After experiencing it for ourselves, it’s no wonder why the Ohana character breakfast comes up as one of the best character dining experiences at Disney World. Keep scrolling for our full review!
This post about the Ohana Character Breakfast at Walt Disney World was written by Disney travel expert Marcie Cheung and contains affiliate links which means if you purchase something from one of my affiliate links, I may earn a small commission that goes back into maintaining this blog.
Best Friends Breakfast featuring Lilo & Stitch
I’ve been a HUGE Lilo & Stitch fan since I learned the hula to He Mele No Lilo through the Hawaii Club at Washington State University (Go Cougs!)
My kids have seen all the movies several times and my oldest got to do the Stitch’s Space Goo activity at Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa in Hawaii earlier this year. And Stitch himself made an appearance and posed for photos at the resort.
But, we’ve never had the opportunity to meet Lilo!
So, for our family, this was a priority Disney character dining experience and we made reservations for it months in advance.
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Check In for your Ohana Character Breakfast
When we arrived at the Polynesian Village Resort via monorail, we walked directly forward and to the right to get in the Disney character breakfast check in line.
Insider tip: Only one member of your party needs to be in line. The other ones can hop in line for a character photo!
During check in, I gave my phone number to the cast member who said she’d text us when our table was ready.
We got the text right as we walked up to take photos so we were able to head straight to the table when we were finished!
Pre Ohana Breakfast Character Photo
When we were there, Pluto was hanging out in front of a backdrop wearing a Hawaiian silk lei! It was adorable!
There was only one family in front of us in line and we were able to get photos of just the kids and then our whole family using the PhotoPass photographer.
If you are on the fence, I highly recommend getting the Memory Maker. It’s just so easy to use!
`Ohana Breakfast Menu
Right after our photos with Pluto, our server walked us to our table, grabbing their famous pineapple bread along the way.
`Ohana has a unique concept. It’s an all-you-care-to-eat buffet, but there are no buffet lines.
Instead, they bring out a huge breakfast platter filled with scrambled eggs, Island-style fried potatoes, Hawaiian pork sausages, Hawaiian-style ham topped with pineapple compote, freshly baked biscuits, plus a plate with a variety of fresh fruits.
And of course, the most famous Disney breakfast item ever on the Ohana menu: Mickey Mouse waffles!
Then, you can request another breakfast platter or individual items to be replenished throughout your meal.
We asked for more grapes and they brought us a huge bowl of stemless grapes moments later!
I love that they serve things family style, since “ohana” is the Hawaiian word for family.
Oh, and they will give you as much Hawaiian POG (Passion Orange Guava juice) as you like! They will even put some in a straw cup for kids!
We thought the food on this Ohana Disney World menu was pretty good. It’s exactly what you would expect with traditional breakfast foods like scrambled eggs, breakfast meats, etc.
But the pineapple bread was super tasty and definitely a highlight of the Ohana Disney menu!
Ohana Character Breakfast Disney Characters
Now that we’ve talked about the food, the most important part of the Disney `Ohana breakfast are the characters!
We love Disney character dining because we can just sit back and enjoy our meal and the characters come to us. It saves us time because we don’t need to line up to meet them in the Parks.
Plus, some characters are only available at character meals!
Now, of course the stars of this breakfast are Lilo and Stitch. In case you were wondering, Lilo is a costumed character (unlike Moana) and Stitch is also a costumed character.
Both of them will sign autograph books and pose for photos.
But, the `Ohana Disney breakfast is also a great opportunity to see Mickey Mouse! He walks around in an Aloha shirt! And it’s a different Aloha shirt than the one he wears at Aulani!
Mickey also does autographs and photos.
We were there for just over an hour and each character came by once during our breakfast. They actually came within a 15 minute window (the parade is included in that time frame.)
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Entertainment
Speaking of which, at some point during the Ohana breakfast, there will be an announcement that the parade is starting.
The characters will wave goodbye to the table they were visiting and will gather with the cast members.
