By Terry Engels, contributing writer
Before we look at any restaurants, there are a few things you should know about dining in Walt Disney World.
Reservations – if you just walk up to a popular restaurant, you cannot expect to get seated; an Advance Dining Reservation (ADR) is a must. Sure, you can take your chances and walk up to a restaurant when you get hungry, but nine times out of 10 you will be told there are no tables available, and with the establishment booked solid for the rest of the day—and you'll end up eating the proverbial theme park hamburger.
Restaurants at Walt Disney World accept ADRs up to six months in advance, and some of the more popular restaurants are fully booked many months ahead of time. For this reason alone, you must plan your itinerary far in advance and accept that sometimes rides and attractions may come secondary to getting that great restaurant reservation.
Disney has exacerbated the reservation situation by offering the Disney Dining Plan, advertised as “free dining” and made available for limited periods several times a year to guests who book their hotel and theme park packages with Disney. A recent change Disney made to the reservation policy that requires a credit-card guarantee has helped to alleviate the overbooking that has become endemic with the Disney Dining Plan at the most popular signature restaurants. If you book a reservation and then don't show up for that seating, your credit card is charged a fee of $10 per person for that unused reserved table.
Discounts – another difference between Disneyland and Walt Disney World is that unlike their Disneyland counterparts, WDW annual passholders (AP) do not generally get discounts at any food locations. Although there are a few locations in the theme parks that offer an AP discount, I can count them on one hand. As an example, the only location in the Magic Kingdom to give an AP discount is the Tomorrowland Noodle Station.
For an additional $75 or $100 a year, however, Florida residents and annual passholders can purchase a discount card from Disney, called Tables in Wonderland. This card gives a 20-percent discount (plus an automatic 18-percent gratuity added) on all food and alcohol at most Disney-owned sit-down restaurants on property—frequent visits make it worthwhile.
With those caveats in mind, let's go “Dining Around the World” by visiting my favorite breakfast place in all of Walt Disney World, the Kona Cafe at the Polynesian Resort.
The Kona Cafe sign. Photo by Terry Engels.
Kona Cafe is on the second floor of the Polynesian Resort's Great Ceremonial House, nestled between 'Ohana and the Monorail stop. The cafe is open to the rest of the Great Ceremonial House and you can hear the waterfalls tumbling below on the first floor. There are a variety of booths and tables and the restaurant features an on-stage open pastry kitchen (not in use for breakfast tho). Coffee is a major theme in the decor as you look around—even the light fixtures are shaped like large coffee beans. And don't forget to look for the hidden Mickeys in the large hibiscus flowers of the carpet. Adjoining the restaurant (next to the Monorail stop) is a coffee bar called Kona Island, which doubles as a sushi bar later in the day.
Kona Cafe opens for breakfast at 7:30 until around 11 or 11:30, and although it is also opens for lunch and dinner, this review focuses only on breakfast. As with most WDW restaurants, you can make Advance Dining Reservations up to six months in advance. However, breakfast is generally not fully booked here, and I usually just walk up and have never been turned away.
The Kona Cafe check-in desk. Photo by Terry Engels.
Many guests believe that the best coffee in all of Walt Disney World can be had here. Kona Cafe serves authentic Kona coffee and offers a special French press pot that serves two. Even if you don't go that route, the regular Kona Blend is far better than the usual Nescafe served everywhere else. And here's a little hint: Ask your server for a to-go cup when your meal is over. That way you can take a fresh cup of Kona coffee with you as you hop on the monorail to the Magic Kingdom.
The Kona Cafe Menu, as of November 2011. Photo by Terry Engels,.
Traditional American breakfasts are served here, but Kona Cafe is primarily known for its Polynesian-inspired specialties, such as the Big Kahuna, Macadamia Pineapple Pancakes, the Samoan, and, of course, Tonga Toast.
Kona Cafe's Big Kahuna breakfast. Photo by Terry Engels.
My favorite breakfast treat here is the famous Tonga Toast. It consists of a large slab of sourdough French toast stuffed with bananas, deep fried, and then rolled in cinnamon sugar. Top it off with the provided strawberry compote (a rich and creamy strawberry sauce) and you are in heaven. If all that isn't enough, it comes with a side of either bacon, sausage, or ham, and a slice of pineapple. While you can also get it with whipped butter and tropical syrup, trust me, the dish needs neither of those.
Kona Cafe's signature breakfast dish, Tonga Toast. Photo by Terry Engels.
Not into sweets for breakfast? Kona Cafe also offers a savory breakfast: The Samoan. It consists of poached eggs with Hollandaise sauce served over a heaping helping of smoked pulled-pork hash and topped with some greens. This is probably the most outstanding egg breakfast served on property (my mouth waters just thinking of it).
Pulled pork hash and eggs form the basis for the popular Samoan. Photo by Terry Engels.
I've heard people complain that Tonga Toast is not good before a day of park-hopping because it is so rich and sugary sweet and tends to sit heavy in the stomach. My answer is to order both the Tonga Toast and Samoan with another person at your table, then each share half of each dish. Half a Tonga Toast and half a Samoan is a wonderful combination of savory and sweet that fills you up for a day of park touring.
Breakfast at Kona Cafe will set you back around $15 to $20 per person with food and beverage. Kona Cafe accepts all credit cards as well as the Disney Dining Plan and Tables in Wonderland.
About the author
Terry Engels is a lifelong Disney fan. Born the same year that Disneyland first opened, Terry grew up in Southern California only 30 minutes from the Happiest Place On Earth, and has been an Annual Passholder for as long as the parks have sold Annual Passes. A little over three years ago, Terry moved to the Space Coast of Florida and began his adventures exploring Walt Disney World, and soon found out a major difference between the two coasts: The restaurants are a major focus of the entire theme park experience in Florida. “If you want a themed dining experience at Disneyland, you can eat at the Blue Bayou or a handful of other dining establishments (Club 33 not withstanding). If you want a themed dining experience at Walt Disney World, there are literally hundreds of restaurants to choose from that offer much more than the typical theme park fare of hamburgers and chicken strips. In my 3 years here, I've eaten some phenomenal meals and sampled a good cross-section of the sit down restaurants across the entire WDW property.” Terry, however, admits that he has a long way to go to reach his goal of eating at every restaurant in the World.
