Need to vent on 'Ohana experience

[gharter]

I don't disagree that you should control the pace of your meal, I'm just saying being as worked up as the OP seems to be may be a bit excessive. BUT like I said, if it was me paying the huge bill I may feel just like the OP.

I think the difference hee is that he specifically asked the waiter several times to slow down the pace and it didn't happen.
If he had been upset about the pace, never said anything and then complained, I would agree with you.
Even mentioning it once to the waiter should have fixed it, but things happen. However, having to mention this multiple times, I also would be very unhappy with the experience.

That said, this seems to be a recurring problem at Ohanas. I suspect they continue to be busy enough, that they are not too worried, until business starts to slow.

 

[Farro]

2 hours to eat? That’s insane.
My gosh. An hour at most. If someone goes 2. Then tome to get shuffled out. That’s just slow and pokey.

Hmm. Going out to dinner at home we easily can take almost 2 hours. All of us getting cocktails, bottles of wine, appetizers, entrees, desserts, after dinner drinks...going out to dinner is an event here in Chicago.

If I'm in/out in under an hour for a dinner where we are ordering cocktails and wine, etc., then I think that's kind of rushed. If it's just a quick sit-down dinner for burgers, then I'm okay with that timing.

 

[Nancyg56]

I'm not sure more money is the impetus. They don't accept more ADRs than they can seat. Whatever algorithm is used to calculate turnover is thrown off by diners who linger (much) longer than estimated. Low table turnover results in delayed seating for arriving diners. People complain about 45 minute waits.

I agree. 'Ohana has always been problematic in regards to timing and often runs well behind their ADR schedule. I believe they try to book more tables than they can take in order to accommodate the demand.

Right but the whole reason the ADRs are rushed and there is a long wait is because they are booking too many per day. i.e. more money : )

Yes

I eat really fast. Average time to eat a plate of food for me is well under 10 minutes. I don't inhale my food. I chew thoughtfully and enjoy it. What I don't like, and my entire family (except my mom) is this way, is talking while eating. I find that very difficult to coordinate without being rude and talking with a full mouth. I don't like my food getting cold, which happens quickly for most dishes. Everyone has a different eating style. My mom eats really slowly, but she mostly talks and takes a bite of food once every five minutes, it seems. It drives us all crazy.

Ideally, it should take a person 20-30 minutes to eat a meal with normal portion sizes. If it is taking you an hour+ to eat, you are eating too much.

An hour and a half is more than enough time for an Ohana meal. That is over 20 minutes per course, on average. No one spends 20 minutes eating a salad or bread pudding with ice cream and hot caramel sauce, which would be a melty mess after that long. It's also not really a 4 course meal. The sides are sides, not appetizers.

2+ hours is just rude at a popular place with a family style service. At a fine dining place, which purposely paces the courses, 2-2.5 hours is perfect.

Okay, you have a dining pattern that works for you. That means it must be the pattern the rest of us must follow?

Dining is a huge part of our vacations, whether Disney or elsewhere. It is where we all gather and relax. WE do not feel we need to pace our meals to match how you pace yourself or anyone else for that matter. If my family is dining at any restaurant and we want to relax, order cocktails and then begin our meal, and then pace it our way, that is our business. We were brought up to treat meals as a time to discuss our day. We did and still do talk through our meals.

 

[shh]

You are NOT being nitpicky at all and I'd be equally as annoyed. You were very smart: you took the time to make it very clear to your server what you wanted - and even generously covered extra tipping - I do exactly the same thing.

There are several beachfront eateries in our hometown: we always take our time, ordering drinks and relaxing before even looking at the menu or ordering food, enjoying the gorgeous views. I always tip extra because I know we're holding the table a bit longer. (And we often wait 45-60 min for a table to even open up because others are enjoying it the same way.)

To each his own, but it seems strange to me to spend a fortune in a restaurant, just to eat and run. The dining IS the destination to us. Otherwise I'd just do a sub or drive thru.

I understand many families with kids at WDW are on dining plans: they just want to fill up and rush back to the parks. But servers need to respect people like you and me who are looking for more than that. Spending $550 and being rushed? Crazy.

I will say I avoid buffets like the plague unless I'm forced there by a family function. Many do seem to promote a "shovel it in and get out" kind of ambiance. lol

 

[Farro]

You are NOT being nitpicky at all and I'd be equally as annoyed. You were very smart: you took the time to make it very clear to your server what you wanted - and even generously covered extra tipping - I do exactly the same thing.

