A Visit to the Polynesian Resort and Dinner at Kona Cafe

 

The lobby at the Polynesian Resort features a tiki statue of Maui. This Disney hotel is worth checking out, even if you're not a guest. There are notable dining options, and the perfect mid-day break from the parks. 

During our Magic Kingdom Day, my sons and I took a quick monorail ride over to Disney's Polynesian Resort. There are several Deluxe resorts located near the monorail and each one is worth a visit, from checking out their grand lobbies to dining at the many restaurants. No need to be a park or hotel guest to check out these resorts. Anyone can use the different forms of transportation around Disney World. From the monorail, buses, the Disney Skyliner, and even boats- you don't need park tickets to check out the hotels, shopping, and dining outside of the theme parks. 

The Polynesian celebrates the South Pacific and has a tropical look and feel. You can spot the Cinderella Castle from a distance, and you can watch the fireworks from this resort, along with the other resorts on the monorail line- The Grand Floridian and the Contemporary Resort. There's a lot of seating in the main lobby, and more upstairs near the main restaurants and lounges. We hung out for a bit upstairs to rest our feet before our dining reservation at Kona Cafe. 

Like every Disney resort, they had a gift shop, so we did buy a Mickey-shaped rice crispy treat to enjoy. 

You can see views of the resort pool from upstairs. There are huge windows for viewing the property. 

A cute map of the resort! 

They have a Kona Coffee Bar with these adorably themed treats! 

They are famous for their Chocolate Covered Bacon! 

Before we knew it, it was time for our dinner reservation. Kona Cafe features Asian and American flavors and has an onstage Sushi kitchen. This nice seating area was where we took a break before dinner. 

I started with a Backscratcher drink. This tropical and fruity cocktail has two kinds of rum, Passion Fruit-Orange-Guava juice, and it topped with Jack Daniels Whiskey. It's also served with a fun souvenir, a bamboo backscratcher! 

They have a kid's menu with some fun options such as a sushi sampler. My son ordered this, and it arrived with several types of sushi, including one with chicken nuggets! There were also sushi rolls with shrimp, veggies, and some refreshing cucumber rolls. We started with some complimentary rolls that were soft and fluffy, and served with a nice slab of butter. I ordered the Bao Buns which have BBQ Pork and Pickled Veggies. These were high quality and full of tender meat, which paired well with the soft Bao Buns and crunchy vegetables. 

At the Polynesian, they're famous for their Coconut Bread Pudding. This is a huge piece of bread pudding that is topped with lots of vanilla ice cream, and then luscious homemade caramel sauce which you pour tableside. This is a must-order, especially if you like sweets! 

Then it was time to hop back on the monorail and head back to Magic Kingdom for more rides and fireworks! 

Some more tropical views of the resort! 

If you ever get a chance to check out or stay at the Polynesian, I highly recommend going! We loved how convenient it was to go from Magic Kingdom.