O’hana vs chef mickeys for breakfast

[Tk0021]

We are planning our third trip for early December. We have eaten at Chef Mickeys before but not breakfast and we have never eaten at O’hana. We will have our two girls (7 and 5) and my parents with us. Anyone has any opinions on either or both?

 

[King Panda 77]

Ohana.

 

[MickeyMomV]

Chef Mickey's has a bigger selection but we like the food quality at O'hana better. We also like the atmosphere at O'hana better.

 

[MagicalMommy]

We’ve enjoyed breakfast at both restaurants, but I would choose Ohana since you’ve never dined there. We also like that the food is brought to the table there vs going up to a buffet. The girls will probably like seeing Lilo, too!

 

[Demeter Tess]

Oh my goodness, 'Ohana easily wins! The atmosphere at the Polynesian is beautiful and relaxing, food quality is great, and your meal is served directly to your table. Chef Mickey's is chaotic, vastly overpriced, and you'll have to serve yourself. 'Ohana also has some fun events and character parades interspersed with their meal service, so your kiddos will really enjoy themselves!

- Lauren

 

[Bullseye1967]

I will cast another vote for Ohana. The food is better as is the atmosphere.

 

[Tk0021]

Thanks all for the replies.

 

[Weather_Lady]

I've never been to Chef Mickey's for breakfast, but I'm curious why folks think the "quality" of the food is better at 'Ohana. Our breakfast there was about the worst Disney meal we've ever had anywhere -- the Mickey waffles were okay, but all there was in addition was some fruit, dry bread served with no butter, bacon/sausage/eggs that were all stone cold, and coffee/juice for which no refills were ever offered -- or given even when we asked. The character interactions were incredibly rushed -- Stitch ran over, hugged my daughter so fast I couldn't even grab a photo, patted my son on the head and was immediately herded off to another table by a CM. The "interaction" lasted less than 10 seconds, and the stops by the other characters weren't much better. Granted, our table location did nothing to help the experience -- we were at the extreme end of the restaurant, practically in the lobby, next to the public restrooms and with no view of the rest of the restaurant's interior, let alone the windows. All we could hear was toilets flushing and people talking loudly in the lobby waiting areas. Every single aspect of our meal, from food to service to ambiance and character interaction, was awful. It was one of the only two Disney meals we've ever left saying, "never again." (That being said, we still love dinner at 'Ohana, but that's a totally different experience.) I'm hoping from what others have posted that our experience was anomalous...

 

[Swissmiss]

Having just eaten at both last month, I'd vote for Chef Mickey's. While I agree it is nice having food brought to the table, I prefer having the variety of choices that a buffet offers.

 

[ARO]

Ohana

 

[slappy magoo]

I've never been to Chef Mickey's for breakfast, but I'm curious why folks think the "quality" of the food is better at 'Ohana. Our breakfast there was about the worst Disney meal we've ever had anywhere -- the Mickey waffles were okay, but all there was in addition was some fruit, dry bread served with no butter, bacon/sausage/eggs that were all stone cold, and coffee/juice for which no refills were ever offered -- or given even when we asked. The character interactions were incredibly rushed -- Stitch ran over, hugged my daughter so fast I couldn't even grab a photo, patted my son on the head and was immediately herded off to another table by a CM. The "interaction" lasted less than 10 seconds, and the stops by the other characters weren't much better. Granted, our table location did nothing to help the experience -- we were at the extreme end of the restaurant, practically in the lobby, next to the public restrooms and with no view of the rest of the restaurant's interior, let alone the windows. All we could hear was toilets flushing and people talking loudly in the lobby waiting areas. Every single aspect of our meal, from food to service to ambiance and character interaction, was awful. Honestly, it was about the worst dining experience we've ever had on Disney property, and one of only two restaurants we left saying, "never again." (That being said, we still love dinner at 'Ohana, but that's a totally different experience.) I'm hoping from what others have posted that our experience was anomalous...

I can more or less second this. I may have enjoyed the food a little more at 'Ohana than @Weather_Lady did, but I didn't think it was superlative, nor did I think the time with characters was a cut above any other character meal. If someone in your family really likes Lilo and/or Stitch, that's a contributing factor, but it you only have time/money/tolerance for one or the other...