There are several beachfront eateries in our hometown: we always take our time, ordering drinks and relaxing before even looking at the menu or ordering food, enjoying the gorgeous views. I always tip extra because I know we're holding the table a bit longer. To each his own, but it seems strange to me to spend a fortune in a restaurant, just to eat and run. The dining IS the destination to us. Otherwise I'd just do a sub or drive thru.

I understand many families with kids at WDW are on dining plans: they just want to fill up and rush back to the parks. But servers need to respect people like you and me who are looking for more than that. Spending $550 and being rushed? Crazy.

I always, always order and get my cocktail before we even order any appetizers. Most restaurants don't even ask what you want to order before you get your first sip of drink in ya!

 

[redfieldsdodisney]

The OP never said how long they were at 'Ohana. For all we know it was less than the "Google recommended" 1 hour 45 minutes. It could have been 1 hour, the point is the request was made to slow down and at least get the drinks before the appetizers and it was seemingly ignored. That is not Disney service. Bad review justified.

Any argument as to the proper amount of time for a dinner is absurd. That would be like arguing that anymore than 4 hours in a park or one day in WDW is too long, because there is no definitive answer.

 

[disneyseniors]

The length of meal shouldn't be the issue. The fact that a simple request was made multiple times and not followed warrants a bad experience. How long it takes you to enjoy your meal is irrelevant.

LOL, thanks for that! I eat very fast as a retired RN. Sometimes I had only 10 minutes to eat on my shift, and a lot of times not at all! I would grab a bite of something while working a lot of times. So, some of us are programmed to eat fast.

 

[TeresaWen]

Thinking about this some more I would have spoken to a manager and had the automatic tip (party of 9) removed from the bill. Completely unacceptable service.

 

[NYCgrrl]

5,400 seconds is like being in a hot dog eating contest??????....my god, Joey Chestnut's guts would explode if he ate hot dogs for 5,400 seconds. Usual contest is 10-12 minutes. To eat 74 hot dogs or some such. An hour and a half is plenty of time to eat leisurely. I can't imagine the size of the person who would eat Ohana for 2-2.5 hours.

I don't know who Joey Chestnut is but I do know that simply because you eat in a leisurely fashion doesn't mean you are stuffing your guts. For me it just means digesting with care and ensuring that my brain has enough time to tell my stomach it's full. Scientists and nutritionists say it takes approximately 20 minutes for that to happen. For the record, I'll admit to being one of the slowest eaters in the world (ask my sister how long it took me to eat a grain of rice as a child; she'll tell ya at any family gathering ) but over the years have learned to keep pace with most faster eaters by leaving more on my plate. Better the sin of ...sloth over gluttony to my way of thinking.

I disagree with the assumed reason 'Ohana opens two hours earlier than typical dinner service. I believe it's to accommodate every party who wants to eat there. More opportunities in seven hours than in five.

Seventy five minutes is fast? https://www.restaurant-hospitality.com/operations/data-optimal-table-turnover-time-45-minutes

Any restaurant manager or analyst of Food and Beverage Ops would further question the linked article since it does not delineate the type of restaurant or amount of courses consumed. It merely throws all the different types of eateries together (In Disney parlance QS, TS, and signature) to come up with an aggregate figure. Obviously the times spent at each type of restaurant would differ. As for the ability to accommodate every diner that doesn't hold water since every restaurant has a busy and slow time. Apparently for the target crowd at Ohana (families) that time is earlier in the day; it's quite easy to get an ressie after 9:00 PM via cancellations and such and I've never seen a full dining room or lines out the restaurant doors there at that hour of the night when staying at Poly.

 

[Jennasis]

If a meal ever took us 2 hours youd better check my pulse because I am likely dead LOL. Everybody is different. DH and I havr never ever rushed a meal nor have we ever been in a restaurant from seated to paying and leaving fir longet than an hour.

 

[Brett Wyman]

Hmm. Going out to dinner at home we easily can take almost 2 hours. All of us getting cocktails, bottles of wine, appetizers, entrees, desserts, after dinner drinks...going out to dinner is an event here in Chicago.

If I'm in/out in under an hour for a dinner where we are ordering cocktails and wine, etc., then I think that's kind of rushed. If it's just a quick sit-down dinner for burgers, then I'm okay with that timing.

