Family style meals - not enough food?

[stitch34]

Is it just us?
Garden Grill, Norway breakfast and Ohana's. WHY can't they give you enough food?
Breakfast at Norway & Ohana's. Usually we're a party of 4, they bring out one big plate/skillet. Never is enough eggs.
But this time... we were a party of 7 - and still they brought out just the ONE plate of food for 7 people. Really, the amount of eggs on there was enough to feed my two 6 year olds... that was it. Then wait and wait for them to bring more out.
Garden Grill - party of 9. They brought out two bowls of salad - not enough.... and ONE big plate of food. No way was that enough for 9 of us. And none of us eat the catfish, so a few slices of flank steak and turkey was gone for two people filling their plates up.
Whispering Canyon - Last time I got the skillet - was enough for my piggy self, plus still asked for more or some stuff! This time, two of us had it - we had to share a salad and share the skillet.
I know these places are all you can eat - but really, why so skimpy on the initial plate they bring out???
just wondered if others felt the same way - or we're just a piggy, hungry family!

 

[Dreamfinder2]

I'm guessing that the folk at Disney, hesitant to waste food, want to make sure you clean your plates before bringing any more out.

I remember once at WCC DS was putting away some pulled pork, and our server finally just brought out a pot filled to the brim with meat. He didn't have to ask for any more.

 

[anotherdisneygal]

1. I agree that Ohana's doesn't bring you enough food - I think it should be 1 skillet for every 2 adults.

2. I wouldn't go back to Ohana's after our experience there:

We ate at Ohana's on Mother's Day last year and had the WORLD's WORST Waitress. She brought out the food and then disappeared. We didn't have drinks or coffee or anything. My son only wanted a chocolate milk, but she was gone. My husband wanted a coffee and some more of the great bread that they have there, but no waitress. Forget about getting more food, we barely got the first amount.

To add insult to injury, the bill was totally wrong. She charged us for 4 adults and 1 child. We were 3 adults, 1 child and 1 infant (a real infant, my son was barely 5 months old, exclusively breast fed and not on solid food yet - so he was basically just using up the oxygen in the room). When we complained that she vanished and didn't bring us drinks or more food or even stop by after bringing our food, she turned to me and said - "I'm having women problems, you understand". I was not pleased.

The manager took 20% off the corrected bill to make up for the poor service, but I still would not go back.

 

[decker96]

Hm, maybe they are cutting back more lately? Our last trip (Dec. 2007) we ate at Ohana for both dinner and breakfast. At dinner there were 10 of us and they brought out tons of food, almost too much, LOL! We did have to ask for more shrimp, but we had plenty of salad and potatoes and other appetizers. Breakfast was just the 5 of us and we did only have one plate, but only my son eats eggs so it was enough. We did need more waffles, which did take awhile to get, now that I think about it. But otherwise it was fine.

We also did the Princess breakfast where there were 8 of us and they brought out 2 plates of food to start with. I think we asked for more eggs, which came quickly, but the restaurant was not too crowded when we were there.

 

[Eventer98]

The family style buffets are our favorite places to dine...the last thing we want to do after a day in the parks is get up to get food. But I agree..my husband is a big eater and we start asking for more of something before it's even gone. Usually it takes awhile to get the request..I know they are busy but it still frustrates us. I have noticed that LTT is the only one that seems more generous on their initial portions.

 

[RCharnay]

We always figured the first plate was the sampler platter. It usually contains enough food for everyone in the group to have a substantial taste of the food. After we try it, we ask the waitress to bring more of the things we like. No need to waste a plate full of something our table doesn't want. This way we all eat what we want and don't waste anything.
So far, we've never experienced a wait staff that doesn't return to the table. I can see how that would make the first platter seem pretty small.

 

[Joshua_me]

When we complained that she vanished and didn't bring us drinks or more food or even stop by after bringing our food, she turned to me and said - "I'm having women problems, you understand".

OMG.

That's about the most inappropriate thing I've ever heard.

Period.

 

[DanaAustinChelsea]

We didn't have any problems at Garden Grill, maybe it just depends on how busy it is or the server?

 

[B-Ride]

I wouldn't go back to Ohana's after our experience there.

I would hope you wouldn't write off 'Ohana based on one bad experience with a waitress. Especially when the manager took steps to address the situation. Did you complain to him earlier in the evening when he could have done more to address the problem than just credit your bill?

 

[anotherdisneygal]

I would hope you wouldn't write off 'Ohana based on one bad experience with a waitress. Especially when the manager took steps to address the situation. Did you complain to him earlier in the evening when he could have done more to address the problem than just credit your bill?

Actually, we did complain a few times to the manager (my husband hunted him down at least 2x and asked another waiter if he could send our waitress back to our table prior to asking for the manager). It was only after the second or third time that he left our table and walked around the entire place to find the manager and complain that the manager finally found our waitress and asked her to bring us drinks. At this point, we had been there almost an hour, which is about as long as my son was going to sit for breakfast (Mickey or no Mickey, he was only 3 1/2 at the time).

It was a pretty horrible breakfast experience and we've had great experiences elsewhere in the park so I can't imagine going back. If Ohana really wanted to improve our situation, they would have assigned another waitress to our table after the second time we told the manager that we had no waitress.

Oh and I should point out that even though it was Mother's Day, Ohana's was only about 1/2 full when we were dining there, so I don't think that they were short on waitstaff.

