Do I need a reservation for breakfast at Kona Cafe?

[Leelo]

My DH and I are staying at the Poly on April 23-29. We usually eat granola bars or something simple for breakfast but are thinking about trying out Kona Cafe one morning. We would prefer to wing it and go in on whichever morning we feel like or try to wait and make a reservation within a day or two of going. Is this a bad idea? Should we book well in advance of our trip instead?

 

[Ratzo]

I'm going to say yes. Kona does get crowded due to its size. Conversely, the Wave at the Contemporary is relatively easy to get seated for breakfast.

 

[Hopefully]

Yes
Kona for breakfast is very popular.
Folks do cancel the night before to avoid the no show penalty, and you might get lucky that way. But you might not.
IF you know you want to have breakfast there, I would make an ADR.

 

[supersnoop]

Yes.

We had a reservation and decided the cancel the night before. Well, the next morning we felt differently, so we tried to walk up and we were turned away.

 

[eastendlights]

Absolutely. We travel during one of the less crowded times of the year-end of Feb/beginning of March and Kona is always packed solid. In fact, I am trying to change the date/time of an ADR we have and there is nothing available for a bunch of our trip days.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I would pick a day or two that you think you would like to eat there and make the reservation. Walking up to Kona is pretty hit or miss for breakfast and lunch and virtually impossible for dinner.

 

[allsaintsatx]

Definitely yes.

We stayed at Poly in early Dec, and we made a breakfast reservation for Kona at 6 months out. I'm a "constant checker" on the WDW site and most of the Kona breakfast and dinner spots were full at about 3 months out. If you typed in 10am, the closest you'd get would be lunch. And at dinner, you could get a spot really late maybe around 9pm. Available yes, but not great times. And, on top of that, we waited 45 minutes to be sat after we checked in at the podium because they were so busy. We checked in at 9:55am for a 10 am reservation on Friday Dec 9th and were sat at 10:40am. But, the food was so good it was totally worth it! And our server knew how long we waited so she got us fed and out the door in less than 30 minutes!

So, yes, make a reservation. And be mentally prepared to wait. We waited 30 to 40 minutes for O'hana breakfast and dinner reservations on that same trip too, so it seems like it's a "Poly thing"!! Or, more probably, our bad luck!!

 

[Savikins]

Yes. I've had to wait 20 minutes even with a reservation.

 

[bdcp]

We make them (we usually go in early Nov) but it's only been really crowded a couple of times. The last couple of trips, people were walking up and being seated. You just never know.

 

[DISNEY1975]

Ive eaten there many times and its always empty. Im very surprised by the responses above. Maybe Im just lucky or go at low seaons times (Sept / Oct normally)

 

[wilkeliza]

Ive eaten there many times and its always empty. Im very surprised by the responses above. Maybe Im just lucky or go at low seaons times (Sept / Oct normally)

What time of day are you eating? I've gone during some of the slowest times and still haven't experienced empty like that unless it is 10 am wnd everyone is already in the parks.

 

[DISNEY1975]

I really dont remember. We usually eat there on a water park day, so Im guessing we go around 8 - 8:30 so we can be at the park by 10 when it opens.

 

[useakiss]

I was going to ask the same question. I'm also planning it for my "rest" day so I can sleep in a little bit and have a proper breakfast. I can't eat bananas (oral allergy), so the Tonga Toast is off limits, but the menu shows Macadamia-Pineapple Pancakes, which sounds darned tasty! Is it worth the 1 table-side credit and trip from Port Orleans: French Quarter?