2 hours is very standard when going out to a "nice meal" where there are drinks, appetizers, entrees, and desert and coffee that are delivered to your tabled in a timely fashion.

 

[Farro]

2 hours is very standard when going out to a "nice meal" where there are drinks, appetizers, entrees, and desert and coffee that are delivered to your tabled in a timely fashion.

Right, I was responding to a post that thought 2 hrs was excessive!

 

[NYCgrrl]

I eat really fast. Average time to eat a plate of food for me is well under 10 minutes. I don't inhale my food. I chew thoughtfully and enjoy it. What I don't like, and my entire family (except my mom) is this way, is talking while eating. I find that very difficult to coordinate without being rude and talking with a full mouth. I don't like my food getting cold, which happens quickly for most dishes. Everyone has a different eating style. My mom eats really slowly, but she mostly talks and takes a bite of food once every five minutes, it seems. It drives us all crazy.

Ideally, it should take a person 20-30 minutes to eat a meal with normal portion sizes. If it is taking you an hour+ to eat, you are eating too much.

An hour and a half is more than enough time for an Ohana meal. That is over 20 minutes per course, on average. No one spends 20 minutes eating a salad or bread pudding with ice cream and hot caramel sauce, which would be a melty mess after that long. It's also not really a 4 course meal. The sides are sides, not appetizers.

2+ hours is just rude at a popular place with a family style service. At a fine dining place, which purposely paces the courses, 2-2.5 hours is perfect.

Gosh dinna know "Ohanaites" was so fierce about getting their fair share of AYCTE food but they certainly have improved both the noodles (more dark green veggies yeah!) and salad sooo I guess that's the reason why. I'm bemused that some think one would dine longer to consume more but guess that's their mindset and there you are. I don't change how I eat according to the type of restaurant I'm at but I do change the quantity of food to adjust to certain norms. It is a 4 course meal if your server has to bring the dishes four times; the only shared courses can be the meats and appetizer platter on this end depending on how slow you eat which doesn't seem to be a problem for some. Rudeness is just a state of mind when it comes to how long it takes a person to eat. Me? I can't imagine changing my body's dimensions and health by eating faster "to keep up with the Jones".

Want a simple to acquire reservation at Ohana as an adult? Get an ADR after 8 or 9:00 PM or stay at the Poly for the Twilight Feast.
Easy peasy for anyone without smaller children in tow.

As far as eating at work that was a different scenario for me before I left the corporate scene and opened my own business. I specialised in soups to keep from gobbling my food down and was happy that the corporations I worked for gave me a full 30 to 60 minutes to eat whether lower or higher on the managerial scale. Times have changed though and I feel sorry for those who eat furtively now; explains a lot and as a member of the health industry I'm sure you see the hypocrisy between what hospitals advocate for patients vs employees.

 

[GrantDB]

I can see the argument from both sides here, I feel those saying the average meal should be 1hr30-2hrs are right when it's a standard restaurant taking a variety of orders and requests for 3/4 course meals with drinks when food is cooked to order.

These AYCTE style restaurants tend to prep their food in bulk and that's why it's ready to be plopped down in front of you as soon as you sit down.

The way I feel about this matter is it's a problem becoming more and more relevant in this modern age, a lack of communication, from the get go, if servers could give the option of immediate food service or a laid back style it might help. Something to signal to the food runners when to go and when to hang fire. I went to a local restaurant in my City that serves similar food to Ohana with the meats on skewers, they have a placemat which is green on one side and red on the other, I'm not 100% familiar with 'Ohana I only have an ADR there this summer hence being interested in these discussions, they might have this here, but regarding these placemats, if you want the food to keep coming, you can turn the mat green, and when you've had enough or want a break, you can turn the mat red, it would need some work, as I know you get the bread service at the start and then the salad, but with planning it might alleviate the stressful situations people like the OP found themselves in, it's a little like the Disney restaurant with the shenanigans and you choose to take part or not.

As I'm typing this I also feel the system could be abused and that's why it isn't in place, such as people keeping the mat red whilst waiting for the fireworks etc.

But just an idea and something that could be suggested to the big dogs upstairs.

