Trader Sam's - Orlando - General Tiki

HH Hurricane Hayward Grand Member (1 year) 16 miles from The Mai-Kai Joined: Jun 07, 2008 Posts: 1868	HH Hurricane Hayward Posted posted on Tue, Apr 7, 2015 12:58 PM Just a few photos and notes now. Full review coming later. I was there last Tuesday for the media event for the opening of the villas and bungalows, so I got a full tour of the DVC rooms plus Trader Sam's. Check the main Polynesian thread for some photos and notes from my DVC and resort-wide observations: http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=5863&forum=2&start=165 It was nice to run into kkocka, though sadly we didn't have the opportunity to share a Nautilus or Uh-Oa! I just jumped back on here and haven't read his in-depth review yet, but I'll probably chime in with any replies later. I need to finish my big-picture stories for my newspaper and blog, then come back later for a story specifically about the Grog Grotto. I also want to give it time to work out the bugs since it's still technically in soft opening phase for a few more weeks at least. I also need to sample many more drinks and food to offer a fair review. I don't like to review any establishment until I've visited multiple times and given everything a fair shake. I'll be going back in early May and will stop by on multiple nights. If anyone plans to be in the area then, perhaps you'll help me with the Nautilus and Uh-Oa! I can, however, give you some initial reactions. Just please don't consider any of this my "review." As part of the media horde, I was among those who got a private tour during the afternoon. Beverage manager Jason Cha-Kim and chef James Kleinschmidt gave us their spiels and a sample Uh-Oa! (including the effects). Honestly, I was surprised that this drink was better than I expected. I had heard poor reviews, but I tasted a nicely balanced sample with lots of falernum. Cha-Kim made a point of mentioning the falernum in this and other cocktails. The B.G. Reynolds syrups do make a big difference. Cinnamon and orgeat are also are prominent in some others. Cha-Kim also confirmed that after the grand opening, they will no longer use any Disneyland mugs. "Some are similar, some are different," he said. As for the grand opening date, he said they're shooting for late April. He also mentioned that there are around "1,200 artifacts" on the walls and behind the bar that are unique to the Grog Grotto. One other detail he mentioned that I'm not sure I've heard before is the time frame of the back story. While the Disneyland bar is set in the late '30s, "here you're in the '60s," he said. Mrs. Hurricane and I returned in the evening and first hit the Tiki Terrace while we waited for our seating. It was around 2 hours to wait, but we were happy to hang out on the patio and watch the fireworks. I'd say this experience exceeded expectations. Our server was great, the background music was perfect, and the Polynesian musician was very good. My first drink was a Shrunken Zombie Head, while Mrs. Hurricane had the Polynesian Pearl. Both ended up being our favorites of the entire night. She got another one inside later, and as probably stated above the plastic cups are gratis. I also bought the Zombie mug, and as far as I know all the mugs were available that day except for the Nautilus. The Zombie was a little unbalanced, but it was quite strong so I didn't mind. Considering the rums used (Goslings 151, Appleton Estate Reserve, Bacardi 8 ) this may end up being my go-to drink. The Pearl is definitely a "girly" drink, but it has some distinctive exotic flavors that I liked, including the aforementioned cinnamon. It reminded me just a bit of The Mai-Kai's Moonkist Coconut. Creamy and exotic, but not cloyingly sweet. We also had some food, which was not as big a hit. Both the sliders and tacos were a little bready, but I would definitely give them another chance and perhaps go heavier on the sauce. Overall, I give the Tiki Terrace excellent initial marks. It's a great place to chill and still experience the same food and drinks while avoiding the lines and hubbub inside. We got into the Grog Grotto around 10 and stayed for around 90 minutes. I like the fact that there's no standing room and that everyone can have a seat and enjoy the experience. I won't speak to the "performance" of the cast members yet, since that's one area I'd especially like to give them time to sort out. But certainly that's one thing that can be improved. They all seemed to be pretty young and enthusiastic, which is both good and bad. But they're also just following a script that's been given to them, and the place was open for only three days when I got there, so I won't be overly critical. More annoying to me, actually, were the "performances" by the fanboys in the crowd. They seemed to be playing along and shouting over the cast members during every gag, as if this were the Rocky Horror Picture Show. I'm assuming this will (hopefully) die down once the opening frenzy has worn off. Of course, the decor and special effects are top-notch, everything that I expected and more. The place was full of fanboys, so lots of drinks were being ordered and I think I got to experience all the "magic." The Uh-Oa! and Nautilus are the show-stoppers, but some of the others are pretty good. The drinks I had inside were not as impressive as the Zombie. The Krakatoa Punch was a disappointment .... too sweet and not enough punch from the rum (great effects though). The HippopotoMai-Tai was better than I expected, easily the top Mai Tai at Disney World. The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Rum was pretty much as expected, a Painkiller lite. I went home with the Krakatoa mug and later picked up an aloha shirt and limited-edition pin in the gift shop. I tried a couple more food items: the dumplings, which were somewhat disappointing; and the sausages, which were quiet hearty though not particularly memorable. The chef told us earlier that all the food is prepped upstairs in the main kitchen, but it's fired to order in a small kitchen behind the bar. Hayward's got a sinking feeling about this place: My honest advice to people would be to go in with an open mind, but know what you're getting into. If you're expecting a quiet and relaxing Tiki bar, the Grog Grotto ain't it. Spend most of your time on the Tiki Terrace, then hit the inside for a late nightcap. If you're there for a rowdy good time, dive right into the Grog Grotto. The food and drinks are mixed, so far, but I still have a lot more menu items to try. Definitely looking forward to my May visit. In the meantime, I have quite a few stories and photo galleries to work on. I'll share any appropriate links here and on the main Poly thread. Okole maulua! The Week in Tiki * Mai-Kai Cocktail Guide The official blog of The Hukilau [ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2015-04-07 12:59 ]

