On July 19th, during our trip to Hawaii, my family and I (a party of 12) attended the Waikiki Luau with All-You-Can-Eat Buffet, Fire Dance & Rock-A-Hula. Unfortunately, it was one of the most disappointing experiences of... more our trip.
From the start, the event felt more like a tourist trap than a cultural celebration. The performers wore plastic grass skirts and danced on astroturf, which cheapened the experience and made it feel like a stylized imitation rather than a tribute to Hawaiian tradition.
The buffet was just as underwhelming. The meats were dry and chewy, and several of us left our meals half-eaten. We all ended up searching for food elsewhere after the show.
When purchasing tickets, we noted that they included premier seating for the show—something we specifically chose so the younger members of our group could engage and see the performance clearly. However, we were seated near the back with no explanation. The seating appeared entirely random, and there was no effort to honor the premier designation.
The show itself was bizarre. It was supposedly a journey through Hawaiian music and culture, but the execution was confusing. While we expected an Elvis tribute, it felt like a full concert with song after song. Then came a Michael Jackson impersonator performing Thriller and several other full-length songs. We learned during the show that he once performed at Aloha Stadium, but the connection felt forced and irrelevant. A few of us dozed off, while others sat in disbelief trying to make sense of it.
The performance dragged on far too long. With a tighter runtime and focus on authentic Hawaiian culture, it could have been enjoyable. The fire dancer was the highlight, but came too late to redeem the evening.
Overall, this luau was inauthentic, overpriced, and not worth it. We wouldn’t recommend it.
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