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My wife and 5 year old daughter went to the Luau on 10-04-05 and had
a ball. We made the reservations seven months in advance and had front
row seats. The food was good and plentiful. The service was wonderful
and the show was excellent. My daughter, who had come off four consecutive
night of going to bed after 11:00 pm, had no trouble staying up and
participating in the show. During the fire dance, it began to ran
but the show went on. If you have a child with an adventurous spirit,
this is a great change of pace and I highly recommend it. (Matthew,
October 2005)
*****
My
husband and I attended the 5:15 pm Spirit of Aloha luau at the Polynesian.
We found it to be very good overall and on par with luaus we have
seen in Hawaii. Shortly after you are seated they bring the food out,
so don't have a big lunch if you are going to the 5:15 show! While
you are eating they begin the first part of the show, a somewhat corny
"play" that continues off and on throughout the evening with the characters
breaking out into song and dance and is fairly entertaining. All luaus
are corny, and this one is no exception, but it is not excessively
so. It is very family friendly, but the only thing that might interest
the kids is when they call them up in front of the stage to do the
hula and/or the fire twirler. My kids, ages 5 and 4 would probably
have been bored with most of the show.
The
food was good, with the barbeque ribs being the best part. We thought
the dessert was very good as well - a delicious chocolate mousse with
raspberry sauce on the inside and out.
Reserve
this as early as you can, as that determines where your table is.
We made ours in June for September and had a second row table with
a good view. For busier times of year, you might want to reserve earlier.
We felt a little rushed to eat, with the waiter wanting to take our
food away before we were finished, but asked him to leave it and there
was no problem.
The
second part of the show is more entertaining with performances highlighting
different types of dance from Polynesia, fire twirling, etc. The fire
twirling was pretty amazing to watch. If you love Hawaii, watching
ethnic dances, and aren't put off by a little cheesy humor, you will
probably like this show. We probably would have not done the luau
had we not been on the Magic Your Way dining plan, but we are glad
we were able to. It wasn't the most romantic or best dinner we had,
but we enjoyed it. I would rate it a B. (Myra, September 2005)
*****
All in all, it was something we could have definitely skipped. Our
seating was at 8 pm. You have to arrive by 7:30 pm. Once you get to
the Polynesian resort, you have to walk all the way around past the
lodging areas to get to the Luau cove. Then you have to get in line
while they double check your reservation against a master roster.
There are 2 lines and each cast member states your name and table
number into a walkie-talkie for confirmation. Then you can go to the
bar for a drink or get in line to have your picture taken. Then you
get in yet another line to be seated by the hostess. Then the waiter/waitress
takes your drink order. There is salad, bread and pineapple already
at the table. Wine, beer and soft drinks are included, but the specialty
cocktails, such as pina coladas are about $10 each.
Considering
the quality of the shows at the parks (Festival of the Lion King,
Beauty and the Beast) you would think that if you paid $50 for the
show, it should be out of this world! But it's terrible, I wouldn't
watch it if it were free. I'd watch The Lion King again.
The
food is fairly good. The roasted chicken and BBQ ribs are the same
as you would get in the parks. (I swore I had the same chicken and
ribs for lunch at Cosmic Ray's Cafe in the Magic Kingdom) For all-you-care-to-eat,
I would have hoped to have more than 4 menu items (chicken, ribs,
vegetables, rice). But for $50/person, have a great meal at one of
the other restaurants and watch one of the spectacular shows in the
parks. (Grace and Jeff L., September 2005)
*****
We all LOVED the Spirit of Aloha Polynesian Dinner Theatre. Oh, it
was soooo worth the money!! Our party consisted of a 65 yr old male,
63 yr old female, 49 yr old male, & 44 year old female and a 14
year old teenage boy. The show was superb....my son was mesmerized....especially
with the fire twirler!!! and the poi balls routine!!! Excellent evening...and
the food was out of this world!!! The waitress was amazing and personality
plus... we laughed, ate, and had a wonderful family experience....and
soooo much fun!!!! One of our favorite evenings while in WDW!! Don't
miss this...you'll be sorry if you do. (Tammy L. Dalton, June 2005)
*****
Do Not Go! At the Polynesian Luau, we were seated in the far back
corner of the room. A member in my party commented on the distance
from the stage to which our hostess stated "If you don't like it you
can leave." Even the waitress standing behind us turned to her and
said in shock, "What did you just say to them???" We got $50 bucks
per head refunded and left, just as the hostess suggested. (Chris,
June 2005)
*****
My 2 children (DS-15 & DD-9) and I did this show the first night
we were at Disney. I have to agree that the food is over priced and,
yes, the waiter does take things away very quickly. But my DD asked
for some more pineapple during the main course and he brought her
some more out. My DS and I enjoyed the salad, bread and rice while
DD liked the ribs & chicken (besides the pineapple obviously)
best. The dessert was no bigger than a golf ball, didn't impress us
any.
