Starlit

[eeyorefanuk]

Can I just double check please, is this on a Tuesday in September?

I believe you have to queue up, where do I do that?

What time would you say it finished?

Many many thanks

 

[4DisneyAddicts]

I believe the dates change month to month. This month it was Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday. One day was cancelled while we were there due to rain earlier in the day. It didn't rain too long so I was a little surprised. I guess if the grass is wet it does not make great lawn seating conditions.

The line starts forming an hour in advance. It lasted about 30/45 minutes. To be honest, I wasn't impressed. My group and I didn't feel it lived up to our expectations of a Disney event. If you have little children then you may enjoy it more.

 

[southerngirl528]

When we attended Starlit Hui in January, it was held twice per week. As 4DisneyAddicts said, how often and the times will vary according to the time of year. Your Daily Iwa will tell you specifics when you arrive. Be sure to pick one up at the Front Desk each evening. My guess is that 4Dis is also correct about the wet grass thing since seating is almost entirely on the lawn. There are large grass mats (think area rug size) rolled up and ready to grab and lay out on the lawn to enjoy the show.

My DH and I are pretty jaded, um I mean "discriminating" travelers rolleyes and we both thought the Starlit Hui was fabulous! Since we know a little bit about Hawaii's history and lore, we really like that that is woven into the show. The dancers were gorgeous, male and female and the music was excellent. As I have mentioned in another thread, Keali'i Reichel was a prominent cultural consultant for Disney for Aulani and he is a kumu hula (hula teacher). He helped craft the Starlit Hui. We found the show to be a great marriage of Disney magic and Hawaii. We had no children with us, nor have we had for our other visits to Aulani. Just us grown-ups. And we both had "chicken skin" (goose bumps) at the ending of the show! Different folks, different strokes….

 

[mrsR123]

I think the conditions can have a huge impact on one's experience. We attended on June 29th, a Tuesday. The Sunday show had been cancelled due to weather, and the resort was pretty full-- completely full for points-based stays, and so it was very crowded. That meant being seated very far back on the lawn for our party of two. We bailed after about five minutes because we couldn't see at all due to the distance and the number of people letting their children stand so that they could see. We had already attended a luau and the Ha! show at the PCC, so we just weren't interested in sitting uncomfortably on the ground on our mat surrounded by people with little room to shift, etc., and not be able to see over a four year old...

On our way out, we ended up lingering near the exit and DH was able to sit down on an unused chair. I stood up against a palm tree. The content of the show was very enjoyable in the end. I was disappointed, though, that when the characters finally came out, that again everyone was on their feet, so seeing was really not realistic, and photos were impossible. If you had very close seats, it might have been very different.

Moral to the story, if it's crowded, definitely line up really early.

 

[AZMermaid]

We were there the first week of June and it was Monday and Thursday. I overheard a CM say it was switching to Sun, Tues, Thurs for the summer the next week. Monday's show was rained out (again, likely wet lawn, it wasn't a rainy day) so Thursday's show was PACKED!!! We happened to line up about 60 minutes early after my kids and I finished the family Hula. DH was doing a photography class and he met us there. We were about 10th in line and ended up in the front row. I was planning on lining up 30 minutes early and I am glad I didn't, we would have been way in the back. The line just kept coming and coming and coming- it was crazy! I took DD to the restroom about 15 minutes before the show and they were telling people to come back on Sunday, it was full. They let people in about 30 minutes early and had some neat cultural activities for the kids, so we really only waited in line about 30 minutes. We loved the show! It was just the right amount of length and activity for my preschoolers. But, we were in the front. Had we been in the way back- I think it would have been really pointless to stay.

