Ohana Let Down!

[Nvrgrowup]

Ohana has always been our first night meal. When our son was small he wanted it to be our tradition, he loved the coconut race and we enjoyed the entertainment and food. It has continued till this past year.. We were there last August . We were seated promptly but the salad noodles wings dumplings were served quickly. We did feel rushed and did not have much time to enjoy them.When it came time for the meat and shrimp they came around once and disappeared.My son is a teenager now and has a hollow leg so he was definitely dissappointed. I agree with pp's there are so many great places to enjoy a meal in the world now. Not saying we wont be back but its time to try new places.

 

[KenHutch]

It's my families favorite restaurant and as usual we are eating there twice on our upcoming trip. I do trouble with people saying they were rushed that the food came out to early. We had that happen once and what I did was just sit and eat with all the stuff on the table at my pace and on this meal we also had an absent waiter I just walked up to the front desk asked for a manager and when they came around asked for more steak since the waiter could not be bothered. Funny thing that waiter stopped by every 8-10 minutes for the rest of the meal. It didn't bother me to ask for a manager and didn't ruin my meal. Enjoyed it as much as I always do. Now it did bother my daughter she told me I cant treat everyone like a jr. enlisted Marine but oh well it works for me.

 

[TheRealDrDisney]

A lot of these posts make me sad because they are so easily resolved. Didn't get something? Just ask someone in an Ohana uniform. They will either get your server or get it for you. There's never a time when no one is around. And heck, if there was I would walk up to the grill myself and find someone.

Feel rushed? I have a three word phrase that will change your life... "Not yet, thanks.". It works wonders. They will come back later, trust me. And if they don't see my note above.

I can't count the number of times we've been enjoying our wings and dumplings when the skewers arrived. I just say we're still enjoying our appetizers, catch us the next time around.

If you are polite, and not asking for anything unreasonable (and asking for more time is not unreasonable) then you will be accommodated.

I really wonder if a lot of the confusion comes from a combination of the desire to turn tables plus the history of a lot of theme parks guests wanting to eat and be on their way. It's different for my family because when we're there, we're there for dinner and to enjoy the restaurant. There's still plenty of people who will turn their tables faster because they want to be on their way.

And lastly, don't forget to bump up the tip for that extra time and service that you are getting.

It's a win-win. Trust me.

 

[starwart]

I feel rushed and unrelaxed when I ate at this dump. I can’t blame the waiters. They need the money and they have to keep moving the herd to get the line moving. The cook also have to hurry up they’re meal prep. Again to feed the herd and keep the line moving. These factors diminish the food quality if the disgusting meat and shrimp. And of course imo Disney wants to maximize profit at the expense of quality, and experience.
All in all the food is expensive for what I get and the quality is worthy... for the dumpster.

 

[Meriweather]

We've eaten there many times, hit or miss on service.
Food is plentiful, but has changed over the years.
We stopped going for awhile when the salad was replaced with lettuce wraps....and the chicken went away (they did bring me a chicken breast from Capt. Cooks, but it was dry and plain).
We will be trying it again this year

 

[Sandiz08]

Our waiter was not very magical, but he was busy. Our complaint was the food, though. Very underwhelming with little to no flavor. I expected delicious food for the amount of money we spent there. This table service restaurant was the only disappointment of our trip.

 

[MsOnceUponATime]

What is the per person price for Ohana at dinner?

 

[DLgal]

A lot of these posts make me sad because they are so easily resolved. Didn't get something? Just ask someone in an Ohana uniform. They will either get your server or get it for you. There's never a time when no one is around. And heck, if there was I would walk up to the grill myself and find someone.

Feel rushed? I have a three word phrase that will change your life... "Not yet, thanks.". It works wonders. They will come back later, trust me. And if they don't see my note above.

I can't count the number of times we've been enjoying our wings and dumplings when the skewers arrived. I just say we're still enjoying our appetizers, catch us the next time around.

If you are polite, and not asking for anything unreasonable (and asking for more time is not unreasonable) then you will be accommodated.

I really wonder if a lot of the confusion comes from a combination of the desire to turn tables plus the history of a lot of theme parks guests wanting to eat and be on their way. It's different for my family because when we're there, we're there for dinner and to enjoy the restaurant. There's still plenty of people who will turn their tables faster because they want to be on their way.

And lastly, don't forget to bump up the tip for that extra time and service that you are getting.

It's a win-win. Trust me.

