Disneyland Bringing Booze to Blue Bayou
With the reopening of Disneyland and Disney California less than a month away, preparations are underway to welcome guests back. In a wide-ranging announcement covering everything from a new dill pickle corn dog to cereal flavors of ice cream at Salt & Straw, Disney also revealed that Blue Bayou Restaurant will soon serve alcohol.
In so doing, Blue Bayou Restaurant will join Oga’s Cantina in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge as only the second location to sell alcohol to the general public in Disneyland’s 65+ year history. This follows the addition of beer and wines to select menus in Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland in recent years, as the unwritten rule that castle parks only served alcohol in the private Club 33 and its lounges has gradually been eroded.
Historically, any changes at Disneyland have been controversial. Alcohol in Disney’s theme parks has also been a polarizing issue. Combining the two has been a veritable powder keg. However, it’s a “nice” change of pace from the usual controversies of the day, so we’ll share details and offer our commentary in this post…
Let’s start with the basics of the news. Per Disney Parks Blog, Blue Bayou Restaurant will soon offer new beverage options that elevate the culinary experience. This guest-favorite spot will open after the theme parks reopen, with that date to be shared at a later time.
Although Disney didn’t state as much, the reopening of Blue Bayou is likely being delayed because the restaurant is technically inside Pirates of the Caribbean. In the orange tier of the reopening plan, there’s a time limit for indoor attractions that presumably complicates things for Blue Bayou.
According to Disneyland, the enhanced offerings fit with the “story and spirit of the Blue Bayou and reflect what many of our guests have requested.” The new additions will complement the menu and theme of the restaurant, with beverages such as wine, beer, and a specialty Hurricane Cocktail — a New Orleans staple!
In addition to these alcoholic beverages, Blue Bayou will soon offer a new celebration sparkling wine package that guests will be able to pair with the restaurant’s menu items, like the Surf and Turf. Also, keep an eye out for new, seasonal takes on Blue Bayou’s Mint Julep non-alcoholic beverage.
What bothers me most about this news is that to me, it’s so transparently a red herring meant to draw attention away from something far more egregious over which Disneyland fans should be reaching for the pitchforks…
Disneyland is going to sell a Dill Pickle Corn Dog. Not just that, but it’s going to be panko-crusted and served with a side of peanut butter?! Someone please tell me this is an early April Fools joke.
Before anyone says, “but Tom, you’ve never even tried a dill pickle corn dog dipped in peanut butter, maybe you should give it a chance!” I’ve also never had Kibbles ‘n Bits dipped in Pepto-Bismol. Some things just aren’t fit for human consumption. The one positive here is that at least this culinary abomination is going to be served at the Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs Cart in Downtown Disney and not at the in-park National Historic Landmarks that are Little Red Wagon and Corn Dog Castle.
However, we all know how this story goes: Disney starts with a venue no one cares about in Downtown Disney, then Trojan Horses nasty pickle corn dogs onto every single menu in both parks. It’s a slippery slope that ends with all of us being forced to buy gross pickle corn dogs just to access the restrooms, folks. Let’s not all naively surrender our freedom from vile pickle corn dogs so quickly.
I’m going to conclude this corn dog news by going ahead and saying what everyone is thinking: Walt would be rolling in his grave. It’s irrefutable. (Fun fact: one of the deleted scenes in Saving Mr. Banks is Tom Hanks going on a 14 minute long, profanity-laden rant about corn dog integrity. Most film scholars agree it would’ve really helped with the flow of the film.)
In all seriousness, is anyone surprised by the announcement that alcohol will be served at Blue Bayou Restaurant in Disneyland? Do we honestly even care at this point? I feel like whatever outrage existed about this was exhausted years ago. It wasn’t even that much of a surprise back when the menu for Oga’s Cantina was announced.
At that point, it was tacitly understood that alcohol would be added to more table service menus at Disneyland in due course. The obvious next candidate was always going to be Blue Bayou Restaurant, which will likely be followed by Cafe Orleans. The writing has been on the wall for years.
