Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar is located in the Disneyland Hotel at the Disneyland Resort. As our favorite bar on property, this review will discuss its atmosphere, drinks and food. We love Trader Sam’s immensely and try to make a visit each time we stop by Disneyland. Trust us, it’s that good.
Background
Trader Sam’s was born during the massive refurbishment of the Disneyland Hotel back in 2011. It currently occupies a spot next to Tangaroa Terrance, in the middle of the Disneyland Hotel pool complex. Inspired by both the Jungle Cruise (hence, Trader Sam) and tiki bar culture (hence Enchanted Tiki Bar), Trader Sam’s is a perfect blend of the romanticized version of the jungle presented by Disneyland and the outstanding drinks of tiki bar culture.
For those who do not remember, Trader Sam is the lovely individual we meet at the very end of the Jungle Cruise. Our skipper informs us of his great trade, two of his shrunken heads for one of ours! All jokes aside, his name also plays into tiki culture. Victor Bergeron, commonly known as Trader Vic, is widely known for his hugely properly restaurants celebrating tiki bar culture, Trader Vic’s.
Although tiki culture began to take shape in the 1930s, it gained popularity after the Second World War, as American service personnel ached to visit the exotic locations of the seven seas without actually going. Presenting an idealized South Pacific, Trader Vic invented the Mai Tai and helped popularize tiki classics, like the Zombie or Navy Grog.
Trader Sam’s at Disneyland pays homage to this colorful tiki bar history and the Jungle Cruise. Disney Imagineering spared no expense to create this perfectly blended mix of cultures. Disney is known for theming its restaurants. Throughout my Disney experiences, Trader Sam’s performs the best, taking me straight out of reality and into the Seven Seas.
The Bar
Upon entering the bar, you’ll instantly be taken away. The walls are jammed with items and decorations. After a few cocktails, walk around the bar and look at all the different treasures Disney Imagineering left behind for drunk patrons. I don’t want to spoil any easter eggs, but I highly recommend reading everything around your table. You will not be disappointed.
Inside, you will also notice “windows” around the bar, but instead of the Disneyland Hotel they show us a view of the Seven Seas and a volcano. Very interesting. Wonder why that is?
At the bar itself, you will meet a different kind of skipper. Instead of a skipper with old dry jokes that culminate with the backside of water, these skippers do something else. They mix all of these wonderful liquids together. Like a science. It’s fascinating to watch. And then they give you this concoction. After drinking it, you feel good and happy with how much money the Walt Disney Company charges you. At that moment in time, all is right with the world.
In all seriousness, the bar itself is seriously decorated. There is a ship in the bottle that moves? We’ll get back to that later. There is also a large bell? Yes, we will get back to that later. Trader Sam’s is no ordinary bar. You are at Disneyland after all. It’s time to put on a show. But before we do, let’s order a round. Or two.
The Drinks
This is probably the most important section of the review and I apologize it took me so long to get here. Trader Sam’s is just so darn cool. Anyway, I will list each of the specialty drinks below. The bar also serves beer and wine but that’s no fun. We can drink that at home on a Tuesday. Without further ado, the glorious drink menu:
- Uh-Oa!
- Krakatoa Punch
- HippopotoMai-Tai
- Pago Pago Cocktail
- Angolada
- Mosquito Mojito
- Shrunken Zombie Head
- Shipwreck on the Rocks
- Piranha Pool
- Tangaroa Cooler
- Zambezi Sour
- Sea Monster’s Embrace
- La Florida
- Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum
- Safari Swizzle
- Various Mocktails
As with most tiki drinks, almost every item on the above list is rum based. And that also means different blends of rum mixed together to create unique flavors. The bar is stocked with a variety of quality rums, from Appleton Estate to one of my personal favorites, Hamilton. Although Bacardi and Sailor Jerry’s are used in some drinks, they do not degrade those drinks.
