Need suggestions for good bars to hang out in and have a few drinks!

[Spoisal]

My hubby & I will be celebrating our Anniversary in WDW in about 3 weeks! The motto of this trip: "Kick Back & Take it Easy". We have 2 meals planned & 1 enite, but beyond that we are playing it by ear. One thing that we enjoy is hanging out at a nice bar, having a few beers, meeting some new people, and maybe nibble on some appetizers. Any suggestions on some cool places to do this?

 

[TRAPPED-PARENT]

There have been threads on this subject before ... a question that I wanted an answer to as well.

Anyway, based on info gained here, my family and I went to RIVER ROOST LOUNGE at Port Orleans Riverside on April 2nd of this year. It was wonderful. They have a very nice bar-type menu which included nachos, steak sandwich, burger, etc. But the best part was that from Wed-Sun (I think) beginning at 8:30 pm an entertainer by the name of Bob Jackson puts on a show. It is good family entertainment (i.e. kids can attend) but without all the syrup that you might find elsewhere. It is a very audience interactive show and only those that want to have fun should attend!!!

I highly recommend this for those that want a full evening of fun, drink and food.

 

[montessori]

Happy Anniversary!
My husband and I will be celebrating our anniversary at DW on Memorial Day weekend. Our favorite bar to hang out in is The Belle Vue Room in The Boardwalk. It's a short drive from CBR too.
We usually sit at the bar and we've made friends with the bartenders there.
If Tim is there, be sure to tell him that Mary Ann and Tom say "Hi" and we will see him soon! You can also sit at tables and play board games or sit outside on the porch and watch the goings on down on the Boardwalk.
We've met many wonderful people in the Belle Vue room.
Another plus is that The Flying Fish is right down stairs. We love dining there and prefer going a little later (after 9:00) in the evening. It's quieter then.
We also love to eat at Spoodles, which is right there on the Boardwalk too.
Oh, I just noticed what you wrote about having appetizers. They don't actually serve food in the Belle Vue Room, but you can order from the resort's room service menu.
You can also check out Atlantic Dance while you're on the Boardwalk. They usually have a very talented band playing in there and its free to get in.
I hope you'll check out The Belle Vue Room.

Have a GREAT time!

 

[icelady]

The Rose and Crown.
ESPN Club.
JellyRolls.

 

[eeyore0062]

Here is my list:

Tambu Lounge in the Poly. Small, but the CM's are great, and the drinks are delicious (watch out... they sneak up on you!)

The Outer Rim at the Contemporary. Large screen TV's and the only lounge on the monorail open during the day. Nice view of Bay Lake, and friendly bartenders.

Territory Lounge at WL. Friendly barstaff, nice atmosphere... and you can get your drink in a "to go" glass and explore the resort.

Banana Cabana at the Caribbean Beach. Open air pool bar, great drinks, nice bartenders.

River Roost at PO-R. Nice large lounge which boasts of Bob the piano player many nights. His act is great, and the castmembers are all very nice.

Cantina San Angel at Epcot. Outdoor seating overlooking the World Showcase lake. The margaritas are great, and can sneak up on you. They also serve Dos Equis on draught.

Matsu No Ma Lounge in the Japanese Pavillion in Epcot. Sake, plum wine and anything else you desire. Good sushi and appetizers, with a great view of the World Showcase and Spaceship Earth.

The Lounge right next to 50's Primetime is alot of fun, and the drinks are good. They closed our favorite lounge in MGM when they opened the Bear in the Big Blue House show (now Playhouse Disney)--- the Catwalk Bar was the BEST! Quiet, secluded, out of the sun on those very hot afternoons... and the beer selection was out of this world! I hope that someday they will move Playhouse Disney and give us back our little retreat!

Dawa Bar at AK is GREAT! We love to sit and people watch, see the African dancers and musicians while enjoying a nice cold one. We have met the most interesting people while doing this!

Congrats on your aniversary, and have a great time!

 

[rejobako]

Originally posted by eeyore0062
Tambu Lounge in the Poly. Small, but the CM's are great, and the drinks are delicious (watch out... they sneak up on you!)

I second this wholeheartedly. Whenever we go to Disney, my wife and I always make time to go to the Polynesian and hang out at this bar; we gets seats by the lobby in the comfortable wicker chairs so we can people-watch, and order some of the frou-frou tropical drinks. I'm usually not into the fruity drinks, but there's something ultra cool about getting a drink served in a real hollowed-out coconut shell or in some other frightfully garish presentation. This is always a great place to meet and mingle, and if you're there in the evening you can even walk outside and check out the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom.

