The Boudin Bakery Tour: For carb lovers only!
Written: Jan 07 '05 (Updated Jul 15 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Whole family can go together, strollers allowed inside
Cons: No samples, can get boring, too long, for Rosie fans only
The Bottom Line: A bread factory tour without the bread.
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| modernmarvel's Full Review: The Boudin Bakery - California Adventure |
We recently visited Disney's California Adventure on a very slow day. This gave us the opportunity to visit some attractions that we had skipped on prior visits. We had walked by the Boudin Bakery tour several times without even knowing it was there. We ended up finding it as we exited the much better Mission tortilla factory tour across the "street".
The Boudin Bakery tour is essentially a giant infomercial. There is no ride and you have a little walking to do. Unlike the Mission Tortilla Factory tour, there is some entertainment here (but only if you are a Rosie O'Donnell fan). The upside to this attraction for us is that the whole family could do it together. Plus, we could push the stroller through which was great because the baby was sleeping. The tour is also handicapped accessible as it is all on one level and there are no stairs. Another plus is that the tour is inside which is nice in rain or other bad weather.
LOCATION
This attraction is located between a Bug's Land and Paradise Pier. It is on a pier with wharf-style buildings. This factory tour fits in well with the setting.
THE ATTRACTION
The outside of the attraction looks like a wharf-style building similar to others in the immediate setting. It is easy to walk by and not notice that this is, in fact, an attraction to tour.
A cast member opened the door for us to enter the building. We entered into a typical Disney holding pen. The room was closed off on all sides. There were some turn of the century style photographs on the wall for fleeting entertainment. There was also a large television screen on one wall. We were lucky that the presentation started almost immediately upon our arrival so we didn't have to wait.
To begin, the screen lights up and Rosie O'Donnell appears. Shortly thereafter Colin Mochrie appears from ABC's Whose Line is it Anyway? They tell a few corny jokes. Then some double doors open up and you are directed into the "factory." Of course, it is not really a factory since you only see the most basic demonstration equipment. The equipment mostly looked like a series of conveyor belts moving dough balls along. There were also some ovens in the back baking bread. On our tour, there were some bored factory workers moving around dough balls. They did not smile at or engage the guests. Guests are separated from the demonstration factory by a wall with large glass windows. Essentially, guests are contained in a wide hallway.
Watching dough rise is rather boring, so you are directed along the hallway by Rosie and Colin on the tv screens. At each stop, the tv Rosie and tv Colin joyfully banter about the bread baking process. Colin joyfully asks multiple times, "Is it time to bake the bread yet?" mocking how children ask, "Are we there yet?" (Here is a tip for Disney: it is annoying when children repeat the same question over and over. It is even more annoying when a B-list celebrity does it.) The upside to the tour is that you can leave at anytime. The entire attraction consists of a long hallway with doors to the outside at the end. Several in our party left early and stood outside in the rain rather than listen to Rosie and Colin push carbs.
This tour will be most enjoyable for Rosie and/or Colin fans. If you find either of these actors annoying, they will be even more so in the fake factory setting. To top it off, at the end of the tour, there is NOTHING. You are just dumped back out on the street. We were sure that the whole tour was a build up for a free sample and were shocked to find nothing. However, not surprisingly, the next door over from the exit to the factory tour is the Boudin Bakery Shop where you can buy a $7 sandwich on Boudin Bakery Bread. Ugh! This was too much for me and I swore off Boudin Bakery forever.
Boudin Bakery sponsors this exhibit and you hear and see the name several times. The Mission foods tortilla factory was more about the factory process than the company. However, I though the Boudin Bakery put in more advertising than necessary and the tour was more commercial than I expected.
WAITING AND LINES
We visited this attraction on a very slow day in the park so there was no line. There is also no waiting area outside. There is only the holding pen inside where guests gather until the tour starts.
RECOMMENDATION
I thought that five minutes of this tour was fine. The ten to fifteen minutes or so it took to hear the whole thing was really too much. It was over the top in the presentation and was way too commercial. The worst part is that we didn't get a measly cube of bread at the end. I would recommend this only if (1) you have exhausted all other attractions in the park; (2) you are a rabid Rosie fan; or (3) you need a break from the rain.
MY REVIEWS OF THE DISNEY THEME PARKS IN CALIFORNIA
Disneyland
Disney's California Adventure
MY REVIEW OF THEME PARK HOTELS IN CALIFORNIA
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Residence Inn Anaheim
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MY REVIEWS OF INDIVIDUAL RIDES AND ATTRACTIONS IN DISNEY’S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE
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Grizzly River Run
The Sun Wheel
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Princess Dot Puddle Park
Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train
Tuck and Roll’s Drive ‘Em Buggies
Flik’s Flyers
Francis’ Ladybug Boogie
Misson Tortilla Factory Tour
Boudin Bakery Factory Tour
MY REVIEWS OF INDIVIDUAL RIDES AND ATTRACTIONS IN DISNEYLAND
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MY REVIEWS OF OTHER THINGS TO SEE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
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The San Diego Wild Animal Park
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San Diego’s Old Town
The Museum of Making Music
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Recommended:
No
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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