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Trader Sam's Tiki Terrace

3.9 (19 reviews)
Open 3:30 pm - 11:00 PM
Updated 2 months ago

Trader Sam's Tiki Terrace Photos

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TRADER SAM'S TIKI TERRACE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Live music
Outdoor seating

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Electric light parade on the lake
Christopher A.

Trader Sam's Terrace is a great spot to grab drinks and soak in the atmosphere. The cocktails were surprisingly good value for the location, especially considering the quality and presentation. The ambience was excellent, and it really shines during the fireworks show -- such a fun and memorable experience with a perfect view. Our server was incredibly friendly and attentive, which made the visit even better. While the food and appetizer options were a bit underwhelming, the drinks, service, and overall vibe more than made up for it. Definitely worth a stop if you're looking for a relaxed place to enjoy drinks and the show.

Krakatoa Punch
Ryan C.

So we tried getting into the Grog Grotto/Tiki Bar inside but got turned away unfortunately, which is expected when you come too late. So we just kept walking and literally stumbled upon the Tiki Terrace right outside. We were able to sit down immediately when we walked in. The menu is pretty much the same but the drinks were still great (minus the cool glassware). I got a Spikey Pineapple which was mango rum blended with Dole Whip. My wife got the Krakatoa Punch. Super refreshing and I could've had a There was also a live musician and great view of the lake. Nice place to catch the sunset. The perfect option if you're not able to get into the Grotto but equally as cool.

Jess B.

A view to die for, friendly service and great drinks. What more could you ask for? The dole whip drink is the BEST thing they have on the menu. We love to come here any chance we can.

Spikey Pineapple
Matt P.

Located right next to Capt Cook's at the Polynesian resort, Trader Sam's Tiki Terrace is a nice place to grab a drink to end your evening. My friend and I stopped after getting dinner and we made sure to go early so that we could get a seat out on the terrace that would allow us to see the fireworks over the lake. We tried a variety of their drinks. The Tahitian Torch was Tito's vodka mixed with some tropical juices and (apparently) fresh lime juice, although I could not taste it. For $16.50, this was definitely not worth the price. The Spikey Pineapple had great flavor, and since I am not usually a rum person, the DOLEWhip Pineapple nicely cut the taste of the Cruzan mango rum. I also got a Blue Moon and we ordered some of the pan-fried dumplings. There was a man playing cover songs before the fireworks started and he was entertaining and funny as he interacted with the crowd. Overall the setting of Trader Sam's trumps the actual drinks but if you need a relaxing place to watch the fireworks at the end of the night, this could be your spot.

Menu
Christina C.

Trader Sam's was stop one of many on our Disney resort bar crawl! The grotto had a long wait so we stepped out to the terrace instead, which was pretty lively as well but at least we could easily make an order. As you do during any bar crawl you make reckless decisions, and mine was ordering the Polynesian Pearl which cost way too much but I wanted the Pearl cup that it came in so why not right? It was absolutely delicious and STRONG (RumChata, Grand Mariner, fruit juices) so it was right up my alley! Some of the other members of the group had margaritas or the Krakatoa Punch which were also great choices! The live music on the terrace was a nice touch as well! I'm not sure if it's just for the weekend or an every evening thing but I'd love to go back and spend some more time here!

a view of a marina
Lisa H.

This was stop number two on our monorail crawl. I loved the ambiance of the resort from the moment you step off the monorail to the view of the lobby from upstairs. The resort was very busy and the first restaurant we hoped to eat at had a 90 minute wait time. We were directed downstairs to quick service dining but happened upon Trader Sam's which had been suggested by our great bartender Ray at the Contemporary, stop #1. We found the Grotto Bar and it looked amazing but there was another long wait time. Around the corner was the real find...a sit down quick service outdoor dining experience as part of Trader Sam's. This wasn't mentioned by any of the staff but I am so glad we stumbled upon it. We ordered tacos and lettuce wraps. They also had flatbreads on the menu. It was very limited but perfect for us. The outdoor seating was picnic style overlooking the water. There was live music playing and the tiki torches were lit, not to mention both the food and our server were pretty great. We high fived another great find and were off to stop #3!

