Disney World is filled with dining options. The variety of restaurant categories, cuisine types, and locations means there is literally something for everyone to enjoy. You can walk up and grab a table at many dining locations, but other restaurants will require an advanced dining reservation.
Disney recently changed how guests can secure a spot to dine at Wailulu Bar & Grill, a popular monorail resort restaurant. Located in the Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, the restaurant opened to much fanfare in December 2024. Highlights (beyond the delicious food) include views of Seven Seas Lagoon, Polynesian-inspired artwork, and both indoor and outdoor seating.
For its first year, the restaurant operated solely on a walk-up basis. This means that if you wanted to dine there, you had to either join a virtual walk-up list in the MyDisneyExperience app or visit the host stand and get your name on the list for a table. However, as of December 3, 2025, Wailulu is now taking advanced dining reservations for both lunch and dinner service.
To enjoy a delicious Wayfinder Burger or Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Poke Bowl, you will now need to make a reservation in advance. As a quick reminder, you can easily accomplish this through the Disney World website or MyDisneyExperience app. If using the website, pull up the Wailulu page and click on “Check Available Days”. You will need to enter your party size and select a date or range to check. For the app, search for Wailulu Bar & Grill and tap “Reserve Dining” on the restaurant’s page. From there, the process is similar. You will enter your party size and choose a date or range of dates. No matter which platform you use to reserve dining, after selecting your desired dates, you will be shown any available times.
If you don’t see any reservations available for the day you want to dine at Wailulu, don’t panic yet! You still have a couple of options. First, keep checking back in the app! Other guests are constantly amending their plans, so it is possible to grab a reservation if another party cancels. Another alternative is to stop by the restaurant on the day of your visit and inquire about walk-up availability. Even though it now accepts advance reservations, like any other Disney restaurant, Wailulu will take walk-up diners if space allows.
The MouseHouseNews.net team highly recommends giving Wailulu Bar & Grill a try if you’ve never been there before. Whether you’re able to secure an advanced dining reservation or grab a walk-up spot, it’s a relaxing place to enjoy flavorful food. Yet another reason to love Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort! For more news from around Disney World, stay tuned to MouseHouseNews.net. We’ll see ya real soon!
