'Ohana luck ran out

[Eastern]

As someone who used to serve tables, that is way too many people for one person to tend to. 3 six tops!!? that's 18 people! plus 10 more people!? 28 people to worry about is too much. My god, that poor guy! Either they were horribly understaffed that day, leading to bigger sections, or Disney is staffing less people per shift. That is absolutely insane.

Same here, we would get 2 six tops and a 2 or 4 top, max. He was definitely running, and he had an assistant, but it wasn't working.

 

[Eastern]

I’ve dined there countless times since the 1990’s, and I’ve never been served bad food.

However, I have encountered bad service a few times. And surprisingly, my last two meals there, we got bad drinks. It’s a shame because one thing we’ll spend a lot of money on is good drinks, but after the last two trips, we’ll probably stick to iced tea next time. Those cocktails cost too much to be served bad-tasting, watered down drinks.

We got drinks at the bar before dinner. When I saw one of the drinks, I noticed it was not the right one, and the bartender said, 'oh I thought you meant the other version'. So instead of remaking the drink, he just added some bitters. Very disappointing and I probably should have pushed the issue but it was arrival day and we were tired. We did not order further cocktails.

 

[BDFmom]

We love Ohana both breakfast and dinner. In all our trips we have never had bad service. My biggest complaint is always the wait between check-in and being seated.

 

[YesterDark]

I used to be a waiter in commercial restaurants 15-20 years ago. Service always has a chance to be underwhelming. It's just the luck of the draw, a lot of things can be random issues.

1. You get a waiter that is new to the restaurant.
2. You get a waiter that is having a bad night.
3. You book a night that is overbooked.
4. The kitchen may be understaffed that night due to reasons.
5. You get sat at the wrong moment due to an inexperienced host(ess). I.e. you get sat in a waiter's section the same time as 1 or 2 other tables thus over burdening the waiter. Depending on the waiters experience he or she may not be able to handle this.
6. You put your order in the same time as other large tables thus creating a backlog.

There are plenty of other reasons too.

The problem with Disney Restaurants is that you probably go very few times in your life. It's not like a local restaurant you may go to once or twice a month. You also look forward to it for so long, there is a lot of buildup. So any bad experience (little or big) sticks with you more.

 

[JerseyJanice]

We got drinks at the bar before dinner. When I saw one of the drinks, I noticed it was not the right one, and the bartender said, 'oh I thought you meant the other version'. So instead of remaking the drink, he just added some bitters. Very disappointing and I probably should have pushed the issue but it was arrival day and we were tired. We did not order further cocktails.

The drinks were part of the overall Ohana experience, but they were so bad the last two trips, I think we may skip going there next trip. A shame because it has been a must-do for almost 20 years.

When we ate there last September, my sister-in-law ordered some kind of fancy sounding margarita. What came from the bar tasted like they mixed Rose’s Lime Juice with tequila. It wasn’t even drinkable. My nephew ordered a Manhattan that had a blob of some sort of sauce in it.

Now this trip, we got 5 pineapple shells filled with what tasted store brand punch and zero alcohol.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

It used to be a go-to meal for us too. I didn't mind the wait to be seated because things used to be nice after we got a table. We ate there in December and had a speed dining experience. We tried to get them to slow things down, but it was no use...and if you escalate it, you just make things worse. I mean, no meal feels great after you have to complain and it's pretty much a lost cause when you have to call in mgmt.

 

[Arielfan98]

Scary thought: Within the next few years Tony's somehow becomes better than Ohanas

 

[Fldisneyfamily4321]

Our last ohana meal was in room service at the poly .. so service was not a issue but after years of loving the food I thought it was just blah ... we even got less ( one adult and one child meal ) and while it was plenty of food it was just not good ... felt icky the rest of. The evening and didn’t even finish it .
It was disappointing because it was our last Disney trip for a long time because we decided to let our passes lapse and travel elsewhere..

