Rich's Tongfamily (Richtong.net add-on)

!>http://www.princess-kaiulani.com/upload/de-creation2.jpg! Sheraton Princess Kaiulani | Creation – A Polynesian Journey. We did this tonight. A couple of lessons. First and most important…
*Don’t go to Waikiki from Kailua on a Friday night!* It took 1 1/2 hours to get there with most of the trip very fast until we hit Honolulu. The traffic jam would have made LA proud. Apparently, Friday is a big, get out of work and head to Waikiki day.
On the dinner+show thing itself, got there at 6:15, they had the usual hotel buffet which is OK. Compared with most Luau food though (we went to Paridise Cove before), it is way better than average. For our kids and me at least, give me Kalua Pork, white rice and a taro bun and you’ve got the 99.9% highlight of a luau. You can get that for $6.50 as a plate lunch, so skip the luau and go for the show.
On the show itself, the best thing was that it is in Waikiki and not 2 hours away. The Polynesian Cultural Center has a more authentic show and is a whole day event, but this is one hour, convenient, 12 dancers instead of 100+ though. On the other hand, if 2 hours of pounding drums gives you a headache, then this Creation thing is just right.
The Sheraton itself caters mainly to Japanese patrons and it is one of their ballrooms, so don’t expect too much authenticity. We were at home and in bed by 9:30PM which was the best part by far.
To summarize, if you want the most authentic experience, hit the Polynesian Cultural Center and get the standard buffer with preferred seating. This runs $110 a head though. If you want a quick dabble for an hour and don’t need the hassle, then Creation isn’t a bad choice at about 1/3 that cost.