Ohana Has Hit Rock Bottom

[celluloid]

Ohana was so good 20 years ago. I don't think a theme park resort meal could ever top it. The only other great theme park resort meal I had was a few years after that, California Grill 2007. I know there are some that are really fun and good for the value like a fun buffet, but I miss that feeling of 20 years ago so much.

 

[SSH]

I think you grossly underestimate what the bottom is when it comes to Disney Dinning. Chapek's salami attack, pun intended, on the customer base knows no bounds and anything is possible. He slyly used noodlegate to placate the pixiedusters into thinking that Disney cares about their opinion when it was just a smoke screen for the shrimp casserole and ridiculous pricing model.

Does this mean the much-maligned Tony's is no longer dead last? I keep rooting for this place to make a recovery - worst voted food in all of the Kingdom, from the sound of all the threads. I have a few fond memories of the place from the '1980s.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Well… I don’t think the “new” Ohana could be any worse. Lucked out with a reservation this evening and it was absolute trash — $55 a person is honestly a crime for what they were serving. The “old” Ohana was obviously still pricey, but I never minded splurging on it because the food was good and overall a fun experience.

Would love to hear thoughts from anyone else who has made it out for dinner.

BECAUSE COVID....

 

[Richie248]

Ohana hit rock bottom years ago. The rushed service, mediocre food and price left a lot to be desired (and appears to still be the case).

 

[DznyGrlSD]

Ohana was so good 20 years ago. I don't think a theme park resort meal could ever top it. The only other great theme park resort meal I had was a few years after that, California Grill 2007. I know there are some that are really fun and good for the value like a fun buffet, but I miss that feeling of 20 years ago so much.

Blame the DDP.

 

[John park hopper]

I really don't think Disney is concerned about food quality at their restaurants simply because there are so many people they can ge away with the one and done crowd. They don't need repeat customers

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

That review was exactly what I anticipated when I read about the menu changes.

Everything about the menu change screamed downgrade, and the results are anything but shocking.

However, as the DisneyWorld turns, I expect it to continue to sell out at $55 a head and negative opinions will mean nothing.

And that’s the problem…not the changes

acceptance/lack of response is everything

 

[The_Jobu]

I do know the supply issue and cost in said supplies are brutal. I bet it was a cost thing more than anything else, the good old penny pinchers in corporate.

Exactly this. Part of the big effort to streamline everything, save as much as possible, and who cares about guest experience.

 

[SteveAZee]

I really don't think Disney is concerned about food quality at their restaurants simply because there are so many people they can ge away with the one and done crowd. They don't need repeat customers

It's surprising too, since even the one-and-done crowd can see online reviews of each restaurant and still they're willing to spend a lot of money for so-so food.

 

[Weather_Lady]

It's surprising too, since even the one-and-done crowd can see online reviews of each restaurant and still they're willing to spend a lot of money for so-so food.

I think a lot of guests don't bother to read the online reviews -- they're booking on the strength of recommendations from their travel agent or from friends and family, all of whom last visited 'Ohana during its glory days, and don't realize how much it's gone downhill.

In fact, we were looking to book a couple of our perennial favorite TS meals on our upcoming trip, and almost made the mistake of not checking reviews ourselves, since we thought we knew what we were in for. It's a good thing we did check them, as recent reviews and sweeping cuts to some of the menus resulted in us dropping some of those plans in favor of CS meals. We'd already cut 'Ohana from our must-dos after diminishing experiences over the years culminated in a downright terrible one in 2018, but now that we've seen the latest downgrade, I think we can banish it forever, thus saving ourselves hundreds of dollars worth of "unmagical" dining experiences. Thanks, internet!

 

[SteveAZee]

I think a lot of guests don't bother to read the online reviews -- they're booking on the strength of recommendations from their travel agent or from friends and family, all of whom last visited 'Ohana during its glory days, and don't realize how much it's gone downhill.

In fact, we were looking to book a couple of our perennial favorite TS meals on our upcoming trip, and almost made the mistake of not checking reviews ourselves, since we thought we knew what we were in for. It's a good thing we did check them, as recent reviews and sweeping cuts to some of the menus resulted in us dropping some of those plans in favor of CS meals. We'd already cut 'Ohana from our must-dos after diminishing experiences over the years culminated in a downright terrible one in 2018, but now that we've seen the latest downgrade, I think we can banish it forever, thus saving ourselves hundreds of dollars worth of "unmagical" dining experiences. Thanks, internet!

My last trip was later 2019 and we did look at reviews... and made some choices accordingly. Still, in retrospect, it felt like the food was not worth the price... we too will probably opt for CS or preparing meals back in the room (with kitchen) because it's not the awesome experience it once was. LOL, I'll probably still do 50's Prime Time and Hoop Dee Doo, though.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

BECAUSE COVID....

This but unironically. I don't think they can execute the "on stage" menu with the current staffing levels, which is why they're cooking everything in the back in batches.

 

[The_Jobu]

It's surprising too, since even the one-and-done crowd can see online reviews of each restaurant and still they're willing to spend a lot of money for so-so food.

I'm the type that over-researches every detail of any trip. I went to WDW a few times as a wee lad in the 90s. When I returned in 2015 and 2016, I bought @lentesta amazing guide books, read every restaurant review, and planned accordingly to visit the highest rated. Luckily I got to enjoy Ohana in 2018. If I was going for the first time and I read all this about Ohana now, no way I'd go. Then again, as @Weather_Lady says, I'm probably in the minority.

 

[OneofThree]

Blame the DDP.

Redundant to say that the DDP is responsible for the ruin of the food and beverage program across the property. There -I said it anyway. It's also not rocket science to understand why this is. The executive chefs responsible for the eating establishments suddenly found themselves under new constraints in respect to turning a profit on the menus they create. Something had to give, and it surely wouldn't be profit.

 

[John park hopper]

When you have to make dinning reservations so far in advance it seems Disney restaurants quality changes rapidly it's a crap shoot what it will be when you finally sit down to eat

 

[Disstevefan1]

This but unironically. I don't think they can execute the "on stage" menu with the current staffing levels, which is why they're cooking everything in the back in batches.

Agreed. Perhaps the ironic thing is that folks will continue to go and pay anyway…

 

[Roy G. Dis]

Things in the past were better than today? Since when?

 

[John park hopper]

Not everything was better but there was sure a lot more better in the past than now.

 

[WDWTrojan]

This but unironically. I don't think they can execute the "on stage" menu with the current staffing levels, which is why they're cooking everything in the back in batches.

They're still using the grill for the steak, though. Just plating it on skillets before they bring it to your table (rather than skewers). I also don't mind them changing up the menu a bit - it needed a little refresh. Just doesn't make sense why they had to replace the shrimp with a cheesy shrimp casserole, the stir fried vegetables with bland broccolini and the great grilled chicken (or previously pork or turkey) with the same lukewarm rotisserie chicken they serve at every other family style restaurant (Whispering Canyon, Trail's End, Cape May, etc).

 

[UNCgolf]

They're still using the grill for the steak, though. Just plating it on skillets before they bring it to your table (rather than skewers). I also don't mind them changing up the menu a bit - it needed a little refresh. Just doesn't make sense why they had to replace the shrimp with a cheesy shrimp casserole, the stir fried vegetables with bland broccolini and the great grilled chicken (or previously pork or turkey) with the same lukewarm rotisserie chicken they serve at every other family style restaurant (Whispering Canyon, Trail's End, Cape May, etc).

It makes a lot of cents. Er, sense.