Paradise Cove Luau? Or do you suggest another?

[blessed2BaMama]

We are leaning towards doing the Paradise Cove Luau during our Oct 2016 trip. I know many people prefer one luau to another but given the pre-luau activities and reviews, this may probably be the one we choose. We are considering getting the royal box seats. If you have any experience, positive or negative, please comment here!! OR if you suggest another luau, please tell me why!! Also, we don't drink alcohol so free cocktails aren't important to us!! Thanks in advance!! Amy

 

[sgrap]

We are leaning towards doing the Paradise Cove Luau during our Oct 2016 trip. I know many people prefer one luau to another but given the pre-luau activities and reviews, this may probably be the one we choose. We are considering getting the royal box seats. If you have any experience, positive or negative, please comment here!! OR if you suggest another luau, please tell me why!! Also, we don't drink alcohol so free cocktails aren't important to us!! Thanks in advance!! Amy

I have heard and read terrible reviews of The Paradise Cove luau. We went to the Chiefs luau at Sea Life Park which has great reviews, and had a wonderful time. That was about 3 weeks ago. My husband talked to people at the barbecue at Aulani who had donehad done the Paradise Cove luau and they said it was awful. That is pretty much what I had read online prior to going.

 

[newdeal]

We have read a bunch of reviews and are going to the Fia Fia Luau which is near Aulani and is generally universally praised.

 

[Aviator621]

We've done the Paradise Cove Luau, and not sure why it gets the negative response. Probably depends on what you are looking for in a Luau. Location is scenic, plenty of side activities to keep you occupied till the Luau begins, food is pretty standard for what these types of shows offer. Granted, this is a bit dated, but of the ones we've done on Oahu, rank Paradise Cove above Polynesian Culture Center (Culture Center was shorter show, away from beach and didn't care for indoor venue), on par with Fia Fia, and below Hale Koa. Side note on Fia Fia--it used to be done by the Chief who does the Sea Life Park Show, and he was the main draw (and reason for the good reviews), heard he is coming back to Fia Fia, just not sure when.

 

[Drusilla99]

We went to Fia Fia at the Marriott at the beginning of June and loved it! I had researched about both paradise cove and Marriott, and paradise cove consistently had good and bad reviews while the Marriott only had good ones. We were a group of 10, ages 7-68. We got preferred seating which gave us a front table. There were activities before hand for the kids, and adults, to take part in. We enjoyed the food and the show was AMAZING!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

I went to Paradise Cove last night as we are in the midst of our trip here. We loved it! My husband wasn't really too impressed with the pre-dinner activities as it was things like Arts and Crafts, Hawaiian Games, Long Lines for Drinks at the Bar and not much at the merchandise shop we would buy.

Once we were sat for our show, we really enjoyed it! The show was great and food was tasty. We had the Deluxe Package which is where the food was served to us in 3 courses rather than the buffet but as the entree was very meat based, they let my husband go up to the buffet with no problem to get himself more than enough to eat.

 

[OKWJan]

A vote for Fia Fia at the Marriott. It is only on Tuesday and is an amazing show with good food. It is the Chief from Sea Life Park that does the dhow and it is a top notch show. Pay the extra $15 for premium seating and get there early for stage side seats

 

[DisneyFanDad]

We went to Paradise Cove a few weeks ago. Here are my thoughts

Pros: Very close to the hotel, walking distance. Great show lots of fun, once it started.

Cons:Food was buffet style and was average at best. Show and food didn't start until 7:30 and they ask you to be there at 4:30 Gates open at 5). During that 2+ hours there is a little bit of a show, my kids had some fun with the spear throwing, but all of those activities really to me seemed to be an effort to make more money. There is a little local craft market with overpriced stuff. There are some parrots you can take pictures with. After around 6PM they start doing some activities. Honestly by that time I was ready to go. The line for drink can get REALLY long.

For me personally it was a painful waste of 2 hours. If I had to do it again, I would pay for the premium seating or I would probably pass on the experience.

For my kids (DS9 and DS13), they had a fun time. But mostly it was because they got to throw pointed broom sticks at a hay bale for an hour before dinner started.

 

[blessed2BaMama]

Thanks everyone for your responses! As of now we have decided AGAINST Paradise Cove and will be doing either Fia Fia Luau (as long as Chief is definitely hosting it at the Mariott) or will do the Chief's Luau at Sea Life! We can't wait!!

 

[nkereina]

I've done a ton of research on luaus trying to decide the best one for us and they ALL have good and bad reviews. I'd pick the one that looks most appealing to you, with a menu that suits you, and is convenient for you and your schedule. And also fits your budget.

We opted to go with one on Maui. But if we hadn't, Paradise Cove was our second choice simply because you can walk there from Aulani. Convenience was important to us. Not only because we'll be drinking, but also because no commute means we'll have more time for other things during the day.

Since alcohol is not a factor for you, check out the luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center. From my understanding, it's one of the more "authentic" ones and gets pretty good reviews. The cons for some people are that they do not serve alcohol, it's run by a religious organization, and it's a little bit of a drive from Aulani.

 

[SevenWonkas]

Thanks everyone for your responses! As of now we have decided AGAINST Paradise Cove and will be doing either Fia Fia Luau (as long as Chief is definitely hosting it at the Mariott) or will do the Chief's Luau at Sea Life! We can't wait!!

