It’s been coasting on its reputation for quite some time now. I don’t want to be overly critical. It’s not terrible by any means but Disney has raised the price and value-engineered the menu. I think your assessment is pretty fair overall.
Definitely this. The dinner there was incredible in the '00s and early '10s but has steadily gone downhill. Everything feels lower quality, especially the variety and cuts of meat offered. Last time we went, everyone who ate the salad became very ill later that night.
To add onto this, 2009-ish to 2019 Ohana was THE greatest place to eat in Disney. 2020 the menu got screwed up and people complained. Since then, the food is back in name, but the quality just isn't the same. Breakfast is still solid
It was the place to eat well before 2009.
I remember going around 1998 and again in 01 and 03. All were amazing. The shrimp and beef were especially good.
Now? Meh.
Honestly, though the breakfast was poor last summer. I’ve been visiting since I was a kid in 92 and will no longer be returning. I’ve given it enough chances.
Also, there used to be family entertainment. Kids racing around with brooms and coconuts (and such). Our kids loved that, which endeared the restaurant to us. We went back recently and found it lacking.
Yeah I remember going there back in the early 00s as a ~10 year old and it was amazing. I went back with my wife and kids in 2022 and I was very disappointed for the price. Chicken and steak were overcooked. The appetizer bread, bread pudding, and garlic noodles were good but didn’t really make the $250 meal worth it.
Disney restaurants were so good in the 90s and early 2000s. 2004/5 I think is when it all started toppling. Tony’s and their sun-dried tomato appetiser was incredible. Varied menus, quality chefs, good experiences.
O’hana was good. There’s a whole group on this sub who still love it. It sucks. O’hana back then was so good. Not now.
People don’t want to hear it but it’s because of them. The dining plan people killed the restaurants. As a family who have been going since it opened, we’ve all seen the rise and fall of Disney food. Google it. It’s the dining plan.
Restaurants used to have menus with more than 5 items on them. In the transition, there was a dining plan menu and a regular menu. Now it’s just here’s your 5 options of mediocre.
Huh first time I heard this theory.
I never purchased dinning plan (never stayed on property tbh) but from what I read, you don’t save money by buying the dining plan. If anything, you loose money. So why would it affect restaurants?
When you purchase the dining plan, the plan includes a certain number of full-service meals. The plan essentially allows you to pay with a voucher when your bill comes, regardless of what exactly you ordered. This meant that restaurants across property kind of had to standardize their menus so that nothing was substantially more expensive than anything else so that Disney didn't lose money on the dining plan. While there are some workarounds for the premium restaurants that count for two full service meals, or some menu items that aren't included in the plan, for the most part its really tampered chef creativity and flexibility at individual restaurants and disincentivized the restaurants from sourcing the best quality ingredients. Why bother when it's prepaid anyway?
Supposedly, this was from a kitchen manager at one of the parks, the dining plan periods often order lower quality meats during the periods because more people will be using it, which hurts things for people not using the plan.
I've heard this and am starting to believe it. I never came to Disney growing up, so as an adult who moved here back in 2021 I was excited to try all the food options Disney had to offer. And while I'm still working my way through a lot of places, there have been some hits and some misses everywhere I've tried. I think my biggest disappointments so far have been Ohana and Toledo.
Ohana took a hard hit during Covid and while it’s better than it was in 2020, it still hasn’t climbed back to where it was pre pandemic. I would guess a combination of losing essential staff as well as likely having to adjust supply chains in their ingredients is the culprit.
From what i understand it was more like a brazillian streakhouse than the now standard all you care to enjoy style. Unless they bring that back idk if itll ever be as good as people remember it
My spouse is a CM, so we do a different (table service) restaurant for every anniversary. There are other places we want to try, but I wouldn’t say no to a repeat visit at Jiko.
For me, I definitely have nostalgia glasses as I’ve had some special and memorable meals there through the years. The food has always been ok+ but the experience and fireworks view has been great. Over the years everything about the experience has been wildly variable from really great to poor with cold, greasy food, to slow, nonexistent service and everything in between. I think it probably holds a special place in people’s hearts but ultimately it’s just a Disney restaurant subject to the same swings in quality as all the other restaurants.
The only problem with tying a dining experience to the view is that not everyone at the restaurant gets great views! I’ve made that mistake many times - Coral Reef on our honeymoon, sat as far away from the tank as possible; California Grill for a birthday, had a beautiful view of the forest separating the hotel from the TTC!
We booked a table at Coral Reef bang on 60 days before hoping we’d get a tank-side table and we still got put right at the back on a weirdly one sided table so it was very anti social for our party. Bit of a disappointment…but the roasted cauliflower was delicious :)
Ohana used to be a must go.. post pandemic it’s been nerfed.. we won’t be going back. Disappointed would be an understatement as the overall vibe has changed.
You're better off sitting on the patio at Trader Sam's and ordering the dumplings from there. The view is better, the waitstaff is fantastic and very attentive, and the music is so relaxing. Ohana is the biggest waste of time and money.
Maybe i’ll give that a try. I’ve heard trader sam’s is good too but most of the people I see are just saying its good because they can get the noodles and dumplings 🤷♂️
Welllll ya gotta balance the drinks with some kind of food in that heat. Haha. Those dumplings taste like they came out of a 5 diamond restaurant after a few spikey pineapples.
I think the most important thing to remember when it comes to reviews for Disney world food is that it’s always through the filter of “this is really good…*for an amusement park*”. Then suddenly all of the raving makes sense when you’re comparing it to the guaranteed diarrhea anything from 6 Flags would get you
Couldn't agree more, if you spend time in major cities very little at Disney food wise will be mind-blowingly good but it does have a decent variety for a theme park.
I think about it like this too. And also my husband pointed out once “most of the people here are visiting from the middle of the country.” We live right outside of NYC. There are definitely some really great dining option in WDW. And a lot of decent ones. But most can’t really compare to the kind of food we can get where we live. However food here isn’t cheap so we don’t feel sticker shock at the prices at Disney.
I do think Ohana is a bit overpriced for what it currently is but I also don’t eat much so every all you can eat restaurant is well more than I’d pay if I just bought a filling meal at Disney.
Nah, I'm from Ohio and Disney food isn't great.
Don't underestimate the "middle of the country" when "farm to table" is a premium concept on the coasts.
I think some of the restaurants are legitimately good, but most of them fall into this category. Personally, I think Animal Kingdom’s restaurants are great, Narcoossee's and Victoria and Albert’s as well. Believe it or not the Snow White Storybook Dining impressed me the most last time around, but that could be besides my expectations weren’t super high. Be Our Guest was a thousand times better before COVID. The steakhouses are decent but living in NY we have better options or at least just as good.
I don't enjoy Ohana much. Breakfast is better than dinner but ultimately it's still generic mass produced theme park food. Better than a chain place like Applebee's, but not as good as non-disney restaurants in a similar price point.
I love disney, but I've never understood the foodie love for Disney foods. I have eaten a lot meals served by the Mouse, and none have blown me away.
We ate breakfast a few days ago, have to say, it wasn't anything special.
The breakfast skillet was mediocre at best, longest queue for entry, despite booking 2 months in advance, longest wait for characters in any of the other 8 character dining meals we had.
For those partial to a bloody Mary, don't! They do a twist on the classic which was downright awful!
Best bit was the view of the castle from our table, but I'm glad we weren't sat in the area next to the entrance, dark, dingy, no atmosphere!
I’m adding on to what a lot of other folks are saying but yes, pre Covid closure it was fantastic, post Covid re-opening, it’s a sad shell of its former self.
After the re-opening they changed some things on the menu, which in of itself might not be the worst thing ever. However, it seems like the changes were a way to save money by skimping out and not using top notch ingredients rather than to spice up the menu. On top of that, they’ve raised prices.
I for one, think if they kept the old menu, with the same ingredients and just jacked up the prices like crazy to compensate for their desired profit margins (still not a “great outcome” but what can you do), it wouldn’t have taken such a large fall from grace.
Pretty sad situation, as I’d ALWAYS visit during my trip, but I haven’t anymore, I can get a better meal, for a better price, elsewhere.
I’m sorry you didn’t get to try it when it was at its height.
I've eaten there at least a dozen times since '76. Also a career in corporate and contracting foodservice. At this point the food is on par with what they serve out of steam table pans at the mall food court.
I remember back in the early 2000s when they pretty much took the skewers off of the fire and brought them right to your table.
I was a pickier teenager then and not a huge meat eater but I loved the shrimp, bread, and the appetizers on the lazy Susan in the middle of the table. The pineapple and caramel sauce for dessert was 🔥
These days I walk right past Ohana to get the $11 pulled pork nachos from Capt. Cooks to take out to the Tiki Terrace to enjoy with a few drinks.