(My only complaint is that they used to serve all of their tropical drinks with a very high quality glass swizzle stick that you could take home; apparently they've discontinued this little perk.)

We also like the bar at the Rainforest; great bloody marys, and you sit on these stools shaped like animal legs, so from a distance you might look like a funny-looking flamingo or something.

Rose and Crown is nice, especially if you like English beer on tap; I always have one too many black and tans in there, which is why we always go around the world starting from the other direction, and also why I always hand my wife the car keys before we leave.

 

[turbodisney]

The pub at the Rose and Crown is my favorite... I love the English beers on tap...just can't find Bass Ale on tap here in NC..

 

[Laura's Dad]

I would have to second the River Roost at PO-Riverside. We have stayed at either PO-Riverside (Dixie Landings to us) or PO-French Quarter 6 or 7 times and love Bob's show. You can order appetizers from the bar and/or get them from the food court and bring them into the lounge. We plan our trips around at least one night thre. We were part of the e-mail campaign to "Get Bob Back" after the partial closure of PO during the post-9/11 slow down. He show is a "must do" for us every time we go to WDW.

 

[Eeyore2U]

ESPN Club
Adventurer's Club
Territory Lounge
Jelly Rolls

 

[RussH]

Wow finally a subject I might be able to help with. eeyore0062 has a great list and knows about Catwalk which can still be found open but only on late night holiday weeks.

My take on the on property bars is this. The most conversations I have ever had with other guests are at Catwalk (sniffle sniffle) and Tune-In lounge. Tune-In is the unofficial waiting area for 50'sPT so people will come in a little early and then have a drink before their PS.
Best place is over on the far left by the mirrors not as much movement with a quick back way to the restrooms. They have a decent snack/app menu I like the Smoked Trout Dip.
Another great place to hang out is over in AK at Dawa. Nice thing is this is a half day park so a little after noon what better to do then have a drink special (change almost daily) on a you pick the style bar stool.
The last thing I would recommend is do the Pool Bar Tour. Pick a resort to start at use WDW transportation and have the special. Then jump back on the bus or Monorail and off we go to the next on the list. This uses up most of a afternoon you get to see potential future stays and get nice spacing of the drinks.

Lastly if I read correctly you will be there in 3 weeks drop by Tune-In most afternoons 15-19th and say hello. Hawaiian shirts Hat band made of Disney watches. (POC and Roger/Jessica)
RussH

 

[Uncleromulus]

First--add me to the "missing the Catwalk" crowd.

All of my favorite spots have been mentioned--except the Crew's Cup lounge at Yacht Club resort. Excellent beer selection, and good appetizer menu as well.

I like Mizner's over the Grand Floridian also. But it seems a bit more subdued than all these other spots, and the beer list is prety sad. But it is relaxing to sit and listen to the band, which plays just outside the lounge.

 

[eeyore0062]

(My only complaint is that they used to serve all of their tropical drinks with a very high quality glass swizzle stick that you could take home; apparently they've discontinued this little perk.)

I miss those, too--- they haven't had them in quite a while--- we got ours in 1993 and had collected all of them, but some got broken when we moved the last time. When we went down in 1998 we asked and were told that they had run out, and weren't sure when or if they would get them back. So far, they haven't had them in 2000, 2001, 2002 or 2003..... I keep asking, though! For those who are interested, they sell them now at the Mexican Pavillion, and they have them with tropical birds and fish. We stocked up, and have about 20 in all... all different!!!

 

[barbeml]

We make it a point to hang out at the Rose & Crown pub a few times each trip, and we often meet some Brits. Last time, we sat next to a family of 8 from England who expressed amazement at how authentic the pub was. When they balked at the prices, my DH reminded them that they were drinking imports!

Also, another thumbs up for the Tambu lounge. We stayed at the Poly for a week last year and the Tambu became an afternoon "break from the parks" ritual for us. Try a Backscratcher if you want a souvernir--it comes with a full-size bamboo backscratcher! And the drink is great too! One thing we loved about the bartenders at the Tambu--the drinks were consistently strong.

Enjoy!

 

[emmrut]

Definitely don't miss the Advernturer's Club at Pleasure Island!

 

[Harryo]

Aaahhh, I can taste my scorpion bowl now at the Tambu lounge. I'll be there in two weeks. can't wait.

 

[natcam1996]

Rose & Crown is great. Went to Big River Grille & Brewery atBoardwalk a couple of times last year and it could become a regular stop. Good draft brews made onsite (had a killer stout there) and decent pub grub with some more upscale items.

