Trader Sam's - Orlando

All of Disneyland's original Tiki Garden tikis are going to show up on the patio. AWESOME.

This item dovetails into some of the very recent comments and discussions we've had here. Multiple Disney fan sites are reporting "breaking news" about a new Jungle Cruise restaurant which is may be called "Skipper's Cantina" within the Magic Kingdom. The story appears here on the unofficial WDW News web site:

http://wdwnt.com/blog/2015/03/confirmed-jungle-cruise-themed-skippers-oasis-restaurant-coming-to-the-magic-kingdom/

Note the title in the URL - "Skipper's Oasis" versus "Skipper's Cantina."

I looked on several official Disney press and blog web sites and didn't find this mentioned in of them, so to me this is still a bit unclear as to how "official" it really is. It could just be a very very new report.

I also looked to make sure it's not April Fool's Day yet either, but that's coming up, so beware...

I just left the cast open house of the Polynesian Village, and I think they did a great job with Trader Sam's Grog Grotto, possibly even better than the Enchanted Tiki Bar! Here is what I know (not much is new information, just confirmed):

• It will be open 4pm-midnight, 21+ after 8pm. There will be no reservations, but a host stand will be set up for taking names on a first-come, first-serve basis. Pagers will be given out, so you do not need to wait in a line for a seat to open up.

• Though there has been some rumbling about the design being more nautical vs. tiki, I felt it was predominately tiki with some 20,000 Leagues influences. There was a book case with all the South Pacific literary influences and other tiki references. Tiki mugs and artifacts from other tiki locations were on display behind the bar and around the lounge.

• Uh-Oa is perched above a thatched roof over one of the booths, somewhat inconspicuous. When the Uh-Oa bowl is ordered, the chanting and storm begins. The thatch starts blowing with a wind effect, Uh-Oa's eyes light up, and then the rest of her is illuminated when she says, "Who dares disturb the tiki gods!" She does NOT move and is a static figure.

• The Nautilus has three animated effects when that drink is ordered, but we did not get to see them take place. They involve the diver's mask filled with water, a painting of the nautilus, and the squid tentacle holding a bottle of rum. The Nautilus souvenir bowl will eventually be available to take home (implying it might not be ready to take home when GG opens), and the drink will cost over $50

• There are three animated effects (Krakatoa, Uh-Oa, and Nautilus), and all the drinks get some sort of effect, either a sound effect or a "bartender action." I think the pearl is an example of the latter, where the giant clam shell illuminates and the bartender reaches in to pull out the pearl mug for the drink. The Hippopoto-Mai Tai has a sound effect of a hippo on the roof followed by two gun shots and the bartenders yelling, "Two shots of rum!"

• The souvenir mugs will be distinct to Grog Grotto, although currently the Krakatoa, Uh-Oa, and Zombie mugs are the same as Enchanted Tiki Bar until they get the Grog Grotto order in. The Hippopoto-Mai Tai mug is in (Enchanted Tiki Bar has been waiting for their Hippo mugs for a while). It is a clear mug roughly the same size and shape as the current one, but it has a different face on it.

• There will be a holiday overlay, just like Enchanted Tiki Bar, and the Imagineer said he has been hoping to someday do a Halloween overlay (at this point, it is just a hope).

• And finally, the big news we're all waiting for, Grog Grotto will open sometime this week, but it will depend on when the patio is completed. They are hoping for Thursday. We've already heard this, but they said currently the patio is behind schedule (a test meal on the patio had to be cancelled). The goal is still Thursday.

Thanks, Tiki_Koro, for the report! So the liquor license is not an issue but the patio is. Anyone planning on going Thursday night should call first.

Several things mentioned in your report reminded me of the now-closed Adventurer's Club, hippos on the roof instead of dancing pigeons, and the accompanying sound effects. I did come to hope (expect?) that Uh-Oa would be animated. That could have been one of those cost-cutting things we are all so fond of.......

*On 2015-03-23 14:27, AceExplorer wrote:*I did come to hope (expect?) that Uh-Oa would be animated. That could have been one of those cost-cutting things we are all so fond of...

