Trader Sam's with kids

[punkin712]

Or Europe where it is very commonplace as well

Really? We spend every summer in Spain/Italy and I've never seen children in any of the bars. I take that back...a few years ago, we saw a large family from Ohio with children ranging in age from toddler to high school that had completely taken over the lobby bar of a 5-star hotel in Rome. They were extremely loud and boisterous and the kids were running wild. The family wasn't even patronizing the bar - they were all just hanging out and playing cards in their pajamas. Not a very pleasant experience.

That being said, I have seen children (albeit infrequently) at bars/lounges in Disney and they generally have been well-behaved. My only gripe is when DH and I can't find seats at the bar because they are occupied by several children who aren't drinking (non-alcoholic beverages, of course). The Tune-In Lounge is a prime example of this. The waiting area for 50's PTC spills over to the bar and that generally means children occupying several bar stools while they are waiting to be seated in the restaurant. I personally think seats that are physically located at the bar should be reserved for adults of legal drinking age. But, since the Florida law allows children to sit at a bar (as long as they are accompanied by a parent or guardian), it doesn't really matter what I think. I'll just have to be quicker to pounce when a bar seat opens up and I'm competing with a more agile 8-year old for it!

 

[Colleen27]

The real issue with Trader Sam's, IMO, is how tiny the main room is. I have no idea how big the patio area is as we didn't go there. We went in right at 4pm and got seated. My bedroom is larger than the entirety of the bar/lounge. There are servers constantly walking around with drinks and whatnot, doing the shtick that goes along with certain orders. Be aware if you go, whether you bring kids or its just adults, plan to be seated and remain seated. There is no room for kids or adults to be up and running around or even wandering to look at stuff...at least not inside.

That's the main reason I wouldn't take my kids (9, 16, 19) there - not because I think they shouldn't be there, but because the place is so small and I know they'd want to be moving around to get a better look at the effects. I'm pretty comfortable with taking my kids to bars if the food happens to be good, and there are lounges at WDW where we've had nice meals (Territory Lounge @ Artist Point comes to mind), but Trader Sams is so tiny and so popular that I don't think it is as well suited for a light family dinner. At least not inside. The patio is lovely and not nearly as crowded, and I wouldn't think twice about stopping in there with the kids for "small plates" and drinks.

 

[Farro]

Yes, Disney deems it is ok for kids to hang out in bars. Yes, Trader Sam's is a bar. I would not have taken my kids there when they were young as they would have been bored and it would have been a waste of money. I will not go now because as an adult on an adult only trip I don't want to hang out with children at a bar even if they are behaving.

We went to Trader Sam's at Disney World once around 5:30 one day. About half of the seats were taken up by kids horsing around and the only open table was next to a baby screaming in a high chair. If I am paying those prices for a drink I don't want it to come with that kind of atmosphere. We looked around and walked back out without spending a dime.

We went to Trader Sam's at DL previously and it was all adults. Much more pleasant experience and we spent quite a bit of money.

I think it would be great if Disney had a few adult only places, but as they own the place they can do what they want.

Totally agree. 100%.

 

[NotBaroque]

The show elements are exclusively triggered by the ordering of alcoholic beverages. This is going to make ordering alcohol seem like a fun activity in which junior is not allowed to fully participate. Suggesting that this kind of glorification of alcohol isn't a great influence on kids is a far cry from suggesting we keep alcohol a secret from kids. (Though I know my argument is somewhat non-unique in the US as american Beer commercials do a great job of teaching kids that alcohol is a sexy party time that they should be excited to join as soon as possible.)

That said, I'm really curious why someone would want to bring kids to a bar, mostly because I simply cannot think of an answer that is healthy or even not completely entitled and self-centered. For me, this hearkens back to the outrage when V+A implented their age restriction policy. Why does everything need to be for every person? If I make the choice to not bring slacks or a jacket with me on vacation, then I'm doing that with the knowledge that there are restaurants I won't be able to visit until the next vacation. If you make the choice to have a child, it seems that there are some activities you'll not be able to participate in for about 18 years' worth of vacations. If I roll my eyes and act annoyed with your parenting choices, it's because I'm pretty sure I put more thought into whether to bring a suit with me on my trip than you put into choosing whether or not to pop out a kid.

"Childfree" people are always such a trip.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Yes, Disney deems it is ok for kids to hang out in bars. Yes, Trader Sam's is a bar. I would not have taken my kids there when they were young as they would have been bored and it would have been a waste of money. I will not go now because as an adult on an adult only trip I don't want to hang out with children at a bar even if they are behaving.

We went to Trader Sam's at Disney World once around 5:30 one day. About half of the seats were taken up by kids horsing around and the only open table was next to a baby screaming in a high chair. If I am paying those prices for a drink I don't want it to come with that kind of atmosphere. We looked around and walked back out without spending a dime.

We went to Trader Sam's at DL previously and it was all adults. Much more pleasant experience and we spent quite a bit of money.

I think it would be great if Disney had a few adult only places, but as they own the place they can do what they want.

Trader Sam's in DL isn't adult-only. Children are allowed up until 8 pm just like WDW. I took DS there when he was 5. We had a lovely time.

My DS9 has been to Trader Sam's 3 times. We have a tradition of doing our own "monorail crawl" and Trader Sam's is always the first stop (at Christmas, we then go to GF for gingerbread, CR to see their display, etc.). We always arrive at opening (usually around 3:45 pm to ensure we get in with the first wave of people). They have delicious $4.99 mocktails (I don't really drink, and don't drink at all when I'm traveling alone with DS) and we watch the antics and effects as others order the drinks that activate the effects. We usually share an app. We've sat at the smaller tables in the lounge, but last time sat at the communal table in the center of the room. No one gave us any type of side-eye. In fact, the ladies we sat with were quite nice. I've also never seen any children running around any WDW lounge. We will be back on our upcoming December trip!

 

[Farro]

"Childfree" people are always such a trip.

I wonder what that means. Nothing insulting, I'm sure.

 

[MisplacedUnderwear]

"Childfree" people are always such a trip.

Uh...not having kids is the default setting. You're aware that you have to do something to get children, right?

 

[TinkLoverSam]

Uh...not having kids is the default setting. You're aware that you have to do something to get children, right? Entitled parents are such a trip.

And you spang fully formed as an adult?

 

[MisplacedUnderwear]

And you spang fully formed as an adult?

This sums up how I feel about the whole thread. People misread what I wrote, type something random and unrelated, and then collectively pat each other on the back for telling off the childless heathen. Go back and re-read what I wrote. What you wrote makes no sense.

 

[chelezookie]

I really don't want to further feed the troll, but @MisplacedUnderwear would you be just as offended if I "neglectfully" brought my child to the Tiki Terrace outside of Trader Sam's? Or is it just the inside of the actual bar that peeves you so badly?

 

[Pumbaa_]

Wow, just wow

This one is done.