at Disney’s Polynesian Village often flies under the radar when it comes to dining at Disney World, but it’s one of our favorite spots.
We recently discovered that the menus at Kona Cafe have been updated for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Some fan favorite items are no longer on the menu but others — like Tonga Toast — remain.
Breakfast at Kona Cafe is a DFB favorite thanks in part to favorites including seasonal pancakes and Tonga Toast. But the updated breakfast menu no longer features the Big Kahuna, Steak and Eggs, or The Samoan.
Pancakes with pineapple and macadamia nut butter
Other items no long on the breakfast menu include Blueberry Pancakes and the Egg White Omelet. Tonga Toast and the Pancakes with Macadamia Nut Butter are safe.
At lunch, diners will no longer find the Polynesian Plate Lunch on the menu. The Kona Surf and Turf Burger and the Big Island Tacos are also gone.
Updated lunch menu at Kona Cafe
Newer items include the Island Style Beef Burger, Lemon Grass-Scented Airline Chicken Breast, and Shrimp Salad with Yuzu Emulsion.
The dinner menu appears to be the same as the lunch menu now, and lost dinner menu items include Kona Coffee-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin, Pan Seared Duck Breast, and Grilled Curry Crusted Lamb Chops.
Pan-Asian Noodles with Chicken remain on lunch and dinner menu
Sushi remains a menu staple at both lunch and dinner.
The dessert menu at Kona Cafe has also been updated. Gone is the Warm Apple Tart, Banana Chocolate Crème Brûlée, and Yuzu Citrus Tart. The Kona Kone remains along with Chocolate Fondue, and the Kilauea Torte.
New dessert menu at Kona Cafe
New desserts include Te’Fiti’s Island Mouuse, Warm Pear Tart, Mango Cheesecake, and Kona Mocha Verrine.
Today’s Kona “Kone”
Change, apparently, is inevitable, even at Kona Cafe.
What do you think about the changes to the menu at Kona Cafe? Did any of your favorites get cut? Let us know in the comments.
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
The time to change the menu was not right before Mother’s Day. What a mess. I have never waited so long at a Disney restaurant for drinks or food. We went for breakfast, and it took 15 minutes to get our drinks, and almost an hour to get our food (including what we ordered for our toddler, which they said they’d bring out early). Our server recognized the problem without us saying anything, and comped us our drinks. A very unfortunate trip to our favorite value breakfast spot on property.
This is disappointing. We will miss the tuna and chicken sandwiches at lunch time.
Taking away the Big Kahuna was a significant emotional event for our family. Four of our 5 family members would order this menu item. Kona was our last restaurant before heading home on our trips, so we are now debating about finding a different breakfast. So sad! Bring back the Big Kahuna!
Thanks, as always, for these specific and helpful updates. Could I have read this correctly… what is an “airline” chicken breast?
Aly — You’re welcome! An airline chicken breast is a cut of chicken that includes both the breast and part of the wing — the part that makes the drummette — so there’s a bone in there. It’s just kind of a fancier chicken breast, basically. 🙂
We visited last Wednesday the 3rd for the first time in over 20 visits to WDW. I had the duck and thought it was one of best meals of my holiday. I was looking forward to future visits for the duck. I doubt we’ll return now. The cocktail menu was also different from the WDW website, luckily I still managed to get a Kona Cooler Sundown.
My husband will miss his favorite, the Big Kahuna, for breakfast. So sad to hear the news.
This is SO sad. My family LOVED the Big Island Tacos. I did see them on the menu at the outside section for Trader Sam’s – are they still there?
Oh, man. This is horrible. Kona Cafe was one of favorites for breakfast and lunch. So long, Surf and Turf Burger. We hardly knew ye. Well, we actually knew you pretty well.
And a lot of our fave breakfast items (and desserts!) are gone now. Bummer.
The last time we were there (Feb ’17) the Tonga Toast was not the same. They had to switch bread providers or something. But there was very little banana and lots of sub-par bread.
I think this has Disney Dining Plan written all over it. So sad!
I was so hoping you’d say they’d brought back the teriyaki steak. Sadly we don’t visit Kona nearly as often now as many of our favourites have been removed from the menu.
Noooooooooooooooo!!!!! I have just looked at the new menu and my favourite meal on property has gone! Farewell spicy tuna steak with tempura veggies – you have served me well! Kona will not be the same without you.
We are going to miss the Asian Noodle Bowl! It was so delicious!
Glad the Tonga Toast is still there. I’ve actually never been to Kona Cafe for breakfast, only for lunch at least 10 years ago, but after reading so much about the toast on your blog, I booked a breakfast here for the first time and that’s what I was going to order. But with this new menu, I’m of course going to ask for a sample of that caramel-banana sauce that comes with the regular french toast on the side! I wonder if its the same sauce as what comes on the Ohana Bread pudding.
This is awful! My favorite dish was the Teriyaki Steak and my mom loved the Asian Noodle Bowl, and now both are gone?! Kona Cafe was one of our favorite restaurants, but now it wouldn’t be worth it to go. I hope this is not a permanent change and that they bring these dishes back 🙁 I guess we’ll have to get out Lapu Lapus at the lounge now.
so much for that place, another one to write off the list. The new prices are ridiculous too especially at lunch, its one thing when its worth it but the new menu is horrible. I think we have reached the tipping point, Disney is really ripping off the guests and customers anymore. They have ruined some of their best dining locations. We use to love Le Cellier as well, cant go there anymore either at 50 bucks a plate for lunch and its menu and what you get for the price is lousy too. So long Kona. Which one is next to be ruined??? I hope the bean counters are happy.
