Disney is going to scale back the Polynesian DVC plans in a big way.

[71jason]

Part of what makes the original great IS the intimate nature of the place.

This. The effects wouldn't work in a larger environment. Guest demand won't allow the time to make the true tiki drinks currently offered. And the whole place will be overrun with locals. I hope to be pleasantly surprised, but there are a lot of potential issues here--Orlando is not Anaheim.

 

[Duckberg]

Tiki décor & drink quality. I know Disney will do great job on décor for TS @ the Poly, but consistent Tiki drink quality will be the KEY for me!

 

[fbb]

Trader Sams will be a TDO disaster, it will be 20 times larger and the only thing it will have in common with the 'Real' Trader Sam's will be the name and the drink effects and the Lifestylers will lap it up and say its the greatest ever. Part of what makes the original great IS the intimate nature of the place.

I think most of the lifestylers if served a dish of dog poo by Disney at event would call it chocolate mousse...

For my purposes, the Tambu lounge is better than Trader Sams, anyway.

 

[ford91exploder]

Tiki décor & drink quality. I know Disney will do great job on décor for TS @ the Poly, but consistent Tiki drink quality will be the KEY for me!

Oh how I WISH that were true, TDO will do the minimum possible on theming and drink quality, well that will be down the drain,

TDO's next innovation will be drink pak's all the drinks will be premixed offsite so they don't need to hire bartenders.

 

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

Oh how I WISH that were true, TDO will do the minimum possible on theming and drink quality, well that will be down the drain,

TDO's next innovation will be drink pak's all the drinks will be premixed offsite so they don't need to hire bartenders.

Stop Giving Them Ideas

 

[ford91exploder]

Stop Giving Them Ideas

I'm sorry i've been in the corporate world too long I know EXACTLY how these dudes think, And my job is to fix messes caused by these thought patterns.

And this is why my posts frequently drip with cynicism, Been there done that and got the scars to prove it.

Besides what's the difference for Disney they do this ALREADY for food it's prepared offsite and packed in bags which just need to be dumped in boiling water. No need for Chefs...

 

[Unplugged]

TDO's next innovation will be drink pak's all the drinks will be premixed offsite so they don't need to hire bartenders.

Of course, these drinks will be self servable in a Rapid Fill Tiki Mug for $149.95 length of stay, but only permits fills every 30 minutes.

 

[ford91exploder]

Of course, these drinks will be self servable in a Rapid Fill Tiki Mug for $149.95 length of stay, but only permits fills every 30 minutes.

And people accuse ME of giving TDO bad ideas !

 

[ford91exploder]

And here is a patent for a premixed drink

http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20100215814

 

[RSoxNo1]

Oh and call it prejudice if you want, but if I'm running a private business I'm cutting off the Brazilians. They lack basic manners and are really a burden on everyone that's there. Go ahead blast me for saying it, but it's true.

Sorry to the Brazilians that are nice and treat others while in other countries with respect, but I don't see much of that.

I've certainly run into South American tour groups that were obnoxious, but on the trip earlier this month I encountered a lot of them and they weren't a problem at all. I know this is a very "liberal" statement, but I think it simple comes from a large group of people: You're going to have pockets of that group that are annoying and rude. Because this particular group stands out due to identical outfits it makes them easier to identify and single out.

 

[KeithVH]

I was in Bou-tiki Wednesday and Friday and had a long conversation each time with some of the older CMs. None of them are very happy about Wyland and upcoming changes there. And they were VERY vocal about it.

And I may have missed it, but does anyone know why the quiet pool was closed this week? Not all week but on at least 3 days I saw signage up (middle of the afternoon too). No one I talked to had a clue as to why.

 

[JimboJones123]

Tell me more about this Dole Whip bar....

How it will be like the "by weight" FroYo places. How a $4 Dole Whip will now be $11.

 

[Zac Skellington]

I think that is also what is possibly lacking. I am in no way a Poly Expert - but for some reason during my visit - something just seemed off. I remember when there was this tropical smell and everything just seemed so grand - I really felt like I was in the seas. Now I have a feeling that Poly is just another resort with in your face cheapened themes. I was not impressed. Needlesstosay, I would not spend the money it costs to stay here.

On our most recent trip to AK, I noticed something was "off". I soon found that the more exotic smelling airfresheners from EcoLabs were gone and a different brand was in place. These just smell like Any Bathroom, USA. I'm sure this new vendors had a "better" deal for TDO.

 

[kkocka]

Trader Sams will be a TDO disaster, it will be 20 times larger and the only thing it will have in common with the 'Real' Trader Sam's will be the name and the drink effects and the Lifestylers will lap it up and say its the greatest ever. Part of what makes the original great IS the intimate nature of the place.

100% this. I'm a regular at Sam's and as such feel somewhat protective of it. People need to keep in mind that it is a hotel bar and not a standalone joint. Those who have complained about size need to keep that in mind, and that also like any other Disney attraction, you have to figure out when the good and bad times are to be there. I've been there plenty of times were the crowds were low or I had the place all to myself (at opening or as a hotel guest.)