As
far as the show, the dancers were good but the rest of the show was
a bit dry and corny. The fire dancer was very skilled and a bit funny
when he catches his outfit on fire. We won't do it again and one other
tip if you do this the first night after flying down to Disney don't
do the 8 p.m. show as we didn't get back to our resort until after
midnight. Tough with little ones but tougher on parents after rising
at 4:30 a.m. to drive to our airport to fly out then losing an hour
when we got to Florida. (Pam, May 2005)
*****
We attended the luau on May 19, 2005 at 8 p.m. What a great surprise!
After reading hot and cold reviews, we were a little nervous. The
food was wonderful. I am a vegetarian, and I had not requested a special
meal. There was plenty for me to eat. The salad and bread were very
tasty. Next came the main course, a platter of bbq ribs, seasoned
rice, steamed vegetables, and grilled chicken. The rice and vegetables
were more than enough for me (and really tasty), and my husband ate
all of the chicken. For dessert, we had chocolate mousse volcano.
Very rich, a couple of bites was enough. The service was great for
serving that many tables. I made my reservations about 8 months ahead,
so we had front row seats for the show. (Beth Hewitt, May 2005)
*****
ALOHA!!!! Having been a WDW fan for years...and also having a second
home in Hawaii for 25 years now, please let me recommend the Polynesian
Revue. It is better than ANY of the luaus in Hawaii, I speak from
experience!! The food is most palatable, the entertainment authentic
Hawaiian , the drinks very wet and tasty!! A bit pricey perhaps, but
an experience you will long remember. Just one thing to remember.....be
Hawaiian and don't be shy to ask for seconds if your tummy can hold
it!!! (Dave, May 2005)
*****
My daughter, grandson and I attended the Spirit of Aloha Polynesian
Luau at 5:15. We found the coconut pineapple bread was great, the
pork ribs, however, didn't exactly fall off the bone but otherwise
the food was fine. The "volcano" dessert was chocolate mousse with
raspberry drizzle. The performance was in two parts, the first while
we were eating was hard to hear and, maybe they are trying to be more
contemporary, but just wasn't that interesting. (Island girl comes
back home after being in the big city and has to try to remember how
to do the hula). The second part was more like it. The traditional
dances of the various islands and the finale was the fire dance which
was excellent. It was the hit of the night. All in all we felt it
was a one time experience and for the $50 price, it wasn't something
we would do again. (Betty Mancarella, April 2005)
*****
My
family and I joined my friends and their family for the Polynesian
Luau. This show is GREATLY overpriced and the food is just so so.
There is no comparison to the Hoop De Doo Review(*****). The theatre
is pleasant enough, but the show is in general boring. The Hula dancers
and the Fire Dancers were very fun to watch, but that was actually
only a small part of the show. This whole production should be scrapped
and a new one introduced. The food was okay, definitely not memorable.
Unlike Hoop De Doo, where my children still talk about it. Also, although
it is 'all you can eat and drink', the waiters clean up and take everything
away in about a half hour. This included last call for drinks. By
the time I had my kids all set and chatted with our friends, I barely
had enough time to eat a small serving, never mind the $50 I paid.
The tiny, and I mean tiny, dessert did not even satisfy my three year
old. It looked cheap. They could at least include some ice cream.
All in all, I would skip this, save money, and book the Hoop De Doo
show early. This by the way is all coming from a Disney Lover. (Kathy
Williamson, April 2005)
*****
We visited WDW on Spring Break. Our favorite of the trip was the Spirit
of Aloha Dinner Show.My twin nine year old girls and seven year old
niece could not stop talking about the dancers and fire show. My sister
and I loved the delicious food and the service was excellent. (Angela
Roberson, April 2005)
*****
My
wife and I attended our first Spirit of Aloha dinner show on 12/7/04.
