Trader Sam's Grog Grotto Archives

Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto Info

Posted on April 23, 2015 by Liz

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Thanks to my friend, Andria, I can give you some updates on the Polynesian Village Resort. She is there right now, celebrating her birthday. Happy birthday, Andria!

The first Poly update she sent me was about Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto. She and her friends visited Trader Sam’s last night. I did get a piece of advice from her regarding the drinks. . She warned against ordering the Mai Tai. I guess they didn’t think it tasted very good and no one wanted to drink it. Everyone has different tastes, but all three of them did not care for the drink.

Another comment she made about Trader Sam’s was that it is very small. It didn’t look very big from the drawings and the pictures, but it sounds like it’s a pretty small space. I guess that’s why they have the Tiki Terrace, lots of seating outside as compared to inside. If you would like to sit inside to check out all the fun decorations, you may have to wait for a seat.

I’ll keep you posted on updates from Andria’s adventures! Thank you, Andria!

Have you been to Trader Sam’s yet?

Thanks for reading!

*Liz*

The Polynesian Villas and Bungalows Are Now Open!

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Liz

Posted in AllPosts, Deluxe Villa Resorts, Disney Resort Hotels, News Leave a comment

Today was the official opening of Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows. The bungalows are located right on Seven Seas Lagoon and have a beautiful view of the Magic Kingdom. At night you will be able to see the fireworks from the plunge pool on the deck. Talk about relaxing!

The new rooms are not the only additions to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto had a soft opening recently and will officially be open later this month. Pineapple Lanai is open as well and they serve that oh-so-popular Dole Whip soft serve.

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort will have some more updates (like the opening of the new pool) soon, at least we hope it’s soon. Construction has been going on for some time.

To see some of the events that took place with the opening of the villas and bungalows, check out the video below.

Will you be staying in one of the villas or bungalows?

https://youtu.be/La1yX1us8ko

Source: Disney Parks Blog

Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto Opening Soon

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Liz

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Pam Brandon, Disney Parks Food Writer, has posted on Disney Parks Blog some details about the new lounge at the Polynesian Village Resort, Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto.

This is one of the additions to the Polynesian Village Resort that a lot of people have been waiting for. This will be an East Coast version of Disneyland’s Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar. So there will be some similarities, but there will also be a lot of unique details to Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto.

Some of the drinks that were created for Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto:

Polynesian Pearl
Nautilus
Castaway Crush
Tahitian Torch
Dark and Tropical Stormy

There are also some drinks that will be included on the menu from Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar:

Krakatoa
Uh-Oa!
HippopotoMai-Tai
Shrunken Zombie Head

For those that prefer non-alcoholic drinks:

Schweitzer Fall
Skipper Sipper
Polynesian Punch

There will also be a bar menu:

Chicken lettuce cups with hoisin ginger sauce (from Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar)
Hawaiian poke with Sriracha aioli and wonton chips (from Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar)
Kalua pork tacos with shredded cabbage and pickled vegetables (new)
Pan-fried dumplings with soy-sesame dipping sauce (new)
Roasted chicken and port pate banh mi sliders with pickled vegetables (new)
Salmon oshizushi (press sushi) (new)
Corn-battered Portuguese sausages with curry ketchup and a Headhunter Sushi Roll (new)

The lounge is located off the lobby of the Polynesian Village Resort. There are 50 seats available in the lounge and 82 on the patio. The patio has views of the marina and Seven Seas Lagoon.

There is a soft opening on March 28 with the official opening date sometime in late April, we will keep you updated when the official date is announced. No reservations are required for Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto.

Source: Disney Parks Blog

Have You Tried the Monorail Bar Crawl?

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Liz

Posted in Activities, AllPosts 2 Comments

I was talking with someone the other day who was very excited for a girls only trip she is taking to Disney World for her next birthday. We started talking about all the fun adult things they can do there, since the kids won’t be with her, and I mentioned the monorail bar crawl.

Have you heard of this? It’s a real thing. People will board the monorail for an evening of drinking themselves around the monorail resort loop. There are a decent amount of lounges to check out at the monorail resorts.

I’ll start at the Contemporary and we can work our way around from there. So, keep clear of the doors and get ready to ride the monorail for the monorail bar crawl!

