Blue Bayou Restaurant

Blue Bayou are full-service New Orleans/Cajun-style restaurants renowned for their unusual ambiance. They are located at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland, in Chiba, Japan.[1]

Blue Bayou
Blue Bayou Restaurant at Tokyo Disneyland
Restaurant information
Established	March 18, 1967
Food type	Cajun
Dress code	Casual
City	Anaheim, California (Original location)
Country	United States
Coordinates	33.8111217°N 117.9209931°W / 33.8111217; -117.9209931
Website	Official website

Guests wishing to dine at the restaurant are advised to make reservations at least a day in advance. At Disneyland, it is advised to reserve at least one week in advance for the 4-8 p.m. dinner period; reservations are accepted up to two months in advance.

The restaurant is built within the same show building that houses part of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, with parts of the ride even taking place beneath the restaurant. Although seated in a large, enclosed building, diners experience the illusion of being in an outdoor restaurant at nighttime. The effect is achieved through the use of a dark and distant ceiling, air conditioning, and carefully coordinated lighting. The theming is intensified by the sounds of crickets and frogs, the glow of fireflies, and projection effects that imitate a night sky. The restaurant is also popular for offering a view of the beginning portion of Pirates of the Caribbean. Guests are able to see riders floating by in their boats, and riders can see the restaurant's nighttime lighting as they pass by.

The Disneyland restaurant opened on March 18, 1967,[2] to respond to persistent criticism of the park's lack of fine dining options. It was originally to feature live entertainment, but Disney historian Jim Korkis reported that after a dress rehearsal and trial dinner in 1966, Walt Disney declared "In this restaurant, the food is going to be the show, along with the atmosphere".[3]

Blue Bayou was the first reservation-based eatery at Disneyland. A reservation could not be made by telephone. Guests had to physically go to the restaurant to sign up for an available time, often prompting an influx of guests arriving at the restaurant as soon as the park gates opened.[4]