Ohana dinner -- is it really that good? Strategies to land a res?

[Zombie]

So we've never been to Ohana before or thought much about it.

We've been looking at it more this time around for a dinner service and are realizing that it's not just the character breakfast that has it super popular.

Just how good is this place? What is so special about it? I mean, it looks like a fun experience, but are the food and drinks that spectacular? (And one who's dined there with dietary/medical/allergic restrictions would be encouraged to chime in, as to just the what and value of what you get served -- and yes, we've read blogs and reviews, and from that perspective maybe it's why we're missing the 'wow' excitement this place seems to have).

But, anyway, we are outside the 180 day window for when we are going to be there and have been regularly monitoring it for about a month and still haven't seen any openings pop up for their dinner service. Fully booked.

So, if anyone (everyone?) agrees it's a "must try", if there's some strategies on how to (when to) watch for ADR openings at this point, advice would be much appreciated. We will be there the first week of December and we'd be looking for a dinner sitting.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Just how good is this place?

Honestly, depends on the night and the expectations.

What is so special about it? I mean, it looks like a fun experience, but are the food and drinks that spectacular?

No.

'Ohana kind of feeds on its own hype. Is it fun? Is the food pretty good? Yes. But it is hype-train. It's hard to get a booking because everyone has eaten the hype. It results in people going in with either insane expectations, or ready to believe anything is amazing because of the hype.

The value is dodgy regardless of your dietary restrictions. It's Disney, so this isn't unusual. I will say that if you're shellfish or peanut allergy, I know people have done 'Ohana with each and lived, but, wow, I wouldn't do it.

Do I think it worth trying out? Yeah, I do, don't get me wrong. But I wouldn't look at the hype in trying to judge it while there.

I think the week you're looking will be hard. There is Free Dining that week, and "it's such a good value on the Dining Plan!" I'd look at 45 days, 30 days, and while there.

 

[Eponine178]

We've had dinner twice at Ohana over the last two years and it is a fun experience. I enjoy the food and it is very well themed to the hotel itself. Pineapple bread is super yummy. Salad is good. The noodles and wings are probably my favorite. The steak/shrimp/chicken that they bring around can be hit or miss depending on how it is cooked, but just ask for what you like and they will bring it to you. The drinks are very fun. I've never eaten the dessert since it has bananas (I don't care for them) but everyone at the table loved it. TONS of food. You will be stuffed.

No one in our family has allergies, but my dad can't eat sesame seeds (seeds in general). They put it all over the noodles and wings, so we just asked to not have them and it wasn't a problem at all.

My son loves the coconut races and the games they get to play.

It will be very crowded and you may wait longer than your appointed time, but that has really never bothered us. Both times our service has been someone lacking. Not for lack of effort by the servers, just because they were SO busy. Both times we had to ask multiple time to order drinks. One time our bread and salad came even before we were given water. I asked three times for a box to take my sons brownie dessert home with us and never got it. Little stuff like that.

As for getting a reservation at this point...I won't lie, it will be tough. But 72 to 24 hours out seems to be the sweet spot for hard reservations. Since you have to cancel before 24 hours or get charged, anyone who has a change of plans or was still working out their plans lets their reservations go then. If you can be flexible late in the game, you might be able to get it in.

Overall I think its a fun experience to do at least once if you can.

 

[Zombie]

The value is dodgy regardless of your dietary restrictions. It's Disney, so this isn't unusual. I will say that if you're shellfish or peanut allergy, I know people have done 'Ohana with each and lived, but, wow, I wouldn't do it.

Thanks for the honest assessment. We thought that might be the case.

We have done the Spirit of Aloha dinner show before and the food/menu looked like a similar idea in a slightly different presentation. Though, Spirit of Aloha's "allergy" meal our party member/table was provided didn't cause major illness, it definitely was the Disney meal there were the most problems with after. And the food was really average.

Ohana does look rather expensive for the way the menu reads and for the photos of the food on the various blogs and views. They look even less stellar (to me) when reading the allergy/dietary restriction reviews/blogs.

But there's interest in our group in trying it. Will have to weigh it a bit more -- if a reservation does even open up between now and then ...

 

[g3pak]

O'hana is one of our favorite restaurants for dinner at WDW. We have always had good experiences there- having dined there probably 6 times over the last 10 years- but I have read several poor reviews.

We go for the food, not the "fun." My wife loves the grilled shrimp, one DD loves the chicken wings, another DD loves the steak, and I love several things. We al love the bread pudding except for younger DD that has food allergies.

My 13 year old DD has allergies to nuts, eggs, and dairy and O'hana has been great for her. A chef comes out to go over the menu, letting her know what she can have and preparing some things to replace what she cannot have.

We hope to go back summer 2019- our first time in a few years thanks to several factors. My daughters have both said O'hana is top of their list of restaraunts when we go and my wife said this morning she wants to go there twice. It is not for everyone, some people do not like it, but it is a must-do for us.