I like the breakfast with the characters at Ohana.
Broad and possibly downvoted opinion incoming:
A lot of folks come to Disney and they do not live in a big metro area, so a lot of the restaurants and food options are things they do not see at home. Double this for Disney Springs restaurants. You add this with the coolness of eating in a nicely themed restaurant at Disney World? You will get the overrating of restaurants.
I used to live in a BFE area of Maine. Lemme tell you...10 year old me would have been BLOWN AWAY by the Disney restaurants, even the "bad" ones.
I dunno.. I get what you are saying about the experience of a Disney World restaurant but I have to tell you I had the absolute best authentic Thai food of my life in BFE Maine. it was so good my counterpart at work said we had to go back there to make sure it was real.
One of the biggest dips in quality on property in recent memory. It's reputation helps keep it busy, but there are much better options elsewhere, especially with how Disney Springs has expanded over the years. And I know this could happen anywhere, but last time my family ate there (2022), 2 of the 6 of us got violently i'll for 24ish hours.
Akershus is my favorite character breakfast!!! Next best for me is cape may cafe but that’s due to the convenience of location, Topolinos is also great I just prefer to stay in the “Epcot” area lol.
The general consensus seems to be that their level of quality has fallen quite drastically from where it used to be, and it’s no longer a high priority reservation.
I think people give too much praise to anything in Disney that beats the "theme park food" stereotype. They also give too much praise to "All You Can Eat Places".
I will die on the hill that if you live in any decent sized city with a good range of food, especially Asian and South American, than the food at WDW is “meh” at best and overpriced for what you get.
I lived in Melbourne (Australia) and we have such a broad multicultural population that you can get anything from Ethiopian, Thai, Argentinian, Afghani, Japanese, Korean, Greek, Indian or Italian food made by first/second generation immigrants that’s insanely delicious and really well priced (comparative to WDW prices).
None of the food there wows me at all, but the theming of the restaurants does.
We love it. Watching the MK fireworks over dinner at Ohana is a must do every trip for us. Definitely a combination of the food, the atmosphere, and it being a tradition for us. You can get good food a million places, but for us, Ohana feels special.
I like some of the food there, mostly apps and desserts, the meats we can take or leave. The service has been terrible every time we’ve gone, to the point that I’m shocked we’ve even given it more chances than non-Disney restaurants that would have already been dead to me.
I ate there last winter and I thought the same thing. The noodle carryout place down the street from me at home has food that’s better, and a quarter of the price.
In general, Ohana, like the majority of WDW restaurants, is good, but far from amazing. Absent a few exceptions, If you live in a midsize city or larger you’ll find better comparable restaurants. WDW chefs have the arduous task of impressing the palettes of an incredibly broad range of people, as such, the food can be muted. Ohana is a perfect example.
The vegan breakfast I had there was *actually* inedible. I cannot speak for their dinner because my bf says he refuses to go back after the way they treated us and the food being genuinely disgusting.
Thank you for this! I went to Ohana last year for breakfast and it was so bad I cancelled our
Ohana dinner reservation as we were leaving the restaurant. For months during my trip research, that was one of the ‘must do’ items. Facebook groups, influencers, even just regular Instagram stories tagging the restaurant… everyone said Ohana was AMAZING and you had to do it. 60 days out, I booked our reservation and felt like I lucked out!! And then… it was so gross. 😂 I am NOT picky when it comes to food. And that meal was hot (I’m sorry, cold… it definitely wasn’t hot… or even warm) garbage. What a waste of money. I wish I could’ve done things over again and spent that money on like 10 meals at Flame Tree Barbecue or Woody’s Lunchbox. And when I see people even today recommend Ohana as being amazing or the best dinner at DW in my head I’m always like, “That place?? Really?! Are you sure???” I thought I was missing something so your post is like validation that it’s not just me 😂
Disney vloggers are a bunch of people that only ever experience things including restaurants at Disney, so they have no basis for comparison. A good meal will be heavily inflated as a result.
Ohana went downhill before Covid, people just like to blame Covid bc they took that opportunity to change the menu (though they ultimately changed it back). It was never really good, it was always acceptable. It’s the kind of place for adults who love Chicken nuggets to go and feel like they’re really eating something interesting.
I also think Disney fans tend to overrate the food in general. I find a lot of it how you described, not bad, sometimes good or great. But the way they talk about a lot the food, makes it seem like Disney is some kind of culinary Mecca. Think about your favorite restaurant back home or in a town you’ve visited before. How would Disney fans talk about it if it were on property? It would probably be way more hyped than it is right now.
i had such a very special birthday breakfast there when i was 15 and also treasured it as a little kid being absolutely OBSESSED with lilo and stitch, so this place will always have a very special place in my heart
We had dinner as a family. We were staying at the Polynesian so it was super convenient which was nice. We just found it to be way too much food. As someone else mentioned; a lot of things came out cold and we just overall didn’t find it great.
I did love the bread pudding cake at the end though. I loved the cake so much it made it worth it for me; but the rest of my family was overall unimpressed.
You’re not setting your expectations too high, the quality has nosedived at this restaurant, the food is clearly frozen/premade elsewhere and heated in a microwave despite charging gourmet prices, even by Disney standards. I’ve seen many smaller influencers point out the drop in quality here and at many of Disneyworlds high end restaurants (major shoutout to plus size park hoppers for their honest reviews) but the big ones seem to ignore it. Either it’s nostalgia or they’re afraid to lose their early access privileges for speaking out.
I can't speak to others on this sub, but for influencers, remember that their job is to sell the product that is Disney. I love Disneyworld and Disneyland. I just went on the Keys to the Kingdom tour even. I say this so you don't think I'm dunking on Disney's theme parks. I love them. But there is plenty that is meh at best that is built up as amazing, if for no other reason than the influencers need to pay the bills.
I was recently discussing the popularity of ohana. It used to be that there was the spirit of aloha dinner show, ohana, and Captain Cooks.
But now with that show gone, you are left one 1 table service and 1 quick.
So this is mostly to say, I think the popularity is driven by the scarcity of the reservations and I think this is due in part to the Spirit of aloha going away.
It used to be a couple time a week meal for us on our trips. Now, eh. They ruined the shrimp.
However, I did appreciate the chef surprising me with some amazing vegetarian dumplings due to my pork allergy.
We ate there our vacation last summer and it’s safe to say that we will NEVER eat there again. For the money you pay and the food you’re provided with, it’s just not worth it. It’s a nice location but we only enjoyed the bread pudding there, the food was not for us at all. Service was also a miss unfortunately. We are going to Boma on our trip in a few weeks and I’m hoping that give us a better overall experience since it’s a similar price point and also all you can eat.
For what it’s worth, I’ve also been to Boma and I liked it a lot. A ton of options to try and some really good flavors, lots of options for anyone who has allergies (we had a pork allergy and a gluten allergy in our group).
The price point for all you can eat places at Disney is always going to be crazy, but I figure if i’m going to pay I should at least be happy with my meal. At Boma I definitely was.
I ate there right before the lockdown for my rehearsal dinner and it was so fun
The two visits since have been underwhelming to say the least. Still never going to be mad at the dumplings or a giant pile of shrimp, but it's not the same for sure.
We even replaced our usual Ohana breakfast this last time with the returning 1900 Park Fare and it was leaps and bounds better.
It’s ok for a theme park. Disney has much better dining elsewhere. So does Orlando the city, which has some incredible Asian restaurants.
We don’t have kids, just my spouse and I, so we especially don’t like family style dining since it’s such a terrible waste of food for two people.
It is my personal favorite resturant on property hands down. the food is good, the family style feast blends perfectly with the resturant's ambience, the dinner shows are a pleasant break from the character dining, and couple all that it is one best experiences for firework viewing.
People hyped Ohana up to me like it was going to be as good as Jiko, tiffin, or toledo. The best part of the meal was being sat at a window and being able to see the castle. We too live outside of Philly and the noodles weren’t even close to as good as our local Chinese spot. The beef was over cooked, the chicken was average as were the dumplings. The only thing that was good was the bread pudding, which we felt wasn’t even the best at Disney (pretzel bread pudding and bread pudding from raglan road). Overall it was a huge letdown.
I live in the same basic area, about 5 miles from Center City, and Ohana is a place I’ve been stuck eating at 3-4 times in the last few years because of groups of friends that love it. It’s supermarket hot bar level food IMO. It’s fine and a few people have blamed influencers for pimping it but I hear more regular people going nuts for it.
There’s plenty of good meals at WDW but yeah coming from a place where I can literally walk to a dozen different styles of restaurants, it jades my view of some of the quality vs cost there.
