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ALOHA from Orlando!?

When you think about a Hawaiian Luau, I’m sure Orlando, Florida is NOT the first place that comes to mind and definitely not a theme park, right? Well, Universal Orlando Resort offers a super fun and fantastically authentic luau for all ages.

DizN had the pleasure of recently partaking in the fun so let’s take a closer, inside look at what it’s all about!

First things first, the Wantilan Luau is an all you care to enjoy (and drink…. can I get a High Five) dinner show complete with a fire dancer, hula girls and a magnificent lineup showcasing the entirety of the many different Polynesian Islands. The luau runs weekly on Saturday’s ONLY and offers a tiered seating system that can be booked via the Eventbright website, HERE.

Ticket Prices

Adults:
Premium seating – $109
Regular seating – $89

Children (ages 3–9):
Premium seating – $59
Regular seating – $39

Above prices include gratuity, non-alcoholic & alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, and mai tais.) Children 3 and under are complementary and expected to eat off of their guardians plate.

Show Times

6:00PM – 8:00PM Saturday’s ONLY (check in begins at 5:30PM)

The luau is located at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando, making it an awesome option for an out of park experience. We planned our visit for our off day which made it an even more enjoyable experience. We were able to relax and play at the pool all day then end our evening with scrumptious food and a festive environment.

Seating is communal, so if you have a small family, let it be known you WILL be sat with others for the duration of dinner and show. Tables seat 10 comfortably and all tables have an unobstructed view of the show.

In our opinion, the luau pavilion is quite large with some tables pretty far from the stage so if a closer view is desired, we highly recommend upgrading to the higher tiered ticket and 100% find the value to be worth it! Our seats were premium seats and were located directly in front of the stage.

Now that we’ve covered the show details, let’s talk about what to expect!

What to Expect on Arrival

It’s no secret we travel a lot so we have experienced many a luau in our travel life, however this one took the cake for us simply based on their check-in process and pre-show excitement.

This particular visit, we were staying at Loews Sapphire Falls, which is a neighboring resort to Loews Royal Pacific. It was a super simple, 5 minute walk to get to where we needed to be and were easily led by the many maps and signs located around the Royal Pacific property.

Once we found our way to The Wantilan Luau pavilion we joined the already forming line and checked into the podium at approximately 5:30PM. Once all of our tickets were scanned, we were promptly given the opportunity to visit the pre-show waiting area, prior to being let into the show at 6PM.

As we made our way to this area we were greeted and lei’d. (OK, bad, joke!) To rephrase, we were given leis to wear and told to proceed to the activity lawn.

The activity lawn or pre-show area is located adjacent to the dinner show pavilion and is a large grassy area with a multitude of activities set up for guests to enjoy. Each specific activity was lead by one of the luau’s cast and was a great way to bring you into the ‘ohana, if you will.

Activities were for ALL ages to enjoy and offered a one-on-one environment with the cast.

After a bit of pre-show fun, the clock struck 6:00PM, an announcement was made, and we were off to the show pavilion.

Once checked in at the show podium, we were escorted to our front row table for the evening. Our server quickly greeted us and gave us the protocol on the buffet and drink options. We were then released to the buffet and bar to enjoy all of the offerings.

The buffet was PLENTIFUL with honestly, something for everyone!

(Buffet Choices are Subject to Change without notice)

Menu

• Island-spiced vegetable medley with toasted almonds.
• Fire-grilled tender beef with straw mushroom, bean sprouts and baby corn.
• Catch of the day from the Pacific waters.
• Macadamia-crusted goat cheese with kimchi Napa cabbage and shitake mushrooms.
• Ahi poke salad with cellophane noodles and ginger-soy vinaigrette.
• Toasted coconut jasmine rice.
• Hawaiian chicken teriyaki.
• Pit-roasted suckling pig with spiced rum-infused pineapple purée.
• Lomi lomi chicken salad with Maui onions, tomatoes and green scallions.
• Mixed native greens with hearts of palm and citrus.
• Freshly baked breads and rolls with sweet butter.

Dessert Extravaganza

• Kona coffee ganache pineapple macadamia tart.
• Passion fruit crème brûlée.
• Tropical fresh fruit with white chocolate mousse shots.

For The Kids

• Macaroni and cheese.
• Cheese pizza.
• Fruit platters.
• Peanut butter and jelly.
• Chicken fingers with ketchup and honey mustard.
• Salad with iceburg lettuce, tomatoes, croutons, cheddar cheese, ranch and thousand island dressings.

. . . Beverages and More

• All-you-care-to-enjoy mai tais, beer and wine (adults ages 21+ only).
• Beverages including freshly brewed regular and decaffeinated coffees, gourmet hot and iced teas, virgin mai tais (non-alcoholic), lemonade and water.

As you can see, food, food and MORE food. You will not leave the luau hungry!

The buffet and bar offerings are available to guests from 6:00PM to roughly 7:00PM when the show portion of the experience begins. Servers are on hand during the show to refill non-alcoholic beverages and mai tais only.

Once the show begins and the stage lights shine you will be captivated by the high energy show!

We will say that this show might not be for you if you find yourself as super shy. There are several segments of the show that offer audience participation and a few of those are chosen at random.

Side Note: DizN Dad (aka Derik) was one of the unlucky ones! HA HA

We found the entire show to be energizing and kept our crew, ranging in ages from 8-50, engaged, laughing and simply just enjoying the experience!

@dizndonohues

Skills! 🙌🏻 #wantilanluau #universalstudios #DIZN #dizndonohues #diznvacations #universalstudios #royalpacificresort #florida #orlando #universalorlando

♬ Hips Don’t Lie (feat. Wyclef Jean) – Shakira

So the big question….. would we do this again? Quick Answer is a resounding…..YES! We loved the Wantilan Luau from start to finish. The kids were entertained, the young adults fed and more experienced adults watered. The buffet was plentiful, and bar fully stocked. The price is spot on for experience and value to price ratio.

The ease of location for the Wantilan Luau makes this a great add on to your Universal vacation. As I mentioned earlier, this is an excellent option for a non-park day or an amazing way to BEGIN your vacation if arriving early on a Saturday!

As always, if you want help planning a Disney or Universal Vacation, our friends over at DizN Vacations are top notch and truly experts in all things theme parks! Make sure to check out the DizN website for all your magical planning needs!

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