RG Routes: How To Get to ‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian (With Resort Transfers)
One struggle comes to mind when dining at a Walt Disney World Resort (other than the one you’re staying at). How are you going to get there? The answer is not always straightforward. As many of you know, we track Disney’s routes and transportation times. During our travels, we run into countless guests who want to know how to get where they’re going or, at the very least, the simplest way to get there. One of the popular destinations that guests often ask about is “how to get to ‘Ohana” from here or there.
For me, that’s a simple question to answer in person. However, my answer will also heavily depend on your starting location. So below, we’ll discuss how to get to ‘Ohana, including resort transfers. It’s also important to note that ‘Ohana is only open for breakfast and dinner. These meals are two unique experiences. Breakfast is a character meal with Mickey Mouse (Hawaiian Shirt), Pluto, Lilo, and Stitch. Characters are only present for breakfast. Dinner is a family-style meal consisting of Hawaiian-flavored specialties.
How to Get to ‘Ohana for Breakfast
Like always, there is one caveat, and I would like to get it out of the way early on to avoid confusing you. When traveling between resorts, we always have to make some kind of transportation transfer at a theme park or Disney Springs. In the morning (aka breakfast time), most buses focus on getting guests to the parks. While you can visit a park and catch a bus back to your resort in the mornings, the wait will be much longer.
For example, we stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge and visited the Contemporary Resort for breakfast. So we took a bus to Disney’s Animal Kingdom and waited for a bus to the Contemporary. While we waited, a bus dropped off guests from the Contemporary. That bus driver told us we would have to wait for the next bus because he had been radioed to another resort. We ended up waiting an exceptionally long time. Until lunch, it seems the priority is getting guests to the parks. So, if you’re visiting ‘Ohana for an early breakfast reservation, we recommend taking transportation from your resort to Magic Kingdom. Then, you can take the monorail to the Polynesian.
All Resorts to ‘Ohana for Breakfast (Except Magic Kingdom Resorts)
- Take a bus from your resort to Magic Kingdom.
- Walk through security at Magic Kingdom. (You do not have to pass through the ticket entry area.)
- Take the resort monorail from Magic Kingdom to the Polynesian.
This is the best route, outside of the extra cost of a car service. When you exit the monorail, you are only a few steps away from the check-in for ‘Ohana. It’s on the second floor of the Great Ceremonial House. We recommend allowing 1 to 1.5 hours for this route. You will need to account for walking to the bus stop at your resort, waiting on a bus, riding the bus to Magic Kingdom, walking through security, waiting on the monorail, and then making two stops on the monorail before you reach the Polynesian.
A car service (Minnie Vans, Lyft, Uber, Taxi) will take 15-20 minutes at the most, plus the amount of time you have to wait for the car and the cost of the fare, which will vary based on the service you choose.
You can also take advantage of the Polynesian Resort’s boat service from Magic Kingdom. That would look like:
- Take a bus from your resort to Magic Kingdom.
- Walk through security.
- Take the resort boat launch from Magic Kingdom to Grand Floridian. It continues to the Polynesian.
- At the Polynesian, follow the directionals from the boat dock to the Great Ceremonial House. It’s a short walk past the pool. ‘Ohana is on the second floor.
Magic Kingdom Resorts to ‘Ohana
- If you’re traveling from a monorail resort, you can take it to the Polynesian. Those resorts are Disney’s Contemporary and Disney’s Grand Floridian.
- If you’re traveling from Disney’s Wilderness Lodge or Fort Wilderness, you can take a bus or boat to Magic Kingdom and then the monorail or boat to the Polynesian.
Related: ‘Ohana Best Friends Breakfast Review
How to Get to ‘Ohana for Dinner Reservations
For dinner, we’ll have a little more leeway on traveling to ‘Ohana. Of course, you can always use the same route we listed above, and I’ll include it again. But when using resort-to-resort transfers, I have found that it’s often best to visit the nearest theme park from your location and then take a bus to the Polynesian. Let’s go over a few examples.
Related: ‘Ohana Dinner Review
Animal Kingdom Resorts Area to ‘Ohana
Resorts: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Coronado Springs, All-Star Music, Movies, and Sports
- Take a bus to Animal Kingdom or Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
- Exit the bus at the park, and then find the bus stop for the Polynesian.
- Take that bus to the Polynesian.
You could also do as we did for breakfast:
- Take a bus from your resort to Magic Kingdom.
- Walk through security at Magic Kingdom. (You do not have to pass through the ticket entry area.)
