Dining Review: Ohana Character Breakfast

Stitch didn't molest her but will you be so lucky?

Disney has a number of character dining locations. Some, like Chef Mickey’s, have almost become a rite of passage. Overall character meals are one of the best ways to interact with the characters.


Most people might not think of Ohana when they are looking for a character meal. In some ways I can understand that. If you have the choice between Chef Mickey’s and the seeing the fab five or going to Ohana and seeing Stitch and friends most people would lean towards Chef Mickey’s.

Here is why you should lean towards Ohana.

The Food: The food is typical Disney breakfast food. You are not going to find anything amazing but you will get decent breakfast food. So why would Ohana get a leg up here? While they offer fewer options when compared to Chef Mickey’s, you don’t have to deal with a buffet. The food here is delivered to your table. It’s in a family style format.

The Service: The service is a little better than Chef Mickey’s. Your server interacts with you more and it seems like they have fewer tables they have to deal with.

The Characters: The description says “Lilo and Stitch” but that’s a little deceptive. Lilo and Stitch will be there but they will be joined by Mickey, Minnie, and some other characters. You will see Lilo and Stitch and some other characters but the others could be mixed. One thing I will warn you about – Stitch tends to molest women. If you are just a couple and Stitch comes up he will try to kiss the girl. I don’t mean kiss her hand. I mean full on grab her and try to make out with her. I wish I had caught this on video because it seemed a little extreme.

The Atmosphere: The atmosphere at Chef Mickey’s can be hit or miss it really depends on where they stick you. The atmosphere at Ohana is very nice. The south seas feel is great and you get some nice views out the large windows. Overall Ohana beats Chef Mickey’s in this area.

Cost: At the time of this publication Chef Mickey’s cost $4 more than Ohana. You get a better selection of food at Chef Mickey’s but nothing else is better than what you get at Ohana. That being said take a chance on Ohana. You’ll save money and have a great character experience.

Dining Review: Breakfast at the Kona Cafe

Kona Café is the open air table service dining location found in the main lobby of the Polynesian resort. It’s on the second floor across from Ohana. Most people of think of Ohana when they think of dining at the Polynesian. After all Ohana has the character breakfast, it’s a much larger location, and the options at Ohana are a little more diverse.


Does this mean you should skip Kona and just head over to Ohana? No way!

The Food:

Kona has one of the best if not the best breakfasts you’ll find in all of Disney World. If you are the kind of person who likes to stuff themselves senseless first thing in the morning before heading out to ride amusement park rides than this is the place for you.

Kona has some really off the wall options. Sure they have some normal breakfast options but this is Disney World. Who wants normal? We don’t want normal we want TONGA TOAST!

Tonga Toast is multiple slices of French toast, stuffed with bananas, rolled in cinnamon sugar, and covered in strawberry compote. If that doesn’t sound fattening enough it comes with your choice of meat. I have eaten this thing twice and both times I thought I was going to burst after.

If you like coffee than you have to go to Kona. It’s one of the few places in Disney World that actually serves coffee (not that awful liquid poo in a cup you find throughout Disney World). They have a French press pot they will deliver to your table.

The Atmosphere:

Kona is an open air restaurant which means there are no walls between the dining floor and resort lobby. This can lead to some noise issues but it’s by no means a loud restaurant. Beyond that there are only a few things to really point out. The fans are one of those things. It’s not often you would point out a ceiling fan but the ones at Kona are something else. Imagine a bunch of wide fan blades bolted to a tube that spins vertically instead of horizontally. It sounds odd but it works.

The Service:

The service at Kona is up to Disney standards. Nothing really stood out but nothing detracted either. Our server was prompt and friendly. Our order was delivered in a timely manner and we did not feel rushed. This is important when it comes to breakfast. Sometimes the desire to turn over the table becomes very apparent. This was not the case at Kona.

