I have stayed at the Polynesian and there is a really great feature that I didn’t know about. I wasn’t able to secure a dining reservation for ‘Ohana, so I went and asked the restaurant if they had room for one person to squeeze in somewhere. They said they were sorry, but no. They told me I could get the same meal delivered to my room and to just call room service. The amount of food that they sent to me was gigantic!! The food was super delicious as well. I would recommend this as well, especially if it’s your first night, you’re staying at the Polynesian and you’re waiting on luggage to be delivered. :-)
I'm addicted to DFB videos, I think I've watched every single one! I missed out on half of my meal at 'Ohana last time because of an unruly baby. Can't wait to have our first night dinner there in 38 days & finally get to experience all of the food! Thanks AJ & DFB for helping me make my WDW vacation plans! ❤️
AJ! What about water parks? I know they don't have TONS of food options, but it'd still be good to know what's there and how things are (price and taste-wise) for people who've never been before. This way, newbies would know if they want to make food plans for before or after they visit the water parks, or if they want to just pack their own food.
I figured as much, I would just hate for it to be looked over. Not a lot of focus is on the water parks when it comes to planning resources I've noticed unfortunately :(
Honestly, if you watch their videos a lot, it's as if the water parks don't exist. I've rarely, if ever, heard them mentioned, and that's a damn shame. Why no love for Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, DFB?
I was just thinking the same thing this morning. I wish that they’d go beyond the theme parks and Disney world resorts. Have they ever talked about the Disneyland resort hotel options and Downtown Disney? I would be even interested to know if there’s any good food options at the world of sports.
Ahhhh, The Poly. Our absolute favorite resort. The Tambu Lounge was always our first stop upon arrival, we'd spend the evening with cocktails and appetizers. We loved getting sushi from Kona Island to-go and nibbling on it while watching MK's fireworks from our balcony.
Back in the 80s, the Tonga French Toast didn’t have regular old bananas stuffed inside of them. They had ripe fried plantains (platanos maduros) nested onto them, top center. My Cuban mother absolutely raved about them. I suspect she’d be disappointed by the current incarnation.
My family went to the luau in 2011. I don't remember the food so much but my brother got a specialty drink. The luau was great, they beckoned the kids come up and dance and it was cute, and then it was like a switch flipped and all the fire twirlers came out and the real dancing began. It was awesome.
Just a comment about Kona Cafe -- they have a long history of Chocolate Sculptures on display inside the restaurant. Many years ago they had (IIRC) a chocolate dragon, and I'm sure they had a chocolate Stitch. Very recently (and likely still there) they had a scene from Moana that was completely edible!
The first time I stayed at Poly, I got a Castle view room for $89 a night. Obviously NOT recent! When I go there nowadays, I try to stick to the monorail level floor for shops/restaurants. I use an ECV to get around and there's only one small, hidden elevator to get to the lower level. Luckily, the Lapu lapus are on the upper floor!
Some of the best food found in Disney world is Animal Kingdom Resorts and Park. Reviews for those would be good as well. But, your reviews for these are wonderful, nice pics and video!
I love the Ohana shrimp and the appetizers and that bread pudding is incredible! Definitely worth going there! I liked the Kona Cafe with its Tonga Toast, but the Loco Moco sucked since the gravy wasn't thick enough and didn't have enough flavor. The Lapu Lapu is good too.
AJ. Thanks for sharing your video. It was very well done and learned a lot, especially asking to have a view of the fireworks. I think my family and I will be staying at this resort next year Summer of 21. Again, thanks for sharing. Looking forward to many more of your videos. And yes I did subscribed. 😁
Great Food Tour Video as always!!! I * love * Kona Cafe - Went to Polynesian Village back in April and my family and I ate there three times for dinner during our stay. Highly recommend the Kona Salad and the Island Burger- The burger has an egg and a slice of espresso-rubbed pork belly over the burger- it's amazing and it's been 3 months since I've last eaten it and I am still thinking about it. My sister and I tended to split the burger (it's big) and the salad so we could also partake in the sushi or other appetizers. The sushi is pretty decent, if you're really craving rolls, but if you know better when it comes to sushi it's not out of this world, gotta have it sushi. If you have to try the sushi, the Dragon Roll is worth getting! My biggest disappointment at PVR was the Pinapple Lanai. As someone who usually stays over at Riverside and tends to find herself at PVR often for Trader Sam's, Monorails, and Capt' Cooks, we decided to stay at PVR because it was central to everything that the group needed this vacation (I was running the star wars half-marathon, and being able to walk to my corrals at 4:30am for my 5am race, was more appealing than having to be at the shuttle at 3:00am to take me to the race start, my family tends to end up more often than not at PVR instead of our own resort, so we decided to splurge for this vacation), and no matter what time we went out to the Lanai, it was closed or no one was there. One morning the times read 11am-4pm which, tbh is an odd time frame for someplace that likes to boast that it's the only place to get dole whip outside of the parks, considering that most people will be at the parks themeselves and because it offers a flavor if you're trying to do the "WDW Soft Serve Challenge", and we went out there at noon, and it was closed. Another time we went and despite it appearing to be open, there was no one there manning the counter. I understand that a lot of the staff is shared between the pool bar and Trader Sam's, but c'mon- we waited around for 10 minutes to see if anyone would come back- but no one came - Needless to say, our dole whip fix was sated in Adventureland this trip.
AJ: I have just started listened to your RU-vid channel. I love your informative spots on WDW. My husband and I (me more than my husband) enjoy visiting Disney in Florida. We do not have children, so we always go in the “off” periods, ie when children are in school. Have you done a spot on an adults-only vacation to WDW, perhaps focusing on restaurants and resorts where older adults might be more comfortable?
My favorite place on property, I make a stop EVERY TIME, and as a Floridian, I am at the parks A LOT!!!! The Poly is always wonderful and special, no matter how many times I visit!!!
Stayed there last year and HAD. A. BLAST!!!!! Loved the food, drink, and atmosphere, had a lagoon view for Fourth of July fireworks which was awesome since they piped the music in as well. The only major place we did not try was the Spirit of Aloha, best was the Ohana breakfast meal followed by Capt Cook's (late night returning from parks great place to get munchies). Did get lapu lapu for my wife and I got a krakatoa with the tiki mug. Cannot recommend the Poly enough!
We love that place too! Stayed there when I was just Five a long long time ago and always remember how cool the lobby waterfall was! So sad when they removed it a few years ago!
In 1982, when EPCOT first opened, my mom took me to Walt Disney World! Although we stayed in a non-Disney hotel, we toured all of the Disney hotels and ate dinner at the Polynesian Village Resort one night. All I can remember is the dinner rolls made with coconut flour that were out of this world! Does anybody know if any of the restaurants there still have them?
Just came back from staying at the Poly for my birthday!! The food at every spot is absolutely amazing & the cast members are wonderful. The Ohana room service is especially magical. You helped us out so much during our trip when trying new places all over WDW. Thank you so much for all of your recommendations & for your hard work!
We were there in June and Okalani’s Shave Ice was not open/there ...so as AJ mentioned it’s open once in a while if that. When I asked the Concierge, she said it was gone and she apologized...sounded like it was not returning but not sure on how reliable that info is
Ae14 I know everyone loves it, but is it worth the dinner price without DDP? We have reservations in January and planned to watch fireworks on the beach after.
I just wanted to let you know they do NOT allow you to request a firework (or any table) view at Ohana any longer. Our family was there about 2 weeks ago, and we arrived for our ADR early, requested a window seat, and were told they no longer take requests. When we were seated, we were as seated with absolutely no window view, I again asked if we could have a table near windows, and they told us no again.
Hawaiian shaved ice is THE BEST but the actual soft kind that melts in your mouth like cotton candy! I'm hoping 2021 is the year when I can finally go back to Disney World 😌
Love the poly! It’s a must do every trip. Just went there last month and it’s so beautiful the food and atmosphere is everything! Sometimes you just need an entire hotel day to explore everything it has to offer
Ohana's was our absolute favorite dinner throughout our week stay at WDW. We actually stayed at The Poly and we feel that after staying there nothing else will compare. We LOVED it and can't wait to go back.
We had a horrible experience here. First, we had reservations at 'Ohana. 40 minutes after our reservation, we still had not been seated. By this point, our kids were starving and melting down. There were still 4 tables in front of us. We then went to eat lunch at Kona Cafe and cancelled our reservations. It was horrible. The food was bland, uninspired and over priced. This experience was horrible. I would never go anywhere near the Polynesian again. But I love the DFB videos! Helped me plan our family trip!
Kona Cafe is one of our favorites! We ate there first back in 2007 and will never forget the Lava Cake (Can't remember the name - think it's named after the Volcano on the Big Island that's been active lately)!
My wife and I did Trader Sam's when we went on our honeymoon back in February and it was absolutely fantastic! My only regret was not getting the Uh-Oa. Also they are super good about making drinks if you have an allgery. My wife is allergic to pineapple and coconut and they were great about getting her drinks that were delicious and safe. Also if you can, sit at the bar, the staff is super friendly and the jokes are delightful.
I love this comprehensive review of the Polynesian restaurants. Great job! I've always wanted to stay here, but it's not in my budget. After seeing this, I will try to eat (or get a drink) somewhere here on future visits. Thank you!
Agree Ashley! We started renting points last year (week at OKW) and two of our Fall Trips are Point Rental too (AKL Kidani and OKW Again)! We are definitely sold on renting points and saving $$$! We're watching for a last minute Poly Deal for a few days on all the DVC Points Rental Pages on Facebook!
Thanks, Ashley! That's a great idea! I have February trip with the grandchildren planned already, but I am going to go again when Galaxy's Edge opens and will look into this.
I totally agree with the budget issue. The Polynesian is such a wonderful place, but it’s so expensive now I don’t think I can afford to stay there anymore
Was here in 1980. Wow! It is a great hotel. Still looks familiar but a lot has changed.Went to the dinner show. Great memories. I want to go again but $ ...it's a lot more now than it was in 1980.Thanks AJ!
I had great service at the Kona Cafe in June, but the food was the worst of that entire trip. The new menu tries too hard and doesn’t deliver on the quality of food it’s shooting for.
Is it just me, or do you think they should have named the place Captain Hook's instead of Captain Cook's? I know Cook is more authentic, but Hook would fit more with the Disney theming.
It won't come in a fancy container, but if you love the French press at Kona - Kona Island is a must stop on your way to MK. We are Contempo stayers and Kona Island is a must stop before you head into the park.
Did everyone see Ohana has a reopen date of July 9th but a concern I have is that I saw egg rice and no noodles it’s my first time going to Disney world and these noodles were in my top 5 lol
Went to Spirit of Aloha in April. WHAT A HORRIBLE WASTE OF MONEY! We had family in and I wanted a really special night for all of us and I thought this would be great. I paid for the best seating and instead we were stuck wayyyyy over to the side and my view of the show was hidden behind one of those pillars! Now, I could see the dancers who came over to the far side - and they were good! - but the main show is right in the front section, and that was pretty well blocked from view. Also, Disney really needs to invest in some new microphones for their entertainers because we all had a difficult time understanding what they were saying "What? Did you hear what she said?" "Nope. Anyone hear?" "Nope." "Oh well." - And the food wasn't what you should get for the price you're paying. It was really disappointing. -- Beer, wine and sangria are included, but you don't want to drink it! Admittedly, I'm not much of a drinker, but we had 2 people who like wine and they tried both the white and the red and couldn't drink it. - Finally, our server was missing in action! I got 1 cup of coffee for the night and when I finally was able to flag him down, he acted like I was asking him to do too much. Mostly, on his rare appearances, he'd just breeze by and say, "Everything good? Great!" and zoom off before we could ask for anything. And since the tip is already included in your prepaid ticket, you can't do anything about that, so there's no incentive for him to give you great service. Now, all of that said, I will say that the show was pretty good.....and even this old grandma enjoyed - with a BIG smile - those handsome young men with their big smiles and all of their polynesian tattoos! Wooo-weee! (smile) I was the oldest in our group [I'm 70], but we were all talking for days about those tattoos. That made the whole evening worthwhile. haha. So I'd say that this is one of those things that you do once - and only once - just so you can say you did it.
This video inspired me to explore the Polynesian Resort the next time I eat there. Its amazing to know that I can grab a Dole Whip for the monorail after we at Ohana!
Does anyone know if they give you a pager to hold your place in line at Grog Grotto? I love the idea of having a drink on the terrace while waiting to get in... but I was under the impression that you literally had to wait in a queue when it's busy.
I had such good service at Ohana. I have multiple allergies and wouldn’t have chosen this place but the grandkids were set on seeing Lilo and Stitch. They made a fruit salad just for me and made sure there was no cross contamination from the pineapple and other fruit I am allergic to. The GF Mickey waffles were really good! Never had better.
We just bought DVC points at the Polynesian and one of the biggest selling points was the amazing food they have to offer. We can't wait for our first trip as DVC members and eat all the food!!
I'm VERY sad that Disney removed the giant lobby gardens & waterfall (I have a pic on my sister & I posing at it in 1973). Only ate at the Spirit of Aloha "luau" on my 2014 visit, and while the show's narrative is a little corny (It IS Disney, after all) The dancing was great. NOTE: My GF had a "Sesame Allergy", and was warned by staff that she would not be able to eat ANY of the main course, as it is served on a giant oval plat shared by the whole long-table, so she ate salad & fruit.
I LOVE THE TONGA TOAST!! Sorry about the all caps, but I think it is amazing. As is the banana bread pudding and the frosted pineapple drink(alcoholic dole whip). I love the Poly. Quite possibly my favorite resort.
The Tambu Lounge was wonderful. The last time I was there, I started with the pulled pork nachos and a zombie and then went off on an adventure. By the time you're drinking out of a pineapple, you know you're officially on vacation. I just read this description over on your website, it's 110% spot on: "Because the Polynesian Resort is one of the original Walt Disney World resorts, opened when the park opened in 1971, there is such a strong sense of history here. Sitting in this lounge and sipping a drink from a piece of fruit is a quintessential Disney World experience. You are transported, and that’s what being at Disney is all about. It’s not just about the cocktail. It’s about that experience that you repeat until it becomes a tradition, and then it’s a part of you and your Disney memories." Well said! Thanks for the video and the reviews!
Kona Cafe = Pineapple/Macadamia pancakes! (which unseated the Tonga Toast in my book anyway!!!). We ate at Kona Cafe 6 times the last time we stayed there. Great video - we're heading back there next spring for the first half of our trip.
I've recently read some pretty major complaints about the Luau dinner show. My young son and I enjoyed this way back in 1989. But recent TA reviews say the food quality is pretty low. And they've added a new themed story to the actual show, which was also really panned by most reviewers as being rather silly, and takes away from the quality of entertainment. I'd be curious to hear what other people think if they've been to this recently.
Love, love the Polynesian!! We have eaten at the O'hana character breakfast twice and both times it was wonderful and terrific! Food is very good and service awesome - great character interaction!!! The most beautiful and chill of all resorts (though I HATE that they got rid of the beautiful plant atrium in the lobby).
"Trader Sam's Grog Grotto fills up quickly on evenings and weekends"....well it's only open evenings and weekends lol Waiting list forms 1+ hour before it even opens on weekdays.
Love the Art of Animation! We stayed there during Hurricane Irma and just love that place! We did a video on our experience there! The Food Court is one of the best!
My family and I stayed at the Polynesian in 1978. It just had one swimming pool and we went to the dinner show there. It was fun! By the way I love your videos A.J.! I need to visit again.
Will be staying here for the first time come this Dec!! I did not realize so much was here! Thanks for the info. One question...why is Moana not here? Do they still not have her as a Princess yet? Also...anyone know if the Daycare place is now gone from here? Cant wait to come here and try the food...only 120 days left!!
I was just at Ohana celebrating my mom's 60th birthday. I had the reservation booked about 3 months in advance. When I booked it I mentioned we would want a fireworks view table. They told me to tell the hostess when I got there. Upon arrival I went into the details of our celebration and wanting a fireworks view. Without any compassion (or a smile) the hostess explained they do not take special seating requests anymore. I had to ask to speak to a manger to get the situation rectified. I would not expect to have your seating request granted at this restaurant any longer.
The Polynesian is the only Walt Disney World resort I've stayed at not once, not twice, but three times. And now my parents are DVC members and the Poly is their home resort, so hopefully we'll stay there again! By the way, would you consider doing a food tour of any of the Disneyland locations? I'd love to see one for the Grand Californian!
Thank you so much for making this video AJ!! My family and I will be staying there this fall and we cannot wait. Super excited and even more so after seeing your video!!!!
These options are part of the reason the Poly is our favorite resort! That bread pudding is the BEST!! And you can get their food and dessert room service and watch the fireworks from your room... fabulous
Hello! I am starting off the process of planning a Disney trip for my family and although we are devote Wilderness Lodge people we do like to take some time to stop over at the Polynesian. My sister and I were thinking maybe we would head there for breakfast prior to our day at MK. Our hopes are to get something from Capt Cooks and try to have breakfast on the sandy/beach area at the resort. Has anyone who has stayed at Polynesian know if it is possible for guests of other resorts to use the beach area and if you are allowed to have food there?