That definitely would have been over the top! But, I'm 95% sure the reason for an inanimate Uh Oa is that the likelihood if her breaking down and the low priority she would have for somebody to fix her.

On 2015-03-23 13:48, Tiki_Koro wrote:

• The Nautilus...the drink will cost over $50

Yikes. With Barbancourt Pango Rhum, at $50 that sounds steep! I will definitely be getting a bowl (I'll try to pester at opening, but after your report I won't be banking on it) at some point, but not sure the overpriced concotion will be worth the purchase. Any time I try to order an Uh Oa! at Enchanted Tiki Bar at my newbie friends' requests, I get a disapproving headshake from the bartenders and they make something more worth our money.

On 2015-03-23 16:23, kkocka wrote:

On 2015-03-23 13:48, Tiki_Koro wrote:

• The Nautilus...the drink will cost over $50

Yikes. With Barbancourt Pango Rhum, at $50 that sounds steep! I will definitely be getting a bowl (I'll try to pester at opening, but after your report I won't be banking on it) at some point, but not sure the overpriced concotion will be worth the purchase.

If that $50 includes the bowl, then that's not that bad. It's not like it's unusual for Tiki bowls to cost around that or over, just on their own. But maybe I'm just trying to justify it to myself... Luckily I have a friend going to WDW in May, so I'll be slipping her $50 to bring that bowl back to me. And the pin, for my Jules Verne Disney pin collection :)

I can't wait to see photos and videos of the Nautilus effects!

On 2015-03-23 17:28, EnchantedTikiGoth wrote:
If that $50 includes the bowl, then that's not that bad.

Yeah after rereading the description I was thinking the same thing - the Uh Oa! for example does not mention being served in a souvenir bowl, and souvenir implies that you're taking it as a keepsake. Time will tell.

Tiki_Koro: Mahalo for all the inside info on the drinks. My appetite is officially whetted. This just popped up on Twitter today, presumably shared by someone from the cast open house:

I heard from another good source that Thursday is the target date for a "soft opening." But beware that it's possible that not everything will be 100% up to speed and the bar may not follow its regular operating hours until the official opening on April 1. The PR folks will be having a media event (for the DVC opening, but also including Trader Sam's) on Tuesday, March 31, in advance of the grand opening. Five days should give them plenty of time to work out the kinks. It will be interesting to see what happens if hordes descend on the weekend.

On 2015-03-23 16:23, kkocka wrote:

That definitely would have been over the top! But, I'm 95% sure the reason for an inanimate Uh Oa is that the likelihood if her breaking down and the low priority she would have for somebody to fix her.

I had the unfortunate displeasure of working the Tiki Room Under New Management, and I'd be concerned about the thing spraying hydraulic fluid, or even just dripping it, all over the guests sitting underneath! There was a time in Disney's not so distant past when a "101 figure" going down would require the rest of the venue to remain closed until the issue was resolved. That changed somewhat in the late 90s/early naughts, when we started hearing our leaders say, "Bad show is better than no show at all." I'm with Keith in believing it would not be maintained well enough to keep the show consistent. The effect as it stands is still very cool, and I especially like the wind-blowing component!

After reflecting more on what I saw yesterday, I believe Grog Grotto has taken the Sam's experience to a whole new level. Though it will be busy the first few months, once the novelty wears off, I doubt it will be as difficult to access as some may think and as I once thought. The 21+ after 8pm policy will help immensely, both in warding off families with kids and under-21 cast members most likely to frequent the place (college programmers). Disney Springs will be opening new nightlife venues, such as the Boathouse opening next month, and that will alleviate some of the locals. And parking at the monorail resorts will most likely become more difficult for non-resort guests. I am a regular at Tambu and Mizners, visiting both at least once a week, often more, and I do not see the typical resort guests waiting in long lines to get into Sam's. They want their drinks fast, and fortunately, the Poly will offer three other bars besides Sam's for meeting their needs. This was also the case in California at Enchanted Tiki Bar, where I saw many hotel guests, especially conventioneers, come in, look around, get their vodka tonics, complain about how long it took, then leave. The chatter online by the Disney fan base is likely just that, chatter. These are the same folks who complained about the Adventurers Club closing - and indeed showed up in droves for the closing - but simply were not there those last few years leading up to the closing, when it was a ghost town during the off-season. Rather than criticizing the smallness and being anxious over the opening rush, I am personally grateful WDW did not dilute the experience by expanding the footprint and losing the intimacy.

