On March 28th, after what seemed to be a lifetime of waiting, Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort opened its doors to the public! I feel if you are reading this article you already have a pretty good idea what Sam’s is, but a basic run down is it is a Tiki bar designed after the bars of the 50/60’s with a HUGE helping of Disney magic!
Before our story can start we have to talk about the lead up to Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto. In May of 2011 at the Disneyland Hotel, as part of the overall hotel renovation, a small area was built to fill the void left by the Neverland Bar that had been removed about a year earlier. Its name was Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar. Between the interactive drinks, sinking bar stools, and amazing skippers serving some of the most fun drinks to hit Disneyland since the Mint Julep, this place became more than just a bar. It was a place to have fun!
So we fast forward to 2014 and the Disney’s Polynesian Resort is due for a big facelift, so what better place to put a Tiki type bar than in the new renamed Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. What better space to turn into a place for adults to spend their nights drinking away than where kids spent days playing video games?
So now we jump in our DeLorean and set the time circuits for March 28, 2015 (a little over a year from the date I took the arcade picture) to the soft opening of Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto. Now you may be asking yourself how did we know about said soft opening, well two things really gave it away. The first being a sign that appeared next to the door to Sam’s giving more of a statement of not open today, meaning to any die hard Disney fan it would be opening soon!
But the second one, the one that really gave it all away, was a post on the Disney Parks Blog saying “soft opening March 28” which was a dead give a way that is the day to be there!
At 8am 2 die hard fellows started the first line to enter the Grotto! 
But what started as 2 (I was officially the 3rd person in line) would steadily grow as the day went on with the 4pm opening time being what we were all waiting for! I have waited in lines for opening for DCA, Disneyland’s 50th, and the reopening of DCA along with countless numbers of attraction openings and merchandise events and without a doubt the line for Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto was the most relaxed fun times I have ever had! The day started with a Dole Whip delivery by a skipper from Sam himself for the first few of us die hards!
As the line started to grow and the sun started to break through the clouds it was time for us all to sit down (we asked if we could move the tables) and play a fun card game.
More Trader Sam’s Tiki goodness on the next page…
