O'Hana: Not for couples.

[Syrreal]

Funny thing - he leaned so far backward that his backside made one of the plates (with food) on the table tilt and flip up against him. When he moved he still had "remnants" of our dinner on his pants!

I just laughed out loud at the image I got in my head while reading this. Too funny!!!! Images of potato bits splatting on the floor while this person walked...

 

[chamonix]

It is with a sad "Aloha" that I bid goodbye to O'hana.

It sounded like you have been to Ohana enough times to know where the action is, so if you still want to eat there, but not be in the middle of the childrens activities, just request a table in another part of the restaurant.

It's very common for people to request seating in a certain area (or away from a certain area, LOL) or to simply refuse to be seated at a table on the aisle. I know many families (remember, sometimes a family IS just 2 people) who would be happy to have a table close to the activities.

I just think it's a bit extreme to swear off a restaurant simply because you didn't like the location of your table. If there is more to it than that (like you don't want to even be in the same restaurant with those activities) than that makes more sense. For those who want a quiet(er) experience at Ohana, rest assured it can be had--just make sure to request a table in the back room or otherwise away from the hubub.

 

[Misti]

This is exactly what happened to us during our last visit to O'hana's 2 years ago. They have strips of 2 tops along the main aisle and we were well into our meal when the "festivities" started. Otherwise, we would have asked to be moved. During that time (and I'm not sure that they still have this), they gave the kids brooms of some sort and were sweeping coconuts or something? Anyways, the younger kids had a tough time with the brooms and kept hitting our feet at the table. LOL And yes, there were parents basically waist-level against our table taking pictures. Not the best dining experience. LOL

So, word to the wise, if you are seated here when you first get to the restaurant, you may want to ask to be moved. We were there during other times and seated in the back near the window- MUCH better experience.

 

[wendy46001]

When I go to Ohana without kids I always ask to be seated in the "back" room. I tend to go later (after 8pm) and on my list visit, I know they had the activities going on in the main room, but I don't think they even paraded through the room. It was relatively quiet where I was.

This is what we do...it works ...always ask for the corner....if they say this is what’s available now we always tell them we will wait....

 

[erikthewise]

There is a section of the restaurant that is isolated from all the games. Ask for it if you don't want to participate as intimately as some have reported here.

We were seated there on our first visit in spite of having two young children! So we had to get up, leave the table, and migrate over to the games area when they did the coconut races. Then AGAIN 15 minutes later when they started some other game. (And no, we didn't take any pictures. Just let them play. It is still legal in some states.)

On our second visit they tried to put us over there again, so we asked to be seated in the main dining area to avoid that problem. Boy did the hostess get snotty! But after going back to the front desk to consult the seating chart, she did as we asked, even though we had a PS for opening time and the restaurant was still nearly empty.

 

[MScott1851]

I have been to O'hana many times and have always enjoyed it. That being said, after this last trip I will never go back. It was just DGF and I. Now let me start by saying, that I fully understand that O'hana is a family restaurant. I fully understand that WDW is a family vacation destination. When I go to WDW I expect to see kids, and HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEM WITH CHILDREN. (so put away the flame throwers). HOWEVER, I think the problem started with the seating. It seems that the tables for two seem to be located around the central aisle. The larger, family tables seemed to be in the center of the restaurant, and by the windows. So we, and at least three other childless couples were seated near the aisle. We were in the actual dining area for approximately an hour, and there were two childrens activities in that hour. Each time, the parade of children (one time doing a hula, and one time doing the deadly Hawaiian Marracca dance... more on that later) was directly in front of our table. This caused the parental paparazzi to form a solid crowd tightly packed around our table...bumping, rubbing, and flashing away. Hey, I know you love your kids....snap away, but do you need to be in my lap to do it? Thats why they invented the zoom. Anyway...
During the delightfully deadly Hawaiian Marracca dance, which Disney may have called something else. We had all the same photographers at out table, but this time the restaurant staff gave the kids marraccas to play with, you know the LOUD shaking mexican (not hawaiian) music things...So the parade ensued...and when it was over, the marracca collection point was literally at our table. One lovely little lad got tired of waiting to turn in his marracca, so he threw it, at our table. He hit DGF's Seabreeze Glass, and of course it shattered...into all of our food. The CMs were mildly apologetic, and replaced everything, but the general attitude was "oh well, thats what happens when you give kids sugar and marraccas."
So with that, I will graciously leave the restaurant that I once enjoyed to the kids. There are many other places to eat at WDW, so I will go there. It seems that with WDW being the #1 honeymoon destination, and with many older, childless couples choosing it as a place to visit, they would at least arrange the seating so that families could play with their kids (as they should) and adults could enjoy their time. It is with a sad "Aloha" that I bid goodbye to O'hana.

Heck, at least you could see SOMETHING! We were seated in the far, far, back corner, as close to the hostess station and Tambu Lounge as you can get. We were practically OUT of the restaurant, and would have preferred being near the action, maracas or no! As it were, we felt like we were sitting in the parking lot of the place, we were so far away from everything...

 

[Aimeedyan]

This whole thread makes me giggle.

OP, your dinner sounds like a disaster from start to finish. I agree that if you truly enjoy the food at 'Ohana (minus the maracca add on) then you could return and ask for a quiet table out of the way.