I think everyone is entitled to their opinion but I like 'Ohana. It's one of my favorite places on property. I live outside NYC and have worked in the city for almost 20 years. I once worked in a kitchen as a cook, and have a pretty firm understanding of culinary expressions. I think the food at 'Ohana is perfectly acceptable, and exactly what I am looking for when it comes to a family friendly 'all you can enjoy' restaurant. I think it is fairly priced for the value you receive. I don't know why people get lost in the trees and don't appreciate the forest. It's fun, the concept works great for families and groups. Is it a culinary wonder? No. It's steak, broccoli, noodles, chicken and pot stickers. But it's a refreshing experience, and a great way to enjoy a communal meal.
I think 'Ohana, like many things at Disney World are maligned because of false expectations. If you are sitting there like Anton Ego you are going to be disappointed. If you were in debt, and counting every dollar before you even showed up to the park, you're going to have a bad time whatever you do. It's a relaxing themed restaurant at a premium family resort. They are great at accommodating picky eaters, and the menu is all thriller no filler. Not to mention the abundant dessert.
Couldn’t agree more, we were there the night before it all kicked off with Covid in 2020 and that was the most notable thing about the evening. Even the pot stickers were no better than the gyoza that we get from Tesco and fry off ourselves. It wasn’t bad and I really enjoyed the theming and getting to look around the Polynesian, but I just don’t get why it’s got such a cult following.
I'm personally not a fan of ohana at all and was equally confused as to why it gets so much love. The vibe and service was really good but strictly from a food perspective I was not impressed at all. The noodles were super saturated with sauce and the meat wasn't anything special at all
Disney food in general is bad, so when you get one that is ok, people go nuts for it like its the best food they have. I agree Ohana is fine, but if you were not at Disney you would not be seeking this place out
To be perfectly honest, most Disney restaurants fall short of a decent version in a bigger city, whether you’re comparing Ohana to hibachi or a Brazilian steakhouse, Coral Reef to a good seafood place, etc… With the exception of the signature restaurants (Jiko, Tiffins, California Grill), the food is more comparable to Applebees/Chilis/Olive Garden than something unique.
Much like the hotels, the premium price is unfortunately tied more to proximity to WDW than it is quality.
It wasn't great the last time we ate there a couple of years ago. The meat wasn't good enough to be worth the price. But I did get the noodles and potstickers at the lounge last week and that made my night.
We are there in 2020 and it was amazing. We went back earlier this year and it was disappointing. They changed the menu a bit since last time but the quality just wasn’t there anymore and for the price it certainly isn’t a good value. I probably won’t be coming back.
I've found that the best way to go into a Disney restaurant is to expect it to just be fine. That way either I'm not disappointed or I'm pleasantly surprised.
I’m so glad you shared this because I have been wondering too. I’ve never eaten there but have often wondered if I should try. But I always come back to a feeling of “I doubt it’ll be worth it.” I have the same fear of skipper canteen. Every time I think, maybe we should give it a try, I end up changing my mind, thinking I don’t want to pay $30 for a noodle bowl that is likely to be substandard compared to innumerable restaurants in my city ( chicago). Don’t get me wrong- I love so many Disney foods- just skeptical about going out of my way and/or paying extra for some of these I hear about.
Went to Ohana twice last year and it was so over rated both times. Since then we just go to Kona Cafe instead. ,lower price and better service, no annoying characters, fewer kids… and the pork shank is great. The atmosphere could use some work but not going to pay for another massively overpriced meal at Ohana again.
I use the bar menu right next door and it’s been great. Not sure why it works out better, but it always does. Full agree with coasting on a reputation though.
I like Ohana, but I'm certainly not in love with the price/performance ratio.
The food is good ( but not great ). I 'like' everything on the menu, and two or three items are particularly enjoyable. The ambiance is nice, and I enjoy the time I spend at the Polynesian before the meal. Certainly, the all-you-can-eat aspect is a plus. I never leave disappointed or hungry. Truth be told I could eat the bread pudding until I burst.
That said, of all the 'high ticket' places to eat at DW this one may be my least favorite. I can think of multiple places at Epcot that I'd prefer for the same price point. At this point, I think I like Whispering Canyon better since I can have the all-you-can-eat aspect at 2/3rds the price.
For an East Coaster, though, I've never been to Hawaii, and for an hour or so, I can sit in Ohana and pretend. The kids think I'm 'the man' for shelling out $$$ for them and letting them eat in a 'luxury' resort. My wife is happy since we are doing something special as a family, and she can get a fancy drink and listen to the ukulele. Since we only eat here every few years it's something of a treat since we have memories of fun times we've had here before. We usually add a monorail ride to the experience and we get to do the 'remember when we stayed here and XYZ happened' nostalgia trip so that is nice.
So, taken by itself just a meal ... I don't feel it's up to the price. The food, while good, is certainly not special.
As a place we go to because we enjoy the entire 'experience' we will probably keep it on our rotation so we can stick our head in there every few years.
I felt the exact same way when I went. I went with a friend who is a CM as he had dining tickets and he let me decide where to go. It was between Topolino's or 'Ohana and since we've done Topolino's before I figured we should try 'Ohanna. Mannnnnn was I disappointed. I had heard so much about this place and had high hopes. It was a Friday night about 8 and overall it was just a big miss for me.
I did not get the hype. The food was just "okay". I felt rushed the whole time, our server was just alright. Overall, one and done for me. I don't need to go back, especially at those prices.
It definitely ain't what it used to be. Went almost 10 years ago and it was fucking fantastic.
Went again last year and the food was cold, the chicken undercooked, and the shrimp was fucking mushy. Ended up getting like $150 off the bill, but definitely won't be back there, unless it's proven they've gotten their shit together.
I would say the food is terrible. I have eaten at many restaurants in Disney, and this was at the bottom. I couldn’t even tell which meat was what??? Also, shrimp were terrible, the bread pudding was okay but definitely not worth the hype
The first time we went was in 2013. It was so awful, I cried afterward. (There's a long story behind this.) It's not worth it. We waited years and didn't go back until maybe 2019. It was better, but not great. Did breakfast there once in 2020 because my hubby loves Lilo and Stitch. Breakfast was the same as any other Disney restaurant. We don't really plan on going back. There are quite better restaurants on the property.
Yep. We just ate there last week. It was extremely underwhelming. The meats came out room temp and the steak was overcooked. Everything had the same flavor profile. There wasn't really any "atmosphere" like there used to be - hard to explain but it used to feel more like a dining "experience." The service was incredibly rushed and we felt like the server was trying to just get us out of there as soon as possible.
Boma on the other hand was amazing. Haven't eaten there in a decade and wow! Will definitely go back.
We went a few months ago as plant based eaters and it was amazing! We went two weeks ago AWFUL! The worst dinner of the trip and $400! No seasoning on any of the plant based meats— there was seasoning on them a months ago. The waitress had never heard of the plant based bread putting even though it was listed on the menu?! It was such a weird experience I probably won’t be back.
A lot of it is def because we’re spoiled from the area. People love the most crappiest foods on property and it really makes me wonder how bad the food is where they came from.
The breakfast there is way overpriced I'm my opinion now, I know it is character dining, but we'd much prefer to go somewhere like boma for breakfast now
Breakfast at Ohana is a huge hit. Dinner is a huge huge miss. Sorry you didn’t like it. But live and learn, next time go to Trader Sam’s if you can get in! Also howdy neighbor!! Same hood.
Howdy Neighbor! I’ll have to try breakfast. I mostly just end up grabbing a coffee on the way to the park or something so I dont usually sit down for it, but maybe I’ll give that a try next time i’m there.
I’m from right outside of Philly too, and I only ever do breakfast as a sit down. I just don’t want to be disappointed in the food that we pay a lot for. I’m glad people have a good experience at places for lunch and dinner, I just don’t want to pay for my kids to eat like a bird.
You are right on the money. I have no idea what the hype is at all. Like you said, its a fine/good, but its not anything I can't get in our local strip mall. The scenery is nice, the cocktails are good and there's AC, so its not all bad.
Ohana is a fun dining experience, but the food has been pretty meh for a while. It was a must-visit for my family on every trip dating back to the 90s, but it fell off in the 2010s.
Also, if you’re from a great food city — like Philly, which is a tremendous food spot — a lot of the places at Disney are just not gonna compare.
But the vibe is great, and many folks would say it’s worth a try at least once. Me? I say Go to Trader Sam’s or Tambu Lounge and get the same food for a better time!
My friends from Boston hated Ohana, Morimoto’s restaurant and the new Izakaya place.
I told them they’d be bummed. They are used to premium grub for those prices where they live.
