Tell me about Trader Sams

[Mintycake]

Thinking about grabbing a drink at Trader Sams at the Poly either before or after our 5:45pm Kona Cafe dinner reservation. Are the waits long to get in? Is it really loud? I saw a video on youtube and it looks really noisy (lots of antics from the bar staff). We just want somewhere mellow to grab a drink. TIA!

 

[rwdavis2]

There is an outside patio too. Although I have not seen anything lately, you used to have to get there about 30 minutes prior to opening (4pm) to get in when it opened. The specialty drink menu has no prices and if you get the souvenier glass with some of them they are expensive. One 2 person drink is $80 (I think) so ask before you order.

I've only been to the one in Disneyland but it was not a quiet place for a drink.

 

[Barbydoll8]

It can be VERY noisey so if you are sensative to that, you may want to rethink it.
It's fun and kitchy but it is NOT mellow. It's crazy and there can be yelling of the servers and the room has special effects that are triggered by what drink is ordered. Kind of like a contiuous yet spontainous show. It's very interactive but very small inside.

If you are going during the week, your wait may not be that long. I've seen up to 2 hour wait times on the weekend evenings however. Yes you can wait out on the patio but it's not the same experience.
The drinks can be very pricey and lots of them come with a suvineer glass. You can ask for the drink w/o the glass and sometimes they will accomodate at a lower price but not all drinks are available this way.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I know others love it, but....

To me it felt (and smelled) like a college bar hangout with people my age trying to act cool.

It was not "mellow" at all, but I also didn't find it fun

 

[gaj31869]

I was there on Wednesday, June 1 from about 5:45 to 7:00, and there was no wait to get in during that time. I really enjoyed the drinks and the atmosphere, but as others have said, it was definitely not mellow.

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

I know others love it, but....

To me it felt (and smelled) like a college bar hangout with people my age trying to act cool.

It was not "mellow" at all, but I also didn't find it fun

Small, crowded, loud, expensive. The hype to get in is ridiculous. It's only hyped because it's small...but small does not mean exclusive or special.

 

[DisneyHardin]

Definitely not mellow. We went last November after our 'Ohana dinner, it was probably 9:30 or so when we got there and we got right in with no wait. It is fun. There is tons of cool stuff on the walls and the staff is very high energy. The drinks are pricey. We got one souvenir cup drink and 2 beers and our bill was about $40.

 

[nco91590]

We went last Feb and were kinda underwhelmed by the vibe. I felt like the bartenders were phoning it in and weren't really into it. I'm glad I went to experience it, but might be a one and done type of place for us.

 

[sotoalf]

I find the idea of standing in line to grab a drink in a bar ridiculous, but if it's ever manageable I'll give it a try.

 

[Epcot242]

If you're looking for a bar to just chill at, they have a patio, as others have said. It's definitely more of an experience than just a regular bar. I personally thought it was just the right amount of zany, as they don't really do a lot of stuff that requires participation (at least when I was there). Theme was great and decorations were awesome. Maybe poke your head in and see what you think?

 

[dmaxphil]

It was a great thing to do once.

 

[AmberK24]

I agree with nearly everyone above....It's much more of an attraction than a quite mellow place. While I love it & have had a great time at the Trader Sam's on both coasts, it not a relaxing end to your evening, and it a little pricy. The patio outside sounds like it may be much more what you are looking for with the tiki lamps and often have live music that is closer to the calming Poly vibe than the volcanos erupting and sirens going off indoors.

Enjoy!! Both really are great options, but for different reasons!

 

[mkla2015]

We had a blast at Trader Sam's in March. We went on a Saturday night around 530ish and had about a 15-20 minute wait- we just wandered around the Poly. Inside is pretty loud with lots of things going on so not mellow at all. The drinks were good and we had a couple of apps. I think it's a fun atmosphere and it's something to experience at least once.

 

[iloveeeyore]

If you want a kind of mellow experience at the Poly, we love Tambu near 'Ohana. There are some quieter tables in the back away from the bar. We LOVE Tambu, and look forward to experiencing Trader Sam's next month!

 

[Mintycake]

Thank you, the Tambu souns much more our style! But I may pop my head into Trader Sams just for fun

 

[Tigger's ally]

Thinking about grabbing a drink at Trader Sams at the Poly either before or after our 5:45pm Kona Cafe dinner reservation. Are the waits long to get in? Is it really loud? I saw a video on youtube and it looks really noisy (lots of antics from the bar staff). We just want somewhere mellow to grab a drink. TIA!

Have you ever been Mellow.....
Have you ever tried.....

If you want mellow, go to the Territory Lounge in the Wilderness Lodge. As mellow as it gets at DW.

 

[LadyGrimm]

Small, crowded, loud, expensive. The hype to get in is ridiculous. It's only hyped because it's small...but small does not mean exclusive or special.

OH. MY. GOD. IT'S SHIRIKI UTUNDU!!! Sorry, I just literally got so excited by your name/avatar. One of the best memories of our Tokyo Disney trip was getting on ToT with a crowd of rowdy teenage boys and my husband waiting for juuuust the right moment of quiet to scream "AHHHH! SHIRIKI UTUNDU!" to become a hero to them. Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

 

[conandrob240]

Do they just have a regular menu? Like the normal $6-7 beers and $8-10 glasses of wine? Or only the expensive speciality drinks?

 

[AmberK24]

Yes. They are a full bar.

 

[raddisneyfan]

As pp has mentioned, if you want a quieter experience, take the drink outside to the patio--it's great out there. Was there in May and it was very quiet--I think people at just one other table--lovely spot on the water with the piped in music.