Just Back from POLY/AKL Concierge...Any Questions???

[bryantslovedisney]

Just got back from 8 nites split between Poly and Akl, both concierge and Christmas at WDW...Would be willing to answer
any questions!! You guys helped me so much and would like to return the favor!

Jill

 

[#1hockeymom]

Hi Jill!

Glad you enjoyed your trip! My DS 1 and I are staying AKL concierge in just a few weeks! I have been to AKL for a quick trip, taking my mother in November. We had a standard savannah room and I would much prefer a savannah view room this trip, even if it means a VERY long walk to the lounge. Any tips/tricks/ important information about our first concierge stay would be appreciated! He doesn't know we're staying concierge yet, or that we have the sunrise safari reserved. He's not a picky eater, but eats ALL of the time, thus I am looking forward to him trying the concierge offerings as "mini snacks" before our meals elsewhere. What kind of services can I expect the concierge staff to be able to do? I have only stayed club level at the Swan, and used the concierge services for information/tickets in Europe. I have never used Disney concierge.

Thanks for any information you can help with!
Debbie

 

[bryantslovedisney]

Hi Debbie,
We stayed in room 5313 facing the savannah, and even though
it was a 5 minute hike to the concierge lounge, we loved the room! We had good views of Zebras, bongos and many other
animals that I don't remember...the giraffes were harder to see
because of the treetops. But the view of the sunrise was unbelievable every morning...I felt like I was in Africa!
The concierge has wonderful food! Breakfast was delicious with
pastries,yogurt and oatmeal. 3 different kinds of juices and
coffee. Mid day food consisted of juices and snack food(nuts,
goldfish,pepitas,trail mix,gummy bears, tortilla chips, cheese)
Then they had afternoon tea with scones, different teas and
pastries. Dinner was terrific with something different every
nite. The 2 nites we ate salmon skewers(rolled in nuts),chicken
skewers, meatballs, pastas, salads...more interesting African
dishes that i wasn't sure what they were, but were very
yummy! Then desserts and cordials from 8-10pm...I must have
put on 5 lbs!! Anyway, the bad thing is that we will probably
never stay anywhere but concierge from now on, we've been
spoiled! You could easily skip eating dinner out, there was a
full meal there! Oh yeah, did I mention the African wines they
served at dinner? By the way, the sunrise safari was worth
every penny! The animals and the breakfast was awesome!

Jill

 

[WebmasterKathy]

Oh, I'm so glad you posted this!

We're staying AKL/Poly (concierge) in March. Just following in your footsteps!

I've never split a stay between two resorts. I'm curious about how smoothly the transfer between the two went... Did you just pack up your bags on checkout day, run out to play, then return to your new resort in the afternoon?

Also, we've stayed Poly concierge before, so know what to expect there. Was AKL concierge similar?

And (finally!) I've also booked the Sunrise Safari. I'm so looking forward to this! I think DS10 will love this almost as much as mom will. I'm glad you felt it was worth every penny. Do you want to tell us about it??

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

Kathy TX,

We did both AKL/Poly Concierge Dec. 5-13. We enjoyed them both very much. IMHO the AKL Concierge is incredible. The food, service and lounge were worth every penny to me. I am a frugal person by nature. But we did have AP rates for our stay.

We were moving over to the Poly the day of the Sunrise Safari. We had Bell Services take our bags around 6:30am. After the Safari my family stayed at AK and I went back to the AKL to check out by 11:00. I put the rest of our belongings in our van. I then met back up with my family at the AK. We stayed there most of the day because the Christmas Parade was being filmed at the MK. We got to the Poly around 3:00. We checked into our room. Our luggage arrived from the AKL around 4:00. It went smoother than I had expected.


Lori

 

[DeeCee]

I agree with you about AKL concierge. I love it! We've done the Sunrise Safari twice and can't wait to do it again!

Could you please describe some of the food offerings at the Polynesian concierge? Thanks.

