Capt. Cook’s & Kona Cafe at Disney’s Polynesian Resort

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Bar & Restaurant Reviews and tagged with , , ,

Capt. Cook's

On our expedition around Disney’s Polynesian Resort, we also looked at the various dining options on the property. They’re mostly oriented around the Great Ceremonial House a.k.a. the lobby.

Inside Captain Cook's

Captain Cooks is on the ground floor on your way to the pool, and there are tables outside among the tropical foliage where it would be nice to eat if it isn’t a thousand degrees and humid. (Not likely.) This Hawaiian/American hybrid restaurant is counter service and is the best option for a cheap meal—apparently they even offer the famous Tonga Toast that’s a specialty of the Kona Cafe. (More on that later…)

Dole Whip!

I wouldn’t have considered Capt. Cook’s to be very noteworthy if it weren’t for this! I really like the fact that you can get Pineapple Dole Whip here at the Polynesian Resort, not just at The Enchanted Tiki Room in the park.

Kona Cafe

On the second floor is Kona Cafe, which has an unenclosed design that reminds me of Vegas casino restaurants. They’re known for their Tonga Toast, which is banana-stuffed sourdough french toast rolled in cinnamon and sugar. Now if only it wasn’t stuffed with something I’m allergic to, then I would be all over it…

Tikis on the wall of Kona

I dig the tikis on the wall, of course. I think it saves Kona Cafe from looking like an Elephant Bar. Still more to come from the Polynesian Resort at Disney World!

EDITOR’S NOTE: Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is undergoing extensive renovations in 2014. Capt. Cook’s has reopened, but there’s no longer a self-service Dole Whip machine. Instead, it will be available at the Pinapple Lanai. More information can be found on the Disney Parks Blog.

Disney’s Polynesian Resort – Orlando, FL

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Tiki Sites and Stores and tagged with , ,

Disney's Polynesian Resort

My family went to Disney World this summer and I thought the parks were great, of course, but I was almost more impressed by the resorts The Mouse has built to house his tourists. I love themed things, and the attention to detail given to each of the hotels is staggering—especially the Animal Kingdom Villas, the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, and the TIKI-themed Polynesian Resort.

Tikis watching over the valet parking station

However, this is a “deluxe” resort and one of Disney’s most popular so rooms start at $355 per night! Needless to say, we stayed elsewhere but I had to make a trip out there to do some exploring.

Once you enter the realm of Disney, you’re immediately transported from a concrete parking lot to a tropical paradise. Waterfalls, hibiscus and lush foliage surround the wooden bridge that takes you into the lobby.

The lobby

I like all the bamboo in the lobby area. With all the greenery and openness of the main building, the resort looked and felt very Hawaiian to me. Guests even get orchid leis when they check in.

The Great Ceremonial House

Their site says that the Great Ceremonial House is supposed to resemble a royal Tahitian assembly lodge and that there’s more than 75 kinds of plantlife in this oasis they have going on in the atrium. You have to appreciate how Disney can go all out!

You can’t really see here, but there are “hidden” Mickeys designed into the pattern of the rug. In the background you can see the display window of their main store, the Bou-Tiki.

A village longhouse

Surrounding this main building are nearly a dozen “village longhouses” where the actual hotel rooms are located. Each of the longhouses are named after Polynesian islands (Rapa Nui, Hawaii, etc.) and feature a unique design with those red, brown and orange colors straight out of the seventies.

The Polynesian Resort

Though that shouldn’t be surprising considering the Polynesian Resort opened back in 1971 as one of Disney World’s first on-site hotels.

Rongo tiki

Among the tiki statues we found while wandering the grounds was Rongo, who may look familiar to you from Disneyland’s Enchanted Tiki Room.

I heart hammocks

Near the pool is a beach area with hammocks that were just too tempting not to lounge in for a bit. Hammocks are definitely a plus in my book.

This spot is also supposed to be a good place to watch the fireworks over Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom park across the lake. (Swimming in the Seven Seas Lagoon is forbidden…alligators, perhaps? This is Florida, after all.)

Polynesian Resort at Disney World

Polynesian Resort at Disney World
1600 Seven Seas Dr.
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
407-824-2000
disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/polynesian-resort

EDITOR’S NOTE: Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is undergoing extensive renovations in 2014, so consider this a time capsule. For the latest updates, you should check out Tikiman’s Unofficial Polynesian Resort Pages

Harajuku Lovers is, Like, Totally Tiki

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Objets de Tiki and tagged with ,

Harajuku Lovers Hawaiian Girl Baby Cuddle bag

Continuing my theme of things I love going together with something else that I love is this summer’s Harajuku Lovers lines by Gwen Stefani, which featured…tikis!

Their availability is pretty limited now, but there is one bonus to not discovering these purses until September: sales! This bag was originally $88, but throw in extra extra clearance, Labor Day coupons and other Macy’s magic and it somehow ended up costing twenty-something dollars.

Tikis!

A peek at the tikis on the inside of the Harajuku Lovers Hawaiian Girl “Baby” Cuddle bag. More images of my “Fatal Attraction to Cuteness” after the jump!

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