Anyone not like O'Hana's?

[jjarman]

I have never eaten there and am considering it for one night for our March trip. All I have read are the most glowing reviews of this place. Anyone just not like it?

 

[Kaycee]

We really didn't care for it. Not that it was terrible or anything, we just didn't really like it and I doubt that we'd go back. There were some things DH & I really liked (the pineapple bread, the wontons, and the pineapple-caramel dessert) but not enough to go back.

We don't have small children so the games were lost on us. Plus, none of us eat huge amounts, so the volume of food was also lost on us.

I think the most surprising thing was that none of us liked the meat skewers. My two sons (ages 13 and 15) love meat, so I thought they'd love 'Ohana. But they didn't like the taste of the meat at all. And I'm not much of a meat eater, but I thought I'd like the shrimp because I usually do. But I thought the shrimp had a really odd, unpleasant taste. DH also didn't care for any of the meats.

We love going to the Poly, even if we're not staying there. But, for us at least, Kona Cafe is a much better choice. Now that's a restaurant all four of us loved!

 

[turnlisa]

Add us to the list of the people that weren't all that thrilled by Ohana. We went last year for my birthday. The meat was dry and not all that tasty. We met my best friend, her DH, and her DD there. They weren't impressed either and couldn't believe how much we were paying to eat there for mediocre food.

The kids' games were great but it also meant that the kids didn't eat. For the price, we just weren't impressed. For us it was the kind of thing you try once.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

We didn't like it either. I was beginning to think we were the only ones. Maybe there's no negative reviews, because others feel like I always have. There's always so many positive reviews, that I hate to be the one to jump in and ruin the party. We thought the atmosphere was more chaos, than fun. We did meet my sister and her family there, so that could have had something to do with it. We had alot of catching up to do. We most definitely weren't showered with food. I left hungry, and I'm not that big of an eater. What I did have, definitely wasn't anything I feel I need to rush back for. I didn't see any kid's games going on at all. Maybe it had something to do with where we were sitting, I don't know. I have been willing to go back to give it another try, because it does get so many great reviews, and I thought we must have hit it on a very bad night, but DH & DS(12) say no way. They think there's too many great places to eat at WDW, to try it again.

 

[snwarf]

It's funny because the more I think about it, the more I don't really want to go back to Ohana's.

I have a PS for December, but reading these posts reminded me that we really were not overwhelmed by the food. I think it was just the drinks at the bar that we enjoyed so much!!!

Like one of the other posters, we do not have little kids and they really are the focus at Ohana's. We enjoyed the character breakfast there probably better than the dinner.

I would suggest stopping by the bar and drinking something big & fruity and finding somewhere else for dinner!

 

[sherry8253]

My DH and I went to 'Ohanna for the first time last December. Neither one of us was overly impressed. I thought the meat was dry and tough. I don't like shrimp so I didn't try those. My DH is a shrimp lover and he rated the shrimp as just okay. I love pineapple and thought I would really enjoy it but our piece of pineapple was not ripe and it was pretty tasteless too. We would not go back.

 

[GRAYWIFE]

Sorry to say we did not care for Ohana either. The staff was very nice, the food was ok but we just did not enjoy it like we had hoped to. We would not return to Ohana...not because it was bad...just because it was not a good as other Disney restaurants and we still have a few more places we would like to try!! I would not say "skip it " just be prepared for it not to be what I consider "outstanding".

 

[CoolDisneyCat]

We have been 3 times and I doubt if we will go back. As the above posters wrote, we found the meat to be dry and tasteless. We did like the wontons and a few other things, but that doesn't make up for the price.

The only reason we went the 3rd time is DD22's boyfriend has a hollow pit for a tummy and I was trying to fill him up!

I do enjoy going to to the Polynesian, we will just eat at Kona Cafe from now on.

 

[Uncleromulus]

I thought the food was OK and there was certainly plenty of it. But the antics and the noise proved too much--and we were sitting in the back, out of direct range of the MC.

 

[BCV23]

snwarf, you can order those same good drinks at Kona.

 

[ennazus]

another voice of dissention...

Our party consisted of my DH, DS and myself and it just wasn't for us. The food was ok, but we just didn't get into the games... not even our son.

We thought the atmosphere was more choas, than fun.

I'll ditto this.

But the antics and the noise proved too much

and I'll ditto this.

That pretty much sums up why we didn't like. It was like eating at a circus.

 

[StaceyA]

Mom and I didn't like it either, we were really looking forward to trying something new but after we ate there we decided not to go back.

Neither of us like anything that is spicy (I mean I don't really even eat mild salsa) and the food was spicy to me, especially the shrimp.

We went later in the night so there weren't many games going on...but we did love the dessert of pineapple and caramel!

