One of Disneyland Park’s most beloved dining spots, Blue Bayou Restaurant, recently faced a disruption that has left guests talking.
Known for its unique setting inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and its Louisiana-inspired menu, Blue Bayou has been a cornerstone of Disneyland’s dining since 1967. The restaurant has changed its menu over the years, but it’s long been famous for its Monte Cristo and mint juleps.
Last month, a fire alarm triggered an evacuation that affected the entire New Orleans Square area, including Blue Bayou, nearby shops, the Club 33 lounge, Cafe Orleans, and the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. This unexpected event forced guests to leave mid-meal and wait outside while cast members ensured the area was safe.
Last month, Reddit user u/papadex89 recounted their experience at Blue Bayou, which was intended to be a celebratory meal for a new job and a niece’s school milestone. However, an unexpected evacuation cast a shadow over the visit.
“Everything started off well until the fire alarm went off just as our food was about to be served,” the guest shared. “We were evacuated along with guests and cast members from Pirates, Club 33, the nearby shops, and Cafe Orleans. These things happen, I completely understand that. After about 15 minutes waiting near Rivers of America, we were allowed back in. That part was handled efficiently. But here’s where things began to feel off.”
Once inside again, the Disney Park guest noticed a lack of acknowledgment from the staff regarding the inconvenience.
“There was no acknowledgment or apology from the staff about the inconvenience,” they explained. “I know the alarm wasn’t their fault, but for an elevated dining experience, I expected at least a courteous apology or some kind of gesture to smooth things over. When we were reseated, I asked if we could be placed along the water since we were among the first seated, but the request was denied (maybe because we were mid-service).”
The meal itself suffered from the disruption, too.
“My niece’s prime rib was cooked well-done with no pink, even though we’d asked otherwise,” they said. “My roasted chicken was dry but that happens with breast meat, so I didn’t make a fuss. We still enjoyed the experience overall and didn’t want to let it derail our celebration.”
When it came time to pay, there was no compensation or apology for the interrupted dining experience.
“When the bill came, I was honestly expecting some kind of discount or acknowledgment of the inconvenience not because we’re entitled, but because it felt like the experience didn’t match the price point,” the guest noted. “Instead, we were charged in full. When we asked to split the check between two cards and asked about Magic Key discounts, our server seemed visibly annoyed. That rubbed me the wrong way. Again, I’m not trying to be a Karen, I just expected a bit more grace.”
Though the guest did not pursue the issue further with management or Guest Services, the incident left a lasting impression.
“It’s now a day later, and I’m still thinking about that experience,” they said.
Have you had a negative experience at a Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World Resort restaurant? Share your story with Disney Dining in the comments!
Yes…..we had a bad experience with Wine Trattoria. My two sons-in-law and myself ordered the rib-eye steaks and when our dinner was served….it turns out that the steaks were not rib-eyes. After confronting our waitress, she said that they ran out of rib-eyes and we were served sirloins. I asked her why didn’t she informed us of this then we would have changed our orders. She did however apologized to us and gave us somewhat of a discount. We will NEVER eat at Wine Country Trattoria ever again!
All restaurants, stores and public places are NOT PERFECT! Nothing is perfect, but business tries to do the best they can. If your food is not made the way your requested, send it back. Don’t pay for it, unless they get it right. Wrong food, send it BACK. Do not settle for second best of what you did not request. Removed from the restaurant for a reason unknown, don’t go back to that place, you did not pay for the meal yet, enjoy what you had, and find a different restaurant on the vast types available on Disney property.
So simple, waiter did not say sorry, well you should say, that was an inconvenience, do we get a discount, or an apology, and a free meal? Speak up, you are their client.
Why do you feel you’re entitled for a discount, or something free? You’re not. You ordered meals, you got those meals, you now owe the cost of those meals to the business. Simple. They didn’t say sorry so you think you’re owed something? Really!!! Get over yourself. You ordered goods, you received those goods. Pay your bill.
We had a terrible experience at Oga’s Cantina in Disneyland. My daughter ordered the cliff dweller but asked for no coconut. The cast member was very annoyed and said they couldn’t make any changes. I stated oh that’s weird that could in Disney World. She got even more snippy and said well you’re in Land and walked away. In general we have found the cast in FL to be overall nicer and more accommodating in most situations.