Family-Style Dinner Review: ‘Ohana Means ???
‘Ohana is one of Walt Disney World’s most popular restaurants, with a reputation that precedes it built up over decades. It has been a fan-favorite since long before we got engaged on the beach of the Polynesian Resort ages ago. We always sort of assumed future generations would still be vying for those coveted ‘Ohana ADRs when we’re old and subsisting on a diet of bread pudding.
As one of Disney’s most beloved restaurants, it was thus surprising that ‘Ohana did not return last June when the Polynesian Villas & Bungalows reopened. Then fall came and went. So did the popular Christmas season. Easter brought with it spring break and pent-up demand, but still nothing.
All the while, we heard from countless Walt Disney World fans wishing upon a star for the return of ‘Ohana. If other all-you-can-eat meals could be modified to facilitate their return, why not ‘Ohana?! Finally, their wishes were answered, and with them, one finger of monkey paw curled…
Dinner at ‘Ohana runs from 3:30 pm until 10:00 p.m. nightly, and is a family-style all-you-can-eat meal. It’s priced at $55 per adult and $33 per child, which makes it the most expensive modified meal of this sort without characters. Fortunately, ‘Ohana accepts the Tables in Wonderland card for a 20% discount (there can’t be many of those still in circulation) as well as Disney Vacation Club or Annual Passholder cards for 10% off.
In normal times, ‘Ohana participates in the Disney Dining Plan as a 1-credit table service restaurant for dinner, which has historically made it among the Best Uses of Table Service Credits. Of course, that’s temporarily suspended right now, but presumably that info will be relevant again in the not-too-distant future.
Most guests will be seated in the main dining room at ‘Ohana, which is filled tiki statues holding torches, island animals, other themed decor, plus an abundance of authentic Polynesian patterns and textures. During normal times, this area would be raucous rather than serene, with fun and games for kids.
Off to the side of this room is the open kitchen where the meats served at ‘Ohana are grilled. The center of the room features a vaulted thatched roof, while tables around the perimeter offer exceptional views of the lush hotel grounds, Seven Seas Lagoon, and even Cinderella Castle in the distance–but we’ll come back to this. For now, let’s cut to the chase–the cuisine served for dinner at ‘Ohana…
First up is the Mixed Greens Salad.
Our salad had a couple pieces of almond brittle on top, which contrasted with its vinaigrette dressing. Otherwise, this was a very ordinary and unremarkable salad.
Next, ‘Ohana Coconut-Papaya Scones and Cheddar-Bacon Biscuits with Honey Butter.
These were mostly fantastic. A great savory and sweet combo, with both having a crisp exterior giving way to warm and doughy centers. The cheddar bacon biscuits were dense and heavy, and nicely offset by the honey butter. We really enjoyed both, but I’d give the edge to the coconut scones (which is really a misnomer–they’re more like rolls). My only minor quibble with the scones is that some bites were surprisingly salty.
Continuing to the starters, we have the Pork Dumplings Tossed in Garlic-Chili Sauce.
These are fantastic, a minor twist on the dumplings previously served for dinner at ‘Ohana. They feature a crispness on the outside and are tender and meaty on the inside. Perfect texture, flavor, abundant filling, and the right amount of sauce. So far, so good!
The other starter for dinner at ‘Ohana is the Honey-Coriander Chicken Wings.
Prior to “noodlegate,” if you had asked me what the most iconic dish at ‘Ohana is/was, I would’ve guessed these wings. They are/were my favorite thing served at ‘Ohana, and are just as delicious as ever. The skin is crisp and the wings are perfectly-glazed. Underneath that, the meat is tender, juicy, and most. These are perfection. At this point of the meal, we started talking about how maybe the outrage over the changes at ‘Ohana was an overreaction.
Then came the main courses. Here’s where almost everything changes as compared to the old ‘Ohana.
We’ll start with the Island Shrimp Casserole with Herbed Breadcrumbs. This received the most raised eyebrows when the menu was announced, for obvious reasons. Admittedly, a small part of me hoped it’d be a surprise favorite. I have a soft spot for seafood casserole–one of my favorite guilty pleasures at Tokyo Disneyland’s Splash Mountain Restaurant is the Seafood Doria.
