Should the Kona Island Sushi Bar start taking ADR's?

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

If anyone has been to the Kona Island Sushi Bar at the Polynesian you will already know it's 1st come 1st serve when waiting for a seat. Now here is a story of what happened while my family and I were waiting for a seat at the Sushi Bar and we didn't want to sit at the table which faces the Monorail station.

I guess you can call this a miscommunication or something, but part of me thought it was rude. Earlier this month my family and I were waiting for some chairs to open up at the Kona Island Sushi Bar at the Polynesian, however there was a family who was there before us. Well when we saw 3 chairs empty the family in front of us didn't sit down right away, so my Mom asked are they going to be sitting there? Well english was not their native language because they were speaking spanish. However my Mom can also speak spanish and asked if they were going to sit down, along with pointing at the chairs. Well she was told that they were and we decided to walk around for a bit. Well when we walked back we noticed this family was now sitting at the chairs which faced the windows of the Monorail station and it turns out there was other guests who waited after we left and were sitting down at the Sushi Bar. I was a bit angry because we could have been already sitting down and ordered our food, instead we had to wait longer to be sitting at the Sushi Bar and yes we wanted to sit there and not the other seats. I also realize by leaving the area technically we gave up our turn waiting, however we thought it would be better to walk around and we didn't think that others might come and wait to sit at the Sushi Bar, so that was a mistake on our part.

So the question is should the Kona Island Sushi Bar look into or think about having ADR's or would it not be possible because it's not a restaurant like the Kona Cafe and it would be hard to manage? Now the way I see that working is guests check-in at the Kona Cafe and are seated at the Sushi Bar.

 

[TDC Nala]

No, I don't think the bar needs ADRs. There are too few seats there to manage it. If the bar is full at the time you arrive for your ADR you will still have to wait until the correct number of people leave (as an ADR is not technically a reservation of the type where they hold seats open for you until you arrive) and with a bar there is no guarantee that these people who leave will be seated next to each other.

So your party of three will either have to split up or wait until three people seated next to each other leave the bar, which is what you'd be doing anyway.

 

[Jeanieblue114]

If the bar is empty I go there.
If the bar is packed with people, I either shop around and wait or eat somewhere else.
(there are a few kona sushi bar options made fresh and put downstairs in the captain cooke's frig most of the time too....they are 'different' though because of health dept laws on what can be made in advance.)

I like that I don't have to make ADR's.
But I am there a lot so I also dont see it as a one time chance either.

I'm not a fan of Kona at all and would prefer they do their thing and leave the sushi bar out of it.
Btw, I think Andres there makes better sushi than the Cali Grill!

 

[TheRustyScupper]

I also realize by leaving the area technically we gave up our turn waiting

1) I think you answered your own question.
2) Had you waited, you would have been fine.

 

[TheNewMrsB]

I don't think ADR's are necessary at all - too few seats. I'm looking forward to observing how this works when we go - lord knows we walk through the GCH enough, and I'm interested in how many people are actually willing to wait - I mean, who can enjoy their sushi with people glaring at them because they want their turn?

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

I really respect the OP because they have been so helpful all over the boards. I have no idea of the size of the place since I'm not familiar with the dinner set up of this place and like the last poster, am interested in seeing this in action in a couple of weeks.

CR Resort Fan 4 Life - Just curious, but why didn't you want seats that look out to the monorail? Is the bar nicer or just more interesting to watch them make the sushi? Just wondering!

 

[Mom of 2 Wife of 1]

The seats at the KISB in front of the sushi chefs are stools without backs and the singlemost uncomfortable places to park your caboose in the western hemisphere. Anyone who chooses to sit there is a glutton for punishment.

KISB is just that, a bar. Bars do not and will never take ADRs. If sitting there is an absolute must, then waiting for the stools to free up is the burden of the guest and not a responsibility of the outlet.

I know from previous posts that the OP is a big fan of this place, and so are we. We, however, do not mind sitting at the counter overlooking the monorail station. It's not a bad view, the seats are more comfortable, there are plenty of them, and so we are always guaranteed a place to sit.

 

[Hopefully]

1) I think you answered your own question.
2) Had you waited, you would have been fine.

I agree.
I do not think the Kona Island Sushi bar should take reservations.
If you leave, you give up your spot. That is true of all waiting lines, everywhere, not just Disney.

 

[Matt'sMom]

I agree with those who say no to ADRs for this QS bar.

