Parking/Transportation Situation: General Resort Parking or Valet Parking available. Bus service from The Studios, Animal Kingdom and Downtown Disney. Boat service from Magic Kingdom and Grand Floridian. Monorail service from Magic Kingdom, Epcot, The Contemporary, The Grand Floridian and The Ticket and Transportation Center. Walkable from Ticket and Transportation Center. (If using Disney Bus Transportation, allow 1-1.5 hours transportation time. For monorail or boat, allow approximately 30 minutes.)
Meals Served: B, L, D
Characters/Entertainment: None
Type of Cuisine: American fare with heavy Pacific Island influence, including sushi
Type of Menu: A la carte
Atmosphere: Sleek, modern café with a subtle nod to the South Pacific
Dress Code: Theme park casual
Dress Code: Theme park casual
Guests Who Would Enjoy This The Most: Guests who were unable to get into 'Ohana, or who enjoy Polynesian influenced cuisine, but don't want the all-you-care-to-eat of 'Ohana
Level of Difficulty of Getting a Reservation: Moderate
Fun Stuff for Kids: Nothing really, other than the standard coloring pages
Rating of Appeal to Kid-Diners: Are we done yet????
Rating of Appeal to Kid-Diners: Are we done yet????
Stand out dishes: Sticky Wings, Pan-Asian Noodles with Shrimp, Kona Coffee-Rubbed Pork Chop, Kilauea Chocolate Torte, Chocolate-Banana Crème Brulee
Best Use of Dining Plan Point: Grilled NY Strip or Sustainable Fish, and Warm Apple Tart or Yuzu Citrus Tart
Best Use of Dining Plan Point: Grilled NY Strip or Sustainable Fish, and Warm Apple Tart or Yuzu Citrus Tart
Experience: Once again, Tinkers, this was a fly-by-the-seat-of-yer-board-shorts booking for us. We had a planned to attend the Frozen fireworks at the Hollywood Studios this night, since my Mum was in town from Boston, and my daughter LIVES for all things Elsa. The Florida weather, however, had other plans. Like to crack open the sky with some lightning, and pour down buckets of water on our heads. (Looks like there's a "Rain Queen" out there who is way more powerful than that "Snow Queen".) Rather than get totally drenched, we opted to get some eats. We were planning on dessert only, since we had enjoyed some fabulously fancy cuisine from Steak and Shake in the early evening, but our appetites got carried away, as you will see.
We were able to book a reservation on our way to the Polynesian, for 8:30pm. We valet parked, and went up to Kona. When we arrived and checked in, the table wasn't quite ready, so we took a few minutes to enjoy the scenery of the new Polynesian lobby.
(No more large, babbling waterfall. No more tropical, vaguely-mildewy-yet-somehow-appealing scent.) We took a look at the set up of the Kona Island sushi bar and the new Hawaiian shaved ice treats being offered. Mental note- return here for a refreshment someday, when I have been in the Magic Kingdom and am sweating my mouse ears off. Our pager went off within ten minutes and we were shown to the table.
It did take quite a while to be acknowledged by a server, but it may have been because the restaurant was starting to empty out, and the remaining servers had more tables than normal. When we were greeted, K's egg allergy was acknowledged and the chef was sent out to speak with us, even though they did give us one of those confusing allergen menus. The chef was super nice and she assisted us in picking out appetizers and desserts that K could eat. We found our that all three appetizers that we had ordered were safe for him, and for dessert, the chef was sending out a World Famous Mickey Ice Cream Bar, so we knew, we could probably bribe K into behaving for the majority of the meal period.
Our server brought out bread for us to enjoy while we waited. I would tell you, dear Tinkers, that it's worth coming here for the bread alone, but that might be a pushing it a bit..... well, maybe not. Let's just say this: The bread is heavenly! A delicious, warm loaf of sweet bread, (think King's Hawaiian rolls, but better!), served with a sweetened macadamia nut butter. Yum-O! Embarrassing as it is, we managed to get through two loaves before the appetizers even came out!
On a side note here, I do want to address the unconventional meal we ordered. Guests have asked me in the past if its ok to book a reservation at a Disney restaurant and only order dessert, or appetizers, or whatever. Sure it is! I would caution you with a couple of things though... #1. Always tip appropriately. Now, I'm in no way insinuating that you wouldn't. I'm just saying, as an ex-server, remember that if you are sitting at a table and ordering just dessert, when I could have had a table ordering three courses, I would appreciate it very much if you tipped above the standard 18-20%. #2. Be considerate. Whenever you can, try and grab a spot at the bar. Now this isn't always an option. You may have kids with you, the location may not have a bar, or it may just be full. But whenever it is doable, it's the most appropriate option. If you do end up at a table, try and keep your visit on the shorter side, and don't stay for hours, sipping a coffee or nursing a cocktail. You can always move your conversation to a more appropriate seating area, without utilizing a server's table. #3. Try to do this "after hours", when peak dining times have ended, (after 8pm). You'll save yourself from a lot of shady side-eye from other guests who are waiting, as well as from servers who are missing out on larger tips.
