Kona Cafe Reopening Date & Details
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is once again welcoming guests and one of the most in-demand hotels at Walt Disney World. ‘Ohana is also back, with Advance Dining Reservations booked solid weeks in advance despite high prices and spotty quality. Meanwhile, the Poly’s best restaurant flies under the radar, with last-minute ADRs, fair prices, and delicious cuisine. Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was. (Updated October 1, 2022.)
I don’t think it’ll shock some Walt Disney World fans to hear that we think Kona Cafe is the Poly’s best restaurant. While ‘Ohana has way more cachet, mainstream popularity, and name recognition, Kona Cafe is a favorite of longtime Walt Disney World fans. Part of that is due to quality and prices. If we’re being honest, part is also due to Kona Cafe being far easier to book. Many locals, Annual Passholders, and DVC members simply aren’t willing to jump through the hoops for ‘Ohana.
In some ways, Kona Cafe reminds me of Steakhouse 71, Geyser Point, Three Bridges, Sanaa, and Grand Floridian Cafe. None of those are the big name restaurants at their respective resorts. However, they tend to be more popular–and even preferred–among repeat visitors. All are “hidden gem” Walt Disney World dining options that we’d file under “real OGs know.”
October 18, 2022 Update: This table service restaurant at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is currently closed for a lengthy, multi-month refurbishment. Walt Disney World recently revealed that Kona Cafe will reopen on November 1, 2022.
Advance Dining Reservations are now available for the refurbished Kona Cafe. We’ve recently spot-checked a range of dates, and found decent availability for both lunch and dinner. Of course, that varies based on party size.
Walt Disney World has also announced that Kona Cafe will have a “refreshed experience” and the “look, feel, and even some flavors of this relaxed café will be different, yet familiar.” Kona Cafe will feature American cuisine with that Asian flare that makes it so unique and you can still watch the chefs at work in the onstage sushi kitchen.
Disney has also offered a sneak peek at returning menu items: certain favorites that have cemented their place on the menu, including the delicious and can’t-miss Tonga Toast and Pineapple Macadamia Nut Pancakes served at breakfast. These two are fan-favorites for a reason. Be sure to keep an eye out for several items returning to the lunch and dinner menus like the Big Kahuna Burger and Seafood Pu Pu Platter and even a new plant-based offering for dinner, the Sautéed Red Quinoa.
Our hope is that these changes amount to a nice refresh of Kona Cafe’s seating area, which, as discussed below, is showing its age. I’m skeptical that the restaurant can be improved dramatically given the space constraints, but I also don’t think it can be “ruined” given the relatively bland design. Here’s hoping that Imagineering proves me wrong on the former but not on the latter–they did a good job with the Wave to Steakhouse 71 transformation, so I’m similarly optimistic about this.
If you want to get your “last meal” at Kona Cafe in before the refurbishment, the review that follows covers our most recent experience at the restaurant…
During the Disney Dining Plan’s heyday, we ate at Kona every single trip. I ate their now long-gone New York Strip Steak at least a half-dozen times, and there were several items that offered great bang for buck. Kona Cafe was also a good option out of pocket, with several more budget-friendly options.
At some point, the menu changed and became significantly more expensive. This came at a time when we were not doing the Disney Dining Plan as often, so Kona Cafe became a much tougher sell. Dropping over $50 per person for the meal made it easier to see Kona’s faults, like it’s relatively minimal theming and the “mall food court” vibe thanks to guests loitering around right outside tables while waiting for their ‘Ohana reservations. Now, things have come full circle again…
Our last few meals at Kona Cafe have all been spectacular, a trend that dates back before last year and has continued through the official reopening of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Most recently, we dined at Kona Cafe for lunch while staying in one of the “Moana Makeover” guest rooms at the Poly.
Both this meal and our previous two reminded us of the Kona Cafe we fell in love with over a decade ago. A range of price points plus fun cuisine, inventive items, and comfort food. Still no Disney Dining Plan and that Teriyaki-Style New York Strip Steak is long gone, but there is plenty to love about Kona Cafe!