I did not get much time to talk with Brandon at the preview, one of the Imagineers behind both Enchanted Tiki Bar and Grog Grotto, but in case he comes across this thread, I want him to know that he and his team did an outstanding job. I cannot wait to meet the rest of the cast who will bring this bar to life and continue the Trader Sam's magic!

I do wonder if the age gate starting at 8PM may change? Unless it is one of the terms of their liquor license, they may end up getting more requests from families to be able to go in after that hour.

On 2015-03-24 12:58, wizzard419 wrote:
I do wonder if the age gate starting at 8PM may change? Unless it is one of the terms of their liquor license, they may end up getting more requests from families to be able to go in after that hour.

Personally I doubt it, at least for the inside. The patio is still family-friendly at the Disneyland Hotel so maybe the patio in FL will reflect that. I'm getting concerned about the 31st being a "media day" and whether or not I'll be able to get in at all. I'll be camping out early before 4pm for sure. Now I'm starting to wish I had planned to be there a week or so later, as I anticipated things be taken care of given the 26th (soft) opening date.

I really don't see any kids in Anaheim and I go up there regularly. Their hours are 11-2 though right? 4-12 seems really limited...

On 2015-03-19 18:12, kkocka wrote:

On 2015-03-19 15:47, finky099 wrote:
Thanks for the updates. I'm dying to see what kind of "nautical" stuff they have inside.

Check the concept art.

Oh, Keith. Come on, now! :P

On 2015-03-24 00:57, Hurricane Hayward wrote:
Tiki_Koro: Mahalo for all the inside info on the drinks. My appetite is officially whetted. This just popped up on Twitter today, presumably shared by someone from the cast open house:

That photo snippet is making me wonder if the Nautilus mug will be made to look like a "native carving" of the submarine... iiiiiiiiiiiiinteresting...

On 2015-03-24 16:21, EnchantedTikiGoth wrote:

On 2015-03-24 00:57, Hurricane Hayward wrote:
Tiki_Koro: Mahalo for all the inside info on the drinks. My appetite is officially whetted. This just popped up on Twitter today, presumably shared by someone from the cast open house:

That photo snippet is making me wonder if the Nautilus mug will be made to look like a "native carving" of the submarine... iiiiiiiiiiiiinteresting...

The mug was on display for the cast tour. It appears to be a Tiki Farm product and is the same ceramic and glaze as the first edition Uh Oa bowl. It looks very similar to the image in the menu. I didn't think it looked carved, but I wasn't looking close enough to tell.

On 2015-03-24 16:21, EnchantedTikiGoth wrote:

On 2015-03-24 00:57, Hurricane Hayward wrote:
Tiki_Koro: Mahalo for all the inside info on the drinks. My appetite is officially whetted. This just popped up on Twitter today, presumably shared by someone from the cast open house:

That photo snippet is making me wonder if the Nautilus mug will be made to look like a "native carving" of the submarine... iiiiiiiiiiiiinteresting...

A friend who was at the preview described it exactly as that.

On 2015-03-25 07:57, EPCOTExplorer wrote:
A friend who was at the preview described it exactly as that.

Alright, well, there ya' go then :) That sounds like a neat idea and I'm looking forward to seeing what it actually looks like (and eventually having one on my shelf!)

