Awful Exprience at O'Hana

[princessmommy]

I was so excited to try O'Hana dinner for the first time. I know it was probably a fluke since the place gets rave reviews, but we were so discouraged we didn't even stay for dessert (which I know is probably the best part!) We had an 8:05 adr and checked in about 7:50pm with a very unfriendly hostess. I told myself she was just tired after a long day and gave her the benefit of the doubt. We were not seated until 8:40. Our server was not only unfriendly but boderline rude and very unattentive. My DS, DH, and I all had the O'Hana dinner, but DD is picky and I ordered her nuggets from the kids menu. Our delicious salad came, followed by the yummy potstickers and chicken wings. Very good, but still no chicken nuggets. I would have asked the server but she was never around to refill drinks or check on us. The main courses were being served and were very tastey. By the time she came around DD was asleep in my lap We asked if we could get them to go and she stated that they are not allowed to do togo because it is a all you can eat establishment and that she would get in trouble. At this point (10) we just asked for the check and told her we would pass on dessert. I was so sad, as this was my most anticipated adr of the trip...

 

[PhilharMagician]

Sorry you had a disappointing visit to Ohana'. I cannot say we have always had great service, but we have only had slow service maybe twice ove all of our visits. This restaurant is always @ maximum capacity each and every night and I have to wonder if they did not have a few servers out sick that night which would add to the load.

I will say that at anytime you can ask any server going by to help out with bringing you order. At Ohana' there seems to always be many servers coming by the tables with skewers helping each other out keeping the plates full.

 

[ImagineerDude]

Sorry to hear that! I've never been to Ohana and I will take this into consideration...

 

[zurgandfriend]

I am so sorry to hear that; poor service, among other things, ruined our dining experience at Artist Point so I feel for you. On the other hand I had an over-friendly sever at Ohana. Our waitress, or as my dear wife referred to her, the blond floozy, figured I would be paying the bill and leaving the tip and was very attentive, to me that is.

 

[DisneyDebNJ]

I am so sorry your first experience at Ohana was so negative. We have been to Ohana many times, and the worse thing that ever happened to us was the waitress forgot our welcome bread, but then brought us all cupcakes along with the bread pudding. The hostesses at the podium, can get a little razzled, but between guests either being an hour late, or try to add more people to their ADR, or insist on being able to walk up and get a table, I can see why. Don't let this one incident deter you from trying Ohana in the future. It really is a wonderful place for dinner

 

[WDWmazprty]

Yeah, sorry to hear that. I imagine it definitely was one of those fluke things. We've been to Ohana many times and have never had bad service or food. I guess no establishment is perfect all the time, and someone has to be on the receiving of that unfortunately. I would definitely give them another shot next time you're at the World, everybody deserves a second chance.

 

[NewfieFan]

I'm sorry to hear that!
Our first experience at O'hana wasn't the best... we too waited forever to be seated and they forgot our welcome bread. But our server was a sweetheart and made the experience much better.

I'm glad we didn't give up on it b/c we've had good experiences for the most part.

I can't believe they wouldn't give you the chicken nuggets to-go!?! I understand it's all-you-can-eat but you weren't asking for a bucket of wings to go... you were asking for chicken nuggets... for you daughter... who fell asleep... waiting for her food. For shame on them! I would have asked to speak someone higher up on that one!

 

[CinderellyKelly]

I'm sorry to hear that!
Our first experience at O'hana wasn't the best... we too waited forever to be seated and they forgot our welcome bread. But our server was a sweetheart and made the experience much better.

I'm glad we didn't give up on it b/c we've had good experiences for the most part.

I can't believe they wouldn't give you the chicken nuggets to-go!?! I understand it's all-you-can-eat but you weren't asking for a bucket of wings to go... you were asking for chicken nuggets... for you daughter... who fell asleep... waiting for her food. For shame on them! I would have asked to speak someone higher up on that one!

I agree. Even in an all you can eat environment they should allow you to take home your first portion. We're you charged for her food?!?

 

[Cendure]

I too would of asked to speak to a manager. Last meal of our trip, the Saturday night before Christmas we had a terrible meal at Liberty Tree Tavern. There were only 2 of us and the server completely ignored us the entire meal. Our bread was cold and hard as a rock, the salad was limp and looked like it was yesterday's, the main course was cold because the server didn't bother to pick it up when it was ready. He took my daughter's glass to refill her drink and it took forever for him to bring it back. He was busy chatting up the tables of 5 and 6 that were seated around us probably hoping for a big tip. We have Tables in Wonderland so I guess he thought he was guaranteed an 18% tip regardless. It didn't work that way. We asked for the manager who offered us a complete new meal if we wanted it. We declined the meal because we just wanted to get out of there and back into the park for our last evening before coming home, but I told him I was not going to pay the 18% tip and I still wanted my 20% discount for TiW because of the terrible meal. He agreed. It never hurts to go to the top of the chain.