We arrived about 30 minutes early for the late show. While there were
a fair number of people ahead of us, we were seated in the 2nd row
of tables. The cast members had already seated 5 people at "our" table,
but had left the 2 front seats open -- so we had a fine view of the
stage. In brief, the show was entertaining, especially the traditional
dancing. Both my wife and I thought the food was quite good including
the much-maligned dessert. The cast members serving were friendly
and present when they needed to be. I was surprised that they managed
to do as well as they did with all the tables needing servicing. We
will be going back to this show on our next visit. Considering what
the usual cost of a Disney dinner is in the theme parks, I didn't
think the prices were out of line. (Richard Bright, December 2004)
*****
We
took our 4 children to see this and what a disappointment! The kids
were so bored that we had to leave before the last act even started.
Regarding
the food, 3 of my kids ordered the childrens dinner (served in a box),
and complained of stomach aches until the next day. While the adult
food didn't cause any problems, it wasn't very good.
This
is a very expensive show, and IMHO, not worth it at all. (Bryant Segovia,
November 2004)
*****
We
attended the luau our first night on 10/7. We had front row seats.
The show was great and I have been to Hawaii luaus. It was very different.
The dessert was not bad for a luau. We got our picture taken and it
came great. We stayed at the Polynesian in the Tuvalu Longhouse; which
is the best location. It is in between the volcano pool, the marina
and the luau cove. (Connie La Tempa, October 2004)
*****
My husband and I took a 3 day trip down to Disney by ourselves (minus
the kids) we went to the Aloha Spirit and absolutely loved it...I
had read all the previous reviews and really wanted to put in my own
when we returned...The food was hot and very good..the service was
prompt and excellent..the show was wonderful and very exciting...a
must see.. (Chris, October 2004)
*****
I am a very "positive" person. Despite lukewarm and negative reviews
on the Luau, I booked Sept. 29, 2004 with a positive, open mind. I
was expecting it to be a little overpriced,and wasn't expecting perfection.
We spend quite a bit on food at Disney at the better restaurants.
My 7 year old daughter has loved everything Hawaiian for 4 years.
When she heard Disney had a Luau, she wanted to do that over a princess
breakfast, and I happily obliged. It cost $149 for my husband, 3 children
(no charge for the 2 yr. old) and I.
Although
I thought the seats were prearranged, the lady on the phone said that
the earlier I arrived, the better seat I would get. We left Magic
Kingdom at noon to go back to our resort for lunch and a nap so we
would be fresh for the 5:15 Luau. We got there 45 minutes early, but
were not the first guests. They took our photo and the lady at the
counter was extremely unfriendly about how we were too early and that
we had to sit down because the seats were already arranged. Realizing
it was a mistake on the part of the person who booked, we sat pleasantly
and waited, slightly taken aback at the un-Disneylike castmember.
The table setup was miserable. The tables were cramped together and,
being a little on the short side, I had to strain to see anything,
as did my children. We were on the first level with 3 tables in front
of us.
My
toddler ate lots of pineapple and we enjoyed the bread & appetizers.
The first part of the show was annoying but the second half with traditonal
dance was wonderful. My 7 year old sat up on her knees and watched
the entire show intently. She loved it! The chicken and ribs were
fine, nothing to write home about, but the dessert was disgusting!
It was like generic solidified pudding in a pyramid shape with gross
fruit syrup on it. YUCK! I was expecting a volcano dessert similar
to the brownie and ice cream one at Rainforest Cafe.
Remaining
ever the Pollyanna, I was not disappointed until the waiters and waitresses,
who were aleady paid a gratuity, were so horribly grumpy and rude,
I was SHOCKED. It wasn't the Disney I know and love! The lady came
a few times and would just say "Do you want more?" (no smile, just
a grouchy attitude.) When I asked for another glass of white wine,
she glared at me and said "of course you do." When she brought the
desserts out, we were short one, and when we didn't see her again
for about 8 minutes, I said to the waiter at the table beside us "Excuse
me sir, we are short one dessert we..." Before I could finish with
'havent seen our waitress, he replied with a sarcastic, angry look
"Uh..SHE'S waiting ON YOU, I'm not your waiter SHE IS!" and pointed
to my waitress across the room. He looked really mad, and so did she.
