See A Show or Concert at Downtown Disney's House of Blues

Have you ever thought about seeing a concert while on your Disney vacation? Nope? Well, to be honest I hadn't either, but that soon changed when it was pointed out to me that the amazing Olly Murs was going to be performing at Downtown Disney's House of Blues. I am a huge fan of his, so I was very happy to hear this. After I stopped screaming like a hormonal teenager I went online to book tickets. I had been to House of Blues once years ago while I was vacationing, so I had fond memories of the place.

House of Blues Orlando

Once the tickets went on sale it was an easy process, I went to the House of Blues Orlando website and clicked through to a separate website - Live Nation - to purchase the tickets. As we are overseas visitors we had to click 'pick-up tickets at Will Call' option though you could have them sent to you or print at home if you were a US resident. The website stated that you must bring ID and the credit card you paid with to Will Call when you picked up the tickets, this is worth noting if you use you Key to the World card for all of your purchases while in WDW, forgetting the credit card is an easy mistake to make.

The Intimate Venue Puts You Close to the Show

When the day came we headed there early to pick up our tickets, there was no queue at Will Call and we had tickets in hand in under a minute. There was however the biggest queue you have ever seen at the main door, people were sitting on blankets on the floor! That's dedication. There was also a disabled queue, we had to ask one of the House of Blue staff where it was as it wasn't clear - we had to walk through the outdoor bar. There is a ramp there for guests in wheelchairs. The website stated you must queue up here at least 20 minutes before doors opening. Our tickets were checked at the door and we were shown to the disabled area. It's a rather small space, they allow 1 person to accompany a wheelchair and there was plenty of space around there for the rest of your party so you aren't really separated. As we were in early we also managed to grab 2 bar stools. The website states standing room only so we were surprised to see any seats inside, but very grateful nonetheless.

Standing Room Only at the House Of Blues

At the bar we went to order and found out that we needed wristbands to prove that we were over 21 if we wanted to purchase alcohol. There was also a menu on the bar for food, there were about 8-10 different food items including pizza, sliders, chicken fingers and fries. We were told that they would be serving them all night. By the time we got back with our drinks the place was filling up. The concert was sold out but it definitely didn't feel over crowded, you might have disagreed had you been stood right in front of the stage.

Soon the opening act was on getting the crowd going, they were on for half an hour before a quick break and change of set and then it was time for the main act. Olly Murs was fabulous. It felt so intimate, seeing him in such a small venue. I am not a fan of going to big concerts and watching them perform on the big screen as we can't really see them otherwise, I can watch them on a screen at home for free! This was different though.

Olly Murs at House of Blues

We got in the queue at 5:20pm and we were back outside by 9:30pm having had a truly wonderful evening. Would I see another House of Blues concert while on holiday in Walt Disney World? Yes! How soon can I book?

Thanks so much to Robyn Watson for sharing her House of Blues experience with us in this guest post. You can find Robyn and read her full trip report in our member forums. Have you seen a show at the House of Blues? If so, leave a comment and let us know what you thought of the venue!