Goodbye 'Ohana

[Jadyreen1282]

If you ask for bacon, they will get it for you.

Now I really can't wait!

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

We just ate here last night. Really disappointed! was one of our favs but... service slow and inattentive, had to wait forever for the skewers of meat/shrimp to come out, could no longer request window seat at check in even if willing to wait, bread was cold and almost hard vs the normal soft/warm(asked for fresh but was same), really miss the lovely lady who used to interact with guests( one poor attempt for coconut race was all that was done) probably will not be returning for the price it costs # sad face

My DH and I had dinner here last year and what stuck out to me was the kids activities
My kids had so much fun with the hoola hoops and coconut races
Hooting and hollering and being kids

Now it seems its a who can be more polite contest. I can remember the woman trying to conduct the coconut races ,
stay in your lane, take your turn, be mindful of the person near you
What?
what kind of race is that?
Im just happy my kids were little at disney when they were
so much has changed

 

[helenasue]

I'm so surprised to read this! My husband and I are locals and we go pretty frequently. We think it's great! I'm allergic to pineapple and they've always been incredibly accommodating.

For those of you who feel rushed, just take the meal at your own pace. Many people get cranky and impatient, so they're probably trying to err on the side and being too quick. You can say, "Oh, we're not ready for that yet! We just got our appetizers." Let your server know you're not in a hurry and I'm sure they'll probably be relieved to slow down the pace for you.

 

[freshmanjs]

Like many have said they can't win because its either to slow or too fast for people. It sucks that you had a bad experience though.

Lol. This is like if you drop your kid off at school an hour early some days and an hour late other days. kid says "I wish you'd just drop me off on time." Then you say "I just can't win with you. I'm either too early or too late"

 

[jarestel]

It's wonderful that a few posters on this thread have always enjoyed their experiences at Ohana but I don't get the pretzel logic that declares if a guest doesn't have a great experience at Ohana then somehow it's the guest's fault. It's working a little bit too hard to explain away the problems, IMO.

 

[Rich M]

It's wonderful that a few posters on this thread have always enjoyed their experiences at Ohana but I don't get the pretzel logic that declares if a guest doesn't have a great experience at Ohana then somehow it's the guest's fault. It's working a little bit too hard to explain away the problems, IMO.

I am not sure why anybody would blame a guest for there interpretation of a bad experience but to blame your bad experience on them rushing you and you not speaking up and telling them you don't want any yet and to please come back later is beyond me. If your bad experience was bad food then you shouldn't return because that is ultimately the reason your there.

 

[Roxyfire]

I am not sure why anybody would blame a guest for there interpretation of a bad experience but to blame your bad experience on them rushing you and you not speaking up and telling them you don't want any yet and to please come back later is beyond me. If your bad experience was bad food then you shouldn't return because that is ultimately the reason your there.

Agreed, people have expectations of waitstaff to read minds or know what their family wants without prior warning. They can't just automatically assume you want your food paced out slower because the next table over is wondering why it's taking so long to get steak to go with their sides. Other issues are more telling, such as drink or side refills. That, I can totally get. Often times when dining out as a party of two (one child, one parent) we get ignored for larger tables because the tip seems lower. But I'm happy to say, each time we've gone to WDW restaurants they take care of us very well. The last 3 times we've gone to 'Ohana I've seen a manager roaming about asking people if everything is okay and they're enjoying things. Of course, we've only gone earlier on in the evening, but I would not hesitate to tell the truth if I were having a bad experience. Thankfully I've only had good things to say and don't mind the cost and food selection, it's on par with our local alternatives, plus lower sales tax to boot!

 

[soccermom54]

Just back from a wonderful weekend at WDW for DH's birthday. He chose Ohana's for his birthday dinner on Saturday. Everything was just amazing. The service, the food, the table by the window with a castle view, the birthday cupcake they gave my husband, everything was just delicious and perfect. We never felt rushed, the service was attentive and the food was just delicious! We have been dining at Ohana's for years; back when the dessert was pineapple with dipping caramel. I was very concerned reading some of the recent reviews and VERY relieved that our experience was great as it has always been. The only downer was the extremely slow bus service from the Dolphin to MK. Fortunately we had plenty of time to get to the Poly. After this experience, we mulled over if we should have taken the boat to The Studios and then the bus to the Poly. But everything turned out fine and Ohana's is still on our list of wonderful WDW restaurants

 

[freshmanjs]

Agreed, people have expectations of waitstaff to read minds or know what their family wants without prior warning. They can't just automatically assume you want your food paced out slower because the next table over is wondering why it's taking so long to get steak to go with their sides. Other issues are more telling, such as drink or side refills. T

You seem to be assuming that everyone is getting the same service and some people like it while other people don't. That is wrong. What's happening is that different people are getting wildly different service. It's very inconsistent.

 

[AussieNSW]

We recently had breakfast here 14th July. My teenagers wanted to go here because the last time we came about 1year ago they loved it. This time it’s was a different story. Service was poor and the food was Luke warm. Finally got to see one character after mentioning how long we had been there to a staff member, without seeing anybody. The staff seemed to be being hurried along to get people in and out even if they hadn’t seen any characters.
We did mention to someone upon leaving.
I know it’s a business and the main aim is profit but I can’t believe how much it has changed.

This experience made me very nervous about our next character breakfast but I need not have worried. Tucker’s house was brilliant we enjoyed the food, character intaction and the staff.