ITA! I am always baffled by these types of criticisms too. SPEAK UP for goodness sake! I have, on several occasions, gotten up from my table and physically walked over to either a server's station or the hostess stand when I need something and my server has disappeared. Trust me, once you do that, they will bend over backwards to make sure the rest of the meal service is flawless.

At Ohana specifically, just flag down ANY server and tell them what you need. They will help you and then ALSO pressure your actual server to pick up the slack. Servers always work as a team and when one slacks off, the others are affected, so they will pressure each other to keep up with their own tables demands.

Finally, just tell your server when you sit down that you are NOT in a hurry and want to enjoy each course. It works.

 

[Deb & Bill]

On our visit about two weeks ago, we were not rushed in the least. We arrived around 8 and were seated fairly quickly. There were four of us and we ordered beverages that were brought out with the bread. We munched on the bread, then the salad came out and a little while later we got the noodles, chicken wings, dumplings, etc which were warm and good. Chicken skewers arrived first, then stead, then shrimp. Our server came back many times with the skewers. By the time we finished the dessert we had been there about two hours. Happily Ever After at the MK occurred while we were dining but we were a ways from the window row of tables (we could still see some of the fireworks from our table).

 

[Arielfan98]

A lot of these posts make me sad because they are so easily resolved. Didn't get something? Just ask someone in an Ohana uniform. They will either get your server or get it for you. There's never a time when no one is around. And heck, if there was I would walk up to the grill myself and find someone.

When I went my server looked like she didn't even want to be there and there was no magic and she was barely present. I personally didn't feel rushed, but I think you're missing a valid point. Not only are we all paying customers, but we are WDW guests and I think we all know there's a fine line between dining at your local Applebees and paying $$$$ for an Ohana reservation on top of paying for a hotel room, park ticket, etc. With that said, you shouldn't have to feel the need to get up to the grill. I understand the waitstaff can't read our minds, but there is something to be said about all the majority negative experiences at Ohana lately whether it's in regards to feeling rushed, receiving poor service, cold food, etc. I did speak up. I called over the other servers and asked for my server. Barely around. I'm happy you are pleased with Ohana, but do know people have spoken up (even if it's not listed specifically in their report) and the outrage is in part to the experience vs price (no one would dare complain like this about T-Rex).

 

[MuppetFan418]

I feel rushed and unrelaxed when I ate at this dump. I can’t blame the waiters. They need the money and they have to keep moving the herd to get the line moving. The cook also have to hurry up they’re meal prep. Again to feed the herd and keep the line moving. These factors diminish the food quality if the disgusting meat and shrimp. And of course imo Disney wants to maximize profit at the expense of quality, and experience.
All in all the food is expensive for what I get and the quality is worthy... for the dumpster.

Wow, tell us how you REALLY feel.

 

[mster425]

A lot of these posts make me sad because they are so easily resolved. Didn't get something? Just ask someone in an Ohana uniform. They will either get your server or get it for you. There's never a time when no one is around. And heck, if there was I would walk up to the grill myself and find someone.

Feel rushed? I have a three word phrase that will change your life... "Not yet, thanks.". It works wonders. They will come back later, trust me. And if they don't see my note above.

I can't count the number of times we've been enjoying our wings and dumplings when the skewers arrived. I just say we're still enjoying our appetizers, catch us the next time around.

If you are polite, and not asking for anything unreasonable (and asking for more time is not unreasonable) then you will be accommodated.

I really wonder if a lot of the confusion comes from a combination of the desire to turn tables plus the history of a lot of theme parks guests wanting to eat and be on their way. It's different for my family because when we're there, we're there for dinner and to enjoy the restaurant. There's still plenty of people who will turn their tables faster because they want to be on their way.

And lastly, don't forget to bump up the tip for that extra time and service that you are getting.

It's a win-win. Trust me.

speaking only from my experience there, i can tell you i asked the server twice, politely, to slow down a little. the second time she just dropped whatever food she had on the table and rolled her eyes.

we did go back for breakfast after that, but again our wait in the lobby was over 30 minutes so although the service was great that time- its just not a good fit for us.

i dont get why people (not you DrDisney but speaking generally) have a hard time believing that a restaurant they like might have lousy service sometimes. its not personal

 

[Sandiz08]

What is the per person price for Ohana at dinner?

When we went, for the time of the year, I believe it was close to 59.00 an adult.