The cast members will invite kids to come up and grab some maracas to shake as they play Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride as they follow the characters around the restaurant.
`Ohana Cast Members
I feel compelled to include a section about the cast members. Our server was beyond nice to our family and really made this one of the best Disney dining experiences we’ve had anywhere.
And her friendliness felt genuine and it really put our family at ease.
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Why Moms Will Want to Book The Ohana Character Breakfast ASAP
Do you find yourself spending half your mealtime slowly walking through buffet lines with your kids while they choose whether or not they want one of the many food options?
Or are you getting up every 5 minutes to grab your kids more waffles or fruit?
This is one of my favorite Disney character breakfasts because parents can sit and actually eat their food instead of spending most of their time roaming buffet lines.
Plus, I like that the menu is small because my kids don’t get overwhelmed with the choices (and they don’t skip breakfast to fill up on dessert treats!)
Give yourself a break and let the cast members bring the food to you!
Tips for the `Ohana Character Breakfast
MAKE A RESERVATION
With more and more people visiting Walt Disney World, it’s getting harder and harder to just walk up or snag last minute reservations.
If you really want to do this character breakfast at the Polynesian, book it as soon as you can!
BUDGET FOR YOUR OHANA CHARACTER BREAKFAST
Like most Disney character restaurants, `Ohana is a bit pricey. Plan ahead so you have room in your budget.
Their Ohana breakfast price actually change depending on the time of year. This is the range according to the Disney Parks Moms Panel:
Adults: $28.36-$33.62
Kids (3 and up): $16.77-$21.90
Kids under 3: FREE
There is 10% discount for Annual Passholders
WATCH LILO & STITCH
I can’t believe the movie came out almost 17 years ago!
That means your kids probably weren’t born when it premiered and they might not have seen the movies or TV show.
Since they are the main characters at Ohana, they should be familiar with them.
Plus, it’s a fun movie to watch on the airplane to Walt Disney World! You can buy a copy here.
GIVE YOURSELF TIME TO GET TO THE OHANA CHARACTER BREAKFAST
If you aren’t staying at the Polynesian Resort, you’ll need to figure out the best way to get there.
That may be a combination of buses and monorails, parking your car, or getting a Lyft or Uber.
Never underestimate the amount of time it will take, especially during busy seasons.
BRING A REAL CAMERA
`Ohana is a fairly dark restaurant, so if you want to get good photos of your family interacting with the characters, it’s worth bringing a decent camera so you can edit the photos later.
When we were there, there was just a PhotoPass photographer with Pluto at the photo op spot.
There’s only so much you can do with a cell phone camera when it comes to poor lighting. It would be such a shame for your photos to be too dark to tell what’s going on.
I’m definitely glad we had a camera with us!
YOU PROBABLY WON’T NEED A BOOSTER SEAT
The chairs are tall enough that toddlers will be able to sit directly in the seat and have no problem reaching the table to eat.
My two year old needed a booster seat in several of the restaurants we went to, but he fit perfectly in the chairs at `Ohana!
PLAN YOUR OHANA CHARACTER BREAKFAST FOR A REST DAY (or Magic Kingdom day)
If you are looking for a fun character meal to do on a rest day, this is a good one to do.
I hate wasting park day mornings, so this would be perfect for an unscheduled day, a day where you plan to stay out late, or for the morning of a party day.
Otherwise, do it on a Magic Kingdom day. It’s super easy to catch the monorail to Magic Kingdom.
Plus, you’ll go through security at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, so you won’t need to deal with the big line at Magic Kingdom!
OR GO ON YOUR LAST MORNING
We had reservations for our last morning at Walt Disney World and it was perfect!
Our server was so nice and gave us to go containers so we were able to bring home Mickey Mouse waffles, grapes, and their delicious pineapple bread to eat for breakfast the next morning.
We even got an extra order of pineapple bread just to take home!
It was the ultimate way to get one last taste of Disney after our trip!
WEAR YOUR ALOHA SHIRTS!
