Questions about Ohana

[Frozen2014]

Hi,

Oct will be our first time coming to DW (well, I came as a kid once but that doesn't count). I've posted a few questions about dining (kid friendly, healthy, etc) and Ohana keeps coming up as a suggestion. When we come, our son will be 9 and our daughter will be 5. We will be staying onsite...not at the Polynesian, but will have a car. For some reason, when I look at the menu it doesn't seem overly great..so a few questions

1) Which is better...breakfast or dinner?
2) The posted dinner menu is sparse. Is dinner a buffet too?
3) Is breakfast and/or dinner character meal?
4) What makes it a 'fun' place?

Thanks. I keep overlooking it, but it seems popular so there must be a reason why.

 

[mom21princess]

We love Ohana's it is one of my DD favorite places. I prefer dinner just because I hate to be so full then go to ride rides but that is personal.

It is not buffet but Family style. They bring you a plate of Chicken wings, pot stickers then your noodles and veggies. The fun is they come around to the table and give you meat off the sticks like the typical Brazilian places.

They also have a woman that sings and the kids do a parade and activities like the hula while you eat. The atmosphere is fun the food is good and if you are there at night they pipe in the Wishes music and you can see the fireworks from the window. I feel like its a must do at least once.

 

[davedmaine]

It's like every other restaurant at Disney in that the dining plan has really adversely affected its quality. That being said, it's still one of the best that Disney has to offer.
Kids aren't limited to what's being served to adults. They can get mac n' cheese, burgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese, etc (and as much as they want of any or all).
I find the entertainment to be pretty annoying, particularly the coconut race (especially if you have an aisle seat).

 

[Hopefully]

Breakfast and dinner are very different.
Both are served family style, not buffet - so platters of food are brought to you. Both are All you care to eat meals, so you can ask for more of everything,
Breakfast is a character meal. I believe it is Mickey and Lilo and Stitch. They visit each table. Kids love the interaction. The food is typical breakfast foods, including Mickey waffles.
Dinner is not a character meal. It is a set menu and it also is served Family Style to your table. If the menu you have seen does not appeal to you, it may not be a restaurant you would enjoy.
'OHana is polynesian themed and the entertainment follows this theme. There is a woman with a ukelele who plays and sings various songs. She leads a kids parade around the restaurant and they have coconut races, and I think hula hoops. The kids love it.
The dinner is salad, pot stickers and chicken wings, coconut bread, noodles and stir fried veggies and skewars of shrimp and pork, beef and chicken. Everything is served family style to your table, up to the skewars. Then servers circulate with the skewars offering you some for your plate.
Enjoy

 

[Frozen2014]

Hmmm....ok. My husband eats most anything (except tree nuts as he has an allergy), but I don't eat meat or chicken and my kids are super picky. So...it doesn't sound like this would be a good dinner option.

To clarify...breakfast is also not a buffet?

 

[Pooh2]

Hmmm....ok. My husband eats most anything (except tree nuts as he has an allergy), but I don't eat meat or chicken and my kids are super picky. So...it doesn't sound like this would be a good dinner option.

To clarify...breakfast is also not a buffet?

Breakfast is also family style, they bring the food to your table. Breakfast is a character meal. We enjoyed being served as the characters came to us, more relaxing than trying to time trips to the buffet with the characters coming around. The food was good, though of course a much more limited menu than the buffet.

 

[Frozen2014]

Sorry...so one more question then.

Would we be limited for breakfast if I don't eat meat or chicken and my kids are picky (but they love typical breakfast items like waffles, pancakes, and one will eat eggs...no veggies)

 

[fbb]

It's like every other restaurant at Disney in that the dining plan has really adversely affected its quality.

This is an exaggeration. There are a few restaurants that were terrible before the dining plan and are just as bad now.

 

[sharonabe]

Sorry...so one more question then.

Would we be limited for breakfast if I don't eat meat or chicken and my kids are picky (but they love typical breakfast items like waffles, pancakes, and one will eat eggs...no veggies)

Here is the menu for breakfast:

Basket of sweet breads

Seasonal Fruit Bowl for na Keiki (Kids)

Breakfast platter for the table which includes:
•Hua Paka (Scrambled Eggs) - made fresh, hot & delicious
•Uala Kahiki (Fried Potatoes) - island-style potatoes, caramelized onions & scallions
•Pua'a (Pork) - pork breakfast sausage links & smoked bacon
•Biscuits

Mickey Waffles - brought tableside by a server

Unlimited Juice, Milk and Coffee included
The juice is a blend of passion fruit, orange and guava.

 

[Frozen2014]

Thanks so much. That helps. Am thinking we might be better at Chef Mickey's for breakfast buffet. The menu still seems limited and we'd just be filling up on carbs. Not even sure if my kids know who Lilo and Stitch are (although my 9 year old is a bit old for Mickey )

 

[sharonabe]

Thanks so much. That helps. Am thinking we might be better at Chef Mickey's for breakfast buffet. The menu still seems limited and we'd just be filling up on carbs. Not even sure if my kids know who Lilo and Stitch are (although my 9 year old is a bit old for Mickey )

Are you looking specifically for a buffet? a character buffet? breakfast? outside the parks?

Most reports from CM are the character interaction is spotty (sometimes rushed) and the food isn't all that great.

So what are your priorities for this meal? Variety of food that also tastes good? Characters?

With a little more info, we might be able to point you in a better direction.

 

[Frozen2014]

Thanks sharonabe. Well, looking for good places onsite, either at Magic Kingdom or nearby (or alternatively we'll be visiting Hollywood Studios on another day or downtown Disney).

I guess I had posted since it seemed like lots of people were talking highly of Ohana so I wanted to find more about it. But it doesn't look like it's a great option if you have dietary restrictions or picky eaters.

I guess in general I'm looking for a restaurant that is fun for kids (i.e. different from an everyday restaurant) that has healthy options (not just greasy and fried), non meat options and good food. I have a 9 year old boy and a 5 year old girl so appealing to both.

 

[MamaCoog]

Crystal Palace has a great breakfast buffet but the only characters there are Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore. Not sure if you are looking specifically for Mickey.

We love O'hana for both breakfast and dinner. I didn't think that the breakfast was really carb heavy. I ate mostly fruit! Lots of character interaction and we liked seeing Lilo and Stitch along with Mickey and Pluto.

 

[REWALKER04]

we may have to try this one. we r going in june and there are sooo many choices!

 

[StirlingSilver83]

I second crystal palace. I think it's 1 of the best...helps that my son is completely obsessed with tigger lol...we eat there every time we go down. We've only eaten breakfast there though bc I love walking down Main Street before it's super crazy. It's just nice and peaceful lol

 

[TDC Nala]

Both dinner and breakfast are served family style. No buffet.

Characters at breakfast, none at dinner.

There is a "Hawaiian entertainer" at dinner (up until 9:30) to lead the kids in games, songs and hula lessons.

Kids aren't limited to what's being served to adults. They can get mac n' cheese, burgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese, etc (and as much as they want of any or all).

This is true, but the cost is the same as the family style meal.