 

[erikthewise]

I didn't like it as much the second time. I had a hard time putting my finger on why. The appetizers didn't seem to be as good. Our server definitely wasn't as good as the first one. Maybe it's just a restaurant that doesn't hold up well to repeated visits. We'll go back again someday, but not for a few years.

 

[Cleokitty]

Count us in on not enjoying it! Food was overcooked and dry. The kids weren't offered a kid's menu until the adults were done eating, after the waiter fussed at them for not eating their dinner. Can't say we had much of a view--we were seated near the Poly lobby not in the main dining area. Thought it was very overpriced for what we had. We won't do it again.

 

[Fox&Hound]

My husband really didn't care for it. Of all the restaurants we've been to, this is the one he always mentions as his least favorite. He felt that the food was marginal, at best, and the atmosphere didn't impress him. I thought it was fun, and I enjoyed it, but had to agree that it didn't live up to my expectations.

Also, I was told that I had to order a meal for my 18 month old, which surprised me because all he ate was a handful of rice. He was still drinking a bottle at the time, (not as his main meal but something he would normally drink late in the evening.) Our dinner was at 7:00, which was late for him, so I fed him a small meal at 5:00 when he was hungry, and we brought his bottle to 'Ohana for him to have while the rest of us ate our dinner. (DH, DS3 & myself.) The CM insisted that we had to pay for him as well, so essentially we paid $10 for my 18 month old to drink his own bottle at the table, plus eat a little bit of rice off of my plate! I was a little annoyed.

On second thought, now I'm liking 'Ohana even less.

 

[erikthewise]

Originally posted by Fox&Hound
Also, I was told that I had to order a meal for my 18 month old, which surprised me because all he ate was a handful of rice.

This is just plain wrong. The children's price for the 'Ohana meal is $10.99 for ages 3-11. If this was a recent occurence, I strongly encourage you to report it. Either the server was ignorant of the most basic facts or it was an out-and-out lie.

 

[sotoalf]

The service and concept are mostly top-notch, but this restaurant has never impressed me.

For one, 'Ohanas is simply too noisy. At the end of the day, after a long afternoon in the parks, the last thing I want to hear are screaming children chasing after coconuts. I'm not a fan of buffets, so the eat-till-you-burst mentality does nothing for me.

Now that we're on the subject, the food is no great shakes either. It's hard to screw up skewered pork and shrimp (unless it's charred, of course), and just as hard to season just right when you have 8000 diners or whatever to consider. I come from a Cuban background so I know a little something about seasoning pork

I love Kona Cafe - a much better value for the money - but I wish the Polynesian had another sit-down restaurant like the GF and CR do. Anyone else miss the Papeete Bay Verandah?

 

[Jen D]

I thought it was just OK. We didn't mind the games so much, as we had a kid with us and she enjoyed it. I won't say we disliked the food but we didn't love it either and didn't think it was a very good value. We would never make a special trip to the Poly to eat there although I could see us trying it again if we were staying at the Polynesian) as we were last time. Kona we might make a special trip for!

Two nights after eating at 'Ohana we ate at Boma. Second time I've been there, but the value of this meal versus what you get at 'Ohana is huge. And at 'Ohana you have to pay extra to get interesting deserts (nothing against the pineapple and caramel, but it is pretty minimalist) while at Boma you can choose from a huge range of interesting, creative confections, all included in the price. Anyway, I know the two restaurants are different, but I don't think I'm comparing apples and oranges here-- I think 'Ohana is overpriced (even for WDW!)

 

[bavaria]

Whew, I'm relieved! I was worried that I was going to be flamed for being the only negative poster!

We (4 adults and 1 3yo) went for my birthday dinner (which was to be somewhere else but cxled and rescheduled due to a hurricane)

I have eaten pretty much everywhere in WDW, my friends were there for the first time, and all the concierge staff at GF told them that they HAD to go. I was voting for California Grill (where we ended up the next night) but was overruled.

We waited 45 min even with a PS (and this during low season). I am veggie, and the veggie plate was really greasy tempura - I just ate two slices of tofu and some rice and salad.

Yes, it's LOUD and we couldn't get the 3yo away - we spent longer at dinner here than anywhere else, but the adults barely ate.

The birthday cake looked cute but was what I would expect from a grocery store bakery ie not worth it.

Having said all that (sorry!) it was the 3 yo's favourite place to eat, and I suppose that made it worthwhile. She loved the games and the hula.

The best part for me was the surprise when the lights went down during Wishes and we could watch the fireworks, music and all.

So because our 3yo LOVED it it was worth it, and I got to see Wishes again yes, but for the rest of us, no.

 

[nuke]

We didn't care for it either. I thought the meat was dry and tasteless. I did love the chicken wings on the appetizer wheel but that was it. For the price we paid I would have much rather paid a bit more and eaten at California Grill.