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‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Resort

From Magic Maker® Kim Nocera

I was lucky enough to find myself at the Walt Disney World® Resort again with my family. One night we ate at ‘Ohana'Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Resort for dinner. We have been there plenty of times for the ‘Ohana Character Breakfast with Lilo & Stitch, but never for dinner. I love trying new restaurants!  (My kids are the ones that aren’t good with change.)

We were on the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan, so our meal cost One Table Service Credit for each of us. But you don’t have to be on one of the Disney Dining Plans to enjoy this meal.  The quality of the food is worth every penny.

The meal is brought out family style to your table. The grilled meats and shrimp are grilled over an expansive 18-foot oak fire pit and then brought out on huge skewers by the servers. If you would like that particular meat or shrimp, they will slide it right off the skewer right onto your plate.

All of us loved it! This restaurant now ranks up towards the top of our list. The food is plentiful, fresh, and very good.  My little one has very limited menu.  Our server told us it was possible to get him macaroni and cheese. So if any of your little ones are picky eaters, do not hesitate to ask your server for a kid’s meal for them.

About half way through our meal, a woman started interacting with everyone. She started playing a ukulele and singing island songs.  The kids soon lined up, dancing and following her around the restaurant while she sang.

I highly recommend ‘Ohana for dinner.  If you haven’t been there before, give it a try, I’m sure you will be pleasantly surprised!  Contact your Magic Maker to add ‘Ohana to your Advanced Dining Reservations.


‘Ohana Dinner Menu
Starters
‘Ohana Welcome Bread
A pineapple coconut bread that is fresh and very good.

Mixed greens with a Honey-Lime Dressing
At first when I saw the salad, I thought to myself, “Couldn’t they put more in it than just greens?” But let me tell you, I was looking for more after I ate it. The Honey-Lime Dressing has to be one of the best salad dressings I’ve ever tasted. The salad definitely needed nothing else!  I even searched online and found the recipe for it and now we can have a little of ‘Ohana at home!

Appetizers
Honey-Coriander Chicken Wings
Again, another all time favorite!  These are now one of my favorite Chicken Wings. The key ingredient has to be the honey (honey in the salad dressing & in the wings’ sauce).

Pork Dumplings with Sweet and Sour Sauce
My family did care for these as much.  The dumplings were a little hard and not anyhing to rave about. I tasted one and that was about it.

Grilled Meats
The meats are served with Peanut, Spicy Mustard, and Sweet ‘n’ Sour Sauces that were all very good. Each one had a unique flavor and a great compliment to any of the grilled meats or shrimp.

Asian Barbequed Pork Loin Skewers
Oak Grilled Turkey Skewers
Marinated Sirloin Steak Skewer
Marinated Shrimp (peel and eat)

Overall you can’t go wrong with any of the grilled items. You can try all of them or just a few and you can get as much as you like. The one that ranked number one with our family was definitely the Marinated Sirloin Steak. The Steak was cooked perfectly . . . slightly pink on the inside, flavorful, and not dry at all!

Lo mein Noodles, tossed in a Teriyaki sauce with fresh vegetables
These noodles were so fresh!  Sometimes when you order Lo mein noodles out they taste like they were made hours ago. . . not these. They also have to be one of the best I’ve tasted.

Stir-fried Vegetables
These were ok. Nothing wowed us with them. They weren’t bad . . . they were just your standard side stir-fried vegetables.

Dessert
‘Ohana bread pudding served a la mode with Bananas and Caramel Sauce
They bring this also out family style. It was really good!  However, my husband and I were the only ones that took a taste of it. I really wished we had saved room for this dessert because it ranked up there. But a taste was all we could pull off. So if you like desserts, don’t take that extra piece of grilled meat so you can eat a little more of this dessert.

Kid’s Options
Chicken Nuggets
Macaroni and Cheese
French Fries
Vanilla Ice Cream with Mickey Sprinkles

There is a full bar in ‘Ohana that offers select wines and tropical alcoholic drinks.
(Prices/Terms current as of 6/10/10)

Adults $29.99
Children (3-9) $14.99
or 1 Table Service Credit with any of the Disney Dining Plans

Prices, dining credits, and menu objects are subject to availability and may change at any time without notice.  Prices and Dining Credits do not include alcoholic drinks, tax, or gratuity.