 

[Cramden]

I think it's silly to dismiss other peoples opinions because your's might be different. Ohana seems to be as if not more polarizing than any other restaurant at Disney. My experience was solidly mediocre and I see no reason to return but that's just me. If you've been and you love it awesome and I wouldn't think to challenge you on it.

All that said if you've eaten there and had bad service it's crazy for someone to suggest the service was bad because you failed to tell your server how you wanted to be waited on. I'm pretty sure those not satisfied have eaten at other restaurants and are capable of judging good or bad service.

 

[Roxyfire]

You seem to be assuming that everyone is getting the same service and some people like it while other people don't. That is wrong. What's happening is that different people are getting wildly different service. It's very inconsistent.

Well a lot of people are complaining about getting food too fast so that's what I'm saying, you can say "no thanks" or "not yet" or "come back in a few minutes" when the meats come around.

 

[freshmanjs]

Well a lot of people are complaining about getting food too fast so that's what I'm saying, you can say "no thanks" or "not yet" or "come back in a few minutes" when the meats come around.

It's not just about the meats. Sometimes you sit down and apps are served before drinks have even arrived (which sometimes takes way too long).

 

[Nancyg56]

I am not sure why anybody would blame a guest for there interpretation of a bad experience but to blame your bad experience on them rushing you and you not speaking up and telling them you don't want any yet and to please come back later is beyond me. If your bad experience was bad food then you shouldn't return because that is ultimately the reason your there.

Exactly. I am capable of controlling the pace of a meal, however I cannot cook that food and then serve it to be sure it arrived hot and fresh. I also should not have to tell a server how to tend a table. I waited tables for years, from breakfast diner to formal dinner service. I know when a server is overworked and is pressured to turn tables, and I am not appreciative of paying that kind of money to feel that sense of urgency to dine and run.

You seem to be assuming that everyone is getting the same service and some people like it while other people don't. That is wrong. What's happening is that different people are getting wildly different service. It's very inconsistent.

True. The stories on this thread are proof of that. The inconsistancy is not a rare occurance, it is rampant.

Well a lot of people are complaining about getting food too fast so that's what I'm saying, you can say "no thanks" or "not yet" or "come back in a few minutes" when the meats come around.

Of course we can say that we want the skewers later. What about the rate the starters are dropped off? Yes, you can ask the server to take it away and begins again, but is that how you care to dine on vacation? WHen a meal becomes an effort, I might as well cook it myself. So I choose to dine elsewhere. My family is not a once and done. We have been dinign at 'Ohana for well over ten years. If I say I have had enough it is not because I had one bad night.

 

[Roxyfire]

It's not just about the meats. Sometimes you sit down and apps are served before drinks have even arrived (which sometimes takes way too long).

I agree, that is a problem. I hadn't noticed that particular complaint but that's definitely not good. My experience was that getting alcoholic drinks do take a while. Tambu is probably not a big enough space and I do think they're expanding it, but it shouldn't have taken this long. I probably wouldn't order anything with alcohol in the future anyway but I did want to try the lapu lapu once. It was good but not life-changing (edited, my text got cut off)

Of course we can say that we want the skewers later. What about the rate the starters are dropped off? Yes, you can ask the server to take it away and begins again, but is that how you care to dine on vacation? WHen a meal becomes an effort, I might as well cook it myself. So I choose to dine elsewhere. My family is not a once and done. We have been dinign at 'Ohana for well over ten years. If I say I have had enough it is not because I had one bad night.

I appreciate you responding with your experience over the years. I do agree with many posters here and think that management is pushing them to move faster. People on this forum for a long time built it up to be the holy grail of dining and it's difficult to book as well. Everything points to it being a flawless experience and that often is not the case (honestly no matter where you go) but especially at ~$50 per adult it should be satisfying for all courses. But I also think no matter what they do, people will complain. Without looking at the processes management has put into place. there's no way to know what really is the case. I would not be surprised at all if they stepped it up to a 2-credit meal now that BoG Dinner is one. My gut instinct is that it's still one of the "great values" of a TS credit and I would bet nearly anything that they process far more dining credits than actual credit cards or room charges.

 

[Karen46]

Thanks for all the advise about the pace of the meals. We have Ohana's planned before a MNSSHP and will speak to our server so we have an enjoyable meal. Can't wait to report back about our experience.

 

[Canesfan3234]

Thanks for all the advise about the pace of the meals. We have Ohana's planned before a MNSSHP and will speak to our server so we have an enjoyable meal. Can't wait to report back about our experience.

THIS. I get that people have bad experiences, but I have noticed that many times the person who is upset didn't establish control of their meal. I'm not saying it is their fault, but this is disney. They aim to please. If the food is coming to fast, ask your server to slow down. Let them know that you want to have a leisurely meal. They will let you sit their for 3+ hours if you want. It's up to you.

Don't be afraid to speak up for yourself and tell your server how you want your meal to go.

 

[JW9DVC]

the replacement was the fault of some crazy bread pudding lover!! Last time I went, I literally just got a bowl of ice cream instead of the blegh bread pudding....



I like it when I can remember the good ol days

Are you saying they removed the bread pudding?

 

[JW9DVC]

For all of those that felt rushed by the servers and weren’t happy. Did you all leave an 15-20% gratuity?

If more started doing less to none, when I don’t get a refill on a drink or being offered dessert 10 minutes after my food. On the tip line, write an actual tip or feedback. Felt rushed, no drink refill, not attentive.

 

[Nina Y.]

I've always wanted to go to Ohana, it's a shame that multiple people have felt so rushed. I will have to reconsider my dining options for my January trip. Thank you everyone for your opinions.