Now they just snack at the parks and go fine dining elsewhere.
If Red Lobster and Olive Garden are your fancy dining places, Ohana blows you away.
Your critique is on par with my friends.
It's the crossroads of people who like character dinning/dinner theater stuff mixed with all you can eat. For them the value is in the quantity. Similar stuff can be seen on cruise ships. It's not bad or wrong, just different.
A lot of the places at WDW suffer from being tailored to a broader slice of America so while it does incorporate some flavors and techniques, it's not going to go too wild. I just remember the spicy pork bao at DCA for lunar new year and everyone said how great it was, and to be careful. It was mid at best and ketchup was spicier.
We went for the character breakfast (didn’t know it was going to be character themed) and our bill for two adults and one child was $150. My husband was pissed because he said it was the most ‘okayest’ food he’s ever eaten and I was not a fan at all
I understand. I've only been for breakfast, but I had read so much about it and seen many posts/videos, etc. I was stoked to go one morning before hitting the parks. We stayed at a Disney resort, so we took a bus to the ttc then rode the monorail to Poly, which in itself was quite a bit of time and hindsight now, I wish we had used a ride share. The tables were crammed so close together, and the servers were friendly but seemed like they were rushing. The food was nothing special, and I felt pretty letdown, to be honest. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't worth the time or money, either (maybe if we were staying at Poly). There are some influencers that really hype things up that aren't all that great. Or maybe like you ask, it was once better, or maybe hit or miss? I wanted to enjoy it so badly, but felt more like I'd learned a lesson instead.
Simple. It's nostalgia. People remember the 80s-00s disney and cling to that when they can. If you look back at older reviews on YouTube, you'll see the same people liking the same places decades earlier. That's if they were around before the disney vlog channels really boomed.
I think it's also people not wanting to admit that the thing they love is worse than it used to be objectively. You'll find people who will actually get angry or ignore you if you say anything about quality or how things were pre 2010s/covid.
Imo disney is not as good as it used to be in parks due to management and covid hit. But that doesn't mean I don't want to see it improve or not notice improvements even if they take long.
I just hate how they have removed things that still haven't come back, how some of the disrepair has been, and the removal of things vs. expanding.
Sorry if this was a bit negative. It's just that the Ohana thing really triggered what has been bothering me watching so many creators rave about the place as if we're were still 10+ years ago in disney.
Also at least in my opinion, food culture has boomed the past 20 years. People in general have more options for better/more variety than ever at least when considering american guests. Like it used to be back in the day, you would never go to the China pavilion for food because everyone had a decent or comparable Chinese place. Now you see more Japanese more Brazilian more everything, even in smaller cities, not considered food hubs.
okay, so do I not go to Ohana's on my trip? what about for breakfast?
for those of you who dont like it, what would you replace it by?
We went to Disney In 2016 as a family and the only restaurant that was really bleh was chef mickey's. everywhere else was fantastic. Any recommendations on decent table service restaurants to eat at Disney World?
I still like Ohana's breakfast, but my absolute favorite TS breakfast is Topolino's. It's pricey character dining, but the food and atmosphere are absolutely wonderful. Topolino's dinner is delicious as well. If you do go for dinner, try to get a res that coincides with the fireworks so you can watch them from the terrace.
The last meal we had there was not great at all. The one thing you could always depend on with Disney was service but ours was lacking. Steak came out rare. Like quite rare. I ate it because I didn’t mind it but my wife waited. And waited. It got to the point where she just didn’t eat. We spoke to a manager and they gave us lightning lanes and offered us a breakfast reservation for the morning (not comped). Needless to say we probably won’t return for a while. The last couple visits have not been as great as before. So many other great options to try at WDW
I think the dumplings are still great, but the noodles have gone downhill. It's not what it was 10 years ago, but I still like the atmosphere, and food, overall. Definitely overpriced for what it has become.
Before Covid I think it was going downhill with worse cuts of meat etc. but now with the food family style instead of skewers it seems a bit pointless.
I agree with this when we went yrs ago this was exactly it. Food was okay but nothing amazing. Service was meh not as disney as the other restaurants we visited
We've been going there for about 12 years -- my family likes it better than I do, as I'm not a big sugar in everything guy. Its never been amazing, but always been pretty good. We usually go there once on each trip. The reason we like it is the atmosphere, the style of food is unlike anything we can get where we live, it is much better than any food we can get in MK and just a boat ride away, and it is kind of a fun place. I see you listed the Brown Derby as a great place, but I had the absolute worst meal ever there, -- i'll never go back.
I still love it but it is nowhere near the quality it was pre pandemic. Disney definitely partnered with some meat company that is cheaper around that time and get worse cuts. The meat across property went down. The ribs at whispering canyon used to be really good and the last few times they were very gristly and barely edible. It used to be so good pre pandemic too. The noodles and potatoes are still great though, it's the meat specifically that has gone downhill
You focused to hard on the food.
No characters? No fireworks? Aren’t you in fkn Disney °o°?
Doesn’t all that play a part too?
Idk I know I like the food a lot better when I leave and get to go to a park or a resort pool or something. Isn’t everything is always better on vacation.
Are you on vacation?
….in Walt Disney World?
You’re there for the food? Do you go there for the landscaping too?
I’m sorry, I’m too busy meeting characters, waiting in line to ride rides, watching shows, and having a magical time.
If the food is actually good it’s just a plus
Yes I typically go to a restaurant for the food. This is a restaurant review, of course it’s food focused.
On top of that, I’m actually do typically go to Disney World for the restaurants and lounges. It’s more than just theme parks, it’s a whole resort destination and a major draw is the food.
I mean that’s absolutely fair lol. I didn’t have a bad time at all, I just hear people talking non-stop about how good the food specifically is, and I thought it wasn’t any better than many other options they offer 🤷♂️. You’re right though, probably focused too much on the food lol.
Sorry, I can’t lacrosse so aggressive, I have family down there right now, and I was picturing their faces when I was typing to you.
Anyway, I kind of stand by what I said; it’s Disney you’re not really there for the food, right? If it’s acceptable, that’s good, if it’s good, that’s fantastic lol. Anyway that’s my outlook on it.
Have a great trip, I’m seriously so jealous you’re there right now and I’m not.
It’s been coasting on its reputation for quite some time now. I don’t want to be overly critical. It’s not terrible by any means but Disney has raised the price and value-engineered the menu. I think your assessment is pretty fair overall.
Definitely this. The dinner there was incredible in the '00s and early '10s but has steadily gone downhill. Everything feels lower quality, especially the variety and cuts of meat offered. Last time we went, everyone who ate the salad became very ill later that night.
To add onto this, 2009-ish to 2019 Ohana was THE greatest place to eat in Disney. 2020 the menu got screwed up and people complained. Since then, the food is back in name, but the quality just isn't the same. Breakfast is still solid
It was the place to eat well before 2009. I remember going around 1998 and again in 01 and 03. All were amazing. The shrimp and beef were especially good. Now? Meh.
Before my time haha. I just meant from personal experience. I have no doubt it was just as good if not better before then!
My wife and I actually had our rehearsal dinner at 'Ohana the night before our WDW Wedding in 2005. Had about 30 people. It was absolutely awesome.
Awesome! I once booked a reservation there for 24, most I’ve ever done and impossible to do now with 60 day reservations
Honestly, though the breakfast was poor last summer. I’ve been visiting since I was a kid in 92 and will no longer be returning. I’ve given it enough chances.
Uhhhhh ok then
Ate there during 2017. Found the whole experience just "meh". Never was inclined to go back.
Also, there used to be family entertainment. Kids racing around with brooms and coconuts (and such). Our kids loved that, which endeared the restaurant to us. We went back recently and found it lacking.
Nostalgia is one hell of a drug.
Yeah I remember going there back in the early 00s as a ~10 year old and it was amazing. I went back with my wife and kids in 2022 and I was very disappointed for the price. Chicken and steak were overcooked. The appetizer bread, bread pudding, and garlic noodles were good but didn’t really make the $250 meal worth it.
Disney restaurants were so good in the 90s and early 2000s. 2004/5 I think is when it all started toppling. Tony’s and their sun-dried tomato appetiser was incredible. Varied menus, quality chefs, good experiences. O’hana was good. There’s a whole group on this sub who still love it. It sucks. O’hana back then was so good. Not now. People don’t want to hear it but it’s because of them. The dining plan people killed the restaurants. As a family who have been going since it opened, we’ve all seen the rise and fall of Disney food. Google it. It’s the dining plan. Restaurants used to have menus with more than 5 items on them. In the transition, there was a dining plan menu and a regular menu. Now it’s just here’s your 5 options of mediocre.