Let’s start with ambiance. Nothing is different here with Kona Cafe–the seating has been more or less unchanged for years. Kona Cafe is starting to show its age with the patterns on the benches and carpet, but it’s still fine. There’s not a ton of space to work with here, so I’m not even sure what Imagineering could do to improve the theme.
Kona Cafe opens up to the second level of the lobby, offering views of the atrium. This is both an asset and liability. It’s great when uncrowded, as it gives the restaurant a light and airy atmosphere, and feel less claustrophobic and confined–avoiding the Wave’s woes. It’s unpleasant when the Poly’s upper level is packed with people waiting for ‘Ohana. Thankfully, that’s not an issue right now.
Our meal at Kona Cafe starts with bread service, which is simply regular rolls served with plain butter.
Totally serviceable, but nothing special. “Free filler” is basically what these rolls offer.
For our appetizer, we ordered the Crispy Pork-Vegetable Pot Sticker with Soy-Vinaigrette Dressing.
No, I didn’t accidentally use a potato pancake photo…
Flipping the pancake-like food over reveals five pot stickers.
These are truly some of the best pot stickers we’ve ever had. In our ‘Ohana Family-Style Dinner Review, the pork dumplings are one of the few things we praised. These are even better. The filling between the two is very similar, but what puts these over the top is the crisp texture and the creamy dressing. savory and fantastic.
Speaking of ‘Ohana, you can order versions of all that restaurant’s best dishes at Kona Cafe.
If you were to order these pot stickers, the glazed chicken wings, our final entree, and the bread pudding (off menu), it would set you back $55–or exactly the price of dinner at ‘Ohana for one–and would be enough food for two people.
We’ve also done Kona Cafe To-Go and ordered the Lobster and Crab Macaroni & Cheese.
This is filling and fantastic. Rich and heavy, with an abundance of lobster and crab meat and mix of quality cheeses. We both loved this, and would highly recommend this appetizer. It’s fairly priced especially given how much seafood is in it.
We also ordered the Steak Salad: Sunny-side Up Egg, Kona House Vinaigrette, Sweet Bell Peppers, Kale and Arugula Blend.
I don’t even remember why we ordered this. Wanting to eat healthy? In any case, what you see is what you get. This salad is not noteworthy nor is it recommended.
Turning back to this lunch at Kona Cafe, we ordered the Duck Fried Rice with Leg Confit: Crispy Duck Spring Roll, Shiitake Mushrooms, Togarashi, Grilled Bok Choy.
There actually are differences between the lunch and dinner menus at Kona Cafe, and both entrees we ordered are lunch-only. They are replaced by the Asian-marinated Airline Chicken and Kona-braised Short Rib for dinner.
At $32, the Duck Fried Rice is the most expensive item on the lunch menu.
It is worth every penny. The duck leg was tender and delicious on its own and the duck spring roll was tasty, but it’s the duck fried rice itself that was star. Savory and delicious, this was a huge and meaty portion of fried rice. That photo makes it look smaller, but we could only finish half–and it was perfect for leftovers. Highly recommended.
Finally, the Kona Chicken Stir-fry: Yakisoba Noodles, Napa Cabbage, Carrots, Teriyaki Sauce.
Upon tasting these, Sarah’s immediate reaction was, “these are better than the ‘Ohana noodles.” She’s right. Like those, these noodles have a nice balance of savory and sweet flavors, with a good elastic consistency, chewiness, and thickness. The rest of the stir-fry gave them a better exterior texture, too. Again, we could only finish half. The only downside of this dish is that our smaller piece of chicken (the one to the right) was dry. Otherwise, absolutely fantastic and highly recommended (but not quite as much as the duck fried rice), especially to ‘Ohana noodle diehards.
