Restaurant Review: Kona Cafe Reopens
Fans of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort have collectively held our breath since August.
Nearly two months ago, management closed one of the restaurants here to revamp it.
The last time something like this happened, we lost The Wave… of American Flavors forever.
So, Polynesian Village loyalists have remained fearful of something similar. Well, as MickeyBlog has reported, we were all worried over nothing.
Yes, Kona Café has returned after several weeks of renovations. It’s got a new look, a modified menu, and lots of positives.
Here’s a review of the updated Kona Café!
The Location of Kona Café
This restaurant is one of the easiest Disney hotel eateries to find. I say this because the Polynesian resides on the resort monorail system.
So, you can take the monorail from Magic Kingdom and then depart at the Polynesian a few minutes later.
Once you exit the monorail and enter the resort, you’re on the second floor. You only have two options for walking here since you cannot go straight.
On one side, you’ll notice Moana Mercantile, a general store with an open shopping area for merchandise shopping.
The other side is your destination for Kona Café. It’s on the left of the monorail, and you legitimately cannot miss it.
I say this because you must walk past the coffee serving station here. Kona coffee is a thing, and people relish the options at this kiosk.
In fact, Disney sagely kept the kiosk open during the Kona Café renovations. Guests could ever order some restaurant menu options to-go from this kiosk.
That tidbit reassured people that Kona Café would return rather than turn into something new, as happened to The Wave, which is now Steakhouse 71.
The Theming of Kona Café
Thankfully, Disney protected Kona Café. In fact, Imagineers entered the restaurant, evaluated its underlying theme relative to the rest of the space, and then got busy.
Kona Café sits on the second floor of the Great Ceremonial House, the legendary hotel lobby at the Polynesian.
Recently, Disney has introduced more Moana elements to this area since this Disney Princess is a Polynesian explorer. She should have a strong presence here.
The new version of Kona Café plays into that fact. In fact, the new changes in the restaurant tie into the aquatic theme. They’re so subtle that you may miss them, but I promise they’re there.
A marvelous server at Kona Café named Cortney took the time to explain many of the details to us.
For example, the ornamental light fixtures hanging from the ceiling take on the appearance of the materials used to weave boat materials.
More importantly, they’re blue at the time and tan at the bottom to reflect the living balance of land with the sea! How cool is that?!
MickeyBlog previously posted the new signage at the restaurant. You’ll notice it fits the aquatic motif as well.
However, you should pay attention to the walls on each side as well. Those of you familiar with Kona Café recall that it previously possessed an open entrance.
Now, those meticulously themed walls on each side highlight where guests should go, adding much-needed clarity to the check-in process.
I must acknowledge that the new setup feels a bit claustrophobic, though. Due to the tight space, only one party can check in at a time.
Despite this one issue, I would absolutely describe the new version of Kona Café as superior to its predecessor.
Dining at Kona Café
I’m a Kona Café fanatic in that I’ve spent birthday dinners here. I love the place that much.
Still, the menu has changed frequently in recent years as management couldn’t find the best offerings to entice guests.
For this reason, I was hesitant when I arrived for this meal. Thankfully, my server immediately reassured me by saying the words I longed to hear.
The bread service remains at Kona Café! And yes, that includes the delicious butter!
So, I can discuss the other parts of the meal in detail, but I’ll confess right now. I filled up on bread. I think I ate five rolls…no joke.
Disney serves versions of these Polynesian rolls at Kona Café, ‘Ohana, and the former Spirit of Aloha. They’re extremely popular…and for good reason.
MickeyBlog previously discussed the new menu items at Kona Café. Now that my wife has gone vegan, we had to pass on my favorite appetizer here.
The Crispy Pork-Vegetable Pot Sticker here is among the best overall appetizers at Walt Disney World, and I highly recommend it.
Our Orders at Kona Cafe
Instead, we went with bread and entrees for this meal. Coincidentally, I had run into MickeyBlog’s Greg Antonelle minutes before this meal.
After he raved about the Big Kahuna Burger, I had to try that. There was legitimately a sparkle in his eyes as he talked about it!
However, I put my own spin on the order. I asked for the corned beef and pastrami on the side as accessories to what became a standard burger.
I found the pastrami light and airy, but the corned beef didn’t do much for me. As for the burger, WOW! That’s an explosion of flavor!
I couldn’t identify the seasoning they were using on the burger, but I’d legitimately buy that powder and use it at local restaurants if I knew.
My wife selected the Kona Stir-fry with Tofu, which is apparently available vegan or non-vegan.
You can look at the picture to appreciate how many small bites come together in this skillet. It was a dynamic entrée that she ranked in her top three for this trip.
In fact, we ate so well with our entrees and bread that we skipped dessert. Of course, part of that is Kona Café’s fault.
The new menu does NOT include the triumphant return of the Kona Kone, the signature dessert here. It was an ice cream surrounded by cotton candy and M&Ms.
No matter how full I was, I always found room for the Kona Kone. Alas, it hasn’t been on the menu for three years now and may be gone forever.
Our server raved about the Pineapple-Coconut Bread Pudding and tried to sell us on that.
However, I’m not big on pineapples or (especially) coconuts. So, we had to pass on that.
My wife did order a mocktail, though. It’s the agave and lime one that’s extremely fruity in flavor with a hard citrus finish.
Despite the fact that it’s non-alcoholic, it still packed a punch. Here’s pic of Stitch taking a sip:
Final Thoughts
Overall, we found Kona Café’s menu supremely comforting as it was mostly the same, only better.
Since we dined there on what was technically the opening day, we presume that it will improve much more once the early crowds diminish.
Kona Café remains a destination dining experience at Walt Disney World.