From a practical perspective, this is hardly cause for concern. Just as Oga’s Cantina wasn’t going to be the straw that broke the camel’s back, neither will a pricey table service restaurant that books up weeks/months in advance. I haven’t heard of a single incident involving alcohol at Magic Kingdom despite that park’s similar policy. At Disneyland Resort, it has been the case for the last two decades that guests could walk 100 yards to DCA and get drunk, then return to Disneyland.
To the extent there even is any, the controversy here will be less about the actual outcome and more about history. This is really only an issue for longtime Disneyland fans versed in Walt Disney’s personal beliefs about alcohol in his park. And on that note, what follows is my commentary from the Oga’s Cantina announcement, reproduced here in part…
In a 1956 interview with the Saturday Evening Post, Walt said: “No liquor, no beer, nothing [in Disneyland]. Because that brings in a rowdy element. That brings people that we don’t want and I feel they don’t need it. I feel when I go down to the park I don’t need a drink. I work around that place all day and I don’t have one.”
In context, this interview was about how Disneyland differed from a traditional amusement park, and how it offered an inviting atmosphere for families. The interview also specifically addresses clean toilets and was intended to reset expectations about what Disneyland, an unknown quantity at the time, would be, and how it would differ from amusement parks of the era.
The full interview is an interesting, enlightening, and amusing read. In context, it’s fair to say that Walt’s interview offers a “sales pitch” for Disneyland, informing guests of this new concept and clearly differentiating his new park from other amusement parks of the era.
Over 65 years later, Disneyland is very much a known quantity. No sales pitch necessary. Disney PR does not have to mention restroom cleanliness or other signifiers of how Disney theme parks differ from Six Flags or local state fairs. The difference is patently obvious, and Disneyland’s reputation precedes it. Even those who have never been to one know that Disneyland is in a different league than regional amusement parks.
With regard to this topic or any, “what Walt would do” in the year 2021 is unknown by me and by you. Feigning outrage and proclaiming that Walt would hate every little change is as absurd as claiming he’d roll in his grave over a gross pickle corn dog. (Even if he totally would/will.) My opinions change from year to year, and I don’t even have that much going on upstairs. It’s fair to say that a visionary mind like Walt’s would’ve evolved on a variety of topics over the course of several decades. And that’s putting it mildly.
From a business perspective, it’s inarguable that it now makes sense to sell alcohol in Disneyland. There’s no need to establish a reputation for Disneyland at this point that would differentiate it from lowbrow amusement parks. That was a savvy, calculated business move in Walt Disney’s era, just as pivoting to sell alcohol is a savvy business move in today’s era.
Nevertheless, we think it’s somewhat understandable that fans are perturbed by the sale of alcohol in Disneyland, as Walt has explicit quotes on this very topic. His position was crystal-clear…albeit it ~65 years ago.
Moreover, it’s hypocritical on Disney’s part. Pretty much any announcement of an attraction closing or a potentially unpopular is usually justified with some Walt Disney quote about progress or moving forward. The implicit message is always clear: “what we are doing is okay because this is what Walt would have wanted.”
This cherry-picking of Walt Disney quotes to justify business decisions is disingenuous at best, and emotionally manipulative at worst. The fact is, no one knows what Walt Disney would have wanted or done decades after his death, and to apply very vague quotes to very specific decisions is inappropriate.
The Walt Disney Company should own all of its business decisions based on whatever current circumstances exist, not use Walt as a convenient PR shield when it so suits the company. The flip side to that is fans using him as a sword in situations like this. The reality is that in every situation, the modern Disney company is acting in its own contemporaneous best interests without regard to Walt Disney. At this point, he’s basically a corporate mascot, little different from the mouse he created.
Ultimately, I have nothing against alcohol being sold at table service restaurants in Disneyland as has been the case for two decades in Disneyland Paris and now at Magic Kingdom for several years. Despite that, neither of those parks have devolved into amusement parks with roaming gangs and spontaneous ruckuses. We’ve never witnessed any alcohol-fueled incidents in Disney California Adventure, either. Literally the only Disney park in the world that ever seems to have problems is EPCOT, which has cultivated a competitive culture of drinking around World Showcase.