The drinks are mixed with plenty of juices and syrups, which to my knowledge are made in house and not cheap, store bough products. A tiki drink is heavily dependent on quality citrus and syrups, as much as it is on its rum and rum blends. I have never had a drink at Trader Sam’s that tasted artificial and flat, as would be expected with cheap, ready made products.
Stella and I have tried every drink on the menu. Below are our top three:
- Shrunken Zombie Head: Appleton Estate Reserve Rum, Bacardi 8 yr Rum, Hamilton 151, Tropical Juice (Lime and Grapefruit), Falernum, and Cinnamon
- Shipwreck on the Rocks: Maker’s Mark Bourbon with Organic Agave Nectar and Freshly Muddled Lemon and Mint
- Uh-Oa! (Recommended for two or more): Bacardi Superior Rum, Myers Original Dark Rum, Juice of the Orange, Passion Fruit, Guava, Pineapple and Grapefruit, Falernum, Cinnamon, and Fresh Lime Juice.
All three are excellent and you can’t go wrong with either one. The Shrunken Zombie Head reflects a traditional zombie with its blend of spices and different rums, including one of my favorite demerara rums, Hamilton 151. Shipwreck on the Rocks is a refreshing bourbon-based drink if you’ve had too much rum that day. And the Uh-Oa, probably the most famous drink on the menu (think fire).
As a fully functional tiki bar, most of the drinks have their own special tiki mugs/bowls (as do all three above). You don’t have to buy it when you order your drink (like Oga’s), but the only way to get a certain tiki mug is to order that drink. Keep in mind they sell out regularly and update their mugs every so often. Occasionally, Trader Sam’s will sell special, limited edition mugs. These special mugs are only available for a limited time. Past examples include a Jungle Cruise Boat mug and a Hatbox Ghost mug.
Additionally, if sitting at the bar, you can go off menu. The classic tiki cocktails of Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic’s can be ordered (as long as the needed ingredients are in stock). I’ve ordered Navy Grogs and Aku Aku’s and they’ve been excellent.
You can also ask your skipper for a ‘Dealer’s Choice’. The Skipper will ask for your preferences and create a cocktail just for you. As I’ve had every drink multiple times, this is now my go to order. At this point, I try to order from a different Skipper each time for variety. And if you are new to rum and tiki in general, this is an excellent way to build your palette and try some new and exciting rums. Speaking about exciting…
The Show
As I mentioned above, Trader Sam’s is an experience. We already know the drinks have fantastic names (yes, you have to say Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum) and an extensive ingredient lists. So, what happens when you do order a drink?
What, you thought it’s just a place that serves alcohol? Nah, I told you, this is Trader Sam’s. We’ll start with one of my favorites, Shipwreck on the Rocks. As you’re handed your drink, a freak storm takes over the bar. That ship in the bottle? It’s in dangerous waters as it sails, rain flooding its decks, literally. Your skipper? He’s lost in the rain too as he grabs a squirt bottle and shoots water in the air, bringing the whole bar into the storm. But not before he rings the bell to get everyone’s attention!
Oh the Uh-Oa. With this drink order, you must please the tiki gods themselves. As another freak storm overtakes the bar, your drink is on fire. But fear not!
Your drink bowl (not a glass, this is a sharing drink remember) contains cinnamon. To please the tiki gods, we must build them a great fire. Take your cinnamon and throw it into the flames! Please the tiki gods! Once you do, a bowl of rum and some juice awaits! Do it for the rum!
Now, not all drinks are presented with a show. I won’t spoil the others so I’ll let you learn as you order every drink of the menu. But it’s super fun to order different drinks and watch the skippers and waiters perform. It certainly adds to the experience and solidifies Trader Sam’s as a great place to enjoy a tiki beverage.
The Food
Trader Sam’s does sell food. It shares a kitchen with Tangaroa Terrance, the Disneyland Hotel’s counter service restaurant. The menus are similar and Trader Sam’s features Asian/Polynesian dishes. Items include pot stickers, sweet spicy sticky wings and a cheeseburger for those less adventures eaters. The cheeseburger is the only real meal item on the menu, as the rest are appetizers.