Our server referred to this as a stew when we were first seated, which was initially confusing as I thought it was a casserole. Upon digging into it, I understood why–the “casserole” had the consistency of soup or stew. I tried to make the most of this by focusing on the crispy and cheesy top layer plus the hearty shrimp underneath, but it was an abomination.
They’re obviously still tweaking the preparation–ours looked very different from the shrimp casserole served to guests who had dined here reopening week and ours had zero breadcrumbs. This is a colossal misfire, and I cannot imagine it’ll stick around the menu for too long. Even if you’re into seafood comfort foods, this is just not good. I’m confident I could make a better casserole than this, and the only kitchen appliance I’m allowed to use is the microwave.
There’s no such thing as “so bad it’s good” food, but there is “so bad it’s memorable” food. We’ll quickly forget the roasted chicken and sausage over time, but will undoubtedly remember whatever this was forever. Years from now, we’ll still have a good laugh over its atrociousness. If this stays on the menu, it’s only a matter of time before those rascally youngsters on TikTok turn eating the whole thing into a new “Beverly Challenge.” So I guess if making memorable or viral cuisine was the goal, mission accomplished with this shrimp casserole?
Alongside our shrimp stew/casserole came a skillet with Roasted Eight-way Chicken with Polynesian-inspired Chimichurri Sauce, Kielbasa Sausage, ‘Ohana Noodles, and Roasted Broccolini.
Let’s start with the meats. The sausage was fine, but nothing special–not the kind of thing I’d expect from ‘Ohana, either. The chicken tasted like it had been slow-cooked under a heat lamp with a mix of spices that did it no favors. This could’ve been poor luck on our part, as we’ve had pretty much this exact chicken at every other newly-modified family-style meal, and it’s generally passable.
Of course, there are also those beloved ‘Ohana noodles.
When dining at Walt Disney World all you can eat meals, I channel my inner Joey: here’s where I win all my money back! Which is to say, I usually eschew the cheaper filler in favor of high-dollar meats. Consequently, I had only ever tried a small portion of these noodles prior to this meal.
After giving them a full and thorough taste-testing session for the sake of research, I see what some of the hubbub is about. These noodles have a nice balance of savory and sweet flavors, with a good elastic consistency, chewiness, and thickness.
Another main course served in a separate skillet is the Woodfire-grilled Teriyaki Beef.
This beef used to be served on a skewer, and still has the same general flavor. The teriyaki sauce is sweet and works well with the smokey flavor of the beef. Most of our meat was cooked medium rare, so that was also good. However, it was all very tough and the chunks were unnecessarily huge. While the preparation was delicious, this meat was definitely a quality downgrade as compared to the beef at the other family style meals.
Here’s a plate of everything (minus the seafood stew/casserole, which I sampled directly from its skillet since it was so runny).
Although there were some significant misfires, we loved the wings, dumplings, and noodles, focusing almost entirely on those and having a delicious meal as a result. It did make us uncomfortable requesting refills of that trio while nearly-full portions of everything else went to waste. I know that’s the nature of family style feasts, but we still don’t like it–I guess at least Walt Disney World has a robust food waste program.
Finally, we have the famed ‘Ohana Bread Pudding served a la mode with homemade caramel sauce.
I can’t quite put my finger on what, but something has changed about the preparation and consistency of this bread pudding. Nevertheless, it’s still one of the better desserts at Walt Disney World. I would still give a slight edge to the twist on this dish at Sebastian’s Bistro, but this one is a 10/10. A great way to end dinner at ‘Ohana on a high note.
To emphasize those highs and minimize the lows, we’d request no shrimp casserole, teriyaki beef, roasted chicken, or sausage from the outset if/when we do dinner at ‘Ohana in the future. Obviously, that’s a lot of high-dollar dishes to be skipping, begging the question of whether ‘Ohana is even worth doing at such a high price point.
However, there is more to the ‘Ohana dinner experience than the food.
The live music and Polynesian atmosphere was so relaxing, and a huge change of pace from the usual vibe at ‘Ohana. Normally, I’d describe ‘Ohana as “controlled chaos,” which is no knock. After all, the name means family, and this restaurant radiates joy and fun. It’s usually like a convivial cookout among friends and extended family–it just works.
