'Ohana Review

[DisneyFr33k]

We ate dinner here October 28th. We hadn't eaten here for several years, so we didn't remember much of what to expect other the the coconut races and the limbo (the kids remembered that well).

The salad with the honey lime dressing was wonderful. The sticky wings were good, but the pork dumplings were a HUGE hit with my family - we ordered seconds! The meat skewers and dipping sauces were also great. The kids love shrimp, but didn't like to peel them. But they soon got the hang of it. The lo mein noodles and veggies were well done too and the bread pudding was delicious!

We're glad we went back and waddled back to our resort afterwards!!

[SBETigg]

Sounds good! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the review.

[Belster]

Went on 10/26 and thought it was great as well!! We will be going back again.

[DVC2004]

Glad you liked it! We discovered O'Hana on our first trip in 2001. We liked it so muc, we ate there twice during our trip! (That was back when you could just walk in);)

It's a must-do each trip now.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

that's good to hear....been seeing a few negative reports lately

[Mysttree]

Thanks for sharing- we are looking forward to doing it in Jan.
Glad to hear positive reports.

[BrerGnat]

Thanks for the great review. 'Ohana is one of my favorites as well. :thumbsup:

Seems to be a "love it" or "hate it" place, though. Very strong opinions abound on either side. I think some people expect too much... ;)

[Ian]

I think some people expect too much... ;)If you mean expecting edible food and at-least mediocre service for my $25.99 then yeah I guess I did expect too much. :secret:

[GreenBeetle]

Although I'm still nervous about the negative reviews of late, I've kept our ADR for January and plan to go in with an open mind.

Although I'm not a meat eater (the rest of my family is), O'hana looks like fun and the menu sounds interesting. We don't have fancy taste, but I do expect decent service and my food prepared properly . . . I don't think that's expecting too much, right?

[Babyvett]

I think some people expect too much... ;)


I was there in Sept and while we were both very pleased with the food, the service was horrendous. They brought us everything within 10 minutes.. after that, we saw nobody for an hour and 45 minutes. Our waitress was non existent and the guys with the skewers never came back to our table. Getting seconds was not happening. I don't think its expecting too much to go to an all you can eat restaurant and actually get to get seconds of something.

[DisneyFr33k]

I was there in Sept and while we were both very pleased with the food, the service was horrendous. They brought us everything within 10 minutes.. after that, we saw nobody for an hour and 45 minutes. Our waitress was non existent and the guys with the skewers never came back to our table. Getting seconds was not happening. I don't think its expecting too much to go to an all you can eat restaurant and actually get to get seconds of something.

I'm sorry that happened. We had the opposite - they kept coming by again and again offering seconds. Once we were beyond full, we kept saying "no thanks" over and over. We commented to each other they should have a sign on the table "more please" or "all done"!

[BrerGnat]

Bad service is never acceptable! But, I have to wonder how often people who get bad service actually DO anything about it! I mean, simply getting up from your table and going over to the hostess podium and politely asking to speak to THE MANAGER will usually remedy any service problems you are having, and then some. I've never had that approach fail me when I truly feel that we are being neglected or when something just WRONG happens and it's not dealt with properly.

On a related note, people often complain about being "rushed" at 'Ohana, when I actually LIKE when my food is brought out quickly! I mean, especially with kids, getting me in and out as fast as possible is a way for my servers to score HUGE points with me! BUT, the three times I've eaten at 'Ohana have been WITHOUT children, and we've spent close to three hours there each time, simply because WE took our time eating. Ordered more drinks. Asked the server to hold off on dessert so we could "digest" a bit. It's never failed. They don't physically remove you from the table. There isn't a trap door that opens up and swallows you after an hour.

And, when the "skewer guy" doesn't come back to offer more, just ASK another one who is passing by! Or, ask ANOTHER server. In general, if another server has to help YOU, he/she is gonna take it up with YOUR server, on a personal level. You can bet that your server will be more visible if you flag down others to help you...

And, when the food is "bad"...SEND IT BACK! Seriously. Bad food, undercooked food, or food that appears "old", should NOT be eaten. Ever. Send it back and ask for a fresh batch.