Believe me, if we weren't already charged gratuity, we would not have
left a tip at all!
Silly
us, we purchased the pictures for $26 dollars so that we would at
least have a cute picture for the night we spent there. To describe
the Luau experience, I would say it is a "Tourist Trap" in the worst
way! Very "un-Disney" overpriced for an "ok" show, when Disney does
such a fantastic job at other shows in the park! I know they are capable
of much more! They should either cut the price down to 1/4 of the
cost or invest in a better theater setup so people can see the show,
and better food, above all a better dessert, one like the volcano
dessert at Rainforst Cafe, and the pictures should be included in
the package. The gratuity should not be included if the cast members
continue to behave the way they do. I went with average expectations,
wasn't expecting the world, and left more feeling more like Cinderella's
stepsister than Pollyanna. Unless you are wealthy beyond belief and
don't mind throwing money around, choose a much better dinnershow,
or save the money for souveniers or another day at the parks! Disney
has to know by now what a bad job they are doing with the Luau but
it must be making enough money to keep just barely good enough to
attract unsuspecting guests. The only good part was the Traditional
Hawaiian dancing which I had to strain to see. I feel silly for hoping
the bad reviews were just from guests with extrememly high expectations.
I went informed, with an adjusted sense of expectation, and still
left disappointed. DON'T DO IT! BEWARE, TOURIST TRAP (Melissa Kegley,
September 2004)
*****
Regarding the "Spirit of Aloha" dinner show at the Polynesian Resort.
YUMMY, YUMMY, YUMMY and waaay too much food for us to eat! The luau
was fantastic in all aspects. We visited on 9/23/04 and I am already
planning for my vacation next year. I will MOST definitely be attending
the dinner show again. The food and entertainment was worth every
penny I spent. I love the way the honeymooning couples and anniversary
couples got to come up and dance to the "Hawaiian Wedding Song". I
really felt like I was on the island and the mosquito bites I got
made it very realistic! BIG TIP DINERS....use insect repellent before
going or you will get bitten. That was the only negative point I would
give this delightful dinner show! Aunt Winnie and all her "crew" were
so cute. HIGHLY RECOMMEND seeing this on your vacation to WDW folks!
(Melony Cooper, September 2004)
*****
My fiancée and I recently visited WDW and attended the 5:15
show on September 24, 2004. The show has been fairly well hyped in
print and in person among Disney people. We found the whole event
to be extremely substandard. We were seated fairly quickly and the
first contact we had with a cast member was a young woman with a tongue
ring....I am not kidding about this!!! Neither of us could understand
her when she was asking for our drink order. We were seated facing
each other with a tall fixated plate between us. The menu included
specialty drinks and some were offered in a take home souvenir glass.
The drinks were high but we figured in the cost of the take home glass
and so it didn't seem so bad. Well the take home glass was actually
a very poorly made plastic cup you could purchase anywhere for .99
cents!!
The entertainment was generic at best but I will have to say the person
using the "fire sticks" was very talented and enjoyable.
They let kids run amuck during the entire show and some kids even
ventured onto the stage during the show. When the food was served
it was not only luke warm and at best it had no flavor. Along with
the poor service it was a disaster!!!!
Our recommendations would be to stay away and spend you money on something
else....we wont be back until things change drastically!!!! (Rich
& Jill, September 2004)
*****
In celebration of a family birthday, we went to the Spirit of Aloha
dinner show. It was great. Not only was the adult in our party treated
to a special hula lesson, but so were the children in our group. The
food was very good, however, the "Volcano" dessert (chocolate mousse),
left a lot to be desired, especially when it softened up because of
the hot Florida sun. The show was fabulous and well worth the money.
It was a nice way to show the kids that there's more to WDW than just
the characters (there are none at this show). (Jennifer, September
2004)
*****
I have attended the Polynesian Luau 6 times since the early 70's.