Ultimately, this just scratches the surface on why we are back to loving Kona Cafe. If anything, I feel like we’re underselling it with this review. We had another meal here shortly after the last big menu overhaul and it was likewise delicious–I can’t locate those photos, but we found the sushi surprisingly good. We’d also like to try the dashi bowls, poke bowls, and more–next time! (Additionally, Kona Cafe’s breakfast is great.)
With that said, we can still understand why Kona Cafe is less popular with casual Walt Disney World visitors than ‘Ohana. While we would take the cuisine and prices at Kona Cafe any day over ‘Ohana, there’s absolutely something to be said for the atmosphere and views of Magic Kingdom at ‘Ohana. Kona Cafe definitely lags in those regards, making it far less memorable as a dining experience. If the complete package and making memories matters more and you don’t mind overpaying, ‘Ohana remains the superior option. For food, Kona Cafe is the far superior choice.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you dined at Kona Cafe? Any favorite appetizers, entrees, or desserts? Tried the ‘Ohana menu items (or their close counterparts) served at Kona Cafe? Will you be booking an Advance Dining Reservation for lunch or dinner here? What did you think? Worthwhile for the food, atmosphere, or for both? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Other thoughts or concerns? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I’m so glad someone else got that reference…
And you may ask yourself, “should I eat this seafood casserole?” And you may say to yourself, “my God, what have I done?”
“Unfortunately for those who hate themselves and/or want to punish their stomachs, ‘Ohana’s infamous seafood casserole cannot be ordered at Kona Cafe. If that’s a problem, you could always purchase a can of Campbell’s condensed cream soup and combine that with some frozen shrimp or a rubber toy.”
Tom, I wish you would quite beating around the bush and just give it to us straight. Just how do you like the new seafood casserole at ‘Ohana’s? Maybe it just needs a little Texas Pete…LOL.
My family and I used to love Kona cafe! It was always a must visit on any of our trips. Unfortunately, the last time we ate at Kona was in 2019 and we overall had a bad experience once they changed the dinner menu. Steak super salty and not cooked properly, and desserts that were quite awful compared to what they used to be! Didn’t try it again last year when we went in 2020. Trying breakfast for the first time this September!
The poly has always been my first LOVE at Disneyworld and I still LOVE O’Hana’s for dinner.
Give me Kona Cafe all Day for the BEST Breakfast in all the Land!!!
They absolutely have the very best breakfast selections!!!
We visited The Polynesian last November to eat at Kona Cafe in evening. The Poly in general felt a little depressing and dark. We didn’t feel like the Cafe was anything special. We have since decided to do a stay in February at the Poly and will give it another shot thanks to many glowing reviews!
I am so, so glad to read this review! We are total foodies and take our Disney food seriously. This trip, we are trying to eat at as many resort restaurants as possible. Ohana just does not sound that great in comparison, so I’m glad you confirmed our choice for us! We will probably be ordering the poke bowls and kids sushi for our 8 year old and 4 year old. And yes, we do follow your advice because we think we are like-minded!
I agree with all your observations, Tom and am really looking forward to trying that duck fried rice! My favorite thing about Kona is that, from some tables, you can catch a glimpse of the monorail passing by through the windows. (When the resort is not under refurbishment). There is something about sitting in the Poly, and seeing a flash of the monorail that takes me back to my earliest Disney memories, when the monorail felt like the most modern, thrlling attraction 1979 WDW could possible hope to offer my preschooler self.
Kona is always a must. Sometimes twice in one visit. The pot stickers are now a must after finally trying them. I think the sushi is top notch and I never leave hungry – just wanting more! I have always had great service as well. Now I am hungry . . .
Always loved Kona for breakfast and dinner!! They unfortunately replaced a couple of favorites of ours Tuna Oscar and especially the coffee rubbed Pork Chop. Still would go back in an instant… We are staying at Poly for the first time next August, so we will be going back!!
That coffee rubbed pork chop was fantastic! Part of me would love to see that and the teriyaki steak make a return, but I also appreciate the more ambitious and unique menu they’re doing now.