Besides, if someone wants to be wasted at Disneyland, they can chug a few drinks at Disney California Adventure and be inside Disneyland within 10 minutes. From a practical perspective, it has long been possible to be drunk at Disneyland (even before DCA, there were convenience stores ~10 minutes from the Esplanade), so this shouldn’t really change the vibe of the park. Also, if that dill pickle corn dog somehow, against all odds, manages to be delicious, I thought it was a great idea all along. 😉
If you’re preparing for a Disneyland trip, check out our other planning posts, including how to save money on Disneyland tickets, our Disney packing tips, tips for booking a hotel (off-site or on-site), where to dine, and a number of other things, check out our comprehensive Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide!
Your Thoughts
What do you think of alcohol being served in Blue Bayou Restaurant at Disneyland? Are you surprised by this news or “over” the alcohol at Disneyland controversy? Thoughts on that dill pickle corn dog? Agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions? We love hearing from readers–even when you disagree with us–so please share any other thoughts or questions you have in the comments below!
You’re probably right about people coming into the park drunk before DCA. I was at Disneyland 20 years ago. When I was on Pirates of the Caribbean a man seated behind me vomited on the ride. I was pretty sure he was drunk. I mean, who gets sick on pirates. My friend got some vomit on his shirt and had to buy a new one to wear the rest of the day. Fun times.
“Pretty much any announcement of an attraction closing or a potentially unpopular is usually justified with some Walt Disney quote about progress or moving forward. The implicit message is always clear: “what we are doing is okay because this is what Walt would have wanted.””
That has struck me as a little bit fishy, too, the tendency to pick a Walt quote to justify any Disney-related position. I think the reason this particular one gets reiterated, though, is that it’s generally used in response to people who are already trying to speak for Disney (the concept and ethos, not the guy or, really, even the company). People who object to changes within Disney seem to want to encase *their* Disney in a glass box so it stays just the way they like it. The Walt-embraced-progress quote is then used as a reminder that change is not only good, it’s built into the Disney system. Clinging to one particular version of Disney is and will always be futile.
So I get why that quote is used when it is. The problem with it is just that it seems to try to turn business decisions into philosophy, when it really doesn’t have to. *All* companies adapt to the economic environment. When Disney introduces a change, it’s because it’s likely to contribute in some way to their overall profitability. That’s it, nothing deeper than that. Sometimes it’s not really clear what they’re thinking or *why* a specific change would do that (Really? Peanut butter?) but as long as we keep going to their parks and buying their products, then I guess they predict right more often than they predict wrong.
Yeah, I am going to add myself to the I was good until you got to the peanut butter crowd and my lunch today was a Canadian Elvis Sandwich (grilled peanut butter, bacon, banana with dark maple syrup instead of the honey) and I buy the 3x1kg case of peanuts from Amazon. I guess if you can add peanut butter to red curry and it works like Penang curry does, this could too. I still think I would go with mustard, maybe stone ground or whole grain if I wanted to justify theme park level pricing.
I’ll try the pickle corn dog but they can keep the side of peanut butter…
As to alcohol at Blue Bayou maybe it will help? The last time we ate there it was nothing to write home about and the highlight of the dinner was the shouting of “we wants the redhead”.
Haha, yep! Blue Bayou is overrated–it’s all about the ambiance. Cafe Orleans has better and less expensive food.
I would definitely try this creation minus the peanut butter of course! How is this different than putting relish on your hotdog??!!! There is absolutely no way I would dip this in peanut butter, but hand me over a side of ketchup and I am definitely in! I always get a giant pickle at the fair and at Disneyland and I love corn dogs. Sounds like a win to me!
I was taught that requesting to modify a dish, or even putting salt on it, is disrespectful to the chef and their culinary vision.
Accordingly, trying this dill pickle corn dog without peanut butter should be against the law. 😉
The pickle dog may be gross, but it’s such good marketing, a lot of people will *have* to try one just to believe it’s real. Then Disney will swap it for something else. Weird tactic but whatever lol
Also on alcohol, the “rowdy crowd” probably isn’t going to be eating at blue bayou lol, price alone coupled with the huge need to plan ahead and reserve, the whole “young adults getting drunk” thing probably won’t happen in Disneyland’s current system.
Oh for sure. I will absolutely be buying one of these if they’re not banned before then. Part of me wants to taste just how bad it is, and part of me is holding out hope that, against all odds, it’s magically delicious.
