Top 5 Reasons to Visit Kona Café for Dinner
Between the popularity of ‘Ohana and the beautiful ambiance of the brand new Wailulu Bar & Grill at the Polynesian Island Tower, Kona Café can be easily overlooked. However, in addition to being a delicious way to start your day, Kona Café is a great spot for dinner! If you haven’t yet dined there, here’s why you need to add it to your list for your next trip.
1. A Delicious Alternative to ‘Ohana
Many guests know that the Tambu Lounge offers many of the popular dishes from ‘Ohana like the potstickers, wings, and bread pudding. However, Kona offers similar items for dinner. Among the appetizers are glazed chicken wings with sticky mirin-teriyaki wing sauce as well as the crispy pork-vegetable pot sticker.
Though it appears to be one giant potsticker, it’s actually several small ones pan fried together. While the potstickers at ‘Ohana are good, the ones at Kona are a notch better thanks to their perfectly crispy edges and the umami of the soy-velouté and mirin-teriyaki sauce that accompany the potsticker.
As for the pineapple-coconut bread pudding, it’s exactly the same as the one from ‘Ohana! At Kona Café you get a generous slice of bread pudding that’s topped with vanilla ice cream and served with a side of homemade caramel sauce.
Overall, Kona is a great way to satisfy your craving for the flavors of ‘Ohana without the hard-to-get reservation or the all-you-care-to-eat dining format if you don’t have a large appetite.
2. The Added Convenience of Kona Café To Go
If you prefer to dine in your villa, you aren’t just limited to the Polynesian’s quick service location, Capt. Cook’s. You can order Kona Café to go! Just go to the My Disney Experience app, and go to Order Food, just as you would for a regular quick service restaurant mobile order. You’ll find Kona Café To Go as an option under the Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort section. While it’s not the full menu, you’ll find a good selection of favorites to choose from.
3. A Quick Jaunt from Magic Kingdom
For a resort restaurant, Kona Café is easily accessible. Even if you aren’t staying at the Polynesian, Kona Café is a good option for dinner after a day at Magic Kingdom. From Magic Kingdom, you have multiple options for traveling to the Polynesian, including the resort monorail, express monorail or ferry to Transportation and Ticket Center (and a short walk to the Polynesian), or boat directly to the Polynesian.
4. The Warm Service from “cousins”
Just like at ‘Ohana, the cast members at Kona Café are friendly and treat you like family. They welcome you as “cousin” as they greet you to be seated. Throughout the meal, the cast members are attentive and great at anticipating needs from bringing refills before you can even ask for them to offering to bring out the appetizers and kids’ meals out first.
5. A Family-friendly Atmosphere
Dining with kids? No worries. This spot is nice and casual–you won’t feel out of place dining here with little ones. With the restaurant being open to the lobby, it’s not the quietest restaurant, but this can work in your favor if your kids get a little antsy at dinner.
Treat yourself a little taste of paradise by staying at the Polynesian Villas & Bungalows! From Duo Studios for 2 guests to the Bora Bora Bungalows for up to 8 guests, there’s something for everyone. Search the confirmed reservations, or request a free quote to start planning your DVC stay today!
