An iconic location in New Orleans Square at Disneyland Park faces a temporary closure that is “almost there.” Will it affect your visit to the Happiest Place on Earth?
Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure are home to countless experiences to create everlasting memories, from iconic attractions to unique themed restaurants, world-class parades, musicals, fireworks shows, and much more.
Unfortunately, guests visiting in January will have to plan around the temporary closure of one of Disneyland Park’s most exclusive and popular dining locations, Blue Bayou Restaurant in New Orleans Square.
Per the official Disneyland Resort hours and events calendar, Blue Bayou Restaurant will temporarily shut its doors starting on January 7, 2024, for a refurbishment scheduled to be completed on January 19, 2024.
It is essential to mention that this information is available on the official Disneyland Resort website as of the publication of this article and is subject to change without notice.
One of the main attractions of the unique Louisiana-inspired culinary adventure is the view of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, allowing guests to watch the boats glide past while they enjoy a delicious meal. However, this view will likely be blocked by construction walls during the refurbishment, making Blue Bayou Restaurant not visible from the boats on the beloved Disneyland attraction.
Blue Bayou Restaurant has been a must-visit destination for millions of Disneyland Resort guests since the culinary delight opened in 1967.
Disney describes the iconic location as follows: “Its mystical setting takes you into the heart of the South—overhead strings of colorful balloon lanterns cast an enchanting glow, dotting the darkness while crickets chirp, frogs croak, and fireflies wink in the dark.”
Culinary delights served in the Southern-inspired location include signature dishes such as Creole Roasted Chicken and Plant-based Sunchoke and Pistachio Pesto Pasta; Monte Cristo and Seasonal Salad; nonalcoholic mint juleps; a New Orleans-inspired signature Hurricane cocktail as one of the latest additions, and the best crème brûlée in New Orleans Square.
If you’ve ever enjoyed a meal at Disneyland’s Blue Bayou Restaurant and waved at fellow guests as they embarked on Pirates of the Caribbean, don’t hesitate to let Inside the Magic and our readers know about your experience in the comments below!
More on New Orleans Square and its massive transformation at Disneyland Park
At Disneyland Park, the reimagining of Splash Mountain to turn the ride into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is set to complete a massive transformation at Walt Disney’s original theme park, inspired by The Princess and the Frog (2009) and aiming to bring a better representation of Black culture in New Orleans with a breathtaking transformation across New Orleans Square and Critter Country — home of the now extinct Splash Mountain.
New Orleans Square began its transformation in 2022, shortly after the Disney D23 Expo, with the opening of a Princess and the Frog-inspired shop, Eudora’s Chic Boutique Featuring Tiana’s Gourmet Secrets.
Continuing with this massive transformation, Disney Imagineers worked to bring Tiana’s restaurant from the animated movie to life, as Tiana’s Palace opened in New Orleans Square at Disneyland Park earlier this year.
And it would appear that Disney officials have added the final nail in Splash Mountain’s coffin at Disneyland Park, as an all-new nighttime show debuted at the theme park featuring a frog as its main character.
The new show, The Heartbeat of New Orleans – A Living Mural, may not be directly inspired by The Princess and the Frog. Still, by featuring a frog as its main character, it’s inevitable to see the new nighttime spectacular’s relation to the current transformation of Critter Country and New Orleans Square at Disneyland Park.
You can take a peek at this new nighttime spectacular in the video below, shared by Disneyland Resort:
As if the land’s complete makeover inspired by Disney’s The Princess and the Frog wasn’t enough, Disney officials have revealed that the iconic attraction Haunted Mansion will undergo a unique transformation, expanding its grounds and becoming home to an all-new shopping location in New Orleans Square.
Unfortunately, this transformation implies that Haunted Mansion will remain shut down indefinitely following its closure on January 21, 2024, scheduled as the final day of operations for the attraction’s seasonal overlay inspired by Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Haunted Mansion Holiday. Inside the Magic will update you on this transformation and its schedule when more information becomes available.
Will this temporary closure affect your visit to Disneyland Park in January? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!