Trader Sam's...Tell Me More!

[SA mom]

When are the best times to go. We will be there in mid March.

 

[chiisai]

Scroll down to "specialty cocktails" for drink prices. Some are recommended for two or more.

http://allears.net/dining/menu/trader-sams-grog-grotto/all-day

The kalua pork tacos were really good.

 

[bcrook]

When are the best times to go. We will be there in mid March.

Right when they open. Otherwise you could have a long wait.

 

[Mich123]

We absolutely love TS! I recommend that you go on the early side, but if you don't, it's worth the wait. I like the HippopotoMai-Tai, my husband has enjoyed the Shrunken Zombie Head. We got the souvenir glasses and use them at home when we recreate the drinks. The Mai-Tai glass is a classic glass! We went with a group last November and our server was so much fun, lots of antics. I've also been to TS at DL which is fun and I've had drinks on the patio at the Poly with the same menu. My favorite is TS at the Poly.

Food wise, I'd highly recommend the Salmon Oshizushi. It's so delicious and fresh. We've also had the dumplings and Kalua pork tacos, which were also good. I'd also recommend that you definitely get an appetizer because the drinks are strong.

 

[Moliphino]

Watch you wallet, one drink cost me $30. That did not include the glass. I will stick to TS at DL from now on as this one gave me major sticker shock.

That must have been the Nautilus, which is meant for two people and is the most expensive drink on the menu by about $10. Everything else is comparably priced to the Trader Sam's at Disneyland.

 

[vettegirl]

That must have been the Nautilus, which is meant for two people and is the most expensive drink on the menu by about $10. Everything else is comparably priced to the Trader Sam's at Disneyland.

I wish the waiter had told me that, it was so disgusting to the taste as well. Oh well maybe one day I will return to that location.

 

[peteykirch]

Watch you wallet, one drink cost me $30. That did not include the glass. I will stick to TS at DL from now on as this one gave me major sticker shock.

The only thing on the menu for around $30 is the Nautilus which is $29 and meant for 2 people so 14.50 per person for a cocktail isn't unreasonable.

 

[stlfly]

I plan to visit Trader Sam's at Poly for drinks and apps at the end of Sept. I'm looking for recommendations on what to get for food and beverages. I know they do some special things for some of the drinks. I really want a cool experience. Any tips and suggestions you can give will be greatly appreciated!

I went in March and loved it. It was a Thursday I think and we sat at the bar and got service right away. I think they do something fun for each of their specialty drinks on the menu. It was well worth it and I definitely plan to go back.

 

[ashleymrush]

I was going to go on the night I get there. I'm only there for two days. My flight doesn't get on until 6pm so I wouldn't make it there until 7:30 at the earliest and that'll be on a Saturday. Is it worth it to do that?

 

[tweedletwin]

I wish the waiter had told me that, it was so disgusting to the taste as well. Oh well maybe one day I will return to that location.

It's likely that what you weren't a big fan of was the falernum, which features prominently in a lot of tiki and tropical cocktails. It's generally got notes of almond, allspice, clove, etc. and for people that are new to tiki drinks, it can be a bit of a surprise (especially if you aren't a fan of "spice" flavors). In the future, you'll likely be ok if you avoid drinks that list it as an ingredient. As for myself, I can't get enough, but I'm a big enough fan of tiki cocktails that I've started working on making my own falernum!

Most tiki bartenders are pretty good with recommendations, btw. If you know what you like in a cocktail (citrus, herbal, spice...) they can often steer you towards a drink that will hit the spot.

I was going to go on the night I get there. I'm only there for two days. My flight doesn't get on until 6pm so I wouldn't make it there until 7:30 at the earliest and that'll be on a Saturday. Is it worth it to do that?

On my last trip my husband, sister and I did exactly this and we had a blast. For us it was totally worth it. If you haven't been, and you're a fan of the Enchanted Tiki Room, or find that one of the things you appreciate the most about Disney is attention to detail in theming, I think it's totally worth it. Because it was late on a weekend when we arrived, we waited outside on the patio for space to open up inside the bar. We enjoyed a first drink and a couple of appetizers, as well as the live music. It was a perfect beginning to our vacation, and now it's totally a tradition. Have fun!

 

[Cinderella94]

I couldn't drink my Polynesian Pearl - I think it was the rumchata. Blech. Totally my fault, I didn't even read what was in it because I knew I wanted that souvenir glass . My fiancee got the shrunken zombie head and that was delicious.

