Author Archives: Steve

Review: The Tambu Lounge in Disney’s Polynesian Resort

Today we’re headed to one a lounge that’s achieved cult favorite status among Disney fans in the know like you guys — The Tambu Lounge!

Located at Disney’s Polynesian Resort, this is one of my favorite spots in the entire resort to kick back, relax, and enjoy an adult beverage while awaiting my table at ‘Ohana. But what you might not know is that Tambu also serves up some tasty island-inspired pub grub as well.

It had been a while since I’d indulged in the menu here, so when the opportunity arose (in the form of a huge impending rainstorm) I knew just the place to hide away!

Atmosphere

Tambu Lounge is located in the open air atrium lobby of the Polynesian Resort. It actually serves as the waiting area for Disney guest-favorite restaurant ‘Ohana, and it’s also a stone’s throw from Kona Cafe, the resort’s other table service restaurant. This makes Tambu the perfect place to indulge in before dinner cocktails. But I had another idea in mind.

Since the space is open, the same decor that serves for the rest of the resort is found here as well. Dark walls, tikis, thatched roofs, and folk art serve to signal that you’ve traveled to Polynesia. And because this is Disney, you’ll often see guests of all ages here.

Tambu Lounge at Disney's Polynesian Resort

The comfortable, airy lounge features floor-to-ceiling picture windows that look out on the lush garden paths of the resort, and you can just catch a glimpse of the water through the trees. If you haven’t started the relaxation process by the time you hit Tambu, this spot is likely to get you moving in the right direction.

Eats

As I said before, normally Tambu is a Disney first day tradition for me. Either I’m awaiting my table at ‘Ohana, or I’m grabbing a Lapu Lapu before heading to the Polynesian’s beach to watch Wishes from my favorite spot. :-)

But today, I was all about noshing, and I couldn’t wait to check out the menu. We started, of course, by taking a look at the Specialty Drink Offerings.

Tambu Specialty Drink Menu

Although Disney has switched to a resort-wide beverage list for many of their bars and lounges, you can find some unique specialty cocktails at several of the resorts…and I’m so glad Tambu has kept several of theirs!

All the drinks are delicious, but nothing says “kicked back and relaxed” to me like that Lapu Lapu!

Lapu Lapu at the Polynesian's Tambu Lounge

This is one of my all-time favorites in Disney World. Served in a hollowed-out pineapple, it’s a delicious blend of dark rum and tropical fruit juices. In my opinion, it’s practically a rite of passage, and everyone should try it at least once (even if you don’t like rum…which I don’t)! It’s just super fun.

Lapu Lapu — Up Close

And they also can pack a wallop if you indulge on an empty stomach, so it was time to check out the Tambu Lounge Food Menu. I spied a couple of items that bore resemblance to some of our favorite ‘Ohana dishes, like the Chicken Wings.

There were also flavors from Captain Cook’s here, too, like the Pulled Pork items. But I’m not complaining — all of these dishes have been awesome when I’ve tried them.

Tambu Lounge Food Menu — Click to Enlarge

Since I was familiar with many of the flavors, I decided to try something a little different: the Beef Satay.

Mini skewers of grilled beef were served with a very flavorful chimichurri sauce. That may not be strictly island fare, but they were still delicious and great with the tropical drink.

This reminded me of the beef skewers from the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, which are among my favorite items at the Argentina Booth. Here’s hoping they’re back for the 2013 Food and Wine Festival!

Beef Satay with Chimichurri Sauce

But the Pulled Pork Nachos had come highly recommended to me, and I had to try them! These are a wonderful twist on a classic bar item. They start with thick-cut housemade potato chips, and then layer on plenty of that wonderful pulled pork and cheese. Then they are topped with sweet and tangy pineapple salsa and a spicy mayonnaise.

It’s a HUGE-MONGOUS dish, so bring friends to help you (or make some friends close by at the lounge!).

Pulled Pork Nachos

Together with the Lapu Lapu, the dishes made for a really excellent meal.

Lapu Lapu, Pork Nachos, and Beef Satay at Tambu Lounge

With a combination of exotic flavors, I totally dug this!

Overall

Here’s my opinion: you must visit Tambu Lounge at least once. Because the Polynesian Resort is one of the original Walt Disney World resorts, opened when the park opened in 1971, there is such a strong sense of history here. Sitting in this lounge and sipping a drink from a piece of fruit is a quintessential Disney World experience.

