Ohana Has Hit Rock Bottom

The_Jobu

The_Jobu

Well-Known Member
Weather_Lady said:
When guests order from a menu at a restaurant and then pay, the restaurant is incentivized to provide them with food that lives up to its billing, and leaves the guest as satisfied as possible so that they're likely to return. A traditional restaurant pricing and payment scheme uses a high quality of food/experience to convince the guest they got a good return on their investment, even if the price is high.

When guests have already paid, that motivation goes out the window, and it's all about providing the minimum amount of food, with the minimum amount of quality, while inflating menu prices to make it look as though the DDP is "saving" guests money. In other words, the DDP uses jacked-up menu prices and the illusion of the "convenience of prepayment" to convince the guest they got a good return on their investment, even though the food offered is objectively lesser in quality.

This has resulted in a gradual dumbing-down and simplification of Disney menus, as Disney focused on making sure DDP purchasers always overspent for what they got -- even for many years pre-COVID -- that is generally decried by those who remember when Disney restaurants offered truly unique and higher-quality experiences. My family has only been going to WDW regularly since 2012, and even between 2012 and 2020, we observed an obvious decline in food offerings (uniqueness, portion size, quality of meats and seafood, number of entrees) at every restaurant for which we were repeat visitors, while menu prices increased dramatically. 'Ohana is a prime example: first they came for the lettuce wraps, which were a lovely appetizer not available anywhere else at WDW (that I know of). Then they decided that the grilled chicken on skewers had to go. Then the "steak" was downgraded to a lesser quality. Now with the most recent menu iteration, instead of pork loin and grilled shrimp, guests are offered Polish sausage and a crumby "casserole" that, by all accounts, is a culinary abomination. All while the price went up by over a third!

FWIW (pardon me while I take a moment to mount my soapbox), my family has never used the DDP except when it was offered for "free" as part of a room package -- something that's rarely offered anymore. We still go to whatever restaurants we want and order whatever we want, and we average 1 TS and 1 CS per day plus snacks (which is technically more than the DDP offers, because some of our TS meals are at restaurants that would cost 2 DDP "credits," and we often get appetizers the plan wouldn't cover), and we still end up spending over a third LESS by paying out of pocket instead of purchasing the DDP. We also enjoy the "convenience of prepayment," as we pay for the bulk of those meals with pre-purchased Disney gift cards, bought with a stacked discount of about 8%. I know there are many who love the DDP, don't mind its impact on the overall quality of meals at Disney World, and would honestly rather overpay ahead of time than pay less during their vacation. There are entire threads devoted to the debate all over these boards. However, I am not among the DDP's fans.
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Perfect. I want this post dipped in gold and then bronzed.
 
The_Jobu

The_Jobu

Well-Known Member
DHSfanatic said:
Last I looked, I think they had Tony’s and the Golden Horseshoe at, or near, the bottom.
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Interesting...

I heard GH had a rep, but I didnt think it would be at the bottom.

From what I hear from vloggers, I thought Pizzarizzo would have been the worst. I haven't eaten at either place, so I cant really say.
 
UNCgolf

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
The_Jobu said:
Interesting...

I heard GH had a rep, but I didnt think it would be at the bottom.

From what I hear from vloggers, I thought Pizzarizzo would have been the worst. I haven't eaten at either place, so I cant really say.
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Tony's served my GF and I the worst chicken I've ever had. Mine was at least edible, but it was both fatty and rubbery. Hers was legitimately unfit to eat.
 
The_Jobu

The_Jobu

Well-Known Member
Only really bad thing I can remember from Disney was an amazingly stale rice pudding from Holiday Festival 2018. I still dont know if thats how it was supposed to taste, but it was horrible. I'm fanatical about not wasting food, but even I had to toss the whole thing after 2 bites (second bite was to see if the first was a mistake, naturally).
 
