REVIEW: This Is The BEST Trader Sam’s Hack for Disney World

There are SO many options for dining at Disney World, and it can feel a bit overwhelming when planning your trip. The good news is that we are here to help, and today we are taking you with us to a popular lounge that is full of shenanigans.

We are bringing you with us to Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort to revisit one of our favorite spots for an entertaining and memorable evening. Let’s go!

Background

Trader Sam’s is owned by the one and only Trader Sam, the Head Salesman from the Jungle Cruise ride. He always offers great deals, like two heads for just one of yours. Well, he opened this hideaway to display some of the artifacts he collected from his travels. There are two sections of Trader Sam’s, one is inside called the Grog Grotto, and one is outside called the Tiki Terrace! 

We want to warn you if you plan on heading to Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto: he runs a popular lounge, so be prepared for a bit of a wait to get in. The inside lounge doesn’t offer advance reservations, so you will need to head to the location to put your name on the list. Then, you will get a text when they are ready for you! Luckily for us, the Tiki Terrace tends to have lots of open seating and little wait.

The outdoor seating area often features live music later in the evenings, and it’s open from 3 PM to 11 PM daily.

Atmosphere

Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace is a fun way to get some of the most popular drinks in Disney World without the wait! It’s lively but often relaxed. It’s next to the Lava Pool, so it’s not silent, but it also isn’t overwhelmingly loud.

There’s also a relaxing waterfall to add to the relaxed atmosphere. One of the only problems some people will find at this spot is that if you’re looking for the over-the-top interactive experiences from the Grog Grotto, you won’t find them here. But enough about that, what are we eating?!

In the evenings, there is often live music, which really makes this place even more special!

Food & Drinks

We started with the Kalua Pork Tacos for $10.50. These are one of our favorites, so we needed to make sure they are still tasty!

And good news, folks!! These were really tasty! They are on the sweeter side, which surprised us, but they tasted fresh, and we definitely could have eaten quite a few of these. They have a good amount of meat in them, which makes them more worth it in our books!

They are topped with a bit of cheese, a purple cabbage slaw, and a slice of jalapeño. The slaw had a bit of a pickled taste to it, and it was still crisp. The sauce is where the sweetness comes from, so if you don’t like sweet barbecue, skip these. Overall, they were tender and easy to eat. Plus, getting 3 tacos for less than $11 felt like a good deal to us.

We also got the Pan-fried Dumplings for $11. They are served with a soy-sesame dipping sauce.

These are your pretty standard dumplings, nothing too special about them!  The filling was juicy, and the outside was crispy. We wouldn’t rush over here to try them, but they are a good thing to snack on while drinking your beverage.

To drink, we started with the Uh-Oa for $27.50!  It’s Plantation Original Dark Rum, Bacardi Superior Rum, orange, passion fruit, guava, pineapple, and grapefruit juices, falernum, cinnamon, and fresh lime juice!

Before you scoff at that price, this drink is recommended for two or more guests, and you get two of these plastic cups with the order. This one was super heavy on the pineapple flavor! You could taste a hint of the cinnamon, too, which was a fun addition.

With such a long ingredient list, we were hoping to get a few more flavors, but it was sweet and easy to drink. It also didn’t have much of an alcoholic taste. We also grabbed the Spikey Pineapple for $16.50!

It’s made with Cruzan Mango Rum and blended with Dole Whip Pineapple! This one was pretty straightforward. If you like Dole Whip, it’s for you. The mango of the rum was pretty buried to the point where we didn’t really taste it.

You can also get this drink “extra spikey” with a rum floater for an extra charge. A Dole Whip with a rum floater at Pineapple Lanai is $14.50, so if the Spikey Pineapple is all you’re after at Tiki Terrace, we would suggest saving a couple of bucks and going to Pineapple Lanai.

Magic or Tragic?

This Disney World restaurant is a must-visit if…

• You don’t want a long wait for the Grog Grotto
• You are craving a good beach-y drink
• Or you want an easy walk-up option

You should skip this Disney World spot if…

• You want an over-the-top atmosphere
• You’re looking for something extra unique
• Or you want a cheaper meal outside of the parks

This spot is a great stop if you want some of those famous Disney World drinks and eats without that infamous wait time! We would happily go back again for our poolside drinks and snacks.

In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for more restaurant updates from Disney World and beyond. Make sure you stay tuned to AllEars for the latest Disney news and more!

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Have you eaten at this Disney World restaurant before? Tell us in the comments.

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