Entertainer at Poly - Lipoa No Longer at 'Ohanas

[AidaCubano]

I am heart broken and saddened to learn the news that Lipoa will no longer grace us with her aloha at 'Ohana's Restaurant at the Polynesian. We have been going there for 15 years, just to see her and the special atmosphere Lipoa created at Ohana's. From the moment she said "alooohaaaa," we knew something special would happen and Disney magic would be felt that night. My 6 year old son is autistic and was a big fan of hers. We are going in August and i'm heartbroken to have to tell him that Aunty Lipoa won't be there. Lipoa deserves a place of honor as an entertainer at the Polynesian.

Please email wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com to voice your sadness with her no longer being there.

I am sharing my post that I wrote to Lipoa below:

"Ohanas will never be the same again!!! You were their most prized jewel and many families will be heartbroken. We've been going to Ohanas for you since 2005 and before we had kids and now with our kids...that tradition is gone. We are broken hearted. You always made Ohanas so amazing and special for us and for the boys. You have given us so many amazing memories. The boys will forever love their Aunty Lipoa!! We will always remember your amazing voice, your singing, coconut races, limbo dances, grass skirts and you like an amazing goddess on the drums during the torch lighting ceremony. We are blessed to have experienced your aloha and love all these years. Lipoa always. We will always hear your voice coming on and saying aloooooohaaaa!! We love you!"

 

[JerseyJanice]

We love her too.

Is she being replaced?

 

[North of Mouse]

Did not know she was being replaced! Was just there a few weeks ago, and she was there!

 

[jo-jo]

Where did you get the information?

 

[AidaCubano]

'Ohanas has changed and it was not her choice to leave. I'm sure they will bring someone else in, but after 21 years at this position, she deserves more.

 

[IrishNYC]

How do you know it's not her choice to move on?

 

[Tonyz]

I must be missing something... I thought for the last couple years there was a dude who would walk around and play the ukulele (who I love). He wasn't the main entertainment of O'hana?

 

[GreyStr0ke]

Lipoa was the reason we went to Ohana. She has become a friend of ours over the years and we always let her know before our group comes. I've emailed Disney. I'm going to miss the Hawaiian Fun Song and all the attention she gave our table.

I won't get into the specifics here, but just another cost cutting measure by Disney so they can turn tables over quicker.

 

[GreyStr0ke]

Facebook

 

[JerseyJanice]

Lipoa was the reason we went to Ohana. She has become a friend of ours over the years and we always let her know before our group comes. I've emailed Disney. I'm going to miss the Hawaiian Fun Song and all the attention she gave our table.

I won't get into the specifics here, but just another cost cutting measure by Disney so they can turn tables over quicker.

Are they getting rid of entertainment at Ohana altogether?

And frankly if they want to turn the tables over more, having more wait staff would be more helpful than killing the show.

 

[GreyStr0ke]

Are they getting rid of entertainment at Ohana altogether?

I'm not sure yet as to whether she's staying at the Polynesian and just being moved or if she's going elsewhere. I'm sure she'd be a wonderful asset at Universal. The Royal Pacific or Volcano Bay seem right up her alley.

 

[Jennasis]

This is the one who played the ukelele?

 

[Ariel Wanna-be]

It's been years since we've been to Ohana, and I don't specifically remember her, but wasn't there some dramatic much-ado-about-nothing controversy about her several years back? Something about how she had unjustly been put on involuntary "leave"?

 

[jdisnut]

Always sad to see somebody lose her job, especially if she won't be replaced. Any reduction in workforce from an enormous company like Disney is lamentable.

But I won't miss Lipoa personally at 'Ohana. I'm fine with some entertainment with my dinner. Kids clearly like the antics. But I found her annoying. I guess that's just me.

 

[sdribben]

Didn't like her? Annoying? Wow...I don't even know what to say to that. You obviously don't like anything fun on your ohana experience.

 

[sdribben]

Lipoa was the reason we went to Ohana. She has become a friend of ours over the years and we always let her know before our group comes. I've emailed Disney. I'm going to miss the Hawaiian Fun Song and all the attention she gave our table.

I won't get into the specifics here, but just another cost cutting measure by Disney so they can turn tables over quicker.

Agree...Disney is just trying to cut costs by moving more people in and out of the restaurant as quickly as possible. Such a dirtbag!

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

Didn't like her? Annoying? Wow...I don't even know what to say to that. You obviously don't like anything fun on your ohana experience.

Everyone has different opinions. There's no reason to assume that someone didn't have fun at Ohana just because they found her annoying. We have loved going to Ohana over the years. We love the atmosphere and the food, but we also found the entertainment to be annoying. That doesn't mean we didn't have "fun." With that said, I am sorry to see someone lose their job after so long.

 

[jdisnut]

Didn't like her? Annoying? Wow...I don't even know what to say to that. You obviously don't like anything fun on your ohana experience.

That's not really a fair conclusion. My family really enjoys 'Ohana and has been eating there on our trips for many years. We like the food and the atmosphere but don't love the noise from the entertainment. It's really not an unreasonable perspective, one I'm sure others share. I believe my initial post was respectfully presenting a dissenting opinion.

But none of that is a personal attack on Lipoa. I will never be happy about somebody losing her job when it's undeserved.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

The schtick is also very similar each time, which may be an issue for repeat guests. Now, if you consider it like Spirit of Aloha, whose choreography hasn't changed much in eons, that's what it is, but since it's supposed to be more personal...

 

[capegirl]

I hope this isn't true, we have an ADR at 'Ohana for our July trip, so I will be watching closely to see what develops. The entertainment is part of the 'Ohana experience, once they remove the little Hawaiian show, it's just another restaurant.