Here's a review I posted back in May from our April trip.
We had tier one seats, and got in the first row, on the inside of where the seating bends to the right. We checked in at the Poly lobby about an hour before the show.
I had heard many mixed reviews about this dinner show, but decided we wanted to go ahead and give it a try. I'm rather glad we did!
We did the Spirit of Aloha Luau in April and were pleasantly surprised. The food was good. Not outstanding like you would expect at a fancy restaurant, but it was quite tasty. The meat on the chicken and ribs was delicious and fall off the bone tender. The bbq sauce could have had a bit more zip. It tasted more like bbq sauce you'd get at a school cafeteria vs. your favorite bbq place back home. Given, this
is Disney and they probably keep it toned down to cater to a wide variety of tastes, including that of children. It wasn't bad by any means though. I didn't get a chance to try much of the pulled pork, as DP doesn't care for meat on the bone, and so she got most of that. She said it was a bit dry and could have used more sauce. The bite I tasted seemed like it was made using a rub rather than slathered in sauce, but still ok. The appetizers were nice. I especially liked the noodle salad and fresh pineapple. The dessert, a pineapple-coconut guava cake with chocolate crunch, was a light finish.
I've heard many state that the service was bad when they went, but that wasn't the case for us. Our server came to check on us at least 7-8 times. I now regret not having downed my sangria faster, as I could easily have had several refills!
The first half of the show is more "high school musical" than the second half, but was still well executed in that the actors and musicians all did their bit well. I actually didn't mind this, as this was during the portion when we were eating anyway. It's like when you're eating dinner on a TV tray in the living room... You want to watch your favorite binge worthy programme, but know you won't be able to pay it enough attention, so you put on a repeat of a beloved sitcom to watch until you're finished. You're being entertained, but not having to give it your full attention to do so. The second half of the show was amazing! This is where they do the regional dances of various islands. It was mesmerizing and very well done! I'm glad we weren't eating during this part, as I would have hated to miss anything!
Overall, we had a great time and would highly recommend it. I also recommend showing up about an hour early, and checking into the luau (at the Poly lobby) to get good seats, as they are assigned, within your tier, by first come first assigned. Then you can head over to Trader Sam's Grog Grotto while you wait. This is an amazingly fun tiki bar, with lots of antics going on and super drinks. Kids are allowed accompanied by an adult until 8pm. A visit to Trader Sam's is not to be missed!
I hope anyone reading this has as good a time as we did, should you decide to go.