Just a few photos and notes now. Full review coming later. I was there last Tuesday for the media event for the opening of the villas and bungalows, so I got a full tour of the DVC rooms plus Trader Sam's. Check the main Polynesian thread for some photos and notes from my DVC and resort-wide observations:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=5863&forum=2&start=165

It was nice to run into kkocka, though sadly we didn't have the opportunity to share a Nautilus or Uh-Oa! I just jumped back on here and haven't read his in-depth review yet, but I'll probably chime in with any replies later. I need to finish my big-picture stories for my newspaper and blog, then come back later for a story specifically about the Grog Grotto. I also want to give it time to work out the bugs since it's still technically in soft opening phase for a few more weeks at least. I also need to sample many more drinks and food to offer a fair review. I don't like to review any establishment until I've visited multiple times and given everything a fair shake.

I'll be going back in early May and will stop by on multiple nights. If anyone plans to be in the area then, perhaps you'll help me with the Nautilus and Uh-Oa! I can, however, give you some initial reactions. Just please don't consider any of this my "review."

As part of the media horde, I was among those who got a private tour during the afternoon. Beverage manager Jason Cha-Kim and chef James Kleinschmidt gave us their spiels and a sample Uh-Oa! (including the effects). Honestly, I was surprised that this drink was better than I expected. I had heard poor reviews, but I tasted a nicely balanced sample with lots of falernum.

Cha-Kim made a point of mentioning the falernum in this and other cocktails. The B.G. Reynolds syrups do make a big difference. Cinnamon and orgeat are also are prominent in some others.

Cha-Kim also confirmed that after the grand opening, they will no longer use any Disneyland mugs. "Some are similar, some are different," he said. As for the grand opening date, he said they're shooting for late April. He also mentioned that there are around "1,200 artifacts" on the walls and behind the bar that are unique to the Grog Grotto.