The Price:

I normally avoid cost unless it has a positive or negative impact on the restaurant. In this case it’s a positive. When compared to typical Disney prices Kona is cheap. Considering the fact that you might have to waddle out of the restaurant after eating the Tonga Toast you’d think Disney would set you back $20 for it. It only costs $13. Granted that is expensive when compared to non-Disney prices but for a gut busting meal on Disney property it’s cheap.

Overall the Kona Café is a must do if you are staying at the Polynesian. If you are not staying there but want to do a breakfast on a day you are going to the Magic Kingdom it’s one of the best choices you can make. It’s hard to find many places in Disney World that offer more bang for your dollar.

Photo of the Week: Fireworks Meets the Electric Water Pageant at the Polynesian

This photo was taken over at the Polynesian.  You truly get a new perspective over there.  If you have the time you should try to see the Magic Kingdom fireworks from Polynesian and from the top of the Contemporary.  In both cases it's almost like seeing a whole new show.

For the photo geeks: The octopus is a little blurry thanks to the time delayed shutter but the fireworks came out great. I switched to the in camera dynamic color mode. That comes in hand for fireworks shots.  The main mode I used is shutter priority which means I told the camera how long to expose each shot but that mode lets the camera pick what aperture to use.

Review of the Polynesian

A lot of people rave about the Polynesian and there are valid reasons for this.  The Polynesian has a lot going for it.  You can walk to the TTC, the Magic Kingdom is a short monorail ride away and then there is the decor.


Outdoors the Poly is second to none.  The place is swarming with flowers, plants, trees, and shrubs.  On top of that you also run into the stream, springs and volcano pool.  Oh and did I forget to mention the Electric Water Pageant and view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks?

Inside Poly is a mixed bag. The main building is nice and the fountain in the lobby great.  Sadly those are the best features that can be found inside the Poly.

The check in area is cramped.  I get the feeling that when it gets busy it's not a fun place to be.  The non flora decor is bland and almost ugly.  I guess if you really like that kind of style it wouldn't be bad.

The restaurants are okay.  Ohana is average in almost every way.  The Kona Cafe is actually is best dining location on property (see my review of both of those restaurants for more info).  Captain Cooks is good for a quick service meal. There are two aspects about it that stand out. First they have the cool ordering kiosks there. Second you can get a Dole Whip.  Yes you can get a pine apple Dole Whip at the Poly.

The pools are decent.  The adults pool is nothing to write home about.  It's small but it tends to be empty which is nice.  The main pool is larger but still a little small by deluxe standards.  However, the main pool has a volcano with a water slide in it.  The water slide is mostly in the dark an it's fast.  If you lay down on it you will hit the water so hard water will shoot right up your nose. I wish I didn't know that.

The rooms at the Poly are nice but are not as good as other rooms on property.   They are big but rather ugly. The colors are dark and that's not really a good thing.  No matter what the room seems dirty even though house keeping keeps them perfectly clean.  The balcony is bigger than the ones found at the Contemporary but it may have just seemed that way.  The beds and general decor did not match up to Contemporary.  Even the bathroom isn't as good as the ones found in the tower at the Contemporary.  Don't let all of this give you the wrong impression.  Even though you can find better rooms on property these rooms are still nice, large, and clean.

Overall the Poly is a nice hotel but in the end I can't help but feel that it's a little overrated.  Considering the HUGE price you pay I can't recommend staying at the Poly.  If you are going to pay that much the use a discount code and stay in the Contemporary Tower or at the Boardwalk.  Both have great locations and great rooms.

If you want to see a video overview of a room at the Poly click here.

Photo of the Week - The Poly

There is not doubt that the Poly is one of the best if not the best themed resorts in Disney World.  While the Contemporary and others are impressive the Poly has one of the most beautiful themes in Disney World.

The Beatles and Disney World

When most people think of the Beatles they do not thing of Disney World.  What most people don’t realize is an event involving the Beatles at Disney World that forever impacted music. 