Just had the very fortunate privilege of attending a preview of Trader Sam's Grog Grotto, and it was AMAZING! I had the Nautilus and the Tropical Dark and Stormy (just add falernum to a D&S). I also tried the sushi roll and the dumplings (pot stickers). I enjoyed the drinks and food, but even more so, I enjoyed the staff. They are simply fantastic. One of the bartenders worked with me at River Roost, another at the Jungle Cruise in the 90s and then at Sci-Fi Dine-In in 2006. A third bartender worked at Sam's and Carthay in California, although our paths never crossed. Had a great time conversing with them. There is a lighting effect for the Nautilus that simulates diving under water, along with a sound clip of Captain Nemo. The squid moves its tentacle while the bartenders pretend to swim under water and collect rum from the squid tentacle holding a bottle, all very cute and silly. The staff is funny, eager to adopt the Jungle Skipper role. I cannot wait to come back once it is open to the public. While no one will give me a straight answer, likely because they honestly do not know, the bar will probably NOT open tomorrow as reported. The patio is simply not ready. I would look for DVC testing tomorrow and Friday, with a limited opening to the public beginning Saturday. Don't take my word for it, though, for I have no idea except that they have no idea and are not certain about tomorrow. There was a lot of construction activity taking place on the patio and pool deck today, so they are trying hard to get things together. My advice is to pack your patience, manage your expectations, and be prepared for a WILDLY good time!

One more thing - the Nautilus mug shipment is not in yet. They only have a few for the bar, so they will not be available as a souvenir at first.

On 2015-03-25 17:46, Tiki_Koro wrote:
There is a lighting effect for the Nautilus that simulates diving under water, along with a sound clip of Captain Nemo.

I've heard about this effect a couple times in the last day or so, and it weirds me right out because that's exactly what I idly speculated in a post in this thread 4 days ago. Whoa.

Nothing new that hasn't been reported already, but my Week in Tiki blog pulls together all the latest news in one convenient location. Thanks to everyone on this board who provided info ...

http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2015/03/26/the-week-in-tiki-march-23-2015-trader-sams-grog-grotto-about-to-open-new-polynesian-village-resort-merchandise/

FYI, I'll be covering the media event on Tuesday.

On 2015-03-26 10:22, Hurricane Hayward wrote:
FYI, I'll be covering the media event on Tuesday.

As will I! See ya there. :)

Bouya! http://www.disneydining.com/breaking-news-trader-sams-in-wdw-opening-date-announced/

On 2015-03-26 13:14, Loki-Tiki wrote:
Bouya! http://www.disneydining.com/breaking-news-trader-sams-in-wdw-opening-date-announced/

I really wish people would stop linking to that page. It's the 26th and it's not open. Had the patio been completed on time, then yes perhaps today would have been the soft opening as planned.

Booyah! :wink:

Too good not to share...

Soft opening tomorrow, 3/28
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2015/03/much-anticipated-trader-sams-grog-grotto-opens-at-disneys-polynesian-village-resort/

EDIT: Aiming for late April as an official opening...fuck.

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[ Edited by: kkocka 2015-03-27 12:20 ]

MUGS AND INTERIOR! It looks awesome! Perhaps even better than the Disneyland original!

On 2015-03-27 12:05, kkocka wrote:
Soft opening tomorrow, 3/28
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2015/03/much-anticipated-trader-sams-grog-grotto-opens-at-disneys-polynesian-village-resort/

EDIT: Aiming for late April as an official opening...fuck.

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[ Edited by: kkocka 2015-03-27 12:20 ]

Well, it'll be in soft openings. You won't be able to get the mugs, but you can at least see the place.

The blog posts automatically resize photos and it greatly reduces the quality. These are pulled directly from the source, highest quality available.

This needs further explanation. A soft opening is usually a night or two before a place officially opens to make sure everything is running right. Will the bar be operational starting tonight and just not sell mugs during this month long period between the soft opening and actual opening? We will be there close to the end of April. Hoping we can get the whole experience.

[ Edited by: mikehooker 2015-03-27 15:31 ]

On 2015-03-27 15:15, mikehooker wrote:
Will the bar be open and just not selling mugs during that month long period between soft opening and actual opening?

Over LOTS of thinking and rereading over and over and over, I believe it's just that. I'm thinking it's open (hours might vary, who knows) but there will be no mugs for sure. We knew the Nautilis wasn't going to be available, but I of course assumed everything else will be. I'm sure other merchandise (shirts, pins, etc that were previously announced) won't be available either at the time.