All of that being said, there we were, at Kona, with kids, for a late "dessert only" reservation.
The appetizers took about twenty minutes to arrive. We had gotten Sticky Wings, the Pot Stickers and the Steamed Pork Buns. They were all colorful and plated beautifully, though I would describe them all as being more like "small plates" than an appetizer for a table of three adults and two kids. The Sticky Wings had a salty-sweet soy and ginger glaze on them. Nice flavor, similar to 'Ohana's Honey Coriander Wings, though 'Ohana's are better. 4 small drummettes came in the order. The Pork Buns were unique. They were like mini-open faced shredded pork sandwiches, with fresh veggies and a soft, pillowy, doughy bun. They had a nice, sweet flavor, and looked beautiful, but again, there were only two small buns in the order. The Potstickers were not baked like the 'Ohana ones, but steamed, which made them seem a bit lighter. The filling was pork and veggies and they were very tasty. There were four on the plate. Between the five of us, the appetizers were gone pretty quickly.
On to dessert! Kona has some really unique and yummy desserts, from the Kilauea Chocolate Torte, to the Jasmine Tea Infused Cheesecake, options are tasty and have a bit of island flare. Which is why I was SHOCKED when it was time to order and my mother announced that she wanted.....a Mickey bar, just like K! To be fair, we all know how delicious they are, and she hadn't had one yet on this trip, but come on, man!!! Hawaiian-style desserts!!! No? Oh, well, I guess I'll be the fun one, AGAIN. I went with the Banana-Chocolate Creme Brulee. I had it once before and loved it, so I wanted to see if it was still as good. The hubs passed on dessert tonight. (Super bizarre, I know.) So while D, K and Mum all enjoyed chomping on Mickey's chocolately ears, and trying to eat the ice cream before it was a melted pile, I dug into my gorgeous dessert. I apologize to you, because I was so excited about it, that I immediately knocked the huge chocolate swirl that came on top of it onto the floor, so it looks rather boring in my picture, but trust me, it was
great!
The sugar was nice and crunchy on top, so as to give the consumer the satisfaction of cracking it, like any good creme brulee should. There were a couple of banana slices among the smooth, creamy banana custard, and on the bottom, a rich, velvety chocolate ganache. Just enough. Enjoy your Mickey Bars. I need some alone time with my creme brulee. Wait, it's gone already? Sniff. Sniff. (Worth noting, if you're a coffee drinker, the Kona press-pot coffee here is some of the best on property, but since we were not looking to be up too much later, we passed this time.)
Almost time for Wishes! We hurried up and paid off the check and ran on over to the 'Ohana waiting area to get a view of the castle from the nice, A/C-ed, dry indoors. (Great thing to remember if you happen to hit a rainy night in the parks and want to stay dry, but see the fireworks. Perfect view from up there, and it's generally emptied out by the time the fireworks start.) K and D "Oooh"ed and "Aaahhh"ed, danced, and sang along to every word of Wishes. A woman standing near us said, "Oh, you've seen this before!", to which D said, "Yeah, like, a TON." Alright, kid, we get it. #DisneySpoiled
We were able to book a reservation on our way to the Polynesian, for 8:30pm. We valet parked, and went up to Kona. When we arrived and checked in, the table wasn't quite ready, so we took a few minutes to enjoy the scenery of the new Polynesian lobby.
It did take quite a while to be acknowledged by a server, but it may have been because the restaurant was starting to empty out, and the remaining servers had more tables than normal. When we were greeted, K's egg allergy was acknowledged and the chef was sent out to speak with us, even though they did give us one of those confusing allergen menus. The chef was super nice and she assisted us in picking out appetizers and desserts that K could eat. We found our that all three appetizers that we had ordered were safe for him, and for dessert, the chef was sending out a World Famous Mickey Ice Cream Bar, so we knew, we could probably bribe K into behaving for the majority of the meal period.
Our server brought out bread for us to enjoy while we waited. I would tell you, dear Tinkers, that it's worth coming here for the bread alone, but that might be a pushing it a bit..... well, maybe not. Let's just say this: The bread is heavenly! A delicious, warm loaf of sweet bread, (think King's Hawaiian rolls, but better!), served with a sweetened macadamia nut butter. Yum-O! Embarrassing as it is, we managed to get through two loaves before the appetizers even came out!
