but, for $600, you could stay in the little mermaid rooms at the Art or animation for longer than one night. they do have handicapped rooms, some on the 1st floor, and the Nemo pool is zero entry.
with a room only discount, you could stay a lot more nights at the Carribbean beach (heck, even without a discount). they have a zero entry pool. it is a Moderate resort. and quite lovely.
I didn't know about the Nemo pool at AoA being zero-entry. That's wonderful! I did some searching on the matter via Google and the disabilities FAQ, but all the information I could find stated that the only zero-entry pools were at the Deluxe resorts (and CBR). Guess because AoA is so new. Well, it's too late for my upcoming visit, but if I'm still able to make the trip next year I'll definitely be booking at Art of Animation.
In any case, this splurge isn't entirely about the pool. That's a large part of the reason, but my love affair with the Polynesian stretches back twenty years. As a teenager our family visited Disney and spent a week on the Concierge level at the Poly. I was too young to appreciate the experience, not to mention being only a year into my diagnosis and brokenhearted at my first-ever confinement to a chair in public. I re-visit it in my memories now (and through home movies, thank you Dad!) and savor every palm tree.
The Polynesian is my dream vacation. I know I'm building it up into more than the sum of its parts, sprinkling pixie dust to make the ordinary extraordinary, but the heart wants what it wants, y'know? Every year, we make a point of visiting just to walk around the resort and breathe the air that smells of tropical flowers and white sandy beaches, and to eat at our favorite restaurant Ohana.
I think I always had it in my head somehow that one of these years I'd splurge and we'd stay there for real; maybe during a summer that I'd be out of commission after major surgery, I'd skip the vacation that year and be able to save up twice as much so as to afford the Poly the next year. Or maybe my grandmother would help me with it, maybe she'd even come with us. Something, somehow, someday!
Last year, early in the year I was hospitalized for over a month and my insurance paid out a daily stipend; thanks to that and a bit of generosity (and guilt, I'd bet) my fantastic parents gave me the best birthday gift ever by announcing that this year, my annual Disney trip would be all expenses paid. That decision wasn't made until a few weeks prior to leaving for Orlando, so I'd already saved up the necessary funds over the prior twelve months, same as I do every year. So out of the blue, I had (mumble) in my checking account that wasn't earmarked for anything in particular. You can guess how fast my imagination leapt onto the monorail and exited, watching its step and staying clear of the doors, into the lobby of the Polynesian! This was it, this was the only chance I'd get.
It turns out I seriously, seriously underestimated how much it would cost to stay at the Polynesian even for just a week instead of my usual 10 days. I'd never actually priced it out until that moment... you don't put dollar amounts on a fantasy. I'd saved up the typical cost for my trip and my parents were willing to match it, paying this year's expenses, so I was ready to pay double the usual. But a week at the Poly cost more than double. More than triple, actually, even assuming the room-only discount I always use for my room at the Pop. It cost more for 5 days than I had or could borrow or hope to pay back.
Short of winning the lottery I won't be vacationing at the Polynesian in this lifetime, but I refuse to let my dream evaporate entirely. I think that two days of relaxation in the beautiful pools and one night dining at Ohana and retiring in luxury is still something worthy of dreaming for. The $600 hurts (it's $585 really), but that is what it costs, and dreaming won't help. I wish the spring room-only discount was still available (I booked my 10 days at the Pop using that savings, as I do every year) but it's gone and that's that. The bright side is I have some Disney Visa points to spend because I forgot to bring the reward card with me last year, and also I'd made plans to see Cirque du Soleil this year but the show isn't running during my stay so that's two tickets I don't have to buy.
It is a splurge, but what's life if you don't splurge once in every great while? If this is my last time visiting Disney, I sure want to squeeze every moment from it.
The answer is Yes...there are showers at the Pop's pool. I got this answer from a very reliable source. Just viewed photos of the Pop Century pool bathroom lockers too...so you will be all set!
The bridge takes you right by the Cars area! We did go to the Cars pool for a few hours one day. Decided to get the boys lunch at the AOA food court that day as well. Our POP RFID card work everywhere at AOA, even the Big Blue Pool. 