 

[Zombie]

It will be very crowded and you may wait longer than your appointed time, but that has really never bothered us. Both times our service has been someone lacking. Not for lack of effort by the servers, just because they were SO busy. Both times we had to ask multiple time to order drinks. One time our bread and salad came even before we were given water. I asked three times for a box to take my sons brownie dessert home with us and never got it. Little stuff like that.

Thanks for that feedback. Also good to know. We tend to prefer quieter experiences. Or at least not too chaotic. And one of the main reasons there's interest in going in our party is the drinks (I, personally, think there are better/funner places to get fun drinks on the same resort property! But I'm not the only one with a say in the schedule ...).

Thanks for letting me know you did OK with allergies. We have had very positive experiences with Disney going above and beyond in being accommodating. But with all the sauces (and the family style serving) at this location, weren't sure it would work out in a way that'd be too appetizing or good value for the money.

 

[Zombie]

My 13 year old DD has allergies to nuts, eggs, and dairy and O'hana has been great for her. A chef comes out to go over the menu, letting her know what she can have and preparing some things to replace what she cannot have.

Thank you for this.

 

[g3pak]

If you will deal with any of those allergies, feel free to PM me. As I said before, it has been a few years since we were at WDW and things may have changed, but I assume any change are for the better in relation to allergies. All of our previous trips were on Free Dining so we have been to a lot of restaurants.

 

[DisBuckMan]

If you REALLY enjoy your local Chinese restaurant and don't mind paying 5x that price for virtually the same food....go for it.

Otherwise...skip it.

 

[EscalatorKid]

But, anyway, we are outside the 180 day window for when we are going to be there and have been regularly monitoring it for about a month and still haven't seen any openings pop up for their dinner service. Fully booked.

So, if anyone (everyone?) agrees it's a "must try", if there's some strategies on how to (when to) watch for ADR openings at this point, advice would be much appreciated. We will be there the first week of December and we'd be looking for a dinner sitting.

TouringPlans Res Finder.

I used it and got several alerts for Ohana dinner for my trip next weekend. I booked and rebooked until I got a good time. (8pm on Saturday the 8th.)

I got it by mid-July, so don't give up hope on getting a reservation if you want one.

I've never been, but I am looking forward to it.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Thanks for that feedback. Also good to know. We tend to prefer quieter experiences. Or at least not too chaotic. And one of the main reasons there's interest in going in our party is the drinks (I, personally, think there are better/funner places to get fun drinks on the same resort property! But I'm not the only one with a say in the schedule ...).

Thanks for letting me know you did OK with allergies. We have had very positive experiences with Disney going above and beyond in being accommodating. But with all the sauces (and the family style serving) at this location, weren't sure it would work out in a way that'd be too appetizing or good value for the money.

In years past, I probably would have advised you to keep looking for a reservation, but after our December experience which was lackluster to say the least, I wouldn't recommend it. The service is rushed, it's quite chaotic and the food was not very good. They also seem to only do the games and activities sporadically (there were no games while we were there). Quite honestly, for the amount we spent at O'hana, we felt we would have been better off going to a signature restaurant instead.

 

[Summer2018]

So we've never been to Ohana before or thought much about it.

We've been looking at it more this time around for a dinner service and are realizing that it's not just the character breakfast that has it super popular.

Just how good is this place? What is so special about it? I mean, it looks like a fun experience, but are the food and drinks that spectacular? (And one who's dined there with dietary/medical/allergic restrictions would be encouraged to chime in, as to just the what and value of what you get served -- and yes, we've read blogs and reviews, and from that perspective maybe it's why we're missing the 'wow' excitement this place seems to have).

But, anyway, we are outside the 180 day window for when we are going to be there and have been regularly monitoring it for about a month and still haven't seen any openings pop up for their dinner service. Fully booked.

So, if anyone (everyone?) agrees it's a "must try", if there's some strategies on how to (when to) watch for ADR openings at this point, advice would be much appreciated. We will be there the first week of December and we'd be looking for a dinner sitting.

Because I read so many negative reviews on the DIS Boards, we didn't have dinner at 'Ohana until last month. By the way, the reviews on other websites are stellar.

Anyway, the food was delicious, especially the Szechuan steak and noodles. My only complaint was having to peel the shrimp, but otherwise, it was also very good. My DD who can be fussy loved everything. My DH enjoyed everything especially his Lapu Lapu in the pineapple. We had a friend with severe gluten and dairy allergies, and the chef himself, Brandon, came to our table to consult with her and personally delivered all of her customized dishes.

It was way more food than we could handle, but for big eaters, it's a win win.

Everyone is enthusiastic and friendly. The coconut races were adorable and totally under control. It wasn't overly noisy, just normal talking and people enjoying themselves.

I will be booking two dinners there next time if I am able to secure the ADR's.

 

[Summer2018]

Thanks for the honest assessment. We thought that might be the case.

We have done the Spirit of Aloha dinner show before and the food/menu looked like a similar idea in a slightly different presentation. Though, Spirit of Aloha's "allergy" meal our party member/table was provided didn't cause major illness, it definitely was the Disney meal there were the most problems with after. And the food was really average.

