Walt Disney World is no stranger to great dining options. One of the many different types of dining experiences you can have at Disney are dinner shows – including the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.
The Details
The Spirit of Aloha Dinner show is offered nightly Tuesday – Saturday. Reservations can be made 180 days in advance and requires full payment at the time the reservation is made. The dinner show package ranges from $66 – $78 for adults and $39 – 46 for children. Pricing is tiered and is based on seating location.
The dining experience is eligible for the Disney Dining Plan. The cost is two table-service credits per person. It is also important to know that if you wish to use the dining plan, you are only able to book seating in Tiers 2 and 3.
You can view the seating setup, read additional details, and book your reservation online.
The Spirit of Aloha Experience
Check-In and Arrival
For my family, the dining experience began as soon as we pulled up to the Polynesian Resort. We arrived by Uber and walking into the resort through the main entrance really helped set the mood for us. Our family checked in for the dinner show in the lobby and received our leis. We were sure to arrive early enough to take advantage of the photo opportunities and check out the decor.
A Disney Photopass photographer was available in the Polynesian lobby as we checked in for the dinner show.
After checking in, there was a short walk to Luau Cove where the dinner show is held. It was a beautiful walk through the resort grounds! I was glad that we were not rushed and were able to take a little time to enjoy the scenery (and give our preschooler a chance to run around and burn off some steam before dinner).
There was a short wait to be seated upon arriving at Luau Cove. We had purchased Tier 1 tickets, but were seated relatively far back at the table. Both my husband and I found that the view wasn’t worth the increased cost of Tier 1, and we would likely opt for Tier 2 or 3 if we were to do it again.
The Meal
The service at the dinner show was excellent. Our drink orders were taken promptly and the food arrived almost immediately. The menu of drinks included with the show was somewhat limited, but the Sangria that was included was decent. Dinner is a fixed menu, but they did offer additional options for kids.
The Spirit of Aloha Dinner menu. Included drinks are listed on the bottom right.
Additional drinks listed on the left were available for purchase.
Some of the side items that are included with the Spirit of Aloha menu. My husband really enjoyed the Soba Noodle Salad – and the fresh pineapple was a huge hit for our preschooler!
We were pleasantly surprised at the quality of the meal since we had read mixed review before making our reservation. The side dishes were tasty and the pork ribs were the favorite for both me and my husband. Our son ate the main meal that was served and was content with that. But it was nice to know that there was a kids menu available! You can check out the full menu here.
The Show
Similar to the review of the menu, I had read mixed reviews of the show itself. The storyline is a little loose and we approached the show more as a series of entertainment acts than the telling of a story. I think this is a large part of why we were able to enjoy the show as much as we did.
The performances were well done. They even managed to hold our son’s attention for the duration of the show! I know that in theory it is supposed to be a story of a girl leaving home for the mainland, but we found it most enjoyable with the expectation of it being a series of smaller performances.
This portion of the performance was near the end and was my family’s favorite part of the show.
The Conclusion
Overall, our family enjoyed the dinner show experience and I’m glad that we tried it. If the menu appeals to you and your group generally enjoys stage shows, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. Go in with realistic expectations and enjoy!
Have you experienced the Spirit of Aloha dinner show? What were your thoughts? Share in the comments, or on Facebook or Twitter.
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