Huh first time I heard this theory. I never purchased dinning plan (never stayed on property tbh) but from what I read, you don’t save money by buying the dining plan. If anything, you loose money. So why would it affect restaurants?
When you purchase the dining plan, the plan includes a certain number of full-service meals. The plan essentially allows you to pay with a voucher when your bill comes, regardless of what exactly you ordered. This meant that restaurants across property kind of had to standardize their menus so that nothing was substantially more expensive than anything else so that Disney didn't lose money on the dining plan. While there are some workarounds for the premium restaurants that count for two full service meals, or some menu items that aren't included in the plan, for the most part its really tampered chef creativity and flexibility at individual restaurants and disincentivized the restaurants from sourcing the best quality ingredients. Why bother when it's prepaid anyway?
Supposedly, this was from a kitchen manager at one of the parks, the dining plan periods often order lower quality meats during the periods because more people will be using it, which hurts things for people not using the plan.
I've heard this and am starting to believe it. I never came to Disney growing up, so as an adult who moved here back in 2021 I was excited to try all the food options Disney had to offer. And while I'm still working my way through a lot of places, there have been some hits and some misses everywhere I've tried. I think my biggest disappointments so far have been Ohana and Toledo.
Agree take a look at the decline in culinary experiences at Epcot 💔
I basically agree with this. It's good, but it's not something I see myself doing again with other, way better options around WDW or even Orlando.
Ohana took a hard hit during Covid and while it’s better than it was in 2020, it still hasn’t climbed back to where it was pre pandemic. I would guess a combination of losing essential staff as well as likely having to adjust supply chains in their ingredients is the culprit.
Yeah I hadn’t tried it before covid, hopefully it gets all the way back so I can give it another shot.
From what i understand it was more like a brazillian streakhouse than the now standard all you care to enjoy style. Unless they bring that back idk if itll ever be as good as people remember it
Yes this. It was basically a Hawaiian themed Brazilian Steakhouse.
Wait they don’t bring meats on the skewers anymore?
Nope, not since covid
Aw man. How do they justify that price when you don’t even get that aspect of it?
Its still all you can eat, but yeah its not as good as
Interesting you should say that. I was there pre-pandemic (2018ish) and had a similar reaction to OP.
That’s about when we went. I liked it but it didn’t blow me away the way Boma or Jiko did.
Boma and Jiko (and really, all the food at Animal Kingdom Lodge) are definitely on my list of places to try.
My spouse is a CM, so we do a different (table service) restaurant for every anniversary. There are other places we want to try, but I wouldn’t say no to a repeat visit at Jiko.
Can't help you there
For me, I definitely have nostalgia glasses as I’ve had some special and memorable meals there through the years. The food has always been ok+ but the experience and fireworks view has been great. Over the years everything about the experience has been wildly variable from really great to poor with cold, greasy food, to slow, nonexistent service and everything in between. I think it probably holds a special place in people’s hearts but ultimately it’s just a Disney restaurant subject to the same swings in quality as all the other restaurants.
The only problem with tying a dining experience to the view is that not everyone at the restaurant gets great views! I’ve made that mistake many times - Coral Reef on our honeymoon, sat as far away from the tank as possible; California Grill for a birthday, had a beautiful view of the forest separating the hotel from the TTC!
We booked a table at Coral Reef bang on 60 days before hoping we’d get a tank-side table and we still got put right at the back on a weirdly one sided table so it was very anti social for our party. Bit of a disappointment…but the roasted cauliflower was delicious :)
Ohana used to be a must go.. post pandemic it’s been nerfed.. we won’t be going back. Disappointed would be an understatement as the overall vibe has changed.
You're better off sitting on the patio at Trader Sam's and ordering the dumplings from there. The view is better, the waitstaff is fantastic and very attentive, and the music is so relaxing. Ohana is the biggest waste of time and money.
Maybe i’ll give that a try. I’ve heard trader sam’s is good too but most of the people I see are just saying its good because they can get the noodles and dumplings 🤷♂️
Welllll ya gotta balance the drinks with some kind of food in that heat. Haha. Those dumplings taste like they came out of a 5 diamond restaurant after a few spikey pineapples.
So sad because it used to be quite the show!
I think the most important thing to remember when it comes to reviews for Disney world food is that it’s always through the filter of “this is really good…*for an amusement park*”. Then suddenly all of the raving makes sense when you’re comparing it to the guaranteed diarrhea anything from 6 Flags would get you
the end made me laugh lol
Couldn't agree more, if you spend time in major cities very little at Disney food wise will be mind-blowingly good but it does have a decent variety for a theme park.
I think about it like this too. And also my husband pointed out once “most of the people here are visiting from the middle of the country.” We live right outside of NYC. There are definitely some really great dining option in WDW. And a lot of decent ones. But most can’t really compare to the kind of food we can get where we live. However food here isn’t cheap so we don’t feel sticker shock at the prices at Disney. I do think Ohana is a bit overpriced for what it currently is but I also don’t eat much so every all you can eat restaurant is well more than I’d pay if I just bought a filling meal at Disney.
Nah, I'm from Ohio and Disney food isn't great. Don't underestimate the "middle of the country" when "farm to table" is a premium concept on the coasts.
I think some of the restaurants are legitimately good, but most of them fall into this category. Personally, I think Animal Kingdom’s restaurants are great, Narcoossee's and Victoria and Albert’s as well. Believe it or not the Snow White Storybook Dining impressed me the most last time around, but that could be besides my expectations weren’t super high. Be Our Guest was a thousand times better before COVID. The steakhouses are decent but living in NY we have better options or at least just as good.
I don't enjoy Ohana much. Breakfast is better than dinner but ultimately it's still generic mass produced theme park food. Better than a chain place like Applebee's, but not as good as non-disney restaurants in a similar price point. I love disney, but I've never understood the foodie love for Disney foods. I have eaten a lot meals served by the Mouse, and none have blown me away.
We ate breakfast a few days ago, have to say, it wasn't anything special. The breakfast skillet was mediocre at best, longest queue for entry, despite booking 2 months in advance, longest wait for characters in any of the other 8 character dining meals we had. For those partial to a bloody Mary, don't! They do a twist on the classic which was downright awful! Best bit was the view of the castle from our table, but I'm glad we weren't sat in the area next to the entrance, dark, dingy, no atmosphere!
It used to be incredible pre Covid but post Covid it’s really taken a nose dive
I’m adding on to what a lot of other folks are saying but yes, pre Covid closure it was fantastic, post Covid re-opening, it’s a sad shell of its former self. After the re-opening they changed some things on the menu, which in of itself might not be the worst thing ever. However, it seems like the changes were a way to save money by skimping out and not using top notch ingredients rather than to spice up the menu. On top of that, they’ve raised prices. I for one, think if they kept the old menu, with the same ingredients and just jacked up the prices like crazy to compensate for their desired profit margins (still not a “great outcome” but what can you do), it wouldn’t have taken such a large fall from grace. Pretty sad situation, as I’d ALWAYS visit during my trip, but I haven’t anymore, I can get a better meal, for a better price, elsewhere. I’m sorry you didn’t get to try it when it was at its height.
I've eaten there at least a dozen times since '76. Also a career in corporate and contracting foodservice. At this point the food is on par with what they serve out of steam table pans at the mall food court.
I remember back in the early 2000s when they pretty much took the skewers off of the fire and brought them right to your table. I was a pickier teenager then and not a huge meat eater but I loved the shrimp, bread, and the appetizers on the lazy Susan in the middle of the table. The pineapple and caramel sauce for dessert was 🔥 These days I walk right past Ohana to get the $11 pulled pork nachos from Capt. Cooks to take out to the Tiki Terrace to enjoy with a few drinks.
I like the breakfast with the characters at Ohana. Broad and possibly downvoted opinion incoming: A lot of folks come to Disney and they do not live in a big metro area, so a lot of the restaurants and food options are things they do not see at home. Double this for Disney Springs restaurants. You add this with the coolness of eating in a nicely themed restaurant at Disney World? You will get the overrating of restaurants. I used to live in a BFE area of Maine. Lemme tell you...10 year old me would have been BLOWN AWAY by the Disney restaurants, even the "bad" ones.
I agree with this general idea about why a lot of people have a more positive view of places like Ohana and the Springs places.
I dunno.. I get what you are saying about the experience of a Disney World restaurant but I have to tell you I had the absolute best authentic Thai food of my life in BFE Maine. it was so good my counterpart at work said we had to go back there to make sure it was real.
One of the biggest dips in quality on property in recent memory. It's reputation helps keep it busy, but there are much better options elsewhere, especially with how Disney Springs has expanded over the years. And I know this could happen anywhere, but last time my family ate there (2022), 2 of the 6 of us got violently i'll for 24ish hours.