One other detail he mentioned that I'm not sure I've heard before is the time frame of the back story. While the Disneyland bar is set in the late '30s, "here you're in the '60s," he said.

Mrs. Hurricane and I returned in the evening and first hit the Tiki Terrace while we waited for our seating. It was around 2 hours to wait, but we were happy to hang out on the patio and watch the fireworks. I'd say this experience exceeded expectations. Our server was great, the background music was perfect, and the Polynesian musician was very good.

My first drink was a Shrunken Zombie Head, while Mrs. Hurricane had the Polynesian Pearl. Both ended up being our favorites of the entire night. She got another one inside later, and as probably stated above the plastic cups are gratis. I also bought the Zombie mug, and as far as I know all the mugs were available that day except for the Nautilus. The Zombie was a little unbalanced, but it was quite strong so I didn't mind. Considering the rums used (Goslings 151, Appleton Estate Reserve, Bacardi 8 ) this may end up being my go-to drink. The Pearl is definitely a "girly" drink, but it has some distinctive exotic flavors that I liked, including the aforementioned cinnamon. It reminded me just a bit of The Mai-Kai's Moonkist Coconut. Creamy and exotic, but not cloyingly sweet.

We also had some food, which was not as big a hit. Both the sliders and tacos were a little bready, but I would definitely give them another chance and perhaps go heavier on the sauce. Overall, I give the Tiki Terrace excellent initial marks. It's a great place to chill and still experience the same food and drinks while avoiding the lines and hubbub inside.

We got into the Grog Grotto around 10 and stayed for around 90 minutes. I like the fact that there's no standing room and that everyone can have a seat and enjoy the experience. I won't speak to the "performance" of the cast members yet, since that's one area I'd especially like to give them time to sort out. But certainly that's one thing that can be improved. They all seemed to be pretty young and enthusiastic, which is both good and bad. But they're also just following a script that's been given to them, and the place was open for only three days when I got there, so I won't be overly critical. More annoying to me, actually, were the "performances" by the fanboys in the crowd. They seemed to be playing along and shouting over the cast members during every gag, as if this were the Rocky Horror Picture Show. I'm assuming this will (hopefully) die down once the opening frenzy has worn off.

Of course, the decor and special effects are top-notch, everything that I expected and more. The place was full of fanboys, so lots of drinks were being ordered and I think I got to experience all the "magic." The Uh-Oa! and Nautilus are the show-stoppers, but some of the others are pretty good. The drinks I had inside were not as impressive as the Zombie. The Krakatoa Punch was a disappointment .... too sweet and not enough punch from the rum (great effects though). The HippopotoMai-Tai was better than I expected, easily the top Mai Tai at Disney World. The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Rum was pretty much as expected, a Painkiller lite. I went home with the Krakatoa mug and later picked up an aloha shirt and limited-edition pin in the gift shop. I tried a couple more food items: the dumplings, which were somewhat disappointing; and the sausages, which were quiet hearty though not particularly memorable. The chef told us earlier that all the food is prepped upstairs in the main kitchen, but it's fired to order in a small kitchen behind the bar.

Hayward's got a sinking feeling about this place:

My honest advice to people would be to go in with an open mind, but know what you're getting into. If you're expecting a quiet and relaxing Tiki bar, the Grog Grotto ain't it. Spend most of your time on the Tiki Terrace, then hit the inside for a late nightcap. If you're there for a rowdy good time, dive right into the Grog Grotto. The food and drinks are mixed, so far, but I still have a lot more menu items to try. Definitely looking forward to my May visit. In the meantime, I have quite a few stories and photo galleries to work on. I'll share any appropriate links here and on the main Poly thread.

Okole maulua!

The Week in Tiki * Mai-Kai Cocktail Guide

The official blog of The Hukilau

[ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2015-04-07 12:59 ]

Post #740880 by Hurricane Hayward on Tue, Apr 7, 2015 12:58 PM