Unique Lounge Menus return

[asianway]

Well, hard cover slipcases have anyway. In the past week, I saw branded Tambu Lounge and Cape May Cafe menus out. The inside drink menus seemed to be identical.

I am pretty sure they homogenized these around the time of Happiest Celebration on Earth.

Not a big change, but a step in the right direction.

 

[jakeman]

They did. And they won an award for their adult drink selection after they standardized it.

While a unique cocktail would be nice at each bar, I find their drink selection to be more than adequate.

 

[TinkerBell9988]

My friend's grandfather collects WDW paraphernalia, and one of the things that he saved was a lounge menu from the Top of the World restaurant at Contemporary... Each drink was named after a monorail. Monorail Red, Monorail Blue, etc. Very cool drink menu. And the menu itself was a stand-up, shaped like the A-frame of the Contemporary. (And the drinks were only $3.25!). I'd love to see a return of unique drink menus and selections.

 

[s8film40]

Yeah as it is now you might as well go to a Fridays or some other generic bar. People go to WDW for themed experiences not for standardized menus.

 

[donaldfan]

Tambu Lounge still has the Lapu Lapu -- get one every trip! Agreed though, that the standardized menus are more than adequate. The basil lemonade drink is great!!

 

[captainkidd]

Any drink you've gotten at one of the lounges before, you can still get. Sadly for the bartenders at the Tambu Lounge, they get asked "What's That?" in reference to a Lapu Lap about a thousand times per day.

 

[Kamikaze]

Well, hard cover slipcases have anyway. In the past week, I saw branded Tambu Lounge and Cape May Cafe menus out. The inside drink menus seemed to be identical.

I am pretty sure they homogenized these around the time of Happiest Celebration on Earth.

Not a big change, but a step in the right direction.

So are the actual menus the same? And they just look different? Or did they change up the menus too?

 

[asianway]

Dont know for sure, I dont order stuff off them enough to know if stuff came off or not.

I can say the Lapi Lapi is not on the menu but you can still get one. Theres also drawings of the Matterhorn and other attractions, so it makes me wonder if DLR will share them.

 

[RiverRooster]

I was at PORS when the new menus appeared for the first time. Although the covers are unique by location, the drinks can be found all over property. There are new offerings this season, and you can still find some familiar drinks (Magical Star, etc.). Each cover does have a place for a menu insert. Pool bars do have slightly different offerings from interior locations. If you are lucky enough to be served by a bartender that has been at a location that served unique drinks you may be lucky enough to get a resort specific classic!

 

[NadieMasK2]

Hmm. Not a fan of having standardized menus. I think it's fine for the resort pool bars but I like the uniqueness of places like Tambu and Victoria Falls. I have found that you can still order drinks from the past but it doesn't seem like all the bartenders learn the old ones. My favorite drink from the Tambu (Tradewinds) was removed from the menu a long time ago. I still order it but sometimes it's just really off. Not the same. But I guess this is par for the course of taking away unique retail offerings.

 

[s8film40]

Yeah I've ordered the monorail drinks at the contemporary. Sometimes they make them right and sometimes they just make something that is the same color as what you ask for.

 

[WDWTrojan]

To give you a bit of background on the liquor/bar menu situation… To save money, Disney actually doesn’t make these liquor menus at all – this started in about 2004-5. The menus are provided to Disney by a liquor vendor who Disney buys their liquor from. This vendor basically has sponsorship deals with various liquor brands, both for cash and steeply reduced product costs. It is this factor that explains why when you’re reading one of these menus, it will drop a name brand (Absolut® Vodka rather than just saying “vodka” or whatever). In turn, the liquor vendor can offer Disney a sharply reduced price if they agree to carry these menus at their owned/operated bars. I could be wrong, but I don’t think these aren’t even customized to Disney at all anymore. If so, it is just one page page. The same vendor provides this exact same menu, Glow-tini and all, to other hotel chains, restaurants and bars – Disney or otherwise.

While it might be nice for their bottom line, it is unfortunate for the guests who have to endure basically the same menu they will find at the Airport Hilton at every single Disney bar nowadays. I remember back in the day one of the treats of staying at the various hotels was to have a classy (and themed) signature cocktail at their bar (the Grand Floridian and DAK Lodge lounges come to mind), now I feel like I’m drinking at a TGI Fridays no matter which hotel I’m at.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

While the majority of the drink menu is the same, most places have a page on the back or front cover that does have a few lounge specific drinks (the Tambu lounge with the Lapu Lapu, backscratcher, etc). However, a lot of times these pages have a way of falling out of the menus, so you are going to want to check a few of these in order to find the specialities.

 

[CoasterKing]

Where is the Tambu Lounge and what is in a Lapu Lapu??

Thanks :wave:

CoasterKing:king:

 

[TinkerBell9988]

Yeah I've ordered the monorail drinks at the contemporary. Sometimes they make them right and sometimes they just make something that is the same color as what you ask for.

Where did you order them? I really want to try one!

 

[Pioneer Hall]

Where is the Tambu Lounge and what is in a Lapu Lapu??

Thanks :wave:

CoasterKing:king:

Tambu lounge is the lounge at the Polynesian. It is located upstairs right next to Ohana. The Lapu Lapu is a rum based drink that gained its popularity from being served in a hollowed pineapple. I tried one on my last trip and thought it was OK, but definitely not worth its 13 dollar price tag. I found the backscratcher to be more enjoyable and defintely had a better kick for a cheaper price (and it is also one of the Polynesian signature drinks).

 

[CoasterKing]

Thanks DisneyInsider !!

Maybe on our next trip we'll stop by the Polynesian and have a Backscratcher (the $13.00 price tag on the Lapu Lapu is kinda high)!! And I'm always looking for more BANG for my buck !! :ROFLOL:

CoasterKing :king: