The Island Tower section of Disney’s Polynesian Resort Villas and Bungalows recently opened, with a new dining option–the Wailulu Bar and Grill–and a few vegan menu items for us to enjoy. I had previously tried the Tofu Poke Bowl mentioned below, but have now returned and tried all the vegan options Wailulu has to offer us. Let’s explore Wailulu together!
Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Resort Villas and Bungalows
The restaurant area looks gorgeous, as does the interior of the new Island Tower, located on the site of the former Polynesian luau area. I’m especially excited to see it at night, but the views during the day are just as breathtaking of the Seven Seas Lagoon, the other monorail resorts, and the Magic Kingdom in the distance. You can walk around and enjoy the grounds, or Wailulu, but the rest of the amenities are for Tower guests only. You do not have to be a DVC member to stay and can book as a regular guest as well.
Wailulu Bar and Grill Details
Wailulu is a casual dining location, with no reservations required, but still offering table service. You can join the walk up list on the app or in-person, and they also offer mobile order to-go options in the app. Note that if driving locally, you will most likely not be able to park at the Polynesian without a dining reservation (or as a resort guest), so you should plan to park at the Transportation and Ticket Center, or take a monorail or bus from the parks.
Wailulu Bar & Grill Menu
Here is the menu currently available for lunch and dinner. Breakfast is also available but more of a grab and go, and for vegan options, it looks like just fruit. We recommend heading over to Kona Cafe or ‘Ohana for better vegan choices!
Wailulu Bar & Grill Vegan Menu Options
I recently visited and tried all of the vegan options and was pleasantly surprised by all of them! Let’s take a look at what we enjoyed:
We both tried one of the non-alcoholic cold drinks on the menu. They were refreshing for sure, but I’d probably stick with water, or splurge on a specialty drink, which, while pricey, are apparently quite the memorable concoctions.
Wailulu Vegan Appetizers
The Sweet Potato Hummus was a delight. Sweeter than traditional hummus, it was a lovely texture with the crispy chickpeas and toasted sesame seeds. The breadfruit tostones were surprisingly light (I was expecting a thick, tough texture), crispy on the outside and soft inside. They were a bit greasy though so keep that in mind. Most of the bites I had were very basic/bland bread tasting, but the last bite I had did have a sweet fruit-like flavor, almost like a hint of tropical pineapple to the bread. I would definitely get this again and from what the server said, it’s been a great hit. The hummus is also served on the kids menu as their appetizer, with carrots and celery rather than the bread.
Next up, we tried the Shishito Peppers with Eggplant Tahini Puree.
I’ve had shishito peppers a handful of times, but I would order these each and every visit to Wailulu Bar & Grill. The seasonings and the charred flavor of the peppers was outstanding. They were perfectly cooked, and the dipping sauce just adds to that satisfying flavor combo. I believe they used lemon or some form of citrus to finish the peppers, which made the whole experience bright and zesty. Apparently 1 in every 10 shishito peppers can be spicy, but I did not get any spicy ones this day.
Wailulu Vegan Main Entrees
Here’s a closer look at the Tofu Poke Bowl, vegan as-is with grilled tofu:
I really enjoyed this option, the rice was soft and sticky, and the mix of pickled vegetables, edamame, and avocado with macadamia nuts was a unique combination of flavors and textures. The tofu tasted marinated, which is always a plus over plain, and nicely grilled with some char marks. I would definitely get this again, and it’s a nice not-too-heavy but still filling choice for the upcoming blistering summers.
This Chow Mein Salad with grilled tofu is my new favorite salad at Walt Disney World. That honor used to belong to the salad at Geyser Point at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort, but I recently re-tried it and got a really bad batch of dressing with way too much sesame oil (and way too much dressing). Back to Wailulu, this salad, vegan-as-is, is pretty much the perfect combination of flavors and textures. Each forkful was an umami explosion.
Wailulu’s chow mein salad consists of chopped charred cabbage, Shishito peppers, and hearts of palm, tossed in a savory sunflower butter dressing. Topped with pickled sweet potatos (in long, ‘zoodle’ form), crunchy chow mein noodles, and the side of grilled tofu. Together, it is a masterpiece of taste and mouthfeel (as much as I hate using that term). I cannot wait to order this again, and my hope for all these dishes is that they stay on the menu and stay consistent! Kudos to the chefs at Wailulu for creating such unique options with a vegan twist. Truly wonderful choices for essentially the pool bar closest to the Island Tower pool area, but also worthy of a visit on its own, whether staying the night or not.
Wailulu Vegan Dessert
We of course couldn’t end our visit without dessert, and Wailulu offers a twist on traditional pineapple Dole Whip, with the Dole Whip Sundae. Served with a handful of macerated fresh berries, and some vegan meringue decorations, it’s a lovely end to a refreshing meal here. I wouldn’t go out of my way to order it, but I’m glad we have the option, and the fresh berries were delightful.
Another plus to Wailulu is you are able to mobile order items to go in the app! The Shishito peppers and the Dole Whip are not on the “To Go” menu, but everything else is, grab something and enjoy the views, head to the pool, or chill in your room!
Drop me a comment about which item you’d like to try first at Wailulu Bar and Grill – or let me know if you’ve already been and what you enjoyed the most. Thanks for reading!
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Disclosure: VeganDisneyFood is an informational fan site run by a lifelong Disney fan and vegan, doing constant research, speaking to chefs, and giving honest reviews of our experiences. We cover our own expenses 100% of the time unless noted and appreciate your support, and love helping you plan worry-free meals on your Disney vacation. Menu items reviewed in blog posts are subject to change by Disney at any time. Please consult our Complete Vegan Guides to Disney Parks & Resorts for the most up to date information. If you would like to let the Walt Disney World Resort know your thoughts on your favorite vegan items, what you would like to see more or less of, you can email Walt Disney World. If you have 4 or more allergy-friendly requests, you can contact Special Diets no more than 14 days prior to arrival.
