Disney just opened its first-ever Moana-themed restaurant, Wayfinders’ Table, in Adventureland at Hong Kong Disneyland. This shares a look at the interior, and food photos of menu items. Plus, our commentary about whether the popular film franchise will get culinary outposts at Walt Disney World or Disneyland, and where such a concept might fit.
As basic background, Wayfinders’ Table is not a brand-new restaurant. It was previously Tahitian Terrace, which served up festive quick-service meals in an open-air veranda and lushly-landscaped courtyard filled with cheeky tikis. The underlying Tiki structure was identical to Wayfinders’ Table, it’s just the layer of thematic window-dressing that’s changed. Think of this like the reimagining of Hungry Bear Restaurant into Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree (Disneyland) or BoardWalk Bakery into BoardWalk Deli (Walt Disney World).
In fact, Tahitian Terrace was one of our favorite restaurants at Hong Kong Disneyland–we even ate there twice on our most recent trip. It served up a wide variety of South Asian eats, and was a good ‘compromise’ option we both could agree on that also offered food suitable for our toddler. The only HKDL location at which we’ve dined more is the Explorer’s Club Restaurant.
As part of the reimagining from Tahitian Terrace to Wayfinders’ Table, the core Tiki structure remains, but there are new design flourishes that make it less Tiki and more Motunui. Kakamora statues can be found at the entrance to the restaurant, while concept art shows Moana herself also roaming. Stepping further into the restaurant, you’ll come across statues of Pua and Hei Hei, alongside more Kakamora.
The restaurant space, designed to capture Moana’s adventurous spirit, is modeled after a bai or house found in Belau, which is one of the great architectural traditions of Micronesia. Bai are at the core of the community, serving as ceremonial centers, gathering places, and reception halls, making this a gathering spot for guests from all walks of life to come together and recharge.
Here’s a look at the new Moana touches inside Wayfinders’ Table:
The restaurant’s interior depicts Moana’s journey with art that highlights wayfinding techniques such as observing stars, birds, ocean swells, wind patterns, and storytelling. The exterior gable depicts the stunning icon of Motufetū, connecting powerful architecture with familiar stories.
Immerse yourself in this one-of-a-kind quick service dining experience, complete with decorative art, ceiling murals, and an oceanic ambiance that transports you into the familiar stories of Moana and her friends. Celebrate legendary architecture and culture with a delicious island-inspired menu that will make you want to journey beyond the reef.
As for why Disney did this, it’s probably to make a more cohesive subsection of Adventureland. Right next door to this is the Moana: A Homecoming Celebration show, which debuted a few years ago. Converting this to Wayfinders’ Table creates a quasi Moana mini-land within Adventureland.
It’s also an area with ample room for expansion. Right next door to this is Festival of the Lion King, which could be on the chopping block. Even if it’s not, there’s a colossal courtyard in front of that theater with little food carts and other stuff that could be repurposed and integrated into the Moana miniland. If you go on the other side of the railroad tracks, there’s an expansion pad that currently houses a temporary flex space.
Let’s dive into the menu at the Wayfinders’ Table Moana Restaurant!
Beef Steak Mee Goreng with lemongrass, chili, hoisin sauce, lime, cabbage, bean sprouts, and sambal.
Wayfinders’ Roasted Chicken Leg with Gramma’s Signature Rice and lime, ginger, fish sauce, basmati rice, almonds, and raisins.
Malai Kofta and Lentil Masala with Gramma’s Signature Rice and cashew nuts, assorted vegetables, carrots, basmati rice, almonds, and raisins.
Massaman Prawn Curry with Gramma’s Signature Rice and new potato, pineapple, peanuts, carrots, basmati rice, almonds, and raisins.
Voyagers’ Chicken Naan Pizza with spinach, mango chutney, mozzarella, potato pops, wok-fried vegetables, cucumber yogurt, and a marshmallow cookie.
Seafood Laksa Soup Noodle with shrimp, scallops, squid, rice noodles, crispy noodles, and a Mickey egg.
Explore the Ocean – Banana Coconut Fritters with coconut custard, cinnamon sugar, and desiccated coconut.
There’s also Preserved Plum Pineapple Soda and a variety of non-alcoholic oceanic drinks. Here’s hoping that watermelon juice is also still on the menu!
The menu celebrates the vibrant flavors of Oceania, featuring authentic island dishes crafted with ingredients that feel like they came straight from Kele’s farm. Even the youngest voyagers will be able to enjoy dishes that connect to the rich culinary heritage of the island nations that inspired them.
