Trader Sam's Grog Grotto - Our 2 Cents!

On every trip we like to try something new. This trip we did a couple of new things but today we'll only talk about one of them. Our first night in Florida we headed over to Disney's Polynesian Village Resort to check out their new restaurant Trader Sam's Grog Grotto.  There is both indoor and outdoor seating.  The drive to the resort is about 10 minutes from the house making it a quick trip.  Trader Sam's opens at 4pm and closes at 12am.  This is great unless you plan to bring your kids along.  The under 21 crowd is only allowed in until 8pm and then they need to find somewhere else to hang out.

The house is so close to Disney that you can feel part of the magic whenever you wish.  With kids in tow we arrived in time to pick up a pager to see if we could get a seat inside but while we were waiting decided to sit out on the patio.  This way we could get our order started so as not to miss out on the chance to partake in the food and drink.

The patio once the rain started!

With thunderstorms looming we got right to business. First up some drinks.  The kids tried a couple of Sam's No-Booze Brews. First up was Polynesian Punch.  This drink came in a souvenir sipper which was the big draw for our daughter and she really liked the drink but found it to sweet.

Next up for our son was Schweitzer Falls.  This had tropical juices and "Gorilla Grog", but the pineapple wedge and umbrella were a favourite.

Now as for Adult drinks, if you don't like rum then you won't find much to your liking.  Toby picked out the HippopotoMai-Tai (Coruba dark rum, Bacardi Superior Rum, Bols Orange Curaco, Orgeat, Organic Agave Nectar, and lime juice).   I tried it and thought it was good but a bit strong. The best part is that it came in a souvenir Tiki glass. The drink was expensive around $15, but you could go to one of the stores in the resort and buy and empty glass for the same amount (and it doesn't say Trader Sam's).  

(Tiki glass, and No-booze brew sipper)

I have always wanted to try a Dole Whip (pineapple soft serve) but never wanted to wait in line. There is now the Pineapple Lanai at the Polynesian and I had planned to go there after we ate but instead I ordered the Spikey Pineapple, which is basically a Dole Whip with rum. All I can say is Yum, it was really good.

With drinks out of the way we ordered some food.   It's not a really big menu more like a good selection of appetizers or finger food.  We ordered the Headhunter Sushi roll and the Pan-fried Dumplings.  The sushi was good but I wouldn't rave about it. None of us liked the beet dipping sauce and just stuck with the soy sauce.  The Dumplings were great, tasty and satisfying.  I would definitely order these again.  

Head Hunter sushi (top) and Pan-fried Dumplings

We did enjoy the experience and I'd love to go back and sit inside where I hear lots of Disney magic is at play when you order certain drinks.  Make sure you check it out on your next trip.