A moonlit night, dancing fireflies, the soulful sound of a banjo playing in the distance, dining under colorful lanterns amidst ancient cypress. Of course, I am referring to the Blue Bayou restaurant in Disneyland park, which opened 44 years ago today.
This iconic location in New Orleans Square has always been one of my favorite places to dine. I can still remember coming to Disneyland park as a child and tasting my first Monte Cristo sandwich. The unbelievably tasty combination of ham, turkey, cheese, powdered sugar and jam is something I still enjoy to this day.
Over the years, there have been many delicious choices. A menu from the early days of the restaurant highlights specialties that include Ragout de Boeuf en Casserole, Grenadine of Boeuf Maximilian and Salade Rothschild. Happily, today’s menu is just a bit easier to pronounce with Tesoro Island chicken, Royal Street seafood jambalaya and the Bayou Surf & Turf amongst the favorites.
But what makes the Blue Bayou so unique and special is the atmosphere; the perpetual twilight, the gentle serenade of crickets and bullfrogs as you dine on the patio of a graceful New Orleans mansion, all while boats glide through the bayou to discover treasure beyond. I have found nowhere else that so completely immerses me in the environment or makes me feel so much at home.
What is your fondest memory of this favorite restaurant?
Reservations for Blue Bayou may be made by calling 714-781-DINE (3463).
Comments
oh I long for a Monte Cristo….the last time we had one was on July 17, 2005…50th anniversary celebration was SO awesome!!
I just went there for my 20th birthday on March 18th with my family and a few family-friends. I love this place and even though we go to Disneyland every year it’s only once every few years we get to go to Blue Bayou. While we were there my boyfriend got the Monte Crisco and man I’ve been craving some more ever since we left the restaurant.
I, too, ate my first Monte Cristo at the Blue Bayou on our first visit to Disneyland as a newlyweds in 1977. A little more than ten years later, we were back – with our three children. We haven’t eaten there since, but it’s always one of the first experiences that come to mind when I remember special times at Disneyland.
This is my favorite restaurant at the Parks! My boyfriend surprised me with reservations here two years ago. Now we’re getting married and hopefully going back to eat their at our honeymoon. So many memories!
I’m going to Disneyland in June for my honeymoon, and I can’t to celebrate at the Blue Bayou. It is the most romantic spot in Disneyland.
Love the Blue Bayou. Great food, great setting. We surprised my wife’s sister with a trip to Disneyland and had dinner there the first night, it’s a trip none of us will ever forget.
That’s some awesome 1950s-esque in the middle photo.
Since it first opened, Blue Bayou was the place to go for dinner. My Dad loved the park and loved eating at Blue Bayou. I still remember the days when I was in high school and we would run to New Orleans Square when the park opened to stand in line and make a reservation for dinner! Those were the days before Disney Dine! And the prime rib was to die for! I miss that old menu. My husband and I still enjoy dining there – it’s a very special place in the park. I’m one of those individuals who has been dining at Blue Bayou for over 40 years! Yikes!! I must be old in years but still young at heart!
I haven’t had a chance yet to dine at the Blue Bayou – but as a little girl, it was (and still is) a place I wanted to eat at. It always looked so romantic with the eating under the stars with the crickets and frogs… how does that saying go? …a dream is a wish your heart makes? I wish to dine at the Blue Bayou the next time we are at Disney!
For our 10th anniversary last year, we ate the Blue Bayou for the first time. What a terrific experience. I had the MC sandwich. I didn’t think I would enjoy it so much!! I guess I shouldn’t expect anything less from Disneyland.
BTW, if you want to make the MC at home, the recipe is available on the D23 site. I tried the recipe and it’s a good runner-up to the real thing if you can’t make to Blue Bayou when you want to. 🙂
About 35 years ago, I had a the rare treat of spending the day alone at DISNEYLAND with my GrammaLeda. I was free from my parents and siblings and My Granmma let me make all the decisions about what attraction we went to next, and what our meals would be. We had lunch at The Carnation House, and at that time they served the Monte Cristo Sandwich. It was my first time to enjoy this unusual treat. That evening, she let me pick our dinner restaurant, and I chose The Blue Bayou after seeing it while boating thru PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN. The minute we spotted Monte Cristo on the menu we BOTH ordered it again! I am so glad it is still on the menu at BB. I order it every trip, with fond memories of my beloved GrammaLeda.
