7 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Eating at ‘Ohana in Disney World

‘Ohana is a VERY popular restaurant at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. The restaurant offers a character breakfast and an all-you-can-eat, family-style dinner. It’s known for its ‘Ohana noodles and getting to meet Stitch.

If you want to try ‘Ohana, you’ll need to get reservations, and you’ll want to grab them as soon as you can, 60 days out from your vacation. But if you’re thinking about checking out ‘Ohana, you’ll definitely want to know these seven things!

Fireworks Seating Is Not Guaranteed

The Polynesian Resort is located across the Seven Seas Lagoon from Magic Kingdom, making it a prime outside-the-park location to view the nightly fireworks. Many people will plan to dine at ‘Ohana in hopes that they can see the show while they enjoy their dinner.

Unfortunately, though, this is NOT guaranteed. You cannot specifically reserve a fireworks viewing table; you get what you get. So if this is your goal, just know that it could totally work out in your favor, or you might completely miss the show.

You Can Get a Lot of the Same Items at Tambu Lounge for Cheaper

Tambu Lounge is the lounge associated with ‘Ohana. It has a much smaller menu, but with lots of drink options. Here you can get several signature items from ‘Ohana without having to pay for the family-style meal, saving you a bit of money.

You purchase each item individually, instead of the whole meal. We’ve been able to snag the ‘Ohana Noodles AND the bread pudding. Although the bread pudding isn’t officially on the menu, you just need to ask.

Sebastian’s Bistro Is Similar (But Better) for Less $$

One thing many people aren’t always pleased with at ‘Ohana is the price for what you get. Both breakfast and dinner are on the higher side for a Disney World meal, and the food isn’t always what people are hoping for. Instead, we recommend checking out Sebastian’s Bistro at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.

Sebastian’s is another island fare family-style restaurant, for half the price of ‘Ohana. While the food isn’t exactly the same (at Sebastian’s, you’ll enjoy Caribbean flavors vs. Polynesian flavors at ‘Ohana), it is VERY similar, and we think even better than what you get at ‘Ohana.

The one major difference is that ‘Ohana has Lilo and Stitch for breakfast, whereas Sebastian’s is not a character meal.

People with Allergies: Be Careful

Unfortunately, we’ve heard some horror stories about people with allergies dining at ‘Ohana. It seems that the restaurant cannot always guarantee that the food will be allergen-free, and sometimes they won’t accept requests to make accommodations.

In our experience, dinner has been worse than breakfast in regard to allergens, but it can be hit or miss for either meal. If you do have a food allergy that you need accommodated for, be sure to talk to the staff, be direct, and if needed, you can always ask to talk to the chef.

You May Not Want to Overeat, But It’s So EASY To Do

The food at ‘Ohana is certainly good! While we prefer Sebastian’s, we still enjoy much of what ‘Ohana offers, especially the ‘Ohana Noodles. With the meal being all-you-can-eat family-style, you’ll want to consider what you’ve got going on AFTER your meal, because if you overeat, you might not feel like doing much else the rest of the day.

It’s so easy to overeat at ‘Ohana, especially those noodles and bread pudding. So just realize that if you’re planning on heading to Magic Kingdom after your meal to ride TRON Lightcycle / Run, you might need to put your fork down sooner than later.

It’s the Only Character Dining with Lilo and Stitch

There are LOTS of character dining options around. Disney World, but there is only ONE place that you can dine with Lilo and Stitch, and that is ‘Ohana for breakfast.

Mickey, Minnie, and friends have several meals at the parks and hotels, and you’ll find select other Disney friends at other restaurants, but Lilo and Stitch are only here at ‘Ohana. So if you’re a Lilo and Stitch fan, the price and food options may not even matter to you to get to hang out with these two besties.

Yes, the Bread Pudding Really Is That Good

We really do LOVE the bread pudding at ‘Ohana. This warm, sweet, and soft bread pudding comes with ice cream and caramel sauce. It is truly that good that we eat at Tambu Lounge and ‘Ohana just for this dessert.

However, you can get a VERY similar one at Sebastian’s Bistro. Celebrated House-made Coconut-Pineapple Bread Pudding also comes with ice cream and caramel sauce, so if you plan to check out Sebastian’s instead of ‘Ohana, you don’t have to have FOMO (fear of missing out) over the Polynesian bread pudding.

There are some great reasons to go to ‘Ohana, particularly the character experiences, the ‘Ohana noodles, and the family-style all-you-care-to-enjoy aspect. But we would suggest trying Sebastian’s Bistro or Tambu Lounge instead.

We love trying all the Disney World food, so stick around at AllEars.net for more reviews and details!

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What’s your favorite thing to eat at ‘Ohana? Let us know in the comments!

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