AbracadaBar at Disney’s Boardwalk

I have been meaning to write a post about AbracadBar for while now, but it was not the most exciting experience so I have been procrastinating. We decided to check this place out after our Thanksgiving meal at Cape May Cafe to have a drink and relax. AbracadaBar is one of the many themed bars Disney World has opened in the last year and this one has a vintage magic theme. We love Trader Sam’s, so we figured we would enjoy this one as well. It turns out they are a lot different, but there are things to enjoy about both.

The main difference is you probably won’t have a wait for AbracadaBar. It does not have nearly as much of a following as Trader Sam’s and there are plenty of bars on the Epcot Resort Area to compete with it. It also does not have a lot of effects like Trader Sam/’s either. We were expecting a few more magic touches, but really the only magic around are the disappearing figures on posters and a few drink orders. We didn’t order any of the drinks that had affects, so for us this was more of a themed upscale bar than any sort of special effects experience.

I did find the cocktail options to be better here than Trader Sam’s. They are not as adventurous, but they have a lot of classic options that are preferable to a variety of tastes. Trader Sam’s drink menu tends to be very south seas flavored with most drinks containing rum, cinnamon and similar spices. The flavor profile is consistent across the board there, so if you do not like tiki drinks, you will have a hard time finding something to your liking. AbracadaBar on the other hand, had sweet and bitter beverages, with a variety of different types of liquor. 

Between my sister, Andrew and me, we all got three very different drinks. I decided to get the seasonal cocktail, a Black Manhattan, because I love Bulleit Rye Whiskey and I was thinking that with some citrus, would be a good after dinner drink. It was very well made, with a great ratio of whiskey to bitters that resulted in a smooth, and tart taste.

I learned something new about my husband that day in that he likes Absinthe. I absolutely hate licorice, and therefore hate the taste of absinthe. He got the Elixir which is absinthe, water and a sugar cube. I tired it and was disgusted as expected. He loved it though, so if you happen to like absinthe you might as well. It is a pretty bold choice for Disney World to have on a menu, as most people who are vacationing there are drinking wine slushies and margaritas, but think drink definitely fits the 1930’s speakeasy theme they are going for.

My sister got the Sour Assistant which was basically a whiskey sour. It was not an ordinary sour mix though and had added a juicy twist to the beverage. The drinks were consistently high quality, which we found refreshing, as it can be hard to be consistent at a theme park. We also preferred the liquor brands they used in their drinks, like this Breuckelen Distilling 77 they used in the drink.

The serve a few snacks, but having just eaten Thanksgiving dinner, we did not try any. I vowed to go back and try a bit more of the menu, but I have not felt the urge since. The drinks were great and a good value for the price, and the bar was not crowded, but it just didn’t have that something special that makes Walt Disney World places stand out. When I visit the parks and resorts, I want an experience that I can’t get anywhere else and AbracadaBar just doesn’t have anything exciting to offer. If they added a special effect to each of the drinks being served or maybe had a magician perform, I think I would be more inclined to go back, but currently the experience I had here was similar to one in a nice restaurant that could be anywhere.

That being said, I can see this bar being very enjoyable after a long day of fighting crowds and the heat. If you are staying at one of the boardwalk hotels, it could be the perfect place to stop in after watching Illuminations to just relax and have a delicious adult beverage. We always enjoy being at the Boardwalk so just having an excuse to come by can be fun and relaxing. After our drinks, we took a stroll around the resorts and played one of the carnival games for the first time ever! The game was to launch lobsters into a pot by catapulting them with a mallet. The lobsters were too cute to resist and Andrew won me a prize! It was a great way to end the night after our Thanksgiving experience.

Let me know if you have been to AbrcadaBar and what you thought of it! If not, what is your favorite Walt Disney World Bar?