Disneyland Hotel Remodel / Restaurant Reminiscent of the original Tahitian Terrace

According to Todays (5/20/11)Miceage.com: Park update...
"Star Tours: The Adventures continue has begun Cast member Previews and this weekend a few lucky pass holders will get to take their first rides on the newly re-vamped attraction."

You gotta scroll quite a bit but it's down there somewhere

Also check out Orange County Register: Star Tours

[->>King Bushwich 33rd

Mai Tai -----They already had the Pirates Premiere at Disneyland on May 7th and it was a big event

On 2011-05-19 12:57, aquaorama wrote:
All the Disney folks I talked to this weekend said the 25th. I'll be taking that whole day off to spend in the park and enjoy the new cocktails...Anyone else??

Definitely. With all the rumors and sneak-peek reviews swirling around I'm taking the week off to watch for a soft opening.

I'll be there for sure. This is a dream come true to be able to bask in Disney's official Tiki Bar.

Let's hang!

On 2011-05-19 17:28, WooHooWahine wrote:
Soccertiki and I were invited to the Cast Member Preview Party today and all I can say is Woohoo! You are all in for a treat. Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar is a magical place , the moment you step through the doors the world of Tiki comes to life. The drinks were tasty and the bar menu has all kinds of yummy choices. We can't wait to go back for The Grand Opening on May 25

WooHooo! Tomorrow's the day......

See you in line :)

Line?

ugh......
If there is a Line,
I am out.

I might go by to take a look.
but I'm not into waiting for drinks.
there was enough of that at Tiki Caliente,
:wink:

Jeff(btd)

i cant wait!!!! i'll tell you all how star tours is too! ; )

4 hours til....

Get ready for volcanoes, tropical storms, entertaining skippers (bartenders) and great food and drinks!

Trader Sam's here I come......
I walked by yesterday and was questioning whether it was actually opening today since all the blue construction walls were still up.....

To quote Spongebob "I'm Ready I'm Ready"

Hey, does anyone have pics yet? Dying to see!

Pics from The Cast Member Preview last Thursday 5/20/11...

How are the Cocktails?

Pics from Opening Day 5/25/11

On 2011-05-25 16:02, Chuck Tatum is Tiki wrote:
How are the Cocktails?

Drinks are Tiki-rrific!! Make sure you order a UH OA!!!

That is so cool! Thanks for the pics, can't wait to go.

It really is the Happiest Place on Earth!

DC

such a blast! I really can't wait to go back. That bar was extremely proper and the cocktails are nothing short of amazing.

Food was excellent and the staff is the best!!!

I just went there after work. The bar looks really cool....but it is really small. All in all, this is probably what our beloved tiki bars of yore looked like when they were brand new.

The restaurant was a letdown. Little more then a cafeteria, and nothing really tiki about it.

I got there at 4:45 and there were a few parking spots left, but by the time I left, there were tons of cars looking for spots to park in...and there were not any I could see.

I did not try any food or drink, so I can't say anything about it.

There was a hawaiian band setting up just as I was leaving...upright bass, uke, steel guitar....but the band was wearing castmember shirts with name tags, so I don;t think the entertainment will be an option for bands like the menehunes, who are strictly freelancers.

On 2011-05-25 16:11, WooHooWahine wrote:

On 2011-05-25 16:02, Chuck Tatum is Tiki wrote:
How are the Cocktails?

Drinks are Tiki-rrific!! Make sure you order a UH OA!!!  

Thanks WooHoo! for the info.

Went for some drinks last night and enjoyed it greatly. The bartenders had a "Jungle Boat Skipper" attitude that was cool and added some pep. Loved seeing a "Squid" designed Tiki Bowl in use and also pictured on the menu....Hopefully he is making some good Micky Dough off it!

Attended the grand opening last evening. Able to bump into a few familiar "tiki-folk" while hanging out at the bar. Talked with Kevin Kidney, and his picture (circa 1985 Jungle Cruise operator) is located at the waiters/waitresses station (right before the restrooms). Picture opposite on the wall is of John Lasseter (yes Pixar John Lasseter doing his Jungle Cruise schtick). Anyways, there are some pretty cool things going on inside that have to be experienced to enjoy. They took a page from the Tiki-Ti with respect to getting people involved with drinks being served.