Now, ‘Ohana borders on being romantic.
Between the roaming live musician performing songs on the ukulele and the fact that around 25% to 33% of the tables at ‘Ohana were filled during our dinner (common right now due to staffing shortages), the scene was downright serene.
As the night at ‘Ohana wore on, we were able to enjoy day transition to night, with what felt like a “private” performance of Electrical Water Pageant outside the window.
We love watching Electrical Water Pageant and have seen it almost a dozen times since its return. However, this was the first time watching from an air-conditioned, bug-less setting. I could get used to that!
Not too long after Electrical Water Pageant, it was time for Happily Ever After.
I wish I would’ve brought my tripod, as we had a perfect view of the fireworks. The music being piped in also made ‘Ohana the perfect place to watch the Magic Kingdom nighttime spectacular. During the fireworks, almost everyone in the main dining room turned their chair to face the windows.
As intimated elsewhere, we’ve thought ‘Ohana was slightly overrated and had been resting on its laurels for at least a few years. While I’ve held that view in the back of my mind for some time, I could never quite articulate why. The fact is, our first dinner at ‘Ohana as adults was on our honeymoon. It was one of the most memorable meals of the trip, and everything about the experience was perfect.
Revisiting familiar favorites at Walt Disney World is as much about chasing nostalgia as the thing itself, but you can’t go home again. There’s that rush of fond memories and sentimentality, but it’s never quite the same. I didn’t know if it was ‘Ohana that had changed, or our tastes. Maybe the fan-favorite restaurant was as good as ever, but could just never live up to the idealized version of it that lived in our minds. Conversely, maybe we were still romanticizing ‘Ohana and it was amidst its Le Cellier-like fall.
Or maybe it was a little of both. The new menu, modified meal–whatever you want to call it–is an unequivocal downgrade. Of that much, I’m certain. We went in skeptical, but hoping it would exceed our expectations and be something special.
The food was not, yet ‘Ohana still is. We’ve now been married for some time, and have learned that strolls down memory lane can be even more satisfying when they take delightful detours. Just being there brought back a flood of emotion and fondness we have for ‘Ohana. Seeing Electrical Water Pageant and the fireworks was downright saccharine. And those schmaltzy memories are now forever inextricably intertwined with a “WTF casserole” that will always make us laugh.
So, as much as I want to tell you that there are easily two-dozen superior restaurants at Walt Disney World and the current cuisine is an overpriced mixed bag, there’s more to it than that. I know this will sound cheesy, but there’s a certain understated wisdom in ‘Ohana meaning family. At its core, ‘Ohana has always been about the bigger-picture experience as much as the food. Even as we’re in no rush to return on the basis of the menu, those memories are a powerful pull.
Perhaps you likewise have ‘Ohana nostalgia that you’re eager to revisit. Maybe you don’t, but want to forge your own. If you’re looking for the bottom line and the cuisine is all that matters, skip ‘Ohana. Even with a few standout dishes, it’s not worth the money. But like so many things in life, the full story is a little more complicated than that. You’ll have to decide for yourself what ‘Ohana means to you.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Does the modified family-style meal served for dinner at ‘Ohana sound like it would be worth the money to you? Thoughts on that seafood “casserole,” the beloved noodles, wings, or anything else on the menu? Have you done ‘Ohana at Walt Disney World in the past? Do you agree or disagree that food is only part of the overall experience at ‘Ohana? Will you be booking an Advance Dining Reservation for dinner here? What did you think? Worthwhile for the food, atmosphere, or for both? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Other thoughts or concerns? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Had dinner and breakfast at O’hana in May 2012. Breakfast was okay but dinner was terrible, I’m not sure why people like it.
Doesn’t sound as if ‘Ohana is worth the cost anymore. I left Le Cellier behind when they became a signature restaurant. Didn’t seem worth the money. And frankly, the steaks at Kona were better.
