only a couple of "safe" choices.

Hope this helps, and that you guys have a fun time, regardless of what you decide to do!

MansionMatt
12-04-2001, 12:22 PM
don't forget, you can now make reservations for the Blue Bayou through Disney before you arrive. you simply call up the disney reservations line, i believe...i wish i had the number handy. anyway, that's what i did for my lunch there on Halloween, dunno if it's still available, but it was very convenient.

we enjoyed the meal immensely...it was my girlfriend's birthday and they sang to her & served a delicious mousse at no extra charge. and i didn't think it was that expensive...we had big lunches and mint juleps and soft drinks for about $36 for the both of us.

i'd recommend it, but of course, lunch is cheaper, so i'd recommend that. :)

always lurking, never posting,
matt

driftwood714
12-04-2001, 01:48 PM
Disney Dining 714-781-DINE (3463).

You could also call the extension 3463 (or DINE) from any park courtesy phone or hotel phone.

DisneylandBoy
12-04-2001, 07:00 PM
Does anyone know about the other two tours they offer?

wonderful
12-04-2001, 09:07 PM
First, I'd like to say to KarenW2 thank you for trying out the holiday tour... I am sorry that you were told there was "seating" as we have tried very hard to stress it is a "viewing only" area... but a very nice view... and at $20, the tour offers two FASTPASSES, a treat, and a viewing at $4 more than a Guided tour... The "factoids" and history are pretty much par for a tour (that's our ENTIRE Walt tour!)... and it's hard to remember everything, but just so you know, there are 14 folks on our decorating team... not sure if all of them screw in the light bulbs :D
In regards to anyone wanting to go on any of the tours here's what you can expect (in order of tour popularity):
"A Walk in Walt's Footsteps" is a historical and fun look at Disneyland through Walt's eyes. We explore the original lands of Disneyland, sharing stories about the park's creation and Walt's vision. Guests LOVE this tour and it is definately for the true Disney fan. It is all walking and no attractions are experienced. Small kids might find this tour a bit boring. This tour is $16 for adults and $14 for children (3-9).
"Holiday Time at Disneyland" offers all that was mentioned in the first paragraph(two attractions with FASTPASS, parade viewing, and a treat) and the "history" focuses on holiday history and fun facts about holiday traditions... the tour was created to offer "something new" to our Walt fans for the holidays and to showcase all the great stuff Disneyland offers during the holidays. Although this tour is not ALL walking, there's still a lot of walking and lots of storytelling, so young ones might find it a bit boring too. This tour is $20 for everyone 3 and up.
"Welcome to Disneyland" is the traditional guided tour of Disneyland designed for FIRST TIME VISITORS... three attractions are experienced and our tour guides are wonderful, but unless you don't know where the Baby Center is or how Package Express works, I'd take either of the other tours first. This tour is also $16 for adults and $14 for children.
Best advise I could give ANYONE wanting to take a tour, is to want to walk away knowing something more and REALLY want to hear some great stories... if you just want to kill time or use a voucher cause you missed breakfast, you WILL be bored.... BUT if you love Walt, love Disneyland, and/or love the holidays, I'd love to be YOUR tour guide :)

driftwood714
12-04-2001, 09:08 PM
There's 3 tours.

Welcome to Disneyland $16 adult $14 child
Good tour for first time ever visitors, ride 3 attractions (wait in the standby lines) provides general layout of park and attractions.

Walt in Walt's Footsteps $16 adult $14 child
Most popular tour, no attractions but all walking and storytelling. Great tour for APs. Lots of info you don't know, and some you may. Sells out fast.

Holidaytime at Disneyland $20 all ages
Holiday tour with 2 attractions thru FastPass and parade viewing. If you're an AP, you probably won't learn too much new info. It's more for first time people during holidays

Hope that helps. I've taken all 3.

space101
12-04-2001, 09:13 PM
"The "preferred seating area" referred to is not a SEATING area, as there were no chairs there, it's just a "viewing area". It's the top level across from the front of Small World, at the end of the parade route. Since I have severe arthritis & all that walking & standing was hard, after spending the whole day in the park, I asked the tour guide for a chair. He went away for a while & came back with one. But then all you could see of the parade was to tops of things, since there were hundreds of people standing below you blocking the way. "

No where does it say you will have a seat for the Holiday Parade. Of course you are not going to see the parade by sitting in a chair from where the vip area is located.

I would suggest for future you ask some additional information before taking a tour if you have a difficult time walking or standing for a long period of time.

I have taken the tour and found it very interesting and very informative. And kudos goes to the Cast Member who got you a chair.

wonderful
12-04-2001, 09:31 PM
Sorry, forgot to mention the Blue Bayou... the food is good and the setting is fantastic, but if you want to do something on a tighter budget, try grabbing a soup bowl from the veranda and some coffee and heading to the Gallery balcony, and at this time of year, just about any outdoor area is great (Zocolo, Plaza Inn and French Market among them). My favorite place is Red Rockets... too bad it's in Tomorrowland =(

mad4mky
12-05-2001, 09:08 AM
Went to the Blue Bayou Saturday night. We did not have priority seating...and had to wait (they said it would be an hour)...about 30 minutes.

