'Ohana new menu that bad?

[MickeyMonstersMom]

'Ohana *used* to be my family's favorite WDW meal, but it was for the rice, green beans, and wontons. When I read off the menu changes, both DD and DS responded with, "we won't be going there anymore!" It's too bad - we have lots of happy memories of the place - but OTOH, both kids have gotten a little too old for the kids' activities and it's a good time to find a new family favorite, I guess.

 

[agotta]

I love the new O'hana menu. The potatoes are awesome as is the dessert. I loved the sausage too. People just don't like change.

 

[Peter Pirate]

Man, some of you have no sense of humor,

The "middle America" potato comment means it was put on the menu to satisfy folks from (perhaps) middle America who like this sort of dish...The fact that it has absolutely NOTHING to do with Polynesian cuisine matters little to most of you, it seems. I find this sad.

As for the "questioning the taste buds" comment ... It was a joke and to think that anyone could be serious with a comment like this is again, sad.

I can see that the restaurant boards have changed a lot lately, like the other DIS boards, for the worst and following in the footsteps of the food lovers who used to post on this board but have left because there is really no point in discussing "which counter service has the best food" or "where do you get the best hot dog" I too will make most of you very happy and keep my WDW food opinions to myself.

Uncleromulous, you are a great food critic and reviewer, drop me an email now and then, I'd hate to lose touch.

 

[IndyJammer]

Like EVERY review that you read on ANY restaurant, you will find positive & negative responses! (Sometimes from the SAME person!)

We were worried about the new menu when we went in January b/c O'Hana's has long been a family favorite and we had read several discouraging reviews on the Boards. But, we decided to check for ourselves - be our own critic.

The biggest loss for me was the Shrimp Skewers - they were by far my favorite & are greatly missed. But, the peel & eat shrimp are very good and are now my 2nd favorite! DD4 & I went thru 3 servings of them - you should have seen the mess we had!

Point is - O'hana's has always been a favorite - and is still with the new menu as well! The kids love the Coconut Races & Hulu dancing - and it's family style - which means that everyone gets more than they could ever possibly eat!!!

 

[Peter Pirate]

I will sign off when my current threads run their course BUT Indyjammer, you make one VERY good point, 'Ohana is and always will be worth the price of admission for folks with kids who want to participate in the games. These are fun, magical moments to be sure.

I found the new shrimp fine as well but they just totally paled in comparison to the skewered shrimp (IMO). The skewered shrimp brought me to 'Ohana first and foremost, my daughter was brought by the wontons, there is now nothing "that" special to either of us.

 

[IndyJammer]

Hey Peter - Don't get discouraged/mad - IF everyone had the same opinion, then the Boards would be a waste! If I ask for your opinion, then I want an Honest opinion - even if it's negative or doesn't agree with mine!

The Shrimp Skewers were my favorite food in all of the WORLD - not just WDW - and NO ONE at our table even wanted to try the new sausage, but we were still stuffed when we finished everything else!

 

[Disney Ella]

Wait for a year or so and this new menu will definately weed out many old time regulars.

Count us among the "weeded out." We loved the old menu, particularly the shrimp wontons, grilled shrimp and green beans. We gave the new menu a chance in October. The mixed vegetables were bland and the type you could get anywhere, same with the potatoes. I much prefer the grilled shrimp to the shrimp they bring you in the bowl. All of us really liked the shrimp wontons and wonton chips that you can get at any Chinese restaurant just aren't a great replacement. If they restore some of our favorites, we'll be back, otherwise it's just not worth the money to us, not when there are so many other Disney restaurants to try.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I didn't take it personally. I know my taste buds aren't of the "fine dining" variety.

The main reason I go to O'Hanas is the atmosphere. They could serve crackers and water and I'd probably still go there. I thought the food was great both times but as I am a "chain food restaurant" connoisseur, I'm not really into eating accurate Polynesian type food (I like more of an Americanized Polynesian food, like San Angel Inn serves Americanized Mexican food, etc). Some people are. Some aren't.

It is a shame for people who have eaten true Polynesian food and want that at O'Hanas, that it isn't like that. And from what I've heard from other "foodies" is that a lot of Disney restaurants are getting more "mainstream" and away from accurate food from that area. It's not making some people happy, I'm sure.

But it makes me happy.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

Hey Peter - Don't get discouraged/mad - IF everyone had the same opinion, then the Boards would be a waste!

I agree!

**Crap, I messed up the quote thing. Cheese 'n rice!!

 

[Tinkerbell10403]

The Polynesian...if only we could be there now and all try the new menu! I wish!!

 

[MyTalula]

Just listening to the Inside the Magic podcast,and a listerner called in to say how upset he was with the new 'Ohana menu - especially the new appetizers, dessert and sausage.

Anyone care to compare the new menu to the old?

We ate there in this past December and LOVED it. OMG the 3 dips that come with the chips were awesome, so good we got the recipes to try them at home. We all 3, DH, DD4 and I loved the chicken wings, shrimp and salad. DD ate those shrimp like they were going out of style! We were already mostly full by the time our dinner came, but we really enjoyed the meats, and the potatos and the veggies too! We had no complaints, and we will definitely be going back! OH and the cocktails were splendid also!!