Ohana has the convenience of sitting your butt down and letting the food come to you, but the choice is much...MUCH more limited. Also, while it's all you care to eat, you're beholden to your server showing up to ask if you want more, ours disappeared for nearly a half hour during our breakfast, we did want some more, but by then we also had fastpasses to get to.

Chef Mickey's, it's a buffet so you're getting your own meals, but you have a much bigger selection of food to choose from. That will probably benefit the picky eaters in your group. Example, the potatoes at Ohana have onions and scallions, which some people might not like especially kids, whereas at Chef Mickey's at least there are tater tots as well more traditional hash browns. Ohana has some pastries but Chef Mickey's has a much more decadent selection if that's what you want.

Chef Mickey's is more expensive, in case you're going out of pocket versus using a meal credit, but the price gap is more noticeable for adults (about $10) versus kids (about $3).

Quite frankly, I'd tell you to go to 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian. A little cheaper than Chef Mickey's, still a great selection (plus, unlike Chef Mickey's, a made to order eggs/omelet station), and some of the best character interactions we ever had with our kids. We made a super late breakfast reservation so it was almost like a brunch for us. As other guests left, and no other guests were taking their place because breakfast was closed, we got an insane mount of time with Alice, Mad Hatter & Mary Poppins (Pooh & Tigger were also there but being full costumes, I don't think they wanted to hang out any more than necessary). But they also kept making us fresh food, so it wasn't like we were stuff with the leftover scraps. IMHO a much better choice than either of the other 2. Only drawback is if your kids really wanted to see the core Disney characters like Mickey & Donald.

 

[Tk0021]

I can more or less second this. I may have enjoyed the food a little more at 'Ohana than @Weather_Lady did, but I didn't think it was superlative, nor did I think the time with characters was a cut above any other character meal. If someone in your family really likes Lilo and/or Stitch, that's a contributing factor, but it you only have time/money/tolerance for one or the other...

Ohana has the convenience of sitting your butt down and letting the food come to you, but the choice is much...MUCH more limited. Also, while it's all you care to eat, you're beholden to your server showing up to ask if you want more, ours disappeared for nearly a half hour during our breakfast, we did want some more, but by then we also had fastpasses to get to.

Chef Mickey's, it's a buffet so you're getting your own meals, but you have a much bigger selection of food to choose from. That will probably benefit the picky eaters in your group. Example, the potatoes at Ohana have onions and scallions, which some people might not like especially kids, whereas at Chef Mickey's at least there are tater tots as well more traditional hash browns. Ohana has some pastries but Chef Mickey's has a much more decadent selection if that's what you want.

Chef Mickey's is more expensive, in case you're going out of pocket versus using a meal credit, but the price gap is more noticeable for adults (about $10) versus kids (about $3).

Quite frankly, I'd tell you to go to 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian. A little cheaper than Chef Mickey's, still a great selection (plus, unlike Chef Mickey's, a made to order eggs/omelet station), and some of the best character interactions we ever had with our kids. We made a super late breakfast reservation so it was almost like a brunch for us. As other guests left, and no other guests were taking their place because breakfast was closed, we got an insane mount of time with Alice, Mad Hatter & Mary Poppins (Pooh & Tigger were also there but being full costumes, I don't think they wanted to hang out any more than necessary). But they also kept making us fresh food, so it wasn't like we were stuff with the leftover scraps. IMHO a much better choice than either of the other 2. Only drawback is if your kids really wanted to see the core Disney characters like Mickey & Donald.

Thanks for your opinion on 1900 Park. We have only had dinner there. It’s tough. We are stuck between trying something new or going with what we know with also balancing what the kids want to do.

 

[Rlandrigan]

With 1900 having a different crew for Morning and Night, it's sorta new But I enjoyed Ohana more; the food was better for us than some here, it seems, but it is more limited - but if you like what you're getting, that's not an issue. I do have to say I was impressed by the consistency of the characters at 1900 - always good, even if the place itself is a bit...dull. Chef Mickey feels like your fighting too much, noisy, crowded, and having to play the buffet/character guessing game

 

[MomofPrincessGrace]

We loved O'hana. We got one of the first reservations and got to sit right next to a window with a view of the water and the castle in the distance. My 7 year old loved the little parade they did (they passed maracas out to all the kids beforehand) and we loved getting pictures with Lilo and Stitch. I also loved the quiet tranquility of the Poly that early in the morning. Although the food was nothing amazing, it was still good.

