I took my first solo trip to Disneyland this past Fall. It was an excellent trip, and I highly recommend the solo experience as a party of one if you get the opportunity!
While I was there, I took an evening to go eat at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki bar at the Disneyland Hotel. I was staying at the Disneyland Hotel and this made it really convenient for me to get seated at Trader Sam’s using the waitlist. While taking care of some other activities at the resort property, I simply signed up for waitlist seating. From the time I signed up on the Disneyland app at about 6pm, it took about an hour to get seated as a party of one.
Seating
I was hoping to get a seat at the bar to watch the bartending show and make friends with some other tiki people. When I first got there, the host very kindly sat me at a table for two off to one of the sides of the bar. This lovely table would have been great if I were there with a friend or my spouse. But, by myself, it seemed a little lonely. I asked if it would be possible to sit at the bar. She checked and came back to me pretty quickly – wish granted!
Once seated at the bar, I enjoyed a great show by the bartenders there. I found myself wondering how is it that one applies to be a bartender at Trader Sam’s. That must be one entertaining interview or audition process!
Food and Drink
Back to the food and drink at Trader Sam’s. I looked over the drink menu and I noticed there was a new Mai Tai mug. I can’t resist the HippopotoMai-Tai and of course had to get one with the souvenir mug. This is the 4th edition of that mug. And it was a delicious HippopotoMai-Tai! Some folks visit Trader Sam’s just for the tiki drinks. I was also there to get a bite to eat because I love poke. Trader Sam’s offered up a delicious poke bowl on the snack menu that you could have as a meal as well. I ordered it for dinner and it was well executed and tasty.
Souvenir Mugs
There is something to note for the souvenir mugs. The Trader Sam’s cast members will happily take your sticky mug away at the end of your drink. They they will send you home with a clean boxed mug that is ready to pack.
I happened to be seated at the bar next to another individual who was also a solo traveler. We made fast friends as tiki people are known to do. My new friend also ordered a drink and a souvenir mug. He ordered the Jose mug, and it came with a drink called Birds of a Feather. It looked delicious and was artfully presented in a tall boy glass for him to drink rather than in his souvenir mug. The Jose mug is such a special mug that when you order it, you don’t actually get to drink the drink out of the mug itself! This is a collector’s mug and you receive your pristine mug fully packaged before you leave. My new friend and I were not close enough friends to trade sip of each other’s drinks for evaluation, but he seemed to enjoy it.
Time To Go
As we got to talking and enjoying the show, the festive environment, and our food & drinks we lost track of time and 90 minutes flew by. The next thing you know, my barstool started to shrink! As a reminder, the barstools at Trader Sam’s have been known to shrink. It’s not that you’ve had too many tiki drinks. That’s just the bartenders using the hydraulics to playfully mess patrons. It also reminds you when your 90 minutes* are up. It’s a fantastic part of the experience. It’s also a bit startling to someone who has never been there and experienced a shrinking stool before!
Trader Sam’s and the tiki community did not disappoint on this solo trip. This is the perfect place to go to chat with other travelers and enjoy great food, drink and entertainment!
*Since it is a small venue, Trader Sam’s is one of the Disneyland restaurants with a maximum time for your restaurant experience…even for a party of one at the bar!
