Ka Moana Luau vs Polynesian Cultural Center Comparison

Name. The clue’s in the name at the Polynesian Cultural Center, which celebrates the cultures and traditions of the 1,000+ islands that make up Polynesia.

Age. The park opened back in 1963.

Location. Laie, in the northeast of the island, around an hour from downtown Honolulu.

What to expect at the Polynesian Cultural Center. One of Oahu’s most-visited attractions, the Polynesian Cultural Center is split into six villages, each representing a different Polynesian island nation. These are: Aotearoa, Fiji, Hawaii, Samoa, Tahiti and Tonga. The result, as you might imagine, is highly immersive; a sensory explosion of sights, sounds and smells from across the South Pacific. Here’s your chance to get involved in hands-on activities and demonstrations, to learn about the various island customs and traditions and, perhaps best of all, to sample delicious Polynesian cooking. Fire-dancing, lei-making and live shows are all part of the entertainment here.

• Size. 42 acres.
• Attractions. Six themed villages representing different island nations, plus live shows, feasts, a canoe pageant, and other ticketed events.
• Opening hours. The villages are open 12.30–5.30PM Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and the evening shows run until approximately 9PM.

• Island of Hawaii: have a go at hula dancing, learn the art of lauhala-weaving, taste traditional Polynesian poi and test your skills with some ancient Hawaiian games.
• Island of Aotearoa (New Zealand): experience the power of the Maori Haka dance, watch artisans carve traditional weapons, and learn about facial tattoos.
• Island of Tahiti: visit a Tahitian temple, witness a traditional wedding ceremony, have a go at pole fishing and spear-throwing, and gorge yourself on fragrant coconut bread.
• Island of Fiji: meet fearsome Fijian warriors, ink up with a temporary tattoo and find out how you can time travel on Fiji.
• Island of Samoa: – watch nimble Samoan men scale 40-foot trees barefoot, learn how to twirl a fire knife, and crack coconuts open with a rock..
• Island of Tonga: try your hand at an ancient Tongan shuffleboard game o, test your spear-throwing skills, and learn how to dance sitting down.
• Luau buffet: tuck into an authentic Polynesian buffet accompanied by live music and dance.
• HĀ: Breath of Life show: a Pacific island saga of birth, death, love and family, featuring over 100 Polynesian performers, and eye-popping special effects.
• Huki canoe experience: daily lagoon show featuring double-hulled canoes and dozens of dancers, singers, and island natives. 

Name. Ka Moana means ‘the ocean’ and this luau is designed to take audience members on a voyage around the South Pacific.

Location. The iconic Aloha Tower, a decommissioned art-deco lighthouse on Honolulu’s waterfront.

What to expect at the Ka Moana Luau. What the Ka Moana Luau lacks in themed villages, it more than makes up for with its bombastic luau, a veritable extravaganza of Polynesian dance, music and fabulous pyrotechnics. The luau tells the story of a voyage across Ka Moana (that’s the ocean to you and me), taking in the traditional chants, dances and songs from several Polynesian islands along the way. There’s also a lavish dinner buffet and several pre-show activities to take part in, including lei-making, temporary Polynesian tattoos, hula lessons, coconut headband-weaving and ukulele lessons.

Size. Ka Moana Luau seats around 400-500 guests across three ascending price tiers: Classic, Moana Splash and Celebrity. Celebrity has the best seats and includes table service, a complimentary Mai Tai cocktail and a fresh flower lei (upgraded from the shell lei that's included with Classic and Splash tickets).

Show length. Approximately 2.5 hours.

Opening hours. Check-in from 4.30PM daily, except Saturdays. The show starts at 5.30PM.

• Everyone is greeted with a shell lei garland on arrival (or a fresh flower lei for Celebrity seat holders).
• Brace yourself for pyrotechnics in the Samoan fire-knife performance.
• Just try to stop your toes from tapping as the fast-paced Tahitian dance gets underway.
• Swing your hips at a traditional hula lesson and go full immersion mode with a (temporary) Polynesian tattoo.
• The lavish buffet caters for all tastes with its wide range of traditional Polynesian dishes. Try specialities including macadamia-nut mahi-mahi, smoky kalua pork and fruity guava butter.

No doubt about it: the Polynesian Cultural Center is the more immersive experience, with significant emphasis placed on the cultural events and activities of the six themed villages. General admission gets you access to all of this, but you’ll need separate tickets for the evening buffet and luau show. Ka Moana Luau, meanwhile, is pure, unabashed entertainment: dinner and a show, basically. 

It’s definitely worth doing both attractions if you’re in Oahu for a few days. And, as luck would have it, you can do precisely that with the All-Inclusive Oahu attractions pass from Go City. As well as Ka Moana Luau and the Polynesian Cultural Center, the pass includes a luxury catamaran cruise, Pearl Harbor attractions, island tours, surfboard rental, and much more, and could save you up to 50% on Oahu activities, tours and attractions. Find out more and pick your All-Inclusive Oahu pass by clicking on the options below…