 

[#1hockeymom]

Thanks for all of the great information! Now I am even more excited than ever!

Debbie

 

[bryantslovedisney]

KathyTX and Debbie,

You are going to love your choice of resorts!! We were so
glad that we split our stay, because the two(POLY and AKL)
are so different! It was pretty cold at Poly, so we didn't get to
enjoy the beach very much..Boo Hoo! But we really enjoyed
the location of our room 1504, first floor facing castle! I would
not recommend the second floor, because there wasn't a
balcony. We liked to sit out on the porch every morning and
drink coffee.Plus the ducks would come up every morning
to see us!

Anyway, the Poly Concierge had good food as well, the
breakfast and afternoon was about the same as the AKL
except with more of a Hawaiin twang. The dinner wasn't
as varied as the AKL,usually skewered chicken or beef
with veggies and fruit. We loved the carmel sauce for the fruit
Yummy! Also the lounge was alot smaller it seemed at
the Poly, but what a View! Perfect Location to watch fireworks!

We called luggage and had them load our luggage to AKL.
We had a rental car, but we had so much luggage(for 5 people)
that it was alot easier for them to do it. Since Poly is so
convenient to MK and TTC, we went to the parks and then
came back to the Poly where our car was parked. So
Much easier!! Anyway, we went to the AKL at about 5:00 and
our bags were already there. Be Sure to tell the Valets at
the front that you are concierge and you seem to get better
service. Speaking of which, valet service is NOT free for
Concierge, kind of a bummer, I guess i expected that service.

I liked concierge at AKL at little better because of the service
we recieved. Poly Concierge didn't seem to know any of my
questions??? AKL Concierge staff is in the lounge from 7am-10pm and was very helpful! You will absolutely love the safari!!!

Oh yeah, I stirred my coffee next to Robby Benson on the day of the Safari. He wasn't going on the safari, just staying in concierge. I thought that was pretty cool, since I just saw him
narrate at the Candlelight Processional the nite before!
You will absolutely have a BLAST!!!

Jill

 

[mapletree]

Jill,

We also returned from a stay in #5313 at the AKL! This is a bunkbed room right? It was quite a hike to the lounge but we found it to be nice & quiet. What dates were you there? We checked out on Saturday, Dec 20. The bellman took about 10 min to pick up our luggage to transfer to the Poly. Did you get the goodbye water bottles in a bag from the concierge? Was the latte machine still broken during your stay? Did you meet some nice concierge staff? We missed Robbie Benson in the lounge. Last summer Eddie Murphy was staying in a Royal suite during our stay. We enjoyed our stay and will stay here again.

The Poly was good for easy access to MK. Many nights we would go to MK without bags ( no security checkin), do a few rides & get back to our room for Wishes & the EWP. Did you enjoy the Xmas refreshments in the lobby each evening?

Thanks for sharing.

 

[czy4WDW]

Hi Jill:

We're set to be in Poly Concierge in May. Which is the best room to request? It will the first time for my DDs 6 & 4 and my DH. How was the Luau? Have you ever put the kids in the NeverLand Club? My DH & I want to go to eat dinner one night by ourselves (image that )

Oh, one other thing, I've called the Concierge planning for some reservations, are they pretty prompt in getting back in touch with you?

Thanks for any and all information. I can't wait for MAY.

Hedily

 

[litlpixie]

Sounds like such a great vacation!! We are booked for Poly concierge in August, but now that I've heard all the wonderful things said about AKL, I hope I didn't make the wrong decision. I do have a question about the Poly though. Did you have a fridge in your room? I've heard conflicting reports whether they have them already in the concierge rooms or not. Also, How far in advance before my trip does the concierge contact you, or do they at all?

 

[WebmasterKathy]

Litlpixie-

Refrigerators are not standard in the concierge rooms. You can request one. There is a small charge, I think around $10 /night. (?)