HippopotoMai-Tai
Joseph H.

SERVICE: 5 FOOD QUALITY: N/A DRINK QUALITY: 5 ORDER TIME: 5 AESTHETICS: 5 NOISE LEVEL: 5 MENU SELECTION: 3 OVERALL EXPERIENCE: 4.7 On day one of our Disney adventure we decided that we wanted some tiki drinks before heading home. We originally wanted to go to Trader Sams Grog Grotto, but the hostess informed us that it was a 2 hour wait. She did direct us to their terrace. After browsing through Yelp I realized that the terrace didn't exist so I spent time making a thread to help people who want to experience good tiki drinks, but are deterred from a wait of the grotto. The outdoor bartenders were super fun, and looked like they loved working there. They have a huge waterfall right next to the tables with a view of the lake, and even had live music. I wound up choosing the HippopotoMai-Tai tiki drink. It was mixed to perfection with the perfect amount of alcohol to juice ratio. I do enjoy the tiki glasses, but it looked like they only served in the plastic cups due to being outside. My partner had the tiki tiki tiki tiki tiki rum drink, and it was my favorite. I had to drive home so I didn't order another drink, but I want one so bad now. Overall, this place was perfect to get an idea to what they serve in the Grotto. The drinks are amazing, and we are looking forward to going back. The Grotto is first come first serve so expect a wait when you go, but the terrace seems to be open. Just grab a table and enjoy the scenery with drinks.

Thai chicken flatbread, Kalua pork tacos, Mele Kaliki-Mai Tai

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Review Highlights - Trader Sam's Tiki Terrace

Grab a Dole Whip (around the corner) and get an outdoor bar table at 2:30.

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Wailulu Bar & Grill - Musubi appetizer

Wailulu Bar & Grill

4.4(111 reviews)
0.1 miDisney World, Horizons West / West Orlando

I'm going to do my best to try and put into words how fantastic this place is. This is hands-down,…read moremy new favorite place to eat on property. Especially... And please take note of this... Especially if you're doing the Magic Kingdom Park for the day... You have to come here for lunch or dinner. It's no secret that Magic Kingdom is notorious for not having the best food options. This will save your trip lol. Take a boat over and enjoy an amazing meal. I went there twice in one vacation. That's how great this place is. Not only are the view scenic, but it's a covered outdoor bar as well as a restaurant inside. I would highly recommend that the weather permits to sit outdoors. You get a wonderful breeze and a beautiful view of Magic Kingdom/Bay Lake. Now let's talk food. I have yet to get something bad from here. Every single dish has been fantastic. The fish was flaky, and the sauce was a great combination savory/slight tart from the lime. It's a very refreshing and filling meal. Now this pork shank... This pork shank changed my life lol. You can go ahead and put your knife to the side because you will not need it. It falls off the bone. Combine that with the garlic rice and you're an absolute heaven. My mouth is watering just typing this out lol. The octopus is my favorite appetizer I've gotten. Is very easy to overcook octopus but they do an amazing job making sure it cuts like butter. And sweet potato hummus is a great pic for a healthier option. Now let's just dedicate a moment to the chocolate cake. I have yet to have a dessert on property that tastes as good as this dessert. The combination of the chocolate sponge cake with a caramel mousse, and whatever the hell else they put in this thing... If I had no self-control, I would've eaten the whole thing by myself lol. They garnish it with a brûléed banana... which is just...*chefs kiss* I cannot recommend this place enough. I will say from what I've seen on the app. It is tough to get a reservation here, but I've lucked out the last couple of times. We're just walking up and getting direct seating. From what hotel concierge has told me, if you are staying at another resort, but would like to come here, you cannot pull up to the gate and say you would like to eat here. You have to have a reservation. So they recommended taking a bus to the Magic Kingdom or transportation and ticket center and heading to the Polynesian from there. OK, that's everything I got for you! I cannot wait to come back and eat here again!

