One of our favorite places in the world is, of course, The Most Magical Place on Earth — Walt Disney World.
We’ve eaten our way around Disney World more times than I’d probably like to admit. And while there are plenty of restaurants across property that get all the attention, sometimes it’s the places flying slightly under the radar that end up surprising you the most.
That’s exactly what happened with Wailulu Bar & Grill.
Located inside the new Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Wailulu opened alongside the new tower on December 17, 2024. The restaurant sits along the Seven Seas Lagoon, just off the Cove Pool, with indoor and outdoor seating, Polynesian-inspired artwork and views across the water toward Cinderella Castle.
Even the name fits the setting. “Wailulu” comes from the Hawaiian words wai, meaning “water,” and lulu, meaning “calm.” And that’s pretty much the vibe the second you walk in.
Bringing Hawaii to Disney World
We were staying at the Polynesian Bungalows for a few days when we heard about Wailulu and decided we had to try it.
We weren’t exactly dying to go back to ‘Ohana, so I started hunting for a Wailulu reservation. Luckily, a Thursday-night cancellation popped up at the last minute, and I grabbed it.
Our friends Smitty and Des, along with their daughter Sidney, joined us for our little Polynesian culinary adventure.
When we arrived, the outdoor bar was packed. Between the Polynesian décor, tropical atmosphere, music and views of the pool and lagoon, the place immediately reminded Laila and me of Hawaii, where we had celebrated our anniversary earlier in the year.
Then they handed me the menu.
I already knew what I wanted.
Round One: Bring on the Musubi
We started with three appetizers for the table: Musubi, Sweet Potato Hummus and Ahi Tuna Crisps.
The Musubi featured glazed Spam, crispy rice pearls, furikake and Sriracha-honey. Musubi is one of those foods I became borderline obsessed with in Hawaii. I swear I must’ve eaten 30 of them while we were there.
Wailulu’s version was presented a little differently, sliced almost like sushi. Personally, I would’ve preferred picking up a big traditional Spam musubi like the ones I ate all over Honolulu, but I’m not complaining. It was still really good and brought me right back to the islands.
Then came the surprise of the appetizers: Sweet Potato Hummus, served with crispy chickpeas, Espelette pepper dust and breadfruit tostones.
This was the clear winner.
The kids absolutely destroyed it. We’re talking practically licking the plate clean. When you can get a table full of kids that excited about sweet potato hummus, somebody in that kitchen is doing something right.
Our third starter was the Ahi Tuna Crisps — marinated ahi tuna over crispy fried wontons with avocado crema, Sriracha aioli and soy glaze. It didn’t get quite the same reaction from the entire table, but Des, Laila and I really enjoyed it. There were a lot of flavors happening in every bite, and they worked.
But appetizers were just the warm-up.
I had been waiting for what came next since the day I left Hawaii.
The Loco Moco Had No Chance
Short Rib Loco Moco.
If you’ve read our Hawaii adventures, you already know how I feel about loco moco. It’s one of those wonderfully ridiculous comfort foods that I fell in love with on the islands.
But Wailulu doesn’t simply recreate the traditional version.
Instead of the usual hamburger patty, their Short Rib Loco Moco comes with shiitake mushroom gravy, a crispy rice cake and a fried egg.
My mouth is watering just writing about it.
The loco moco didn’t stand a chance.
The short rib was tender and packed with flavor, the mushroom gravy brought everything together, and replacing the traditional rice with that crispy rice cake added texture I didn’t know the dish needed.
Man, I should’ve ordered two.
Apparently, Smitty agreed because he devoured his too.
Laila went with the Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl, featuring sushi-style rice, pickled cucumbers, vegetables, spicy poke sauce, macadamia nuts and ahi tuna.
She destroyed it.
Every couple of bites, I heard about another flavor she loved or how fresh the tuna tasted. More importantly, she kept saying the same thing I was thinking:
It reminded her of Hawaii.
For the kids, we ordered the Garlic Shrimp Noodles, made with spiced shrimp, garlic sauce, roasted vegetables and glass noodles.
The kids could take it or leave it, although my middle daughter — our resident noodle fanatic — enjoyed them. Naturally, I had to try some too because I can’t sit at a table with food I haven’t tasted.
I thought they were really good!
There’s Always Room for Dessert
No Disney meal is complete without dessert.
Laila ordered the Tahitian Vanilla Crème Brûlée with Macerated Berries, while I went straight for the DOLE Whip Sundae, served with hibiscus meringue, macerated pineapple and berries.
Both desserts were spot on.
And really, can you ever go wrong with DOLE Whip at Disney World?
The answer is no.
More Than Just Another Disney Restaurant
What made Wailulu special wasn’t simply that the food was good. It was how perfectly the restaurant fit into the entire experience of staying at the Polynesian.
Disney describes Wailulu’s menu as a journey through Polynesian flavors, with influences stretching across the Pacific Islands. That philosophy comes through in dishes like musubi, poke, the short rib loco moco and the tropical desserts.
For Laila and me, though, it became something a little more personal.
For a couple of hours, it brought us back to Hawaii.
The food. The music. The tropical atmosphere. The water outside. It reminded us of a place we had fallen in love with and already missed like crazy.
Then somehow, Disney managed to give the night one more perfect ending.
After dinner, we walked back to our bungalow, stepped onto our balcony overlooking the water and watched the Magic Kingdom fireworks light up the sky.
Hawaii-inspired food in our stomachs. A bungalow on the water. Cinderella Castle glowing across the lagoon. Fireworks overhead.
Yeah…Disney got us again.
Food: The Short Rib Loco Moco and Sweet Potato Hummus were our standouts, with Laila giving a major thumbs-up to the Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl.
Atmosphere: Tropical, relaxed and unmistakably Polynesian, with the Seven Seas Lagoon providing one of the best backdrops you could ask for.
Kid Factor: Definitely family-friendly, although our kids clearly had their favorites. That hummus plate never stood a chance.
Would We Go Back? Absolutely. Wailulu is now firmly on our Disney dining list — and next time, I’m seriously considering ordering two loco mocos.
For menus, hours and dining information, visit Wailulu Bar & Grill | Walt Disney World Resort.
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