REVIEW: Forget ‘Ohana, This Might Be the Best Breakfast at Disney’s Polynesian Hotel

Planning a trip to Disney World and not sure where you should eat while you’re there? Luckily, you’ve come to the right place!

Here at AllEars, we know all the ins and outs of Disney restaurants — including where you should definitely eat, and where you should skip. We recently stopped by Kona Cafe at Disney’s Polynesian Resort and are bringing you our FULL review!

Background

While it may not be as popular as ‘Ohana, Kona Café is another great option at the Polynesian, whether you’re dining for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Kona Café is known for Tonga Toast and Macadamia Nut Pancakes for breakfast.

Specialty sushi rolls, burgers, and dashi and poké bowls are just some of the options on the expansive lunch and dinner menu. Here’s what you need to know about dining at this restaurant.

Atmosphere

Kona Café is located on the second floor of the Polynesian lobby, across from ‘Ohana. It’s not quite as large a restaurant, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in flavor. It can get loud in here, though, due to the open-concept dining room and kitchen.

But enough about that, what are we eating?!

Food & Drinks

First up, we grabbed the Pumpkin Seasonal Pancakes for $18. These were oh, so good. They were definitely on the sweet side, but that’s to be expected with a dish like this. It leans more toward dessert than breakfast, but hey, if you’re on vacation, live a little.

These straight-up tasted like fall. The pancakes were perfectly fluffy and cakey, and the pumpkin flavor shines through in a fantastic way. They leaned more toward pumpkin than pumpkin spice, which we appreciated. They’re definitely shareable — this was a huge portion, not that we’re really complaining. We’re sad these are seasonal because we’d order them again and again!

We also ordered the Gluten-free Tonga Toast, which you can get for $17.50. While this does sound exciting, don’t get too excited yet — this “Tonga Toast” is just the regular allergy-friendly, gluten-free rolls you can get around the rest of Disney World, just Tonga Toast-ified. This isn’t on the menu, but it is available if you ask for it.

The banana is still injected inside the rolls (or however they do it), and they’re rolled in cinnamon sugar, so you still get those Tonga Toast vibes. We were really impressed with this, even though we don’t adhere to a gluten-free diet. We think gluten-free eaters would want to go out of their way for this! Ours came with a side of grilled Spam, which was perfectly salty and meaty.

And, of course, we also ordered the Gluten-free Mickey Waffles Side for $5.25. We love that we can order a side of Mickey Waffles, and these gluten-free ones were not different. They were super fluffy and airy, and honestly, we could hardly tell that these were gluten-free. These aren’t specifically listed on the menu either, but it’s always worth asking for them!

So, should you add Kona Cafe to your list of must-eat restaurants?

Magic or Tragic?

This Disney World restaurant is a must-visit if…

• You want to have breakfast at the Polynesian, but can’t snag a reservation at ‘Ohana.
• You’re looking for something a little more low-key than the chaos of a character restaurant like ‘Ohana.
• You can’t get enough Tonga Toast!

You should skip this Disney World spot if…

• You’re looking for character dining. Try ‘Ohana or something like Topolino’s Terrace!
• You want a quick breakfast before you head into the parks for the day.
• You’re not staying at the Polynesian and will have to go out of your way to eat here.

In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for more restaurant updates from Disney World and beyond. Make sure you stay tuned to AllEars for the latest Disney news and more!

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Have you eaten at this Disney World restaurant before? Tell us in the comments.

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