After hearing great things, I was so excited to eat here, and I ended up having a horrible…read moreexperience. We were sat and it took about 10 minutes for our waiter to come to our table. He asked if we were DVC members, which my sister is. She logged into her DVC account on the web version, and the waiter said that was not acceptable and she had to add the card to her wallet, which wasn't an option. He made her log into the app, which is no different than the web version. In a rude tone, he said "I'm so sorry that was such an inconvience for you." After this, we were treated horribly. We were spoken to with an attitude, he didn't check on us once and he would interact with other tables and purposely ignore us. Drinks were not refilled, straws were not offered and the whole experience was awful. We ended up asking for a manager, and one was not sent to our table. Instead, we had to flag one down. It unfortunately doesn't end there. My nieces food came out 20 minutes before our food. By the time our food arrived, they had finished their food. Other tables with kids received their food at the same time. I ordered the glass noodles and shrimp, which was fine. It really just tasted like salt, the shrimp were chewy and the portion was small. The manager removed the kids meals from our bill. I will not be back.

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Wailulu Bar & Grill - Interior

Interior

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SPAM Musubi

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Trader Sam's Grog Grotto

Trader Sam's Grog Grotto

4.2(421 reviews)
0.0 miDisney World, Horizons West / West Orlando
$$

Trader Sam's is always a fun time. Tiki bars are a cool vibe. But adding the interactive elements…read morewith the lights, sounds, props, animations in the artwork. It's a fun time. Make sure to get there early so you can add your name to the wait list. Friday night we waited about 2 hours checking in at 8pm. Loved our drinks! Tasty and nice looking. It's always a must do when resort hopping if you have the time.

As a tiki bar aficionado, Trader Sam's is the real deal. Besides the authentic atmosphere (with…read moreanimation, no less!), potent drinks and interesting history, the phenomenally entertaining staff bring the experience to the next level. Bonus for the cool tiki mugs you can buy and add to your collection (I still have my mom's tiki glasses from the 60s and 70s). Depending on what drink you order, they may lower the lights, turn on the volcano and start chanting. I'll be honest, as an introvert, this wasn't my jam the first time I visited, because we were seated at the bar and the bartenders chose me for one of the acts. But the last two times, we were seated at a table in the very back and I love to watch from my dark corner. My husband ordered a zombie and our waitress did a hilarious zombie act as she brought it over to him. It's just so fun. I ordered a pineapple drink that featured Dole Whip and I didn't love it because the consistency was reminiscent of a Slurpee rather than Dole Whip. I feel like drinks are a little hit or miss and some are strong AF so know what you're getting into. Other things to keep in mind: if there's just two of you and you're not sitting at the bar, you will share a table. I don't love this but it is what it is. One time the couple we were seated with was cool but this last time, I made the mistake of making a light political comment that was meant with stony silence... my bad, but I don't need to think about putting my foot in my mouth if I'm not seated with strangers. All good, though, because for half the time we had our four-top to ourselves. This place is great for groups if you're willing to wait. Use the My Disney Exp app to put your name on the waitlist.

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Trader Sam's Grog Grotto
Trader Sam's Grog Grotto
Trader Sam's Grog Grotto - Salmon Oshizushi

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Steakhouse 71

Steakhouse 71

3.8(855 reviews)
0.9 miDisney World, Horizons West / West Orlando
$$

We came here to cool off after a day at MK. My son wanted a milkshake that this bar was not…read moreselling, but they had it upstairs. Our super amazing bartender told us to hold on. He went upstairs and had one made for him. Dude. The look on my son's face was priceless. Thank you for making his day. 24.05.2026