Each time it has been less and less impressive. This summer I made
reservations as usual, not realizing the show and menu had been completely
reworked. What a disappointment. The Spirit of Aloha Polynesian Luau
is by far the worst attempt yet. Both the food and the show have drastically
changed for the worse. The original show was quite authentic and the
food was incredible. Now, it is mere shadow of its former self. I
have attended my last Disney Luau. (Eric R., September 2004)
*****
We
went to the Luau and I think you should mention that the show is LONG.
My daughter was falling asleep during the show and seeing all the
different islands was a waste of time (I understand why they do it
but we found it overwhelming). We didn't get out until after 10 pm.
Also, my father has problems seeing at night and found the walk back
to the monorail very difficult. (Elanor Brand, September 2004)
*****
I attended the Polynesian Luau this past August 2004. It was the first
time attending for both myself and my fiance. Unfortunately, I wouldn't
do it again. The setup of the dinner tables were long, almost connected,
and placed vertically opposing the stage. So in other words my fiance
was next to people he didn't know and about 4 ft away from me. The
food (which was nothing special) was placed on permanent platforms
in front of our faces; we could hardly see each other. I felt like
I was there by myself. I would NOT recommend this for anyone with
a party less than four. If you are hoping for a romantic evening,
I find eating at any of the countries in Epcot (if not all!) is the
way to go. (Lisa, August 2004)
*****
Suzi
Waters - June 2003
My
family the 8pm seating of the Luau on Thursday, June 5th. I wanted
to give a really positive report about this experience, because I
haven't seen much that would be encouraging to those who can't decide
whether it is worth their time. Let me tell you, it was one of the
highlights of a trip full of new experiences.
We
arrived at the Luau reception area shortly after 7:30. They ask you
to arrive a half hour early. You show your ticket to the greeter,
he gives you a Lei and you enter the waiting area. I think I had read
before that you could order drinks while waiting, but we didn't see
anyplace to do this and no one seemed to have a drink in the waiting
area. Something that we did not know about previously, is that there
is a Polynesian canoe set up with the Spirit of Aloha sign for guest
to stand in front of and have your picture taken by professional photographers.
We did not do this, as the line was quite long and we figured it would
be a separate price which we hadn't planned on.
Shortly
before 8pm the call for the guests to enter the seating area is made
(we couldn't hear it..just followed the crowd). They have hosts/hostesses
take you to your assigned seats, where a pitcher of water and the
appetizer portion of the meal is waiting for you. Your waitress then
takes the drink orders and you can start in on your meal. We found
the salad, fresh pineapple, and coconut bread to be very tasty.
Then
the first portion of the show begins. The previous reports cover what
happens so I won't repeat it, but because it started raining once
dinner started, most of the show took place under the covered stage
area....I assume when the weather cooperates they use the outer stage
area and spread out the dancers a bit more.
When
they were done with the introduction and the first songs, the main
meal was brought out. The chicken, ribs, rice, and vegetable medley
were all very good (especially the ribs). We made a good dent in the
serving set before us. I was amazed that they could do such a good
job of the food when they are serving so many people at once.
During
this part of the meal, the photographers came around with the picture
packages for people to purchase (this was our first indication that
we were correct about the extra cost of the photographs....we questioned
whether we had made a mistake in not getting our pictures done if
they were part of the dinner price). There should have been a better
explanation of this by someone on the staff upon arriving or when
purchasing the dinner reservations.
Once
we were into our main meal, the show started up again. Now, this part
of the show was a winner! The costumes, music, and dances are wonderful.
I was kicking myself for not bringing my video-camera. I did take
a lot of pictures though, some of which I think might turn out quite
well. It was so interesting to see how differently the various Polynesian
areas expressed themselves. I absolutely loved all the dances. The
crowd was most appreciative of the fire-dancer who got a lot of applause.
He really did a wonderful job.
At
some point during this part of the show the wait staff told us that
it was last call for more drink or food and shortly thereafter, the
dessert tray was brought out for each table. The wait staff carried
several of them along with a smoking "volcano" making a
parade around the seating areas. The dessert itself was unusual, a
mousse with pinapple flavor...some with chocolate and some with raspberry
sauce. I found it very rich and creamy, but more than I could eat.
The
show ended with the cast dancing to a fast-moving medley version of
well-known Polynesian style tunes. This was a great way to spend two
hours our your Walt Disney World trip. I encourage anyone who thinks
that they might enjoy it to attend. You won't be sorry.
PS.
