Tag Archives: Disneyland

Tangaroa Terrace at the Disneyland Hotel

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Bar & Restaurant Reviews and tagged with , , , , , ,

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The Disneyland Hotel recently remodeled and re-themed the pool and dining area in the center of the property, with last summer bringing the opening of Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar and Tangaroa Terrace. The latter is a quick-service restaurant named after the tall tiki tree in the waiting area of the Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland.

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The A-frame edifice features a sign with spears and three colorful masks as well as two large tiki columns carved by Leroy Schmaltz from Oceanic Arts. The inside has a sleek look that’s accented with tapa and rattan lamps, bamboo and lauhala matting, and black-and-white vintage photos of Adventureland and Walt in the Enchanted Tiki Room.

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Diners order at three touchscreen stations and then pay at the cash registers off to the left. Drinks, desserts and grab-and-go items like pineapple-macadamia nut muffins are set up at other displays nearby.

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Breakfast options range from french toast with banana-caramel sauce to a healthy-sounding egg white and tofu bake with spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes and cheese. After 11 a.m. the menu features burgers, panko-crusted fish and chips, cheese or kalua pork flatbread, and a couple of salads. There are also rotating “Island Plate Dinner” specials like miso-crusted salmon, chicken katsu and tamarind-glazed pork shanks.

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The Angus 1/3 pound Hawaiian cheeseburger ($10.19) comes with grilled pineapple, teriyaki sauce, Havarti cheese, lettuce, tomato and a sad excuse for bacon on a multi-grain bun. The toppings are key to distracting from the fact that the beef is served well done. The Disney Parks may be a little late to the sweet potato party, but some of their restaurants have started abandoning regular fries in favor of these trendy tubers.

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We used to fuel up on food here before going to Trader Sam’s, but they’ve since added some of the same dishes so you might as well head straight to the bar. It’s worth taking a look around Tangaroa Terrace, but I’d only recommend eating there if you’re looking for a quiet meal since it’s usually pretty deserted.

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The large shared patio overlooks the Disneyland Hotel pool and its Monorail waterslide. It may be quite tempting to enjoy the pleasant setting when the weather’s beautiful, but I’ll say it again — just go next door to Trader Sam’s.

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Tangaroa Terrace
Disneyland Hotel
1150 Magic Way
Anaheim, CA 92802

Previous Tiki-Related Disney Posts:

Tiki-Themed Restaurant at California Adventure Demolished
Holiday Drinks & Decor at Trader Sam’s
Los Angeles Magazine Article on Enchanted Tiki Room Imagineer

Tangaroa Terrace on Urbanspoon

Holiday Drinks & Decor at Trader Sam’s – Disneyland Hotel

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Events and tagged with , , , , ,

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Trader Sam’s might be more appropriately called Trader Santa’s this month. The new-ish tiki bar at the Disneyland Hotel has gotten in the Christmas spirit with Santa caps placed on the Enchanted Tiki Room drummers, poinsettias mixed among the tropical foliage, and stockings hung from the bamboo (with care).

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The “family tree” of shrunken heads was decked with silver tinsel, lights and snowman and snowbird ornaments. The Disney Parks Blog has far better pictures, and a close-up of Trader Sam’s Naughty and Nice list. (Apparently the bartenders have all been rather mischievous this year — no surprise there.)

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Draped over the mug display behind the bar were what appeared to be gift-wrapped coconut bras with tags from Trader Sam. I enquired about them to Skipper Jennifer, as one was addressed to her, and she insisted that surely they must be yarmulkes because they were far too small for any other use…

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Tucked into the first page of the menu was a sheet highlighting the two holiday drinks that are being served through the end of December (or so, no specific end date was mentioned). We’d skipped dessert at our dinner at Blue Bayou, so the Mele Kaliki-Mocha was an ideal after-dinner drink. It was like a coconut-infused Frappuccino with a kick.

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The Red-Nosed Zebra, a sweet and tart blend of rum, strawberry purée, lemon and lime juice, is whimsically garnished with minty antlers and cranberries for its eyes and nose. This one also elicits some theatrical touches — a skipper shouts about winter weather warnings and a snowstorm erupts from the volcano in the “window.” Also watch out for impromptu “hail” in the form of crushed ice thrown from behind the bar. (And I do mean “watch out” because I got hit in the face!)

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The good folks at the Disney Parks Blog also posted recipes for both cocktails. This Christmas Eve I’ll be whipping up some Mele Kaliki-Mochas for the family, and I’m looking forward to trying it with B.G. Reynold’s hazelnut orgeat for a bit of a twist.

Not sure if this is working (Flickr is being sort of fickle), but I also shot a short video of the snowflakes serenely falling on the tropical peaks. This effect was my favorite holiday touch at Trader Sam’s. Gotta love those Imagineers.

“The Colors of Mary Blair” Art at The Disney Gallery

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Other Tiki Topics and tagged with , , , , ,

Through November, The Disney Gallery at Disneyland has an exhibition entitled “The Colors of Mary Blair.” During her tenure at Walt Disney Studios, Blair’s concept art served as inspiration to the animators for such movies as “Peter Pan,” “Alice in Wonderland,” and “Cinderella.” She later left to become a freelance illustrator, but was brought back by Walt Disney to work on “It’s a Small World.”

On display are her original art for the iconic abstract exterior of the ride, as well as the tableaux for various countries, including this “New Guinea Scene” (1965). I love the designs on the tribal shields. The plaque next to it included this fun fact: In keeping with the lyrics of the theme song “It’s a Small World” that says “There is just one moon and one golden sun,” Blair incorporated a stylized sun or moon in every scene.

“Pacific Paradise Collage” (1965) is labeled as a suggested treatment for Tahiti or Hawaii. Mary Blair was especially appreciated for her “color styling,” and this piece shows how she could use that to create a romantic and idyllic mood.

Checking out these tiki-esque designs was all well and good, but I was really blown away by the art for Cinderella. One very cool aspect of The Disney Gallery that I just recently discovered is that all the featured images can be bought as prints from the Art on Demand kiosks in the stores.