On a side note here, I do want to address the unconventional meal we ordered. Guests have asked me in the past if its ok to book a reservation at a Disney restaurant and only order dessert, or appetizers, or whatever. Sure it is! I would caution you with a couple of things though... #1. Always tip appropriately. Now, I'm in no way insinuating that you wouldn't. I'm just saying, as an ex-server, remember that if you are sitting at a table and ordering just dessert, when I could have had a table ordering three courses, I would appreciate it very much if you tipped above the standard 18-20%. #2. Be considerate. Whenever you can, try and grab a spot at the bar. Now this isn't always an option. You may have kids with you, the location may not have a bar, or it may just be full. But whenever it is doable, it's the most appropriate option. If you do end up at a table, try and keep your visit on the shorter side, and don't stay for hours, sipping a coffee or nursing a cocktail. You can always move your conversation to a more appropriate seating area, without utilizing a server's table. #3. Try to do this "after hours", when peak dining times have ended, (after 8pm). You'll save yourself from a lot of shady side-eye from other guests who are waiting, as well as from servers who are missing out on larger tips.
All of that being said, there we were, at Kona, with kids, for a late "dessert only" reservation.
The appetizers took about twenty minutes to arrive. We had gotten Sticky Wings, the Pot Stickers and the Steamed Pork Buns. They were all colorful and plated beautifully, though I would describe them all as being more like "small plates" than an appetizer for a table of three adults and two kids. The Sticky Wings had a salty-sweet soy and ginger glaze on them. Nice flavor, similar to 'Ohana's Honey Coriander Wings, though 'Ohana's are better. 4 small drummettes came in the order. The Pork Buns were unique. They were like mini-open faced shredded pork sandwiches, with fresh veggies and a soft, pillowy, doughy bun. They had a nice, sweet flavor, and looked beautiful, but again, there were only two small buns in the order. The Potstickers were not baked like the 'Ohana ones, but steamed, which made them seem a bit lighter. The filling was pork and veggies and they were very tasty. There were four on the plate. Between the five of us, the appetizers were gone pretty quickly.
 |
| Sticky Wings |
 |
| Pork Buns |
 |
| Pot Stickers |
On to dessert! Kona has some really unique and yummy desserts, from the Kilauea Chocolate Torte, to the Jasmine Tea Infused Cheesecake, options are tasty and have a bit of island flare. Which is why I was SHOCKED when it was time to order and my mother announced that she wanted.....a Mickey bar, just like K! To be fair, we all know how delicious they are, and she hadn't had one yet on this trip, but come on, man!!! Hawaiian-style desserts!!! No? Oh, well, I guess I'll be the fun one, AGAIN. I went with the Banana-Chocolate Creme Brulee. I had it once before and loved it, so I wanted to see if it was still as good. The hubs passed on dessert tonight. (Super bizarre, I know.) So while D, K and Mum all enjoyed chomping on Mickey's chocolately ears, and trying to eat the ice cream before it was a melted pile, I dug into my gorgeous dessert. I apologize to you, because I was so excited about it, that I immediately knocked the huge chocolate swirl that came on top of it onto the floor, so it looks rather boring in my picture, but trust me, it was
 |
| Banana-Chocolate Creme Brulee |
Almost time for Wishes! We hurried up and paid off the check and ran on over to the 'Ohana waiting area to get a view of the castle from the nice, A/C-ed, dry indoors. (Great thing to remember if you happen to hit a rainy night in the parks and want to stay dry, but see the fireworks. Perfect view from up there, and it's generally emptied out by the time the fireworks start.) K and D "Oooh"ed and "Aaahhh"ed, danced, and sang along to every word of Wishes. A woman standing near us said, "Oh, you've seen this before!", to which D said, "Yeah, like, a TON." Alright, kid, we get it. #DisneySpoiled
Tink's Tots Try It Out: According to D (6 yo girl) You didn't really eat much at Kona, D, but did you like it? "I liked the bread a lot. I would go there and eat, and eat, and eat the bread." Well, ok, then. Tell us how you really feel. "Huh? That IS how I feel." (D doesn't do sarcasm yet.) How about your Mickey Bar, how was that? "Good!' Do you think kids would like the restaurant? "Yes, because they get to go to the fireworks like we did. And eat that bread." Fair enough.
Tink's Tots Try It Out: According to K (2 yo boy) Hey, K, would you go to Kona again? "I go 'gain." Why did you like Kona? Was it the Mickey Bar? "Mamma! Mamma! Mickey? Mickey pop?" Well, it was kind of like a Mickey lollipop. It was a Mickey ice cream bar. "Ice keem. Mickey 'ike ice keem." Mickey likes ice cream? "Yeah." I don't know how he'd feel about eating ice cream that was in the shape of his head. I think I would feel weird about eating human head-shaped ice cream. That'd be gross. "Eewwww!" I know. I over-thought that one, huh?
Will we be back: Probably not for lunch or dinner, just because we know we prefer 'Ohana. We already know we want to come back and do a "date night" at the sushi bar some night, and we will have to come back at some point for breakfast. Kona serves one of the most legendary Disney breakfasts of all..... banana-stuffed french toast, coated in cinnamon and sugar. Also known as Tonga Toast!
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