 

[TheRealDrDisney]

speaking only from my experience there, i can tell you i asked the server twice, politely, to slow down a little. the second time she just dropped whatever food she had on the table and rolled her eyes.

we did go back for breakfast after that, but again our wait in the lobby was over 30 minutes so although the service was great that time- its just not a good fit for us.

i dont get why people (not you DrDisney but speaking generally) have a hard time believing that a restaurant they like might have lousy service sometimes. its not personal

My friend I assure you I believe you and all the others.

I'm disappointed to hear of your experience. My only thought is that when that happens it's time to bring in a manager.

That's never fun and it can bring down the vibe, but it can be necessary.

Just like ArielFan98 pointed out - it's a lot of money, it's not Applebees (lol). So expectations should be high.

I realize I'm lucky in my experiences. They haven't all been stellar but I like to think because of my approach that any inconveniences have been minimal.

But I promise you if I had your eye-rolling server my next stop would be the manager. I don't judge you if you didn't do that, of course, but that would have been my course of action.

As for waiting in the lobby - I'm all about pre-gaming from the Tambu Lounge, so I may be biased there. ;-)

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I really enjoyed Ohana the two times I did it with free dining (4 people in a moderate with the regular DDP). Then last trip we paid OOP and it's off my list as long as I pay OOP so we aren't doing it next trip. It's not worth the money OOP. If we had FD again I would most likely do it. DS and my SO LOVED it. I also enjoy it especially with a Lapu Lapu but it's not worth $200 OOP for 4 people.

 

[DizneyMommy]

What is the per person price for Ohana at dinner?

$45 for dinner/ adult, at least in June. It may have seasonal price changes.

 

[Arielfan98]

As for waiting in the lobby - I'm all about pre-gaming from the Tambu Lounge, so I may be biased there. ;-)

On a serious note, I guess it goes back to Pete's point. People paying this much $$ for an experience shouldn't have to experience issues that require speaking up/manager's attention when it happens so often. That's my main issue. Although I personally enjoyed my food and that bread pudding

 

[joko513]

We had read mixed reviews on Ohana, but decided to give it a try anyway (neither me nor my DH had ever been before). We went this past Saturday night and we have an amazing time! We did not feel rushed - although I can see how people would feel that way, as we noticed tables around us that were seated at different times being served differently. We must've hit it at a great time because everything was timed perfectly and we even enjoyed dessert while watching the fireworks. Our server was amazing, and when I mentioned I was allergic to bananas (I was worried I was going to get a lame dessert instead of the bread pudding!), the chef came right out and said he'd make a caramel sauce just for me with no bananas, and it was delicious!! We thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience - the service, the ambience, and the food - and we will definitely be back.

 

[Goofy'slady]

It's our first night stay dining place for me and my girls. It's sort of a tradition, it says "We're Home". We always get a table about an hour or so before the fireworks are set to begin and request a window seat to enjoy. The food hasn't made a noticeable change for us, although being a pescatarian I usually only eat the shrimp anyway so as long as I get plenty of those I'm happy. My girls enjoy the food well enough as well and the dessert is always our favorite but by the time the end of the meal has come we barely have room to enjoy much of it. Now I will agree with the comments about the service. That is a hit or in more cases than I'd like to admit a BIG MISS. We always seem to get the server who is so preoccupied with the other tables that we either don't get things like the bread, refills - both food and drinks and we always seem to have to chase or wave them down and that seems to upset them and so they display it with a huff. However, I have to think that some of it is not necessarily their fault. There are times where its super busy for them and most servers have more than just two or three tables so things can be overwhelming for them I'm sure. My brother in law always remembers when he was a server before climbing his way up in his career and reminds us that a server is one of the toughest jobs one can have. I would imagine that to be the case especially at WDW where people's expectations are heightened because they've heard so much about a place or simply because they've spent so much to be there. So I usually, try to be a little more patient and tip them with the understanding that they're at the end of what could be a very long day for them. I try to sprinkle pixie dust that way when it's usually the other way around.

 

[CuteAsMinnie]

OHANA - just DH and I for dinner; first time last year and again just a few weeks ago. WONDERFUL all around!! Food was exceptional; bread, salad, noodles, veggies, wings, steak, chicken and shrimp were all SUPERB and in abundance. Service was exceptional and servers were so very nice; accommodating when my chicken or steak was not quite to my liking. Bread pudding was better last year, but still wonderful. We were not rushed. AT ALL. ABSOLUTELY recommend!!!