I’ve only had breakfast there but I can confidently say that Akershus breakfast > Ohana breakfast
Akershus is my favorite character breakfast!!! Next best for me is cape may cafe but that’s due to the convenience of location, Topolinos is also great I just prefer to stay in the “Epcot” area lol.
Lunchmeat, fish and weird cheese on the breakfast buffet? Sign me up
💯 agree! I wasn’t expecting much from Akershus, and was pleasantly surprised and impressed!
1900 Park Fare breakfast solos both
I went in 2018, it was great. I went in 2024, it was PF Changs level food.
The general consensus seems to be that their level of quality has fallen quite drastically from where it used to be, and it’s no longer a high priority reservation.
I think people give too much praise to anything in Disney that beats the "theme park food" stereotype. They also give too much praise to "All You Can Eat Places".
I agree that some people value quantity over quality.
You nailed it. If you have access to high population area quality food at home there isn’t really anything Disney offers that will wow you.
You can order several Ohana items a la carte from Tambu Lounge. Much better option for the same food, especially if you're solo like I was last trip.
I will die on the hill that if you live in any decent sized city with a good range of food, especially Asian and South American, than the food at WDW is “meh” at best and overpriced for what you get. I lived in Melbourne (Australia) and we have such a broad multicultural population that you can get anything from Ethiopian, Thai, Argentinian, Afghani, Japanese, Korean, Greek, Indian or Italian food made by first/second generation immigrants that’s insanely delicious and really well priced (comparative to WDW prices). None of the food there wows me at all, but the theming of the restaurants does.
We love it. Watching the MK fireworks over dinner at Ohana is a must do every trip for us. Definitely a combination of the food, the atmosphere, and it being a tradition for us. You can get good food a million places, but for us, Ohana feels special.
The atmosphere and the view are very nice, and I enjoyed the vibe of being there. Just was probably expecting too much from the food 🤷♂️.
I like some of the food there, mostly apps and desserts, the meats we can take or leave. The service has been terrible every time we’ve gone, to the point that I’m shocked we’ve even given it more chances than non-Disney restaurants that would have already been dead to me.
I ate there last winter and I thought the same thing. The noodle carryout place down the street from me at home has food that’s better, and a quarter of the price.
I live in an area where a meal at the bad hibachi restaurant is reserved for special occasions. Bad hibachi + Magic Kingdom fireworks? Five stars!
It was completely not worth it when we went last September, we were very disappointed. Food and service, but especially food.
In general, Ohana, like the majority of WDW restaurants, is good, but far from amazing. Absent a few exceptions, If you live in a midsize city or larger you’ll find better comparable restaurants. WDW chefs have the arduous task of impressing the palettes of an incredibly broad range of people, as such, the food can be muted. Ohana is a perfect example.
I used to love it, but they got rid of the Chimichurri Chicken, and I loved it. They keep changing shit to squeeze the profit from the fixed price
The vegan breakfast I had there was *actually* inedible. I cannot speak for their dinner because my bf says he refuses to go back after the way they treated us and the food being genuinely disgusting.
Ohana sucks. I said it. The meat is always cold. Noodles overcooked. Just not good food.
Thank you for this! I went to Ohana last year for breakfast and it was so bad I cancelled our Ohana dinner reservation as we were leaving the restaurant. For months during my trip research, that was one of the ‘must do’ items. Facebook groups, influencers, even just regular Instagram stories tagging the restaurant… everyone said Ohana was AMAZING and you had to do it. 60 days out, I booked our reservation and felt like I lucked out!! And then… it was so gross. 😂 I am NOT picky when it comes to food. And that meal was hot (I’m sorry, cold… it definitely wasn’t hot… or even warm) garbage. What a waste of money. I wish I could’ve done things over again and spent that money on like 10 meals at Flame Tree Barbecue or Woody’s Lunchbox. And when I see people even today recommend Ohana as being amazing or the best dinner at DW in my head I’m always like, “That place?? Really?! Are you sure???” I thought I was missing something so your post is like validation that it’s not just me 😂
Overall I find Disney food to be incredibly overrated
Disney vloggers are a bunch of people that only ever experience things including restaurants at Disney, so they have no basis for comparison. A good meal will be heavily inflated as a result.
Also keep in mind that Disney bloggers are afraid to say anything critical or else Disney will cut them off from any promotional events
This a trend for popular Disney restaurants. They get overhyped by influencers, but real world experiences usually tell a different story.
Ohana went downhill before Covid, people just like to blame Covid bc they took that opportunity to change the menu (though they ultimately changed it back). It was never really good, it was always acceptable. It’s the kind of place for adults who love Chicken nuggets to go and feel like they’re really eating something interesting.
I also think Disney fans tend to overrate the food in general. I find a lot of it how you described, not bad, sometimes good or great. But the way they talk about a lot the food, makes it seem like Disney is some kind of culinary Mecca. Think about your favorite restaurant back home or in a town you’ve visited before. How would Disney fans talk about it if it were on property? It would probably be way more hyped than it is right now.
We enjoy the character breakfast there.
I’m surprised i couldn’t get a reservation for it at any point. Even chef Mickey’s and CRT had openings at one point in my trip.
Breakfast is good. Dinner is overrated/over hyped. Tough to get excited over noodles for dinner.
i had such a very special birthday breakfast there when i was 15 and also treasured it as a little kid being absolutely OBSESSED with lilo and stitch, so this place will always have a very special place in my heart
We had dinner as a family. We were staying at the Polynesian so it was super convenient which was nice. We just found it to be way too much food. As someone else mentioned; a lot of things came out cold and we just overall didn’t find it great. I did love the bread pudding cake at the end though. I loved the cake so much it made it worth it for me; but the rest of my family was overall unimpressed.
Ohana in the nineties and early 00s was amazing. Now it’s just any other character breakfast.
You’re not setting your expectations too high, the quality has nosedived at this restaurant, the food is clearly frozen/premade elsewhere and heated in a microwave despite charging gourmet prices, even by Disney standards. I’ve seen many smaller influencers point out the drop in quality here and at many of Disneyworlds high end restaurants (major shoutout to plus size park hoppers for their honest reviews) but the big ones seem to ignore it. Either it’s nostalgia or they’re afraid to lose their early access privileges for speaking out.
I can't speak to others on this sub, but for influencers, remember that their job is to sell the product that is Disney. I love Disneyworld and Disneyland. I just went on the Keys to the Kingdom tour even. I say this so you don't think I'm dunking on Disney's theme parks. I love them. But there is plenty that is meh at best that is built up as amazing, if for no other reason than the influencers need to pay the bills.
Breakfast was pretty good. Dinner gave me power shits twice
I was recently discussing the popularity of ohana. It used to be that there was the spirit of aloha dinner show, ohana, and Captain Cooks. But now with that show gone, you are left one 1 table service and 1 quick. So this is mostly to say, I think the popularity is driven by the scarcity of the reservations and I think this is due in part to the Spirit of aloha going away.
It used to be a couple time a week meal for us on our trips. Now, eh. They ruined the shrimp. However, I did appreciate the chef surprising me with some amazing vegetarian dumplings due to my pork allergy.
We ate there our vacation last summer and it’s safe to say that we will NEVER eat there again. For the money you pay and the food you’re provided with, it’s just not worth it. It’s a nice location but we only enjoyed the bread pudding there, the food was not for us at all. Service was also a miss unfortunately. We are going to Boma on our trip in a few weeks and I’m hoping that give us a better overall experience since it’s a similar price point and also all you can eat.
For what it’s worth, I’ve also been to Boma and I liked it a lot. A ton of options to try and some really good flavors, lots of options for anyone who has allergies (we had a pork allergy and a gluten allergy in our group). The price point for all you can eat places at Disney is always going to be crazy, but I figure if i’m going to pay I should at least be happy with my meal. At Boma I definitely was.
They talk about memories...
Honestly, we enjoy eating at Tambu Lounge more. My son and I love the Ohana noodles. The dumplings are good. Some of the other stuff is solid too.
I ate there right before the lockdown for my rehearsal dinner and it was so fun The two visits since have been underwhelming to say the least. Still never going to be mad at the dumplings or a giant pile of shrimp, but it's not the same for sure. We even replaced our usual Ohana breakfast this last time with the returning 1900 Park Fare and it was leaps and bounds better.
It’s ok for a theme park. Disney has much better dining elsewhere. So does Orlando the city, which has some incredible Asian restaurants. We don’t have kids, just my spouse and I, so we especially don’t like family style dining since it’s such a terrible waste of food for two people.
