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!
Sorry Tom to disagree but Kona Cafe is one of the worst sit down breakfast spots in WDW. 4 entrees are served for breakfast – what a joke, unless you are dying for “ two eggs – any style”. Or macadamia nut pancakes.
Go to Captain Cook’s instead, which has better theming and better choices.
Can’t speak to the dinner at Kona, because I can never get ADRs.
Absolutely agree about Capt. Cook’s, with the added bonus that the prices are SO MUCH BETTER.
We like the food at the Kona, but it really does need a refresh. If anything, bring in more Hawaiian dishes! Shave ice, poke, spam sushi, fresh fish!
How popular is Kona Cafe in general?
If it’s doing well enough, I’d think for once the right thing for WDW is save money. The restaurant version of a “soft goods replacement” would itself do wonders, and there’s no need to change the theming elements other than replacing old with new. (Tweak the menu if you must, I suppose.)
Kona hit its pinnacle about 7 or 8 years ago with its fantastic strip steak and the decadent chocolate-banana creme brulee. Throw in the complimentary bread service including rich macadamia nut butter it was a fantastic dinner and a great value on the dining plan. Often overlooked is its perfect location from MK. Before Skipper’s Canteen and BOG when there really weren’t any good sit down dining options in the park, Kona was a quick monorail ride and a pleasant evening break from the crowds before ducking back in for fireworks. Before the entrance redesign, the window seats overlooking the ‘tropical jungle’ at the resort entrance were an escape from the noise of the lobby. I just turned my back on the restaurant decor and gazed out the window while savouring that steak. I’d love for Kona to go OG and bring back a few old-timey guest favs. Sadly, every new cook or head chef here wants to put their own spin on the menu and all the good stuff was lost years ago. If there really is a Poly God, Disney would handpick a few traditional items for the new menu to celebrate the anniversary. There’s an idea.
When we stayed at the Poly in November, our kids weren’t vaccinated yet and we weren’t comfortable eating inside at restaurants. We mobile ordered Kona to go many nights and ate on our patio with a glass of wine- we loved it. Pot stickers and noodles- incredible every time!
Kona Cafe is our family’s Poly favorite, too. The dining options is one of the reasons why Poly is our home DVC resort. Kona’s food is delicious and reasonably priced (by resort standards) and the atmosphere is welcomingly relaxing. Who doesn’t enjoy watching monorails glide in and out of the station? So yes, hoping for a soft refurb on the dining area. Disney, please don’t touch the soul of Kona. For many, the ohana is stronger at Kona than Ohana. Mahalo!
Just got home Tuesday
Glad I got my Macadamia Nut Pancakes FIX!!!!
They were absolutely delicious as always!!!
Hopefully they’ll be back open for our December trip
Love Kona!! Have a reservation in July so I’m glad we’ll get to have it before the refurb. I last ate there in 2020 (3 weeks after the parks reopened) and it was our favorite meal of the trip!
I couldn’t believe it when I heard this. Kona Cafe is our GO TO place for all meals. I’ve eaten there since I was a kid and now married/retired. I agree with you that I hope they don’t ruin it. I also hope it will be open when we go in December. Fingers crossed! Please keep us updated if you hear anything about when it will reopen.
NOOOOOOOOO! It was my #1 for my trip. I love the Macadamia Nut Pancakes. I hate breakfast and this was my concession to my dislike. UGHHHHH!
NOOOOOO! Literally staying at the Poly for the first time after several trips, and our favorite restaurant will be closed! Will this nightmare never end? Well, Steakhouse 71 it is then.
My preference of Ohana over Kona is the food (only at dinner. I prefer Kona for breakfast with their macadamia nut pancakes). I can go to Ohana and get all the shrimp I care to eat (which is grilled, not in a casserole) and teriyaki beef. Kona has tuna. Period. Tuna’s fine if you like tuna, but we’re a shellfish kind of family. Show us crab or shrimp, we’re there! Ohana’s teriyaki beef is like a steak that’s already cut up for us. No steak at Kona anymore took this restaurant out of the running for us.
And while the cost of the noodles, chicken wings, pot stickers, and bread pudding might be the same as the cost of Ohana’s dinner, you’ll also get a lot more with the Ohana dinner. Not only is it all-you-care-to-eat (shrimp!), but you also get other things with it as well like their signature bread, a salad, and grilled chicken.
