by Beth Keating
News
DisneyBizJournal.com
March 15, 2022
Sadly, Disney World is bidding a final farewell to the “Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show” at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort in Florida. The show has gone through a number of iterations over the years, but it originally opened in 1971 with both the Magic Kingdom and the Polynesian Resort. The first show, called “The Polynesian Revue,” took place on the beach of the Seven Seas Lagoon, with the covered, open air theatre added later in 1973.
The “Spirit of Aloha” version of the show took the stage in 2003, and was among the many dining venues that shuttered with the COVID closures in 2020.
Disney announced today that the show will not be reopening. More significantly, its space in Luau Cove will be taken over by new Disney Vacation Club rooms, currently under development, and expected to open in late 2024.
Bill Diercksen, senior vice president and general manager of Disney Vacation Club, was quoted, “It’s no secret that our Members and Guests love the monorail resorts at Walt Disney World. Expanding our Disney Vacation Club offerings at the Polynesian would give our Members and Guests yet another incredible option for staying close to the magic while making vacation memories that last a lifetime.”
Disney will share more details on the project at a later date.
The “Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show” featured hula dancing, including dances from Tahiti, Samoa, Tonga, New Zealand and Hawaii; fire dancing; drummers; and a fire-knife performer, along with an all-you-care-to-enjoy tropical feast. Dining selections included Aloha pulled pork, Polynesian ribs, roasted chicken, seasonal vegetables, fresh-cut fruit, ginger-lime salad, pineapple guava cake, and chocolate cake.
Hosted in the open-air theater in Luau Cove, a short walk from the Polynesian’s Great Ceremonial House, the current backstory to the twice-nightly show was centered around Auntie Wini, who was playing host to a high energy luau to say goodbye to one of the local girls headed to the “mainland” for college. Prices for the dinner show ranged from $66-$78 for adults, and $39-$46 for children, depending on the seating category selected.
Looking ahead to the DVC expansion of Polynesian Village Resort, Disney said, “Situated on the shores of Seven Seas Lagoon, the proposed property would join the rest of the resort in offering stunning views of the Magic Kingdom. Proposed plans would offer additional rooms, new recreation offerings and dining options.”
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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.
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