Trader Sam's Grog Grotto

Like the Jungle Cruise, the crew members at the Grog Grotto are trained to give you a theatrical, goofy, fun experience. Some drink orders trigger special effects around the room (order a Polynesian Pearl and watch your bartender retrieve your pearl from a large clamshell), and several drinks are served in souvenir mugs. The decor is a mix of tiki and nautical, with some nods to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and also includes pieces left over from the old Adventurer's Club that used to be part of Downtown Disney in Orlando. The menu is limited, with several small plates. There is also outdoor seating at the adjacent, relatively lightly-themed Tiki Terrace.

The Grog Grotto was added as part of a big refresh of the Polynesian Village Resort in 2015.

Children are welcome at the Grog Grotto during the day, but after 8pm it is only open to those 21 and older.

Comments

EdOConnor

EdOConnor has visited Trader Sam's Grog Grotto.

February 13, 2019, 2:16 PM

Small but wonderfully decorated place. You really want to come here for the Polynesian Resort and this wonderful if small* cocktail lounge. (*51 people max occupacy inside the bar, with a much larger open deck area outside. You will likely need to wait 15-45 minutes to get inside.)

Too bad the cocktails, in my opinion, do not meet the same level of quality. The drink menu is somewhat limited to a list of (very) sweet cocktails. This is a tourist bar, after all, and (again, in my opinion), not first and foremost a bar for cocktail enthusiasts or tiki purists. The Mai Tai you make at home to your preferences is virtually certain to be better than the Hippopota-Mai-Tai at Trader Sam's, and it will probably be balanced and not cloying.

The bar is staffed by Disney "cast members", and they add some theatrics to the service. For example, for different drinks, the cast members all shout out or whoop/chant in unison, things like "TWO SHOTS OF RUM!!", which is done in that forced/half-hearted way that serving staff sing happy birthday to guests at chain restaurants.

There are also other staged events or occurances which occur at the bar, which I won't spoil for you. This adds a bit of spice/commotion and (perhaps) interest for the customers inside the bar, but it gets repetitive enough that I wonder if it's also not a device to discourage customers from overstaying in the limited seating indoors.

The customers drinking at this bar are tourists, which is to be expected. While the decor is impressive, and you *should* go, there is not as much a tiki-revival at Trader Sam's as a nautical piratey vibe which perhaps loosely (but not overtly) connects some of the films and stories of the Disney canon.

Okay, so I wasn't too nice in this review and probably come off as a tiki snob. But hey, I'm a tiki nut and you probably are too. Did I have fun? YES! Should you come to Trader Sam's? Absolutely, I'm delighted I went!! Just know that you're there for the decor and experience, and do not expect true (or even interesting riffs on) classic tiki libations.

BK Tiki

BK Tiki has visited Trader Sam's Grog Grotto.

February 3, 2019, 9:22 AM

If you�re planning on coming here plan on spending some time at the property. No reservations and you have to put your name on the list and wait for a time to be called. Good news is that the terrace serves the same
Drinks as well as the mugs while you wait.
It�s also a great place to watch the fireworks! Once inside head to the bar for the full experience.

Raider273

January 16, 2019, 11:59 PM

Spent the week of January 10, 2019, at the Polynesian. While you have to embrace the fact that the hotel and bar are part and parcel of the Disney experience, you really can't go wrong with a hotel that has both a Dole Whip stand and a tiki bar! As for Trader Sam's Grog Grotto, visted several times and had a great time. Agree with other reviewers that the layout is less intimate than Anaheim and that a little something is lot in the process. Drinks were solid, d�cor was amazing; escapism at its near best. Enjoy.

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