I've been meaning to post this for awhile. DH and I went to WDW in January for a long weekend and we focused heavily on resort lounges instead of ADRs. Of course, our experiences could have been specific to the days we happened to be there and YMMV.
Ale & Compass Lounge (Yacht Club)
Ambiance was fine. I like the simple decor, but the lounge itself was pretty dirty and nobody seemed terribly interested in clearing tables. Drinks were good. I had the Purple Mariner which I thought was light and floral and refreshing. DH had the Maple Old-Fashioned which he thought was a bit sweet but still good. We ordered the Parker House Rolls and Spreads which were SO SO delicious. DD and I had them several years prior and they were just as yummy as I remembered.
Bellevue Lounge (Boardwalk Inn)
We just love this little place. It's so cozy with tons of charm, and the staff is always super friendly. DH ordered the Negroni which he said was very good. I made a huge mistake and ordered whatever specialty cocktail glow cube thing they were serving everywhere at the time (it had been a long travel day, it was late, and I tend to make poor food & beverage decisions under those circumstances). Still, we enjoyed sitting and listening to the old radio broadcasts that they always pipe in. Highly recommend stopping there.
Tambu Lounge (Poly)
This is always one of our favorites. The ambiance is great and the bartenders have consistently been top-notch. Pot stickers are also super good (only available after 4pm though). DH and I both got Mai Tais, played some cards, made a couple of new friends. It's a great alternative to Trader Sam's if you don't have the patience or commitment to get in.
Enchanted Rose (Grand Floridian)
This was our first time there and we were pleasantly surprised. It's just beautiful (although I am admittedly a HUGE BatB fan). We sat at the main bar which was super fun. I ordered the French 75 which was good but very sweet. DH got the Old Fashioned which he really liked. The Lavender Fog seemed to be a big hit with quite a few people sitting at the bar as well.
Steakhouse 71 Lounge (Contemporary)
This was the most disappointing lounge of all. The service was awful (our server even lied about what time the kitchen was closing to get us to order faster). We got the PB & J wings, the crab cakes, and the onion rings. We actually didn't mind the flavor combo of the wings, but they were terrible quality: dry and tough and nearly impossible to eat. The onion rings were basically a pile of mush. And the crab cakes, which I had LOVED at The Wave, were cold and gross. I can't even remember what drinks we ordered there, but they (clearly) weren't memorable. We had been contemplating just going to the Outer Rim instead, but we were hungry so we chose Steakhouse. We won't be going back.
We're going back next month for a longer visit. Our teenagers want to go off on their own one night, so we plan to hit Dahlia and Barcelona at CSR. Maybe Territory Lounge at WL before our dinner at Artist Point as well. I'll come back and add to the list then!
Ale & Compass Lounge (Yacht Club)
Ambiance was fine. I like the simple decor, but the lounge itself was pretty dirty and nobody seemed terribly interested in clearing tables. Drinks were good. I had the Purple Mariner which I thought was light and floral and refreshing. DH had the Maple Old-Fashioned which he thought was a bit sweet but still good. We ordered the Parker House Rolls and Spreads which were SO SO delicious. DD and I had them several years prior and they were just as yummy as I remembered.
Bellevue Lounge (Boardwalk Inn)
We just love this little place. It's so cozy with tons of charm, and the staff is always super friendly. DH ordered the Negroni which he said was very good. I made a huge mistake and ordered whatever specialty cocktail glow cube thing they were serving everywhere at the time (it had been a long travel day, it was late, and I tend to make poor food & beverage decisions under those circumstances). Still, we enjoyed sitting and listening to the old radio broadcasts that they always pipe in. Highly recommend stopping there.
Tambu Lounge (Poly)
This is always one of our favorites. The ambiance is great and the bartenders have consistently been top-notch. Pot stickers are also super good (only available after 4pm though). DH and I both got Mai Tais, played some cards, made a couple of new friends. It's a great alternative to Trader Sam's if you don't have the patience or commitment to get in.
Enchanted Rose (Grand Floridian)
This was our first time there and we were pleasantly surprised. It's just beautiful (although I am admittedly a HUGE BatB fan). We sat at the main bar which was super fun. I ordered the French 75 which was good but very sweet. DH got the Old Fashioned which he really liked. The Lavender Fog seemed to be a big hit with quite a few people sitting at the bar as well.
Steakhouse 71 Lounge (Contemporary)
This was the most disappointing lounge of all. The service was awful (our server even lied about what time the kitchen was closing to get us to order faster). We got the PB & J wings, the crab cakes, and the onion rings. We actually didn't mind the flavor combo of the wings, but they were terrible quality: dry and tough and nearly impossible to eat. The onion rings were basically a pile of mush. And the crab cakes, which I had LOVED at The Wave, were cold and gross. I can't even remember what drinks we ordered there, but they (clearly) weren't memorable. We had been contemplating just going to the Outer Rim instead, but we were hungry so we chose Steakhouse. We won't be going back.
We're going back next month for a longer visit. Our teenagers want to go off on their own one night, so we plan to hit Dahlia and Barcelona at CSR. Maybe Territory Lounge at WL before our dinner at Artist Point as well. I'll come back and add to the list then!
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