 

[Haley R]

Our last ohana meal was in room service at the poly .. so service was not a issue but after years of loving the food I thought it was just blah ... we even got less ( one adult and one child meal ) and while it was plenty of food it was just not good ... felt icky the rest of. The evening and didn’t even finish it .
It was disappointing because it was our last Disney trip for a long time because we decided to let our passes lapse and travel elsewhere..

I had some bathroom issues at MK after eating at Ohana. It was not fun sitting on Jungle Cruise. I was just waiting to get off so I could head to the bathroom...

 

[Nancyg56]

I used to be a waiter in commercial restaurants 15-20 years ago. Service always has a chance to be underwhelming. It's just the luck of the draw, a lot of things can be random issues.

1. You get a waiter that is new to the restaurant.
2. You get a waiter that is having a bad night.
3. You book a night that is overbooked.
4. The kitchen may be understaffed that night due to reasons.
5. You get sat at the wrong moment due to an inexperienced host(ess). I.e. you get sat in a waiter's section the same time as 1 or 2 other tables thus over burdening the waiter. Depending on the waiters experience he or she may not be able to handle this.
6. You put your order in the same time as other large tables thus creating a backlog.

There are plenty of other reasons too.

The problem with Disney Restaurants is that you probably go very few times in your life. It's not like a local restaurant you may go to once or twice a month. You also look forward to it for so long, there is a lot of buildup. So any bad experience (little or big) sticks with you more.

I was a server as well, (Back when we were called "waitresses") and therefore I tend to give a pass to restaurants that seem to be having an off night. I also watch to see why, if possibel. The last visit to 'Ohana, and it was or LAST, I observed a manager holding the wall behind us up as he leaned on it for a solid two hours. Yep, we were stuck in that madhouse for over two hours while our poor server did her best to hide from the savages seated next to us. He never once stepped in to assist her, or to at least protect her or us from the bedlam that was ensuing there.

The drinks were horrific, and when we asked to send one back we were told it was supposed to taste like that. Hmmmm,, then please remove it from the bill.

The food was mostly cold, and the meat was dry and stringy.

'Ohana has a lot of up and down reviews, and the negative ones it may be from any one of those concerns you list, however for those of us who had made it a point to visit very trip, and who are okay with an off night to a point, we can see the changes that have taken place over the past several years. This was always a pretty popular restaurant, but it was not an impossible one to book. There was always a bit of a wait, but it never ran as far behind as it is running now. The food was sometimes served in a haphazard manner, however it was never "gross" "cold" or dried out. It seems to me that something internal has changed, and I am willing to bet our farm that it began with overbooking the restaurant to accomodate all those guests clamoring to dine there, which led to the kitchen "prepping" food in advance. Now the line backs up earlier, servers are encouraged to rush the meal, and the kitchen is working the food to have it ready to push.

My dad was a chef. I recognize when meats are prepped in advance, and when food is kept under a light, or warming. Our reality that last night was that our foods was cooked in advance and finished for service, our server was way overworked and undersupported by management, and our drinks were just tossed together by a very busy bar staff. I have had an "off" night at 'Ohana, but never a debacle like that evening.

I had some bathroom issues at MK after eating at Ohana. It was not fun sitting on Jungle Cruise. I was just waiting to get off so I could head to the bathroom...

That happen to one of our party on that fateful last evening. I heard from a few of our crew that they were "ill" however I was not sure if it was the food or just them. I have a cast iron stomach, and I was fine.

 

[Huff]

I've had good and bad service at EVERY Disney restaurant we've dined at over the years. I wouldn't single out Ohana. I've had bad service there 10 years ago and excellent service last year. The top restaurants many rave about have been some of our worst service wise. It happens at any restaurant at any given time. Luck of the draw.

