Disneyland review: Mystical Spirits of the Blue Bayou

Disneyland introduced a new premium dinner package during Mickey’s Halloween Party, and if you are looking for good food and a great view of the Halloween fireworks, this is for you.

Dr. Facilier

The downside: You’ll spend more than two hours at dinner, so if you want to spend a lot of time on rides enjoying a less-crowded park, this probably isn’t the best choice for you.

The cost also is steep: In addition to the price of the Halloween party, the dinner costs $150 per person (adult or child, including tax and gratuity).

We placed our order via e-mail several days before our dinner reservation. We each chose an appetizer, entree and a dessert. The menu:

Appetizers: Crab cake with creole slaw and remoulade sauce or warm goat cheese tart with baby spinach, golden beets, prosciutto and dried cherry vinaigrette.

Entrees: Braised short rib with Danish blue cheese whipped potatoes, baby carrots and huckleberry-pinot noir reduction; bourbon-glazed chicken breast with smoked aged white cheddar polenta, asparagus and thyme jus, or red fish with crispy rock shrimp, green beans, Louisiana long grain rice and étouffée sauce.

Desserts: Dark chocolate crème brûlée with salted caramel macaroon or almond praline cheesecake with petit honey beignets. Both desserts are little works of art.

If you are not spending the day at Disneyland and just paid for the Halloween Party, get to the park at 4 p.m., when they start letting people in with the special ticket. Head straight to the Blue Bayou to check in. They will recommend you return by 6:45 p.m. for dinner at 7 p.m.

You will then have a couple of hours to enjoy yourself in the park. There is no need to get back to the restaurant earlier than 6:45. You already have an assigned seat and all you’ll be doing it waiting in line to get into the restaurant.

We ended up being the last people in line and it made little difference; the food is served at the same time and the entertainment starts once everyone is seated. We were seated near the door, which may not be as atmospheric as sitting near the water, but it meant we were first in line for the fireworks.

The Blue Bayou has a nice atmosphere, and the spookiness is ramped up a bit for the Mystical Spirits dinner. You feel as if you are about to take part in a seance, and you never know what might happen.

The first piece of entertainment to take place is a special concert by the Cadaver Dans, singing some Halloween favorites.

Before your appetizer is served, you get a visit from Dr. Facilier (from “The Princess and the Frog”) and his zombie backup group to welcome you. The zombies hand out Mardi Gras beads and you have the opportunity to have a photo taken with one of them. During the night you’ll see Dr. Facilier and his ghoul friends perform again, as well as have the opportunity to take photos with the Shadow Man himself.

The evening at the restaurant ends with singing pirates who bring out a special treat for all to take home — a bag of candy in case you didn’t have time to trick-or-treat in the park.

After dinner, you are escorted to some of the best seats in the park for the Halloween fireworks. And, yes, you do get to sit on benches set up immediately opposite Sleeping Beauty Castle. Make sure you stay as close to the front of the group when walking over to the fireworks seats. The closer to the front means you have the opportunity to get the seats closest to the front.

Once the fireworks are over, you’re on your own to enjoy the rest of the night in the park.