The *NEW* Polynesian Resort FAQ thread - *2008*

[disneydreamin247]

From what I've read on other threads, connecting means attached by the inside door and adjoining means across the hall or nearby. I would imagine it wouldn't be a problem for them to give you adjoining rooms. Your room would be on the side of the building that faces MK or a loagoon and your friends would be on the other side. You could for sure request it or at least request to be in the same building.

good to know!

 

[MagicalEars]

And gotta agree again, 100% Kona coffee is much better than Kona blend. My sisters and I drained a pressed pot of this stuff so fast, our waiter told us, "I've never seen a pot go that fast before!" LOL

Let's see if I can break your record. Do you think they'd mind if I just ripped the top off the press and chugged it?

 

[disneydreamin247]

Let's see if I can break your record. Do you think they'd mind if I just ripped the top off the press and chugged it?

I'm sure that would earn you a photo on the wall!

 

[packerbeth]

I can't find my Special Needs Passporter at the moment, but I seem to remember that we would not be allowed to take my son in his wheelchair onto the boat from the Poly. (He can ride the ferry from TTC, however.) It had something to do with the water levels. Does anyone have any experience with this?

As far as transportation options go, I'm hoping to get a longhouse closer to TTC than GCH, so if we do get it, will the best bet be taking the express monorail and walking to our room?

 

[MagicalEars]

I'm sure that would earn you a photo on the wall!

You have no idea how addicted to coffee I am. I plan on picking up several large Disney mugs while we're there on vacation. Not so I can have one for each day, nope, so I can just line them up on my desk and drink one after the other.

 

[Briggidge2]

Let's see if I can break your record. Do you think they'd mind if I just ripped the top off the press and chugged it?

LOL! If my DH had his way, he'd do the same thing. (take the top off the press and chug) When I told him they had 100% Kona Coffee there, he got all excited and said there was no where else he'd want to stay but the Poly. (he's deployed right now and I'm making all the travel arrangements) I agree that the 100% is way better than the blend.

 

[torian]

You have no idea how addicted to coffee I am. I plan on picking up several large Disney mugs while we're there on vacation. Not so I can have one for each day, nope, so I can just line them up on my desk and drink one after the other.

Ron,

this reminds me of what my H and I do when we go to weddings and such.

my H does not drink coffee and I'm ADDICTED. So by the time the coffee rolls out, I'm DYING. So in order to get a quick fix, he nods his head when the coffee is offered and he just lines it up next to mine. Those little cups they use are downed in seconds, but at least they hold me over until a sweet table is opened- I make a bee line to the coffee

My h wants the Poly because of the atmosphere...I want it because of the coffee!!!

 

[SeaSpray]

I can't find my Special Needs Passporter at the moment, but I seem to remember that we would not be allowed to take my son in his wheelchair onto the boat from the Poly. (He can ride the ferry from TTC, however.) It had something to do with the water levels. Does anyone have any experience with this?

As far as transportation options go, I'm hoping to get a longhouse closer to TTC than GCH, so if we do get it, will the best bet be taking the express monorail and walking to our room?

Unfortunately it's true that you can't take a wheelchair onto the resort launch at the Polynesian. I use an ECV while at WDW and I have to "drive" from our longhouse to the ground floor of the GCH, then take the elevator up to the second floor, then I can "drive" out to the monorail. I love the monorail, but since we've always stayed in the Hawaii building which is closer to the marina than it is to the GCH, it's a little more out of our way than the boat would be.

If you get a room closer to TTC than to the GCH then you can hop on either monorail (express or resort), to get to the MK. And then yes, you'd have to walk to your longhouse from the TTC. At least you'd be close to the MK monorail AND the Epcot monorail though.

 

[SeaSpray]

My h wants the Poly because of the atmosphere...I want it because of the coffee!!!

The Polynesian resort is many things, to many people!

 

[BCV23]

I can't find my Special Needs Passporter at the moment, but I seem to remember that we would not be allowed to take my son in his wheelchair onto the boat from the Poly. (He can ride the ferry from TTC, however.) It had something to do with the water levels. Does anyone have any experience with this?

As far as transportation options go, I'm hoping to get a longhouse closer to TTC than GCH, so if we do get it, will the best bet be taking the express monorail and walking to our room?

The problem with wheelchairs and launches is that the boats are small and you must step down into them...a good 10 inches or so. If your wheelchair folds and your son can be carried or "walked" down into the launch, he could ride. We've done this with our daughter over the years as she loves the boat as much as the rest of us. But it's sooo much easier to take the monorail or the ferry that we do that almost always. The ferry is especially easy. We very rarely take the Express monorail because the resort one is not as busy.

They've recently added some accessible rooms throughout the resort. But for years there were a number of accessible rooms in Rapa Nui. If they've kept all those as accessible, that building might work very well for you. It is the closest to the TTC and has a convenient parking lot right there if you will have a car.

 

[disneydreamin247]

I have decided to sacrifice my 20% code and take a 10% AAA discount just to stay at the Poly. My heart is set on it, and I don't think I'll really be happy anywhere else. If/when AP rates come out, it will probably work out to be 20% or better anyway



Woohoo for the Poly!