When Idle Hour recently opened in North Hollywood, I thought it was simply open to the public while I was there but it turned out to be on "soft open." So my guess is that Sam's will reflect the same mentality.

I guess we'll find out over the next few days what "soft opening" means. Limited hours and/or seating (probably), limited menu (maybe), not all mugs available (definitely).

Strange that they just "now" realize the mug shipment is coming a month after the initial "soft" opening...unless this was their plan all along. When I read "soft" opening it says to me "bartenders practice new drinks for a month."
I dig the look from the photo, though.

May the tiki force be with you, Keith. Hope we get to see an update from you soon (meaning, you got in!)

This is the first we're hearing about the patio being called Trader Sam's Tiki Terrace, separate from Trader Sam's Grog Grotto. Note the separate logos on this sign:

(Photo by Jeremiah, from Tikiman's Facebook page)

I wouldn't read too much into this. Tikiman says he's sure the same food in drinks will be available at both. But he said there will be some sort of operational separation. You may not be able to go through the Grog Grotto back door to get the the Tiki Terrace, and vice versa. They'll likely each have their own dedicated, stand-alone entrance/exit. To me, this sounds like it's a good way to control capacity in both areas. We're gonna find out soon.

I don't understand the big deal about the mugs. It was many months, in fact it may have been more than a year, before Trader Sam's in the Disneyland Hotel had ANY custom items like mugs or swizzles. Now it has lots. Opening is a process -- not an instantaneous event.

On 2015-03-27 17:38, kenbo-jitsu wrote:
I don't understand the big deal about the mugs. It was many months, in fact it may have been more than a year, before Trader Sam's in the Disneyland Hotel had ANY custom items like mugs or swizzles. Now it has lots. Opening is a process -- not an instantaneous event.

I'm not concerned with the mugs. I just wanna make sure the bar is actually open when I'm there and that's no longer clear to me when just a day or two ago it seemed everything was going as planned.

On 2015-03-27 17:38, kenbo-jitsu wrote:
I don't understand the big deal about the mugs. It was many months, in fact it may have been more than a year, before Trader Sam's in the Disneyland Hotel had ANY custom items like mugs or swizzles. Now it has lots. Opening is a process -- not an instantaneous event.

There's a difference here though. True, the Shipwreck barrel mug and Uh-Oa! bowl were introduced about a year after opening (right around the 1 year anniversary). Before that they had various Tiki Farm mugs as take-home souvenirs which most people were happy with. But for Trader Sam's at Disneyland they were starting from scratch and had never said anything about custom mugs for the bar prior to introducing them. It wasn't until they actually had them available that they made any mention of special mugs. With the experience and business relationships undoubtedly gained from the Anaheim location, and with plenty of time since the announcement, I think it's perfectly fair to expect them to have the mugs available from the start at this location, which is exactly what they promoted when they announced it. Guests who don't know any better (and may possibly only get once chance to go) are going to be very disappointed that they can't take any cool mugs home during that first month or so of operation, especially if they are already familiar with Trader Sam's at Disneyland and the souvenir mugs available there.

On 2015-03-27 12:05, kkocka wrote:
Soft opening tomorrow, 3/28
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2015/03/much-anticipated-trader-sams-grog-grotto-opens-at-disneys-polynesian-village-resort/

EDIT: Aiming for late April as an official opening...fuck.

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[ Edited by: kkocka 2015-03-27 12:20 ]

That is the risk you run when you want to be the first one in.

On 2015-03-27 16:15, Hurricane Hayward wrote:
stuff

Tiki Terrace is simply the coined name for the patio. I've checked on Polynesian Village Resort maps as well.

On 2015-03-27 19:42, wizzard419 wrote:
That is the risk you run when you want to be the first one in.

True, I am an ass, however I'm not trying to be the first in the door so much as there early enough (read: not spring break nor summer during peak prices) and I have a limited time before my wife is too pregnant to be left alone for several days w/our 1 year old. I can deal w/o the mugs because while I'd like to have them in my suitcase all tucked away for a nap, at the same time I don't trust the baggage handlers to not break them all. I have friends who can ship them for me.