The Hawaiian singer playing the ukulele is a nice touch, too. It takes us back to when we lived in Hawaii. There’s something inherently peaceful about Hawaiian songs.
Bringing back the peel-n-eat shrimp was definitely a huge positive for ‘Ohana. Our average meal at Kona Cafe is still much less expensive than ‘Ohana, but I see your point. It’s not an apples to apples comparison, each serve their own purposes and appetites.
Hey Jo,
Saw your comment on the Tonga Toast. If you want to take a chance and try it again, go to Capt. Cook’s at the Polynesian. It’s just a quick service place, but the Tonga Toast is much less expensive. That way, if it’s still not great, you won’t be spending as much money for it. At the current website prices, it’s $16.00 as Kona Cafe and only $9.29 at Capt. Cook’s…big savings!!
We had lunch here recently & thoroughly enjoyed it. We decided to cancel our Ohana reservation for dinner & do Kona for lunch instead, given the mixed review of Ohana & a friend who had dined there a week or two before us & said the food was very average & not worth the money. We were very pleased with our decision. Agreed that the pot stickers were yummy, chicken stir fry was great, and my teenage son had the mahi, bacon, lettuce, & tomato which he said was great. We did find the chicken wings too sweet for our tastes, but we got to try them by spending much less than we would have at Ohana. I even had a tapu tapu, the drink that comes in the pineapple. They gave us a to-go container & we cut up the pineapple afterwards and took it back to our resort room to enjoy for breakfast the next day! Maybe one day we’ll try Ohana, but we spent half the money for these versions of the noodles, pot stickers, & wings, and all 3 of us left full & happy! We would definitely return.
I know this article is a dinner review, but my comment/warning is for breakfast. I’ve been obsessed with tonga toast since my first bite in May 1996 (yes that sounds insane!) I Took relatives this past April who had never tried it. They think I’m an idiot now and I almost cried. It was horrible – dry, flavorless, almost zero bananas – I don’t want to believe this is the new Tonga toast, hoping just one bad morning ☹ï¸
I believe the author of the review could be my soulmate as I had exactly the same thoughts over the Kona Cafe. Being able to go through all ups and downs together with this dining place makes it have a special place in my heart. The place was spectacular over 12 years ago and still is my family’s favorite place to eat while staying at Walt Disney World. Had to agree with the author that they had a very bad period, but luckily they were able to learn from past mistakes and gain my trust again.
I had one of the best mussel dishes ( coconut, ginger and curry ) as an appetizer when I was there 2 years ago. Unfortunately, this dish is no longer on the menu. I am hoping that they will bring this back so that I can enjoy it again.
I agree 100 percent not only did they used to have a great steak but the coffee rubbed pork chops were to die for also. Our first time was actually a standby as we had ress for ohana but I had sinus problems and heard they had a open pit fire so figured best to do something else. We went sour on it about the time they changed the menu also and changed the lobby. I absolutely thought this a mistake and still do. We stayed there late April and was so looking forward to the banana stuffed french toast that I had there 9 years ago that was exactly what I had on check out day.
On every trip we had one or two Kona meals. I’m talking decades. Pre-Kona it was the Coral Island Cafe. Although the menu was different, the set up was the same.
Had that very expensive steak that came with the bone marrow. Was delicious and plenty of food to share (so happy no one else likes bone marrow). If I remember correctly, the former bread service was pineapple bread with macadamia nut butter, a tasty “filler”.
They also serve some of the best sushi. The Poke Bowl is really refreshing on a hot day. I too used to forego the steak at Le Cellier in favor of Kona’s. Sometimes even in favor The Yachtsman. And don’t let me get started on the Kona breakfast! Too many wonderful menu selections to mention.
We don’t find ourselves drawn to Kona so much anymore, probably due to the many menu changes over the years. A lot of our favorites are missing (I’m talking about you delicious lamb chops and Kilauea dessert).
I like Kona better than ‘Ohana. (Pretty sure I’m in the minority). I always thought the food at ‘Ohana was overrated. Even though the overall experience is good, to me it’s just not worth the money.
Tom, have you ever done a post on Disney for the budget conscious? With prices ever increasing, Disney food, hotels, etc. have become too expensive for many families. I’d be interested in your take on that subject.
Our recent stay at the Poly was disappointing food-wise. Captain Cooks was disgusting and Kona Kafe offered nothing that appealed to either of us and was overpriced. We used to love this resort but will take a pass on food there in the fitire