[BrerGnat]

If you mean expecting edible food and at-least mediocre service for my $25.99 then yeah I guess I did expect too much. :secret:

Oh Ian, you and your hoity-toity foodie attitude. ;)

Just kidding. I've never had less than excellent food at 'Ohana. HOWEVER, I have to admit that I enjoy dry turkey and pork, and I usually don't even bother with the "steak" at 'Ohana, because it's not filet, I don't give it a second thought. :secret: Plus, plain steamed broccoli is my favorite veggie, and I could live off the wontons and sticky wings at 'Ohana. And, don't even get me started on the dessert. That place is, in my opinion, the BEST all you can eat at WDW...but you also won't ever see me at a buffet. :blush:

[Joannelet]

I wish someone would give up their ADR for December so that I can eat in Ohana's ;) I want to go so bad and can't get in there!

[phlo8810]

Glad you liked it. We go there every trip and have never had a bad time. We'll be there on tuesday and can't wait.

[Ian]

I wish someone would give up their ADR for December so that I can eat in Ohana's ;) I want to go so bad and can't get in there!If I had one, I would gleefully give it up to you!

I've always found the term "sticky wings" to be an absurd description of those things. They should call them "mushy wings" or "chilly wings" or something. Either of those would be a far more realistic description of them!

[beksy]

We tried it out a few weeks ago and had mixed opinions. The food was great. We had seconds on almost everything. The worst thing was our servers. We asked one for drink refills and more noodles. Fifteen minutes later, he still hadn't returned so we asked our other server. Another fifteen minutes and he brought what we asked for. By that time we were ready for more of the meat and asked for that. The process was repeated. While we enjoyed the food and will go back, this hurt our experience. We tried asking other servers but couldn't get anyone's attention. We will try it again though since the food (when we got it!) was so good.

[Joannelet]

[QUOTE=Ian;1980794]If I had one, I would gleefully give it up to you![\QUOTE]


Thanks Ian!! :D

[SBETigg]

If I had one, I would gleefully give it up to you!

I've always found the term "sticky wings" to be an absurd description of those things. They should call them "mushy wings" or "chilly wings" or something. Either of those would be a far more realistic description of them!

You definitely got some bad batches, unfortunately. When I've had them, they have been sticky, fresh, perfectly cooked, warm, and delicious. But I know bad experiences can happen. We have had some bad times at Kona and won't go back, though most people seem to love it. It happens.

[ElenitaB]

Our new slogan for 'Ohana is: "'Ohana means no food gets left behind or forgotten." Or "'Ohana means hold onto your lapu-lapu (http://benellen.smugmug.com/photos/645632692_Prprz-L-1.jpg)." ;)

Seriously though... we hadn't been to 'Ohana for a long time after an unhappy visit in 2002. We went with friends last December: the company was wonderful, the food was very good but the service was not terribly welcoming. We went as a large group this past August and we had wonderful service and wonderful food. As hard as I try, restraint is very hard to come by at 'Ohana. Looking forward to visiting again in January. In the meantime, I'm planning some homage to 'Ohana meals here at home by using the recipes found here (http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/dining/recipes/default.asp) on I'COT's InfoCentral. Wish me luck!

[brad817]

We've never been to Ohana but we're going for the Lilo and Stitch character breakfast in February. Who has been there for breakfast? How was the experience?

[GreenBeetle]

Bad service is never acceptable! But, I have to wonder how often people who get bad service actually DO anything about it! I mean, simply getting up from your table and going over to the hostess podium and politely asking to speak to THE MANAGER will usually remedy any service problems you are having, and then some. I've never had that approach fail me when I truly feel that we are being neglected or when something just WRONG happens and it's not dealt with properly.

On a related note, people often complain about being "rushed" at 'Ohana, when I actually LIKE when my food is brought out quickly! I mean, especially with kids, getting me in and out as fast as possible is a way for my servers to score HUGE points with me! BUT, the three times I've eaten at 'Ohana have been WITHOUT children, and we've spent close to three hours there each time, simply because WE took our time eating. Ordered more drinks. Asked the server to hold off on dessert so we could "digest" a bit. It's never failed. They don't physically remove you from the table. There isn't a trap door that opens up and swallows you after an hour.