 

[stitch34]

I like the comment about it being a sampler - see what you like and want to ask for more of. makes sense.
as for the bad service at Ohana's... sorry you had such a bad experience. So far we've had fine service our three trips there - and even if hadn't, still would be back as is one of the kids' favorite places.

Bad service - only place this trip was Planet Hollywood. In there for over 2 hours! Just to get the check - that took 15 minutes after asking, then another 20 minutes for him to finally bring back our KTTW cards and papers to sign. I was fuming - so much time wasted!
And then my daughter left her lanyard and pins there - next day went back, got the run around, oh, don't have it. So we even searched the table we were at the night prior, then back to the podium and insisted to PLEASE look elsewhere, it HAD to be there (could tell from photos I took that she had it going in, but not when we left). Finally he pulls it out - 90% of her pins are gone off of it, that she worked so hard to collect, got as gifts from relatives, over past trips. Wasn't PH's fault that my daughter left it there, but the service was horribly slow. That said, it still is a favorite of ours and we will be back - just will ask for the check as soon as they drop our food off!

 

[nicolemomof4cuties]

We had a similar experience at Ohana over 6 years ago on our Honeymoon and no we have not been back. We were there at least 30 minutes and never recieved drinks.... After notifying the manager twice we left. My DH is thinking of trying to take the kids this time but he is Oh, so wary.... I do understand what you mean about them bringing out one teeny plate for everyone to share. The last time we went to WCC we ordered the skillet for all 6 of us and the brought one skillet. We asked REPEATEDLY for refills (on food and drink) and never recieved them. Nothing like coming into a restuarant ravenous and thirsty as all get-out and leaving hungry and thirsty as all get-out after paying a butt-load! I am a bit worried about that this trip as we have 4 kids (automatic gratuity because we are a party of 6). We recieved bad service at WCC and at Marrakesh last time and I really don't feel that I should have to tip on that..... or rather I should tip be able to tip according to that LOL! and by the way my DH is a waiter part-time as a second job to earn $$ for Disney, so I do think that good waiters deserve a GREAT tip but I think that horrid waiters deserve what they earn.... as does my husband and the guys he works with.

 

[engle]

OMG.

That's about the most inappropriate thing I've ever heard.

Period.

No pun intended right?????

 

[engle]

With a party of 12, we ate at Ohana. PLENTY of food. We did ask for more sausage and it took FOREVER!!! But we had enough for sure. With a party of 7, we ate at Liberty Tree Tavern. Again, plenty. And we are pretty big eaters. Maybe it just varies, depending on who is filling the trays and the wait staff is supposed to pick up a certain number and you had a bad waitress.

 

[BouncyPouncyTigger]

My family and I (party of 8) just ate at 'Ohana for breakfast for the first time Sat. April 4. I thought everything was great, but good luck getting more of anything! Our server was friendly, but she definitely did the disappearing act on us. My father needed sugar free syrup (which I had indicated at the time of booking), but when she brought everything out, the syrup wasn't there... No big deal, we asked her for some, and she said "Sure, no problem." Roughly 15 minutes later did we actually get some (my poor dad had to eat his Mickey waffles cold). We also ran out of coffee, and my DH, father, and bro-in-law wanted more sausage and eggs... another 15 minute wait on that, but she did bring out a large plate loaded with food...

Based on our total experience, I would go back. The food was great, the characters were super, and the staff was friendly, just sloooow. I wondered to myself why they even bothered saying to us when we were being seated that the meal was "all you care to eat, so if you need any more of anything, just ask," because they sure made it difficult to a. track down your server and b. get your server to bring things out in a timely manner. Oh well, we still had a good time, and I would still recommend 'Ohana to others

 

[Koren34]

We've eaten dinner at Ohana every trip we've take recently and have never had bad service or not enough food. We usually have more food than we can eat! We've had service that is iffy once and that was breakfast at Crystal Palace and it was packed and our server was a bit slow with drinks and that was after we had ADR's and still waited 40 minutes to get a table. The food was yummy and the kids loved the characters so all was well in the end.

 

[disneymomof2boyz]

We've had family style meals at Garden Grill and LTT and from what I remember we've always had enough food. I do remember asking specifically for more of some things, and they were always prompt in bringing it out to us. I haven't been to Ohana for bfast, but have been for dinner and I felt like it was too much food. But then again we are a family of 2 adults and 2 kids so maybe that is why. When my boys get a little bigger and start eating more this may be more of a problem for us.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

We did Ohana's on our last trip and OMG we were STUFFED! We did NOT need seconds but DH asked for more pot stickers and noodles. The waiters came aroudn multiple times asking if we wanted more.

We've been to GG before and were full. No seconds.

Did Akershus and the waiter asked us a few times if we wanted more. We did get one extra platter of food and we left stuffed!

 

[SoonipiLady]

one time at Ohana, the waitress brought our check while we were still waiting for her to bring more food. I very plainly told her that she might as well keep it because we were NOT done eating, and were going to have more drinks. She wan't happy but suddenly remembered that she had never brought back more food that we had asked for. We were a large party (11 people with several teenage boys) and there was NO WAY I was leaving that restaurant with any hungry kids.

we basically sat through 2 1/2 rounds of the parade/characters but they finally realized that we weren't leaving before we were done.

The funny thing is, once we got our food we were literally done in 10 minutes, but they just seemed so reluctant to bring out more! They were almost an hour behind thier ADRs, so I can see why they might try to move people along, but they took it to such an extreme that I think it was more about saving $$$$ on food, not turning tables.

Karen