Big agree on this take on Kona Cafe. The real OGs do indeed know. I wish they’d jazz up the bread service with nicer rolls and sweet butter, and I do feel the restaurant’s design could use a little more oomph, but the main menu is always excellent. Absolutely the Poly’s best restaurant.
The bread service would be 674% better if paired with macadamia nut butter!
“All are “hidden gem” Walt Disney World dining options that we’d file under “real OGs know.””
This. Just maybe real OGs with cars. 😀
Last year these restaurants were MVP’s at their respective resorts too, as they were often the only place to grab a meal.
Ha! Definitely true for Three Bridges or Sanaa, but the others are accessible via non-boat transportation from Magic Kingdom. They just don’t get as much hype!
(For once, I’m selfishly glad that few people listen to my advice when it comes to these restaurants. 😉 )
Also, sorry, this is off topic to this post but related to my previous comment . . . Why is CRT closing at 6 on 10/1? They need all the reservation availability they can get that day, so it’s weird WDW would close down one of their most popular restaurants that early. Unless they’re going to have like a $300 dinner package for the debut of Enchanted.
I did not realize it was closing early that day–some sort of special dinner might make sense. It also could be a media event or private restaurant buyout.
What are your thoughts on this or any of the other MK resort restaurants you mentioned at the top of the article as an alternative to MK table service dining for 10/1? We predictably failed to get an ADR in the park, so we’re thinking of just getting reservations nearby (in the late morning before park hoppers start coming over and potentially filling the park to capacity). Is that a reasonable solution if the frantic refresh game for the next two months doesn’t work?
I think that’s a great idea. I’d recommend getting back before Park Hopping time *just in case* capacity becomes an issue and they start doing phased closures. (I don’t think that’ll happen, but I’m not taking any chances.)
Never had a bad meal at Kona. The food is some of the best in WDW. We love it so much it’s our last meal every trip on the day we leave.
We love whispering canyon for a big family meal. That and kona are our two must do, sit downs, every trip. The ribeye I got the last few times at WCC was the best steak I’ve had anywhere.
This has been our ohana replacement for the last few trips. I enjoy the spicy tuna roll as well. The airline chicken is ok, not spectacular but my husband loves the braised short ribs! We did it togo on our last night and it was a nice way to get into the ploy and do some browsing and grab a drink while we waited for our order. Can’t wait to try the duck fried rice and pot stickers!
“The airline chicken is ok, not spectacular but my husband loves the braised short ribs!”
Thanks for this! The short rib was already on my “list” but hadn’t quite ruled out the airline chicken. The name certainly didn’t sell me on it.
Funny and informative review.
I’m wondering what the “best” choice for a family would be for an early dinner at a Magic Kingdom area resort before heading into the MK for an after hours event…
I had been leaning towards Whispering Canyon (we’ve never done it, and would like to enjoy WL before heading in), but this has me wondering.
Whispering Canyon Cafe is a ton of fun and families love it.
One thing we’ve found is that WCC can take longer than other mid-tier table service meals. By contrast, we’ve found that you can be in and out of Kona in a hurry (if you want). Just something to consider if you want a slower or faster meal.
Did you ask yourself, “How did I get here?” Did you ask yourself, “Where are my large potstickers?” Did you tell yourself, “These are not my noodles.” Did you tell yourself, “These are not my beautiful photographs.”
Well played.
Kona cafe used to have a chocolate dragon on display. The coffee was always excellent! I really miss the old lobby, with the grand water feature and giant tropical plants. Disney was a total different entity back then.
They’ve had a lot of chocolate creations on display–Lilo & Stitch was another good one.
I don’t recall whether they had a display this past Christmas, but I don’t believe so. Hopefully it returns this year!
We tried Kona cafe for dinner in Saturday. The pot stickers were amazing and completely surprised us. This place was a great find as we’ve never tried it before.