Hotel guest priority seating restaurants

[GB2004]

I was watching a dis unplugged segment about romantic restaurants at Disneyland. I believe it was mentioned that it is hard to get seating next to the water at the Blue Bayou. I have been to Disneyland 4 times over the past few years and have always gotten a table next to the water without asking and I think being close to the water is great. I also have stayed at a Disney hotel every time I’ve gone to Disneyland. Is there priority seating given to hotel guests at restaurants and possibly other events or experiences?

 

[smartlabelprint]

I’ve never stayed at a Disney owned hotel. We’ve always had water side seating.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Ive never stayed at a Disney Hotel and like PP I have got a water side table on every visit. I have eaten at Blue Bayou for Fantasmic Dining packages and just as a standalone meal. I have been solo and with friends. As long as you make a reservation and are prepared to wait anyone can get a waterside table.

 

[PatMcDuck]

When we went to Blue Bayou the water side seats were all used for guests who had one of the packages, I think for Paint the Night. We asked to sit there, and we were told they were for those guests (only).

Our first table was practically out the door, barely inside the waiting area. (We were moved more to the center at our request). We were Disney resort hotel guests.

 

[Meriweather]

We had Fantasmic package and staying at VGC and did not get water front seating

 

[cmwade77]

The only priority that ever seems to be given is if you are celebrating something special, like an Anniversary, etc. otherwise, nope. When we did do Blue Bayou, we did get waterfront seating, but that was our last time there because the service was so terrible. I mean, food came out cold because the servers left it sitting there while we were eating our salads, we had to get a manager to refill our drinks, the list goes on and on. Since then we have seen no reason to go back and pay that kind of money for that poor of an experience, especially when Cafe Orleans has better food.

 

[choirboy501]

I’ve eaten at Blue Bayou my last two visits, once away from the water and once waterside. I found the waterside experience may vary.

The first time, towards the entrance of the restaurant, was with a friend. Food, service and ambiance were excellent.

When I dined waterside solo on one of the dining packages, my experience was dampened by other park guests. At least two times teens in the boats going by yelled out “Throw me a roll!” Additionally, a dad from a non-waterside table figured it was ok to video the ride while standing next to and over my table with his iPad while I was eating, since no one was sitting opposite me.

Your mileage may vary.

 

[avalon451]

I've always enjoyed BB waterside by doing the first seating lunch thing. Make a reservation 60 days out for 11:30 a.m., show up at 11:20 and request waterside. I think I'd be pretty annoyed if I did that and was seated farther back in favor of dining package guests.

 

[bumbershoot]

As long as you make a reservation and are prepared to wait anyone can get a waterside table.

Agreed.

Third and fourth times there we didn’t want waterside (I have dark/light vision issues thanks to lasik and I can’t see my food when at the waterside) and didn’t request it. One of those trips was on a birthday and for one we had the PTN package.

If you want it, let them know and be prepared to wait.

 

[MaleficentRN]

I stayed at DLH and had a Fantasmic package and it was my DS birthday. We request and waited 20 minutes and got....a table over from waterside.

 

[10SE]

The last time I requested waterside they sat us in the second row of tables near the water rather than along the railing. Is that common? I really wanted to be along the railing because the kids loved seeing the boats the previous time. I probably should have complained but the kids were getting hungry and I didn’t want to prolong our wait. Anyone else have this issue? Should I have requested railing seats instead of waterside?

 

[gottalovepluto]

I remember a couple trips back being reading somewhere about hotel guests having priority seating and asking some CMs at TS places about it and all I got was really confused/annoyed looks. Not a thing, for us normal non-blogger travelers anyway. However, preferred access to reservations for hotel guests ARE a thing & using that I’ve been able to score reservations for Napa Rose and Blue Bayou when online there were not reservations available.

 

[gottalovepluto]

The last time I requested waterside they sat us in the second row of tables near the water rather than along the railing. Is that common? I really wanted to be along the railing because the kids loved seeing the boats the previous time. I probably should have complained but the kids were getting hungry and I didn’t want to prolong our wait. Anyone else have this issue? Should I have requested railing seats instead of waterside?

That IS waterside. Anything within a couple rows is “waterside”. And they will only allow you to wait so long (45 mins I think?) for a waterside table so if nothing had opened up along the rail you could have been placed even farther away from the water than you were.

 

[BriannaRuth]

Every time we go we ask for waterside and tell them we are willing to wait. It's normally about 20 minutes wait (although they quote more) and we always get waterside, next to the rail.

I hadn't heard that they were reserving waterside for dining package guests. Can anyone confirm this? Last year they had the dining packages and we were still able to get waterside.