“What is your fondest memory of this favorite restaurant?”
November 7th, 2009 my husband proposed to me while we were having dinner there. <3
My first time eating there I had one of the best prime ribs in my life. It was removed from the menu so others would not know my joy, but hear of my pain. Luckily the Monte Cristo can still be ordered for dinner at Cafe Orleans.
The Blue Bayou holds a special place in my heart. When I was dating my now husband he worked at the Blue Bayou. He took me there on our first date. He took me there on the day he proposed (at Disneyland, of course). And since we have been married we have been many more times. One special time was about 4 weeks after we had our first baby. Luckily we still had friends that worked there and they took turns cooing at the baby while we enjoyed a wonderful meal. Yes, the Blue Bayou holds many special memories for this family.
My fondest memory at the Blue Bayou was when my now husband proposed (around Christmas time in 2002) at a waterside table before dessert. It was wonderfully romantic and the staff (and manager) went above and beyond to make sure that our night was unforgettable. We’ve now been married for almost 7 happy years and we both get huge smiles when we walk past the Blue Bayou to this day.
…And yes, like Kimi said, the Monte Cristo is not served at dinner, Its ONLY available at lunch!
I ate at the Blue Bayou very recently. I had the Monte Cristo for the first time in a few years and it was just as delicious as I remembered, maybe even better!
The Blue Bayou is always a must whenever I visit – it can be hot and busy outside, but the Blue Bayou is always cool and relaxed.
My favorite memory is my birthday lunch ~2 years ago – our waiter noticed I was wolfing down the maraschino cherries on my mint juleps mere seconds after he set the glass down, so he brought out a whole bread plate piled with cherries. He set it down and said “I thought you might like these.”
Can’t wait until next weekend on the 26th of March having a wonderful dinner with my new husband for my birthday and having our engagement pics done too that same day there at the park for our renewal…WOW Dreams do come true…Never stop dreaming BIG
Laura, the Monte Cristo sandwich is only on the lunch menu so if your husband wants to eat it, you’ll either have to get a lunch reservation, or eat across the street at Cafe Orleans, which serves the same Monte Cristo sandwich as well (lunch and dinner). Hope that helps! Love the Blue Bayou, especially when your host calls out your name and escorts you to your table!
My husband I ALSO have a reservation on the 31st at 5:30PM – this is our first time going, we are so excited! I called the reservation line however and they will not make the infamous Monte Cristo for dinner. Just FYI!
After dining there and taking some of the jambalaya in a to-go box my girlfriend and I went back out into the park. Sadly, my bag got squished and the jambalaya went everywhere. Funny thing was that I was more upset about not being able to eat the delicious left over jambalaya than about getting food all over my bag!
Our last day in Disneyland will be on March 31 and will be celebrating my son’s 17th birthday at the Blue Bayou for lunch at 2p. He wants to dig into that delicious seafood jambalaya and I want to get my hands on that monte cristo. The only monte cristos I like are only at Disneyland. I hope it turns into one of my son’s fondest memories at Disneyland.
I had a wonderful 50th birthday dinner there last year.
My fondest mem would be taking a girl I ‘knew’ online there who was from Montreal Canada. She was traveling through California for the first time for her birthday. She was lucky enough to be in the LA area at the time of the POTC AWE premiere. So I showed her around the park on the 18th and ate there and then sat at the red carpet the next.
The best dinner I have had there occurred during a wonderful day with the help of a contact at guest relations…one where we got a table by the water, just past the jog in the railing, an hour before the Fantazmic show. We also got to watch Fantazmic from the balcony that was accessed through the old Disney Gallery and what was going to be Walt’s apartment, which is the perfect place to watch it. Above the crowd in a comfortable chair looking directly at the middle water screen…now if I can somehow figure out how to get an invite to Club 33 someday…that might be the only thing that would top one of the most perfect Disney evenings ever…dinner at the Blue Bayou and private seating for Fantazmic…
My brother and I having dinner at the The Blue Bayou, after riding Pirates of the Caribbean, then for desert riding it again.
Wonderful Atmosphere, waving at the people on the ride, cast members making the entire experience
ut of this world – I wnat to go back and have dinner again! Like Today!
We have reservations at 4:30 on March 31st to celebrate our 10th anniversary!! My hubby has already mentioned he wants the Monte Cristo!!
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