On the mild downside, they were really regulating the occupancy in the bar. No standing room only, your party needs to have seats accounted for in the bar. Once you have a seat, lounging about is ok. Felt sorry for the people waiting outside, as you don't know if/when people will leave.

Cocktails were pretty good too. Had the Ua Oh(?) bowl and was pleased.

Just another note, the area around the terrace/bar is still under construction. There is no access to the bar when using the Mickey Magic Hat/Stars entrance - dead ends due to construction walls. Just keep walking by that access area (Hat/Stars entrance) and going past the hotel building (faces downtown Disney) to get to the bar/terrace.

Tiki Scale 8/10

[ Edited by: ESP182 2011-05-26 09:46 ]

Went last night and ran into a few tiki buddies ; )
I agree with lucas...The restaurant was a letdown.... The food at Tangaroa Terrace is like a cafeteria. You get in line, go up to a screen and press what you want... I'm sure the menu will change over time (this was only the first day after all), but as of now there are not many things to choose from. Seems better for breakfast. I did however have the ahi from Trader Sams... it was okay, nothing special for ten bucks. And its super small! When they say appetizer, they mean it... bar food for sure.
Trader Sam's however is sooooo cool inside! They do a great job telling the story of trader sam, and tying in the enchanted tiki room with the jungle cruise, (theres even a picture of Sam's hula girlfriend hehe). And if I'm not mistaken... was that not a painting from the hunters and collectors show above the bar? =)
Now on to the drinks...Warning... the mai tai is SWEET! And oddly tasted like pineapple... hmmm.... but you get to keep the glass!
I could go on and on about it, but I don't want to ruin it for anyone, so go in there... and take a look around, because theres a lot to look at!

Drink menu... notice... no prices (the mai tai is 13.50 for anyone who wants to know)

I enjoyed the giant tikis surrounding the building

I was at Trader Sam's from 6-9pm last night, and was very impressed! They managed to incorporate elements of the Enchanted Tiki Room, Tiki Ti, and most importantly have a lot of the vibe of a real tiki bar on Disney property. Not sure if I should spoil anything for anyone who hasn't been there yet, but if you order certain drinks, certain entertaining interactive events happen (which is why I mention Tiki Ti and the Enchanted Tiki Room) which is why Trader Sam's is a definite must to visit!

Big Tiki Dude, Jonpaul and Chris B. were there as well, and a couple of gals named Gina and Christine who tiki fans and sometime TC lurkers (they were at the Tiki Ti 50th Anniversary). The drinks themselves were fairly good, though we noticed some fairly large inconsistencies in the same drink between different bartenders (this was opening night though, so that's standard for a new establishment). They also played Tikiyaki Orchestra on the sound system, and BTD pointed out one of Kirby's masks amongst the decorations, which was cool.

The door person also was monitoring capacity, and for those of us used to Tiki Ti and other small bars, "max capacity" here was pretty roomy. As Lucas mentioned, there was a 2-3 piece Hawaiian group playing outside, but it did seem like they might have been the same Disneyland musicians who play Tomorrowland Terrace or elsewhere, who were told "get ukuleles and steel guitars and wear this shirt." I didn't spend too much time outside, because the vibe was inside. As mentioned, the inside of the food service part was nothing special--a standard Disney fast food service area with no particular tiki mood inside. The mood is all in Trader Sam's, and I heartily recommend checking it out!

Caltiki Brent

I should say that while I was there I had a Krakatoa Punch (which is an absolute MUST to order, for reasons you'll discover)--it comes in a Tiki Farm 2003 Drew brown mug (drink was about $17 with the mug). It was good. I also ordered a Shipwreck on the Rocks (another must for you or someone in your party to order for the same reasons), a bourbon drink that I thought was a bit too lemonady (I'm a bourbon fan and couldn't taste the bourbon). And as Karen mentioned, the Uh Oa is something you should order if you have two or more people (it's a bowl). I also had a Shrunken Zombie Head, which was a good zombie takeoff (but very strong on the cinnamon syrup). They use a lot of the authentic ingredients such as falernum, passion fruit syrup and orgeat, and had Coruba dark, Appleton Estate Reserve and Pyrat on the bar (along with Bacardi, Captain Morgan and Myers).