Tom – didn’t you rave about a drink at EPCOT that had meat with it. Can’t find the post. The Dill Dog might turn out just as great
Truly upsetting news. And when I thought it couldn’t get worse you had to go and include a *picture* of the pickle abomination!
If I had to see that, you have to see it. Misery loves company.
Of course people don’t understand the overreaction. Do they react to anything that is about self-indulgence or immorality these days? Next thing you know, they will have family entertainment contract with Carly B. I don’t really care if Disney sells alcohol at this restaurant. What I do care about is nothing is sacred. No, we cannot say how Walt would have changed in 60 years, but since none of it would exist without him, why can’t we leave some of the friggin history alone and let the people who don’t like it get over it?? Is it about money? Of course. But IMO, it’s always about subtly shifting culture until there’s nothing of the past left. How long before the Peter Pan and Dumbo rides get canned in the name of “progress??” I’m sick of nostalgia being a dirty word.
Susan, I agree 100 percent!
Cardi B not Carly B. Sorry had to say it
Thank you Tom! One of your best articles.
Playing it pretty fast and loose with the word “best” here, I see.
In fairness, most of the other articles are really bad and it’s a relative term, so you probably have a point. 😉
I am agree with your thoughts on alcohol. I enjoy a good beer or glass of wine at table service restaurant and I think it’s harmless serving at blue bayou
I bet the new corn dog will be too salty
I saw a photo of that crime against humanity yesterday and thought I would throw up. Corndogs are wonderful. Hand-dipped corn dogs are the best. But a hot dog inside a huge dill pickle dunked in panko crumbs? Good grief! And served with peanut butter sauce? Erp. There is nothing good about those great big fat dill pickles. I always wondered about what kind of person would buy a dill pickle to chomp on with nothing else to eat. It’s like the people who drink pickle juice.
Was smoking allowed in the park in Walt’s day?
I save my drinking for places where I can buy a reasonably priced bottle of wine or buy beer that doesn’t come in a doll sized plastic cup. I don’t understand people who want to get drunk at places like EPCOT. It’s the most expensive and inefficient place to get drunk ever.
Agreed especially Food & wine is rip off for alcohol
It’s my understanding smoking was allowed in the parks, just not queues and attractions. There was a tobacco shop on Main Street I believe until around 1990.
Definitely should bring all that back because that was part of the original vision.
I have no problem with alcohol being served in the parks but I do have a major problem with that pickle/peanut butter situation that is an affront to all other corn dogs!!! That seriously sounds disgusting but to each his own! 😉 Fun fact, beer actually WAS sold in the parks in the late 50’s early 60’s and right about where the Blue Bayou now stands so it’s not as unprecedented or un-Walt as some might think. For anyone interested look up Holidayland!
Yeh Tom it’s all in how you parse it. Make excuses to get drunk. Why not shoot up while your at it. Oh, that’s legal in Ca. Damn skippy !
Uh.. ‘shooting up’ is not legal in California, (I assume you’re talking about heroine.)
I don’t drunk, so don’t have much opinion about the addition of alcohol (aside from agreeing that it seemed inevitable). But that pickle corndog… where do I get my pitchfork and join the angry mob? (Well, I’ll wait a few weeks until my 2nd vaccine shot to join a mob I suppose.)
This one had me rolling. Great use of self deprecating humor.
I’m all for alcohol at table service restaurants. Maybe it’s because I have a problem, or maybe it’s because when I’m treating my kids to whatever sugary drink gets them an adolescent buzz I don’t feel like I should be vilified for having a draft beer with a lunch/dinner which has no negative impact on my behavior (never did a grad school assignment completely sober!).
It’s a long way away, but we are zoning in on Disneyland next summer- looking forward to geeking out on all of that content as we always had a Florida focus before.
