BLUE BAYOU -- NO WAY THERE ARE ZERO RESERVATIONS AVAILABLE

[Reporterhill]

THERE IS NO WAY THERE ARE ZERO SPOTS AVAILABLE AT BB for Jan 21st. I am fully aware of the 60 days in advance and getting on the reservation site early before the new date opens up (60 days in advance) so I’m on at 5:58 … Mind you, at 5:58, 5:59 the 21st of January is not yet available so I keep trying. Finally the clock ticks to 6:00 so the 21st of January shows up -- finally. I hit it and it says no reservations are available for your time!! Mind you I hit “all times” … didn’t matter to me when and still nothing was available! this is very suspicious to me … there is no way in heck that I can’t get one timeslot for two people at the MINUTE the date opens up !!! does anybody know about this? I think there is a website out there MouseWait that buys up all the reservations and then sells them to you for like $12? Does anybody know about this!? it totally infuriates me!

 

[CarolynFH]

We sympathize with you - the same thing happens with WDW restaurants, the reservations get loaded late or there's some other glitch. You might also want to complain on the Disneyland forum - https://www.disboards.com/forums/disneyland-california.26/ - and get even more sympathy.

 

[Reporterhill]

We sympathize with you - the same thing happens with WDW restaurants, the reservations get loaded late or there's some other glitch. You might also want to complain on the Disneyland forum - https://www.disboards.com/forums/disneyland-california.26/ - and get even more sympathy.

yeah, not quite sure how to take your response. I am NOT looking for sympathy. Good Lord. I just was inquiring if anyone's heard of this Mousewait site that monopolizes the reservations system and then sells them.

 

[mom2rtk]

I had the same experience for the early January dates. So frustrating. Up watching every single day of our trip only to find out it's apparently closed for most of our trip. Not sure what's up for later in the month though.

 

[mom2rtk]

I thought they had shut down the worst of the sites that were basically selling reservations.

That's is no better than CRT back in the early 2000's where people were booking all the slots and giving them out to friends on a message board. Basically what made them start requiring prepayment there.

I've got news for them. I wanted to eat there. Was begrudgingly willing to pay the high price for it. But I don't care enough to play these games.

 

[Aspencreek]

I can empathize. We have an upcoming trip in mid-January 2024 plus a 1 day trip next month. I've checked a bunch of times for these trips plus our previous 3 or 4. I have NEVER seen a single reservation available for ANY day or time I've tried through the Disney app. How is that even possible? Never?!

 

[monkeypat83]

Disneyland is notorious for not releasing everything at exactly 6 PM 60 days out especially for Blue Bayou. It may drop at 59 or 58 or even closer to 50 day out and not always at 6 AM so unfortunately you may just have to keep checking and hope you get lucky.

 

[Wesley815]

Keep checking- the 60 day 'rule' sadly is not exactly true. I've seen reservations randomly show up and different times.

I wish Disney didn't cut the phone line to call. However if staying on property the Concierge Desk may also be able to help, no promises though- we've been lucky a couple times.

 

[Reporterhill]

I thought they had shut down the worst of the sites that were basically selling reservations.

That's is no better than CRT back in the early 2000's where people were booking all the slots and giving them out to friends on a message board. Basically what made them start requiring prepayment there.

I've got news for them. I wanted to eat there. Was begrudgingly willing to pay the high price for it. But I don't care enough to play these games.

I agree! I'm going to give up at this point. We always have luck at Storyteller Cafe so we'll go there. I spoke with Chat in the Disneyland App and explained the situation and she said to just keep checking back for cancellations and sometimes they don't open up ALL the reservations at once once the 60 day window opens (?) Not sure why not. Anyway, good to hear they are getting rid of the money hungry sites that ruin it for everyone else! thanks for your reply!

 

[Reporterhill]

Disneyland is notorious for not releasing everything at exactly 6 PM 60 days out especially for Blue Bayou. It may drop at 59 or 58 or even closer to 50 day out and not always at 6 AM so unfortunately you may just have to keep checking and hope you get lucky.

thank you! that was the impression I got from speaking with Chat on the Disneyland app. I'll keep trying but it won't be the end of the world! That place is SO expensive anyway

 

[Reporterhill]

Keep checking- the 60 day 'rule' sadly is not exactly true. I've seen reservations randomly show up and different times.

I wish Disney didn't cut the phone line to call. However if staying on property the Concierge Desk may also be able to help, no promises though- we've been lucky a couple times.

THANK you for your response! I am getting the impression I need to keep checking as it looks like they release reservations sporadically. Maybe that's to prevent these nefarious sites from reserving blocks of them and selling the reservations!

 

[kristensideaoffun]

THERE IS NO WAY THERE ARE ZERO SPOTS AVAILABLE AT BB for Jan 21st. I am fully aware of the 60 days in advance and getting on the reservation site early before the new date opens up (60 days in advance) so I’m on at 5:58 … Mind you, at 5:58, 5:59 the 21st of January is not yet available so I keep trying. Finally the clock ticks to 6:00 so the 21st of January shows up -- finally. I hit it and it says no reservations are available for your time!! Mind you I hit “all times” … didn’t matter to me when and still nothing was available! this is very suspicious to me … there is no way in heck that I can’t get one timeslot for two people at the MINUTE the date opens up !!! does anybody know about this? I think there is a website out there MouseWait that buys up all the reservations and then sells them to you for like $12? Does anybody know about this!? it totally infuriates me!