Chief is definitely still the one who does FiaFia. Marriott used someone else for a bit a couple years ago, but was brought back. Great show!

 

[Soccerluvinmama]

I know you've made your decision, but for anyone else who is considering it, I would would recommend Paradise Cove. We went in February and had a great time. The food is what it is. I have yet to go to a luau where the food has blown me away. The food was just fine, and there was plenty of it. You cannot beat the proximity to Aulani either, which is a plus. It's easy walking distance from the resort. Also, unlike the FiaFia, it's offered every night, so scheduling is much easier. We loved the pre-dinner activities. My 14 year old loved her tribal tattoo and we both went on a canoe ride. There was more than plenty to do. Yes, there were long lines for some things, but for things like the tribal tattoos, there were also 2 stations. Since one had no line and the other had a long one, I'm guessing people didn't realize this. The onsite store didn't really have anything that interested me, but I did buy a beautiful necklace form one of the local artisans that was there. The show itself was your typical luau show, but I love these shows, so I really enjoyed it.

 

[longboard55]

Here is my take, If its your first time, I would just do the Paradise Cove, its close, not too expensive and has a good show. If you have been to many the Chiefs is fun because its a little different and pretty fun. If you want the best its the Royal Hawaiian on monday nights, best service seating atmosphere and show, free drinks but it is super expensive. If you were ever in the Military the Hale Koa is pretty good and a really good deal especially for kids, like almost free. If you want to make a day of it Polynesian Cultural is suppose to have a real good show.

Just go and have a good time and do not have super high expectations

 

[blessed2BaMama]

Here is my take, If its your first time, I would just do the Paradise Cove, its close, not too expensive and has a good show. If you have been to many the Chiefs is fun because its a little different and pretty fun. If you want the best its the Royal Hawaiian on monday nights, best service seating atmosphere and show, free drinks but it is super expensive. If you were ever in the Military the Hale Koa is pretty good and a really good deal especially for kids, like almost free. If you want to make a day of it Polynesian Cultural is suppose to have a real good show.

Just go and have a good time and do not have super high expectations

Can you tell me more about the Royal Hawaiian Luau?

 

[longboard55]

Can you tell me more about the Royal Hawaiian Luau?

In my opinion all the Luaus have good shows, but there is a difference in ambiance. Royal Hawaiian is in a very nice setting on the lawn at the Royal Hawaiian with a view of diamondhead. Service and table settings are first class, crowd is much smaller with no tour groups. No paper cups or plastic forks for sure. Not as many kids activities, but is good for those anniversary types

 

[blessed2BaMama]

In my opinion all the Luaus have good shows, but there is a difference in ambiance. Royal Hawaiian is in a very nice setting on the lawn at the Royal Hawaiian with a view of diamondhead. Service and table settings are first class, crowd is much smaller with no tour groups. No paper cups or plastic forks for sure. Not as many kids activities, but is good for those anniversary types

Thank you for the info! I think given the fact that we have kids and have no need of the open bar, the Chiefs Luau may be better for us at this season in our lives. I appreciate your helpfulness longboard55!

To everyone- I appreciate ALL input! Keep the comments coming (please)!!!

 

[longboard55]

Chief has a lot of kid activities, tells a lot of stories, lots of audience participation and does the best fire dancer presentation. It a beautiful location. I think people get scared off by the Sea Life Park link but all it is is using their parking lot. Probably the most realistic luau in that the dancers do not all look like super models.

 

[happymommy]

Even if you're not staying at the Marriott, you can still see the chief for free (I think it's Monday nights?). We own there, and when his contract wasn't renewed, Marriott got so many complaints that they finally got him back.

Monday nights are the welcome from the GM and a little show from the chief - I'm sure you can walk over and watch from the lawn without being owners.

I did Paradise Cove once when we moved to Oahu (1995) and once in 2007. That was honestly once too much. I was falling asleep. It goes so long, and bores me. We had the premium seating, but the middle tier is probably your best bet. There used to be a coupon in the Entertainment Book. I personally don't think a luau is necessary, but that's me. The food is meh at Paradise Cove. It's just too touristy for me, and that's coming from someone who lived on Oahu and loved going to Waikiki every weekend!

 

[Mom2disneygirls]

Just got back and went to Chief's and I have to say it was wonderful and I would highly recommend it. We did the royal tickets and had front row table and it was just a fabulous experience! Would go back and do it again!

 

[kungaloosh22]

Just got back and went to Chief's and I have to say it was wonderful and I would highly recommend it. We did the royal tickets and had front row table and it was just a fabulous experience! Would go back and do it again!

Great to hear! We have reservations for this one in Sept, and can't wait. I liked the look of the setting, and we wanted to do the nearby lighthouse hike anyway. Plus, we met the Chief 1-1 in the 90s, when he approached us at the Polynesian Cultural Center (where he worked at the time) and gave us a personal welcome and coconut husking demo. It was very memorable, as he was so warm, friendly, funny, and entertaining, so we look forward to seeing his show.

That said, if we were only staying at Aulani, I'd probably go with Fia Fia to see his show. But we're spending the first part of our trip in Waikiki and will have a car, plus we're heading to Makapuu lighthouse anyway, so Chief's Luau it is!