First Stop: Contemporary Resort

California Grill Lounge
- Location: 15th floor
- Hours: 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.
- Food: The lounge offers the same menu as the restaurant.
- Drink: They have an extensive wine list (over 300), delicious mixed drinks, quite a few different beers to choose from, scotch, etc. I really enjoyed the martini I had here and my husband and our friends were happy with the scotch selection.
- Extras: They huge windows that give you a great view of the Magic Kingdom and surrounding area. If you time it right, you can catch Wishes at the Magic Kingdom from the restaurant. However, the lounge is first come first served and the closer it gets to the start of Wishes the more difficult it will be to find a seat.
- Dress Code: From Disney’s website, “Men may wear khakis, slacks, jeans or dress shorts and collared shirts. Sport coats are optional.Women may wear Capri pants, skirts, dresses, jeans or dress shorts.Not permitted are tank tops, swimsuits, swimsuit cover-ups, hats for gentlemen, cut-offs, torn clothing and t-shirts with offensive language and/or graphics.”
Outer Rim
- Location: 4th Floor
- Hours: 4:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.
- Food: Bar menu available
- Drink: Beer, wine, Disney Resort drinks, specialty cocktails, and more.
- Extras: If you are there during the Electrical Water Pageant, you will be able to see it from the big windows that look out over the lake.
The Wave Lounge
- Location: Lobby Floor (inside The Wave…of American Flavors)
- Hours: 12 p.m. – 12 a.m.
- Food: They do have a menu of appetizers and other bar food available.
- Drink: Specialty cocktails, organic beers, tequila, and New World wines
- Extras: The Wave prides itself on the freshness of its food, with a lot of the food coming from local or regional sources. Plus, I think the organic beer piques a lot of people’s interest.

*******Photo copyright Main Street Wishes 2014-2015 ******* Bay Lake Tower and Contemporary Resort

Second Stop: Polynesian Village Resort

Tambu Lounge
- Location: Great Ceremonial House – 2nd Floor
- Hours: 1 p.m. – 12 a.m.
- Food: Full bar menu available
- Drink: Specialty drinks like the Lapu Lapu and the Backscratcher
- Extras: With all of the additions to the Polynesian Village Resort, it’s definitely worth a stroll after you finish your drinks.
Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto
- This lounge is not open yet, but should be opening soon. A post from Disney Parks Blog gave examples of some of the drinks that will be offered. The Castaway Crush, the Polynesian Pearl, the Nautilus, the Dark and Tropical Stormy, and the Tahitian Torch are some of the drinks that will be available.
- It will be on the first floor by Capt. Cook’s and looks like it will be open from 4 p.m. – 12 a.m. As for extras, it’s new, so that’s reason enough for a lot of people. However, there will be some special effects that happen inside the lounge. (Source: touringplans.com)

*******Photo copyright Main Street Wishes 2014-2015 *******
The Polynesian Village Resort

Final Stop: Grand Floridian

Citricos Lounge
- Location: 2nd Floor
- Hours: 5 p.m. -10 p.m.
- Food: Tapas
- Drink: Specialty cocktails, international wines, and a variety of beers
- Extras: Beautiful views of the courtyard out of large windows. The whole restaurant looks beautiful and makes for a nice dining (or lounging) experience.
- Dress code: From Disney’s website, “Men may wear khakis, slacks, jeans or dress shorts and collared shirts. Sport coats are optional.Women may wear Capri pants, skirts, dresses, jeans or dress shorts.Not permitted are tank tops, swimsuits, swimsuit cover-ups, hats for gentlemen, cut-offs, torn clothing and t-shirts with offensive language and/or graphics.”
Mizner’s Lounge
- Location: Upstairs behind the bandstand
- Hours: 4:30 p.m. – 12 a.m.
- Food: Appetizers and desserts
- Drink: Specialty cocktails, champagnes, wines, domestic beers, ports, cognacs, bourbons, single malts and blended scotch
- Extras: Enjoy jazz music while you sip your drink. Cigars are also available.

*******Photo copyright Main Street Wishes 2014-2015 ******* The Grand Floridian Resort and Spa

A couple of other things:

If you are doing this with someone who does not wish to drink, the lounges serve non-alcoholic drinks as well.
There are other restaurants at these resorts that have alcoholic beverages, but they don’t have a lounge. So you would need a dining reservation to be able to order a drink.

Lastly, if you are participating in the monorail bar crawl, just remember to keep it calm. There are kids around, even during the later hours, so try not to get sloppy drunk.

Well, there you have it! The monorail bar crawl. If you are traveling with an adults only party or you have a babysitter watching the kids, then give it a try.

You don’t have to be staying at a monorail resort to try this. You can get a bus from the Magic Kingdom, take the monorail to Epcot and grab a bus there, or take a taxi (the taxi you would have to pay for) to get back to your resort.

Even if you don’t want to drink around the monorail resort loop, it’s still fun to go around and look at all the monorail resorts. There are lots of things to experience at each of the resort hotels!

Thanks for reading!

*Liz*