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Credit: DisneyFor a lot of Guests, a good vacation isn’t complete without a trip to the bar. Maybe it’s for a few drinks before dinner, outside while lounging by the pool, or to cap off a fun night. However, the last thing you’d expect to see when walking into a bar, even a bar at the Walt Disney World Resort, is children.
Sort of kills the vibe, right?
Well, that’s what you’ll get when walking into Oga’s Cantina in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The intergalactic watering hole has great theming, unique drinks, and a loud party vibe. It’s fast-paced and interactive, and the Cast Members can be a little rough around the edges (all in the name of theming, of course – you’re still getting that great Disney service). It’s also one of the hardest to get reservations at Walt Disney World, and so popular that when you do get a table, it’s usually standing alongside another party, and you only get 45 minutes inside. While the drinks are great, the extremely limited food options are lackluster.
None of that really screams “family dinner,” right? There are lots of great places for families to eat in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, including the brand-new Roundup Rodeo BBQ. So why does this small bar seem constantly overrun by families with young children?
Disney is not one to miss out on a Guest purchase. The last thing they’d want is for a family to skip out on an expensive dining reservation because they have young children. Oga’s also offers non-alcoholic beverages, including one served with a cookie on top that will certainly appeal to children. It benefits Guests, too – a couple that wants to try Oga’s on their vacation should be able to, even if they have a child with them. It’s not like you can leave your child outside for 45 minutes to get a drink, although we’re sure some parents would take that option after a week at Walt Disney World.
Some of the issues with this are in the bar’s capacity; Oga’s is small, crowded, and there are very few seated tables. For the seated tables, Cast Members try to prioritize parties that have additional accessibility needs or those with young children. Therefore, parties with adults are often squished into a standing-room table with other parties while parties with bored children are taking up the seats.
These circumstances also sometimes lead to parents leaving negative reviews for Oga’s on websites like TripAdvisor or Yelp or complaining at Guest Services. They point out there is no food for children, they were seated with other people, it was standing room only, and that the environment was loud and full of drunk people. While you wouldn’t expect that from a Walt Disney World restaurant, Oga’s is a bar, and these are normal occurrences for a bar.
So should Oga’s switch to 21+ only? It’s hard to say if Disney would ever go for it. But if you’re looking for a nice alternative and an actual adults-only space, check out Trader Sam’s at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. During the afternoon and evening hours, all Guests are welcome, but it becomes a 21+ space after 8 p.m. The drinks are just as interactive and interesting as they are at Oga’s, and the environment is a lot less hectic.