'Ohana and Wishes

[Dukeblue1016]

So I've read elsewhere that 'Ohana has the best view of Wishes if you're looking to dine while watching the fireworks. Especially for the price its a better choice than Cali Grille.

Now, my question is... does every seat have a good view of Wishes or only certain ones? Also, if only certain tables have a good view, can I call in a priority seating and request one of these tables???

Thanks.

 

[Laura]

The view is definitely awesome.

I would say that only the window tables have a great view though. You won't be able to request one when you call, but what you can do is just check in early and tell the host(ess) that you are willing to wait for a window table and they will accomdate you. You'll probably have to wait a while, but its well worth it.

 

[Dukeblue1016]

hmmmmmmmmm

i'm going on a tuesday night which is AK EMH so it closes at 8. I made the PS for 8:40 which definitely woulda given me enough time to be seated prior to the 9 o'clock start and give me enough time ot get from AK to the Polynesian...

However... maybe I should change it to like 8:30... do you think 8:30 would give me enough time to be seated if i requested a window seat?

Also, anyone know how long the bus ride is from AK to Polynesian... like if I wanted to get to Polynesian by... 8:20, would leaving AK by 7:30 give me enough time?

 

[Laura]

If Wishes starts at 9 you will almost certainly miss it with an 8:40 PS.

Next month the day we are going Wishes is starting at 8 so we made our priority seating for 6:50 and we are planning to check in at 6:30. We are guessing we'll have to wait about 45 minutes for a window table so we think we'll be seated around 7:15. This will give us time to have all our food brought to us before Wishes starts.

If I were you I'd make your seating time for no later than 8 p.m. and be sure to get there early. From the time you step out of the Animal Kingdom gates until the time you arrive at the Polynesian count on about 20-40 minutes.

If I were you I'd make Priority Seating at 'Ohana at 8:00 and leave Animal Kingdom at 7:15 and check in at 'Ohana as soon as you get there.

 

[Dukeblue1016]

Alright well thank you very very much for the help. I might just try to set it up for another night... I wanted to stay in AK as late as possible because I've never seen it at night... so maybe another night during my trip I'll try to setup an 8:00 reservation and arrive there around 15 minutes early...

This puts me in quite a perdicament...

thanks a lot for your help though!

 

[bgraham34]

thats good to know thanks.

 

[Chris_TX]

I've watched fireworks from both O'hana and California Grill. My tables were terrible both times! (At California Grill we had the worst table in the place...in the very back room. We actually saw Illuminations at Epcot off in the distance!) But, there is a viewing deck on the roof of the Contemporary which everyone dining at the CG can take advantage of. I don't remember if the Poly has a viewing deck or not. I think everyone just crowded around by the windows.

 

[Burgstressera]

When you get to the desk to check in at Ohana you will want to request a table by the windows facing the Magic Kingdom. There are window seats that are not looking out at the Magic Kingdom - so I'd be careful just saying a window seat. Tell the cast member you'd like to have a good view of the fireworks. They will tell you they can't guartee anything but they will do their best.

My July trip we had a great seat with an incredible view of the Magic Kingdom from Ohana. We were too early to see Wishes, but I can see how it would be a great place to watch them from. Ohana is a great place to eat - my husband and I just loved it. Be sure to get a Pina Colata - man are they good!!! :slurp:

I've done California Grille to - actually watched the fireworks from my table there. Great view but I really didn't care for the food. Ohana is way more my speed.

Have a great trip. I hope you get the best seat in the house at Ohana.

 

[Dukeblue1016]

Be sure to get a Pina Colata - man are they good!!! :slurp:

I've done California Grille to - actually watched the fireworks from my table there. Great view but I really didn't care for the food. Ohana is way more my speed.

Have a great trip. I hope you get the best seat in the house at Ohana.

On the first note... I'm only 20 I'm gonna be 21 in like 3 months though and my friends I'm going with are gonna be 21 before me. Does anyone know how strict Disney is? I imagine they've gotta be really really strict on this, but I've order drinks at restaurants plenty of times before so... just wondering if anyone knows. I imagine they're very strict though.

Secondly, I've also seen fireworks from Cali Grille, and it was pretty cool, but its extremely expensive and I also don't really like the food.

And thirdly, thank you very very much, I'll have to let you know when I'm back how it went

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!

 

[mousermerf]

What's so wrong with going to the park to watch the fireworks?

I just feel trying to get into a restaurant to watch them is a chance to be more annoyed than enjoyed - deal with it every day, and it's just not pretty.

 

[Burgstressera]

Disney is usually pretty strict with carding - at least from what I've seen and experienced in previous visits.

But this last time I didn't get carded once. I am 26 though and I think I may finally be looking my age... I used to get carded in blockbuster renting R rated movies - that hasn't happened in a while.

 

[Dukeblue1016]

What's so wrong with going to the park to watch the fireworks?

I'm going to be doing this... I just figured one of the nights... I'm gonna be at AK until 8, what should I do after... oh how bout dinner and a firework show...

but i am gonna watch them IN the park another night

 

[rainfully]

What's so wrong with going to the park to watch the fireworks?