Caltiki Brent

http://www.facebook.com/dingdongdevils
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/dingdongdevils

[ Edited by: congawa 2011-05-26 10:21 ]

I'm interested to go try it, looks like a cool place!

However, the menu and description of the cocktails makes me think they are doing exactly what tiki did wrong in the 70's... sugary syrup in place of good rums and cocktail balance. Don and Vic didn't build an empire on sugar. It's a real shame when you find a cool place that serves jolly ranchers because "people expect sweet" when it comes to tropical drinks. I can't tell you how many times I've cringed when talking to someone and telling them how cool tiki is only to hear them reply, "Oh, I don't like sweet drinks..." facepalm

I'd like to know what rums are actually in the drinks. Anyone can have good rums as top shelf options, but whats actually IN those mugs and bowls?!

I was there earlier in the evening, saw the line, went to Disneyland and rode a few rides, then came back at 9:15 and got right in.

I was really impressed with the decor and ambiance of Trader Sam's. Tons of clutter and things to look at. I also ordered the Shipwreck on The Rocks and found it a really good drink. The bartender named Rhonda made it for me and JonPaul said she seemed to be making the drinks right. I could definitely taste the bourbon. I saw that another drink on the menu called for demerara rum, which might indicate that they're using better rums than most places?

I left feeling satisfied in the experience and happy that we have yet another legitimate tiki bar here in Southern California.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fatalblades/sets/72157626812169414/

here's a photo set of my adventure yesterday with the excellent company of soccertiki & woohoowahine!

On 2011-05-26 12:09, carlosrossi wrote:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fatalblades/sets/72157626812169414/

here's a photo set of my adventure yesterday with the excellent company of soccertiki & woohoowahine!

Awesome! Thanks for the detail shots of the menu... much easier to see ingredients! Wow... a Mai Tai with light and dark rums, the usual ingredients and NO PINEAPPLE juice. Very impressive! They seem to enjoy the agave in numerous cocktails, interesting addition. Probably that's adding to the sweet a couple people mentioned. At least its not a high fructose corn syrup mix. Seems like an impressive collection of cocktails and an awesome atmosphere. Hopefully, they will go light on the sweet in the future. Does make me feel a little uncomfortable they just say "Light","Dark" and "Spiced" with the rums. Of all the things, rum based cocktails are the only ones that specifically use and call for brands or regions. Still a little worried Bacardi would be the "light" and the agave is hiding the crappy rums.

cross my fingers

Glad to see a new tiki bar... hope it does well beyond the initial opening. I'll definitely need to get there soon!

Sabu--I ordered my Shipwreck on the Rocks from another bartender named Ron, which was more lemony, and Jonpaul got his from Rhonda and said it was stronger. JP also ordered one called Lost Safari which was dark brown very rummy made by Rhonda, while the woman I was sitting next to (Gina) had the same drink from Ron which was red and very grenadine. So it sounds like Rhonda is the bartender to get your drinks from!

As I mentioned, I saw Coruba dark and Appleton Estate Reserve, and according to the Dark and Tiki blog they're using Trader Tiki syrups:

http://darkandtiki.blogspot.com/2011/05/bars-trader-sams-is-now-open.html

TikiGeeki--the two rum drinks I had were not overly sweet (only the bourbon drink). And I tried a little of the Rosita's Margarita (which Rhonda told us is named for the girl the parrot Jose mentions in the Enchanted Tiki Room) as well as the Ginger's Pear-adise that others had and they were pretty good. I saw Pyrat XO behind the bar, but I don't know how many customers they're going to have looking for aged sipping rums. Being part of a big entity, likely going through a central beverage manager for the whole hotel (or all Disney resorts) it's great that they do have more than just the usual Bacardi-Myers-Morgan parlay.