 

[MagicalMaci]

I actually agree that I wouldn't choose either for breakfast, but if choosing between Ohana and Chef Mickey, I would go for Chef Mickey for variety in food choices and the Fab 5. However, if anyone has a particular affinity for Lilo or Stitch I don't think they are far enough in quality for me to say don't do Ohana.

A few other things I would consider is if I'm staying at one or the other resort, I'd probably pick the restaurant there for ease or if I had other character meals planned with the Fab 5 I'd probably go for the others.

I'm another who would pick 1900 Park Fare over either for breakfast (especially in December when you get the perk of seeing the tree and gingerbread house!)!

 

[Tk0021]

The only issue I have with 1900 is we are definitely eating at crystal palace and they have Tiger and Pooh and so does 1900 for breakfast. We like visiting the contemporary, but my wife is tired of their dinner menu so I thought breakfast was a chance to go but would not be the same food. We have never been to Poly so it would be nice to check it out.

We are also trying to decide if we want to eat at be our guest for dinner again. My 4 year old used to love the beast but she is growing out of it.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I've never been to Chef Mickey's for breakfast, but I'm curious why folks think the "quality" of the food is better at 'Ohana. Our breakfast there was about the worst Disney meal we've ever had anywhere -- the Mickey waffles were okay, but all there was in addition was some fruit, dry bread served with no butter, bacon/sausage/eggs that were all stone cold, and coffee/juice for which no refills were ever offered -- or given even when we asked. The character interactions were incredibly rushed -- Stitch ran over, hugged my daughter so fast I couldn't even grab a photo, patted my son on the head and was immediately herded off to another table by a CM. The "interaction" lasted less than 10 seconds, and the stops by the other characters weren't much better. Granted, our table location did nothing to help the experience -- we were at the extreme end of the restaurant, practically in the lobby, next to the public restrooms and with no view of the rest of the restaurant's interior, let alone the windows. All we could hear was toilets flushing and people talking loudly in the lobby waiting areas. Every single aspect of our meal, from food to service to ambiance and character interaction, was awful. It was one of the only two Disney meals we've ever left saying, "never again." (That being said, we still love dinner at 'Ohana, but that's a totally different experience.) I'm hoping from what others have posted that our experience was anomalous...

I'm sorry you had such a bad time at 'Ohana, because I ate there for the first time in about 15 years and had the opposite experience.

I was one of the first people to be seated for breakfast and had a view of the resort's marina from my window seat. Food came out hot and fresh and my server was very attentive and always checking to see if I needed more juice. Character interaction was not rushed at all, and unlike some reviews I read, both Lilo and Stitch came to the table, instead of posing for photos in the lobby. I guess I just lucked out because it was a great way to spend time the Poly before the start of my day and walk around the resort a bit before and after my meal.

I agree with @slappy magoo about 1900 Park Fare also being a better option than Chef Mickey's.

 

[Much-Pixie-Dust]

Second what @M&M fan says about Cape May Cafe. I would also suggest Ravello at Four Seasons. They have a fabulous character breakfast a couple of mornings a week. Food is excellent with a wide variety. They have a photopass person accompanying characters and you get free digital downloads of the pics. Service is great and it’s in a beautiful location that is smaller and more personable than some of the buffets at Disney Resorts. My family prefers it to other breakfast buffets at Disney.
Depending on your situation, you would have to Uber or drive. An Uber to FS could be quicker than relying on Disney transport to get you to a Disney resort buffet depending on where you are staying, but not everyone feels comfortable with Uber. If you drive, they only valet, but you are reimbursed for that. If you are using Disney Dining Plan, you might not want to pay out of pocket for this one. Long story, but if you pay OOP and Uber or have a car, this is the one I would choose.

Of the two you stated, I wouldn’t choose either because the food wasn’t good in our experiences.

 

[Tk0021]

I am glad to see that people our not just sticking to my two suggestions in the original post. I have habit of picking the usual and not thinking about all that Disney offers.

 

[erasure fan1]

I will say Ohana by a long shot. Chef Mickey went from must do to must skip for us. The one exception I will give is that if you really want to meet Mickey and the gang I guess its worth it once. Ohana has better food and better ambiance.

Of course I would rather go to a place like Olivias, order a meal that is made to order and not buffet food. I had an awesome omelet there with killer breakfast potatoes and it was like $12 not $40.