Jon81uk

Jon81uk

Well-Known Member
Although I do also think a lot of the cost-cutting would have still happened without the DDP.
They aren't offering the dining plan right now, yet it still feels like they are going for the highest price they can get away with the lowest quality.
Even if they scrapped the DDP 10 years ago I bet the food quality vs cost would have still gone they way it has, WDW has moved in that direction on most things.
 
Payne0525

Payne0525

New Member
Ohana has always been my family's favorite restaurant. We just ate there this past week, and we will not be going back (unless they revert to what they've always served and have been known for all these years). The appetizers and dessert were fine, but the entrée items were awful. They might as well get rid of the fire pit in the middle of the restaurant, as it doesn't appear to be needed anymore.
 
Sirwalterraleigh

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
Payne0525 said:
Ohana has always been my family's favorite restaurant. We just ate there this past week, and we will not be going back (unless they revert to what they've always served and have been known for all these years). The appetizers and dessert were fine, but the entrée items were awful. They might as well get rid of the fire pit in the middle of the restaurant, as it doesn't appear to be needed anymore.
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Declining quality for higher price…

Just like they lined it up:

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T

TrojanUSC

Well-Known Member
Payne0525 said:
Ohana has always been my family's favorite restaurant. We just ate there this past week, and we will not be going back (unless they revert to what they've always served and have been known for all these years). The appetizers and dessert were fine, but the entrée items were awful. They might as well get rid of the fire pit in the middle of the restaurant, as it doesn't appear to be needed anymore.
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That watery shrimp soup casserole didn't do it for you?
 
S

skypilot2922

Well-Known Member
Figments Friend said:
Just a heads up -

Last I was aware, the 50s Prime Time Diner waitstaff doesn't really 'play' with diners.
It's very hit or miss, at least as of a few months ago.
I recall reading here from fellow fans that Cast were not really 'playing the role' associated with this novel dining experience.
The reported decrease in the role playing may have been because of the Covid restrictions, so this may change by the time you are able to return.

Just wanted to mention it in case the 'interactive' role play aspect was a deal breaker for you.
Didn't want you to reserve a spot and then end up dissapointed.
However, if the 'role play' aspect is something you are not a big fan of....this could be a plus.

Someone here may be able to give a review of the current dining experience.


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Cant speak to the current experience but i loved the way it used to be done which I found thoroughly enjoyable, got my clean plate sticker more than once.
 
jaklgreen

jaklgreen

Well-Known Member
Anyone know if there is an alternative to the shrimp dish, or do they just give you more of everything else if you can't have the shrimp?
 
stratman50th

stratman50th

Well-Known Member
Weather_Lady said:
I think your righteous indignation is misplaced. We don't go to 'Ohana. We haven't since 2018 when we had our worst-ever, "last straw" meal there, and we don't plan to ever go back again. That doesn't mean we can't talk about it.
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This thread has been going on so long I don't even remember if I commented, but this is us too. We won't be back. I probably won't be going back to Disney at all. I would say never, but at my age I've learned to never say never about anything. I think the dining plan has been mentioned. We have never used it. We crunched the numbers when it first came out and decided it wouldn't work for us.
I'm not planning my next trip either. At least not there. Thinking Destin, Yellowstone, The Black Hills. Definitely someplace that doesn't involve a mouse. at least not an animated one anyway.
 
S

skypilot2922

Well-Known Member
stratman50th said:
This thread has been going on so long I don't even remember if I commented, but this is us too. We won't be back. I probably won't be going back to Disney at all. I would say never, but at my age I've learned to never say never about anything. I think the dining plan has been mentioned. We have never used it. We crunched the numbers when it first came out and decided it wouldn't work for us.
I'm not planning my next trip either. At least not there. Thinking Destin, Yellowstone, The Black Hills. Definitely someplace that doesn't involve a mouse. at least not an animated one anyway.
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Yellowstone beautiful but a Mouse like experience, Destin and some fishing there is the way to go.
 

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