I had made arrangements to do the show on Tuesday, June 3rd a few
months before our trip, but had to change them about 10 days beforehand
due to a conflict in scheduling. I was really afraid that we would
have bad seats due to the late reservations, knowing that the earlier
you reserve the better the seating assignment. However, we were seated
one row in from the stage and off a bit to stage left. We had a good
view of everything.
****
We
saw Spirit of Aloha on Friday Feb 28th at the 5:15p showing. This
was a rainy night for the show. I have never been to the Luau before
so this was a new experience for me. We had a great table 24A. Which
was right in front of the stage at the edge of the overhang. Feeling
slightly chilled from the rain, I ordered coffee as my drink with
dinner. The coffee was GOOD. I drank at least 4 cups before the show
was over.
The
appetizers were ok. It was a coconut bread, a salad and some pinapple.
The show started while we were munching on the appetizers. Aunt Winnie
came out and welcomed to us to her house for a Luau. They were gathering
to welcome some girl whose name I can't remember home from the Main
Land. The story was cute. My son (10) enjoyed the teasing that occured
between the players. They played some music, including Hawiaian rollercoaster
ride, and then dinner was served.
Dinner
was Roasted Chicken (Just Ok), BBQ ribs (These were good), Rice and
Vegatables. My son chose to eat the adult food, so we never saw the
children selections. He enjoyed the ribs and the rice. I also liked
the ribs. The chicken was ok, but very plain. Just
about the time you are finishing eating the main part of the show
starts. It consisted of various hula dances from different polynesian
islands. The dances were entertaining, the Fire dancer was amazing.
Dessert
was two types of cake. It came out on a tray with a smoking volcanoe.
My son liked the volcanoe, but was unimpressed with the cake. With
Dessert they wrap up the show.
Because
of the rain, I think we had a slightly modified show but without seeing
it in better weather I can't say exactly what was changed. Cindy -
2/28/2003
*****
We
were there the 2nd night of the soft opening and you took the words
right out of our mouths…if you’ve never been to a luau,
then this is OK, but not worth the $. (Imagine $24. for PB&J!)
If you’ve been to the original show, then this show doesn’t
stand up to the memories. And, as for the proper age group, the children
at our table kept waiting for Lilo, Stitch or Mickey to say hello.
The 5-year old actually fell asleep! A surprise character visit or
hula photo op. definitely would have made up for the mediocre food.
The red wine was terrible! Our waitress wasn’t overly pleasant,
but seemed to serve & clear on a schedule that was too obvious
.Our return to the Boardwalk added to the frustration as the show
got out after Magic Kingdom closed & we had to wait 45 minutes
for the bus, which took an additional 35 minute ride. The only positive
surprise was the posed entrance photograph, which showed our anticipated
excited. Of course, that was delivered with a pretty hard sell “now
or never” pitch too. Overall,
we recommend to skip it…the “event” is too forced!
(Elizabeth P. 2/2003)
*****
We
also saw the show on the 19th. We were a little disappointed with
the chicken and thought that the ribs were a better choice. Desserts
were okay, nothing to rave about. The salad was good, except for the
oranges, which were really way overdone and mushy to eat. My kids
hated it. The show was okay, but I thought Aunt Winnie was a little
"too much" for me.
Would
I do it again, unless I was bringing someone new to see the show,
no. Much prefer the Hoop Dee Doo.
We
only got one drink as we were told that there was only one bartender
for any exotic or specialty drinks for 500 people. So, we only got
one drink and it was very small. Got to take home the souvenir glass.
The
kids enjoyed it and my son, who is very picky, loved the ribs and
the salad. Didn't care too much for the hawaiian coconut bread.
All
in all, okay, but not the best show and I won't do it again. (P.S.
