I’ve heard about Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto for years, but never made it there on any previous Disney trips. So, since we were there to celebrate my 40th birthday, I figured this was the perfect time to finally check out this Tiki hideaway.
This tropical Tiki bar is found in Disney World’s Polynesian Resort, just around the corner from the lobby.
Through a plain-looking wooden door, you step into the enchanting world of the South Seas. The lounge itself is small and packed with ancient artefacts, hidden treasures, an erupting volcano, an angry Tiki god, and more covering the walls and ceiling.
The line starts around 2pm and it fills up fast, so be sure to get your name on the list right away.
When it was finally our turn, we got seats at the bar just as a thunderstorm began. The volcano erupted and everyone around us started chanting “Uh-Oa.” I immediately liked this place!
We started off with two of the drinks where you can also purchase the Tiki mug as a souvenir—the HippopotoMai-Tai and the Zombie.
The bartender, Alyssa, was amazing. She spent the next couple hours bringing great drinks and delivering bad jokes that had us laughing away. We soon learned that many of the drinks have some kind of action associated with them, from a thunderstorm, to everyone ‘swimming,’ to a little hippo coming out to visit when you order the HippopotoMai-Tai. The whole experience becomes very interactive, which only adds to the charm of this place.
The best one, however, in my opinion, is when you order the Uh-Oa, which is one you can share, and the whole bar starts chanting ‘Uh-Oa.’ Alyssa brought ours out and told us that we had angered ‘Uh-Oa’ by ordering this beverage and now we had to sacrifice it to appease her. She then lit our drink on fire and had us throw the cinnamon onto the flame to make it grow larger as we chanted her name. As this is happening, we are being sprayed with water as our sacrifice is ‘horrible’ and Uh-Oa comes out to curse us and then Alyssa stabs our drink to finalize the sacrifice. It is quite the little presentation and just made this drink even more enjoyable!
As I was looking around, I noticed a Tiki that looked like an octopus and found out it is the new limited edition blue Ursula Tiki mug that comes with a drink called Sign the Scroll (Kraken Black Spiced Rum, Royal Blue Curacao Liqueur, red passion fruit, and pomegranate juice and topped with an edible flower).
As The Little Mermaid is my favourite Disney movie, I of course needed to add this to the collection of Tiki mugs we were now taking home! The drink was delicious, probably my favourite of the night and so pretty to look at!
They have a great selection of drinks on the menu, but be sure to ask about the selection of drinks they have off the menu, like the TK-421 from Star Wars.
While it is mainly a bar, you will find a small selection of appetizers as well, like the Thai Chicken Flatbread, which was very tasty.
If, like me, you’ve missed the little spot of paradise on your previous Disney trips, I would highly recommend putting it on your must-do list on your next Disney adventure!
Tales of a Travel Addict 
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