 

[laurens mom]

Here are my choices for the Best Resort Lounges:

California Grill Lounge - The Contemporary Resort’s 15th-floor lounge with unrivaled views of the Magic Kingdom and the Seven Seas Lagoon, great for cocktails, sushi, and a view of the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks display.

The Outer Rim- Yet another lounge in the Contemporary with stellar views of the sunset over Bay Lake.

Mizner’s Lounge- Second-story lobby lounge at the Grand Floridian overlooking the pristine grounds of this one-of-a-kind hotel.

The Grand Floridian’s Lobby Lounge- Sip on cocktails in the magnificent lobby of the Grand Floridian to the sounds of a big band orchestra or live piano music.

Tambu Lounge- Order a tropical drink here at the Polynesian Resort’s Great Ceremonial House amid lush foliage and views of the Seven Seas Lagoon.

Territory Lounge- Rustic lounge in the Wilderness Lodge.

Top of the Palace Lounge - High atop the Wyndham Palace Resort near Downtown Disney is this sophisticated bar with the best views around.

 

[Halle]

Another vote for the Crew Cup Lounge at the Yacht Club. Not only can you get appetizers but also burgers ( 11.95) with fries. Well worth the $$$!! Great place to relax.

 

[Queeni512]

It seems like we are going to have to start some kind of bar tour!! It would be so much fun to get a group together (those vacationing at the same time and/or locals) and do a bar hopping tour!! Any takers??

Unfortunately, we have never been there when the Catwalk Bar has been open. Even though we are member of Disney's Dining Experience, we have missed out on all of the Valentine's Dinners in MGM which involve a cocktail hour in the Catwalk........work has always gotten in the way--RATS, RATS!! Maybe 2004 will be a different story!

Some of our favorites:

#1--this is first place--The Adventurer's Club in Pleasure Island. We can spend an entire evening here laughing hysterically!!

Now the rest--we usually bring a few decks of cards and play rummy. I'm thinking cards would be more fun with at least two more people, but this is one of the ways we pass at least one lounge-hopping evening!!

We are big fans of the Bellevue Room at the Boardwalk Resort. Excellent theming and we love to get a little table by one of the old-time radios along the bookshelf wall. They come on from time to time and are really interesting to listen to!!

We also enjoy Mizner's Lounge in the Grand Floridian. It's nice to be able to smoke a cigar while playing cards!! It is extremely well ventilated in this lounge--so even when we choose not to smoke cigars, we are rarely bothered by other's smoke. (We are not cigarette smokers, but occassionally enjoy a good cigar!)

Martha's Vineyard at the Beach Club!! Although our favorite bartender on property (David--we miss you!!) has transferred from MV to the Pool Bar by Stormalong Bay, we still enjoy the wine flights or a bottle of White Star here.

The Lounge in the California Grill provides a beautiful view of the fireworks at MK. It also has a great wine list and is a really intimate place to share an appetizer or an entree. We usually start here and work our way around the lounges on the monorail route.

The Tambu Lounge has an excellent drink which comes in a hollowed out pineapple! It is really potent, but very tasty!

If I am actually in the mood NOT to have an adult beverage (if I am really tired or ill, then I really enjoy tea at the Victoria Falls Lounge in the AKL.

The Tune In Lounge in MGM has great drinks and really good appetizers!! Not to mention an excellent atmosphere!

If in Epcot, A stop at the Rose & Crown Pub is always a must. Tennants on draft--whoo-hooo!! Down one and take another outside to watch Illuminations!! We are still trying to finally decide on a date to "Drink Our Way Around The World" at Epcot. I have a rather light tolerance (I really only seem to drink on vacation--odd how that works out), so I am still trying to get up the courage to actually do this! He (my Max) is 6'4 and about 200 lbs., so he really has an advantage with little chance of a hangover!! Eleven countries and the African Outpost = 12 drinks....a very danting task indeed!!

If you are into a 'Bellini' (fresh squeezed peach juice with champagne), then the bar at Narcoossee's is for you!!

Territory Lounge at the Wilderness Lodge has some cool Hidden Mickeys and a really cool-looking 'hand-carved' bar!!

As usual, I got carried away and was actually able to pretend I was in WDW for a minute. Good luck on your trip and enjoy!!

Kim

 

[rcyannacci]

A WDW bar tour...RussH, what a brilliant person you must be! Why have I never tried this? Starting to imagine the possibilities... A monorail tour...A Boardwalk, Beach Club, Epcot tour...

We are also partial to the Rose and Crown and find it hard to pass by without stopping for a Harp for myself and a Guinness for my husband. It reminds us of our trip to England.

On the other side of the lagoon, it is also hard to pass up the margaritas in Mexico (although now that we live in Austin, we see these on a regular basis.)