A Detailed Review of Disney’s Kona Cafe
Some Disney vacations I want to stick to my tried and trues. Restaurants I have been to and loved. Where as other vacations I’ve found myself more adventurous. Wanting to try restaurants we’ve never been to, at resorts we’ve never stepped foot on. This is how we ended up at Kona Cafe. On this particular vacation we were staying at Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The day we were heading to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party I wanted to eat before we went to the party at a resort restaurant but didn’t want to travel too far to do so. The Polynesian resort is only two stops away on the monorail so I figured it would be a great spot to check for a restaurant. So I found Kona Cafe.
Kona Cafe is located on the 2nd floor of the Polynesian, to your immediate left upon entering the resort from the monorail. It’s a very open restaurant, without any walls, it’s separated by the rest of the floor by partitions. This didn’t bother us because our reservation was at 2:30 in the afternoon so the second floor was very quiet. We were also seated in the section of the restaurant that was closest to the monorail. If you were seated closer to ‘Ohana during supper hour or breakfast I think it might be loud because of the people waiting to be seated at the ‘Ohana restaurant. Kona Cafe serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is very reasonably priced, making it a good choice for guests paying out of pocket. For dinner the chicken breast is $23.00, the Asian Noodle Bowl is $19.00 and the Sashimi Sampler is $17.00. They offer a variety of sushi at both lunch and supper. My entree wasn’t anything stupendous but I will never forget the dessert I got. I got the Kona Kone, which really shouldn’t be on the adult menu. It was ice cream in a waffle cone dish with chocolate sauce. All of this is on top of a helping of cotton candy. This honestly made our dining experience here. I couldn’t stop laughing as I enjoyed every bite of this ridiculous dessert.
Now I have only been here for a late lunch so I can not speak to this from personal experience but Kona Cafe seems like a perfect location for breakfast. Whether you’re looking to get in a hearty meal before a day at the parks or a relaxing brunch, their menu sounds delicious and again reasonably priced. With Kona Eggs Benedit for $13.00, French Toast (that comes with breakfast meat) for $12.00 and Polynesian Egg Platter for $14.00. You’ll walk away feeling satisfied and that you got a good deal on property. Plus you’ll have eaten something you wouldn’t have had anywhere else. (The french toast is topped with caramel-banana sauce)
This restaurant is not very popular. So if you’re looking for a place to eat in the Magic Kingdom resort area this is a great choice. The atmosphere is light and relaxed. It’s a great excuse to get into the Polynesian resort. Enjoy your meal and then go walk around the lobby, check out the gallery, go marvel at the glorious pool. Walk along the beach and admire the view of the Magic Kingdom. You could even jump on the boat that heads to the Magic Kingdom, Grand Floridian and return back to the Polynesian. If you’re planning way ahead of time and you’re on the dining plan ‘Ohana is the better choice for quality of food and value, but Kona does give the variety that ‘Ohana can not. If you’re looking to have Sushi and you’re the only one in your party who’s on that train then Kona Cafe is a great spot to enjoy lunch or supper. Just be sure to have that Kona Kone for dessert.
Dining Plan: 1 Table Service Credit
Hours: 7:30am-11:15am
Lunch: 12:00pm-2:45pm
Dinner: 5:00pm-10:00pm
How To Get There:
If you’re staying at one of the monorail resorts simply hop on the monorail until you arrive at the Polynesian. Staying at the Wilderness Lodge, take a boat to the Magic Kingdom and then take the resort monorail to the Polynesian. Any other resort guests can make their way to the Magic Kingdom by bus and then hop on the monorail. Or take a Polynesian bus from EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, or Disney Springs.
Happy Planning.