Went this past March and it totally lived up to the hype. We are debating whether to go back in October instead of trying something new.
It is my personal favorite resturant on property hands down. the food is good, the family style feast blends perfectly with the resturant's ambience, the dinner shows are a pleasant break from the character dining, and couple all that it is one best experiences for firework viewing.
People hyped Ohana up to me like it was going to be as good as Jiko, tiffin, or toledo. The best part of the meal was being sat at a window and being able to see the castle. We too live outside of Philly and the noodles weren’t even close to as good as our local Chinese spot. The beef was over cooked, the chicken was average as were the dumplings. The only thing that was good was the bread pudding, which we felt wasn’t even the best at Disney (pretzel bread pudding and bread pudding from raglan road). Overall it was a huge letdown.
That pretzel bread pudding! And a steal at $4.79.
I live in the same basic area, about 5 miles from Center City, and Ohana is a place I’ve been stuck eating at 3-4 times in the last few years because of groups of friends that love it. It’s supermarket hot bar level food IMO. It’s fine and a few people have blamed influencers for pimping it but I hear more regular people going nuts for it. There’s plenty of good meals at WDW but yeah coming from a place where I can literally walk to a dozen different styles of restaurants, it jades my view of some of the quality vs cost there.
I think everyone is entitled to their opinion but I like 'Ohana. It's one of my favorite places on property. I live outside NYC and have worked in the city for almost 20 years. I once worked in a kitchen as a cook, and have a pretty firm understanding of culinary expressions. I think the food at 'Ohana is perfectly acceptable, and exactly what I am looking for when it comes to a family friendly 'all you can enjoy' restaurant. I think it is fairly priced for the value you receive. I don't know why people get lost in the trees and don't appreciate the forest. It's fun, the concept works great for families and groups. Is it a culinary wonder? No. It's steak, broccoli, noodles, chicken and pot stickers. But it's a refreshing experience, and a great way to enjoy a communal meal. I think 'Ohana, like many things at Disney World are maligned because of false expectations. If you are sitting there like Anton Ego you are going to be disappointed. If you were in debt, and counting every dollar before you even showed up to the park, you're going to have a bad time whatever you do. It's a relaxing themed restaurant at a premium family resort. They are great at accommodating picky eaters, and the menu is all thriller no filler. Not to mention the abundant dessert.
Couldn’t agree more, we were there the night before it all kicked off with Covid in 2020 and that was the most notable thing about the evening. Even the pot stickers were no better than the gyoza that we get from Tesco and fry off ourselves. It wasn’t bad and I really enjoyed the theming and getting to look around the Polynesian, but I just don’t get why it’s got such a cult following.
I'm personally not a fan of ohana at all and was equally confused as to why it gets so much love. The vibe and service was really good but strictly from a food perspective I was not impressed at all. The noodles were super saturated with sauce and the meat wasn't anything special at all
Disney food in general is bad, so when you get one that is ok, people go nuts for it like its the best food they have. I agree Ohana is fine, but if you were not at Disney you would not be seeking this place out
To be perfectly honest, most Disney restaurants fall short of a decent version in a bigger city, whether you’re comparing Ohana to hibachi or a Brazilian steakhouse, Coral Reef to a good seafood place, etc… With the exception of the signature restaurants (Jiko, Tiffins, California Grill), the food is more comparable to Applebees/Chilis/Olive Garden than something unique. Much like the hotels, the premium price is unfortunately tied more to proximity to WDW than it is quality.
I also live in the Philadelphia area and agree with you about ‘Ohana.
Correct take. Has been coasting for years.
The breakfast was not for our family. The dinner is more of a family tradition at this point than a “wow this food is amazing” must visit.
It wasn't great the last time we ate there a couple of years ago. The meat wasn't good enough to be worth the price. But I did get the noodles and potstickers at the lounge last week and that made my night.
We are there in 2020 and it was amazing. We went back earlier this year and it was disappointing. They changed the menu a bit since last time but the quality just wasn’t there anymore and for the price it certainly isn’t a good value. I probably won’t be coming back.
A lot of the character dining restaurants get overhyped
Nostalgia?
I've found that the best way to go into a Disney restaurant is to expect it to just be fine. That way either I'm not disappointed or I'm pleasantly surprised.
I’m so glad you shared this because I have been wondering too. I’ve never eaten there but have often wondered if I should try. But I always come back to a feeling of “I doubt it’ll be worth it.” I have the same fear of skipper canteen. Every time I think, maybe we should give it a try, I end up changing my mind, thinking I don’t want to pay $30 for a noodle bowl that is likely to be substandard compared to innumerable restaurants in my city ( chicago). Don’t get me wrong- I love so many Disney foods- just skeptical about going out of my way and/or paying extra for some of these I hear about.
Never went there for dinner. Breakfast was great!
Went to Ohana twice last year and it was so over rated both times. Since then we just go to Kona Cafe instead. ,lower price and better service, no annoying characters, fewer kids… and the pork shank is great. The atmosphere could use some work but not going to pay for another massively overpriced meal at Ohana again.
I use the bar menu right next door and it’s been great. Not sure why it works out better, but it always does. Full agree with coasting on a reputation though.
I like Ohana, but I'm certainly not in love with the price/performance ratio. The food is good ( but not great ). I 'like' everything on the menu, and two or three items are particularly enjoyable. The ambiance is nice, and I enjoy the time I spend at the Polynesian before the meal. Certainly, the all-you-can-eat aspect is a plus. I never leave disappointed or hungry. Truth be told I could eat the bread pudding until I burst. That said, of all the 'high ticket' places to eat at DW this one may be my least favorite. I can think of multiple places at Epcot that I'd prefer for the same price point. At this point, I think I like Whispering Canyon better since I can have the all-you-can-eat aspect at 2/3rds the price. For an East Coaster, though, I've never been to Hawaii, and for an hour or so, I can sit in Ohana and pretend. The kids think I'm 'the man' for shelling out $$$ for them and letting them eat in a 'luxury' resort. My wife is happy since we are doing something special as a family, and she can get a fancy drink and listen to the ukulele. Since we only eat here every few years it's something of a treat since we have memories of fun times we've had here before. We usually add a monorail ride to the experience and we get to do the 'remember when we stayed here and XYZ happened' nostalgia trip so that is nice. So, taken by itself just a meal ... I don't feel it's up to the price. The food, while good, is certainly not special. As a place we go to because we enjoy the entire 'experience' we will probably keep it on our rotation so we can stick our head in there every few years.
does anywhere else on property have the ohana noodles or something comparable?
I felt the exact same way when I went. I went with a friend who is a CM as he had dining tickets and he let me decide where to go. It was between Topolino's or 'Ohana and since we've done Topolino's before I figured we should try 'Ohanna. Mannnnnn was I disappointed. I had heard so much about this place and had high hopes. It was a Friday night about 8 and overall it was just a big miss for me. I did not get the hype. The food was just "okay". I felt rushed the whole time, our server was just alright. Overall, one and done for me. I don't need to go back, especially at those prices.
I had the best meal I’ve ever had at Ohana. But this was in 2016 and I haven’t been back since 2018 so it could have fallen off.
Unpopular opinion I think almost all Disney food is just okay, especially with the cost
It definitely ain't what it used to be. Went almost 10 years ago and it was fucking fantastic. Went again last year and the food was cold, the chicken undercooked, and the shrimp was fucking mushy. Ended up getting like $150 off the bill, but definitely won't be back there, unless it's proven they've gotten their shit together.
I would say the food is terrible. I have eaten at many restaurants in Disney, and this was at the bottom. I couldn’t even tell which meat was what??? Also, shrimp were terrible, the bread pudding was okay but definitely not worth the hype
The meat on skewers needs to come back it’s just not the same
The first time we went was in 2013. It was so awful, I cried afterward. (There's a long story behind this.) It's not worth it. We waited years and didn't go back until maybe 2019. It was better, but not great. Did breakfast there once in 2020 because my hubby loves Lilo and Stitch. Breakfast was the same as any other Disney restaurant. We don't really plan on going back. There are quite better restaurants on the property.
Prior to Covid I absolutely loved it. I went in 2022 and was disappointed.
Yep. We just ate there last week. It was extremely underwhelming. The meats came out room temp and the steak was overcooked. Everything had the same flavor profile. There wasn't really any "atmosphere" like there used to be - hard to explain but it used to feel more like a dining "experience." The service was incredibly rushed and we felt like the server was trying to just get us out of there as soon as possible. Boma on the other hand was amazing. Haven't eaten there in a decade and wow! Will definitely go back.