Like everybody else I'm concerned about the terms of their soft opening.

From what I hear the mugs are late because of the port strikes on the west coast. The mugs are basically going to haver to be shipped THROUGH Disneyland/Anaheim, so that explains the delay.

Honestly, I kinda like the idea of holding off on the mugs until the place is operating regularly. Everything now until then is only a test.

In the meantime, though, I would expect some tiki farm and non-TSGG specific mugs to be used in place of the official ones. Seeing that DL TS did the same thing, I don't see an issue.

Disney did initially talk about opening up the bar with all these things in place (the mugs, etc.), so it isn't unreasonable to be a little worried and/or annoyed about it if you have a trip to WDW in the next month and a half. It cheesed me off enough to go to WDW for our, like, once-in-a-lifetime trip shortly after it was announced. If you're actually there, in the bar, knowing that you're missing your chance to get the collectible mugs that were pretty much promised? That'd just plain suck, no two ways about it. It's not a world-crashing crisis, but it would be disappointing and there's no reason to dress it up as anything but.

I just hope they get the mugs in by the time my friend goes in May, so she can get me the Nautilus. If I can't go, I'd at least like a proxy to be able to get it for me.

I await an OBJECTIVE Tikiphiles drink quality review of TS @ WDW???

On 2015-03-28 08:32, EnchantedTikiGoth wrote:
Disney did initially talk about opening up the bar with all these things in place (the mugs, etc.), so it isn't unreasonable to be a little worried and/or annoyed about it if you have a trip to WDW in the next month and a half. It cheesed me off enough to go to WDW for our, like, once-in-a-lifetime trip shortly after it was announced. If you're actually there, in the bar, knowing that you're missing your chance to get the collectible mugs that were pretty much promised? That'd just plain suck, no two ways about it. It's not a world-crashing crisis, but it would be disappointing and there's no reason to dress it up as anything but.

I just hope they get the mugs in by the time my friend goes in May, so she can get me the Nautilus. If I can't go, I'd at least like a proxy to be able to get it for me.

The thing is, a soft opening is a soft opening. They set their own dates. If they said they were going to be having the grand opening on 3/28, I'd be bothered they don't have the mugs in. But considering how they're doing this, I can't fault them. There's always eBay.

FYI, the latest from Tikiman:

It's not clear who they will let into the soft opening. Also, he says he thinks the Tiki Terrace will be a separate entrance and might be easier to get into. He also says the Tiki Terrace will have live music starting today.

Also, there are reports that the Grog Grotto T-shirts are out in the gift shop.

On 2015-03-28 10:09, Hurricane Hayward wrote:
FYI, the latest from Tikiman:

It's not clear who they will let into the soft opening. Also, he says he thinks the Tiki Terrace will be a separate entrance and might be easier to get into. He also says the Tiki Terrace will have live music starting today.

Also, there are reports that the Grog Grotto T-shirts are out in the gift shop.

Yup. The pin, too.

Eager to hear about the live music.

Apparently people are already lined up.

On 2015-03-27 23:27, kkocka wrote:
True, I am an ass, however I'm not trying to be the first in the door so much as there early enough (read: not spring break nor summer during peak prices) and I have a limited time before my wife is too pregnant to be left alone for several days w/our 1 year old. I can deal w/o the mugs because while I'd like to have them in my suitcase all tucked away for a nap, at the same time I don't trust the baggage handlers to not break them all. I have friends who can ship them for me.

Like everybody else I'm concerned about the terms of their soft opening.

The reason I wasn't expecting much for the off season is that they don't really do them at WDW anymore, outside of as a special event with separate admission. Though I would imagine the ease of communication may be part of the reason to blame for the end to the practice. When you're trying to ramp up and suddenly get slammed with patrons, faults in procedure won't just fail they will implode.

On 2015-03-28 10:34, Hurricane Hayward wrote:
Apparently people are already lined up.

Yep. the line stretches around the Papatee Bay marina.