Whoever is making decisions for Disney is doing a poor job. I understand being short staffed, but that shouldn’t affect cost and quality. Never thought I’d be going off property for dinner. Also never thought I’d be renting a DVC villa. However, they are roomy and come with a full kitchen, which we feel is necessary because of the food situation. I refuse to pay Disney prices for lackluster meals.
Six of us go to WDW twice a year. We usually rent two moderate hotel rooms but that didn’t work out well for our April trip. The fridge is really small and doesn’t hold much, so we upgraded to a DVC villa for our September trip. We will have a few meals in the full kitchen, whether take out or prepared by us.
Kind of disappointed in how Disney is treating their loyal guests. You’re getting a bad rep Disney. I defend you, but it has become increasingly difficult when you keep making dumb decisions. You’re beginning to remind me of Ebernezer Scrooge.
Now I know for a fact that the casserole is terrible. Tom tries his best to find the good in anything Disney and this item has defeated him. They should have just kept the menu and raised the price because people will accept an increase in price but a change in experience, for the worse, and people will just forget about the resurant. Hopefully in time they just bring the old menu back and raise the price and let people complain about Disney price increases l, which the entire Disney community is a pro at.
I understand what Jason is saying the old menu was so good with the skewers steak, chicken, pork, shrimp, noodles and the bread was wonderful. They need to bring that menu back.
Our first and only stay at the Poly was the end of June when we had had use’m or lose’m DVC points that we were not about to flush! Otherwise we’d never go to WDW in the summer! The food was certainly lacking and was a disappointment at Captain Cook’s and Kona Kafe. Ohana hadn’t yet opened and even if it had , we’d have taken a pass. I hope food quality and availability improves soon overall, although we did have wonderful dining at Topolino’s and California Grill during our stay. For the love of God, please reopen afternoon tea at the Garden View Lounge!
Your review was hilarious and about what I expected given our recent stay.
Ohana USED to be our favorite dining experience. We would book it at least twice each trip. Now, from what I’ve heard both here and from other guests, we may not go at all anymore, unless some changes occur. For some reason, Disney just doesn’t seem to get “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”
Trying to shorten dining list before our trip 11/2021. O’Hana and other modified buffets are in the wait and see category. Haven’t heard much favorable news of other modified buffets from recent visitors. Hope everything gets back to normal or will just cancel.
We have eaten and Ohana for breakfast and dinner and would NEVER go back. Breakfast was tolerable because of the character interaction, dinner was awful on every level. Service was terrible (before COVID), food was no better than the food court in a mall and not as hot. Noodles tasted like they dumped a cup of salt in them and the meat skewers were so dry.
I struggle to understand why this is such a fan favorite….
Hi Tom: me and my daughter are going in October our first visit since December of 19. Last time I was there I couldn’t get a ADR for storybook dining has there been any word on when it might reopen?
I have not heard anything, but I’m hoping a lot more returns between now and October! Artist Point is a wildcard because of the face characters, though.
sorry, meant to say “the PRICE nearly doubled.”
i remember the days of the incredible Lazy Susan of rice, noodles, wings, and dumplings that came with your bread and salad, followed by a gorgeous parade of steak, chicken, pork, and shrimp from the grill slid down skewers to your delight, all you can eat.
ive now witnssed what has to be at least 8 downgrades from that original experience, while the literally doubled.
this is very disappointing to watch this restaurant slowly trend downward as the public is able to slowly digest it, and the new comers that actually dont have the original frame of reference.
im gonna lean in on enjoying meals at other WDW restaurants, there are so many to try anyways.
I’m convinced this new menu will be “undone” once pent-up demand fizzles out, most restaurants reopen, and the operational ones move to full capacity.
‘Ohana is still a hard to get ADR right now, but there’s way less supply/capacity than demand. I cannot imagine its popularity keeps up once that balance normalizes.
I am SOOOO deeply saddened by the menu changes at Ohana. It has for years been our favorite dinner dining spot, so much so that we try booking on the evening of arrival, another time during mid-week, and on our last day – yes, we’re a bit obsessed. I tried to go in with an open mind, but after our recent visit, I was so disappointed. Everything felt wrong; I was NOT impressed with the food in the least bit (okay the chicken wings were good) and we left more food than we ate. The level of food preparation and taste does not warrant the price increase either. Sadly, Ohana is a thing of the past for us…so so sad. 🙁 Before I get blasted, this is simply my opinion.