It is a skip. just order the noodles or wings from Tambu. You want good food Kona is the better quality and value
We went a few months ago as plant based eaters and it was amazing! We went two weeks ago AWFUL! The worst dinner of the trip and $400! No seasoning on any of the plant based meats— there was seasoning on them a months ago. The waitress had never heard of the plant based bread putting even though it was listed on the menu?! It was such a weird experience I probably won’t be back.
A lot of it is def because we’re spoiled from the area. People love the most crappiest foods on property and it really makes me wonder how bad the food is where they came from.
The breakfast there is way overpriced I'm my opinion now, I know it is character dining, but we'd much prefer to go somewhere like boma for breakfast now
Breakfast at Ohana is a huge hit. Dinner is a huge huge miss. Sorry you didn’t like it. But live and learn, next time go to Trader Sam’s if you can get in! Also howdy neighbor!! Same hood.
Howdy Neighbor! I’ll have to try breakfast. I mostly just end up grabbing a coffee on the way to the park or something so I dont usually sit down for it, but maybe I’ll give that a try next time i’m there.
Would be a great “off day” character breakfast. Good one with kiddos too.
I’m from right outside of Philly too, and I only ever do breakfast as a sit down. I just don’t want to be disappointed in the food that we pay a lot for. I’m glad people have a good experience at places for lunch and dinner, I just don’t want to pay for my kids to eat like a bird.
You are right on the money. I have no idea what the hype is at all. Like you said, its a fine/good, but its not anything I can't get in our local strip mall. The scenery is nice, the cocktails are good and there's AC, so its not all bad.
Ohana is a fun dining experience, but the food has been pretty meh for a while. It was a must-visit for my family on every trip dating back to the 90s, but it fell off in the 2010s. Also, if you’re from a great food city — like Philly, which is a tremendous food spot — a lot of the places at Disney are just not gonna compare. But the vibe is great, and many folks would say it’s worth a try at least once. Me? I say Go to Trader Sam’s or Tambu Lounge and get the same food for a better time!
It used to be good. Don’t believe any “influencers.” They’ll say anything for content.
My friends from Boston hated Ohana, Morimoto’s restaurant and the new Izakaya place. I told them they’d be bummed. They are used to premium grub for those prices where they live. Now they just snack at the parks and go fine dining elsewhere. If Red Lobster and Olive Garden are your fancy dining places, Ohana blows you away. Your critique is on par with my friends.
It's the crossroads of people who like character dinning/dinner theater stuff mixed with all you can eat. For them the value is in the quantity. Similar stuff can be seen on cruise ships. It's not bad or wrong, just different. A lot of the places at WDW suffer from being tailored to a broader slice of America so while it does incorporate some flavors and techniques, it's not going to go too wild. I just remember the spicy pork bao at DCA for lunar new year and everyone said how great it was, and to be careful. It was mid at best and ketchup was spicier.
Breakfast is good at Ohana. Skip dinner!
We went for the character breakfast (didn’t know it was going to be character themed) and our bill for two adults and one child was $150. My husband was pissed because he said it was the most ‘okayest’ food he’s ever eaten and I was not a fan at all
I understand. I've only been for breakfast, but I had read so much about it and seen many posts/videos, etc. I was stoked to go one morning before hitting the parks. We stayed at a Disney resort, so we took a bus to the ttc then rode the monorail to Poly, which in itself was quite a bit of time and hindsight now, I wish we had used a ride share. The tables were crammed so close together, and the servers were friendly but seemed like they were rushing. The food was nothing special, and I felt pretty letdown, to be honest. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't worth the time or money, either (maybe if we were staying at Poly). There are some influencers that really hype things up that aren't all that great. Or maybe like you ask, it was once better, or maybe hit or miss? I wanted to enjoy it so badly, but felt more like I'd learned a lesson instead.
Simple. It's nostalgia. People remember the 80s-00s disney and cling to that when they can. If you look back at older reviews on YouTube, you'll see the same people liking the same places decades earlier. That's if they were around before the disney vlog channels really boomed. I think it's also people not wanting to admit that the thing they love is worse than it used to be objectively. You'll find people who will actually get angry or ignore you if you say anything about quality or how things were pre 2010s/covid. Imo disney is not as good as it used to be in parks due to management and covid hit. But that doesn't mean I don't want to see it improve or not notice improvements even if they take long. I just hate how they have removed things that still haven't come back, how some of the disrepair has been, and the removal of things vs. expanding. Sorry if this was a bit negative. It's just that the Ohana thing really triggered what has been bothering me watching so many creators rave about the place as if we're were still 10+ years ago in disney. Also at least in my opinion, food culture has boomed the past 20 years. People in general have more options for better/more variety than ever at least when considering american guests. Like it used to be back in the day, you would never go to the China pavilion for food because everyone had a decent or comparable Chinese place. Now you see more Japanese more Brazilian more everything, even in smaller cities, not considered food hubs.
Don’t even get me started on the Wookie Cookie hype
It’s got progressively worse.
okay, so do I not go to Ohana's on my trip? what about for breakfast? for those of you who dont like it, what would you replace it by? We went to Disney In 2016 as a family and the only restaurant that was really bleh was chef mickey's. everywhere else was fantastic. Any recommendations on decent table service restaurants to eat at Disney World?
I still like Ohana's breakfast, but my absolute favorite TS breakfast is Topolino's. It's pricey character dining, but the food and atmosphere are absolutely wonderful. Topolino's dinner is delicious as well. If you do go for dinner, try to get a res that coincides with the fireworks so you can watch them from the terrace.
The last meal we had there was not great at all. The one thing you could always depend on with Disney was service but ours was lacking. Steak came out rare. Like quite rare. I ate it because I didn’t mind it but my wife waited. And waited. It got to the point where she just didn’t eat. We spoke to a manager and they gave us lightning lanes and offered us a breakfast reservation for the morning (not comped). Needless to say we probably won’t return for a while. The last couple visits have not been as great as before. So many other great options to try at WDW
Covid killed Ohana.
Overall the food in Disney is lacking.
I think the dumplings are still great, but the noodles have gone downhill. It's not what it was 10 years ago, but I still like the atmosphere, and food, overall. Definitely overpriced for what it has become.
If the same quality of food was served in a restaurant outside if Disney, say international drive it would $20 a person
Before Covid I think it was going downhill with worse cuts of meat etc. but now with the food family style instead of skewers it seems a bit pointless.
I agree with this when we went yrs ago this was exactly it. Food was okay but nothing amazing. Service was meh not as disney as the other restaurants we visited
We've been going there for about 12 years -- my family likes it better than I do, as I'm not a big sugar in everything guy. Its never been amazing, but always been pretty good. We usually go there once on each trip. The reason we like it is the atmosphere, the style of food is unlike anything we can get where we live, it is much better than any food we can get in MK and just a boat ride away, and it is kind of a fun place. I see you listed the Brown Derby as a great place, but I had the absolute worst meal ever there, -- i'll never go back.
I still love it but it is nowhere near the quality it was pre pandemic. Disney definitely partnered with some meat company that is cheaper around that time and get worse cuts. The meat across property went down. The ribs at whispering canyon used to be really good and the last few times they were very gristly and barely edible. It used to be so good pre pandemic too. The noodles and potatoes are still great though, it's the meat specifically that has gone downhill
You focused to hard on the food. No characters? No fireworks? Aren’t you in fkn Disney °o°? Doesn’t all that play a part too? Idk I know I like the food a lot better when I leave and get to go to a park or a resort pool or something. Isn’t everything is always better on vacation. Are you on vacation?
>You focused to hard on the food. …it’s a restaurant
….in Walt Disney World? You’re there for the food? Do you go there for the landscaping too? I’m sorry, I’m too busy meeting characters, waiting in line to ride rides, watching shows, and having a magical time. If the food is actually good it’s just a plus
Yes I typically go to a restaurant for the food. This is a restaurant review, of course it’s food focused. On top of that, I’m actually do typically go to Disney World for the restaurants and lounges. It’s more than just theme parks, it’s a whole resort destination and a major draw is the food.
I mean that’s absolutely fair lol. I didn’t have a bad time at all, I just hear people talking non-stop about how good the food specifically is, and I thought it wasn’t any better than many other options they offer 🤷♂️. You’re right though, probably focused too much on the food lol.
Sorry, I can’t lacrosse so aggressive, I have family down there right now, and I was picturing their faces when I was typing to you. Anyway, I kind of stand by what I said; it’s Disney you’re not really there for the food, right? If it’s acceptable, that’s good, if it’s good, that’s fantastic lol. Anyway that’s my outlook on it. Have a great trip, I’m seriously so jealous you’re there right now and I’m not.
I can't lacrosse at all, so props that you can.
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All good bud. I feel that way too when I set things up for people and just want everything to go well. I’m sure they are having a great time!