Dreaming of the Island Life but can’t make it to Hawaii? We hear you. As connoisseurs of all things beachy we never miss a chance to visit The Polynesian Resort or grab dinner at ‘Ohana at Disney World. This family-style restaurant offers a luau atmosphere complete with soft ukulele music, fun for the kids and an all-you-care-to-enjoy dinner. Add in an after-dinner coffee or dole whip and a stroll on the beach and you’re living like a local! Here are our favorite reasons why you may want to grab a reservation at ‘Ohana as soon as you get a chance.
‘Ohana Restaurant at The Polynesian Resort and Villas, Walt Disney World
It’s no secret that we are suckers for any opportunity to enjoy an island lifestyle. Toes in the sand, the smell of sea salt air and foods made with pineapple pretty much spell out “heaven” for us. And if you’re up for some authentic foods from the South Pacific then ‘Ohana may be just what you’re looking for. Add in a fancy drink in a pineapple, a flower lei and ‘Ohana bread pudding and we’re there!
Ohana Disney Atmosphere
As a restaurant and culture that caters to families, Ohana combines a family-style meal and a casual atmosphere. And by casual, we mean you can show up in a tee and shorts, sporting a lei. It’s such a low key restaurant! Family-Style means all the food comes out in large dishes, once course at a time. And you share it. Of course, this is an all-you-care-to-enjoy dining experience, so feel free to ask for as much as you want. With views of the Cinderellas Castle across the Seven Seas Lagoon, we highly recommend you grab a reservation around that 8:30pm/ 9pm hour and ask for a window seat. This can give you a front row seat to evening fireworks at Magic Kingdom and the electric water float parade. If you’re looking for something earlier and less crowded, aim for a 4 o’clock reservation before the dinner crowd settles in.
Ohana Family Dinner Menu
We can’t get enough of this food. The dumplings, wings, noodles and veggies all come together in a large pan. And thankfully, if you’re a vegetarian, you can just mention it to the server ahead of time and you’ll get your own selection of noodles, veggies and tofu. Plus, a hummus appetizer and salad with a non-dairy dressing.
Starters
- ‘Ohana Pineapple-Coconut Bread
- Mixed Greens Salad with a Lilikoi dressing
So, the bread and butter is flavored with this lovely sweet pineapple that feels a little like dessert. Definitely a treat and a nice starter. This salad follows suit with a slightly sweet dressing made from passionfruit and cream. Very yummy and both things kiddies will surely eat once they get a bite.
Entree
- Pork Dumplings tossed in Garlic-Ginger Sauce
- Honey-Coriander Chicken Wings
- Teriyaki Noodles
- Stir-fried Vegetables
- Sweet-n-Sour Chicken Skewer
- Szechuan Sirloin Steak Skewer
- Spicy Grilled Peel-n-Eat Shrimp Skewer
Everything in the entree portion of the meal is excellent. The pork dumplings are more like pot stickers, and the meats on skewers are freshly grilled. The noodles and veggies here are again on the sweet side with teriyaki sauce.
Dessert
- ‘Ohana Bread Pudding à la mode topped with Caramel Sauce and Bananas
- Rice Krispies Treat with Sprinkles ( For Kids)
Lets face it. The Ohana Bread Pudding at Ohana is the equivalent of the bread service at Sanaa. It’s THE REASON people come to Ohana. If you’ve never had bread pudding you may be wondering how what’s essentially prepared as soggy bread could good. But it’s really more of a pineapple and banana cake covered in caramel sauce. Very decadent. Absolutely addicting.
Bonus: If you’re staying at the Polynesian Resort you can order an Ohana dinner including bread pudding to be delivered to your room. It’s called the Polynesian Twilight Feast. See why we love everything about this island culture?
Ohana Disney Restaurant Dinner Prices
One of the best parts of Ohana is the price. True at 35 a plate for kids and 60 a plate for adults you may think we’re going crazy. Until we remind you it’s an all-you-care-to-enjoy restaurant. Which means you can ask for bread pudding to-go to eat later. Or a box to take all your leftovers home. Or extra anything. The guests who sat next to us last time we visited had this system down. And literally walked out with a bag of extra dinner as a result of the all-you-care-to-enjoy stipulation. Check out the Ohana menu for current prices.
Ohana Family Dining Pros and Cons
We always like to sorta break down the pros and cons of a place. But for Ohana this was pretty tough!
Pros
- Family Friendly Restaurant
- All You Care to Enjoy
- Perfect for large families and groups
- Casual
- Vegetarian-Friendly
Cons
- Pretty Casual
- Lots of Families
- Outside Parks
Would we recommend Dinner at Ohana?
All in all, yes. Absolutely. We like this restaurant for casual family get togethers, groups and meetups. It’s wonderful to get away from the crowds of the parks and head to a restaurant off the beaten path. The Polynesian also boasts the Tambu Lounge for some fun drinks afterwards. Pineapple Lanai for that dole whip we mentioned earlier. And beaches you can lounge on and wait for the fireworks or water parade. There are so many reasons to head to Ohana to dinner!
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