 

[Mandylew24]

Watch you wallet, one drink cost me $30. That did not include the glass. I will stick to TS at DL from now on as this one gave me major sticker shock.

Yikes! Thanks for the heads up.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Here's our little tip. If you aren't interested in buying a mug and you're really only there to see the effects, order one of the non-alcoholic drinks. They're 4.99 and plenty of people around you will order the specialty drinks. (We saw 3 Uh-oa's in a 30 minute timespan on Sunday). We had 2 mock tails and an app (which was huge) and the bill was very reasonable. If you can't get there at 4 pm, be prepared to wait. They will put your name on a list and give you a pager so you can wander around Poly (even get a cheaper drink at Tambu!)

 

[alltwelve]

Here's our little tip. If you aren't interested in buying a mug and you're really only there to see the effects, order one of the non-alcoholic drinks. They're 4.99 and plenty of people around you will order the specialty drinks. (We saw 3 Uh-oa's in a 30 minute timespan on Sunday). We had 2 mock tails and an app (which was huge) and the bill was very reasonable. If you can't get there at 4 pm, be prepared to wait. They will put your name on a list and give you a pager so you can wander around Poly (even get a cheaper drink at Tambu!)

This is good advice! We are locals and if someone comes into town for a quick visit, this is our go-to place to take them. We used to order each drink to see what would happen and I remember we once got a HUGE bill! After that, we went on the "DisneyWishes14" route and we now just order a non-alcoholic drink, sit back and watch the show(s) when everyone else gets the Nautilus's, Krakatoa Punches and Uh-Oa's. Its good fun!!!

 

[tzolkin]

I was going to go on the night I get there. I'm only there for two days. My flight doesn't get on until 6pm so I wouldn't make it there until 7:30 at the earliest and that'll be on a Saturday. Is it worth it to do that?

Yes definitely worth it. The first time DH and I went was not too long after it had opened so it was pretty busy. We got there probably around 8 or 8:30 and got a pager. The pager works anywhere around the resort, so we went for a walk, sat on the beach, and watched the light parade (can't remember the name).

I personally do not care for mixed drinks (I don't even like juice because it's too sweet), but we wanted to buy a few drinks to get the souvenir mugs. The food was good and pretty reasonable. They are around $10, so comparable to a QS meal in the parks. We actually wound up returning another day during our trip (early with no wait) to have the pork tacos and a beer for a quick meal before heading to MK.

 

[Farro]

Here's our little tip. If you aren't interested in buying a mug and you're really only there to see the effects, order one of the non-alcoholic drinks. They're 4.99 and plenty of people around you will order the specialty drinks. (We saw 3 Uh-oa's in a 30 minute timespan on Sunday). We had 2 mock tails and an app (which was huge) and the bill was very reasonable. If you can't get there at 4 pm, be prepared to wait. They will put your name on a list and give you a pager so you can wander around Poly (even get a cheaper drink at Tambu!)

We are staying there in October and of course we want to try it. I loathe sugary cocktails, so I'll be the one weirdo ordering a glass of white wine.
Or I'd get a souvenir mug but I'd want a dirty martini in it!

 

[marauder]

We were there last night. We arrived at the outside deck right before the Not-so-very-scary Holloween fireworks and watched them on the outside deck. We then walked right in to the inside bar and there was only 5 people inside. Eventually it got up to about 20 people. The bartenders were even surprised by how slow it was last night. It took awhile but eventually saw all the specialty drink bits. A few of the people there were big fans of the place and come a lot. I can't imagine going there mutilple times because I would think the bits become old after awhile. I know even only being there about an hour and with only a few people I quickly got tired of the "two quick shots." Good for a fun night out. For us, it was a good escape when my parents watched my kids.

 

[PatMcDuck]

Booked a stay at Poly for my 60th Birthday next June, and yes I want to celebrate at Trader Sam's!

 

[Moxiepup]

Is the Spikey Pineapple still only available outside at the Trader Sam's Tiki Terrace? The MDE phone app's menu shows it available inside at Grog Grotto also, but I thought it was only available at the Tiki Terrace.

When we went in April, the bartender said the Spikey Pineapple was only available out on the terrace.

When we went, I had the Hippopoto-mai-tai. It was delicious and fairly strong. We walked in around 7pm, to spend some time before heading to the Luau. There was no line and we had the choice of sitting at a table or at the bar. We chose the bar and were happy to have a front seat to a lot of the antics. The bartenders there are a lot of fun!