Captain Cook’s Review at Disney’s Polynesian
In this article, we visit Captain Cook’s at Disney’s Polynesian Resort. We’ll preview their hours of operation, menu, and a few items we’ve tried.
Aloha! If you plan to visit Disney’s Polynesian, you might want to get familiar with the resort’s primary counter-service restaurant, Capt. Cook’s. This popular restaurant is open daily from 7:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Captain Cook’s is located down the hall from the Great Ceremonial House. For those unfamiliar, the Great Ceremonial House is the resort’s lobby or main building in the center of the resort.
Inside Captain Cook’s are two interior dining rooms divided by a condiment and beverage station. You can sit on either side. Tables are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
This article was updated on March 7, 2023.
Inside, Captain Cook’s has a vintage decor. Fun posters line the restaurant’s walls representing the Polynesian islands.
You might also dine outside, which we prefer when the weather is pleasant.
As far as ordering goes, you can order inside the restaurant or place a mobile order. Mobile ordering is available via the My Disney Experience app.
We almost always use mobile order when we dine at this quick service location. Unfortunately, Captain Cook’s is a reasonably busy location. I stopped by the resort three or four times before I found it empty enough to take a few photos for this update.
As far as the menu goes, there is a separate breakfast menu. However, the lunch and dinner menus remain the same.
For breakfast, you can expect traditional items, including:
- Bounty Breakfast Platter
- Tonga Toast
- Mickey Waffles
- Morning Flatbread
- Breakfast Burrito
Tonga Toast is one of the signature breakfast items. It’s also available upstairs at Kona Cafe. Per the menu, it’s a banana-stuffed sourdough bread, battered, deep-fried, and dusted with cinnamon sugar. It comes with a side of bacon or sausage.
Plant-based options include:
- Power Breakfast Bowl
- Steel Cut Oatmeal
And Kids’ Meals:
- Mickey-shaped Waffles
- Egg White Scramble
- Oatmeal
Sides include breakfast potatoes, bacon, and sausage. You can preview the breakfast menu with prices here on Disney’s site.
For lunch and dinner, we see the following American entrees:
- 1/3 lb Angus Bacon Cheeseburger
- Roasted Red Pepper and Arugula Burger (Plant-Based)
- Chicken Wings
- Aloha Pork Sandwich
Polynesian Favorites include:
- Thai Coconut Meatballs
- Pulled Pork Nachos
- Pan-Asian Noodles and Vegetables
Salads and More:
- Asian-Style Noodle Salad
- Superfoods Salad
- Walt’s Favorite 1958 Chili
Kids’ Meals include:
- Cheeseburger
- Chicken Breast Nuggets
- Chicken and Pineapple Skewers
- Turkey Sandwich
- PB&J Uncrustables
- Macaroni and Cheese
You can preview the entire lunch and dinner menu with prices here on Disney’s site.
I tried the plant-based roasted red pepper and arugula burger on a previous visit. The menu describes this item as a plant-based burger topped with roasted red peppers, arugula, and tomato jam served on a brioche bun.
This vegan burger came with a side of French fries, and I found it an excellent option. But if Poly chips are available, I would go that route. They are house-made chips mixed with wontons. All of Disney’s house-made chips are delicious.
As far as Captain Cook’s goes, I’ve ordered the allergy-friendly chicken nuggets for my son more times than I would care to share with you. This is his favorite counter service. They tend to remember us because we’ve eaten there so often over the years.
Additionally, I’ve had a few items not pictured. For example, I’ve had Thai meatballs cooked in coconut cream and served over a bed of white rice. It’s been some time since I’ve had that option, but I remember not caring for them.
I’ve also had the Asian-style noodle salad. The menu describes this item as rice noodles, Mandarin oranges, mixed vegetables, and candied cashews served with honey-miso dressing.
They ended up being a huge, filling meal. However, it was one of those things that felt like a little one-note, so I probably wouldn’t order it again.
Unfortunately, I haven’t tried the pulled pork nachos, but they tend to get rave reviews. Like the meatballs and the noodles, these items have been on Captain Cook’s menu for quite some time.
In addition to made-to-order menu items, Captain Cook’s has a significant amount of grab-and-go items. Since things have become more routine and stocked, I took photos of everything so you would know what would likely be available.
Beverage choices include juices, sports drinks, energy drinks, bottled water, milk, and juice boxes. These kids’ beverages are options for kids’ meals but can be purchased separately.
Here are some beer options, along with Dasani and Smart Water.
This cooler had pre-made salads, veggie trays, fruit trays, yogurt, and other items.
I was happy to see a fully-stocked and presentable case of pastries and desserts. There were cookies, muffins, cupcakes, danishes, donuts, and brownies.
Here we have bags of chips, oatmeal, candy, cereal, breakfast bars, and other items.
Toward the register, there’s a case with novelty ice cream treats.
Other grab-and-go items are available at Moana Mercantile, the resort’s sundry shop on the second floor of the Great Ceremonial House.
Additionally, Captain Cook’s is the location to purchase a resort refillable mug. At the time of this update, refillable resort mugs are $21.99. They are good at any resort’s self-service beverage location for the length of your stay. You can use them to refill soda, coffee, and tea.
Here is a photo of the mobile order pick-up area inside Captain Cook’s.
Captain Cook’s has two soda stations featuring Coca-Cola products.
One of the stations has a sink next to it where you can rinse your refillable mug if needed.
Gold Peak Tea is available, or there are a few individual tea bag options if you prefer something hot.
Joffrey’s coffee is available along with half-and-half, whole milk, and skim milk. In addition, a few individually packaged options are in the condiments section.
Lastly, I wanted to mention that a microwave is available in one of the dining rooms at Captain Cook’s should you need one during your vacation.
How to Get to Capt. Cook’s
If you’re visiting Walt Disney World but not staying at the Polynesian, you might want a few tips for locating the restaurant. For example, those visiting the Magic Kingdom can take the monorail or the resort boat launch back and forth from the park to the Polynesian.
Those coming from another resort area might do best to take a bus to the Magic Kingdom and then take the monorail or resort boat over to the Polynesian. And if you’re leaving one of the three other parks or Disney Springs, take a bus from that destination to the Polynesian.
Related: Transportation to and From Disney’s Polynesian
Final Thoughts on Capt. Cook’s
Overall, we hope this review of Captain Cook’s was beneficial to your vacation planning. This restaurant is a fun stop for day guests visiting the resorts and a necessity for anyone staying here.
For more restaurants at Disney’s Polynesian, you might enjoy the following:
Or you might like to preview the restaurants at Disney’s Grand Floridian, which sits next door to the Polynesian. We have these reviews:
For more information about the resort, all of our articles are listed in our resort guide:
Or try these:
- The Pools at Disney’s Polynesian
- Disney’s Polynesian Resort Review
- Tour the Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian
- Polynesian Deluxe Studio Room Tour
*At the time of this update, the Disney Dining Plan is unavailable.
In the Comments
Have you visited Captain Cook’s before? Do you have a favorite item on its long-standing menu?
