In early 2025, Ola Shaw described how close his theater ride came to opening in Lahaina. He told Big Island Now, "We were a month and a half away from opening before Lahaina burnt down." The 8,000-square-foot space off Front Street was supposed to hold the ride, a restaurant and a Topgolf Swing Suite. The fire partly destroyed it and damaged the equipment inside.
The ride opened in Kona first. Now it's coming back to West Maui. Flight of Aloha opens Tuesday, Dec. 1, on Level 3 of Whalers Village. Anyone with a Hawaiʻi ID gets a discount on tickets. A Hawaiʻi ID showing a 96761 address, the ZIP code in the ride's own Whalers Village address, gets half off.
A Lahaina project that ended up in Kāʻanapali
Big Island Now described Flight of Aloha as a six-year passion project for Shaw, an electrical contractor who grew up on Maui. His parents first pushed the idea after the family rode Soarin' Over California at Disneyland in 2013. After the fire, he started over at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Resort. He told the outlet that Hawaiʻi Island made more financial sense at the time, and that building out the Kona theater took about nine months.
That same article ended with Shaw saying he hoped to bring Flight of Aloha back to Lahaina someday. The Whalers Village opening is the closest it has come so far. An October 2026 announcement in Amusement Today calls it a continuation of "a locally created project that began in Lāhainā before the fires." The same announcement acknowledges that recovery is still going on and "many neighbors are still waiting to return home." The operator describes the business as Native Hawaiian owned. It says its films are made with cultural advisors, kumu and local storytellers.
Our recent look at Front Street's reopening covers why the road came back years before the storefronts did. The new address is 2435 Kaanapali Parkway, Suite H14, across from Maui Escape Rooms on the side toward the beach walk.
The price sheet, read from a 96761 ID
The rates show who the ride was built for. The Maui presale lists five ticket types and three discounts.
| Ticket | Regular price | Hawaiʻi ID, 20% off | 96761 ID, 50% off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single Flight, one film | $44.99 | about $36 | about $22.50 |
| Double Feature, two films | $59.99 | about $48 | Not eligible |
| Family Single, four guests | $159.99 | about $128 | Not eligible |
| Family Double, four guests, two films each | $219.99 | about $176 | Not eligible |
| Wildlife Guardian VIP | $89.99 | about $72 | Not eligible |
Ticket prices come from the operator. The discounted figures are rounded math on those prices. Veterans, active-duty military, out-of-state first responders and out-of-state seniors get 15% off every ticket.
Five rules in the fine print apply to every booking.
- The 96761 rate covers the Single Flight only. The general kamaʻāina rate covers every ticket, including the family packages and the VIP.
- The rate isn't on the ticket cards. Book the regular ticket, then pick your discount from the dropdown at checkout.
- Kids ride on your ID. The eligible ID holder can buy discounted tickets for accompanying children under 16. Children 3 and under can attend free at a parent's discretion, and ages 4 and up need a ticket.
- Family packages check every adult. Each adult in the group needs an eligible ID, and eligibility is checked at purchase or at check-in.
- Cancel at least 24 hours ahead to get a full refund or credit. No-shows pay full price.
For a West Maui family, that works out to about $22.50 per film for the adult and the discounted kids' tickets that come with them. A visiting family pays $159.99 for four single flights.
Four films, and one asks more of you than the others
Every ticket includes a 12- to 15-minute preshow and an 8- to 12-minute flight. Motion seats move in sync with a curved 8K screen, along with wind, ocean mist and scent effects. The operator suggests planning 25 to 45 minutes. The Maui opening lineup:
- Naupaka. The Hawaiian legend of a princess who fell in love with a fisherman. Big Island Now reported it was completed in 2021.
- Lāhainā. The Maui site calls it a tribute to the town's people and its enduring spirit.
- Europe. An adventure inspired by King Kalākaua's travels. The Amusement Today announcement lists it as "Europe & the Arctic Northern Lights."
- Whale Song. A baby humpback travels between Hawaiʻi and Alaska. The whale footage was shot in Maui waters in partnership with NOAA.
The Lāhainā film is the one West Maui households will want to read up on before booking. When it played in Kona, Big Island Now reported that it covered the 2023 fires and the rebuilding afterward. Shaw told the outlet, "It's a little more graphic. We play some very real footage and talk about the history of Lahaina and the love that came before and after." The Maui site's current description is shorter, and it doesn't say whether the Whalers Village version is the same cut. The same 2025 report said some proceeds from Lahaina tickets would go to nonprofits supporting the town.
For anyone who has spent time on this coast, the aerial footage is familiar ground. Matty Schweitzer, a Maui-raised cinematographer and childhood friend of Shaw's, told Big Island Now he shot hundreds of hours across the island. Locations included Lahaina, the Olowalu reef, Honolua Bay, Hoʻokipa Beach Park and the big-wave break at Peʻahi.
The neighbor on Level 3 closes at 3 p.m.
The ride shares the third floor with the Hawaiʻi Wildlife Discovery Center, and the two are set up to work together. The Discovery Center is a 5,000-square-foot space with more than 30 exhibits on conservation, marine debris, the whaling era and Hawaiian cultural values, plus a Kids Zone. Admission is pay what you wish. It showcases the work of Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund and runs as a donation-based nonprofit.
Flight of Aloha's $89.99 Wildlife Guardian VIP ticket includes both films the ride pairs together, Naupaka and Whale Song. It also comes with four souvenir photos and a $20 donation that goes straight to the Discovery Center. The ride's FAQ says guests who visit the Discovery Center afterward may spend an hour or more.
The hours are what matter for planning. The ride runs 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. The Discovery Center is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, and its staff estimate 60 to 90 minutes for a visit. So if you want both, go in the morning. The Whale Song flight and the center's whaling-era exhibits make a natural morning pair. After 3 p.m., the ride is the only option on that floor.
Parking stays simple either way. Park in the Whalers Village structure and bring your ticket upstairs for up to two hours of validation. Because the ride is fully indoors and climate controlled, the operator also pitches it for rainy, hot or windy days.
What else is on the Kāʻanapali calendar that month
The Westin Maui's announced holiday calendar, reported by Maui Now, begins before the ride does:
- Nov. 17 through Dec. 31: Santa's Hideout takes over The Valley Alley with duckpin bowling, arcade games and virtual reality.
- Friday, Nov. 27: the lobby tree lighting, followed by an evening craft fair with Maui artisans on Hōkūpaʻa Lawn from 5 to 9 p.m.
- Dec. 27 and 28: the Kamehameha Schools Choir, then Maui Taiko.
- New Year's Eve: a fire-knife performance on Hōkūpaʻa Lawn at 7 p.m. and a midnight drone show.
Whalers Village hasn't posted its own December schedule yet. Its events page is the place to check for anything added before the ride opens. Presale for Dec. 1 and later dates is open now on the Flight of Aloha Maui site. For more on how the beach corridor fills up around the resort calendar, see our Kāʻanapali fall guide and the Kāʻanapali neighborhood page.
The ride puts Honolua Bay, Olowalu and Peʻahi on a curved screen for under an hour. If you'd like to see this stretch of coast from the ground, or from a lanai you're thinking about calling your own, Matt Talbot knows these waters from years as a marine captain and would be glad to show you around West Maui. Start your Maui search or reach out directly to plan a visit.