 

[donaldtoo]

Woof! That sucks. Sorry y'all had a baddy of an experience there. We've been there twice and both times everything was spot-on.
I say give it another try, although I do very much understand about first impressions.

 

[J_Carioca]

The worst thing about this is that you missed the bread pudding...

Actually, on a serious note I have to say that I can't believe they wouldn't let you take the nuggets (that arrived an hour or so after ordering them) home. This from a restaurant that must throw out hundreds of pounds of food in a day. This brings me to the only thing I don't like about Ohana: all of the waste. It seemed to me that they bring the same amount of food (salad, noodles, potstickers) to your table regardless of whether you're 2 people or 6. My husband and I can put away a LOT of food, but the amount of food they gave us (and I'm talking about one serving) was absolutely ridiculous. I felt terrible having them throw out all that food (especially meat) and I told our waitress as much. She looked really sad and said they throw out TONS of food. She told us that they compost it, as if that makes it ok. Anyway, not to be too preachy but that waste drives me crazy and actually takes away from my enjoyment. All of that to say that those nuggets that they wouldn't let you take home ended up in a composter...

 

[lunchbox1175]

I am sorry to hear about your bad experience, I worked in the restaurant industry for 15 years as a manager with some different chains like The Cheesecake Factory and BJ's Brewhouse, and i can tell you that every manager needs and wants to know when there is something wrong. Do not hesitate to let them know, because it is the quickest way to get it fixed. Usually when I have something wrong when I am dining out, I am a little more patient then most because I can tell what the problem is, but I give the server one chance to fix it before letting the manager know. There have even been times where I could tell there was a problem at another persons table and informed the manager because I could tell the guests were getting frustrated but didn't want to say anything. Nobody wants to hear complaints and problems, at any job, but they need to hear them, and any good manager knows that all every guest wants is what they ordered and are paying for with some polite service. That isn't too much to ask for. So I would encourage anyone reading this that if you ever have a problem, let the manager know if it doesn't get resolved in a timely manner. On that note, I have my first dining experience at Ohana coming up in february, and I hope that I don't have any issues, because I am really looking forward to it.

 

[Monty]

I ate there once and swore I'd never go again. Our server was slow but OK. My problem was the food was all overcooked to the point of being inedible for me. Chicken was dry. I asked if I could get some medium-rare beef instead and was told it all comes well done. I left hungry.

There are so many great meals to be had in WDW, I just can't be bothered with mediocre.

 

[coachwnh]

we have had some great experiences there and some bad ones too. And i am including breakfast as well. At times its been great, and others not so much. it used to be a favorite of ours. Now, i dont even ask my wife if she made ADRs there.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

First Artist Pointe, then La Cellier, now Ohana. our nust do list is getting shorter.

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

We had a similar experince on our last trip where the server was very unattentive but the food was not good either. So disappointing! Sorry you experienced this.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

So sorry to hear that your experience at Ohana was not up to the Disney standard (Or is this the Disney standard these days...??) We've eaten at Ohana several times for both breakfast and dinner and we have had nothing but great experiences. The food was always well done and the servers were always very attentive. The only thing I don't like is that we always seem to wait later at Ohana than other places, especially if we have a later ADR. Whenever we make ADR's for 5pm (when they start serving dinner) we are seated right away. I think since it is an all you can eat place, people tend to stay longer tha they normally would at a restaurant where you would get one entree. We help the wait time go by quicker though by sipping Lapu Lapu's in the lounge

I think you just hit the place on an off night. I would give it another chance. If it doesn't seem better the next go round then I'd kick it to the curb!

 

[popcenturylover]

So, sorry you had this experience! We ate here for the first time in September & it was by far the best meal we ate all week!

 

[Phonedave]

I think 'Ohana has slowly been declining. We stopped eating there a while ago. Service and food has all slowly but surely gone downhill. Maybe it will pick back up, but I really do not find the place even enjoyable anymore. - my then 12 year old was the one who, after a particulary dismal meal, said "Dad, I don't think we need to eat here anymore"


-dave

 

[princessmommy]

I would love to give it a try again, but I don't think I will be able to talk hubby into it, lol. Maybe I could talk him into breakfast, just to get a chance to go back and give it another shot. I wish I would have let the manager know, or at least remembered the servers name so that I could send an email or something, but I didn't want to cause a big fuss if it was just an off night.