Okay, so now i'm second guessing 'Ohana too. I mean, the meal isn't exactly cheap!!! I was able to find a Kona reservation just 10 minutes after our 'Ohana one. What should I do...lol???? We had booked Kona originally and the cancelled for 'Ohana since DD's almost 4 and we felt 'Ohana would be better for her. BUT, she's been eating in restaurants since she was an infant so is pretty well behaved.
I think you should give Ohana a try. I don't think Kona would be much cheaper by the time you add in a drink and dessert, which is included at Ohana. And your daughter will love getting a lei and doing the limbo or coconut race.
I think you should give Ohana a try. I don't think Kona would be much cheaper by the time you add in a drink and dessert, which is included at Ohana. And your daughter will love getting a lei and doing the limbo or coconut race.
For what it's worth, I vote for Ohana, too (nice I can say that when it isn't my money, right?). Kona has good food, but the atmosphere really doesn't compare and isn't that part of what you're paying to get? To me it's more of a lite breakfast/lunch kind of thing - a cafe vs. a restaurant.
Whatever you choose let us know what happens.
In any restaurant, not just at Disney, remember that there is more to availability than empty tables. You must have the wait staff to service the tables (or you get the "30 minutes before we saw a waiter" situation), you must have kitchen staff to get the food out efficiently and not get slammer (or you have the "cold food, coming at out different times" situation).
You can't say, "Why were we kept waiting when there were empty tables?" All restaurants, not just Disney, have cut back on staff.
We've also been fans of Ohana, but the last two years we went with very bad results. Ohana is also off our list!
We had reservations and just like others found the food to be cold, dry, and the meats didn't come around very often. Our wait staff (both years) was TERRIBLE! What should have been a 90 minute meal turned into 2-1/2 hrs. Even had to wait 15 minutes from the time we were done with dessert to get the bill!!!! I was fuming.
This happened in 2008, but since we'd always enjoyed Ohana in the past decided it was an off-night. NOT. Almost identical BAD experience in 2009 as well.
So long Ohana.
I have never been to 'Ohana...I was so excited when I 'scored' a reservation...
We are going to be paying OOP (no free dining)...I don't feel like spending good money on a bad meal. We are only doing a few TS meals and I want them to be worth the $$ spent!
I'm not upset about the wait. I knew there would be one since I had no reservation but it was upsetting to see so many open tables that we could have sat at that were never filled & they were holding people who did have reservations & who could have easily been seated.
Ohana dinner experience is on the decline for sometime now, but people still book out the ADRs, so there will only be take aways until it impacts the ADR bookings. Too many new TS diners combined with die hard fans so it will continue to decline and it if LeCellier is able to get 2TS there is no reason Ohana couldn't too. Also, the steak coming around one time is not uncommon and happened to us when we gave the dinner one more try. Poor/absent service, poorly prepared food (dry, tuff, cold), rationing of steak, sides prepared well in advance (dry/stale/tasteless), service helpers who literally drop and toss side dishes down on your table and hurrying off as fast as they can. Tipped according to the service and experience. We only recommend Ohana Breakfast....The steak came around one time... We won't be going back until they make some improvements to the menu especially the side dishes. I don't enjoy paying $77 for some meat & dessert.
Farewell O'hana!
I like 'Ohana. We've done both breakfast and dinner. Every time we've eaten here our food has been hot and delicious and we will continue to go back.
The one thing I have to say is that you will find good and bad reviews about EVERY SINGLE restaurant on Disney property.
I think one of the BIG problems is that people continue to put up with their bad meals & bad service. Nothing can be done if you don't speak up. I hope the OP and anyone else that's had a bad meal at 'Ohana takes this with a grain of salt but you should've said something about your cold/bland food. And if a manager won't listen then write a letter. The more Disney or any other company we deal with hears from us they might actually start listening. I had a very undercooked steak at Narcoossee's on my last trip. I did notify management and they offered to replace my steak and comped my daughter's entire meal (drink, entree & dessert - we were on the DDP but she was under 3 and was not so we had to pay OOP for meals that we didn't share w/ her). I was pleased they took care of it and I will go back because they took responsibility for my nearly raw steak and were very apologetic. That's honestly all I wanted - an apology and an offer to fix it. Them comping my daughter's meal was icing on the cake.