They have surveys for every thing at Disney, I sure wish they would take them before they do a menu change at the older restaurants so they would know what worked what the people loved and leave the favorites alone and get rid of some of the dishes that really didn’t sell.
Sad when you find out your tried and trues are no longer there.
We are staying at the Poly for an upcoming trip and have breakfast and lunch ADRs. I’m disappointed in these changes to the menus, especially having lunch and dinner menus being made the same with the same prices. It’s just another way to increase profits for Disney, but I’m certain when asked, they will say the changes were based on guest suggestions.
Kona used to be a favorite but I haven’t been all that impressed the last few times I’ve been. But that bread and butter always manages to bring me back…
Very disappointed that the Big Kahuna and Steak and Eggs were taken off the menu. Sad, but we will most likely be finding a new breakfast location as the Big Kahuna replacement (still called Big Kahuna on the bill) is vastly inferior both in quality and in value.
Can you get breakfast all day at Kona Cafe, or is it only breakfast hours?
Thanks, friends!
Steve
Oh man. The three dinner items I was trying to choose between are all gone.
Oh, No! Not the Samoan! I was missing that so much, I actually made it last Saturday!
I’ll also miss the lamb and Duck. I don’t know what they are thinking when they remove tried and true entrees.
Cant say we will be back. I’ll get my Duck at Yak & Yeti (if they don’t take that away too)
So upset about this. Kona was our #1 breakfast restaurant, we live locally and would go there quite often. Almost all their signature items are pretty much gone, the items that made them different. Same with dinner they removed the Ahi Tuna Salad as well. And since we’re on the subject, they did the same thing at Olivia’s Cafe at Old Key West. Another restaurant that locals would go to, as well as, returning guest. They removed their signature Potato Casserole that made them different. Now its just dry potato nuggets Very sad, how Disney is changing lately. For those who are not here that often you may not feel it, but for those of us who do visit quite often, its a whole new world.
Dining is terrible in Disney, unless you have the free dining plan, or some other type of discount~~nothing is worth the prices they charge!!! Wouldn’t mind the prices if the food was worth it. Without a discount, I fell like I am subsidizing the freebies!! We always leave and go outside~~prices are great at non~Disney restaurants!!!
Why in the world would Disney removed a favorite like the Big Kahuna? I’ll be going elsewhere for breakfast now.
We were at the Kona Cafe this past Sunday and were devastated to see the changes! We go to Disney often as Passholders and Kona Cafe is our breakfast destination for a long time! The Big Kahuna and the Samoan were our favorites! I was so looking forward to The Samoan. It was my favorite breakfast anywhere int he world! I am deeply disappointed at Disney for this horrible change. Sadly, we will be removing Kona Cafe from our must do list. It was great for a number of years but this is a huge step backward! Shame on you Disney.
So bummed! The Samoan was my favorite guilty pleasure! I look forward to that each visit.
Don’t panic, the Big Kahuna is still there, it is just hiding! We talked to three different waitresses, all of them said you will always be able to get it. We had it 3 times in July…same price as it was. One minor difference, the ham was replaced by grilled spam (not my first choice), but it is still the best thing (not) on the menu!
Just sat for breakfast. No Big Kahuna available, so we will be moving on to find a new tradition. Whoever made this decision missed the mark in the breakfast redo.
Disney appears to have lost what Walt inspired it to be. In regards to Kona Cafe, whenever my family was in Florida, we would drive over two hours out of our way to have breakfast. My wife and I were there just a few weeks ago. Very disappointed. My favorite breakfast, the Somaon, gone…and a trash heap, Kona benadict in its place. Will never go there again. What a shame. Thank you chef Arnold
Menus do get stale. Most restaurant menus change seasonally as well they should. Kona doesn’t really change that often so it was time for a change. Sad to see the Samoan go as I was looking forward to trying that in October but I’m not broken up about it. I’m not upset to see the duck and lamb dishes go as I would never eat them anyway. I have to admit the Duo of Pork looks very good. I try not to get upset with menus changes, I just simply adjust.
We ate there today and were disappointed in the updated menu. They also removed many of their sushi options, including a “caterpillar” which was incredible. It was a secret sushi spot that rivaled the far more famous California Grill. Now, not so much…it does appear as if it was a significant menu simplification which I would guess cost driven. Disney’s service and special places are going downhill just as Universal is picking up.
Again, just visited Kona on October 24th and was able to order the Big Kahuna. Waitress didn’t bat an eye. It is *not* on the printed menu but it *is* available.
No more steak and eggs. Went there today. Breakfast was horrible. Will not be back. Shame.
One thing our family does at every visit is have breakfast at Kona Cafe. The summer after the menu change, we had breakfast twice. The first time we had a waitress who had been there for a long time. I requested Steak and Eggs and got it! Later in our stay, I requested Steak and Eggs again, but this time our waitress was new. She wasn’t able to make it happen. We are heading back in a few weeks for a day at Epcot and will have breakfast at Kona again. We will say if it works this time around.