When you ride "Pirates of the Caribbean" at Disneyland, the first part of the ride takes you through a dark Louisana bayou bordered by a restaurant patio with live diners. That restaurant is Blue Bayou in New Orleans Square.

Blue Bayou is a dining experience unlike any other in the world. First of all, no matter what time of day or what kind of weather, it is always evening at the Blue Bayou with perfect weather on their faux outdoor patio. The restaurant is strung with colorful lanterns and you can watch the boats of "Pirates" float by along the bayou. There is also sounds of dragonflies, frogs, and other bayou sounds.

The service is wonderful. Though there are pirate hat menus for the kids, the atmosphere is very romantic and elegant, except when a roudy boat goes by. =) The food, which has a Cajun flare, is exceptional as well. My husband's and my favorites are the Jambalaya, Beef Short Ribs, and Surf & Turf. You should also have a bowl of Disneyland's famous gumbo as well. You can expect to spend $35-45 per person for an entree and drink.

Since Blue Bayou is such a popular restaurant, the tables are a bit close to each other and if you have a large group (more than 4 people), you are unlikely to get a table on the waterfront. Advance reservations are essential, especially on weekends, and even with reservations, you are still likely to wait up to 20 minutes for your table. Even on a very rain day, we have seen countless people turned away at the door when they tried to get in without reservations or be told the wait is 3 hours. You can make a reservation by calling Disney Dining at 714-781-3463. Blue Bayou is located INSIDE of Disneyland Park so you must have admission to Disneyland to eat here.

I've eaten at Blue Bayou at least 5-6 times and never get tired of it. I'm looking forward to the next time I can go!