Review: Makahiki Character Dinner at Disney's Aulani

I had one request (read: demand) for my husband and I’s trip to Oahu this past May. If we couldn’t stay at Disney’s Aulani Resort (because #marriottpoints), we had to at least have a meal there. There was no way I could be on the same island as Disney’s only Hawaiian Resort and not visit. My sweet and loving husband gladly obliged.

The views at Aulani are easy on the eyes.

Get you someone who looks at you the way I look at my Mickey Shave Ice.

The character breakfast was already booked for the dates of our trip when I checked so I would suggest booking early if you can! Luckily the character dinner at Makahiki – The Bounty of the Islands had times available. The character dinner features a show called “Menehune Mischief” – the Menehune are a mystical little people popular in Hawaiian folklore – and there are three show times per evening four days a week. On the other evenings, you can dine at Makahiki but without the characters or the show.

We made our way from Waikiki to the Ko Olina area of the island. Aulani is tucked away in this little village with cute shops and restaurants across the street. We made an afternoon of it, grabbing coffee at Island Vintage and a Mai Tai with a side of live music at Monkeypod. We then made our way over to the main attraction, Aulani!

We entered the foyer, and I immediately fell in love. True to Disney form, there is incredible attention to detail, and the spirit of Aloha is alive from the artwork on the walls to the tropical views you can see upon entering.

This was the first time my husband has been on Disney property with me, and I’m not sure he was ready. Let’s be clear, I was not chill. I audibly gasped at everything, and Taylor kept asking why I was smiling so much at strangers. Disney makes me my best self – what can I say?

A few notes on logistics: if you are not staying at Aulani, you can still utilize the parking for a fee. The Makahiki character dinner will give you validated parking for 2.5 hours - anything additional is on your dime. The gift shops and other restaurants on property can also validate parking.

Naturally, we arrived a few hours early to explore. A top priority for me was the Hawaii Shave Ice at Papalua Shave Ice. You can choose three flavors for your ice, and for an extra dollar, they’ll add Mickey ears! This was not even a question for me. I chose passion fruit, orange and guava as a nod to my fave POG juice at the Polynesian. The portion is large so prepare to share. The gift shop was also a top priority because hello, exclusive merch!

When it came time to be seated for our dinner reservation, we made our way downstairs to Makahiki. We were greeted by none other than Donald Duck in his Hawaiian shirt, who was kind enough to welcome us for a photo.

Makahiki is a classic Disney buffet with Hawaiian flare. It likely isn’t the best meal you’ve ever had on Disney property, but it is delicious and a darn good buffet. I was delighted to find a Pua Royale on the drink menu – again, ordering this was not a question for me. The food offerings felt like your standard Disney buffet with a few twists. Some of our favorites included the poké, sushi and ham with pineapple glaze. Classic mainland options also abound, and a standout for me was the wedge salad and the chicken. While the dinner buffet easily accommodated a gluten sensitivity, there were not many gluten free options for dessert. Of course, our server was able to bring me a GF brownie with fruit. Bonus points to Aulani for the GF brownie being Mickey shaped.

Throughout dinner, Stitch, Chip and Dale make their way around to greet guests and take photos. Stitch rather enjoyed my hat!

Uncle leads the show telling the tale of the Menehune, a mischievous but hard working people who build things like bridges while humans sleep. It is a cute little story with music, reminiscent of the performance during dinner at Ohana, where the Keiki, or little ones, are invited to participate in various parts of the show. It’s a fun addition to dinner, but not a full-out Disney show. If you are looking for more theatrics, Aulani does have a luau option!

While we were only able to spend a few hours at Aulani, I quickly fell in love. It was a highlight of our trip to Hawaii, and it’s on my Disney bucket list to make a stay on this magical property.