When you increase the size of Sam's you HAVE to put in just as much attention to detail as you do over in CA. This ranges from the quality of the bartenders (who on average can make you many detailed tiki drinks and are very knowledgable/wide-ranged), to the prop design, to the drinks. Tambu Lounge does NOT make a mai tai - far from the real thing. Now while an official drink recipe guide will be sent over and essentially solve that problem, you gotta employ people who live the life and are a part of the culture - which many of the bartenders at Sam's are, meaning you'll find them at places like Don the Beachcomber's or craft cocktail lounges.

So when you make Sam's a monstrosity in terms of size, I believe you'll also get a proportionate decrease of authenticity and quality.

 

[asianway]

100% this. I'm a regular at Sam's and as such feel somewhat protective of it. People need to keep in mind that it is a hotel bar and not a standalone joint. Those who have complained about size need to keep that in mind, and that also like any other Disney attraction, you have to figure out when the good and bad times are to be there. I've been there plenty of times were the crowds were low or I had the place all to myself (at opening or as a hotel guest.)

When you increase the size of Sam's you HAVE to put in just as much attention to detail as you do over in CA. This ranges from the quality of the bartenders (who on average can make you many detailed tiki drinks and are very knowledgable/wide-ranged), to the prop design, to the drinks. Tambu Lounge does NOT make a mai tai - far from the real thing. Now while an official drink recipe guide will be sent over and essentially solve that problem, you gotta employ people who live the life and are a part of the culture - which many of the bartenders at Sam's are, meaning you'll find them at places like Don the Beachcomber's or craft cocktail lounges.

So when you make Sam's a monstrosity in terms of size, I believe you'll also get a proportionate decrease of authenticity and quality.

Do you really think your typical WDW guest would care?

 

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

I was in Bou-tiki Wednesday and Friday and had a long conversation each time with some of the older CMs. None of them are very happy about Wyland and upcoming changes there. And they were VERY vocal about it.

And I may have missed it, but does anyone know why the quiet pool was closed this week? Not all weebut on at least 3 days I saw signage up (middle of the afternoon too). No one I talked to had a clue as to why.

If you don't mind sharing, what were they saying about the closing of wyland?

 

[KeithVH]

There have been "discussions" about the CMs being able to identify and watch for those who have enjoyed their adult beverages too much so they can be reported to security. It seems there are concerns by some staff that adding another bar is just asking for trouble. And the CMs already have their own jobs to do and really don't want to be responsible to act as "Citizens on Patrol".

 

[kkocka]

Do you really think your typical WDW guest would care?

I can't speak 100% as to what a typical WDW guest would care about - I think they vary from the typical DL guest which are almost guaranteed to be Southern California locals. But my concern isn't for the average guest, its for the regulars - and I don't mean regular barflies. The average guest probably doesn't know the difference between a pineapple juice/orange juice/grenadine/coconut rum sludge excuse of a mai tai vs the real thing, but it doesn't mean that the best show shouldn't always be put on anyway. The typical guest probably just wants to have fun on attractions in the park and see Mickey Mouse and walk away thinking "oh that was neat." There's much more than that.

People have been clamouring for a Trader Sam's in Florida for a few years now - so if it has to be done, why bother if its going to be half-assed and unable to replicate the experiences that have been the cause for the clamouring to begin with?

 

[dreamfinder]

People have been clamouring for a Trader Sam's in Florida for a few years now - so if it has to be done, why bother if its going to be half-assed and unable to replicate the experiences that have been the cause for the clamouring to begin with?

Why are we assuming that by scaling up the size a bit it won't be as intimate/unique? If I recall correctly, isn't max occupancy indoors at Sams like 30 or something similar? I'll admit that Smugglers Cove isn't much bigger (another outstanding Tiki Bar located in San Fran) occupancy wise, but their 3 levels spreads out the crowd fairly well. But comparing Sams to say, the Adventurer's Club, couldn't a similar setup still work? Talking about just the bar area here, but going to like 125 or so guests wouldn't kill the experience. Keep nooks and crannies, etc. Roll with a few smaller bars, divide the area up into smaller chunks so it's not one big room, totally doable.

 

[kkocka]

Max occupancy is much higher than 30 I know that, closer to 50. But think about what works with Sam's - its intimate (which means small, close quarters, chummy, etc), and the effects are shared with everybody. Smaller chunks means that you don't share the experience. You suddenly have a separation between the patrons and/or duplication of otherwise special props and effects. So there's going to be 2 or 3 sinking Wicked Wenches whenever somebody orders a Shipwreck on the Rocks? The shared show is what makes Sam's unique - otherwise yes you could have an ordinary tiki bar like Forbidden Island, Don the Beachcomber's, Smuggler's Cove, etc. Exactly how many windows does Sam's need in order to fulfill the "volcano needs" of a bar 2-3x the size?

Again, its intended as a hotel bar to accommodate the surrounding 3 towers of The Disneyland Hotel. Naturally anybody is welcome to come and sit as you would with any other bar or hotel bar, but this is why it likely will make a home in FLA at the Polynesian Resort and not Disney Springs.