2/2003)
**********
Previous
Luau Show
READER COMMENTS
Tips
Seat Locations
Kids
Transportation
General Comments
**********
Tips
We
have a reservation for the Polynesian Resort for July 2002. I called
the other day to make a reservation for the Luau and lucked out
that there was 1 seating available for the entire week we are going
to be there (it is also the day we arrive). I would highly recommend
making reservations for the Luau as soon as room confirmation is
received. (Mike, 7/01)
*****
We
went to the luau in October of 2000. I'm 6'3'' tall and weigh 310
lbs. At the time I was having knee trouble. They seated me at the
low end of the slanted table and by golly I could have used a crane
to help me out of that chair at the end of the show. (2 knee surgeries
have now helped me) Be careful where they seat you if you have trouble
getting up from a low chair. (Big Bill)
*****
My
husband and I attended the luau while we were there for our 2nd
anniversary in September 2000. We were pleasantly surprised that
the food was actually quite tasty and we requested seconds on the
chow mien type appetizer. I thought it was much better than Hoop-de-doo's
food. Having been to Hawaii and seen the shows there, the entertainment
was just as authentic, with the added benefit of better viewing
wherever you sit.(M.
Michelle Buchecker)
Seat
Location
Editor's
Note: Seat assignments are made based on when you make your
reservation. The earlier you book, the closer your seat will be
to the stage. All seat assigments are done at the Luau office itself,
so telling WDW-DINE or Resort Guest Services what seat you want
does no good at all.
*****
Mom and I went to the Luau on Friday, 9/27. When I checked in to
our resort (PO-FQ)I recieved the ticket for the luau that evening
so we didn't have to get to the show too early. I will mention that
the seats in the front section are very low to the ground. While
we did not have a problem, I know we never would have gotten my
Grandmother down and back up again! If that is a concern - make
sure you mention it when making your reservation. The food was good
- not great, but not terrible either. I'm a very picky eater and
I was able to eat very well. We go for the show, and it was very
good - as I remember it being. (Kim Ruesch, 9/2002)
*****
Tips
Regarding Kids
I
recently returned from a wonderful weeks stay at the Polynesian,
and against the advice of most I took my 5 year old daughter to
the Luau. We had a great time she dressed up in Hawaian atire and
was even called up on the stage to dance . We are very picky eaters
and were a little hesitant about the food, we didn't think we would
eat much or not at all. Much to our surprise we ended up eating
alot, the food was great. The show was amazing, and our waitress
was wonderful. We will be returning to the Polynesian in May and
have already made a reservation for the Luau. If you have young
children don't discount the luau they do make it fun for children.
Thanks to a comment from one of your readers, I got the Hilton Amex
and saved 10% on the total price of the Luau tickets. Thanks for
all of the info on your site. (Sherri, 12/2002)
*****
The
best tip that I can give about taking your kids to the Polynesian
Luau is to go early in your vacation. We had reservations for the
Luau for the end of our vacation and it turned out to be a complete
waste of money. All 3 of our kids (ages 6, 9 and 12) fell asleep
after the first 15 minutes in the show. They all wanted to see the
show but just couldnt stay awake. The next time I go to Disney World
I am making reservations for the first night of our vacation. (Mike
from New York, 8/02)
*****
We
went to the Polynesian Luau, 8:00PM seating. We had some tropical
drinks while waiting for the show to open. We used our AMEX and
got 10% off. Our seats were OK, a little to the side but close enough
to the front. The show was pretty much full, but I had no trouble
getting the table 4-weeks in advance. The food was much better than
I had expected, and quite plentiful. They served us an entire roasted
chicken, shrimp fried rice, steamed veggies and pork ribs. It was
all very good and my 5-year old ate an entire chicken breast. The
salad and bread were good, too. Dessert was spectacular, coming
out on the volcano smoking trays. I agree with others that the show
was basically as good as a typical Hawaiian luau show. We all enjoyed
it, and it was nice to be so close to the dancers. My son and wife
both got on stage to hula and afterwards to take pictures with the
dancers. My son managed to stay awake for the fire dancer, but after
that he passed out. (Tony Balistreri, 4/2002)
Transportation
Issues
My
son and I finally when to the Luau after 2 years of thinking about
it. We enjoyed ourselves very much. The food tasted good to us and
the desert was great! We loved the show. The only problem we had
was getting there. As we take our vacation during the off-season,
the parks connected to the monorail closed early. We had scheduled
the late dinner show. It took a very long time to make all the connections
by bus just to get to the Polynesian - we were staying at the Caribbean
Beach Resort - if I remember correctly, it took over an hour. Needless
to say, we were late and they had given our seats away! Luckily,
there were two seats left for us, but they were way in the back.
