Lately I've been missing Disneyland. And it's not even that first glimpse down Main Street, or the little "ding" of the turnstiles when you first enter the gates, or even the smell of the Splash Mountain water that I miss the most. Of course I do miss the sights, sounds, and smells of Disneyland, but when I combine all those senses I am forced to miss the food of Disneyland.
Although many people complain about the "outrageous prices" and "small portions" at the park, I think Disneyland has some of the best, most memorable food in the world. And the one Disneyland food I miss almost on a daily basis is the Monte Cristo sandwich from the Blue Bayou.
At the moment, the Blue Bayou is closed as Disney's Imagineers work diligently on refurbishing Pirates of the Caribbean, the ride attached to the famous restaurant, but when it's open the Blue Bayou is one of the most popular spots in New Orleans Square.
Located just between the exit of Pirates and the entrance to the super exclusive Club 33, the Blue Bayou is a sit-down restaurant boasting of Creole food and a great water-side view of a starlit bayou, complete with a run-down shack occupied by a banjo playing old man.
The Blue Bayou serves both lunch and dinner, with a large menu including Caribbean Crab Cakes, Chicken Florentine, an array of fabulous desserts, and, of course, the famous Monte Cristo sandwiches. By now you're probably wondering what exactly the Monte Cristo sandwich is, so I won't keep you in suspense any longer. The Monte Cristo is a delectable mixture of turkey, ham, and Swiss cheese, all deep fried in a bread batter and topped with powdered sugar. I realize that this combination may not sound all that appealing at first; I, too, was skeptical of its taste value when I first encountered the Monte Cristo as a child.
Going to the Blue Bayou on our annual trips to Disneyland was always a special treat for my family. As a child I would wait impatiently in the lobby, anticipating the sounds of fireflies and banjo music and the waving boatloads of people that I would soon encounter. Another thing I looked forward to all year were the goofy pirate hats, complete with one pirate earring, which the waiters always gave to me and my brother when we were young.
Every trip, like clockwork, we would sit down and without even glancing at the menu my mom would order the Monte Cristo. I would order something off the children's menu, usually the mini-corn dogs or the Mickey shaped chicken nuggets, and wonder how my mom could order something that looked so "gross."
I don't remember exactly when it happened, but eventually as a teenager my mom got me to take a bite of her Monte Cristo. It melted in my mouth and I couldn't believe I had gone so long without knowing how wonderful that "thing" my mom tried to pawn off on me for so many years was. After that the next time I went to Disneyland was with my boyfriend, and I knew what I had to do…
Exactly thirty days before our scheduled trip I made my boyfriend call Disney Dining at (714) 781-3463 (a number now programmed into the contact list of my cell phone…no joke) to make a "priority seating" reservation for the Blue Bayou. "You won't regret this" I told him.
As soon as we sat down, I did as my mother always did and put my menu down and told the waiter we would share the Monte Cristo sandwich. My boyfriend immediately fell in love with the delicious sandwich and now every time we go to Disneyland a trip to the Blue Bayou to order the Monte Cristo is a must.
There are, of course, people that think that the Blue Bayou is a little out of their price range, but in my mind the Monte Cristo is actually one of the best food deals at Disneyland. For somewhere around twelve dollars you get two very rich, fist-sized sandwiches, as well as a side of pasta, and all of the delicious starter bread you can eat, (which, if you're like me, you've already gorged yourself on long before your actual food comes.) Plus you get to top it all off with a creamy chocolate mint doubloon. All this food can easily feed two people, bringing the cost down to more like six dollars per person; making it quite an inexpensive, yet delicious, meal. In fact, my boyfriend and I get full so fast that we hardly ever finish it. Another perk of ordering this particular menu item from the Blue Bayou is that they seem to anticipate the popularity of it and it comes out hot in less than five minutes most of the time.
The Blue Bayou restaurant is almost perpetually busy, serving lunch from 11:30am-3:45pm, and dinner from 4 to 10pm (during regular summer operating hours), although Birnbaum's "Official Guide" says the busiest hours are from noon to 2pm and 5 to 9pm. Because of the restaurant's immense popularity I would recommend making a reservation a few days or weeks in advance. Even without a reservation though, it is definitely worth a stroll down Royal Street to take a break from the hot, hectic outdoors to relax in a peaceful New Orleans bayou, and taste a bit of heaven, hot from the kitchen.
If you are interested in looking at the full Blue Bayou menu, check out the listing on Mickey News at:
Blue Bayou
