Getting to Polynesian Cultural Center
 

We won't have a car;whats the best way to get to the PCC??.Public bus, cab,
What programs should we see?
Should we take a tour? I am a little overwhelmed by everything available there. But I HATE touristy things.which parts are most interesting?
Any suggestions? How long should you alot ?
Thanks!

If you hate touristy things, you might want to rethink the PCC. It is about as touristy as they come.

But, it is a great touristy place and I love to talk to the kids who work there. My favoirite is the Samoan village. Like the canoe performance too.

If you take a tour that includes bus ride to the park, you'll avoid the loooong (at least an hour) ride home on winding dark roads.

We usually go about 2 in the afternoon, then stay for dinner. Not the best food, but the show is nice.

We enjoyed PCC. Stayed all day and night and didn't get to see everything. Very entertaining! We purchased the Ambassador Package (not the luau since we had already gone to one earlier). The tour guide we had was great. She took us to the various villages, maximizing what we could see (considering you really can't see everything in one day). You get a 3-day free return with a package, but we didn't have time to go back. Food was OK and the buffet filled us up. Enjoyed the evening show and had good seats with the Ambassador pkg. We drove, but the site has transportation recommendations: http://www.polynesia.com/transportation/index.html

I've visited PCC twice & did a tour each time. The second time we got smart & paid our tour guide $5 each to give personal tour. We were able to see the performances at each village this way. The first time, when we were on our own, we missed a lot of the performances. The canoe performance is great. There is no alcohol served, so you don't need to worry about drinking & driving, but it is a long, dark ride back to Honolulu, so it's good to leave the driving to the tour bus driver, and you can relax.

The main reason there's no alcohol is that the PCC is run by the Mormon church. Many of the performers are students at the nearby branch of Brigham Young University.

http://www.lds.org/ldsfoundation/vis...70-1-5,00.html

Let me add to mauigirl50's comment about no alcohol being served. There is also no caffeine being served either. That means that if you want a cup of coffee (as a pick-me-up) prior to your drive back to Honolulu, it will not have the desired effect. The roads are narrow and poorly lighted in spots. Mental alertness definitely helps, but you won't get any caffeinated beverages at the PCC. They do not tell you that they have made this decision for you and that you do not get to make the choice yourself. Fortunately, there is a McDonalds just outside the PCC's parking area that sells both caffeinated and decaffeinated beverages.

Sorry but if you "HATE touristy things" I don't understand why you'd go to PCC in the first place. It is about as touristy as you can get.

And it's WAY too far to go by taxi assuming you are starting in Waikiki/Honolulu area.

Best to get their by 2pm for the canoe pageant. Stay until about 9:15 when 'Horizons' is over.

Transportation is available for $18 each.

They do have caffeine during their meals.

From their site, www.polynesia.com

"Caffeinated Pepsi™ and Diet Pepsi™, as well as caffeinated coffee are available upon request."

dusty56438-
Thanks for the update on the caffeine issue. It is always good for people to have a choice and not have others make their decisions for them. This wasn't the case when we went there years ago.