Caltiki Brent

http://www.facebook.com/dingdongdevils
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/dingdongdevils

[ Edited by: congawa 2011-05-26 15:49 ]

[ Edited by: congawa 2011-05-26 15:49 ]

On 2011-05-26 15:37, congawa wrote:

As I mentioned, I saw Coruba dark and Appleton Estate Reserve, and according to the Dark and Tiki blog they're using Trader Tiki syrups:

http://darkandtiki.blogspot.com/2011/05/bars-trader-sams-is-now-open.html

I should have said, after posting this link: SPOILER ALERT (regarding some of the videos).

Here is part 1 of my Trader Sam's blog
http://pineapplemantiki.blogspot.com/2011/05/trader-sams-is-open-for-business-photo.html

Picture of the day

[ Edited by: Pineappleman11 2011-05-26 17:16 ]

They better be careful who they call names, I know for fact, GROG have friends (hard as it may be to believe).

Besides, they do epic zoomorphic fail, anyone can see GROG caveman, not simian.

Bear

sorry about the Spoilers!! So hard to contain the excitement!!

Regarding the band outside,
I talked to the guys and they said that they had not worked for Disney before.
They found them somewhere, and brought them in.
That being said, even if you are outsourced you have to wear a Disney Badge if you are working in the park.

I thought that the Bar was pretty good, but..... Very Disney.
If I had the money to build a tiki bar, I think I would skip some of the kitchyness of it.

2 of the 3 drinks were fair, like a 6 or 7 on a 1 to 10 scale,
and the Mai Tai was really sweet. I don't think I will order that again.

Over all its really cool,
and I will go back over and over.
maybe not once a week, but surely at least once a month.

Jeff(btd)

On 2011-05-26 12:09, carlosrossi wrote:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fatalblades/sets/72157626812169414/

here's a photo set of my adventure yesterday with the excellent company of soccertiki & woohoowahine!

WooHoo! Tiki-rrific Photos! Mahalo for taking the time to post them. Can't wait to meet you back there :)

On 2011-05-26 19:39, WooHooWahine wrote:

On 2011-05-26 12:09, carlosrossi wrote:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fatalblades/sets/72157626812169414/

here's a photo set of my adventure yesterday with the excellent company of soccertiki & woohoowahine!

WooHoo! Tiki-rrific Photos! Mahalo for taking the time to post them. Can't wait to meet you back there :)

Thanks! I had a blast, and really hope to make it down tot Don's on Monday to meet more TC'ers! Plus you all need to get to Trader Sam's if you haven't already!!

Lost In Paradise: Tangaroa Terrace and Trader Sam's Opening

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ-VtWW1-co

Mahaloz and Cheers!

Chris Loved your comment in video about hopefully seeing the backside of water

That was a fun one to watch. They keep getting better and better!
I can't believe you didn't take us into the bar!!! (Yeah, yeah, I know...you're saving the surprise for everyone to experience for themselves... Very considerate of you. And very frustrating at the same time!!!) Haha...

On 2011-05-26 21:00, Luckydesigns wrote:
That was a fun one to watch. They keep getting better and better!
I can't believe you didn't take us into the bar!!! (Yeah, yeah, I know...you're saving the surprise for everyone to experience for themselves... Very considerate of you. And very frustrating at the same time!!!) Haha...

Right ? Total tease ! Like the season finale of Hawii 5-0....total cliffhanger.Not fair Chris !

I'm going there tomorrow.. Do you think they're pouring drinks at 9:00 am?.. Ha!.. (actually I'm dead serious)

I believe the bartender told me they were open from noon to 1am, seven days a week, if I remember right.

[ Edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy 2011-05-26 23:45 ]

SPOILERS
went on 5/25 opening day. One of the best places to drink on the whole property, up there with the Hearth Lounge at the Grand Californian.
Disney's answer to the Tiki Ti. Operationally, I think they should tone down the jokes and gimmicks and only do the volcano eruption and hurricane/ shipwrecks every half hour in rotation. The frequency made it not so special after the fifth or sixth time.

The drinks are getting there. My best guess is they paid a lot of money to a consultant who knew what they were doing. All the rums pretty much checked out, and the mixes were legit. I even noticed a Don Q dark (not gold) I'd never seen in the states. But the menu obviously has to be flyover friendly, which means not too culinary or classic- and all the consulting in the world will not force bartenders to use their jiggers to measure or magically make them appreciate the ideals of a well balanced drink. None of the four drinks we ordered were measured. They were impressively strong and, all things considered, pretty decent for an amusement park bar, even if we hold Disney to a higher standard than most.