- Take the resort monorail or boat from Magic Kingdom to the Polynesian.
Disney Springs Resorts Area to ‘Ohana
Resorts: Saratoga Springs, Old Key West, Port Orleans Riverside, and French Quarter
- Take a bus from your resort to Disney’s Hollywood Studios (only).
- Exit the bus at the park and find the bus stop for the Polynesian.
- Take a bus to the Polynesian.
Or do as we did for breakfast:
- Take a bus from your resort to Magic Kingdom.
- Walk through security at Magic Kingdom. (You do not have to pass through the ticket entry area.)
- Take the resort monorail or boat from Magic Kingdom to the Polynesian.
Skyliner Resorts Area to ‘Ohana
Resorts: Caribbean Beach, Riviera, Pop Century, and Art of Animation
- Take the Skyliner to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
- Exit the Skyliner and walk to the nearby bus stop at Hollywood Studios.
- Take a bus from Hollywood Studios to the Polynesian.
Again, follow the bus to the monorail route as an alternative.
- Take a bus from your resort to Magic Kingdom.
- Walk through security at Magic Kingdom. (You do not have to pass through the ticket entry area.)
- Take the resort monorail or boat from Magic Kingdom to the Polynesian.
Epcot Resorts Area to ‘Ohana
Resorts: Disney’s Beach Club, Yacht Club, and the Boardwalk Inn
- Take a Friendship Boat or walk to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
- Walk to the nearby bus stop.
- Take a bus to the Polynesian.
Or use our alternative:
- Take a bus from your resort to Magic Kingdom.
- Walk through security at Magic Kingdom. (You do not have to pass through the ticket entry area.)
- Take the resort monorail or boat from Magic Kingdom to the Polynesian.
Magic Kingdom Resorts Area to ‘Ohana
This route will be the same as we mentioned earlier for breakfast.
- If you’re traveling from a monorail resort, you can take it to the Polynesian. Those resorts are Disney’s Contemporary and Disney’s Grand Floridian.
- If you’re traveling from Disney’s Wilderness Lodge or Fort Wilderness, you can take a bus or boat to Magic Kingdom and then take the monorail or boat to the Polynesian.
Frequently Asked Questions for Getting to ‘Ohana
Here are a few other questions about how to get to ‘Ohana.
What if you’re staying at the Swan and Dolphin and want to visit ‘Ohana? You’ll want to take the Magic Kingdom bus from the Swan and Dolphin to the Transportation and Ticket Center. You can then take the resort monorail or walk next door to the Polynesian. (This is a simple route.) We have a separate article with photos of walking between the TTC and the Polynesian.
What if we want to take the monorail from Epcot? We often see this question, and you can do this at your leisure. However, note that this would just be for the fun of it.
If you’re staying at one of the Epcot Resorts, you can walk through Epcot (only with valid admission) from the International Gateway to the front of the park. Then, board the monorail to the Transportation and Ticket Center. You can walk or take the resort monorail to the Polynesian from there.
You can take a bus to Epcot from any other resort (except Epcot and Magic Kingdom areas). At Epcot, you’ll walk through security and take the ramp or elevator to the monorail platform. You do not have to enter the park, so admission is not required. Take the monorail to the Transportation and Ticket Center. Then take that resort monorail or walk to the Polynesian. (The resort monorail will drop you off within a few steps of ‘Ohana.)
What if we’re coming from Disney Springs? If you’re at Disney Springs, you can take a bus to the Polynesian.
Final Thoughts
We hope you found these options for getting to ‘Ohana helpful. Walt Disney World runs like a small city with multiple efficient options for getting to and from various destinations. With a base knowledge of how things work, you can figure out how to get around in ways that best suit your family. For many of us, the journey is as fun as the destination. We look forward to riding the monorail, taking flight on the Skyliner, or feeling the wind whip around us as we sail the waters of Seven Seas Lagoon.
For more information about how transportation works at Disney World, try the following:
- Everything You Need to Know About the Buses at Disney World
- How to Get to Hoop Dee Doo Revue (With Resort Transfers)
- How to Get to Disney’s Boardwalk
- How Long is the Monorail From Grand Floridian to Epcot?
- Walking Between the Contemporary and Magic Kingdom
Want to save time and energy on your vacation? Get a copy of our 5 best transportation tips for Walt Disney World.
In the Comments
Do you plan to visit ‘Ohana for a meal during your next vacation? Comment below and share your thoughts, questions, or experiences. We love to hear from you!