 

[Sur]

There is a path that circles around Aunties kids play area to que up. Guest follow the path into the lawn area, receive a mat or mats to accommodate their party size, and staff puts the mats in the closest spot for that party size- like a game of Tetris.
The singing is beautiful and the dancers are skilled, but a far cry from what is performed at the Polynesian Culture center, with traditional fast hip movements and exceptional fire dancing/baton swirling. My guess is that if I wanted to perform a show depicting tradition of my culture, it would not be at a Disney arena, regardless of how they attempted to accommodate the native culture. The "uncles" speak of ohana during the show, but the ambiance of Aulani is not the culture they are trying to elicit, because of the culture if the VISITORS (a lot of self-serving nature experienced there). It just missed its mark...ok for kids but not what I would say is true to the traditional Hawaiian culture.
The show begins after guests have time to visit 3 stations, where they may make leis, create palm crafts, or listen to stories. Guests return to their mats for singing, children being led in a mild form of hula storytelling, ukulele playing in a more modern beat, and some dancing with cloth birds on sticks and men doing a mild form of fire dancing (very short in duration). Then "uncle" states to toss your mats aside and characters come out- it's then a mob free for all and those who feel entitled push their way up to a cluttered front. So much for "ohana" at that point.
If you'll be missing time on the north shore or at the Polynesian Culture Center, don't rush back for the Starlit Hui.

 

[southerngirl528]

For the record, the fast hip movement style hula is Tahitian, not Hawaiian and is accompanied by drums usually and the dancers often wear elaborate headdresses. The dance with fire knives I believe is Samoan. I do know for certain it is NOT Hawaiian. That is why you will see neither of those style Polynesian dances/performances at Aulani, which is a HAWAIIAN resort. The Polynesian Cultural Center has long been esteemed for their training and performances of various Polynesian dances. Many of the dancers here at WDW at the Polynesian Luau are trained at the PCC.

For what it's worth, there is a Na Hoku award winning performer my DH and I particularly enjoy at Aulani, and always try to catch her performances when we are there. Our last trip in January, during her break she came over to our table to join us. We listened to her talk story about being raised on Oahu, and how much the Hawaiian culture has seen a revival since she was small. It was most interesting, and she is a genuinely kind and sweet person. After she finished, I told her we were at Aulani again as DVC Members, but then leaned in and said, I had worked for Disney for several years before moving out of state. I asked, "I know Disney said they put a lot of time and effort into honoring the Hawaiian culture, and you are a born and raised Hawaiian, so how did Disney REALLY do? Honestly?". She leaned back in her chair, smiled broadly and extended both arms outward, saying, "Just look around you, every time I come here I am just amazed. Just look at the attention to details." She then told us how exceptionally well Disney treats her. To my knowledge she is one of a good number of Hawaiian artists that have been performing since Aulani opened. I know our trips were 2 years apart and she was there both trips.

So the Starlit Hui isn't for everyone. That's okay. But in addition to the story in the previous paragraph, I just read an article in Maui No Ka Oi magazine where Keali'i Reichel was interviewed and spoke of Aulani and his contributions. If you don't know who he is, you probably don't know much about Hawaii…… just sayin'……

 

[lodge]

The line to wait for the show can be rather long and people are going earlier and earlier- expect to sit further back. We saw several families leave that were further back as it's harder to feel like you're getting anything out of it when not close enough to see (especially the kids). I've heard of the incorporation of Hawaiian culture at Aulani but the show didn't seem to do that for us either. It was more geared towards the kids, with a gathering of all the kids to do a short bit of hula, and very minimal amount of it (whatever the definition southerngirl528, it doesn't really matter, it was lame). There are two woman doing the hula and three men doing the dancing part of the show. I'm not aware of Kealli'i is, and his name never came up during our two week stay, so it seems that Disney missed the mark on that too, if he's so important to what Hawaii is.
I'd say if it's important for you to get a good view, try to make someone in your party available over an hour before the show, to stand in line. Your whole group doesn't need to be there. If you go knowing others input, you may feel less let down, or at least not have high expectations. Standing in line for every activity, sometimes early in the morning for kids club events, is not my idea of fun, but that's what Aulani has set up.