Enjoying Lapu Lapus at ‘Ohana in 2009

‘Ohana means family. I can’t think of a better name for a family-style restaurant in the most family friendly place on Earth, can you? Dinner at ‘Ohana has been a tradition in my family since the restaurant opened in 1995. Once we’ve selected a time to visit, and often even before booking our accommodations, we make Advanced Dining Reservations to ensure that we are able to dine at our favorite restaurant at the Walt Disney World Resort. Of course ‘Ohana was a must-do on our most recent trip in May 2015.

DIStracted Tip: ‘Ohana is one of the most popular restaurants at the Walt Disney World Resort – reservations are a must! Be sure to make your Advanced Dining Reservations up to 180 days prior to your arrival date.

‘Ohana is located within the Great Ceremonial House at the Polynesian Village Resort. Once we entered the Great Ceremonial House, we proceeded to the host stand on the second level.  The host stand is situated outside of the restaurant itself, at the far end of a large seating area. While we waited to be seated, we could either kick back and relax in one of the comfortable chairs or get a Lapu Lapu, a tropical adult drink, at the adjacent Tambu Lounge. During this visit, we opted to poke around in Moana Mercantile and to talk to the Cast Member at the PhotoPass booth.

Once our table was available, our “cousin” (we’re all family at ‘Ohana!) stopped and picked up some freshly made Pineapple-Coconut bread as we walked to our table.

Fresh Pineapple-Cononut Bread

Along the way, we also got a great (albeit warm) view of the grilling area. It smelled wonderful!

On this particular visit, we had a fantastic view from our table. While we weren’t right up against the windows, we were close enough to see the Seven Seas Lagoon and enjoy the Electrical Water Pageant.

DIStracted Tip: ‘Ohana offers a great view of Wishes. Each night, they pipe in the music and dim the lights. If you have your heart set on viewing fireworks while you dine, check the scheduled time of Wishes for the night you plan to dine and book your reservation for within 30-60 minutes of the show. Once you arrive at ‘Ohana, request a table with a fireworks view. The Cast Member will do their best to accommodate your request.

View from ‘Ohana overlooking pool and Seven Seas Lagoon

After we were situated, our server took our drink orders and the food just kept on coming. All courses are all-you-care-to-eat and served family style; if we wanted more, all we had to do was ask. Here’s a closer to look at the items on the menu:

‘Ohana Pork Dumplings and Honey-Coriander Chicken Wings

‘Ohana Noodles tossed in Teriyaki sauce with fresh grilled vegetables

This is where the all-you-care-to-eat meat on a stick comes in. Our server offered us a choice of steak, pork or peel-and-eat shrimp. I skipped the peel-and-eat shrimp, but I did partake in a few pieces of the pork and steak, and dipped them in the provided peanut and sweet and sour dipping sauces. Some of the pieces were a bit well done, but, in general, the meat was juicy and flavorful.

Steak Meat Skewer / Photo by Disney

DIStracted Tip: Never fear my vegetarian friends – ‘Ohana has something for everyone! Let your server know about your dining preference and they will provide a vegetarian option.

Thanks to all the delicious food at ‘Ohana, I’ve never been able to really indulge in what I consider the piece de resistance of any meal: dessert. This time, I paced myself and was rewarded with one of the best desserts I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating: the ‘Ohana Bread Pudding à la mode with Bananas-Caramel Sauce.

‘Ohana Bread Pudding a la mode with Bananas-Caramel Sauce

The bread pudding is served warm and is dense and moist. We poured the banana-caramel sauce over the top, let the ice cream melt a bit and dug in! It was difficult for the three of us to get through the entire piece, but we persevered.

One last thing to note: Guests can visit with Lilo & Stitch at ‘Ohana during breakfast. While there is no character interaction at dinner, we were still entertained during our meal. Lipoa, a fixture at ‘Ohana since its earliest days, strolled around the restaurant playing a ukulele and singing traditional Hawaiian songs.  When she’s not serenading diners, Lipoa engages the littlest diners by coordinating coconut races around the restaurant.

Copious amounts of food, fantastic views and wholesome family entertainment await at ‘Ohana. For your next trip, make a reservation for dinner (and be sure to pack pants with an elastic waistband)!