While at lunch, I received a text with our room number, so we headed back over to Saratoga Springs to drop our bags off and rest for a bit (ha! I spent the whole time unpacking and organizing) before heading over to the Polynesian for drinks at Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto.
We arrived very shortly after opening, but were told that there was no seating available inside and they recommended that we sit out on the terrace. I was quite disappointed since this was the only day of our 8 day trip that visiting Trader Sam’s fit into our schedule. Being from Southern California, we have visited the Trader Sam’s at the Disneyland Hotel on multiple occasions and wanted to see how the Florida location compared. It took a little bit of convincing, but they finally agreed to let us in once we told them we didn’t need to sit down and only wanted one round of drinks as we had a dinner reservation to make.
We went in and grabbed a drink menu, though I already knew what I wanted. I ordered a Polynesian Pearl (RumChata Cream Liqueur, Grand Marnier, and Cinnamon with Tropical Juices. The Pearl is yours to keep!) ) and my husband decided to order the Nautilus (Barbancourt Pango Rhum, Appleton Estate Reserve Rum, Combier Crème de Pêche de Vigne Liqueur, Tropical Juices, and Falernum. (and is supposed to be for 2 people)) and we would share. We also ordered a non-alcoholic drink for my son, though I didn’t get any pictures of it, I believe he had a Schweitzer Falls (Tropical Juices and Sam’s Gorilla Grog topped with Sprite®) which he enjoyed.
Me with my Polynesian Pearl which was just as tasty as I hoped it would be. I could easily drink a few of these no problem! Sadly, the pearl glasses were not yet available to purchase as souvenirs.
The aftermath of our drinks (we bought the souvenir Nautilus glass, which is now lovingly referred to as the gravy boat). Definitely wished we had more time to spend there, but we enjoyed the time we did have, and besides, there’s always next time!
Next up we had a 6:45p dinner ADR at Olivia’s Café, where we were supposed to meet up with my Stepmother-in-law and Father-in-law, who would be semi joining us for this trip. We arrived early and checked in, but let the hostess know we were waiting for the rest of our party. The in-laws flight was supposed to arrive late afternoon, which was just enough time for them to pick up their rental car, drop their bags off at their time share, and then come meet us for dinner. Unfortunately their flight was delayed. They still arrived in enough time to join us, but were tired from their day of travel, so opted out of joining us and agreed to meet us the next evening for our scheduled dinner. Once we knew that they weren’t coming, we were still early for our reservation, but we let the hostess know to change us to a party of 3 and we were seated very shortly thereafter.
I enjoyed the décor, but found the restaurant to be louder than I expected it to be. Our service was prompt and overall good and our server was very personable. My only real complaint is that my husband ordered a Mr. Pibb, which was refilled 3 or 4 times throughout our meal, and I ordered a hot tea and was never offered more hot water, though I could have used some more. To be fair, I didn’t ask for any more, partly because I was hoping our server would offer. Since we were on the DDXDP, we were each entitled to an appetizer, an entrée, a dessert, and a non-alcoholic beverage.
To begin, they brought us a loaf of their coconut bread, which was quite tasty! Sorry, forgot to take pictures.
For our appetizers, we ordered:
Tomato-Mozzarella Salad w/ mixed greens & balsamic glaze (me)
This was fresh, delicious, and a huge portion for an appetizer. I ate all of it. 
the Soup of the Day (which was a chicken verde) (husband)
This had a ton of stuff in it! Chicken, potatoes, celery, onions, and radishes (I believe). It was a decent soup, though could have used a squeeze of fresh lime for some depth of flavor. I ate a good portion of this as well, since my husband only wanted to taste it.
and
Green apple slices (kiddo)
These were standard fresh apple slices, which he enjoyed.
Entrees:
Plantation Key Pork Chop - Pork Chop topped with Smoked Gouda Fondue served with Multigrain Rice and Broccolini (me)
The pork chop was delicious and cooked perfectly and the smoked Gouda complemented the flavor of the pork nicely. This was my first experience with broccolini and I found it to be bitter, so not a fan. I was looking forward to trying the multigrain pilaf, but was disappointed as it was dry and some of the grains seemed undercooked.
Southernmost Buttermilk Chicken -
Mashed Potatoes, Southern Gravy, and Seasonal Vegetables (he substituted fries for the veggies) (husband)
Best fried chicken we’ve ever had! I don’t usually care for fried chicken, but this was a boneless breast so it was lighter than typical fried chicken and the breading was crispy and tasty. The Southern gravy was a good consistency and flavor. As I recall, the mashed potatoes and fries were fine. We enjoyed the chicken and gravy so much that we are attempting/hoping to have it added to our brunch menu for our vow renewal this December!
and
Mickey pasta w/ marinara sauce (kid)
I have no notes written down for how he liked this or not.
And for dessert:
Mascarpone Cheesecake w/ seasonal fruit topping (me)
This had a nice texture and was very rich. We both thought it was good and my husband doesn’t usually care for cheesecake.
Banana Bread Pudding Sundae served with bananas foster topping and vanilla bean ice cream (husband)
“OMG, so good!!!” is what I have written in my notes. The pudding was steaming hot with the ice cream on top, which was a nice combo. There was plenty of sauce, and although we were full and this was also rich, we just about finished it (didn’t finish the cheesecake).
and
Ice cream sundae w/ do it yourself toppings (hot fudge, chocolate candy buttons, and Mickey head sprinkles) (kid)
When he saw the do-it-yourself toppings, this dessert was met with maniacal laughter or joy!
We really enjoyed our meal here and look forward to returning. I’ve read great reviews about their breakfast as well. We are staying at OKW for a couple days in June, so I’m hoping we can fit a meal in.
Next installment: Sunday December 6 (breakfast at Artist’s Palette, lunch at Cooke’s of Dublin & Fantasy Fare food truck, and dinner at Raglan Road)
As a refresher, we were out at the World from Saturday 12/5 through Saturday 12/12 on a split stay between Saratoga Springs and Animal Kingdom Villas - Kidani Village. We added the Deluxe Dining Plan to both stays. Some of the pictures quality is not great, the camera was being finicky, so I apologize for that now. So without further ado, my dining report!
: think the guest paying for your first meal was a fantastic sign of respect.