I just feel trying to get into a restaurant to watch them is a chance to be more annoyed than enjoyed - deal with it every day, and it's just not pretty.

Sometimes it's just a nice experience sitting down at a table in the air conditioning eating a nice meal with a good drink and watching the fireworks... rather than being crammed on Main Street, where inevitably right when the show starts that tall guy will shift in perfect position to block your view while hoisting his child on his shoulders.

 

[Laura]

What's so wrong with going to the park to watch the fireworks?

I just feel trying to get into a restaurant to watch them is a chance to be more annoyed than enjoyed - deal with it every day, and it's just not pretty.

??? If someone wants to eat a nice dinner at 'Ohana, why does it annoy you that they want to watch the fireworks while they eat?

On my next trip I'm watching the fireworks many times - once from the Park, once from 'Ohana, and once from my balcony, plus the Halloween fireworks from the park.

 

[wannabeBelle]

Sometimes it's just a nice experience sitting down at a table in the air conditioning eating a nice meal with a good drink and watching the fireworks... rather than being crammed on Main Street, where inevitably right when the show starts that tall guy will shift in perfect position to block your view while hoisting his child on his shoulders.

Entirely too true, there Rainfully!!! I have seen Wishes from O'Hanas and while I think it is a great experience, I think it should be done AFTER you have seen the show from Main Street USA where you just feel bathed in the fireworks and music. Belle

 

[mousermerf]

??? If someone wants to eat a nice dinner at 'Ohana, why does it annoy you that they want to watch the fireworks while they eat?

On my next trip I'm watching the fireworks many times - once from the Park, once from 'Ohana, and once from my balcony, plus the Halloween fireworks from the park.

Oh, it doesn't annoy me. It's just that "everyone" wants the same seats and everyone's friend told them about how great it was - inevitably someone (or a lot of someones!) is gonna not get the good table.

I'm worried it's one of those things that's over-hyped as an end-all be-all of a vacation when you could often see the fireworks from the park with less stress.

 

[Yellow Shoes]

Let's say for the sake of argument that you get a perfect table facing the MK at 'Ohana. The fireworks are about to start. The lights go down, the soundtrack from MK comes up, and here's what you can plan on:

Not every child, but the most badly behaved children in the place, will rush over to your table, stand in front of the windows, and completely block your view.

Their attention span is somewhere in the neighborhood of 2.5 minutes, so the siblings will begin to poke, then push, then slap each other. Their parents have their noses in pina coladas, and haven't looked at the children for quite some time. (As you can imagine, they are grateful for the break from them) These are the parents who acknowledged 30 minutes ago that it is way past time to get the kids into bed, but "the fireworks are starting" and they don't want to miss it.

Somehow the message you get is that it is your responsibility to watch these children, especially when they start climbing on the railings near the windows.

You can forget hearing anything but the kids.

I hope that your experience is different, but humans being what they are, I doubt it.

(in case you wondered, my son stayed in his seat and got madder and madder at the antics of the "window children." We did not ask for a window seat, but got one between 2 windows--straight ahead we could see a tiki-lit pathway to the rest of the resort; to our right was the MK)

 

[Laura]

Let's say for the sake of argument that you get a perfect table facing the MK at 'Ohana. The fireworks are about to start. The lights go down, the soundtrack from MK comes up, and here's what you can plan on:

Not every child, but the most badly behaved children in the place, will rush over to your table, stand in front of the windows, and completely block your view.

That is true LOL. Last time we pushed all our chairs against the window so the kids couldn't get in. Maybe its mean, but I have 2 toddlers and we dealt with them being fussy while we waited 45 extra minutes for the window table. If the other parents wanted their kids to see the fireworks they should have waited the extra time too.

 

[lawyergirl77]

That is true LOL. Last time we pushed all our chairs against the window so the kids couldn't get in. Maybe its mean, but I have 2 toddlers and we dealt with them being fussy while we waited 45 extra minutes for the window table. If the other parents wanted their kids to see the fireworks they should have waited the extra time too.

Had the same problem at Tony's with SpectroMagic. People crowded in front of us, and kept blocking our view after we had waited for an outside table for 45 minutes! While I wouldn't have minded it if it had been a while bunch of kids, the adults would stand there, get told to move, get mad at the CM, move about three feet down, get told to move again, etc... The people who were with me thought that SpectroMagic was kind of lame as a result. (I took them to see it a few nights later on - they changed their minds!)

As a result, I don't think that I'll do that ever again... And I don't figure that I will repeat the experience for any other restaurants. Of course, YMMV and if I could find a way to ensure that other guests won't be their annoying selves, then I would try it again!!!

By the way, Laura22, I LOVE your new picture!!!

 

[Rinxman]

Eating at Ohana is a great ideal spot for watching Wishes. You'll enjoy the show because you won't be able to hear (I don't think........) the music all the way from the Poly. without the music, the show's not that bad.