That’s not how that service works. It does not buy up reservations and sell them to you. It only alerts people when a reservation is available and then you have to go on the Disney website yourself and book it before someone else does. Mousewait is not helpful when reservations are first released because reservations for popular restaurants are booked so quickly by people when they are released that their system doesn’t have time to even register that reservations have opened. It’s pretty much only helpful if you miss the reservation opening window and want to try to book a restaurant that is already full booked.

That being said, Disneyland is notorious for sporadically releasing reservations, especially at Blue Bayou. If you search this forum, you will find hundreds of posts discussing it. Keep checking back, they will eventually open up.

 

[Reporterhill]

That’s not how that service works. It does not buy up reservations and sell them to you. It only alerts people when a reservation is available and then you have to go on the Disney website yourself and book it before someone else does. Mousewait is not helpful when reservations are first released because reservations for popular restaurants are booked so quickly by people when they are released that their system doesn’t have time to even register that reservations have opened. It’s pretty much only helpful if you miss the reservation opening window and want to try to book a restaurant that is already full booked.

That being said, Disneyland is notorious for sporadically releasing reservations, especially at Blue Bayou. If you search this forum, you will find hundreds of posts discussing it. Keep checking back, they will eventually open up.

thank you! I just learned this about Mousewait today when looking it up and saw that they only alert you when reservations are available -- which by the time you get their alert and get online I'm sure the reservations would be gone! I've come to the conclusion I'm not gonna knock myself out over this so I can spend a ton of money on FOOD! we made easy reservations at Storytellers and that will have to do! Thanks for your reply!

 

[Pluto468]

I hear you, it's SO frustrating to do everything right and still end up without a reservation. I'm glad you were able to get Storytellers

 

[DizMe]

thank you! I just learned this about Mousewait today when looking it up and saw that they only alert you when reservations are available -- which by the time you get their alert and get online I'm sure the reservations would be gone! I've come to the conclusion I'm not gonna knock myself out over this so I can spend a ton of money on FOOD! we made easy reservations at Storytellers and that will have to do! Thanks for your reply!

Actually, I've had very good luck with it because people cancel. You won't see much right away, but people tend to overbook reservations (for which I fault Disney since you don't know from one day to the next what you'll be able to grab). Once their 60-days-prior reservations are made for the time span of their stay, they can go back and decide which to keep and which to ditch. I have to admit to grabbing BB on my first day, not knowing whether or not I'll be able to get it on a preferred day.

Anyway, there will be many like me who have made more reservations than they want to keep and will cancel. Having the alert allows you a chance to grab one as soon as it's released back into the dining reservation pool. You do have to be ready to jump on it when you get the alert, but I've been successful the majority of the time. Of course, you may just decide it's not worth the bother.

The other possibility is to try for a walk-up reservation. Visit the booth at BB as soon as they open that day.

 

[Pluto468]

Actually, I've had very good luck with it because people cancel. You won't see much right away, but people tend to overbook reservations (for which I fault Disney since you don't know from one day to the next what you'll be able to grab). Once their 60-days-prior reservations are made for the time span of their stay, they can go back and decide which to keep and which to ditch. I have to admit to grabbing BB on my first day, not knowing whether or not I'll be able to get it on a preferred day.

Anyway, there will be many like me who have made more reservations than they want to keep and will cancel. Having the alert allows you a chance to grab one as soon as it's released back into the dining reservation pool. You do have to be ready to jump on it when you get the alert, but I've been successful the majority of the time. Of course, you may just decide it's not worth the bother.

The other possibility is to try for a walk-up reservation. Visit the booth at BB as soon as they open that day.

The dining alerts do work very well. I've gotten loads of reservations using it, especially the harder to get ones. BB, Oga's, etc.

 

[Reporterhill]

Actually, I've had very good luck with it because people cancel. You won't see much right away, but people tend to overbook reservations (for which I fault Disney since you don't know from one day to the next what you'll be able to grab). Once their 60-days-prior reservations are made for the time span of their stay, they can go back and decide which to keep and which to ditch. I have to admit to grabbing BB on my first day, not knowing whether or not I'll be able to get it on a preferred day.

Anyway, there will be many like me who have made more reservations than they want to keep and will cancel. Having the alert allows you a chance to grab one as soon as it's released back into the dining reservation pool. You do have to be ready to jump on it when you get the alert, but I've been successful the majority of the time. Of course, you may just decide it's not worth the bother.

The other possibility is to try for a walk-up reservation. Visit the booth at BB as soon as they open that day.

yeah I was going to give walk-up a try since there's just my daughter and I -- two of us -- but I'll keep checking the site. I'll have her do the same. We love Storytellers tho so we're fine either way. Of course nothing beats the ambiance of BB!

 

[AZMermaid]

60 days is a more of a guideline than a rule in Disneyland.

 

[MonocularVision]

My theory at this point is that DL has greatly reduced the tables held for reservation so more is available for same-day walkups. Reservations used to be much easier to come by.

 

[cableguynoe]

you have my sympathy!