Post #742489 by AceExplorer on Thu, May 7, 2015 7:34 AM

On 2015-05-06 19:15, mmaurice wrote:
I have been here for a week and have had several (or more) drinks every night.

1. They won't tell you what's in the Grog
2. They use BG Reynolds syrups
3. They don't squeeze their juices but do use "fresh" squeezed.
4. The rum selection is pretty weak
5. The bar/wait staff know nothing beyond the drinks on the menu or anything about tiki
6. IMO the outside patio with the live entertainment is better than inside and it does have a great view of the evening fireworks
7. Inside they only let people in for the number of seats they have, no standing room. Once you get in, its all communal, meaning, I waited all this time to have to find my own seats, hopefully there are a couple together.

Hi, mmaurice, I have several slightly different thoughts on your comments, and definitely appreciate your perspective. I hope you don't mind me sharing some of my take on your observations.

1. Secret grog recipe: Their recipes are proprietary, and they paid consultants a lot to develop their drinks, so I'm not surprised that the Grog contents are kept secret. But if we give them some time, we may see that similar to Trader Sam's West with their holiday recipes (Red Nosed Zebra etc.) they may come to release some specialty recipes from Trader Sam's East but likely not any of their mainstay drinks. Watch for Hurricane Hayward to potentially share some tribute recipes with us in the future. Until then, just enjoy the grog when you're there.

2. Use of BG Reynolds syrups - I don't think you're complaining about that decision, as BG Reynolds is a good thing in the eyes of many. Thank the tiki gods that they are not using Finest Call or some other mass-produced products! (If they are, then I'm not sure I want to know... heh!)

3. Use of "fresh juices:" That's a good observation. Sam's is a high-volume operation and likely they don't have the time or the room to squeeze their juices on-the-spot. I think someone else posted here that they have their centralized kitchen/food prep facility squeezing juices for them. This is still better than you get at many of the bars around Disney, so this is not a negative to me even through fresh on-the-spot would be better.

4. Weak rum selection: They are using some very good, but not all top-shelf, rums. Their rum selection is certainly much better than at most of the bars around Disney, and this is unfortunately lost on perhaps 95+ percent of their customers. They seem to have hit the sweet spot they were aiming for. I think your observation is a broad generalization if you look at what they pour. I would definitely give them much more credit for what they are doing.

5. Bar and wait staff: I keep reminding myself that they are all working partly as entertainers in a resort bar. It may help to partially re-adjust your perspective on that basis. I know I have previously pointed out that Trader Sam's East is a resort bar. I really do try to be careful and take that into account when formulating my opinions. There is some good and some bad, but overall it's really great and fun, and I think you recognize that.

6. Inside vs Outside: Here I think it's very important to recognize that the patio is very mellow and relaxed, and the focus is on relaxing entertainment and the views which are really nice. Then we must recognize that the inside is comparatively very loud and high-energy and intended to be very entertaining. To me this is a really obvious observation when I'm there, kind of "night and day" really. I tell friends that I would take a conversational date or group of friends to the patio. And I would take my buddies and/or more "crazy" friends inside. But that's just me - I think that I differentiate pretty well between the two environments and what they present to their guests. They are two completely different experiences. (Watch the night-time fireworks from the patio to the LEFT of the entertainment, and sit along the rail or one table row inside!)

7. Indoor seating limit: I think this is actually an AWESOME aspect of Trader Sam's East and the experience in this place is really enhanced by this policy. Also, don't overlook that the communal seating offers quite a bit more mixing-and-mingling with other folks who are also looking to have fun and talk. But if you want to be seated at a certain table or spot in the bar, you can also walk up to people and politely ask them to notify you when they plan on leaving. The wait staff has also been willing to help with this if you ask them - they know when final bar tabs are prepared and can give you a heads-up if you have a favorite seating location which may be coming available. (Tip appropriately if they help you out.) I give Sam's East much higher marks than Sam's West for the "mixing-and-mingling" factor. I place a very high value on this aspect of the bar since I was a frequent visitor to the old "Big Bamboo Lounge" in Kissimmee which ranked very high in my guest mixing/mingling of all the bars I have ever been to in my life. (http://www.BigBambooLounge.com - the venue closed years ago due to hurricane damage, but their web site is still up and maintained by their die-hard webmaster for the cadre of die-hard fans. There are some threads here on TC about the 'Boo as well. Similar to Sam's grog, they also had a very-secret "Swamp Water" cocktail. This venue was visited by a number of Imagineers and Disney artists over the years when WDW was being constructed, and to a small extent seems to have influenced some of what we came to see in the Adventurers Club and both Trader Sam's locations.)

I know I may see a few things differently from you, but I hope you and others will find my comments and my perspective helpful. I tried to include a few small hints which can make your Sam's visit more special and more fun.

Cheers!