Making a dining reservation at a restaurant you’ve been eagerly anticipating, only to discover that the experience doesn’t meet your expectations, can be disappointing. A Disney expert recently had their first dining experience at ‘Ohana and found it wasn’t quite what they had hoped it would be.

Year after year, ‘Ohana has eluded me. For a few reasons, I could never get a reservation that worked with my plans. I tried to find a time, but it was always very early in the morning or much later in the evening, and it never worked. ‘Ohana was the one character dining family style restaurant I really wanted to experience, and finally, on my last trip, I got a reservation that worked perfectly in my itinerary, and it sadly might be the only time I eat there. While the atmosphere and characters were incredible, the food itself didn’t live up to the hype. Let me explain.

I Finally Scored an ‘Ohana Reservation

I was doing a split stay with my family, starting at Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary and ending my trip at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Bungalows — a bucket list trip for my family and me. On our resort switch, day I snagged a breakfast reservation at ‘Ohana, and it was a perfect time slot. We had time to pack up and leave the Contemporary, check into the Polynesian, our room was ready as soon as we checked in, so we dropped our suitcases, and with freshly adorned leis around our necks, we walked over to ‘Ohana for our breakfast reservation. 

Photo by Brett Svenson

I was thrilled. I’ve heard many great reviews, and everyone loves it. It is such a coveted reservation to secure, and I finally did.  My expectations were super high, mixed with the excitement of finally being a resort guest at the Polynesian, and the day was off to a fantastic start. Our hostess greeted us at the front and led us to the fresh pineapple bread, and my mouth was watering. The scent of the freshly baked loaf filled the room, and my stomach growled as we passed the tables of guests already enjoying their meals. 

Then the Food Arrived

Once we were seated, our server came by to welcome us, pour us some POG juice, and let us know that our food would arrive soon!  I think my stomach growled loudly enough for the entire restaurant to hear! We were excited and ready to eat. Our table had a fantastic view of the lagoon, and the ambiance was incredible.

Photo by Timothy Moore

I was thrilled to dine at this restaurant; the aroma of the food filled the air, and the environment was so immersive, I had a pinch-me moment; I was a guest at the Polynesian, and I was eating breakfast with my favorite people at ‘Ohana. The day just keeps getting better and better. 

Here’s Where ‘Ohana Lost Me

And this is when everything began to change: as the skillet, fruit, and Mickey waffles made their way to our table, my family and I dug in, but the food was, unfortunately, very lackluster. The ham is the only star of the show. The Stitch and Mickey waffles were rock hard, and the scrambled eggs were not good. I was so disappointed with the meal and didn’t feel the high per-person cost justified the quality. I’ve experienced other character dining, and even though character meals generally cost more than most dining experiences, the food was always of great quality, like the breakfast at Garden Grill in EPCOT, for example. Maybe my expectations were simply too high.  The only other star of the show was the characters and their dance number through the restaurant. 

Photo by Brett Svenson

Should I have booked a dinner reservation? Perhaps the food would have been better, but who’s to know? Maybe my experience was just an off day for ‘Ohana’s food—maybe Stitch had been messing around in the kitchen that morning! Since I’m always open to giving things another try, I might consider making a dinner reservation instead. However, I know I won’t be booking breakfast there again anytime soon.