The Disneyland Restaurants Bracket -- Round 5

We’re down to just four eating locations at the Disneyland Resort. You, the voters, have chosen these as the very best throughout the Anaheim resort, and now it’s up to you to choose the Top Two.

But first, of course, I want to let you know what I would choose if it was up to me.

(2) Café Orleans vs. (1) Carthay Circle Restaurant: So, I will admit that this is an ever-so-slightly disappointing matchup. Ever so slightly! As you may have followed along on Twitter, The Tropical Hideaway came within spitting distance of toppling the Carthay Circle. When I say “spitting distance”, I should be clear: the Carthay Circle Restaurant won its Elite Eight matchup against the Tropical Hideaway by two votes. Two! Don’t let anyone tell you that your votes don’t matter in goofy brackets like these.

Anyway, the point is, there was a scenario here where I would’ve happily chosen the Tropical Hideaway to go to the Top Two (and frankly? It would’ve won the whole thing if I’d had my druthers). Sadly, it was not to be. So we have two fine dining establishments, and I’ll be honest with you. I’ll be voting for the Carthay Circle Restaurant. The edge it has over Cafe Orleans is simple: it’s background music. I listen to this music often, and there’s nothing nearly so charming at Cafe Orleans. The food in each restaurant is pretty great. The atmosphere and ambience? Solid in both. But the music…well, I give it to Carthay.

(1) Blue Bayou Restaurant vs. (2) Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar: The picture says it all, in case you somehow don’t want to read this paragraph. Yes, really, though: I am voting for the tiki bar instead of the sit-down restaurant. I won’t be too disheartened by the Blue Bayou winning — it’s a top seed for a reason. The atmosphere is incredible, the food is pretty solid, and…well, again, the atmosphere. It’s great.

But Trader Sam’s food and drink options are just a wee bit better, in no small part because it offers alcoholic invention and the Blue Bayou — because it’s in the original Disney theme park — literally doesn’t have any alcohol. If nothing else, I ask myself the question I’ve asked a few times in this overall bracket: if I could visit one of these restaurants right now, which would I choose? I would, without question, choose Trader Sam’s. It gets my vote.