Spirit of Aloha - Review | WDW Parkhoppers: Walt Disney World Resort New and Walt Disney World Rumors and Money Saving Tips

Looking for a magical evening on the island of Hawaii but can’t get a plane ticket out of town? Well, WDW Parkhoppers has exactly what you need!

Just the Facts

Located located off to the left of Disney’s Polynesian Resort, Luau Cove is the home to the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show, a mainstay of the resort since it’s opening in 1971. The show itself went through several changes in 2003, as well as some extensive refurbishments to Luau Cove, making for a much richer experience. The previous dinner show offered only a luau and traditional entertainment that a typical tourist might see on a visit to Hawaii.

Since February 25, 2003, Aunt Winnie has invited all us cousins to join the local village gathering together to celebrate Leilani, a local girl who is leaving the islands to attend school. The entire show is filled with laughs, a love story, and even some music from the film Lilo & Stitch. The second part of the luau features music and dances of the cultures of Tahiti, Samoa, Tonga, New Zealand and Hawaii, including the trademark fire dancers!

Show times are 5:15 and 8pm Tuesday through Saturday. The island feast is served family-style. If you have special dietary requests they will be honored with a 24 hour advance notice by the guest. Beverages includes all-you-care-to-enjoy beer, wine, tropical rum punch, sodas, coffee and tea. Other alcoholic beverages may be purchased from the full bar. Dress code is casual and shorts are permitted at this show.

Parkhopper’s Personal Experience

As you have probably already heard, getting a reservation for this show is VERY challenging, but we managed to get a later show time (allowing us MAXIMUM time in the Parks)! We donned our Hawaiian shirts and khaki shots and headed over to the Polynesian for what would turn out to be an amazing evening!

As you approach Luau Cove, you are greeted by Cast Members and given a lei, a circle of flowers, to signify love and welcome. We were then guided down the path leading to a Disney Photo Area where a photographer took our picture. Later in the dinner we were offered the chance to purchase that photo, and as nice as the photo was, we chose not to buy it.

After the photo opportunity, we were directed to a covered waiting area immediately outside the main dining area. This is a holding area where everyone is brought and groups of people who are called and taken to their respective seating areas, based on the pre-purchased tiers they’ve requested. There were several sitting areas, a bar for cocktails, an even places for the children to sit and play. Not too soon after we arrived, it was our turn to be called in to dinner.

The immediate reaction to the main dinning area was how large it was and completely full of tables and chairs. Whoever laid this area out wisely used every available inch of space for maximum seating! We were shown our seats and joined two lovely ladies from New Jersey who were spending a week in Walt Disney World for a vacation. The dinner is served family-style and you are seated in the same way. Unlike Ohana, the Polynesian’s signature restaurant, you are not seated just with your family, you are seated with several people you don’t know…but don’t worry, as you learn later from Aunt Winnie, we’re all cousins, we just haven’t met each other yet!

Just after being seated the first course of pineapple-coconut bread, salad, and sliced pineapple are served. The bread is absolutely addictive and the salad is enhanced by the Mango-Poppy Seed Dressing. If you have ever eaten at Ohana, you’ve experienced the salad before…but it’s still terrific.

Interspersed throughout the first course and dinner there are some musical numbers from the awesome band and the actual show begins to unfold. You meet Aunt Winnie and Leilani, as well as all the characters who are actually the entire troupe of dancers for the second act of the show.

When the main course was brought to the table, actual applause broke out at our table. The chicken, ribs, rice, and vegetables were overwhelming in smell and appeal. Of course, a few drinks had already been consumed, but I’m sure that had very little to do with our extreme joy at the food being placed at our table. The cocktails might have also had a helping hand in taking part of the hula demonstration and being a part of the birthday hula (it was my birthday, after all), but here are a few opportunities for the crowd, and the kids, to get engaged in the performance. Disney always makes sure that there are always opportunities for memories to be made and photographs to be taken!

The chicken was well seasoned and cooked, but the ribs were astounding. The sweet rice and veggies complimented the meats, but the ribs were all I (Parkhopper John) could focus on. They were just excellent! We were offered several refills (of which we only asked for 1 between the 4 of us) and our drinks were never less than half-empty. We were well taken care of.

As dinner ended, the ensemble returned for the remainder of the scripted show. This is payoff of the growing love stories built through out the entire performance. We cannot guarantee the same result for you, but on the night we attended the Spirit of Aloha Show, the love song actually came at the exact time the fireworks at Magic Kingdom started…so as the young couple kissed, fireworks flew…literally!

Near the climax of the show, dessert was brought out. And it was truly an event! Volcanoes were erupting as the Kilauea Volcano Delight was brought to our table. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I ate it, it was different, good, but nothing like I had imagined.

Once dessert was finished and the dishes cleared, the traditional portion of the dinner show began. Dancers representing all the different island of Polynesia came out and displayed their different styles of dance and dress. It was very entertaining and actually informative! But the showstopper was the fire dancer!

Twirling one, sometimes two, fire sticks and performing traditional feats of daring with the fire was thrilling to see in person. After which the applause was even more overwhelming! The entire cast reassembled for one last curtain call, and the show was over. So Parkhopper Sarah and I ended our evening with a long walk on the beach, staring out at Cinderella Castle…what could be better?

Recommendation

This is a great family show, of for a group of friends to attend. Try to book reservations AS SOON as you know your traveling dates and be flexible with dinner times. There is a very limited menu for younger (possibly more picky) eaters, so this may not be the best experience for really young children. It’s a little pricey, but the show and food are well worth the cost. If you love the Hawaiian culture, or just good food, Parkhoppers would HIGHLY suggest you make a reservation to attend the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show, just grab the ohana (family) and come on over, you will not be sorry!