Aloha kakahiaka (Which is good morning in Hawaiian.)! And we did have a VERY good morning recently at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.
We’ve had a longtime LOVE for the Polynesian and its amazing eats. Whether it be a Dole Whip from the Pineapple Lanai (they just taste better here don’t they?) or the Chocolate-Covered Pineapple from Kona Island, there is always something tasty to be found at this iconic resort.
But sometimes, you just want to hit a classic spot…with a little character. That’s right! We headed to one of our favorite restaurants and character breakfasts on property, ‘Ohana. This has long been a beloved character breakfast, but would it still hold up — especially with the addition of the new character Breakfast à la Art at Topolino’s Terrace at the Riviera Resort?? That’s what we wanted to find out!
Atmosphere:
‘Ohana is located on the second floor of the Polynesian’s main building, the Grand Ceremonial House. No matter what time your meal is (breakfast or dinner), you’ll check in at a podium to the right side of the restaurant.
Considering we were here for breakfast, there was plenty of seating available while we waited for our name to be called. However, if you dine at dinner, a spot may be hard to come by, as the Tambu Lounge will be open and these seats are available for guests of the lounge as well.
You’re also invited to meet your first character while you wait!
It’s usually Pluto, but you may see another friend there instead. This is the only character with a PhotoPass photographer so make sure you have your magic band ready to scan!
How precious is he with his lei?! And speaking of characters, you’re probably wondering who all attends this breakfast! Well, considering this is officially called the Best Friends Breakfast, it’s fitting that Pluto’s BFF, Mickey Mouse, joins you at your table.
Could his Hawaiian shirt be any cuter?
Also swinging by your table is another set of besties — and this pair call Hawaii (and outer space) home. Of course, we mean Lilo…
…and her “dog” Stitch!
This is the only character meal that you’ll find Stitch at, so if you’re a fan of this little troublemaker, you should absolutely put an ‘Ohana breakfast on your calendar.
‘Ohana, like many character meals, has a little parade that your kiddos can participate in. They can borrow a shaker from a character attendant, and follow the characters in a processional. It’s super cute, so have your cameras ready!
Inside ‘Ohana, you’ll find a simple yet distinctly Polynesian atmosphere.
In the center of the restaurant, they’ve designed it to look like an outdoor tiki pavilion!
There are tiny Hawaiian touches everywhere — for example, we love these animal sculptures along the ceiling!
If you’re lucky enough to get seated at a window seat, you’ll be treated to a fabulous view!
You can also see the giant stone grill where they cook their iconic meat for dinner!
Speaking of meat, let’s eat!
Eats:
‘Ohana may mean family, but it also means DELICIOUS breakfast skillets. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s check out the beverage options. Breakfast at ‘Ohana starts with a Polynesian classic — POG Juice!
If you’re not familiar, POG juice is a Disney favorite blend of passion fruit, orange, and guava juices. It’s known under several aliases around property — at Tusker House it’s called Jungle Juice, at Topolino’s it’s Florida Sunshine, but no matter where it is, it’s DELICIOUS.
In addition to POG Juice, your meal comes with sodas, standard juices, milk, and coffee included.
Of course, if you want to kick it up a notch, you can order a specialty beverage, like a Mimosa or fancy coffee, for an additional cost.
The Warped Hula Hoop sounds intriguing…
To start your meal off, your seater will grab you a tasty chunk of their signature Pineapple-Coconut Breakfast Bread.
Just look at this glorious, sticky chunk! You can even see chunks of real pineapple in the bread itself. And the top is smothered in a perfect coconut glaze.
This is just as delicious as it looks. It’s moist and sweet, with the bread and pineapple chunks just melting in your mouth. Topped off with the coconut glaze, this is honestly worth the price of breakfast alone.
We were also given a fresh fruit plate at the start of the meal.
On the plate were juicy pieces of pineapple, cantaloupe, watermelon, and grapes. All of the fruit was fresh and sweet like it had just been picked from the palm trees outside.
It’s nice to mix in a little bit of produce into the carby, meaty goodness that is the rest of the breakfast. Speaking of, our Breakfast Skillet arrived not long after the fruit plate and drinks.
