Interesting Blue Bayou Tidbit

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11-08-2007, 01:06 PM
JabberJaws

Interesting Blue Bayou Tidbit

I just got done making my ADR for lunch at BB and the CM taking the ADR gave me an interesting tip.

He said that with water-side seating at the BB, since they get so many requests to sit by the water, what they typically do is give the first 12 people to make a reservation for certain time slots first shot at a water-side seat. I originally wanted to make the ADR for later in the afternoon (around 1) but he suggested I take an open 11:30 time slot because only 2 people had made an ADR for that time, and that would ensure that I get a water-side table without even having to ask for one. He said all the other relevant time slots had more than 12 people, and as a result I would be waiting anywhere between 1-3 hours for a water-side table.

My question is, has anyone heard of the water-side tables being given out like this before? I had never heard of it, but REALLY appreciated the CM telling me and giving me the suggestion (which I took! Eating early is a small price to pay for a water-side table).

If it is true, which I guess I will find out for myself in 1 month, then it is a nice little bit of info to know when making an ADR for BB huh!?
11-08-2007, 02:42 PM
*tinker_belle*

I must have gotten lucky my last 2 times there because we had reservations and with maybe a ten minute wait after requesting water side after checking in, we were there, great location too. Everyone in the boats were waving to us.
11-08-2007, 03:04 PM
NotaGeek

I have eaten at BB many times, and have always been told there is NO guarantee for water side seating, since the staff can't guarantee people at the tables will be out at any given time. Seats at water side are at an "at wait" basis, so you get there, tell them you want water side and you wait until one of the tables opens up. Anyone with a PS (or walk-in if they are taking them) can ask for one of those tables. This "first 12" theory seems far-fetched to me. :confused:
11-08-2007, 04:22 PM
JabberJaws

Quote:

Originally Posted by NotaGeek

This "first 12" theory seems far-fetched to me. :confused:

I thought it to be a slight bit odd to, but the CM seemed really enthusiastic about sharing this bit of insider info and helping me get a water-side table. I have no clue whether it will work or not, or whether the CM even knew what he was talking about or not (and as a former WDW CM I can safely say that there are plenty of CMs who DON'T know what they are talking about haha).

I see no other reason for him to suggest this earlier time for us, though. And even when I asked if I should go early and request the seat, he said that I didn't need to.

He did not say if the "first 12" thing was done for every time slot, or just certain ones (like on the half hour or something) or what. And it seemed like he was saying it meant you would get first shot at the table vs. someone beyond the "first 12" or someone at a different time slot who asks for it at the check-in desk.

He seemed to imply that this was done because of the large number of walk-up requests that they received for water-side seats, that instead of giving it to the first people who asked for it, they would just give it the first 12 for a time-slot regardless if they had asked for it or not.

Dunno if its real or not...but kinda interesting none-the-less.
11-08-2007, 04:38 PM
brownie

We ate there in June. I made our priority seating reservation 60 days out and for the first available time slot of the day (11:30 AM). We didn't request a water side table, but were seated at one.
11-09-2007, 11:05 AM
MegaDisney

I have been to the Bayou MANY times and I have never had waterside seating!:(
11-09-2007, 02:43 PM
JabberJaws

Quote:

Originally Posted by brownie

We ate there in June. I made our priority seating reservation 60 days out and for the first available time slot of the day (11:30 AM). We didn't request a water side table, but were seated at one.

Brownie, you bring up an interesting point. Maybe this is only done for certain time slots. I did not know that 11:30 was the first time slot of the day.

It would make sense for them to do this for, at least, the first and last..or close to last..time slots of the day. With the first time slot, it is only fair to give the best tables to the people who made reservations farthest in advance, then people who request them the day of, have to wait according to when they asked for them.

For the last time slot, it would make sense to do it this way so that people who had reservations for this time slot (probably not even 12 tables worth of people total) get these seats and they don't have to wait forever. If they make an ADR for like 3pm or whatever the last slot is, and they had to wait on the stockpile of people who had asked for a waterside seat, they might be there until 4 or later.

I dunno what the specifics are, but it seems logical to me at least for those 2 time slots.

Any other info on this?
11-09-2007, 07:01 PM
Aisling

Okay, so I called today to make reservations at BB for December 28th for two people. I asked the CM what is the best way to be guaranteed a waterside table and she told me to make the reservation for 11:30am. I asked if there was any other way she knew of, and she said no. Hmmmmmm.

I'm hoping we really do get the waterside seats since I've never had them and it will be my sister's first trip to Disneyland without children. Yay! An adult trip (love my kids, but sometimes I just want to look at all the plants/decorations/people and not stress about rides).

Thanks for all the input, it was very helpful!
11-09-2007, 07:11 PM
NotaGeek

Ok, now the 12 person theory makes sense! So for the 11:30 timeslot since it's opening there won't be ANY other guests at the tables yet!
11-09-2007, 07:18 PM
NotaGeek

Quote:

Originally Posted by MegaDisney

I have been to the Bayou MANY times and I have never had waterside seating!:(

Uh, I sat at a water side table with you. Me, you, Scott and Scott's friend from Palm Springs. It was a late lunch, back when BB had a less expensive lunch menu. Those where the days.
11-09-2007, 09:14 PM
Aisling

Thanks for the laugh!

Oh, that was SO funny NotaGeek!!! Thank you for making me smile and actually laugh out loud. My son just had the play date from hades and I needed that. :yay:
11-09-2007, 10:28 PM
BklynChick

The first time I had dinner at Blue Bayou I was WAAAAY in the back.

On this last trip in October...riverside table without even asking.

:thumbsup:
11-12-2007, 10:04 AM
MegaDisney

Quote:

Originally Posted by NotaGeek

Uh, I sat at a water side table with you. Me, you, Scott and Scott's friend from Palm Springs. It was a late lunch, back when BB had a less expensive lunch menu. Those where the days.

Senior Moment????:blush:
11-12-2007, 12:04 PM
JabberJaws

Quote:

Originally Posted by NotaGeek

Ok, now the 12 person theory makes sense! So for the 11:30 timeslot since it's opening there won't be ANY other guests at the tables yet!

Ah ha, so now we have a little correlation. Seems that, like NotaGeek said, since 11:30 is the first open time slot, there are no guests set up yet so they divy out the 12 waterside tables to the first 12 ADRs.

I got a little confused when the CM I was talking to said that all of the other time slots had more than 12 ADRs already, so 11:30 was the only one that would work. So maybe this is done for other slots too? Maybe that is why the CM said the only way to guarantee it was to make the ADR for 11:30 since the other ones were already booked up.

Who knows! haha. Seems though that 11:30 might be the time to go....interesting...
12-14-2007, 01:00 PM
DVC2004

Don't know. I requested a waterside table last Feb when I called to Make an ADR. We had a ressie for dinner- we got it. Had to mention it again at podium check in but it was no problem. But while we were there were several walk ups that asked for waterside. We heard them being told those were reserved and they would have to wait several hours if they wanted.