Occasionally someone will find that they get a free fridge, but this seems to happen when the previous occupants requested it and maintenance/housekeeping didn't remove it between guests.

 

[#1hockeymom]

I just wanted to thank everyone on this thread, especially Jill, for all of the very useful information! I do have a few more questions.

Unless I can get my CBR reservations changed to AKL I will be checking into AKL concierge very early on Saturday so that we are there in time for the sunrise safari (already booked!) Any guess on how long the taxi ride should be between the resorts? Will DS be able to grab a quick bite to eat in the concierge lounge while I am checking us in before we go on the safari or should I make sure we have some breakfast items in our room at CBR for an early morning breakfast?

Thanks again for all the great information!
Debbie

 

[BCV23]

Actually, all the concierge rooms at the Polynesian come with little refrigerators. They are very small...even smaller than the ones generally available in the resorts.. and fit in the armoire. Perhaps 1x1.

We were at Polynesian concierge in November and experienced varied appetizers...skewers one night, pulled pork another, chicken caesar salad, etc.. Enjoy!

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

We enjoyed the luau because it reminded us of our honeymoon. My DD7 wore her Lilo costume from Halloween. It was raining that night and the dancers hurried through their performance. I didn't blame them.

My DD7 and DS9 went to the Neverland Club. They didn't want to leave when we came to pick them up for the evening. The staff will give you a pager and will ask where you are going for the evening. I was amazed when the mother in front of me gave the staff an insulin filled syringe for them to administer to her son. I knew my 2 children would be well cared for.

You can watch Wishes from the Poly Lounge. Look for the little green light at the castle. That is Tinkerbell making her flight. I couldn't believe that you could see her at the Polynesian.

Our room also had a small refrigerator in the armoire.

There is plenty of food in the AKL lounge before the Sunrise Safari. Don't eat too much because the food at the Tusker House is delicious. You will want enough food to tide your daughter over before breakfast. Be sure to use the cappucino machine in the AKL lounge. Don showed me how to use it. My husband and I were hooked. I love that coffee machine. We were there Dec. 5-6. Maybe we broke it from over use! We got goodbye water bottles. Bell Services asked if we wanted them and I almost said no. I'm glad we took them to the Poly because the water in the room's faucet tasted strongly of sulfer. My children are sensitive to sulfer so we needed bottled water when brushing teeth.


Lori

 

[mapletree]

Lori,

I also got hooked on the coffee machine during our August trip. Don showed me how to use it too. He is such a nice person. We did not receive water bottles on check out this time. I was told earlier in the trip that WDW concierges no longer offer individual water bottles, so I did not expect the goodbye water bottles on checkout. I guess we should have asked as the water at the Poly is unpleasant.

There is food in the lounge prior to the Sunrise Safari but we have never used it. I always carry granola bars (non-perishable snack)in case. It is very crowded in the lounge on Sunrise Safari mornings as they require each person to check in at the concierge desk for name tags prior to meeting the guides. The staff make a point of telling you that there is NO restroom stop for about 1.5 hrs. There is always fruit available when the lounge is open. With the expense of the safari, I do not risk spoiling the safari adventure by an unexpected call of nature. This would be so embarassing for the kids & distracting for the parents if the child was in such dire need. Save yourselves for the wonderful breakfast at Tusker House!

Our experience with refridgerators seems to change. At AKL, in Aug2003 they were available on request, the room was charged $10 daily & these charges were automatically removed at the end of our trip. The Dec2003 trip, our room already had one in without request or charges. At the Poly there was already a fridge in the armoire.

Hope that helps.

 

[#1hockeymom]

My reservations have been changed! No more early morning trip from CBR to AKL at 5am! A great CM came through with the AP rate on my two missing days! I can't wait till DS's face lights up when we pull in front of the lodge our first morning!

Good information on the fridge. I will let you know our experience with a fridge in the room when we return. If all else fails, between a ten year old boy and turn down service, I am betting the ice bucket stays cold for our few pops!

