By: Dole Whip Diva
The Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show is an entertaining and tasty feast found at the Polynesian Resort. The show features music, traditional hula dancing, comedy and wonderful food. Spirit of Aloha is fun for all ages and would be a wonderful addition to your Disney World vacation. Everything about the dinner show is interactive and authentic. The show follows “Auntie Wini” who is hosting a luau for one of the local girls who is leaving the island for college on the mainland. There is traditional dancing from different islands of Polynesia, incredible drumming, fantastic singing, and the spell-binding fire-knife performer. This show is a great cultural experience for kids and adults alike. Spirit of Aloha is only shown for the dinner hour, and show days may vary. There may be one or two shows any given day. The first show begins at 5:15pm and the second at 8:15pm. It would be best to arrive no later than 15 minutes before your show time, but I suggest up to 30 minutes prior.
Reservations for the show can be made on the Disney World website, like any other restaurant. For the Disney Dining Plan and the Deluxe Dining Plan, the show takes 2 credits. For the Premium or Platinum Dining plans, the show is one credit. Prices are arranged in categories, and that determines your seating location. Prices may vary depending on the current season, so I suggest you check prices for yourself before making any reservations. It is safe to assume that no matter what season, the prices are in the same ball park.
Ages 10+ Age 3-9
Category 1: $76 $45
Category 2: $72 $43
Category 3: $64 $38 This price includes tax and gratuity.
I was located in the second category on the first level and my view was mostly unobstructed and a little to the side of center of the stage. At some points, a person in front of my table would lean a little bit and I couldn’t see all the performers at once. Because of the layout of the stage, I could see most of the performers the whole time, so it really wasn’t an issue. The stage is a semicircle and all the dancers face towards each section, so there should not be an issue of not being able to see the performers, you just may not always be able to see every single one. Also, the sound wasn’t great for the whole show. During the portions where the characters are just talking to each other, it was a little hard to understand. I still was able to fully follow the story and I enjoyed all of the dancing, but this may bother some people.
We arrived at the Polynesian around 4:45 for our 5:15 show. If you are staying at a Walt Disney World resort, I suggest you take a bus to the Magic Kingdom and hop on the monorail to the Polynesian. We checked in for our show downstairs in the Polynesian lobby. There are clearly marked signs directing you to the check in area, but of course if you need help, just ask a cast member. Once we checked in, we followed the cast members instructions to the luau. Again, there are signs and their directions are very clear. Along the pathway there are beautiful views of the beach and the Seven Seas Lagoon. This is a great picture spot but you will have your picture taken before the show, so keep that in mind. We were handed some festive leis and had the chance to take a Photopass picture. We were then taken to our table by our waiter that we had throughout the night.
The view from the pathway!
All the food is served before the show starts. The food is served family style and it is delicious! Island pulled pork, BBQ ribs, roasted chicken and a vegetable medley are served along with fresh salad with a mango dressing, slaw, and coconut-pineapple bread. Kids have the option of mini corn dogs, grilled chicken, mahi mahi, or cheese pizza from the kids menu. Pineapple bread pudding is whats for dessert. The food is all you can eat so you should totally take advantage of that! I have to say, the pulled pork was absolutely amazing, and pineapple bread pudding was just the icing on the cake. The food is pretty similar to (some dishes as even the same as) O’Hana, so if aren’t a fan what they serve, then you will not be a fan of the food at Spirit of Aloha.
I recommend Spirit of Aloha for anyone looking for a specialty dinner, and I really emphasize specialty. I really loved the show, food, and atmosphere, but if I crave pineapple bread in the future, I’ll just go to O’Hana. If you are spending the first part of the day in any park or plan to go back after dinner, I don’t recommend Spirit of Aloha because the show lasts a couple of hours. Spirit of Aloha is definitely aimed towards families and they do a great job of keeping your attention. If you don’t have kids or aren’t just going for the experience, this might be something to skip. The story is great but is a little cheesy so there isn’t a ton of draw for adults.
Make your reservation for Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show 180 days in advance. If you would like help planning your trip or making reservations, we recommend contacting Patricia with All for Dreams Travel. All for Dreams Travel is an Independent Agency with Gateway to Magic Travel, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, and her services are free! Click here to get a quote from Patricia!