 

[cmesq61]

Unfortunately it's true that you can't take a wheelchair onto the resort launch at the Polynesian. I use an ECV while at WDW and I have to "drive" from our longhouse to the ground floor of the GCH, then take the elevator up to the second floor, then I can "drive" out to the monorail. I love the monorail, but since we've always stayed in the Hawaii building which is closer to the marina than it is to the GCH, it's a little more out of our way than the boat would be.

If you get a room closer to TTC than to the GCH then you can hop on either monorail (express or resort), to get to the MK. And then yes, you'd have to walk to your longhouse from the TTC. At least you'd be close to the MK monorail AND the Epcot monorail though.

Thanks for the info, SeaSpray. I was wondering about water transportation and ECVs since I will be using one in September, staying at the Poly. I have read that not all busses are ECV accessible. In your experience about how long is the wait on average for an ECV-accessible bus?

This Poly thread is awesome!

 

[BCV23]

Thanks for the info, SeaSpray. I was wondering about water transportation and ECVs since I will be using one in September, staying at the Poly. I have read that not all busses are ECV accessible. In your experience about how long is the wait on average for an ECV-accessible bus?

This Poly thread is awesome!

All the buses are accessible. You'll be first to board and last off.

To the MK, the ferry is the easiest transportation for a wheelchair or ECV. But the monorail works fine too.

 

[MsStinkerBelle]

Let's see if I can break your record. Do you think they'd mind if I just ripped the top off the press and chugged it?

I hadn't thought of doing this one at all! The closest I came was thinking how to put that coffee into an IV in my arm...

 

[BCV23]

I hadn't thought of doing this one at all! The closest I came was thinking how to put that coffee into an IV in my arm...

 

[Mom2twinboys]

Subscribing to the thread! I've been lurking. This will be our first stay at the POLY we have stayed at CR and GF. My DH and let our 5 yo twin boys look at the resorts online and asked them where they wanted to stay the pool and tropical them really lured them in. DH and I have been wanting to stay here as well!! We have a GV room and I have put a room request for the first floor on the volcano side of the pool per the UG recommendation. Is this a GV room? Does anyone have any better suggestions for a room request? TIA

 

[BCV23]

That is gardenview. Just don't get disappointed if your room is somewhere else. All longhouses have advantages I think.

Happy planning!

 

[senecabeach]

I can help with these 2 questions I personally do not think that the H20 products at the Polynesian have a very strong and/or perfumey smell. They have a "clean" scent, but it's not very strong at all (in my humble opinion. lol).

It's funny you should ask about the Kona coffee in regards to comparing it with Kona coffee from other places! LOL After my co-worker brought back Kona coffee from Hawaii a few weeks ago, my manager found out how much I LOVE Kona coffee so she picked some up from a discount store and brought it in to surprise me. She brewed a pot of it, and I have to say, it wasn't too good. I mean, it wasn't even as good as a decent cup of regular brewed coffee, let alone Kona coffee from Hawaii or the Polynesian! So, even though you didn't like the Kona coffee from BJ's, you might want to still give the Polynesian's/Kona Cafe's Kona coffee a try. If you do, I hope you like it (and if you don't like it, don't come back and blame me! ).

P.S. As you know, Kona blend isn't the same as 100% Kona coffee. I've tried the Kona blend at the Kona Cafe and didn't like it, but I LOVE the 100% Kona press pot!

ITA !! Hey...MagicalEars.... fellow New Jersian..

Looking forward to trying out the Kona coffee in 42 days!!
Real 100% Kona coffee is just "wonderful".
Most all brands sold in stores are a "blend" and just so..so....if its NOT expensive, its NOT Kona.....
....BUT....
go to a real gourmet coffee shop and get yourself a pound.
I go to Delicious Orchards, Colts Neck and usually pick up a pound...
BTW...its $35. per lb.

 

[Matt'sMom]

Unfortunately it's true that you can't take a wheelchair onto the resort launch at the Polynesian.

Well, yes and no. Actually, unless they have changed their policies recently, the launches can take a standard wheelchair. But the person must be able to physically transfer (a step up/down) into the boat, and then the wheelchair is folded for loading.

The resort launches are not ECV accessible however. The issue is indeed with varying water levels. Since the level of the lake naturally fluctuates, they can not keep the smaller boats adequately aligned with the height of the dock--so there is no way to drive an ECV or power W/C directly onto the launch.

 

[BCV23]

Well, yes and no. Actually, unless they have changed their policies recently, the launches can take a standard wheelchair. But the person must be able to physically transfer (a step up/down) into the boat, and then the wheelchair is folded for loading.

The resort launches are not ECV accessible however. The issue is indeed with varying water levels. Since the level of the lake naturally fluctuates, they can not keep the smaller boats adequately aligned with the height of the dock--so there is no way to drive an ECV or power W/C directly onto the launch.

I had mentioned manually loading a wheelchair as well right after Terri talked about it. We've been doing it for years. We actually load our daughter's portable power chair....well, I should say my DH does. The battery weighs a ton. The chair does fold once the battery is removed.

But as I said, it has to do with the step down and the size of the boats. The aisles are small and there is no room to roll a chair or ECV and no room for a ramp down into the boat for that matter. They've solved the problem of water levels with floating docks.