Debbie

 

[nasmith]

Hi- We just returned from a split stay at both the Poly and AKL (both concierge) for 10 days (Back 12/29)- Our Sunrise safari was at 6am because DAK was opening at 8am for the holidays---(Outstanding!) and although they had coffee and juice, they did not have any food available yet......SO- if you are going during a busy season, and the safari is earlier than the lounge normally opens, then I wouldn't plan on food being available (maybe grab an extra cereal box the day before)??

I have to agree that the service at AKL was Amazing compared to Poly (and we tipped them accordingly) (I'm going to post separately about that since it seems to come up frequently on the boards) - but that it wasn't the Poly's fault- they were very crowded and it seemed that the folks staying there were a little more concerned about getting "their money's worth" of food from the lounge (lining up halfway around the room at 4:45 pm )(I think I'll post separately about that too) so the concierge hosts were very busy! However, the Poly is quite convenient to the MK and Epcot too!!

It was an amazing trip!!! Highlights included Neverland CLub (My newly-turned 4 year old didn't want to leave and nagged us to go back every night); Chef's table at Vic and Als (we actually got 4 appetizers,2 entrees, plus a "dessert" appetizer (swear!) and the usual stuff too)); Fireworks cruise on Christmas Eve; Hoop De Doo (first time for us- and my son laughed the entire time!); Candlelight processional (Gary Sinise). We also ate at Jiko, Boma, Le Cellier, San Angel Inn, Biergarten, Trail's end (worth the trip over to Fort Wilderness), 50's prime time, and Cinderella's table. I think I gained 10 lbs!!! Wonderful trip!! Jill (another Jill)

 

[bryantslovedisney]

I'm so glad I could be of some help, if even it was to get other
people to write in!

I wanted to respond to people who asked me specific questions...

Mapletree: I must have just checked in your room(5313)
after you on the 20th! Yes it was a bunkbed room! Is that
Hilarious??? What a small world! We didn't get water bottles,
but the concierge person(Tanya) did send me an African
Music CD earlier in the week with a list of other CD's available!
I couldn't believe she did that! I had just asked her what music
played at the lodge and she did some checking...next thing I
know she sends a cute bag with the CD to our room!
The Latte machine was fixed on Monday, so we buzzed for
only 2 days!!

Hedily: Tikiman just posted 1st floor views for every room
on the first floor on this forum labeled POLY Room Requests.
It's awesome...however I don't agree that my room (1504)
had a blocked view, but maybe 1505 is just so much better!
I really like the 1st floor, for the quick access to beach!

HockeyMom: You are going to love AKL and the safari!
My kids went to the lounge early, so that they could get
a snack before the safari! There wasn't much food at 6: 30
but at 7:00 when it regularly opened they brought out the
pastries and such. We don't usually eat much of that because
I don't feel good later...and I'm glad we waited because the
breakfast at Tuskers was to die for!! You'll have a blast!

crzy4WDW: We never put our kids on Neverland, but they were
much older(8,12,14) so we got to go eat Breakfast at Grand
Floridian without them one morning! I had called concierge
to make some arrangements and you're right they do call back
promptly! Also , just a tip, I asked for extra robes for the kids
(they didn't have them there when we arrived, but I asked again)
so they felt very special too! They are great for trips to the pool!
Just don't leave them or they'll charge you for them!

Have a great time!!!

Jill(the first Jill)LOL

 

[mapletree]

To the first Jill,

We also received a CD, but not a list of other available CDs. Can you comment on the other titles and where to purchase? We received Jabula.

How did you find housekeeping? I don't know if the room was vacuumed prior to our stay, as I found a MVMCP wristband and some crumbs next to the armoire by the connecting door. Also one of the chairs was stained.

We found the gate access handier from this room than waiting for the elevator. I hope you had a few extra lattes for me!

Which resort did your kids prefer?

Happy New Year to all!