The Solo Scale:

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If you’re in the mood for island vibes, then the Polynesian hotel at Disney World might be right for you. If you love the vibe, but don’t want to pay the price to stay the night, you can still dine at one of the restaurants, drink at one of the lounges (maybe even on a monorail drink crawl) and have an incredible experience. One of those restaurants that you can sit-down and decompress from your Disney day is the Kona Cafe.

I’ve dined here for both dinner and breakfast. I had great experiences both times. If I had to pick a favourite, breakfast won out because of how amazing it was, but also for the proximity to the Magic Kingdom. It’s perfectly situated, being only a few monorail stops away and getting me in early for early hours since I was staying on property!

For breakfast, even though I was staying on a resort nearby, my reservations were for 7:45AM. This was early enough that I could eat and still make some of the early magic hours for park guests. That meant I had to take a rideshare from my hotel. That’s something to keep in mind for any breakfast reservations that require Disney transportation to reach. However, it was very cheap and I just had to have my reservation number for the gate so they could check and let my rideshare in.

Because I was there a bit earlier, the restaurant was fairly empty with only a few other tables filled. I opted for a mocha (to wake me up with some much needed caffeine) and the Tonga Toast. The food was delicious, though it was certainly rich, so if you’re not a fan of a heavy breakfast, you might want to opt for something else. The service was quick and I was able to arrive at the park with a little time left on early park hours. Even though I began eating only 45 minutes before the park opened, I had dined, paid, and got into the park with a monorail ride in less than an hour.

If you want to experience dinner, the options are just as good, leaning towards the Polynesian, of course. Our group arrived a little later for a reservation and didn’t wait long once we’d checked in. This isn’t the case at all Disney restaurants. Sometimes, you check in and wait a while for a table, which happened to me at both Brown Derby while solo and Tusker House while in a larger party.

Once seated, we began with delicious Hawaiian dinner rolls — a slightly sweeter bread. I ordered the pork belly noodle bowl, which was incredible delicious, but a messy meal. The broth has a tendency to splatter! I paired with a whiskey breeze, which was a refreshing cocktail at the end of a long day. This dinner visit was during the 50th Anniversary, so I had a lemon dessert in celebration of that. That particular dessert is now off the menu, but the attention to presentation & detail shows that even though this is a moderate experience price-wise, the presentation is still fantastic.

Kona is also where you can indulge in two other fan-faves. Those are POG juice and the Ohana bread pudding, also served here. It’s a great way to try these classics and not have to run around to different locations. All while receiving fantastic service and being on a monorail stop, giving you close access to the Magic Kingdom.

Ready to book? Check out the menu ahead of time to see what’s on offer. If you’re ready to dine here, get your reservations ready (or be prepared for a walk-up wait). Still, no matter when you dine, Kona Cafe will shine for you.

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