Fortunately, I did know that and would never drop a dime there. Cultural appropriation at it’s finest. Go to another culture, try to change their beliefs, then profit on telling you all about said culture. No. Support Hawaiians lwhenever you can.We visited Aulani last week for seven nights. The resort is gorgeous, the food is wonderful (and expensive), the pool and beach were top notch. We rented a car from Alamo which is in the Aulani building and ventured out several times to explore Oahu, the North Shore, the southeast coast and sadly spent close to an entire day at the Polynesian Cultural Center.
We continually read that the PCC is a must do. Well let me tell you the other side of the story...
I can't believe we wasted a day in HAWAII on this boring tourist trap, run by the Mormon church.
Upsells at every turn for photos and food. You're "guides" who you learn are Brigham Young University students, lead you around like cattle to various Polynesian "islands" where you find more native BYU students putting on "shows" purporting to display native culture. Some of the shows were chanting and dancing, others were tacky stand-up routines, they were all embarrassing characatures of "native life."
There was a special canoe show where nothing happens. The luau was boring at best. No hula dancers or fire twirlers. No lively music. Just monotonous arm-waving mormon students. The food was buffet style like you would find at a VFW catering hall.
The drinks were syrupy sweet ice tea or lemonade. We bought a $10 pineapple drink before we realized that it was a just a slushy with no alcohol.
The whole ordeal comprises nearly 8 hours door-to-door.
When you read the reviews about this place, look very closely at the bad ones. They talk the truth. Although many reviews say that PCC is a "must do" or "can't miss" when visiting Oahu.
In reality it is very much the opposite.
Do your research, thoroughly.
The Aulani Luau was a nice surprise. We all loved it! VIP is worth it. Even better I thunk was the one at the Royal Hawaiian in Waikiki. Stunning views, beach and Diamond Head, delicious food, and tons and tons of history. All Hawaiian cast some are relatives of the historical figures. You can head out into Waikiki after which is so cool at night.I’ve been to Hawaii many times and still thinking about doing PCC or another luau with the kids. Having read this and given the distance from Aulani I’m going to give it a miss. Are there any Luaus that are recommeded?
THIS.I don't mean to insult anyone here but lets be real here those luau's are put on for us the tourists so that we somehow can feel like we had a real Hawaiian experience. They are shows for entertainment purposes only yes time consuming and expensive.
I don’t consider myself gullible for having enjoyed the luau. Yes it was expensive (us Disney fans should be used to that) but we really enjoyed the entertainment and we got fed. I paid just as much to see Elton John with no food and thought it was worth it. We spent 14 days in Hawaii, so I think I saw plenty of “authentic” Hawaii, but I enjoyed the show too.THIS.
I went to the islands with my family a lot growing up and we never once went to a luau. It was just too expensive and we saw it for what you said; it was a cash-grab for gullible tourists. If you want to see a more authentic hula show, there are local groups that put them on for free if you spend the time to look for them. Sure, no roast pig, but that's a mighty expensive roast pig when you look at it that way.
I don’t consider myself gullible for having enjoyed the luau. Yes it was expensive (us Disney fans should be used to that) but we really enjoyed the entertainment and we got fed. I paid just as much to see Elton John with no food and thought it was worth it. We spent 14 days in Hawaii, so I think I saw plenty of “authentic” Hawaii, but I enjoyed the show too.
Thanks for the recommendation! I will check out the Royal Hawaiian for our next trip.The Aulani Luau was a nice surprise. We all loved it! VIP is worth it. Even better I thunk was the one at the Royal Hawaiian in Waikiki. Stunning views, beach and Diamond Head, delicious food, and tons and tons of history. All Hawaiian cast some are relatives of the historical figures. You can head out into Waikiki after which is so cool at night.
I'm saddened to hear that some people find the lack of alcohol a deterrent or something that would ruin their experience. (I'm not Mormon and I drink sometimes.) But if a person won't enjoy their vacation, or a single day or evening event on their vacation, without a drink ... then maybe that person has a relationship with drinking that should be more closely considered.
The gentlemen you are referring to is Kap Tafiti. He's a wonderful man and a really good artist.I’ve been to the PCC twice, once in 2013 and again in 2015. I enjoyed the trip both times for what it’s worth. The level of service and infrastructure investment reminded me a lot of Disney. The park is clean, there are a number of fun activities that are history “lite” but still interesting and impressive, and the luau food is almost decent buffet food. Oh and the upcharging also reminded me a lot of Disney.
Folks have commented on it multiple times, but there really is only one part that feels like a stand up act (at least in 2013 and 2015) and that is the gentleman from Samoa. I think what a lot of people are failing to recognize here is that PCC is a tourist trap, but it’s the people that make the story. I’m not involved or very familiar with the LDS church but I will say that when I took the time to have conversations with the actors/cultural reps they all spoke very highly of their experience (even when simply talking one on one.) As a former Jungle Cruise Skipper and actor myself I was fascinated by the performance by the gentleman from Samoa. His act was like a really “clean” and ”tight” performance that hit every time, even though it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. The majority of the crowd is laughing and having fun for the entire short show. Because my family lived in Hawaii for a bit and I had the opportunity to visit the islands multiple times, I noticed that bits of his act had been repurposed by other luaus etc. When I visited PCC the second time I struck up a conversation with him and asked if the content was his originally, he responded he’s been doing it for nearly 20 years and he’s honored to be copied. Needless to say, he in his own way has developed a new cultures and tradition. One of the biggest challenges in being a Jungle Cruise Skipper is that you’re handed a really terrible script. It’s the skips with the right personality and timing that make it work. So while PCC has its issues, if you look at the individual artistry and support those individuals through personal interest, connection, and engagement it can make the trip worthwhile.
I should add the gentleman from Samoa told me that by working at PCC he was afforded a “free” 4 year degree, room, and board at BYU. He’s a visual artist and his work was quite stunning. I wish I could remember his name and website to give him a plug, maybe someone else has his info and can chime in!
Ultimately having had family who lived on Oahu for a number of years I felt what was presented at PCC, although revisionist in nature still served far better than your typical luau at any resort. (The luau as presented today is far different than anything of historical contextual value. Simply put it’s tourist/tiki culture that puts food on the table for many Hawaiians.) The moral of this is find the artistry in the artist not in the tourist trap! If you want a real taste of Hawaiian culture and history please visit the Bishop Museum. Also for arts and culture: visit the go Hawaii tourism website to see local festivals, performances, etc that may be of interest.
Buy small, be local even when traveling!
The gentlemen you are referring to is Kap Tafiti. He's a wonderful man and a really good artist.
I had one good experience at PCC, one disappointing. The better one happened 20 years ago, the disappointing happened about 5 years ago. It got way more commercialized over the time, felt like I was in one long commercial