“Your ideas are intriguing to me, and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.”
in all my trips to disneyland i still have yet to eat at BB. have always wanted to. i look forward to being able to plan our next trip in the “aftertimes”. DL was on my radar before last year hit, so looking forward to it sometime again. i was waiting for someone to address the “walt would be rolling” comments that will inevitably follow, whether it be here or elsewhere. to them i say, don’t go then, if it bothers a person that much. as a parent, the addition to alcohol on the dining plan was a very welcomed addition for those who imbibe. either way, looking forward to it.
as for the corn dog… the pickle is actually intriguing, but what’s really throwing me off is the peanut butter aspect. hot dog, pickle, my clear and obvious go-to here would be yellow mustard. the panko in place of corn breading is also a head scratcher.
So much has changed since 1956. Would Disney have the same view? Not sure.
Disney parks have outgrown being just a kids amusement park. Love to have a drink or beer when at Disney. Don’t see the problem having it in the parks if Disney properly address any issues with guest who over indulge – which I believe they do.
Guess who has two thumbs, is a rowdy element, and suddenly likes Blue Bayou?
Actually, I still probably won’t much care for it, the food is overpriced (my opinion), the ambiance only good if you’re right next to the water, and they no longer believe me when I say it’s a reservation “for two, he’ll be along shortly” (at least my servers at Lamplight usually don’t ask questions).
I have to admit way back in the day when I heard DCA would serve alcohol I was envisioning violent dudes ruining everyone’s fun at a football game, or a concert, or my dad’s third wedding, but DCA has become a remarkably and delightfully “chill” place to drink. So many people just walking around with their neon cups, drunk and happy, a combination I’d love to try someday.
I do have to try out the Blue Bayou beer list, however, to keep up my (now obviously disrupted) DLR what’s-on-tap Excel sheet that I used to edit every other day or so. Yes, I am a nerd with way too much time on my hands, thank you for noticing.
I’ve never understood the overreaction to adding alcohol at Disneyland. It would be one thing if they were serving 10% ABV double IPAs or heavy mixed drinks, but the theme parks absolutely water these down and don’t offer hardly any beers over 5%. You’re not going to see people get that sloshed when it’s $15.95 for a Mickey’s Fun Wheel cocktail with a dash of alcohol in it.
I agree that Disneyland is following the “alcohol-lite” model that Magic Kingdom set, and that probably includes some overpriced, watered-down drinks. Oga’s strongest beer was Sierra Nevada’s IPA offering which was a modest 6% APV, and I suspect that was at Disney’s request.
You could do some serious damage at DCA, however. One of the mainstays at Hollywood Lounge was Fear.Movie.Lions, a Double IPA from Stone Brewing at 8.5% ABV. Not too shabby. There was always a rotating 7.0%+ IPA at the Karl Strauss cart in Pacific Wharf. And Elysian Space Dust (8.2%) was offered at a couple different places at times, including Award Wieners if I’m remembering correctly. Sure, they’re charging ballpark prices, but lots of people still manage to get plastered at ballparks.
However, the best bang for your alcohol buck was this small, unassuming coffee cart near the entrance to Pixar Pier, where you could get an Irish coffee among other coffee libations. I hope I’m not narcing on anyone, but I honestly cannot remember the Cast Members at this cart ever using a jigger for measurement, so they’d always look like they were pouring a whopping double shot of Bushmills and then topping with a little coffee. “Puts hair on your chest,” as my stepdad would say, something he always found mysteriously funny since he suffered from bodily alopecia. [In the unlikely circumstance Disney Parks bosses read the comments, I am completely making that up about the Cast Members, they ALWAYS measured, sometimes even holding a little back thereby saving Disney oodles of cash flow. In the words of Barry Zuckerkorn, “You can’t see it, I just winked.”]
But to revive one of Tom’s talking points, DCA (not to mention Downtown Disney) is only a few lurching steps from the Disneyland gates, and AP drinkers could and did make the mass stumbling migration over to Disneyland after DCA closed at 7PM or whatever ridiculously early time (not that I was ever a part of this shuffle of shame, as far as anyone knows). Drink at DCA, then sober up on some rides with constantly dropping wait times, even the Fantasyland rides, since all the young children were starting to pass out with dull, meaty thwaps all over the place.
It’s early right now, but I’ll probably have a beer later on today in remembrance of good times.
Susan-
You absolutely will see people sloshed on Fun Wheels. It’s one of my friend’s go-to drinks and he will drink them til he’s drunk.
It’s your beer spreadsheet that’s tearing us apart, Darren.