Stella and I usually go for lunch and order a couple plates to share. If I am really hungry, I’ll order the burger, but more than likely some plates of appetizers will be enough. The food is good and we highly recommend you sample some of its dishes but it’s not the star like the drinks. Trader Sam’s is more for drinking. Besides, the drinks are way more fun and after a couple, I don’t really think about food anymore.
Strategy
With all its greatness, Trader Sam’s is small. Like the whole bar can probably seat about 30ish people? In order to have an intimate atmosphere where all patrons and skippers become part of the experience, the bar can’t be too big and it works well with its size. However, this means it may be difficult to grab a seat, especially during busy days. I did notice the bar was more quiet when Galaxy’s Edge first opened, but that is no longer the case.
So what to do? Stella and I always plan to arrive at the 11:30AM opening when we visit the park during the day. We try to be in line for the 11:30AM opening by 11AM. With this strategy we’ve never had any issue finding a seat. The bar is most quiet in the early afternoon. We’ve even shown up at 11:20AM and found a line of just a few people. If you are visiting Disneyland during the day, plan to arrive by 11AM to grab a seat.
If you are visiting in the evening, it may be trickier. The bar is quieter Monday through Thursday than it is over the weekend. But it depends. With only about 30 seats, it doesn’t take much to fill the bar fast. We’ve shown up at 4PM on a Wednesday to find the place packed only to come on a Friday evening and find it empty. Again, just depends. The only proven strategy I know works is arriving at opening.
But fear not! If the bar is packed, you can order the drinks on the outside patio. There is some seating and if that’s full, there is an outside bar for to go orders. However, you will lose out of the full experience as the show isn’t outside. But it is better than nothing. Plus, you can walk around the hotel with a Zombie!
COVID Changes
In terms of changes since COVID, there have been some. Over the summer of 2021, the bar kept changing its seating system, but since September it seems to have stabilized. As of now, the inside is open from 11:30AM – 12AM and the outside opens thirty minutes earlier at 11AM. We still arrive no later than 11AM to get in line to sit inside. However, you no longer meet at the front of Trader Sam’s.
Instead, you meet the host at the entrance to Tangaroa Terrace. Inform the host/hostess you would like to sit inside. They will take your information and then send you a text when your table is ready. If arriving after 11:30AM, you can join the walk-up list via the Disneyland App and a text will be sent when you can arrive at the host/hostess stand. You can no longer walk into the bar unless you have been led in by a host/hostess. All to-go orders are via the the window by Tangaroa Terrace.
Conclusion
I hope this review of Trader Sam’s helps. Again, it is our favorite bar and restaurant at the Disneyland Resort. The atmosphere and theming are top notch, the drinks are out of this world and the food is pretty good. The skippers and waiters are all apart of the show, bringing you into tiki bar culture and out of reality.
Plus, the bar is accessible by everyone. Since it’s located at the Disneyland Hotel, anyone can visit. Park admission is not required. Plus, those dining at the Disneyland Hotel receive three hours of complementary parking with validation. Seriously, check out Trader Sam’s, you will not be disappointed.
I can’t wait to head back to the bar, order a Shrunken Zombie Head and reflect on my life decisions as I sip more and more rum. And when I’m done, Space Mountain will be that much more fun. Go yourself and build your own experience.
Thoughts?
Thanks for reading our review of Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at the Disneyland Hote;. We hope the review was helpful and that it be your guide next time you visit Disneyland. We visit the bar once a month and we will add new content if needed! In the meantime, please read our review of the Disneyland Hotel HERE and our favorite bar at California Adventure, Lamplight Lounge HERE!
Have you been to Trader Sam’s? What did you think? Do you agree it’s the best bar at Disneyland? Is there another bar you prefer? What do you think of the Shrunken Zombie Head? Ever taken a shot of Hamilton 151? Let us know in the comments below!
