Is Dinner at Disneyland’s Popular Blue Bayou Worth the Money

Blue Bayou Restaurant in Disneyland is considered a quintessential Disney dining experience. But is the hefty price tag worth it? Here is an honest review.

Blue Bayou Restaurant

Blue Bayou Restaurant is a Disneyland table service eatery in New Orleans Square that invites guests to embark on a culinary adventure with Louisiana-inspired cuisine. It is a tough reservation to grab.

Part of Blue Bayou’s charm is that it is attached to the famous Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Diners can enjoy their meals as they watch boats full of guests enjoying the ride float by.

It’s unique location and high-end menu make is seem like a perfect place to dine in Disneyland. However, the high price tag might give some guests pause. Read on to find out if it is worth it for you.

Gabbing A Reservation

First, grabbing a Blue Bayou Restaurant can be challenging. So many people want a chance to experience the magic of being a part of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride while they dine.

Pirate Tip: We STRONGLY recommend booking this one the moment your reservation window opens 60 days prior to your visit. Reserve first and ask questions later. You can always cancel your reservation later if need be.

Remember, Disneyland is not like Walt Disney World. You can only book dining reservations for one day of your trip at a time. There is no “length of stay advantage.”

Checking In

Once you do have a reservation, and the big day arrives, head to New Orleans Square. There is often some bottlenecking on the way there, so be sure to give yourself time to navigate any crowds that may have amassed.

On the day of my (Kate’s) family’s reservation, we checked in and had quite a wait after check-in. We were able to browse the menu and enjoy taking a break from all the walking. You may have better luck, but be prepared to give the restaurant some grace in case they are running behind.

Ambiance

Once the hostess called us for our table, we were rewarded for our wait with a table right by the water. We did not request this, so it was a happy surprise. We did all have our first visit buttons on, and it was noted in our reservation, but I am not sure whether that helped or whether it was good luck.

Now, here is where there will be a divide on whether this restaurant is worth it for you. If you have ever traveled to Walt Disney World and dined at San Angel Inn Restaurante, the restaurant inside of the pyramid in Mexico Pavilian, you will find this setup strikingly similar.

It is very dim with pretty decorations. The ceiling looks like a sky, and you will see shooting stars occasionally.

Your view of the attraction is a point in the ride where the ride boats are sailing outside of the world of pirate animatronics and passing a decorative background. You can see the passengers on the boats, and they can see you. Some wave and interact with you a bit, and some barely notice.

However, if you have never been to Walt Disney World or inside of the pyramid, this will seem like something new and different for you. It could be well worth it, especially for an extreme Pirates of the Caribbean fan.

If you love Pirates of the Caribbean, you will love the setting of Blue Bayou.

Bread Service

I appreciate when a table service restaurant still offers a bread service. Blue Bayou Restaurant falls into this character.

Our server brought out 4 porterhouse rolls. They came with real butter and also fruit jam.

We loved the rolls. But, we resisted eating plate after plate to save plenty of room for the meal.

Appetizers

Now, during our particular visit in early 2025, Disneyland was still offering Blue Bayou Fantasmic dining packages. My family had a package reservation, so we were able to enjoy 3 courses. Adults and children alike chose appetizers. And, we tried four different things.

One of my children ventured out and tried the kid’s Chicken Gumbo. It is a small version of the adult portion. He was surprised when he found out he loved it.

He even let everyone try a little bite for research, and I have to agree it is a solid choice.

The other child stuck with basics and ordered the kids vegetables. This dish was a simple assortment of carrot sticks, celery sticks, and ranch dressing.

I tried the salad. The restaurant rotates out the salad offerings from time to time. At the time, it was a Brussle Sprout and Tasso salad with manchego and apples.

It was not one of my favorite Disney salads, but it was still decent. I wish there had been more of the star ingredients, but it was by no means bad.

My husband ordered the Hearts of Palm Escabèche. This delight is Olives, Peppers, Citrus, Artichoke Hearts and Vinaigrette with Lavash.

He liked it pretty well. This is another dish that changes seasonally, so you might see other ingredients highlighted depending on when you visit.

Main Course

My husband and I both ordered the Filet Mignon. My husband had his Oscar style, so it came with a crabcake. The steaks came with asparagus at the time. However, the accompaniments do rotate seasonally.

The fillet was a tiny bit of a letdown. It was not as tender and flavorful as many other filets I have tried in various Disney restaurants and on Disney Cruise Line. It was a bit under seasoned and it was even a little dry. The sauce did help as it was very good.

Still, a filet is pretty good even when it isn’t that great. And if I didn’t have so much to compare it to, I would have probably enjoyed it.

Children’s Entrees

One of my children ordered the steak from the children’s menu. It came with sides and she asked for fruit.

She was delighted to find the fruit that day was fresh strawberries. Her steak was a very thin piece of meat, but it was flavorful, and she enjoyed it. I thought the flavor was better on the kids’ steak than the filet.

My son ordered roasted chicken off the children’s menu. It was served with two sides, and he asked for rice and broccoli.

He ate every last bite of the meal. I did not get a chance to taste the chicken but he assured me it was good.

Dessert

The dessert course was surprisingly good. Often I find desserts at Disney’s higher-end restaurants to be a bit of an afterthought. This was not the case at Blue Bayou.

I had the Crème Brûlée Tart. Mine was topped with strawberries. I was delighted with it. The flavors were light, creamy, and not overly sweet. Sometimes tarts can have dry shells, but this was not the case with this dessert.

My husband had the double chocolate cookie butter bar. This one was even topped with a special piece of Fantasmic chocolate for the occasion.

The chocolate was actually amazing. It was rich, but not too rich, and decadent. It is chocolatey without being sugary sweet. I enjoyed the bite I had.

The kids each had a Petite Sundae. These were darling little sundaes, designed to resemble Mickey Mouse.

They both enjoyed these. I enjoyed ice cream being built into the meal’s cost.

Final Verdict

Some of the food at Blue Bayou was really good. Some of it was fine. In fact, more of it was fine than stellar.

I like good food, but for the price tag of over $300, I would prefer for everything to be great instead. I want something like that to be a meal worthy of craving on down the road. Again, we were dining with one of the Prix Fixe packages, so it is possible to enjoy the restaurant with a lower total, especially if you share an appetizer or skip dessert.

Although Blue Bayou is not currently part of the Fantasmic Package, it is worth noting that the reserved area for the show was great. However, it is also worth noting that a reservation wasn’t necessary even on sold-out New Year’s Day. A good plan to arrive early can eliminate the need for a ticket.

I was glad we had the experience of dining in Blue Bayou, but it is not a reservation I am likely to make should we travel to Disneyland again in the near future. There is just too much other great food in Disneyland to repeat an experience that wasn’t a top-tier favorite.

However, as I said, if you have never been to a restaurant similar to this one, and you have a Pirates of the Caribbean fan with you who is dreaming of dining there, consider making the splurge if you can. Otherwise, you might consider Cafe Orleans for your NOLA fix, especially if you are looking for a balance of quality and value.

Have you dined at Blue Bayou Restaurant in Disneyland? Let us know what you think of it. And, be sure to share this review with friends and family who are planning a trip.