 

[cedricandsophie]

We too are in Chicago so used to a big city dining experience. We usually order a bottle of wine and don’t want to order dinner until the wine comes and we are enjoying a glass. We are not big eaters and might order appetizers each And share an entree. Often we don’t evtn order an entree until we see if we are still hungry after appetizers But we enjoy relaxed dining which typically means at least two hours. If a waiter seems to be rushing us my husband is very comfortable saying quite sternly to slow down. And then complaining to management if it doesn’t. We are the customers and have the right to direct the timing of our dining experience. We have been at some dinners, with friends, that have lasted three hours and closed down the place. I view dining as a time I want to savor and enjoy not a contest to see how fast I can eat.

 

[kaytieeldr]

For all we know it was less than the "Google recommended" 1 hour 45 minute

My link was also located via Google and states 45 minutes.

I don't know who Joey Chestnut is

Hot dog eating contest repeat winner.

 

[icesk8abc]

We definitely found that 'Ohana brought the food faster than we could eat it. However I was having to serve and cut up food for my 2 little ones, plus run them to the potty. We just left all the food on the table and kept eating whatever parts we wanted. It turned out nicely for the kids because there were tons of options on the table. We were sat right at our reservation time of 3:45 and I have pictures of my girls doing the coconut races at 4:50. When they were finished we had our final bites of dinner and then they brought out our desserts. We probably were there just shy of an hour and a half. We don't try to stretch out a meal because even an almost 2 year old and a 4 year old who do well in restaurants only want to stay so long. That said we were there using credits from our upgraded free dining plan, and we don't usually linger long over meals. We were the slowest table in our area as most were seated around us at the same/similar time and were finishing their desserts as the coconut races started. Our server was attentive and didn't seem to be trying to hurry us. It's the one restaurant my 4 year old has requested again (even above character meals), and we plan to oblige.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I'm going to go out on a limb and speculate that O'hana times their ADR's with a shorter time span than a typical restaurant. As PP pointed out, this is not a typical restaurant where you would sit, be handed a menu, order a drink, receive your drink, perhaps order apps, then your entree and then your dessert. At O'hana it's plop this dish down, then plop this down, then plop the meats and plop the dessert. That's the system and there is no ordering to slow the pace down. OP's server could very well have tried to slow things down, but, when you have food runners sticking to a system, it may be a freight train that can't be controlled. Again, not an excuse, just a flaw, IMHO and, based on many recent reports, not an enjoyable experience for many. WDW is a land of systems and sometimes, IMHO, the system gets in the way of actual communication between CM and guest. We had a bizarre experience at the ice cream truck in AK on our last trip where their computer ordering system was glitching and, apparently, the CM scrolled too far ahead and was messing up orders. Instead of simply taking people's receipts so she could see what they ordered and filled the order, she kept staring at the computer screen which was displaying orders for people who were far back at the end of the line. She, literally, couldn't remove herself from the system and help the guests standing right in front of her.

 

[NYCgrrl]

My link was also located via Google and states 45 minutes.

Hot dog eating contest repeat winner.

See that? Not a name or feat that I do more than glaze my eyes over once a year although I'm sure his family members and admirers are proud of his notoriety.

Your link was focused on revenue increasing and not representative of all dining spots, thank goodness. I find it useful figuring out the current mindset of restaurateurs but it doesn't mean I or anyone else needs to adhere to it. I also don't follow the philosophy of " If you find it on the internet it must be true" as just as easily I can find a link (or 6) that refutes it. I'm not posting links since I actually know how I eat and most people I'm acquainted with.

 

[si-am]

We also experienced the rushed service when we were at Ohana in March (we go every trip, every year, and have never had this problem before.) Apps came out within minutes of sitting down, and skewers started coming out just minutes after the apps. They also wouldn’t give us any meat without us telling exactly how many pieces we wanted, which was strangely annoying to me. Like, how do I know how many shrimp I want until I taste one?

Our server was nice but we were done with our meal within 35-40 minutes, and that seeemd like a waste of money.

 

[DLgal]

This post got me thinking about big family dinners, like Thanksgiving. Don't you all put all the food out at once and just help yourselves during those types of meals? You eat at whatever pace you want, but the food is all laid out for the taking. Ohana is like this. Just because the food is placed on your table/plate, doesn't mean you have to scarf it all down instantly. Just serve up your plates as desired and pace yourselves. That is what "family style" dining is. I don't see why it matters when the food is put down? As far as I'm concerned, at WDW, by the time I sit down for ANY meal, I'm ready to eat! Last couple times we went to Ohana, we got the salad before our drinks came around (but we had water). We all served ourselves and started eating, but we didn't HAVE to.