Actually, I think it worked out better because I stood up a lot
to take pictures, so I didn't have to worry about blocking anyone's
view. All-in-all it was an enjoyable evening. If anyone has any
ideas or clues as to a better way of getting there, please let me
know. Gail & Cory from Michigan
General
Comments
I
just returned from WDW and enjoyed the Luau dinner. Overall the
food was only average, and a bit expensive ($120 for 2 adults &
1 child) but the show was nice and we enjoyed our son dancing with
the hula girls on stage. It was our first night so we were able
to enjoy it all by not being tired from walking all day! We finished
the evening watching the Electric water pageant and the MK fireworks
from the little beach next to the Luau cove. A great spot to enjoy
both! (Tim Wolfers)
We
just got back from staying at the Polynesian Resort. After being
there for a couple of nights and hearing the drums and being enticed
by the aroma emanating from Luau Cove (our room was right near it),
we decided to take our three daughters to the Luau that evening.
We didn't have a problem getting a last-minute reservation. All
of us (Children ages 18, 14 and 11) enjoyed the show very much.
It was as good as those we saw in Hawaii (before we had children!).
We thought the food was very good. The chicken and ribs were delicious.
The kids got a kick out of the dessert parade (pineapple cake decorated
with little palm trees) which the waiters brought out on trays which
included smoking volcanoes. It was a pleasant evening but very expensive.
It cost $215 for the five of us. We decided to forego the souvenir
glasses at $3.00 each, plus cost of the drink, served in the cocktail
area. Once inside, unlimited soft drinks, beer and wine are included
in the cost. (Michele, 8/01)
*****
I
went to the Polynesian Luau in June 2001 of this year. I thought
that it was great and I really enjoyed it. It was my first time
going to it and I was very pleased with the show. I highly reccomend
it to anyone. (Christina, NY. 6/01)
*****
Enjoyed
a wonderful night at the Luau thanks to exceptional Cast Members
and a little pixie dust! I was traveling alone with my two daughters,
aged 6 and 3.. We had been at MGM "just one more ride"
too many, and were really testing the Disney Transportation system!
I had made special "Hawaiian" dresses for us, we quickly
changed and headed back for the buses. After an unusually long wait,
caught a bus to MK, which had to make three stops before it filled.
I was really getting worried... this was an expensive 'highlight"
of our trip which I feared we were going to miss!
After
a little debate in transit with the driver, opted for the boat to
the Poly. Watched two boats fill and launch while time was ticking
away. Rather than the "45 minutes early" I had originally
planned, we were now "oh no, 15 minutes late" for the
start! Told a nearby Cast Member my dilemma, she called ahead as
we boarded the boat. When we docked, a cast member walked up to
the pier to confirm the name on the reservation, gave us directions
(a decent walk through the resort) and went off to call ahead.
As
we walked up, another cast member greeted us with a smile gushed
over my girls' dresses, gave us all silk leis and chatted for a
moment, as a couple of cast members set our table. They had assumed
we were not coming (lesson learned, always call if you are even
possibly going to be late!) and had filled our seats, so they improvised.
We ended up dead center, on a little "balcony level" at
a table next to the lighting people. The view was perfect.
I
was dismayed to see that the entrees had been served by the time
we were seated. Our server was wonderful, brought our salad as soon
as we arrived, but did not rush us one bit. I began to calm down
after a glass of wine! I was braced for the legendary "so-so"
food, but was very pleasantly surprised! The chicken was tasty,
my kids loved the rice and even ate their veggies. They certainly
earned their pineapple upside down cake! Meanwhile, we got on stage
to learn to hula, were amazed by firedancing and laughed at very
entertaining "lead" dancer. I was really fascinated by
all the "educational" parts about the origins of the dances,
as well as the variety and the athleticism of some of the performances.
The girls loved all the grass skirts and music. I found it the most
relaxing night of our trip.
My
three year old, Maddie, fell fast asleep during the finale. I carried
her towards the monorail along the shore of the lagoon, after the
crowds had gone ahead. My older daughter, Cassie, stopped suddenly,
spotting the castle changing colors in the distance. I placed my
sleeping little one under a tree, while we took off our shoes and
walked barefoot together in the cool water. It was the most magical,
quiet Disney moment I could have hoped for. You won't find THAT
at the Hoop-Dee-Doo. (Anastasia N., May 2001)
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