Best Bars on the monorail loop?

[guy_incognito]

There really isn't a view in Enchanted Rose. Its inside the main building and the windows look out on the DVC building more than anything.

We stayed there late last year and I walked all over... could have sworn there was outdoor seating there toward water. I feel pretty positive there was?

 

[Pens Fan]

We stayed there late last year and I walked all over... could have sworn there was outdoor seating there toward water. I feel pretty positive there was?

There is a small outdoor porch area. The last time we were there (earlier this month) it was closed though.

 

[WestieChic04]

Staying on the monorail for the first time this coming trip! Excited to do a monorail crawl!

 

[Brob2132]

I echo the patio outside of Trader Sam’s is pretty great especially on a nice spring day. They’ll often have some music out there too.

 

[rdevans_2000]

Love doing the monorail loop lounge crawl the heading into MK for the night. In order, we do Cali Grill (sit at the bar) or Steakhouse 71 (sit in the Lounge), then Poly for Tambu, and lastly Enchanted Rose at the GF. We stretch that into a couple of hours, drinking cocktails and eating light bites. Then we only need to grab a desert in MK late night.

 

[rosie5189]

I gotta put in another plug for the Outer Rim at the Contemporary - no frills, but just has a great vibe (and a heavy pour of Macallan 14).

 

[guy_incognito]

So... here's my recap for posterity. Please note that I don't drink liquor or wine, I am solidly a beer guy. My wife does like a few mixed drinks and could sum that up another day, but this is just for everyone to note. These reviews are for entertainment only. I am not a professional reviewer. If you think one of these is rated too low or too high, that's great! And I mean that, because when there's a place different people love, it means that other places are less crowded.

We stayed at Wilderness Lodge (Copper) and the Poly. Our last stay was at the GF, so we spent a lot of time there because frankly it's awesome.

Wilderness
Geyser Point. This wasn't our first time here, and I still enjoyed it a lot. Being outdoors when the weather is nice is so... nice. Lots of seating options, but we enjoyed the bar and chatting with bartenders and other guests. One downside, I got stung in the palm of my hand by a yellow jacket that wanted a sip of my beer. No worries, I'm not allergic... it jut hurt. Highly recommended. 7 bottle caps (out of 10), but all those points are because it's not technically on the monorail and you'd need the boats to be running or have other transport.

Contemporary
Steakhouse 71. Again, not our first time here, but a first with just us. We were able to get a seat at the bar and bartenders were so nice. The onion rings are indeed amazing. 5 bottle caps, mainly because part of the goal for this crawl was to have views.

California Grill. Only had time for one round before the fireworks started, and our table was almost immediately available. I think it's just a cool place and the old restaurant here is where the in-laws got engaged some 51 years ago, so it's a special place. 6 bottle caps, mainly because of lack of easy access.

The Outer Rim. This is going to blow people's minds. You may have never even noticed this place. I can honestly say that we've been thru the Contemporary no less than two dozen times. I had never paid attention to it! There was no problem getting a seat by the window, and our server was just the best. Several TVs to catch a game were plus. If that's your thing, and it's ours... you'll appreciate this little gem. 9 bottle caps, only loses a cap because I didn't notice any snacks, even though our server did bring us some orange slices.

I was ignorant of the bar at Bay Lake Towers (we are DVC) until it was too late to add. Next time!

Polynesian
Both pool bars are on the list. Because we normally have kids, we didn't even visit the Oasis pool the first couple days. But I am glad we did! Easy to grab a seat, with a TV to watch a game, and bartenders that are happy to find what you need. Since it's a pool bar and requires magic band to access, I won't rate this but just note it's there!

Tambu Lounge. Fun little place to people watch and hang out. My issue is that getting a seat in the lounge is more painful than it's worth. Just grab what you need from the walk up and sit somewhere else. We were lucky enough to get 2 seats at the bar and had a good time just hanging out and watching all the people ordering pineapple drinks. 6 bottle caps because it's so busy you don't get the service you get in other places, and the only view is really of the building and throngs of people flowing thru this corner of it.

Trader Sam's
Lots of fun, but man getting in can be a hassle. First time, I went too late but they told me when to try the next day. I got on the list, and they told me what time to expect. They were about 1.5 hours early on the text, and we were in the pool and had 15 minutes to get to the bar. We made it, but it just seemed like a lot of work. I think the second visit will be even more fun, because you know the drill and all the fun things they do for the different drinks. 7 bottle caps, but I am admittedly being harsh on it because of the difficulty of access. It's my rating system. ;-)

Grand Floridian
Enchanted Rose. I completely forgot we had already been there, but it was nice. We had a window overlooking the water and could see the Poly. Could have hung out longer, but we had places to go. I'm giving it 8 bottle caps because it's exactly what you expect and really seemed to be accessible. I admittedly am low-class and like a TV on a wall, and this place is a little high-class for that. ;-)

Narcoosee's
Was able to have one drink before our table was ready, but it is a beautiful bar with an insane view. So nice that they will hold your spot and let you take your drink to enjoy the fireworks and return. Look... the bar is bar, but location is important for this entire monorail crawl. For that alone, it's a 9 bottle capper for me. This dock is perhaps my most favorite place on property to watch the fireworks, so it skews my score a little.

Not on the monorail / honorable mention
Jock Lindsey's at DS. It was elbow to elbow Friday night, but this place was almost empty inside and we just sat right down. We spent an hour there waiting for our table at the Boathouse, and enjoyed just looking at all the stuff and being out of the crowds. Not rating it, but would recommend it.