Hidden Mickeys

What is a Hidden Mickey? A Hidden Mickey is a representation of Mickey Mouse that has been inserted subtly at the Walt Disney World® Resort, Disneyland® Resort, and on the Disney Cruise Line®.  The Hidden Mickeys are placed by the Imagineers and artists to blend into the designs of attractions, hotels, restaurants, and other areas.

Hidden Mickey on Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros

Three drum heads make up the Hidden Mickey on the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros attraction in the Mexico Pavilion.

Hidden Mickeys started in the late 1980’s in Epcot® as an inside joke among the Imagineers.  Some historians believe in that Hidden Mickeys were born as the Imagineers were designing Epcot® in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. At that time, Disney management felt that the characters belonged in the Magic Kingdom® Park only. The Imagineers disagreed and began slipping Mickeys into Epcot®!  Because of the popularity, Imagineers are encouraged to place them all over the Disney parks and cruise ships.

The most common Hidden Mickey is a formation of three circles that may be perceived as the silhouette of the head and ears of Mickey Mouse.  The term Hidden Mickey has now come to refer to a range of possibilities.  It can be anything from a more complete representation of Mickey Mouse as one mixed in with a crowd or in the background, or a representation of another Disney character.  Mickeys may be painted, made up of objects, or be references such as someone wearing Mickey Mouse Club ears in a painting.  Hidden Mickeys can take on many sizes and forms.

A true Hidden Mickey is one that is not meant to be seen immediately, and is usually placed purposefully by a Disney Imagineer or artist in a context that would not normally contain Mickey Mouse. When the shape of Mickey Mouse is used as an obvious part of the design, such as Mickey ears on the top of lampposts, it is considered decorative and sometimes referred to as a decor Mickey.

Although approximately 600 Hidden Mickeys have been recorded, The Walt Disney Company has never compiled a complete list of all the “known” or “deliberate” Mickeys (whether created by an Imagineer or a Disney Cast Member), so there is no way to confirm or disprove every single Mickey sighting.

Can you find the Hidden Mickey in the mural at The Garden Grill Restaurant in Epcot?  Click the smaller image below for the answer.
Hint: It isn’t the three circles that make up this Mickey.  Look for his eyes and nose. Click for larger image.

Hidden Mickey at the Garden Grill

Click image to see the answer.

Hidden Mickey at the Garden Grill Revealed

Where have you found Hidden Mickeys at the Walt Disney World® Resort,
Disneyland® Resort, or on the Disney Cruise Line®?

Holidays at the Walt Disney World Resort in 2009

Epcot Christmas TreeFrom Magic Maker® Kim Restagno
How many times have you heard someone say “You need to see the Walt Disney World® Resort at Christmastime?” or “Have you ever been the Walt Disney World® Resort during the holidays?” I know I heard it many times before I became a Magic Maker™! I must admit at the time I didn’t understand what all the fuss was about, until I got to go in December and see for myself. It was one of my dream vacations; the whole family was able to go. What a grand gathering we had! After all I had heard about the holidays, now I understood the magic of it all.

Disney doesn’t skip over anything when it comes to attention to detail. Decorations abound everywhere you look. Each of the parks and resorts has its own specially decorated tree that greets you as you enter. The Gingerbread House at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is a must see! Wreaths, ribbons, and bows garnish doors, light posts and windows. Presents sit under Christmas trees. Garlands, lights, poinsettias and music all add to the magic!

Cinderella Castle is transformed every night at the Magic Kingdom® Park during Castle Dreamlights, a glorious, wintry confection, twinkling in the sky! Or you can celebrate the holidays with your favorite Disney pals at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party* at the Magic Kingdom® Park. Join Mickey and friends, decked out in their holiday yuletide best, for the ultimate jungle holiday adventure at Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park! It’s a jinglin’, jumpin’, jivin’ time, you won’t want to miss!!

Don’t miss the The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights* at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™! Immerse yourself in the joy of the season as millions of blinking, twinkling lights dance in synchronized motion to holiday music! Believe it or not, you might even see those tiny white flakes falling in the sky! Epcot’s World Showcase comes alive with diverse holiday traditions of food, fun and entertainment from across the globe.

You name it, you imagine it and the Walt Disney World® Resort has done it!

*Select nights in Nov. & Dec. 2009; Admission to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party requires a separately priced ticket.