Disneyland Paris News: Blue Lagoon to be Renamed Captain Jack’s – Is That A Bad Thing?
Captain Jack’s – Le Restaurant des Pirates, to give it its full title. That’s the latest news that has been running amok today, after there has been conformation from Disneyland Paris themselves that when it reopens on July 24th that will indeed be its new name, following rumours of the name change earlier in the week. For the most part change in Disneyland Paris is met with derision, and by the same proportion of most, those changes are very quickly accepted when they go live in the Parks. There are exceptions of course, and the decision to make breakfast a non inclusive part of staying on site is still to this day a very unpopular decision. So this latest change, a name change, is it such a bad thing, as social media would have you believe?
I thought I’d be far more bothered by this than I am, being that it’s been my favourite restaurant in Disneyland Paris since our first visit in 2002. But actually I’m okay with it. Sure I’d prefer it to stay as Blue Lagoon, a name that gives images of a serene location, matched by the interior and the ornate sign that hangs outside. But really, it is just a name. As long as they keep the same fantastic atmosphere and decor inside I have no doubt it will remain my favourite restaurant and one I’ll look to forward to eating when I visit next month and subsequent visits thereafter. It does make sense, given that Captain Jack is being added to the ride, twice. Love it or hate, the ride will reflect the films when it reopens, maybe in more ways than we have even imagined.
On the flip side, it’s a bit OTT with its sub heading. it’s Captain Jack, the most famous pirate of the 21st century, do we really need all those extra words to explain that it’s a pirate restaurant? There could of course be a very good reason for that, and as Auberge de Cendrillon is the restaurant for Princess meet and eat experiences, could Captain Jack’s be the pirate equivalent? Jack alone would not be enough to change its intended purpose, but add in characters in pirate costumes and it could be something quite special. But with that change you’d lose a lot of what makes Blue Lagoon so special, as the noise level would be sure to skyrocket and all eyes would be on said characters. I could be wrong, and the introduction of characters could be done very well, and in such a way that for the majority of the meal you don’t even notice them. If that was the case I’d be all for it, as the likes of Mickey Mouse in pirate garb, as seen during the recent Pirates of the Caribbean film event in Disneyland Paris, were superb.
For me it’s definitely a case of wait and see. The name change alone I can handle, but changing the core of what Blue Lagoon currently offers is something else entirely. If it does change a lot I’ll try it, because you never know until you have, but could I possibly be on the verge of losing my absolute favourite place to eat in Disneyland Paris, and maybe the world? I could also be on the verge of seeing my beloved Blue Lagoon get even better as Captain Jack’s – I’ll let you know in 2 months when I return.