I will be back, and I'm sure they'll iron out the kinks. What would be ideal is a staff of bartenders who know the "real" recipes and would make them if you tipped well and smiled politely.

[ Edited by: Registered Astronaut 2011-05-26 23:50 ]

I looked around but couldnt find it!! Is Trader Sams 21 or older? or is it apart of the restaurant.

So I reached out to my "people" and got word that the drink menu was developed by "Stuart McGuire, Manager of Beverage & Concept Development for Disney Parks & Resorts." Not to be a cocktail snob, though I definitely am, but that's pretty darn impressive that a big corporate honcho for all the parks was the one crafting the menu. Not sure if he had 'help' or not, but clearly they/he takes these cocktails seriously and did them honor.

I'm still not too keen on the agave... but it is interesting to see this place is not an odd little mishap within the larger park scene. Hopefully we'll see more and more of them pop up around the country/world.

yay chris! still wish we ran into you, but oh well, group trip soon!

slightly off topic, but my Disneyland guru friend said Disneyland hotel up until very recently had waterfalls and lagoons- a very faux tropical setting the in the gardens. Curious why they removed all that since, well, they just put in a tiki bar and retro waterslide. Does anyone have pics?

On 2011-05-27 11:07, Registered Astronaut wrote:
slightly off topic, but my Disneyland guru friend said Disneyland hotel up until very recently had waterfalls and lagoons- a very faux tropical setting the in the gardens. Curious why they removed all that since, well, they just put in a tiki bar and retro waterslide. Does anyone have pics?

Google the images: Disneyland hotel waterfalls, disneyland hotel mist caves, etc..

This is the only part of the whole deal that bums me out. I spoke with the Jamaican guy and he said that something very cool was going to be put there, and more or less hinted as to why they finally closed it.

Lets just say Disney is probably tired of getting sued by clumsy morons who slip and fall in even the most safe areas, let alone an area like the mist caves that is constantly wet and damp.

The "falls" were beautiful. It was this quiet and shady grotto that I used to love to visit. At night, the colored lights were fantastic and the "caves" were as good as anything you would find on Tom Sawyer's island. But for the last 3-4 years they were always chained off and you could not go down there. yes, it was slippery to walk through, but worth it! Someone obviously complained or threatened to sue...that's why they shut down great attractions...such as the skyway.

Went opening night and my lady friend and I had the pleasure to meet Chris, Jeff (BTD) and a few others. Glad I did. Thanks for the hospitality and welcome.

This place has a excellent tiki feel and screams Disney (in a good way). The drinks were somewhat sweeter than I prefer but better than expected. I had mai tais, and by the third the sweetness just destroyed me, but I managed to make it through all 3. The first one poured was actually excellent and less sweet. I don't recall the 'tenders name. I'll know him when I see him, and order from him from now on.

I ordered my first mai tai in the collector's mug, and buried deep in the ice within my drink was a fresh crisp $2 bill. Great touch, Sams. Finding a 2-spot in my mai tai set the mood just right.

For those of you who have been to the Adventurer's Club (now closed) in Downtown Disney Orlando, this place is the closest thing you're going to get to that experience (including a few "shrinking bar stools"). At one point the manager of the bar put on an old-style beekeepers mask, pilot goggles, and grabbed an old-timey microphone and walked in the front door of the bar and out the employee/bar door of the bar (walking through the bar each time) repeating the same fake "radio review" of the bar itself as he walked by (finishing up with "which is unusual because volcanoes are not common in Southern California"). His script was dead-on each time he walked through. He did this for about 20 minutes straight, evading the notice of most guests. Great little addition to the general goings on of the place and reminiscent of the old Aventurer's Club style of play-acting while serving cocktails. Only these cocktails are much better than the Adventurer's Club's were.

I'll return. Probably often. Where else in the world I can grab a decent tiki drink to the sound of tiki drums/exotica and then proceed to hop a monorail over to board Space Mountain.

It's like getting buzzed in the Enchanted Tiki Room, which I've always wanted to do.