 

[jenelope]

Cheese n' rice

Mmmm! Cheese and rice!

I hadn't been to 'Ohana before the new menu, so I had no "best thing ever" to compare it to. I thought that the wonton chips were pretty tasty, more so because of the dipping sauces. The salad and dressing were very good. The shrimp in the bowl were delicious, and I'm not one who generally likes shrimp. The honey-coriander wings were phenomenal. I don't like hot wings because I'd rather baby my taste buds than burn them, so a nice sweet barbecue sauce was right up my alley. The scalloped potatoes might have been a little ho-hum as far as ethnic food is concerned, but they were still pretty darned good scalloped potatoes. I don't really remember the veggies because I was more concerned with the huge skewers of meat they kept bringing to our table. Any attempt at eating a balanced meal was thrown off by the question, "More steak, cousin?" The other meats were good, too, but that phrase just sticks in your head.

I think that the meal is very good when judged on its own merits. When comparing it to something beloved that no longer exists, well, it's always going to suffer in comparison to the food you remember. I know that no appetizer that I've ever had at the Brown Derby has ever been as good as the mushroom dish I had back in 1999, but it wouldn't stop me from ordering the current mushroom raviolo.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

The only move that seems halfway acceptable is the dessert. At least bread pudding can be described as "Polynesian"...The same can't be said for those God auful potatos.

Hawaii and Hawaiians are very fond of seemingly 'non-polynesian' foods. So much so that they incorporate them into their daily culture. I've never had so much macaroni salad (a midwest staple) as when I lived in Honolulu. In fact, they offer it with every plate lunch you order...

Also... the new bread pudding dessert is nearly identical to the most popular dessert at the Mauna Kea Resort Hotel in Kona, Hawaii.

Aloha!

 

[mickeymousemom]

I didn't take it personally. I know my taste buds aren't of the "fine dining" variety.

The main reason I go to O'Hanas is the atmosphere. They could serve crackers and water and I'd probably still go there. I thought the food was great both times but as I am a "chain food restaurant" connoisseur, I'm not really into eating accurate Polynesian type food (I like more of an Americanized Polynesian food, like San Angel Inn serves Americanized Mexican food, etc). Some people are. Some aren't.

It is a shame for people who have eaten true Polynesian food and want that at O'Hanas, that it isn't like that. And from what I've heard from other "foodies" is that a lot of Disney restaurants are getting more "mainstream" and away from accurate food from that area. It's not making some people happy, I'm sure.

But it makes me happy.

I couldn't have said it better myself! ITA!
Though Ohana doesn't serve all "typical" Polynesian food, much of it IS in that category. As is done at many other WDW restaurants, they do a good job of mixing it up a little bit. A little of the "true" cuisine of that culture, a little American, and a little of the American kicked up a notch. As someone mentioned before, LOTS of macaroni salad(and potato to an extent) is eaten by Hawaiians everyday. I think Disney does a wonderful job of adding the "flavor" of a country without going all out, so as to please as many palates as possible. We love the atmosphere at Ohana and I could care less that those wonderfully creamy fattening potatoes aren't of the Polynesian variety. I'd rather have that anyday than Taro. Sorry. You must also remember that there are people who might not have gone before, but due to the menu change they have found a new restaurant to love. I would rather have the shrimp wontons than the chips..and the shrimp on the skewers rather than in the bowl...but they're still great and I look forward to our ADR there in October!

 

[Tinkerbell_Tiffany]

well I still have not been to ohana's for dinner I am thinking of xceling crystal palace and going there to ohanas.
but I am wondering what kind of entertainment they have? any characters for dinner?

 

[Mad4Mickey]

there were legs on my shrimp ! nuff said ! ewwwww.

I wont go back there again.

 

[MrShiny]

well I still have not been to ohana's for dinner I am thinking of xceling crystal palace and going there to ohanas.
but I am wondering what kind of entertainment they have? any characters for dinner?

There are no characters, but usually plenty of entertainment. A Hawaiian singerusually leads the festivities which include hula hoop contests and coconut races for the kids. These are fun for the kids, and fun to watch (especially the coconut races, as kids push cooconuts all around the restaurant with brooms). The entertainment seems to be during the height of dinner - say 6:30-7:30. After 8, it is much more sedate, but don't forget you get a pretty good view of the fireworks and can even see the water pagent from the window tables (or better yet, stroll down to the beach to watch).

 

[KatieLovesMickey]

When we ate ot 'Ohana last week, our server said that more changes were in the works for the menu. Has anyone heard any rumors?? Maybe they've been reading these boards and they're listening to our complaints! Come back, pineapple bread!!!!!

 

[marcyinPA]

Wow, I don't know what the old menu was but I thought the new one was fabulous.

Same here. Never ate there before September 05. We though the food was great...and the dessert....OH MAN....the dessert was UNREAL!! (and I don't even like bread pudding!)

 

[Minnie]

We won't be returning because our favorite 2 things on the menu are gone

Pineapple Bread
Pineapple & Carmel sauce dessert

Does anyone know if these items are available elsewhere