Trader Sam's at Disneyland Hotel

Today after work I headed over to the Disneyland Hotel to check out the new restaurant and bar that just opened.  I was pretty excited because Disneyland Hotel used to be the place where you could find my favorite bar and hang out- The Lost Bar.  I loved this place and was pretty sad when it closed as part of the Disneyland Hotel renovations.  After the Lost Bar closed Disney announced that Trader Sam's was going to be built in it's place along with Tangaroa Terrace (replacing Hook's Point).  It sounded pretty cool when I read about it so I started to look forward to it's opening which leads us to today!

There are several things that are now open or near completion but I'll start off with Trader Sam's because I spent most of my time there and I absolutely loved it!  

Because today was Trader Sam's grand opening the inside of the bar was at capacity when we got there but it was a gorgeous day so we took a table outside on their relaxing patio.  

When we sat down we were greeted by our waitress who was really polite and told us a Trader Sam's joke when she handed us our menus.  Trader Sam is the trader you meet at the end of the Jungle Cruise and  the joke she told us was actually one you usually hear on the ride-  (Two of his heads for one of yours...)  I loved it!

We took a look at our menus and I was delighted to find a list of themed drinks with awesome names that were inspired by the Tiki Room and the Jungle Cruise.

The friendly cast member who greeted us when we first got there let us know that we could take turns going into the bar if we'd like - so while we waited for our drinks we took turns checking it out.  The inside was awesome!  The room lighting would change and sounds would play when certain drinks were poured and there was so much to look at!  There was a large a collection of items decorating the bar that were inspired by the Tiki Room, Indiana Jones Adventure, and the Jungle Cruise.  Much of it was all a part of Trader Sam's collection.  I even spotted something that came from Disney World!

Tiki Drummers on shelves above the bar!

Totem pole like the one from the Tiki Room!

Birds of Paradise flowers were all over just like in the Tiki Room

Windows with a scenic view!  The volcano even erupts when a certain drink is ordered!

I loved it when I spotted Orange Bird on one of the shelves.  He used to be found outside the Tiki Room at Disney World in Florida.  The tag around his neck was in Trader Sam's handwriting and said, "I traded for this becacuse I thought it had appeal."  Get it?  Appeal = A peel...  Pretty clever!

The inside of the bar was awesome and I definitely want to get a table in there sometime but the patio was actually really great too.  It was very relaxing and they had live entertainment (today it was a very enjoyable duo who sang a variety of songs from Hawaiian tunes to Elvis to Jason Mraz!)

They had food on the menu but we stuck to drinks this time.  I ordered the Krakatoa Punch which was delicious and came with a souvenir Tiki mug. My friends ordered the HippopotoMai-Tai, also with a souvenir glass, and the Piranha Pool.  I tried the other two drinks as well and they were all really good!

Left to Right:  Krakatoa Punch, HippopotoMai-Tai, and the Piranha Pool towards the back

So Trader Sam's was a pretty amazing spot!  I think I may have found my new favorite bar!  

Next to Trader Sam's was the new restaurant that opened called Tangaroa Terrace.  I didn't get to dine there tonight but it's on the top of my to do list.  Here's a picture of the entrance.

There were some more new really great things to see at the Disneyland Hotel but I'm going to separate those into two other posts!  Check back soon!

Ariel's Undersea Adventure Update! Plus Seaside Souvenirs!

Today when I was at Disney California Adventure I was excited to see that Ariel's Undersea Adventure was complete!  It was open for a Disney Cast Member Sneak Preview.  Walking around the building I was able to sneak a little peek at the ride loading area!

Seaside Souvenirs which is right next to the ride was open!  The shelves were well decorated and they had an assortment of merchandise.

Ariel's Undersea Adventure opens to all guests on June 3rd!  I can't wait to ride it!

Pirates of the Caribbean Premiere

Today Disneyland is closing early because it is hosting the Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides Premiere! Only those people with premiere tickets ($1,000 each! Ouch!) and invitations can see the movie but guests at the park are allowed to try to catch a glimpse of celebrities during the "black carpet arrivals" on Main Street, U.S.A.  Unfortunately my annual pass is blocked out on Saturdays this month and I didn't want to pay for a blockout pass so I can't go to the carpet event.  However I went the other day and was able to get some photos of the setup they have at Rivers of America for the big premiere of the movie.

Where the screen is going to be

The seats

Waterfalls!

This morning I went to get coffee at the Disneyland Hotel and lucky for me, Jared thought of stopping by the monorail entrance to grab some park maps.  They were different today, made specifically for the premiere event.

I really wish I could have gone but maybe next time! I definitely plan to see the film when it comes out since I love pirates and Johnny Depp!
If anyone else was able to go to the "black carpet" or premiere, please feel free to shoot me an email and let me know how it was!  Maybe you could even do a guest post!

Jedi Training Academy

Since it's May fourth, Star Wars Day, here is another Star Wars related post!
At Tomorrowland Terrace Stage at Disneyland you can see a show called the "Jedi Training Academy."  In it they select a few volunteers (ages 4-12) who go through Jedi training and afterwards get to use their new Jedi skills to fight Darth Vader and Darth Maul.

It's actually really fun to watch because the cast members are really great in it and it's fun to see the children's reactions as they meet Darth Vader.  You can grab a bite to eat at Tomorrowland Terrace and watch the show while you dine.
I recently saw a video from the Jedi Training Academy where it's a young girl's turn to meet Darth Vader and she wants to join the Dark Side.  It's really funny!  Take a look!




May the Fourth be with you!