I’m a super thematic person, so had we not been heading to the airport after to cold and rainy Seattle, I would have had everyone wear their Aloha shirts!
This is a cute matching set for couples! And this outfit would look so cute on a little boy! And little girls could wear a Hawaiian dress or a hula outfit!
I mean, it would be super cute for photos!
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`Ohana for Dinner
If you are looking for a fun dinner experience that doesn’t involve character dining, you might make dinner reservations for `Ohana.
Here, you’ll get Hawaiian-flavored favorites (like sweet and sour chicken, dumplings, noodles, and more!) plus storytelling and games sure to delight your family.
I mean, who wouldn’t want to participate in coconut races and learn how to dance the hula?
And wine and tropical cocktails are available for guests ages 21 and older.
Staying at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
While you definitely don’t need to stay at the Polynesian to enjoy their restaurants, it’s something to consider.
After walking around the resort and talking to lots of visitors, we’re hoping to stay at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort for our next trip to Walt Disney World.
CHECK RATES FOR DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT ON
TRIPADVISOR AND DAVID’S VACATION CLUB RENTALS
It’s a beautiful resort both inside and out and it has some incredible features:
MONORAIL RESORT
If you are visiting Walt Disney World with babies, toddlers or preschoolers, one of the most important things to know is that this is a monorail resort.
That means, you can keep your kids in their stroller to get to Magic Kingdom. That’s HUGE, especially if you don’t like waking your sleeping child and carrying your stroller onto a bus.
POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT AMENITIES
So much of the appeal of staying at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort are the little extras, like these:
VIEW OF THE ELECTRICAL WATER PAGEANT
Disney’s Electrical Water Pageant features ginormous sparkling sea creatures that cruise around the lagoon to popular Disney music you’ll be sure to recognize.
Sit back and watch this nighttime water parade from the comfort of the resort.
FISHING
For those who need a break from the Parks, they can join a guided catch-and-release bass fishing excursion.
VOLLEYBALL
Get your toes in the sand while playing a rousing volleyball game with friends and family.
JOGGING TRAIL
Burn off some energy from yummy Disney treats while enjoying views of Magic Kingdom and other picturesque spots along the lagoon.
ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS
And of course, a huge factor in choosing the right Walt Disney World Resort for your family are the kid-friendly activities.
POOLS
What better way to spend a rest day than splashing around a pool with a towering volcano, a waterfall, and a massive 142-foot-long waterslide!
MOVIES UNDER THE STARS
Enjoy screenings of your favorite Disney films outside on the lawn.
CAMPFIRE
Add a bit of nostalgic fun by roasting marshmallows by the fire, sure to be a hit with your kids!
MOTORIZED BOATS
Grab a motorized boat and cruise around Seven Seas Lagoon right from the Seven Seas Marina.
KIDS CLUB
And if you’re looking for a kid-free night out, drop off kids ages 3-12 years old at Lilo’s Playhouse.
They will enjoy activities inspired by classic Disney movies like Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan while you relax!
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OTHER POLYNESIAN RESORT RESTAURANTS
While there are a TON of restaurants and cafes on property, there are a few I’m singling out as extra cool.
KONA CAFE
When we were going through security to get back on the monorail, the security guys were going on and on about how amazing Tonga Toast at Kona Cafe is. They said it’s french toast stuffed with bananas and the portions are large enough to share.
This sounds like a great option if you are looking for a tasty Disney World breakfast and don’t need the character dining.
PINEAPPLE LANAI
And I can’t talk about Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort without mentioning that you can get DOLE WHIP here!
It’s the only place at Walt Disney World to find it outside of the parks.
DISNEY’S SPIRIT OF ALOHA DINNER SHOW
Oh, and Disney’s Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show is also on my list for next trip. I heard really good things about the show from people we talked to in line for rides.
It’s a full blown luau with prices comparable to ones in Hawaii.
I hope this helps you decide if the `Ohana character breakfast is right for your family!