The day finally arrived. Fans of the food at Kona Café could feel a weight lifted off them. This highly favored table service option reopened on November 1^st. This place has been closed since the middle of August. According to Walt Disney World, with an enhanced table-service experience. We learned some details about this in recent days. We learned that some highly popular menu items would be sticking around. Guests have been told that dining here will be better now. However, we lack anything tangible to show us what that meant. I got to dine at Kona Café on reopening day, November 1^st, for breakfast and lunch.

Yes, I ate two full meals here. I did receive help from a few of my theme park friends, Knights Treks and Goo to You! for this lunch. I appreciate them joining me. Having more eyes to see what may or may not have changed assists in the process. I would like to confess that I have not been to Kona Café very often. I tend to frequent ‘Ohana over Kona Café when dining at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.

Still, some of the decorative changes within the restaurant and at the entrance to Kona Café improve the overall look of this table-service dining option. These new modern adjustments match the Kona Café to the recent refurbishments at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. The new seating makes this place feel a bit more upscale. The bright decorative colors add more of the Polynesian theme to this table service dining option. Also, Kona Café has got a brand-new sign at the restaurant entrance. This coordinates with the resort’s theming very well.

Also, since the Kona Café “soft opened” for guests two days early, we received a bit of a sneak peek which helped in planning my meals there. Though during those days, the full menu was not guaranteed to be available. In addition, the restaurant was not open for full hours of operation. Yet, any clue will always be appreciated as a theme park food blogger.

Based on an initial glance, the breakfast expanded some.

All the previous breakfast menu entrées continue to be on the menu like Tonga Toast. A few new items were added like an omelet and a salmon plate.

In contrast, the lunch menu looks reduced some.

Though the Big Kahuna Burger returned replacing the previous burger option for lunch. The lunch menu back in August offered far more options than this newly reopened menu does. The vast reduction in stir fry entrées caught me by surprise when reading the lunch and dinner menus. However, the dinner menu still offers plenty of quality table service options.

The only “new” thing on the lunch menu was the Big Kahuna Burger. This burger returns replaces the cheddar burger at Kona Cafe. This burger also appears on the dinner menu. The dinner menu offers a few new items but overall Kona Cafe still works on its strengths.

Though Walt Disney World did deliver on the promise of enhanced dining, this table service option will struggle to be a highly sought-after reservation. Yet, I found my food here on reopening day to be good but not great. For Kona Café fans, most of what you enjoyed before still occurs here. Only time will tell if the enhancement to the décor and menu will create a lasting improvement at Kona Café. As always, eat like you mean it!