Centro Cultural Polinésio: Bilhete de Entrada para Ilhas Polinésias

We had a fabulous day at the Polynesian Cultural Center. We had a group tour for Islands of Polynesia. With 8 people in our group it turned out to be a private tour! So much to see on the various islands- you need more than one day. Our tour guide, Dylan, was excellent and took us to see all the main highlights. I could take or leave the Ali’i Lu’au for dinner- the food was good, not great. But others in our group loved it. The pineapple/coconut drink they give you when seated for dinner was worth the entire price of admission for my wife :-). They save the best for last. HA: Breath of Life is spectacular! It’s a full production and just blew us away.

It was our first time visiting PCC. It was so fun and learned a lot about the Polynesian islands. Our tour guide, Aela, was great. She was kind and gave an awesome tour. The atmosphere of the staff, activities, and even the marketplace was all memorable, fun, and an amazong experience. We will definitely be back.

I knew going in that the Mormons own and run the PCC, so I wasn’t sure how white-washed a version of these cultures to expect. I’m not an expert in any of these cultures, but I noticed at the show that nary a female belly button could be seen anywhere. It’s such a small detail but I know at least enough to know that Moana doesn’t wear a tank top. And this detail made me wonder what other details were changed in the service of fitting a Mormon narrative. I spent the day here with my family, and my kids (9 and 11) loved the various activities. They give you a passport to stamp at each of the islands for completing the various activities. My kids are suckers for stamped passports. We decided against a guided tour because my parents had done the tour recently and told us how the tour guide was as much to be a guide as to witness to their tour about their faith. I also was very turned off by the fact that one of the passport stations involved a tour of the BYU campus and another was a missionary house. Those are not part of Polynesian culture. The tour guides range somewhere between very nice and mildly apathetic, so we didn’t go on the tour and they still stamped our passports. The exhibits were reminiscent of a the most watered down Disney-fied version of these cultures. Unlike colonial Williamsburg or other historical sites, there was nothing ugly. History is messy, hard, and imperfect, but not here. Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt. There were weapons and war dances, but no context for their significance. I found the stage show similarly lacking in context. The production itself is fun- again my kids were thoroughly entertained. But since the stage show presents the life of one man living in all six cultures, it turned six distinct cultures into a mono culture. Other than a brief into about what stage of life he was living in, I never knew the significance of what was happening. Were they putting out fire with their butts as a rite of passage or for fun? Is that a ritual in all the cultures, or just one? How much agency did women have in their lives? Do all these cultures marry for love, or is politic strategy a factor? I’ll never know, at least if I only rely on my day here to find out.

Amazing place to explore the Polynasian culture

The workers were amazing all the way so great at engaging with the audience and keeping them engaged. Shout out to Lionel and Aela so kind and helpful this whole day great tour!

The Polynesian Cultural Center was easily one of the highlights of our trip to Oahu! We spent the entire day there, and every part of the experience was absolutely worth the price. The island villages were beautiful, and all of the cultural presentations and side shows were entertaining, educational, and incredibly well done. The canoe ride was a lot of fun, and the guides were knowledgeable and engaging. The luau was amazing with delicious food and fantastic performances. To top it all off, Ha: Breath of Life was phenomenal. That show alone was worth the price of admission—it was one of the best live performances I’ve ever seen. A special thank you to our tour guide, Anne, who was the sweetest, most considerate, and knowledgeable guide we could have asked for. She made an already incredible experience even better. The staff throughout the park were all extremely knowledgeable, talented, and welcoming. Crowds were managed very well, so despite how popular it is, everything felt organized. The only small downside was that food purchased outside of the luau or buffet was a bit pricey, but that certainly didn’t take away from the experience. If you’re planning to visit, be prepared to spend the whole day there. Wear comfortable shoes, expect to do quite a bit of walking, and be ready for the Hawaiian heat. I would recommend the Polynesian Cultural Center to everyone visiting Oahu. In my opinion, you can’t come to Oahu and skip this experience!

Amazing venue, very entertaining, and educational. So much to learn and interact with in each country area. Talented staff of students from university nearby.

Great service and great show. Our family enjoyed it a lot.

The PCC was amazing. It was better than we could have imagined. All the shows were so entertaining and educational. The day flew by. I have a teenager and even he loved it. We would definitely do this again.

Great experience for the whole family. We also attended the luau and Ha. Mikey was our server at the luau and he was awesome!