 

[Haley R]

I was a server as well, (Back when we were called "waitresses") and therefore I tend to give a pass to restaurants that seem to be having an off night. I also watch to see why, if possibel. The last visit to 'Ohana, and it was or LAST, I observed a manager holding the wall behind us up as he leaned on it for a solid two hours. Yep, we were stuck in that madhouse for over two hours while our poor server did her best to hide from the savages seated next to us. He never once stepped in to assist her, or to at least protect her or us from the bedlam that was ensuing there.

The drinks were horrific, and when we asked to send one back we were told it was supposed to taste like that. Hmmmm,, then please remove it from the bill.

The food was mostly cold, and the meat was dry and stringy.

'Ohana has a lot of up and down reviews, and the negative ones it may be from any one of those concerns you list, however for those of us who had made it a point to visit very trip, and who are okay with an off night to a point, we can see the changes that have taken place over the past several years. This was always a pretty popular restaurant, but it was not an impossible one to book. There was always a bit of a wait, but it never ran as far behind as it is running now. The food was sometimes served in a haphazard manner, however it was never "gross" "cold" or dried out. It seems to me that something internal has changed, and I am willing to bet our farm that it began with overbooking the restaurant to accomodate all those guests clamoring to dine there, which led to the kitchen "prepping" food in advance. Now the line backs up earlier, servers are encouraged to rush the meal, and the kitchen is working the food to have it ready to push.

My dad was a chef. I recognize when meats are prepped in advance, and when food is kept under a light, or warming. Our reality that last night was that our foods was cooked in advance and finished for service, our server was way overworked and undersupported by management, and our drinks were just tossed together by a very busy bar staff. I have had an "off" night at 'Ohana, but never a debacle like that evening.




That happen to one of our party on that fateful last evening. I heard from a few of our crew that they were "ill" however I was not sure if it was the food or just them. I have a cast iron stomach, and I was fine.

I actually thought the food was pretty good. There was way too much for what I normally eat. I'm not really a good person to take a to a buffet because I can't eat much at one sitting. I usually eat a lot of small meals/snacks throughout the day.

All I remember is trying to enjoy JC for my 9 yo niece's first Disney trip while also trying to sit in a way that wouldn't make me go to the bathroom right then and there.

 

[North of Mouse]

It's our must do and we go every trip, usually with good results. Well the odds caught up with me and this past visit the service was terrible. Not that the server wasn't trying, but we had no drink refills, no app refills (until later on) and just generally non-existent service.

When I finally got ahold of the waiter I told him I thought he had too many tables (he did). He had 3 six tops, 2 4 tops, and a couple. I mean really. He was running like a madman and the service was still

After that things started to get better. We got more apps after the meats came but my kids didn't care and he seemed like he was trying to make it up so I didn't complain further.

We've not encountered that situation. We were there first part of Dec. and again first of May. We've always had a great experience. Love that restaurant - our must do.

As for the food being precooked. We sat near the grill and enjoyed watching them grill and it started as raw meat! We have enjoyed the food there for many years, and actually order our beef cooked to order - dh, rare, me, med. and it's delicious.

 

[lady danger]

If there is, say, a 10% chance of a restaurant having an off night, you will experience exactly the same number of off nights if you "mix it up" or if you go to the same place every time.

That’s not how probability works. If there’s a 10% chance of a restaurant having a bad night, that doesn’t mean that for every given 10 day stretch they are guaranteed to have one and only one bad night. It means that every single night, there’s a 10% chance that it will be bad. Under those circumstances, they could have 10 days in a row of stellar food and service. But they could also have a bad week where there are 0 nights when the food and service are up to par. Visiting a larger number of restaurants won’t protect you from ever hitting a restaurant on a bad night, as obviously those other restaurant are also at risk of having their own bad night. But it can save you from the mistake of booking a restaurant that is on a bad streak for multiple meals on the same trip.

