Is the Luau at the Poly worth the price?

[idieh]

I'm planning our annual October trip and was wondering if we should check out the Luau at the Poly? Is it "fun for the whole family"? I will be going with my DW,DS and DMIL. We've done "Hoop" a few time and I was looking for something different.

Thanks...

 

[disneemama]

yes it is worth it. (we have been lucky enough to go with free dining a couple of times)
I have gone at least 5 times and have loved it. Luau was enjoyed by everyone in our family/group. I have to say my Grandchildren were mesmerized by the show. If you plan on the later show and you have little ones be sure to let them nap in the afternoon because it runs until 10 PM and they will get sleepy if they have been in the parks all day.
I also have really enjoyed the HDDR, it was a lot of fun.

 

[idieh]

Thanks for your help! We also love the Hoop de Doo Review, but we have seen it two out of the last three years; so I'm just looking for a change. My DS is 11, so the lateness does not scare me...heck, he's awake after I go to sleep!! I'm just worried that it will be a lot of hula dancing and singing, you know, stuff that an 11 year old will find boring. What is the show and food like?

 

[daisygirl902]

I've been a few times and IMHO it doesn't really even compare to HDDR - I don't really find the show that great, and the food is average to bad....especially the dessert - it's not good at all. The chicken is good, the rice is OK, the ribs are OK - just not outstanding. Again the way I look at Disney is that every experience is different - go and try it out, it will make you enjoy returning to HDDR just that much more!

 

[Blonde Princess]

We've done Hoop several times and enjoyed it. We have done the Luau twice. The first time we had horrible seats and service. We didn't go back for 5 years. The second we thought we"d try it again. The kids were 10 & 8. They even thought it was not good. The food was not sub-average. The service was sub-average. We won't go again.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Our son was 12 when we went to the luau last year and he enjoyed it a lot as did my 22 year old daughter and my husband and I. My son's a picky eater and the waiter was kind enough to bring him two hot dogs. That being said, my son also helped himself to the bread and roasted chicken.

I have pictures of the luau somewhere in my trip report. If you want to take a look around, click on the "Stop Making Me Laugh" link below.

 

[Mouse's Shadow]

We went 3 years ago, and loved it.There were 9 of us, and we all enjoyed it. My DH thought the food was his favorite of the entire 9 day trip, and we ate at a lot of good restaurants. We've done HHDR and loved it as well, but we're leaning on going back to the SoA. The story line was a little hokey, that threads the dancing together, but the dancing easily holds everyone's attention. And at some point they invite the kids up on the stage to take part in the fun.

 

[jenjersnap]

Sadly, not worth it.

 

[Cat0727]

Just curious, how many credits is the Luau on the DDP?

 

[avahoneybee]

Truthfully, I don't think it's worth it. The one time we did it the food was cold, not very good, and the service wasn't that great. We really like Hoop De Doo though.

 

[bgohre]

I would say it was okay. I'm glad we finally went to it, but it will be a long time before we go again. I found the show a little boring, exciting at first, but then I was just praying for it to get over.

The food was good I thought. We love the HDDR.

 

[DisCopper]

I've been a few times and IMHO it doesn't really even compare to HDDR - I don't really find the show that great, and the food is average to bad....especially the dessert - it's not good at all. The chicken is good, the rice is OK, the ribs are OK - just not outstanding. Again the way I look at Disney is that every experience is different - go and try it out, it will make you enjoy returning to HDDR just that much more!

Ug... I hate to be negative, but the Luau is one of the worst (if not the worst) thing I've done at Disney. I've seen posts over the years from people who like it, but it seems like the majority have been negative. I agree with most everything in the above quoted post. Food, service, show... all average to bad. The only thing that I disagree with is to try it out.... don't waste your time.

Plus- if the weather is bad, the show is canceled and your plans for the night are gone.

 

[wdwmouse]

Wow. I'm surprised by so many bad experiences. We went last summer and had a wonderful time. Of course, I called for an ADR as soon as possible and we got a table in the very front. Maybe if we were back further, we wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. The food was really good, hot and plentiful. My son has food allergies, and they brought him his own plate.
By the way, my boys were 17 and 12 at the time, and even they enjoyed it. I think the later show was better because it was really dark for the finale. That would not have been as effective if it was still light out. Maybe we hit a really good night, or maybe it has improved since some others have been there. Who knows? But, I'd say it's worth a try!

 

[disneemama]

Luau is two TS credits, very expensive but like I said we have paid oop and had free dining several times. I can say honestly the food has always been very good but it does help to book early so you can get a good table. I have never been to a real Luau so for me its as close as I will get to one.

 

[opiwan]

I liked the food at it. But the show was only 'ok', not great. I personally wouldn't bother doing it again.

 

[honeydiane1953]

Yes