Ohana — Restaurant in Bay Lake

We had heard great things about here, despite the high price tag, so we decided to try it for the first time. I looked right when our reservation window opened (60 days in advance) and chose the only option that was available which was 3:30pm. Reservations are usually hard to come by unless you are willing to dine late at night, but check often. To get to the Polynesian hotel, you can monorail from the Magic Kingdom, or TTC, or you can Uber/Lyft, or drive in since you have a reservation, they will let you in the gates. It is located on the second floor of the lobby area. You check in at the first desk at the top of the stairs/by the elevators. You have a 15 minute grace window from your reservation time. After checking in at the first stand, you wait for the text message to go to the next stand to be seated, which is at the entrance to the restaurant. The restaurant is pretty large with windows all the way around with great views of the lagoon and even the castle. There is also an open grill area where you can see them grilling some of the meats. You get a drink menu if you would like a cocktail, alcoholic drink, or other extra pay drinks. Included in the price of your meal you do get a soft drink. We tried the pineapple cider and the lapu lapu which came in a pineapple. We had a main server (Brandon) and an assistant server. They were both great about checking in with us to make sure we had everything we needed and if we needed refills on anything. The menu is pre set. We got salad (which is like a spring mix) with citrus vinaigrette, and coconut pineapple loaf of bread (both good). But we knew more was coming so we kept some room. Then we got a skillet with stir fry vegetables with noodles, potsticker/wonton/dumplings, and sticky wings. We also got some hot towels for when we were done with our sticky wings. All excellent and the noodles were my favorite, while the wings were my husbands favorite. There was still more! We got two small beef teriyaki medallions, which were great, we almost ordered a refill but we were so full. You also get a lot of shrimp (with the shells on so you have to peel), they were cooked well but not a lot of flavor. The server did recommend to dip the shrimp in the citrus vinaigrette salad dressing which was yummy. There was also some smoked chicken thigh (like pounded flat), it was tasty and tender and smokey, but you have to like chicken thigh. Then after that and you being super full, you get dessert! You get a huge slice of bread pudding with a huge amount of ice cream with a large amount of caramel syrup on top. This was so delicious and perfect. We ate almost all of it, so save some room for that! During the meal there was a Ukelele player and singer (Kaletti), who walked around and played live music and sang which made for great atmosphere. He even went around and interacted with the tables welcoming us and asking if we were celebrating anything. Overall 3:30pm was actually a great time for “Linner” because we came in hungry and were full for the rest of the evening. Please come in hungry. Overall we really enjoyed our experience and all of the food was delicious. We left overstuffed. You are paying a higher price tag, but you do get so much food and it is all you care to enjoy if you choose to order more. Note there are no to go boxes...

I would NOT recommend OHANA due to the lack of seating for larger groups, service, food quality, and price.

They have a cocktail bar before entering the restaurant where you can consume alcoholic drinks while you wait, I am not sure if this has any connection with the wonderful reviews this place has, but I would think it does.

This was our first Disney Trip with a group size of 11 ( 4 children and 7 adults.) We booked this reservation in two separate parties, but were assured we could be seated together upon arrival. We checked into OHANAs and explained our party arrangement and requested to be at the same or adjoining tables. After some back and forth between us, the hostess walked to a group of peers I watched them from 5ft away pass around our ticket to each other like a game of "hot potato" on who will break the news our party will not be sitting together, all smiling while doing so, made us very uncomfortable. Finally their game was settled and they told us, we could not be seated due to the flow of the restaurant and we can only seat up to 8 at any given table, smirking while doing so. We reluctantly accepted although putting a damper on the evening as our family was separated between two tables; way to far to interact with another. While seated we counted a table that held 10 people, so that tells me, they lied for some reason?

Our waiter/waitress was not friendly at all, only saw them when they brought out the next course unannounced, never cleared any dishes, and acted like we were an uninvited guest in their home the entire evening, making it a very uncomfortable first experience.

Food quality is sub par, they would be better off dropping one of the courses and getting better quality meats. It reminded me of being at a golden corral, except we paid much much more for it. They do have gluten free options, but the chicken wings were overcooked and sauced excessively. The white rice had a taste and consistency of being boiled for two days and the vegtables were overdone and salted beyond your wildest dreams. The steak was over sauced and very tough, you eat with your hands, so start working out your wrists and fingers now so you can tear pieces off and chew it for 3 minutes. The chicken was charred, but it was the best tasting item. The shrimp was overcooked, hard to peel, and tossed in some seasoning that only stuck to some parts, which made it taste like a salt lick every other bite. Make sure you hydrate before going! Desert was okay, some kind of cake/ ice cream nothing extraordinary.

Price was around $65+ for adults and something lower for children. I had two sleeping kids worn out from Magic Kingdom, who ate nothing the whole time but still got charged.

You can see the castle from the window if you bring a decent pair of binoculars or spotting scope, unfortunately I had neither. We reserved this location to specifically watch the fireworks, which were delayed but wouldn't be able to see them clearly anyways if they weren't.

My recommendation would be to seek out a location close to your park for that day, and read over the menu, pricing, and low rating reviews, I have found the higher reviews to be inaccurate at a lot of Disney themed events/locations and my expectations were simply not met. I would like to go back to WDW, but...

We made a reservation at ’Ohana three months in advance specifically for the 4th of July fireworks, as we had heard this was one of the best viewing spots outside of Magic Kingdom. Unfortunately, our experience was anything but magical.

Being unfamiliar with the resort, we had a hard time finding the restaurant and arrived a bit confused with where to check in, but still 20 minutes early for our reservation. Upon arrival, we were met by Montana, the host, who was surprisingly crass and unhelpful. When I tried to check in, I was abruptly told it had to be done online — no assistance, no courtesy.

Our table was ready fairly quickly, but to our dismay, it was one of the few completely blocked by the kitchen — zero view of the fireworks, which was the whole reason we were there. When we politely asked Montana if there were any alternatives or anything she could do to help, she brushed us off with a cold, “take it or leave it” attitude. We weren’t expecting miracles, but even basic empathy was lacking. Even when I asked if there was a baby sling for our sleeping child, her curt response was simply, “I don’t have that.” Her tone and demeanor did not reflect the level of customer service we’ve consistently received at other Disney locations.

Despite the poor seating, we decided to stay and at least try to walk over to the window to watch the fireworks, as Montana had told us we could. But just as the show began, my daughter and I were stopped by another staff member, Vee, who very rudely told us we couldn’t stand there. When I explained that we had been told otherwise, she flat-out denied it without even listening. There were clearly open spots near pillars that wouldn’t have been in the way of staff or guests, but no effort was made to work with us, and no willingness to listen.

We spent $300 on this meal, arrived early, made reservations months in advance, and yet we weren’t even allowed to stand somewhere out of the way to watch a 10-minute firework show. When we expressed our frustration to Vee at the end of the night, she kept repeating it was a “safety issue.” But honestly, that felt more like an excuse than a genuine concern — a little flexibility and creative problem-solving could’ve easily made a difference.

The most disappointing part wasn’t the table or even missing the fireworks — it was the complete lack of empathy, Disney spirit, or willingness to do anything to make the experience special. We didn’t feel welcomed or valued as guests, and certainly not like we were at Disney.

This was a deeply disheartening way to spend a holiday we were so looking forward to. We left with a terrible impression and will not be...