 

[freshmanjs]

That’s not how probability works. If there’s a 10% chance of a restaurant having a bad night, that doesn’t mean that for every given 10 day stretch they are guaranteed to have one and only one bad night. It means that every single night, there’s a 10% chance that it will be bad. Under those circumstances, they could have 10 days in a row of stellar food and service. But they could also have a bad week where there are 0 nights when the food and service are up to par. Visiting a larger number of restaurants won’t protect you from ever hitting a restaurant on a bad night, as obviously those other restaurant are also at risk of having their own bad night. But it can save you from the mistake of booking a restaurant that is on a bad streak for multiple meals on the same trip.

Are you kidding? I didn't AT ALL say that there was exactly 1 out of 10. Not remotely. Seems that your reading comprehension is lacking, not my understanding of probability (which is just fine, thank you).

 

[senadler]

We have been to Disney every 1-2 years for the past 15 years, and Ohana is a restaurant the we go to every trip without fail. We always have breakfast, and most trips have dinner as well. I would estimate it was about 4 years ago when we noticed the change in service. Servers clearly have many more tables, and because of that service is hit or miss. We had a wonderful experience this past March for dinner, we were a party of 8 and our server was incredible. The trip before, which was just myself and my youngest son, we had breakfast and service was horrible. We waited nearly 30 minutes for just the fruit while table near us had their full breakfast served. We have definitely had other less than stellar experiences over the past few years, mainly slow service. I have to say I have not had any issues with the food quality, which is why we continue to return. My kids love the characters at breakfast, we like that it is family style and not a buffet, and the food at dinner is a family favorite.

All of that said, we are going to be spending one night at Disney this July to go to a DAH event, and we have already booked our Ohana dinner before head to the MK. While everyone in the family has their favorite restaurants at Disney, Ohana is a must do for everyone, even with the decline in service.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I've taken this off the list. It's way to inconsistent. Not worth the risk of them having a bad day which happens way too often

 

[Lesverts]

I have eaten at 'Ohana 3 times. All ADR's were for around 4 to 430pm.

First experience was good; but it was middle of the road experience for our trip
Second experience was fantastic; service, food, everything was top notch.
Third experience was poor; rushed and the food was mediocre.

 

[yaksack]

How is the charcter breakfast there?

 

[smiths02]

I used to be a waiter in commercial restaurants 15-20 years ago. Service always has a chance to be underwhelming. It's just the luck of the draw, a lot of things can be random issues.

1. You get a waiter that is new to the restaurant.
2. You get a waiter that is having a bad night.
3. You book a night that is overbooked.
4. The kitchen may be understaffed that night due to reasons.
5. You get sat at the wrong moment due to an inexperienced host(ess). I.e. you get sat in a waiter's section the same time as 1 or 2 other tables thus over burdening the waiter. Depending on the waiters experience he or she may not be able to handle this.
6. You put your order in the same time as other large tables thus creating a backlog.

There are plenty of other reasons too.

The problem with Disney Restaurants is that you probably go very few times in your life. It's not like a local restaurant you may go to once or twice a month. You also look forward to it for so long, there is a lot of buildup. So any bad experience (little or big) sticks with you more.

The problem isn't just the buildup but also the cost. For that cost, a lot of the "luck of the draw" issues could be dealt with.

1. You get a waiter that is new to the restaurant.-The restaurant could train servers better before they are on their own.
2. You get a waiter that is having a bad night.-It is hard to counteract for this, but if the serving staff is paid properly with days off, ability to call in sick, etc., then this would be reduced
3. You book a night that is overbooked.-No excuse to overbook, this can be easily managed
4. The kitchen may be understaffed that night due to reasons. The restaurant could always staff one extra person or have a good amount of people who can be called to substitute
5. You get sat at the wrong moment due to an inexperienced host(ess). I.e. you get sat in a waiter's section the same time as 1 or 2 other tables thus over burdening the waiter. Depending on the waiters experience he or she may not be able to handle this. Again, hosts could be trained better before they are on their own.
6. You put your order in the same time as other large tables thus creating a backlog.