And, when the "skewer guy" doesn't come back to offer more, just ASK another one who is passing by! Or, ask ANOTHER server. In general, if another server has to help YOU, he/she is gonna take it up with YOUR server, on a personal level. You can bet that your server will be more visible if you flag down others to help you...

And, when the food is "bad"...SEND IT BACK! Seriously. Bad food, undercooked food, or food that appears "old", should NOT be eaten. Ever. Send it back and ask for a fresh batch.

I have to agree here. As the paying customer, I'm not the kind of person who won't speak up and ask for the manager if service is lacking. Especially when we've waited many months and spend a lot of money on Disney property. If I have tried all avenues (politely, of course) to fix the situation and still have no luck, that's when the claws come out! :thedolls: (Not to mention a bad review here ;)).

So we'll see what happens during our first visit to O'Hana's in January. :fingers:

[98'cpTyphoonGuard]

My husband and I have reservations for Ohana on the first night of our trip. As this is my husband's first trip to WDW, I am so scared that we are going to have a bad experience and its going to be my husband's first impression and I want him to fall in love with Disney like I have.....should I just cancel the ADR and not risk the disappoinment?

[BrerGnat]

My husband and I have reservations for Ohana on the first night of our trip. As this is my husband's first trip to WDW, I am so scared that we are going to have a bad experience and its going to be my husband's first impression and I want him to fall in love with Disney like I have.....should I just cancel the ADR and not risk the disappoinment?

NO! Experience it for yourself! Just go in armed with the basic knowledge of what to expect, and don't go hyping it up to no end (shouldn't really do that with ANYTHING related to this trip, since it's your DH's first trip...let him come to his own conclusions). Enjoy!

[lighteningqueen]

I was there in Sept and while we were both very pleased with the food, the service was horrendous. They brought us everything within 10 minutes.. after that, we saw nobody for an hour and 45 minutes. Our waitress was non existent and the guys with the skewers never came back to our table. Getting seconds was not happening. I don't think its expecting too much to go to an all you can eat restaurant and actually get to get seconds of something.

Gotta agree with babyvett and Ian. It was a real waste of our hard earned money. Never saw the waitress and or the meat again except mine that they brought me that was supposed to be well done or at least not bloody on the chicken and pork or turkey whatever. It was horribly burned up and we asked several times for refills on the salad as that is all I ate. Shrimp still has all their inards in them and they are not worth it.They brought one tiney bowl of all that other stuff and never refilled it for 5 or su with 3 being men.Done with that place and their bad service.Sure came around when it was time to pay though. We were there for 2 precious park hours.. I am trying Kona this time.__________________
02/02 - All Star Music

[DisneyFr33k]

My husband and I have reservations for Ohana on the first night of our trip. As this is my husband's first trip to WDW, I am so scared that we are going to have a bad experience and its going to be my husband's first impression and I want him to fall in love with Disney like I have.....should I just cancel the ADR and not risk the disappoinment?

No, don't cancel!! Just go in with a plan. If your waiter/waitress doesn't come as often as you'd like, let the manager know - like you would in any restaurant that you don't get good service. We've been twice and had EXCELLENT service both times. And, you can also ask for a really good server when you check in at the podium. Let them know you are trying to impress your husband and maybe they can set you up with a really good waiter.

[pdrlkr]

Thanks for the Review! :eat:

[ThanxForNoticin]

My husband and I have reservations for Ohana on the first night of our trip. As this is my husband's first trip to WDW, I am so scared that we are going to have a bad experience and its going to be my husband's first impression and I want him to fall in love with Disney like I have.....should I just cancel the ADR and not risk the disappoinment?

Absolutely not. Overall, there are far more positive reviews of 'OHana than negative. It's not a perfect place, but where is? We have eaten at 'Ohana at least 10 times, and it is still one of our favorite places at Disney. We've had slight issues with the menu changing over the years, and I'm sure we've had service that's better some nights than it is others. But overall, 'OHana is an excellent way to introduce someone to the magic of Disney. I know we'll be back the first chance we get. Enjoy your eveing!