We have found this restaurant to be consistently fantastic no matter what time of day, in regard to…read moreboth service and food. We've done breakfast, lunch, and dinner and have loved it all. For breakfast we got the American breakfast and the bacon and cheddar grits. The eggs were perfectly cooked to order, bacon was crispy, and the grits had a creamy consistency without being too runny or thick. The bacon and cheddar were tasted all throughout. The potatoes were my least favorite because I don't like bell pepper and onion, but they were large enough to pick out. For lunch we got the stack burger and grilled chicken sandwich. The grilled chicken was juicy and paired nicely with the herb aïoli. Plus you can't go wrong with avocado, melted mozzarella, and crispy bacon. Everything tasted fresh. I prefer my fries in a more shoestring style. They were seasoned, but it was too much potato for me. The stack burger is something special. The bun is soft, fresh, and able to withstand the burger patties and topping without being soggy from first to last bite. The lemon aïoli tastes like mayo with a hint of citrus. These are the juiciest patties I've ever tasted. You don't even need the aïoli. Despite being "smashed style", I was blown away at how much flavor, juice, and tenderness could be in such a thin patty. The pork belly also added a little fat to the bite. This was OUTSTANDING! I got the petite Caesar salad because I didn't want fries and I don't like pasta salad. The lettuce was a mix of crisp and other parts were wilted. This just didn't have much flavor that you typically get in a Caesar that is usually salty, peppery, and/or garlicky. The burger was so good, I could skip the sides altogether. For dinner, we got the brioche, French onion soup, bacon & eggs, and center cut filet. The sea salt dusted brioche comes with butter and roasted garlic tomato spread. I'll be honest, the only reason we ordered this was to soak up the rest of the French onion soup lol. The tomato spread had a bell pepper flavor to it and since I don't eat bell peppers, I scooped to the bottom to find the roasted garlic. The bread was dense, but I liked the flaky salt on it. It was an effective vehicle for finishing my soup bowl clean, but I wouldn't order it to eat on its own. Now, this is my FAVORITE French onion soup on property. It is rich and cheesy. The broth has so much depth with the beef flavor and caramelized onions. The cheese is perfectly broiled with those crispy bits on the edges and the cheese-pull is insane. I will always get this here. The bacon & eggs are pork belly with smoked cheese grits and a poached egg. The pork belly was fatty with a nice slightly sweet glaze. I like to dip in it in the yolk of the poached egg and get a scoop of the creamy, cheese grits for a perfect bite. The filet was seasoned and seared and cooked to medium as requested. The red wine sauce adds a nice contrast to the richness of the filet. The mashed potatoes were creamy and buttery. Overall, we are big fans of Steakhouse 71. It's casual at breakfast and lunch and more upscale at dinner, but you can still wear normal park attire.

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Steakhouse 71
Steakhouse 71
Steakhouse 71

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Outer Rim

Outer Rim

4.1(42 reviews)
0.9 miDisney World, Horizons West / West Orlando
$$

Outer Rim is a great place to grab a drink when at the contemporary!! They don't serve any food but…read moreare conveniently located next to a quick serve location that has tons of good snacks! The bar tenders are always friendly! Keep in mind there isn't always someone walking around taking orders, so sometimes you'll have to go up and get them yourselves! It's a comfy and cozy spot but can get a little loud because it's right next to Chef Mickeys. Overall one of my go tos!

If you ever wondered what it's like to sip cocktails while the Magic Kingdom twinkles in the…read moredistance, the answer is Outer Rim -- a bar that feels like a Star Wars cantina designed by mid-century architects on vacation. First off, let me sing the praises of Nick, the bartender. The man isn't just pouring drinks -- he's orchestrating symphonies. Think less "guy behind the counter" and more "liquid therapist with Jedi reflexes." He's got that Bourdain-level wit, too. You come in for a drink, you leave with a story. Speaking of drinks: the chocolate margarita. Yeah, I said it. At first I thought it was Disney sorcery gone wrong. Chocolate and tequila? Madness. But one sip in, and I was ready to sign adoption papers. It's smooth, decadent, and mischievous in a way Walt probably never intended. If Hershey's and Jose Cuervo had a love child, Nick is the godfather. The vibe here? Perfect. Quiet enough to escape the chaos below, but lively enough that you don't feel like you've accidentally stumbled into a hotel lobby AA meeting. Sit by the window, order whatever Nick recommends, and toast to the fact that somehow Disney still knows how to make magic for grown-ups. Outer Rim isn't just a bar -- it's proof that sometimes the best ride at Disney doesn't even have a wait time.

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Outer Rim - Watermelon Margarita

Watermelon Margarita

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Cigar City Jai Alai IPA

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Trader Sam's Tiki Terrace - tikibars - Updated May 2026

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