If you prefer not to wait for bar seating, they will happily make your sushi order fresh and pack it up for you to take out. That is what we usually do, taking the sushi either out to the beach (we've enjoyed our sushi & wine while watching the fireworks/EWP on numerous occasions) or back to our room.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I really respect the OP because they have been so helpful all over the boards. I have no idea of the size of the place since I'm not familiar with the dinner set up of this place and like the last poster, am interested in seeing this in action in a couple of weeks.

CR Resort Fan 4 Life - Just curious, but why didn't you want seats that look out to the monorail? Is the bar nicer or just more interesting to watch them make the sushi? Just wondering!

It's really just a personal thing because we think sitting at the Sushi Bar makes for a better experience. For example we like seeing the Sushi getting made and we figure if were going to eat a Sushi Bar, then we might as well want to sit there and not at the other table which faces the Monorail station.

 

[brunette8706]

It's really just a personal thing because we think sitting at the Sushi Bar makes for a better experience. For example we like seeing the Sushi getting made and we figure if were going to eat a Sushi Bar, then we might as well want to sit there and not at the other table which faces the Monorail station.

*
Try Kimono's at the SWAN next time. You stayed at the boardwalk, so it would have been a nice boatride to get there. Of course you can walk too! Kimono's has the BEST SUSHI!

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I don't think it should take ADRs. I like having a few "nice" places to go that I don't need to plan in advance. People can always make an ADR for Kona, and order from the sushi menu there if they like.

 

[tony67]

I second the Kimono's recommendation, really good quality IMO.
The Swan is very popular with Japanese tourists, so they have to have a top quality sushi bar.
They have a very nice selection of Sake as well.

They also have certs on resturaunt.com so it is a great value as well.

 

[BriarRosie]

I wouldn't want them to start taking ADRs. I like the flexibility of sitting down whenever there's an available spot. Then again, I'm speaking as someone who'd go there as a solo diner, so that would be my personal bias.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

1) I think you answered your own question.
2) Had you waited, you would have been fine.

I realize that but one person from this family had said they were going to be sitting at the Sushi since they were waiting before us and we had already been standing there for at least 15 minutes or more. We figured that with them just ordering and realizing they would be there for a while, us walking around would give others already eating more time to finish. However when we came back and saw this family not sitting at the Sushi Bar and saw that other guests arrived after we had left and they were sitting up there, it was frustrating because we could have had those seats a lot earlier then we thought.

 

[TheNewMrsB]

It's really just a personal thing because we think sitting at the Sushi Bar makes for a better experience. For example we like seeing the Sushi getting made and we figure if were going to eat a Sushi Bar, then we might as well want to sit there and not at the other table which faces the Monorail station.

It is super fun for me to watch them make the sushi - I always have to face the sushi bar when we go out and would probably do the same thing @ this one!

 

[bluejasmine]

I agree with those who say no to ADRs for this QS bar.

Actually its a TS..Im sorry you had a bad experience CR.. I think Kona Sushi has grown in popularity thus the big waits..

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Actually its a TS..Im sorry you had a bad experience CR.. I think Kona Sushi has grown in popularity thus the big waits..

It wasn't a bad experience because the food and etc was great, it was just some misscommunication and etc from the people who were ahead of us.

 

[Jetta8300]

I guess if you would like to make reservations for the sushi bar, you could just make reservations at Kona and order from the sushi bar. I was informed that this is allowed, and what we plan on doing so we don't have to wait!!!

 

[guitarob]

I don't think ADR's are necessary at all - too few seats. I'm looking forward to observing how this works when we go - lord knows we walk through the GCH enough, and I'm interested in how many people are actually willing to wait - I mean, who can enjoy their sushi with people glaring at them because they want their turn?

Hehe, I can! I got there, I got my seat and probably waited too (actually, I don't think we've ever waited, we'll see how that goes this year now that the place seems to be a new hot spot). Bring on the Shrimp Tempura Roll!!!

I remember one woman last year who stood there demanding sushi, dragging her kid around by the arm, and holding him like a package, that was a little disturbing. But it didn't take away from the sheer enjoyment of my roll

I think if you don't want to wait, a good alternative is to go over to the Kona Cafe next door and see if you can be seated as a walk in. It's usually only a short wait (in my experience), and you can order from the sushi menu there.

I do enjoy sitting at the bar and watching the sushi being made though. But the monorail station view would be just as amusing to me. Then again, any view in the GCH is pretty great to me