All meat items served in Wayfinders’ Table are certified by The Incorporated Trustees of The Islamic Community Fund of Hong Kong. (Tahitian Terrace was previously a Halal-certified restaurant at HKDL, so it makes sense that Wayfinders’ Table would continue that.)
All in all, the new menu at Wayfinders’ Table looks really good. Tahitian Terrace was always fantastic (which is why we ate there so often), but probably not quite as good recently as several years ago. As is often the case, Disney reimagining a restaurant gives the culinary team an opportunity to go in and get more adventurous and ambitious, too. We’re really looking forward to trying these new dishes!
Moana Restaurant at WDW or DLR?
As for whether something like Wayfinders’ Table could come to Walt Disney World or Disneyland, absolutely.
I’m actually a bit surprised that we haven’t seen more ‘low dough’ reimaginings to breathe new life into legacy dining venues at Walt Disney World. Fans and tourists alike get excited about this stuff, food is an ever-increasing element of the experience, and WDW has a very plugged-in audience, plus a growing army of Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club members.
In the last couple of years, there are several examples of this at Disneyland: Tiana’s Palace, Hungry Bear BBQ Jamboree, and all of San Fransokyo. It’s a cheap and easy way to give an existing venue a shot in the arm, and feed the synergy beast. Every single one of those conversions has increased popularity and yielded dramatic menu updates (which very well might explain the popularity increase).
For whatever reason, Walt Disney World has done none of this.
Pecos Bill remains Pecos Bill, passing up reimagining of both the nearby Splash Mountain into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and Country Bear Jamboree. Tortuga Tavern could’ve capitalized on “overflow” demand from Beak & Barrel, but instead is still closed. Other restaurants are easy reimagining opportunities remain static.
This is unfortunate, and we really hope this changes in the near future. What’s most perplexing is that Walt Disney World already recognized the value of IP integration at its restaurants with the smash success of the original Be Our Guest Restaurant. Before they really milked that cash cow dry, it was the most popular restaurant at Walt Disney World for a while.
Other parks (beyond HKDL) continue to demonstrate that this approach is a huge hit with guests, and lucrative for the company.
Just last year, Tokyo Disney Resort opened Royal Banquet of Arendelle in Fantasy Springs, the new port-of-call at Tokyo DisneySea themed to Peter Pan, Tangled and Frozen. This is a counter service restaurant that gives guests the chance to eat inside Arendelle Castle, and it’s incredibly popular. (It’s also the most expensive counter service restaurant, on average, at TDR. A win-win for guests and the company!) The area’s other marquee restaurant is themed to the Snuggly Duckling from Tangled (see Review & Photos: Disney’s New Tangled Tavern Brings Snuggly Duckling to Life!)
As noted above, Disneyland has pulled a page from this playbook and is doing this type of restaurant reimagining. Given that, the most likely Moana infusion is probably at Disneyland, in Adventureland at Tropical Hideaway (which shares bloodlines with Tahitian Terrace at HKDL) or Disneyland Hotel’s Tangaroa Terrace. I wouldn’t necessarily bet on either happening, but I also wouldn’t bet against it. Tangaroa Terrace seems like the more obvious pick, especially packaged into a bigger-picture overhaul of Disneyland Hotel on the horizon.
At Walt Disney World, the obvious candidate is also in Adventureland. There have been rumors of a Moana-themed expansion slated for Adventureland, and a restaurant would make sense as part of that. (Note: this is not a rumor that I’ve heard credibly; to the contrary, I have not been able to chase down any leads on it. But I also couldn’t chase down the Monsters, Inc. Door Coaster last summer, and dismissed that rumor as a result.)
For me, the more logical choice is Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. This hotel also has a Tangaroa Terrace, but the difference is that it’s defunct. It closed ages ago, and is now being used as office space and who knows what else. With the opening of Island Tower, the Poly needs more dining capacity, and reopening Tangaroa Terrace as a Moana character dining experience would be a huge win. It wouldn’t have much of anything in common with Wayfinders’ Table, save for being another Moana restaurant. Island Tower should’ve been built with a rooftop restaurant, but since that ship has sailed, this is the best consolation prize!
For the rest of your planning needs, consult our Hong Kong Disneyland Trip Planning Guide. It covers everything you need to know for a visit to HKDL, including reviews, strategy, packing, and more. If you’re visiting the city as well, please consult our Hong Kong City Guide on TravelCaffeine, our non-Disney planning site.
Your Thoughts
What do you think of Wayfinders’ Table? Intrigued by the menu? Hope this is the start of a Moana miniland at HKDL? Would you like to see more IP-infused restaurants at Walt Disney World or Disneyland? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment of this restaurant? Any questions? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