The platter contains servings of Hua Paka (scrambled eggs), Pua’a (pork in the form of sausage and ham with pineapple compote), biscuits, Uala Kahiki (Island-style fried potatoes), and character waffles.
This is one of the best things about the Best Friends Breakfast at ‘Ohana — the food all comes to you! This means you don’t have to worry about wrangling kids and getting up and down to go to a buffet. It’s still all you care to enjoy — if you want more of anything, including fruit and bread, you can just ask your server! It takes a lot of the stress and chaos out of a buffet meal.
Let’s take a closer look at that skillet shall we?
The eggs were hot, creamy, and fresh. While simple, they were cooked perfectly — a difficult task when scrambling eggs in bulk. The biscuit was tasty as well, flaky and buttery. (Pro tip — slice it open and make yourself a lil’ breakfast sammie with some eggs and ham.)
Speaking of the ham, it was a real treat. We LOVED the pineapple compote as a sweet sauce on top. It balanced the salty, tender ham perfectly.
But our favorites were the fried potatoes and pork sausage! The potatoes were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. They also had a perfect blend of spice — with just a little heat from the pepper. We applauded these because, like eggs, breakfast taters are hard to perfect in large batches. The pork was also cooked nicely, with a crispy skin on the outside, and spicy pork on the inside. They wasn’t a ton of heat, so everyone should still enjoy, but just a great level of seasoning and flavor.
And now, for the creme de la creme of Disney breakfast, and the real reason we go to character dining: WAFFLES.
Is it just us, or do waffles taste better when they’re Mickey shaped? Or in this case, Mickey and STITCH shaped!
And per usual, these waffles are fluffy golden perfection. Top them with the butter and syrup at the table, and we promise you’re in breakfast Heaven.
With our autograph books a little fuller, and our bellies stuffed with carbs and meat, we declared this ‘Ohana breakfast a success.
Overall:
Once again, ‘Ohana proves itself to be a winner in quality food and experience. We love that the food comes to our table, which makes for a more relaxing character breakfast. Plus, we don’t have to worry about being up at the buffet and missing a character at our table.
And speaking of the food, it’s VERY good. Sure, it’s simple breakfast items, but they are done VERY well. Plus, we are still dreaming of the Pineapple-Coconut Bread. …seriously.
Overall, ‘Ohana is a great choice for a character breakfast. The food should please just about everyone, including your picky eaters, and it’s good quality breakfast classics. We love that the food AND the characters come to us — speaking of which, we love that Stitch is a featured character. The Polynesian is a convenient Monorail ride away from the Magic Kingdom, making it a top location as well. While the food may not be as fancy or destination-worthy as Topolino’s Terrace (which we loved), this is still a top Character Dining Experience for us.
If you’re looking for a consistently delicious and fun character breakfast, especially if you’re a Stitch fan, make sure to put ‘Ohana on the top of your list!
Want to learn more about Disney World character dining? Check out this DFB Video!
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Have you been to the Best Friends Breakfast at ‘Ohana? Let us know about it in the comments!
Caryn says
Vegans can learn more about their Ohana options, at least as of last June, here:https://vegandisneyworld.com/2019/06/30/new-vegan-breakfast-at-ohana/
Looked like the main plate is very similar, with vegan egg and sausage.
DebC says
Can you get bacon instead of ham?
DFB Sarah says
DebC, you can ask! Since they serve bacon at neighboring Kona Cafe, it seems like a possibility.
Susan R Gerritsen says
It must be hit or miss. Our potatoes were burnt and everything tasted like it had been sitting for a while. It didn’t seem fresh. Not good at all. I asked if we could get some gravy for the biscuit and the server said “We get that question a LOT” but no, we couldn’t. If it’s a common request, why don’t they listen to guest feedback? We’ll stick to dinner at ‘Ohana.
Kelly Pierce says
We were just there. We weren’t given any of the bread and didn’t realize we were supposed to get any until we were leaving. The fresh fruit tasted rancid. Not sure it will get a second chance.
Emily says
When using a table service credit for breakfast, because juice and coffee are part of the meal price, can the dining plan drink be a mimosa as well as the included drinks?
DFB Sarah says
Emily, typically yes, we have found that to be true.