At first you might think I’m nuts.  After all didn’t the Beatles breakup in 1970? Disney World didn’t open until the fall of 1971.  It’s true that the Beatles physically broke up in 1970 but it took five years to iron out the details and take care of some legal disputes.

The truth is John Lennon signed the documents that dissolved the Beatles on December 29, 1974.  He signed the documents at the Polynesian Resort where he was staying while on vacation.

It’s not happy to think about that but it is amazing.  It’s amazing to think that one of the biggest events in the history of the Beatles took place in Disney World. 

Back in the World

Against all odds it looks like I’m going back to Disney from October 19^th to the 26^th, 2011. I guess Food and Wine was a big enough draw from my wife and my niece. I’m also banking on the fact that Disney is going to release a round of discounts for that time period. I just hope it’s not the normal “free dining.” I want a good room discount. 40% off a deluxe room is much better than free dining.

I’ll be hitting up some new stuff to review. Here are some of those subjects:

Resort Review: The Polynesian

Dining Review: Ohana

Dining Review: Tony’s Town Square Restaurant

Dining Review: Biergarten

Dining Review: Momma Melrose

Dining Review: Akershus

Dining Review: Jiko

Dining Revisit: Chef’s De France

Dining Revisit: Le Cellier

Dining Revisit: San Angel Inn

Dining Revisit: Kona Café

Dining Revisit: Yack and Yeti

Dining Revisit: Brown Derby

Dining Revisit: Liberty Tree Tavern

Dining Revisit: 50’s Prime Time

Random Disney Stories

Food and Wine Festival

Review: Star Tours: The Adventure Continues

Overview: Fantasy Land Expansion Progress

These subjects could change. I think that goes without saying. We’re 13 months out and nothing has even been reserved yet.

Sorry I seriously doubt I’ll be doing Fantasmic so don’t ask. The only guaranteed way I’ll end up seeing it is if it starts playing everyday. There is a chance that if one of our days ends early and Fantasmic is playing that night we might head over to see it.

CMDTA on His Own: The Tiki Room Under New Management

As I stood in line for the Tiki Room I asked myself why I was wasting my free time to see this subpar show. The only answer I could find was the fact that I had done this attraction every single time I had been to Disney World. I think this is the last time I’ll do this ride.

I’m a fan of the original Tiki Room so every time I see the new show it bothers me. It went from charming to loud and obnoxious. I sat in the wrong place. I was right next to a speaker. I really wish I had brought some ear plugs. It was brutally loud.

If you’ve never see this show before, don’t. It’s not worth your time. This ride really needs some help. It needs to be moved to the Polynesian and reverted to its original format.

There is no reason to see the current version of this show. I doubt even old people would could find a way to enjoy this show.

Oh wait! I’ve thought of a time you should see this show. If you are about to suffer heatstroke and can’t make it to the hall of presidents.

The Temporary Show That Never Stopped

Disney has a habit of cutting costs at the first sign of a week economy. You don’t need to tell that to the thousands who lost their jobs earlier this year. Beyond cutting jobs Disney cut Fantasmic, shot down the new Stich show after just a few weeks, and made thousands of other small adjustments to save money.

Typically if Disney labels something as “temporary” or in Disney terms “Seasonal” it means you better see it now because it could be gone in a couple of days.

There is one “temporary” attraction that was never shut down. In fact it’s been playing since 1971. I never viewed temporary as being a term of nearly 40 years but this is Disney we are talking about.

In 1971 you had the Magic Kingdom which might take you a day to go through. You could ride the Monorail. You also had the Contemporary and Fort Wilderness. I bet someone will let me know but I don’t know if the Poly was even around in 71. Beyond that there wasn’t much. To make it more of a value Disney threw together a show and put it out there. At the time if you had told them the show would still be playing 40 years later I bet they would have mocked you.

The Electric Water Pageant has been playing every night in front of Ft. Wilderness, the Contemporary, and the Poly for nearly 40 years.

