Sweet Memories at the Polynesian Cultural Center

 

Some people say you can have too much of a good thing. The Uribe Duarte family may not agree with that philosophy. They first visited the Polynesian Cultural Center in 2009, when all three of their children were very young. “We were on [a cruise] and had a few days in Honolulu,” said mother Sandra. “I found the Polynesian Cultural Center and thought it was a great place to take my little kids.”

They Wore Out the CD

They all loved learning about the different cultures, watching the dances, the lagoon show, and HĀ: Breath of Life. “It’s an amazing and beautiful history. We bought the CD and my kids watched it for a long time when we got back [home].” Actually, they wore it out. When they returned in 2025, they hoped to replace it. (Unfortunately, those CDs are no longer sold because of the change in how people view media; but when Polynesian Cultural Center personnel learned of their wish, they made the magic happen.)

Aliʻi Lūʻau Stands Out

They also attended the Aliʻi Lūʻau in 2009 and thoroughly enjoyed it, which prompted them to attend again in 2025. “Miranda wanted to reprise her photo [we had taken] with the pineapple drink, and we remembered that the food was delicious.” The lūʻau presentation is a little different than the one they saw 16 years ago, but they did enjoyed the program and the dances. “We wanted to see them…this was our only lūʻau on this trip.”

 

According to Sandra, that first trip to the Center was such a “sweet memory” that they wanted to come back in 2025. “I think for me and my husband it was just as we remembered it,” she said, “but my children experienced the visit as if it were the first time.”

The One and Only Kap

Other clear memories they had were that of Guillermo, the father, participating in the Tonga drum show, and the one that is documented here: the children posing with Kap. Close inspection of Kap in these pictures would never reveal that the photos were taken 16 years apart. (Kap has been demonstrating his skills at the Center since 1998. The lesson here may be that the Fountain of Youth involves climbing coconut trees daily and drinking coconut milk!)

 

 

More Time, Please!

Sandra did express the wish that there would be more time “to fully appreciate the history, visit each area, and participate in all the activities…at a more relaxed pace.” The Center agrees! However, opening earlier is not possible because of the extensive preparations that go on every morning before the guests arrive. They are all things that have to be done daily to create that ambiance that is the PCC. But remember that every ticket to the Islands includes the option to return for up to 3 days—the next 3 consecutive business days for the Center—at no charge, to do exactly what Sandra suggests. We hope the next Uribe Duarte excursion builds  in time for that!

Thanks to this lovely family for sharing their experience with us. We look forward to their next visit!

(All pictures are Uribe Duarte family photos, used with permission.)