Dinner shows at Disney are a special treat for us as we do not book one every trip. Most recently when we traveled to Disney World we booked Spirit of Aloha (SOA) Luau Dinner at Disney’s Polynesian Resort. This show features all you can eat Polynesian affair and entertainment. From luau dancers to fire spinners there is quite a feast for your eyes! I would like to make mention that this was our first trip to this particular dinner show.
When you book SOA you will be given an option of 2 times 5:15 and 8:15. In addition they will ask you to pick a seating category.
- Category 1– Best seats in the house and when you are on the Disney Dining Plan your credits will not cover this category. You will be asked to pay out of pocket.
- Category 2– Fairly good seats close to front but not centered. There are posts that can obstruct your view.
- Category 3– This is top row seating and off to the side… you can still see with poles that can obstruct your view.
Cost:
- Category 1
Adult $61.99
Child (3-9) $31.99 - Category 2
Adult $56.99
Child (3-9) $27.99 - Category 3
Adult $52.99
Child (3-9) $26.99
We had category 2 seating…book early because I was told that your seats are assigned based on how early you booked. We booked at 180 days out so I do not know how true this is…just a tip they gave me. I did feel that we were pretty far off to the side and there was a large pole that obstructed our view..in addition I needed to completely reverse in my chair to see the show.
As always Disney puts on a good show! The show opens up with a little bit of Lilo and Stitch music and follows into a story that you can follow as you dine. I personally did not need the story because I felt like the luau dancing and fire spinners were just enough and quite amazing.
Food was just good..nothing to write home about. You are served family style salad, pineapple (omg was this good) coconut bread, rice, chicken, ribs and for dessert chocolate lava cake. The ribs were a bit tough and fatty but the chicken was good. And for all of my carb lovers out there… the bread is divine! I absolutely LOVED the presentation of the chocolate cake..the servers come out and smoke out the cake with a little bit of fun dancing for our entertainment. My kids certainly got a kick out of this!
The thing that sold me on this show were the fire spinners…oh my! Not only are they a delight to see…lol…but their skills are quite amazing! I have no idea how they do it but it really is worth seeing at least once.
Tip:
- Do not book the 5:15 show if you want to get the full value of the fire spinners…this is best seen at night.
- Guest may pick up tickets at any Disney Resort Guest Services location up to 5 days in advance.
- Give yourself plenty of time to get to Luau Cove once you arrive at the Polynesian..it is quite a hike.
Bottom Line: Good show, ok food and I believe that everyone should do it at least once. Each one of my kids enjoyed the show. I have 1 girl (15) and 2 boys (4,7).