If you’ve never seen it, it’s a goofy light show set to some music. It’s so simple yet if it starts when you are there you will watch the entire thing. I don’t know what it is but there is some kind of magic to it.

Today we have special effects that the imagineers in the 70’s and 80’s couldn’t even dream about. I mention that because in entertainment there is a desire to improve on what you did, often ruining it in the process. Look at what happened to the original Star Wars. That’s just one example.

Amazing no one has tried to update the EWP. If someone did, they did such a good job that no one noticed. I say good job because the EWP is not something you update. When you get something right the first time, don’t mess with it.

Next time you are in Disney make sure to take a few minutes and check out the EWP. It’s a great way to end your day.

The Problem With Deluxe

The deluxe resorts are great. The Contemporary, Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge, Polynesian, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and Boardwalk / Yacht Club all have amazing theming and great rooms. The problem is you pay for that. A lot of people are stuck with a tough choice. Do I go less often and stay at a deluxe or do I go more often and stay at a moderate or value resort?

If you’ve never stayed in one of the deluxe resorts it’s an easy decision. Why would you spend the extra money? I have to be honest, I stayed at the Contemporary in the tower the last time I went down. It was amazing but I don’t know if I’d ever do it again. I can’t afford to. That trip was a once in a lifetime trip. I’m back in the cheaper rooms if it’s just my wife and I. Then again I could hit the big time and make oodles of money. If that happened I’d try out all of the deluxe resorts.

I know a lot of people are partial to the Polynesian but I’m a Contemporary man. I love the rooms and I love the tower. The Polynesian is beautiful and the fountain in the main building is great. All the others have a hard time matching up. If the weather is good, the Boardwalk a night is amazing and it’s really close to Epcot and DHS. I’ve never liked the Grand Floridian and all the others just seem out of the way. This leads me to my next point.

It’s hard to know which resort is really going connect with you and your family. You could spend a lot of money on one of those resorts, get there, and end up not liking it. That’s why if you are considering doing a deluxe, book a cheaper trip and take a day to check out all of the resorts. If you do that you can make an informed decision on whether you think it will be worth it or not.

Mmmmm…Tonga Toast….

From time to time I eat so much I think my stomach will burst. Normally it’s because I’m eating something that’s so good you can’t stop. The last time I ate like that was at the Kona Café. My wife and I went there for breakfast on our last trip. I’d never eaten there before so I just went with the waiter’s recommendation – the Tonga Toast. If you don’t know what Tonga Toast is, go to and book a trip to Disney, make an ADR at the Kona Café in the Polynesian, and order it. I’m not going to spoil it for you. It’s insane, it’s huge, and if you eat the whole thing you’ll need to lie down for a while.

I might not be remembering this correctly but I think it was the size of my head. It was the perfect texture. It was yummy. It makes up for the bland decorations at the Kona Café. The Polynesian is amazing but the café is kind of bland in comparison. The service was decent and it didn’t seem rushed which can easily happen with a breakfast service.

Other than the Tonga Toast the most memorable thing about our breakfast was a family sitting across from us. Were they a cute family? No. Were they an ugly family? No. Did they stink? No. Then why did they stand out? Dysfunction! The Kona Café doesn’t have any entertainment but we were well entertained through our meal. It was a rather large group. I’d say about ten people total. Most of the people were fine and seemed to enjoy their breakfast. The son and the father were another story. I don’t know what transpired before they arrived at the Kona Café but whatever it was it hit its boiling point once they sat down and got their menus. Seemingly out of the blue the father started yelling at his son and told him “If you don’t pick something you’re not going on any rides!” He then continued on berating his son stating how selfish he was. His rant ran for at least two minutes. That might not sound long but when you’re a witness of it, it seems like an eternity. It’s bad enough when you get ripped into in private. To get ripped into in front of your whole family and about fifty strangers is just awful. If the kid had a rock, he would have climbed under it.

Overall the Kona Café was great. It was the best breakfast we had on our trip. The food was good, the service was good, and the entertainment was great!