Let me begin this review with a bit of advice should you decide you’d like to visit the super popular Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto. If you are able to (perhaps on a non-park day or your arrival day, if you arrive in the morning) you should check in prior to the 3:00 opening of the bar. I’ve since then read that they begin taking names for their wait list at 2:00. I didn’t realize this at the time and we showed up at 3:20. We were given a estimated return time of 2 hours but it was actually 5:45 before I got the text to return to Trader Sam’s…that’s a 2 hour & 25 minute wait!
So we were able to make it from our room at the Contemporary Resort’s Main Tower to Trader Sam’s at the Polynesian (via the monorail) in about 15 minutes. So by 6:03 I took this photo inside the grotto…
We were seated at a table against the back wall, not far from this guy…
I had been to Trader Sam’s Grotto a few times since it opened in 2015 so I knew what to expect. However, this was Andrew’s first time so I wanted him to have the “full” experience. By full experience I mean I wanted to order one of the drinks that would activate some of the bar’s special effects.
SPOILER ALERT: If you’d prefer not to spoil the “surprise”, scroll down until you see a photo of a drink on fire.
From my previous experience here I knew one of the most fun drinks is the Uh-Oa, so that it what we ordered to share. Not long after placing our order, the bartenders, other castmembers and even some of the customers (who were “in the know”) started chanting “Uh-Oa”.
Here is the bartender making two Uh-Oas, one of which was ours…
The chanting sets off some special effects, like a rainstorm. One minute all is calm…
And then this happens, complete with sound effects…
Ultimately the chanting summons Uh-Oa, the (fictional) Tiki goddess of disaster, for which the drink is named…
Then our “fiery” drink arrived at our table…
You can add more cinnamon (they give you lots of cinnamon) to spark the fire’s flame, which we did for a video and it was fun. But I think we added too much because the cinnamon taste dominated the other flavors of the drink.
So normally we both really enjoy a fruity, rum cocktail but the cinnamon kind of ruined it for us. Consequently we rated this only 2 1/2.
A drink ordered by another guest (I think it was the Krakatoa Punch) caused the volcanoes to erupt…
We were still a little hungry so we ordered something that I had loved during my last visit to the Tiki Terrace (the outdoor bar that has the same menu but without any of the special drink effects)…
Thai Chicken Flatbread with Bacon and Peanut Sauce – $12.00 (Price in Oct. 2021, Price in Jan. 2024 $12.50)
All of the toppings were still there…chunks of chicken, some bacon and mozzarella cheese (could have used more of both), a few tomatoes and slices of onion, lots of scallions, and the delicious peanut sauce (but it could have used much more). However the crust was not as crisp as it was the last time I had this, so that was disappointing. So last time this was close to a 5 for me but this time it was only a 3 for us.
FINAL THOUGHTS: I would say go to Trader Sam’s for the fun atmosphere but not for the food. Also, remember that the cocktails which trigger the most “fun” special effects are pricey, anywhere from $16 – $37. My recommendation is to get one that is big enough to share, like the Uh-Oa which is currently priced at $26.50, Just beware of the cinnamon!!
Taste of Disney 