[Goes4FastPass]

I did not have exceptional expectations of our October 'Ohana meal.

I'm glad your experience was a good one. Ours was not and it wasn't because of any expectations.

[DisneyFr33k]

I did not have exceptional expectations of our October 'Ohana meal.

I'm glad your experience was a good one. Ours was not and it wasn't because of any expectations.

Was it the food or service? From what I am reading on this thread, it seems like people who didn't have a good experience mainly had service issues. We were lucky to get a fantastic waitress along with staff offering the skewers of meat.

[Goes4FastPass]

Was it the food or service? From what I am reading on this thread, it seems like people who didn't have a good experience mainly had service issues. We were lucky to get a fantastic waitress along with staff offering the skewers of meat.

I reviewed in an earlier thread (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=163075) and our dissapointments amounted to food and rushed service but I really am you had a good experience. I fear too many people see a negative review or two and get "nervous". 'Ohana continues to be a very popular meal.

[johnO]

Oh the bread pudding!! I miss it. It's been a couple of years since I've eaten there. Didn't get to go the last couple of trips....

[Genie1953]

Just out of curiosity.....do they have another dessert on the menu besides bread pudding? I have never really been a big fan of it.

[DVC2004]

Just out of curiosity.....do they have another dessert on the menu besides bread pudding? I have never really been a big fan of it.

Yes- but it is at an additional cost, not substituted in place of the bead pudding. I know there was a coconut-rolled ice cream dessert (we had a few times and liked) and there was a Beach Bucket Snowcone for kids, I think there may have been one or two other things. Ask your server next time. I am not sure if these are still available so just ask.

[brown1442]

We went to Ohana our last trip (12/07) and LOVED it! So much so that we are going back our next trip (3/10)!! Food was great, service was fine, and they did a great job accomidating my son's food allergies!

[disneydad153]

Our first and last time at Ohanas was October 2006. Service was very slow. We had a group of about 14 and only one server. He was sporadic and by the time he came to offer coffee, we had to leave for MNSSHP. Then DW got sick as well as sister about 1 hour after dinner. also, when going over the bill next day, found that they overcharged us by 2 persons. We were in a hurry to leave and missed it that night.

I complained at resort and informed them about the two feeling ill afterwards. They refunded the overpayment and gave a credit for two pizzas at the resort. At least it was something.

DW refuses to eat there again so I may never know if service/food improved.:(

[twinboyz]

Thanks for the positive review. I'm glad you enjoyed it.:party:

We've been trying the last two trips to get in there at any time and it's always booked solid. :mad:We hope to have a chance to experience the restaurant next trip.

[chrisie703]

Our family ate there in April for the first time. While we did have a good time, the food was just OK, and we probably will not go back for dinner, just not worth the money. Maybe we will try breakfast because it is a character meal, and I have seen alot of good reviews.

[mickeys_princess_mom]

We love Ohana's! We'll be there Saturday night, cousin!:papple:

[wildernesslady]

We love it also. We will be there next Wednesday. Cannot wait.

[SillySymphony]

O'Hana was ALWAYS the first night "experience" we enjoyed during our trips with the kids. My suggestion is to go and enjoy yourself, but agree with everyone else: WDW should create no more of an anxious moment than anywhere else. If you're not happy at the local chain... you say something. Likewise... if you ARE happy... say something, too. Say "thanks" to your server, the manager, the podium kids (for getting you that great seat !). We always began our trip with a Monorail ride from MK to the Poly. We'd get in early and nose around (we're BIG CBR fans) in the gift shops or outdoors in the gardens. Then we'd move indoors to the seating next to the bar area and wait. Years ago, before popularity hit !, we'd ask for (and be prepared to wait for) a window table facing the MK. Our dinner ressies would usually be aroun 8:30, so we'd be in a prime location for viewing the Water Pageant. By the time we finished dinner, we could stroll down the beach and watch the fireworks.... Go... enjoy.... make memories..!