Each week, two members of the Crescent Lake Club tackle the best and worst offerings at Walt Disney World. This week, Keels and Ryan rank the three best AND worst lounges in the Magic Kingdom resort area!
We’ve seen the future: you rope-dropped Magic Kingdom in hopes of a walk-on experience at Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, followed by a flight over London in Peter Pan’s Flight and then a quick race through space on Space Mountain. Now what? It’s time to take a break from the crowds and strollers at Magic Kingdom and enjoy a nice cocktail and a snack! Luckily for you, the Magic Kingdom resort area has plenty of options for you — but, beware … all lounges are not equal! Luckily for you, your pals at the Crescent Lake Club are here to help you made good decisions!
Up first, Ryan will tell you about his Top 3 Magic Kingdom-area lounges:
First up on my top lounges in the Magic Kingdom area is Geyser Point. Geyser Point is nestled along the edge of Bay Lake at the Wilderness Lodge. It is not the easiest lounge to get to in the Magic Kingdom area but it’s worth it. They have a full bar as well as a full menu of excellent food to try. This open air lounge is sure to impress. A personal favorite of mine there is the Northwest Iced Tea.
Second, we have The Wave Lounge. I first experienced this location on my most recent trip and I enjoyed it so much, I went twice! It is a bit more unknown when it comes to places around the Magic Kingdom resorts. You can sit at the bar or in one of two blue lit alcoves. They even have a fishbowl drink called The Seven Seas Lagoon! You can’t beat the great Cast Members that work there either.
Lastly, I have to give the Polynesian some love but not for the one many others may choose. Tambu Lounge on the second floor of the Great Ceremonial House is the last of my top three. This bar is attached to the ever popular restaurant Ohana. They do a lot of fun unique to the Polynesian drinks. For example, who doesn’t want a drink served in a full size pineapple? Or my personal favorite, the Backscratcher! And yes it does come is an actual backscratcher.
There you have it. My top Magic Kingdom area lounges!
Keels’ Top 3 Magic Kingdom-Area Lounges: California Grill Lounge, Outer Rim, Barefoot Pool Bar at the Polynesian Resort
And now? Keels will reveal her Bottom 3 Magic Kingdom-area lounges!
First up – I’m going to go with the newest lounge addition to the Magic Kingdom area … Enchanted Rose at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. Now – lounges have to end up in the Bottom 3 because that’s how the rules work, and Enchanted Rose is ending up here through no true fault of its own, but mostly because of circumstance. Enchanted Rose debuted just shortly before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, and while it is a lovely addition to the Walt Disney World lounge scene (FINALLY – another bar that offers handmade traditional cocktails without bits or goofiness, and at a decent price point), it came at a cost. Enchanted Rose replaced the beloved (but definitely bare-bones) Mizner’s Lounge, leaving the Deluxe offering without a bonafide “bar”. The operating hours of Enchanted Rose don’t help either – Grand Floridian is now the only operating Deluxe without a non-pool lounge that opens before 4.
Up next? You won’t have to walk far because we’re headed next door to Disney’s Polynesian Resort and up to the second story of the Grand Ceremonial House to Tambu Lounge. Full confession: I HATE Poly. I hate Ohana. I hate the rooms at Poly. I hate the vibe. I hate that it costs over $500 to stay in a motel where the elevators struggle. The only things I like about Poly are the beach and the pool bar. But back to Tambu … and where to start. Tambu definitely suffers an identity crisis – is it an actual lounge, or just a waiting area for Ohana? Does it have its own personality or is it just a disregarded sibling of Trader Sam’s? The answer to all of these questions is YES. If you like overpriced bit drinks that are mostly juice and no booze, then Tambu is your place. At least Tambu has TVs for you to entertain yourself watching sports, unlike … (drumroll) the worst Magic Kingdom-area lounge …
Trader Sam’s! Yup, I said it. Trader Sam’s is not only the worst Magic Kingdom-area lounge, but it’s a Bottom 3 lounge across property. Why? Where do I start. Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto doesn’t open until 4, but people start lining up at 3 (or earlier!). The drinks are … fine, if you’ve never had tiki drinks before. The communal seating and the bits (which are ruined for first-timers by people that frequent the bar trying to flex their comedic muscles) are just too much. Also, while I AM an owner of a couple Hippo-Poto-Mai-Tai glasses, I really dislike the hard-sell on selling the glasses when you order drinks. On top of that, it seems that (again, pre-Pandemic) the drinks made inside the Grog Grotto are pre-mixed … so, if you’re hard-up for a Trader’s drink – visit the Tiki Terrace kiosk! The drinks are actually made by hand and are WAY boozier than the offerings inside the Grog Grotto – without the 120-minute virtual wait!
Ryan’s Bottom 3 Magic Kingdom-Area Lounges: Enchanted Rose, Outer Rim, Trader Sam’s
So – there you have it! Our Top 3 – Bottom 3 for Magic Kingdom-area lounges! Which lounges are your favorite? Tell us in the comments below!
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