Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar
Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar is a tiki bar that opened in May 2011 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, California’s Disneyland Resort. Trader Sam’s, named one of the top five tiki bars in Los Angeles by LA Weekly, is one of several tiki bars gaining popularity around the United States, and even the world, in what some call the “third wave” of tiki. It is not to be confused with Trad’r Sam, a tiki bar in San Francisco, California that opened in 1937.
References and influences
Trader Sam’s combines classic tiki bar components (such as glass floats, bamboo, and tiki sculptures) with memorabilia from Disney attractions and movies such as Indiana Jones and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The interior is decorated with around 1,600 things, according to Brandon Kleyla, Disney Imagineer and head decorator for Trader Sam’s.
Trader Sam’s has connections to numerous elements of Disneyland’s Adventureland region, in addition to standard tiki bar details. The Jungle Cruise ride introduces Trader Sam as the “chief salesperson” of the Jungle Cruise Navigational Company, who explains the tiki memorabilia displayed throughout the bar. In keeping with the Jungle Cruise concept, the bartenders are all referred to as “Skippers,” and one of the beverages is called “Schweitzer Falls,” after one of the places mentioned in the Jungle Cruise ride. There is a cocktail called “Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum” and carved tiki statues with slowly moving eyes on each end of the bar that are identical to the ones in Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room attraction as a homage to the influences of Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room. The Enchanted Tiki Room is also represented by the tiki drums over the bar near the ceiling.
Indiana Jones’ bullwhip, a letter from Short Round (a character from Indiana Jones movies), a map of the Temple of the Forbidden Eye from Indiana Jones Adventure, the voodoo doll from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and the harpoon from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea are all featured in the bar. There are also a few references to the Adventurers Club at Walt Disney World in Florida, such as a postcard from Samantha Sterling (an Adventurers Club cabaret singer) and a letter from Pamela Perkins (the club’s president) on Adventurers Club letterhead. A Kungaloosh drink, named after the Adventurer’s Club official greeting, is also available.
Cocktail-activated animatronics
When certain cocktails are ordered, Trader Sam’s employs animatronics, lighting, sound effects, and personnel interaction. Tiki carvings with moving eyes that slowly move back and forth, an animated shipwreck in a bottle, erupting volcanoes, and sinking bar stools are among them. [6] Only certain drinks elicit certain reactions, such as:
- Shipwreck on the Rocks – Stormy waves cause the ship in a bottle above the bar to sink.
- Krakatoa Punch – The tranquil Polynesian view beyond the false window depicts a storm brewing as the volcano threatens to erupt.
- Shrunken Zombie Head – Some bar stools will begin to fall toward the floor (Bartenders can also do this independently of drink orders to have fun with customers).
- Uh Oa! – The bartender strikes a bell, and people begin chanting “Uh OA! Uh OA! Uh OA OA OA!” Cast members splash water into the air, making it appear to be raining.
- Draft Beer – Tiki heads with illuminated eyes serve as beer draft handles. Tiki drums and chanting begin to play when a bartender pulls a beer. The faster the drumming and yelling, the more drafts that are pulled in succession.
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