In marriage, every once in a while, you need a “WTF” casserole 🙂
Every time I cook, we are eating “WTF food.” 😉
Have you done a “best places to dine since the reopening” or some such article? I’m hitting WDW in January, and Ohana was on our list … now …. not so sure. If we’re going to spend the money, we want the best dinner experience we can get.
Good idea for a post–I’ll try to put something together in the coming months. Might wait until October to give things a chance to properly settle into place, though.
Tom, with the current state of affairs at Disney World, what would be your top 7 ADRs right now? Our trip is still a bit out, and we’re hoping the dining plan will be in place by then. But I want to be ready with our ADR choices!
That’s really difficult because it depends upon preferences, ages, etc.
My current #1 is Topolino’s Terrace. While I prefer dinner, even the modified character meal is very solid (albeit pricey).
Reviews: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/topolinos-terrace-modified-character-meal-review/
https://www.disneytouristblog.com/topolinos-terrace-flavors-riviera-resort-restaurant-dinner-review/
I always enjoy reading your reviews but this one had me smiling almost the entire time. It seems like you really wanted to be able to write an amazing review but couldn’t so you kept it lighthearted and hysterically amazing.
We’ve been to ‘Ohana twice. Once about 8 years ago and once within a year or two of that. The first time we absolutely loved it and it seemed like we’d go back yearly if we could snag an ADR. After our second visit we haven’t been back. There’s no specific reason I can pinpoint, though. We all enjoyed our meal but it just didn’t have the initial ‘wow factor’ that we remembered. For our December stay at Poly, we discussed possible dining choices a week or so ago and already decided to skip ‘Ohana and try out Kona if we decided to eat on property. After reading your review I am so happy that we already made that decision.
Oh, and funny that you mentioned Le Cellier because we had a similar situation as ‘Ohana. Ate here about 3 years ago and couldn’t say enough good things about it. The following year we decided to celebrate my mom’s 70th birthday here and left feeling full but not needing to return for a few years. In Le Cellier’s defense, it was our final night of the Disney leg (leg 2 of 3) of our vacation so we were feeling a bit tired. We’ll return but, since we seem to go to DW yearly, we like to rotate restaurants and also try at least one or two new ones.
Every restaurant can have an off night, but it’s a fairly common phenomenon for Walt Disney World restaurants that are incredibly popular and book up with ease to become “victims of their own success.”
Costs are cut to improve margins, and bookings don’t decrease despite that–so the process repeats itself. Eventually, ADRs do take a hit–it just takes time for word of mouth to spread. Prior to the closure of Walt Disney World, Le Cellier was much easier to book than it was several years ago.
Next time my kids ask me what’s for dinner, I’m definitely telling them “WTF Casserole”
“WTF Casserole. It’s What’s for Dinner.”
I think I could be a modern day Don Draper. 😉
I cant get a reservation for dinner even though I am staying at the resort. Is there a way around this?
Just keep checking for ADRs and try Walk-Up Waitlist during your stay. There’s no availability set aside for guests of the Poly.
I’m curious…The dining room appears to be about 20% full at prime dining hours, based on the fireworks. This was probably in the last couple of weeks, yet I’m certain that if I attempted to get a reservation it would have shown no availability. I get it that staffing is preventing a full house, but it seems like they should operate at least at 50% or not open at all.
I’ll actually defend Walt Disney World on this one. They could’ve reopened these restaurants, seated every (or almost every) table, and let the service really suffer–and they have not done that.
Instead, Disney is reopening some of these restaurants at 25-33% capacity and giving College Program participants on the job training. They will, presumably, start filling more tables over time as the staff gets more experience. Definitely better than “trial by fire” IMO. Also better than staying closed–serving some guests is better than none at all, and they’ve gotta start somewhere.
Ohana was an ADR years ago is wake up to make, I would check frantically the months, weeks and days leading up to our trip if I couldn’t get one. Unfortunately, over the years the quality and service has declined. We do love kona cafe though but it will be a while before we fuss over and ohana ADR again.