Ohana does look rather expensive for the way the menu reads and for the photos of the food on the various blogs and views. They look even less stellar (to me) when reading the allergy/dietary restriction reviews/blogs.

But there's interest in our group in trying it. Will have to weigh it a bit more -- if a reservation does even open up between now and then ...

We didn't enjoy the Luau at all. 'Ohana is superior to that by leaps and bounds.

 

[Zombie]

We had a friend with severe gluten and dairy allergies, and the chef himself, Brandon, came to our table to consult with her and personally delivered all of her customized dishes.

Do you mind me asking if you remember what the chef provided her with? Gluten and diary will be our main issues. But so is soy and corn. I suspect that soy might be the downfall at this restaurant in terms of getting anything too unique to that particular location when compared to what everyone else is getting. Though, I understand soy and corn weren't considered in your/her experience, I'd still like an idea of what they served her from a gluten/dairy perspective in terms of uniqueness/keeping in theme with the restaurant.

May I ask how much she was given (and if she was allowed seconds)? As, I noticed it's family style for other dinners. We are just trying to gauge 'value' for that particular diner in our party.

Our very best dining accommodations from Disney have been at Sanaa -- amazing. Customized and soooo much food because of that. And Hollywood Drive-In as well -- the chef there went way, way, way above and beyond in making what might've been "average" food for the rest of the party a real special treat for our diner. We also have had positive experiences with the chef at Cape May -- especially in the desserts they provide.

Spirit of Aloha -- which is the only other family-style we've done -- was our poorest experience. So between the same dining style, the type of food and resort we really do appreciate any and all insight and feedback.

 

[icesk8abc]

I second the recommendation for Touring Plans reservation finder. It’s free and it sends you a text when it finds a time close to what you want. I was able to get ‘Ohana the day I wanted at 180 days. Then we changed our plans and needed to change it to a different day with no availability. Touring plans found a time, but not the ideal time. I went ahead and snagged it. Then I restarted the search. I’ve slowly been tweaking it every time it notifies me. We still aren’t at exactly where we want, but it will work. Plus I still have the search going and we aren’t going until Wednesday. I’m about to drop the original one we no longer need so someone else will pick that up. People change plans all the time. You just have to keep checking or have Touring Plans do it for you. It’s notified me of at least 8 times and I’m searching a specific hour. If I opened it up to more times, I’m sure it would have found it at least 5 times that much.

 

[Pumbaa_]

I truly despise this place. The food is average at best. My dh always finds the steak below average. The service is never great. I have said you couldn’t pay me to go back (after 3 bad experiences)

But looks like I will be returning My friend is getting married at Disney in November and has planned a group dinner a couple nights after the wedding. The company will be amazing. I have no expectations about the food being amazing. But I plan on eating my weight in shrimp. Major bonus, I don’t have to deal w the bill at the end!

I will be sure to share my experience when I am back

Never say never my friends

 

[rg35]

It's not that good. There's nothing special about it.

Frozen asian style apps that you can find in huge boxes at Costco and tough steak with no seasoning.

 

[Summer2018]

Do you mind me asking if you remember what the chef provided her with? Gluten and diary will be our main issues. But so is soy and corn. I suspect that soy might be the downfall at this restaurant in terms of getting anything too unique to that particular location when compared to what everyone else is getting. Though, I understand soy and corn weren't considered in your/her experience, I'd still like an idea of what they served her from a gluten/dairy perspective in terms of uniqueness/keeping in theme with the restaurant.

May I ask how much she was given (and if she was allowed seconds)? As, I noticed it's family style for other dinners. We are just trying to gauge 'value' for that particular diner in our party.

Our very best dining accommodations from Disney have been at Sanaa -- amazing. Customized and soooo much food because of that. And Hollywood Drive-In as well -- the chef there went way, way, way above and beyond in making what might've been "average" food for the rest of the party a real special treat for our diner. We also have had positive experiences with the chef at Cape May -- especially in the desserts they provide.

Spirit of Aloha -- which is the only other family-style we've done -- was our poorest experience. So between the same dining style, the type of food and resort we really do appreciate any and all insight and feedback.

She was across the table from me, so I couldn't see close up, and I was about two Mai Tai's in. All I know is that Chef Brandon managed to bring her food that looked like our food and he was incredibly attentive. She got more food than we did. She also avoids soy, but I'm not sure if she mentioned that to Brandon.

 

[Summer2018]

It's not that good. There's nothing special about it.

Frozen asian style apps that you can find in huge boxes at Costco and tough steak with no seasoning.

If 'Ohana food can be found at Costco, then I need to browse the frozen section again because I seriously have never had most of these foods before. By the way, my steak was not only tender, it was cooked medium rare just like I enjoy it.

 

[B-Ride]

We have been many times when we were on the DP and cost is no object. Honestly if you need to pay I would go to Kona Café instead. The best thing about 'Ohana is the bread pudding and we were able to order it at Kona on our last trip although it wasn't all you can eat. Based on the calories that was probably a good thing.