You are transported, and that’s what being at Disney is all about. It’s not just about the cocktail. It’s about that experience that you repeat until it becomes a tradition, and then it’s a part of you and your Disney memories.

So pencil in some Poly time on your next visit to Disney. I’m confident that you’ll be glad you did.

Do you have a Tambu Lounge favorite? Share with us in comments below!

Disney Food Blog Fans, be sure to:

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Related posts:

  1. Guest Review: Tambu Lounge and ‘Ohana
  2. Review: Crew’s Cup Lounge in Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
  3. Review: Captain Cook’s at Disney’s Polynesian Resort

Florida in Winter

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What’s it like? Would sensible people go there when there’s a hint of snow on the ground? Do I know any sensible people? These questions and more might be answered as Callie and I head off to see Paula and Bob. Maybe we will take them a casserole and a snow shovel.

Update: they wouldn’t let us take a snow shovel on the plane, but I hid the casserole in my shoe!

Wish us luck!

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A further update on the subject of Disney disrepair

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I felt it would only be fair to update my post about disrepair at the Disney Walt Disney World resort. After we returned from our trip I received a phone call from a very friendly member of the Walt Disney World guest relations department who expressed concern about the issues that we experienced While on vacation
They informed me that they were working on some of the issues and particularly the issues pertaining to transportation. I had assumed and surmised that The reductions in transportation coverage were a result of cost-cutting measures. They assured me this is not the case and that they were hard-pressed to perform the maintenance required on transportation equipment, in particular the monorail. Citing safety as a prime concern, which is a concern that we can all agree with, They said that they would catch up soon and be able to expand the hours of operation back to something like they used to be, so Apparently some of the things that We observed on our trip will not be long-term issues.
And by the way don’t lose track of the fact that it’s very impressive the Walt Disney World company takes the time to make a personal phone call to an individual who had a problem and that they not only called, but provided lots of good factual information and follow up and were very very kind and helpful in their attempt to help me understand the issues that led to my experience at the Walt Disney World resort. That intense focus on guest satisfaction is something that sets the Walt Disney World resort apart from most vacation destinations.

Update on the subject of DIsney disrepair

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I received a link to a YouTube video which was directly on topic, demonstrating that the “Big Bertha” 1900 Park Fare organ is not dead yet. Watch for the Mad Hatter’s editorial at the end! Thanks to Youtuber NICKELINTHESLOT!Here is a great Seeburg KT that has been at home in the Main Street train station for as many years as I can remember (1994 for WDW). Same problem as the 1900 Park Fare Limonaire, except hopefully the KT has a minor problem…

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And of course,
20120521-231644.jpgAnd notice how professional and permanent that Out Of Order sign looks. I hope that doesn’t mean anything…

An update or correction on my previous post is provided by Youtuber NICKELINTHESLOT (check out his other Youtube posts) a dedicated Disney fan and mechanical music fan who provided the following video showing the organ in 1900 Park Fare actually working recently although obviously it’s not in the best condition that it could be–at least it’s still operable and protected from the elements!!

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

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I didn’t have an overwhelmingly positive opinion of DAK until Callie and I went a couple of years back. I don’t know what changed my mind, and I never really disliked the park, I just didn’t find a lot to do there. I find it more interesting now, and TWDC has certainly added attractions there over the years… Anyway we went and had a bang-up good time there.

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And of course here is a group of intrepid adventurers setting out on foot to the Himalyas
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A calm moment in the jungles of Asia
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Ducks At Epcot

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It’s fun to watch the ducks at Walt Disney World–no, not the Mighty Ducks but the wildlife that are so accustomed to most people. Here are a few ducklings and their mom in a pond at Epcot, in the Japan portion of the World Showcase. As cute as these are, some people don’t understand that the ducks are actually wild residents of a rather populated area, not Disney Cast Members. I saw a guest pick up a duckling and pass it around between her kids. It turned into a problem or the duckling because his family ran for cover, leaving him, and once the guests kids were done playing with the duckling, he took off at a frantic pace in the opposite direction his family had gone, quacking frantically. I figured that the ducks had a fair chance of being reunited, but who knows? Interestingly, a Disney Cast Member showed up and moved the duckling back to his family. There’s some attention to detail!