Dinner is very pricey (for DLR...but its not burgers and fries either) We are a family of 5, and it was $100.00 for us all. My pork loin was $24.99...so think if you want to spend that kind of money for a meal. We think it is...but we come down on Vacation, and go all out. If you're on a budget, do as suggested, and enjoy a bowl of gumbo or chowder and sit on the balcony. That can be just as nice!:D

We've also done the "Walking in Walt's Footsteps" Tour. Loved it. I recommend it to everyone.

stinkerbell
12-05-2001, 09:48 AM
I recommend lunch at Blue Bayou. The difference in price is one reason, but it's also a little quieter and less crowded and I didn't feel the need to eat quickly so the next people could come in. I love the Jamb Laya--it's so spicey and yummy and I had enough leftover for dinner that night in the hotel room. For lunch for two, I spent $30 (my daughter's meal was pretty cheap for what she got!). Service was great.

My favorite meal in the park is still the Gumbo Breadbowl at NOS! The best for the price!

Ghoulish Delight
12-05-2001, 10:36 AM
The nice thing about lunch at the Bayou is that, thanks to the theming, you can PRETEND it's dinner. :D Is the lunch menu different than the dinner menu? Is it smaller portions, or different food altogether, or what? I'm a sucker for their prime rib, so it'd be hard for me to pass it up, even if the price is lower.

jiminycesq
12-06-2001, 05:27 AM
I am confused.

I will admit that my first information about the Holidaytime tour came from AVP's report on this website. From that, I was excited to make reservations, coming up. However, she had stated that they got an ornament for the tour, that says Holidaytime at Disneyland. Being a Disneyland lover, I try to get one ornament a year that is park related, and looked forward to my "gift".

It now appears the ornament has magically become a rice crispie treat. hmmmm.

Would the tour guide member who posted here earlier be so kind as to clear up this mystery? Was the ornament dropped from the tour? I know it may seem silly, but it matters to me. Thanks!

stinkerbell
12-06-2001, 05:42 AM
Originally posted by Ghoulish Delight
The nice thing about lunch at the Bayou is that, thanks to the theming, you can PRETEND it's dinner. :D Is the lunch menu different than the dinner menu? Is it smaller portions, or different food altogether, or what? I'm a sucker for their prime rib, so it'd be hard for me to pass it up, even if the price is lower.
From my memory of dinner there last year, the menu looked the same to me--Monte Crisco, Prime Rib, JambaLaya. I came really close to having the prime rib this time, but I couldn't fool my stomach into thinking it was dinner time, just my head.:D

wonderful
12-06-2001, 06:22 AM
The ornament is something that was originally intended for the tour, but, since we had very little time, they were not ready... indeed, they STILL aren't ready! The treat sufficiciently takes its place as the ornament was intended to double as a tour tag. But, once they become available, just come to city hall with your tour tag, tell them your name and what day you took the tour... that's just to avoid folks coming in to claim a free ornament (why I think anyone would do that is beyond me :D )... I will contact the folks here at mouseplanet when the ornament is ready. Thanks for taking the tour!

KarenW2
12-11-2001, 08:27 AM
Hi "wonderful",
Is there any news on the ornament yet? I was able to rescue my DH's tag and our receipt from the trash (I already had my tag saved for posterity! :D), so we have all the "proof" we need for this.

Thanks for any info you can give us on this!

wonderful
12-13-2001, 05:57 AM
:D Well, the "tour tag/ornament" has arrived and it's really up to you whether or not you want to come and pick them up...they do look like the "credential" look we were going for (big piece of card stock, laminated and cut like a snowflake), but not terribly spectacular, so, we're still giving the krispie with tour, too... I guess it would look kinda cool in a scrap book (the tag, not the krispie), like you went to some big event... but it's HUGE, so I'm not sure how it would look on a tree... Anyway, you're more than welcome to claim yours... and consider it the first in a series (that will be improving).

disneylandlive
12-13-2001, 01:28 PM
Blue Bayou has great food, it is a little more expensive, but worth it. If you are trying to get a table for more than four you should get reservations first thing in the morning.

Morrigoon
12-13-2001, 04:50 PM
I've never been terribly taken with the food at Blue Bayou. The setting, however, can't be beat. My suggestion is go at lunchtime - easier to get in, cheaper menu, and the menu includes the Monte Cristo (that's Cristo, not crisco, though the description fits it well ;)). The Monte Cristo is so big, and so rich, that two can and should share it. Don't forget to dip it in the jelly they provide!

Food wise, my favorite spot is Hook's. Mmmm... chocolate souffle cake.....

jake99
12-13-2001, 05:16 PM
does blue bayou serve italian like spaghetti a noodle stuff etc. and how much is the price for one meal there