Reviews for Polynesian Cultural Center
2866 reviews
Lots to see and do. Some fun exhibits and shows going on throughout the ground.
Product: Polynesian Cultural Center
Brought my family here 20 years after I was served on the island as a service member. Donny, who's a freshman at BYU Hawaii waited on us and was amazing. The food was to amazing, and the entertainment, spectacular. A definite Must Visit
Product: Polynesian Cultural Center
I enjoyed being immersed in the Polynesian culture. The interactive shows were fun and I even got to learn a few notes on a ukulele. We did a self guided tour and the The staff were all amazing and very helpful along the way. I definitely would like to return if I have another opportunity to go.
Product: Polynesian Cultural Center
For a true cultural experience, this is well worth the price. The 5 cultural sites present with short but informative and entertaining stories of their culture. They also have fun interactive events for all ages. Staff is friendly and helpful. Then there's the dinner. We chose the Gateway Buffet. One of the best luau buffets I've been to. Everything was fresh! Ahi sashimi was plentiful, fresh, and sliced to perfection. Ono (tasty) food from rolls to dessert. We finished the night with a wonderful, professionally produced and thoroughly enjoyable live show that incorporated all five Polynesian cultures. Ha Breath of Life. Every seat is a good seat in this comfy theater. This is a full day of cultural emersion. I was born and raised here. Been away all my adult life. Finally made it to this wonderful place that entertained, educated, and fed me well. Yes! Well worth to price of a full day's enjoyment. Loved, loved, loved it. Side note: clean facilities, helpful staff, beautiful grounds. I'm 70...rented the scooter. Glad I did.
Product: Polynesian Cultural Center
Great experience at the PCC. Gateway buffet was excellent and food plentiful. The breath of Ha show was awesome and professionally done. Well worth the visit and learning about the different cultures
Product: Polynesian Cultural Center
Get experience when a lot of things to do. You could spend more than one day here doing all the activities. Our family learn a lot as well. It is cheaper to buy tickets ahead of time.
Product: Polynesian Cultural Center
Product: Polynesian Cultural Center
This was really fun. The buffet was amazing! It was a ton of different food and really good! All the different little shows were fun to watch and learn from. Definitely recommend visiting.
Product: Polynesian Cultural Center
Cultural and lovely, well organized
Product: Polynesian Cultural Center
Product: Polynesian Cultural Center
Product: Polynesian Cultural Center
Amazing presentations!
Product: Polynesian Cultural Center
All of the employees were knowledgeable and friendly! Loved my time here. Definitely recommend!
Product: Polynesian Cultural Center
An Unforgettable Experience at the Polynesian Cultural Center! From the moment we arrived, we knew we were in for something special, but this experience went far beyond our expectations. The villages were a highlight in themselves: educational, entertaining, and perfectly balanced with cultural respect and light-hearted humour. Each one gave us insight into the richness of Polynesian traditions without ever feeling too formal or heavy. It was fun, engaging, and genuinely informative. But the real standout of the day? The live show. Absolutely phenomenal. It had all the energy and polish of a Broadway production, which made it all the more incredible to learn it was performed by 23-year-old university students studying everything from education to tourism. The storytelling was powerful, the music and dance breathtaking, and the message deeply relatable. We were completely blown away. We LOVED every moment and would recommend the Polynesian Cultural Center to everyone. It’s an experience full of heart, culture, and pure talent. Don't miss it!
Product: Polynesian Cultural Center
Product: Polynesian Cultural Center
What a beautiful and educational experience this was! Everyone had smiles on their face and greeted everyone happily! The shows were incredible, the landscaping was gorgeous, the amount of information was so good! We loved it and certainly recommend it for families. It's like an all day luau.
Product: Polynesian Cultural Center
The Polynesian Cultural center was awesome. I would strongly recommend the tour as they do a great job of leading you through the center in a timely fashion. The luau was done so well, the food was delicious. The final production was expertly done. My family and I joked that it was a Disney level production. 10/10 recommend, we learned so much and enjoyed ourselves.
Product: Polynesian Cultural Center
Things I wish I had known before going to the Polynesian Cultural Center Imagine that you thought you were going to a Marine Life Conservation Center and find out it’s actually Sea World, where marine life is exploited and orcas do tricks for the audience’s pleasure. That is the Polynesian Cultural Center. The entire operation was built and is operated by Mormons. Every person working there is a Mormon, and there’s a creepy vibe as a result. I asked if anyone who worked there wasn’t Mormon, and they said they “weren’t sure.” The event starts with a weird dance and song routine by the students set to a dance beat to get the crowd “pumped up” before they open the doors. Once they open the doors, there is a canoe show where students, again in costumes, float around on different canoes representing different islands sing a cringe-worthy song about family as they float by and wave and smile and sing and dance for the audience in a way that is forced and unnatural (also set to a dance beat). The sound is horrible, the song is horrible, and I was horrified that I signed up for this. I actually thought this would be a learning experience. Students attending Brigham Young University are, for the most part, forced to wear costumes and pretend to be indigenous “characters” that kind of stand around awkwardly in various “scenes” that represent each island. These have been staged for your amusement. In all fairness, some are actually from those islands on Oahu studying for school, while others are just of that ancestry, but it was all forced. The tour guides are not experts on Polynesia but instead memorize extensive scripts that they repeat from memory, but they can’t answer questions that aren’t covered in their script. Meaning that you are fed exactly what the Mormons want to you to know and their own telling of Polynesia. It does not come across as genuine or authentic because it is, in fact, not at all genuine or authentic. The dinner food is not good with the exception of the pig. Think: “wedding reception at a Radisson hotel.” And don’t expect a Mai Tai. It’s Mormon, so when I asked for one, they didn’t even know what a Mai Tai was. They laughed when I told them it was alcohol because Mormons don’t drink, so you don’t either. The food to purchase are things like hot dogs and cookies. Not at all native Polynesian. Most of the items in the gift shop were not made in Hawaii or anywhere in Polynesia. Many were marked “Made in China.” The “Ha, Breathe of Life,” play (they give you a playbill) had aspects that felt like a big-budget college musical production put on by the drama department. There were moments when it was good, but the “play” was a very loose story designed to, again, have college students dress up in native garb and dance around for your amusement. I’ll admit, the fire portion was cool. One woman sitting next to us was trying to recruit another woman to join the church. The vibe is awkward and cringy across the board and it really left a sour taste in my mouth. Know before you go that this is a money making and recruitment tool for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and not at all meant to be a genuine, authentic learning experience.
Product: Polynesian Cultural Center
Really fun for kids and adults. Employees are kind, helpful and funny. We did self guided to save money. Definitely expensive. Maybe one day if we return we could do the dinner and show. But the price they charge for kids isn’t worth it. They don’t eat that much.
Product: Polynesian Cultural Center
Very interesting & informative, and entertaining. Expansive; plan a couple long days if you expect to see everything ... (Tickets are good for a few days of re-entry.) Say hi to Kap!
Product: Polynesian Cultural Center