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

[SeaSpray]

December 2007 Polynesian review.

Longhouse we stayed in: Hawaii.

Thanks for the review, I just added it to the Longehouse Review Index in Post #1

 

[lustergirl]

Great thread and thanks so much!! My next "planned" trip isn't until November 2009 and we are splurging and staying at the Poly- Magic Kingdom View. I can't wait.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Thanks for the review, I just added it to the Longehouse Review Index in Post #1

 

[iloverags2]

We stayed in the Samoa longhouse during our first visit to the Polynesian in September 2007, and loved it! It's a great location in that it is just a short distance from the Great Ceremonial House, and a few more steps to the beach. Samoa is located smack dab in between the Nanea Volcano Pool and the quiet pool (our room overlooked the quiet pool). What makes the walk to Samoa so wonderful is once outside the GCH, you have to cross the bridge over the stream. So cute and peaceful! We had a second floor room, so no balcony, but that really did not bother us in the slightest!

 

[iloverags2]

We stayed in the Fiji longhouse during our second Polynesian visit in December 2007. Loved this location! If you exit out of the Great Ceremonial House after walking past Captain Cook's, you will be exiting near the marina. Fiji is just a short walk from here, on the opposite side of the marina. This location is great as it seems a bit quiet over here! We had a first floor room, and honestly I think this was my favorite location to be in that sense. Our patio overlooked the marina, but was separated just enough from the walkway that we didn't feel intruded upon by passersby (not that there were many!). It was a really relaxing place to just hang out and visit!

 

[iloverags2]

We stayed in Rarotonga during our most recent stay at Polynesian in February 2008. What an excellent location! Seriously like six steps (ok, maybe a few more!) from the Great Ceremonial House! You just could not get any closer than this, and we loved the pathway leading directly to the parking lot also just outside of the longhouse. This was convenient for making a quick run to/from the car. We had a second floor room, so no balcony. Balcony isn't important to us, but I could see how one might want one here. Our room overlooked the monorail...how cool is that!?! Loved this location also. I think we'll continue to not make any longhouse requests and just see where we end up. Seems we have loved all locations so far!

 

[SeaSpray]

iloverags2: Thanks for the reviews of Samoa and Fiji, I've added them to the Longhouse review index
And Rarotonga! lol

 

[SeaSpray]

Hi,
We arrive on 3/2 for a week's stay. It's a surprise for our daughter who will be turning 5 on the 3rd. Does anyone know if I contact the front desk if they can have balloons sent to the room on the 3rd for her birthday? We've done Disney a lot but never for a special occassion so I'm unsure of what is available.
Thanks!

I'm not sure if the front desk can arrange anything for you (it never hurts to ask though!) but I know that if you want to order something, you can do it in advance through the Disney Florist. hey things you can order for virtually any occasion. Here's a link to their web site: http://www.disneyflorist.com/
I hope you have a great trip!

 

[disneydreamin247]

this thread has been so helpful! i am planning my first stay IN wdw with ds4 in november. i have been many times, but always stayed outside disney. i had decided to do the poly because i will be traveling alone which has me kind of nervous to begin with, as my ds has an asd. it seemed to be more convenient with the monorail and the pools. and when he goes to bed i can relax on the balcony and watch the electric water pageant. we both enjoyed looking at the photos, but right now i think i am more excited than him!

 

[jndmommy]

Hi,
We arrive on 3/2 for a week's stay. It's a surprise for our daughter who will be turning 5 on the 3rd. Does anyone know if I contact the front desk if they can have balloons sent to the room on the 3rd for her birthday? We've done Disney a lot but never for a special occassion so I'm unsure of what is available.
Thanks!

Every summer for the past 4 years we have gone around our dd's b'day. If you tell the front desk about her birthday they will send a couple of balloons. They also usually ask the name of a character she likes. They have sent her a 5X7 of that character and it'll say Happy Birthday to _____ on it. My dd always gets a real kick out of it. Enjoy your time there and Happy 5th Birthday to your little princess.

 

[MsStinkerBelle]

i had decided to do the poly because i will be traveling alone which has me kind of nervous to begin with, as my ds has an asd. it seemed to be more convenient with the monorail and the pools. and when he goes to bed i can relax on the balcony and watch the electric water pageant. we both enjoyed looking at the photos, but right now i think i am more excited than him!

Congrats on choosing the Poly!

My DD8 has an ASD and I chose the Polynesian for our first on-site stay in December of '06. Like you, I was travelling alone with just my DD and it was the most relaxing time we've ever had on vacation! The monorail (and there is also a boat to the MK) was indispensible for us when she got too tired and overstimulated. Having three restaurants (Captain Cooks is open 24 hours) and two pools really helped me out.

Trust me, I was more excited about the Poly than my DD the first time we stayed. LOL!

 

[minnie my my]

SeaSpray,
Thank you for posting those pictures. I am having Polynesian withdrawal right now and I just there in December. I think it's time to go back. I love that view. That is why we always book LV concierge when it is available.

Myra

 

[minnie my my]

Hi,
We arrive on 3/2 for a week's stay. It's a surprise for our daughter who will be turning 5 on the 3rd. Does anyone know if I contact the front desk if they can have balloons sent to the room on the 3rd for her birthday? We've done Disney a lot but never for a special occassion so I'm unsure of what is available.
Thanks!

I also wanted to add that you can call in-room dining and ask for something special like a cake or cookies to be sent to the room. We do this a lot before our trips. Just call the Polynesian directly at 407-824-2000 and ask for in room dining. They are good about giving suggestions. I wanted a special cake when we there in December that the person taking the order was unsure of. She got my number and had the pastry chef call me back so I could talk with him to get exactly what I wanted. They are great there.

Myra

 

[minnie my my]

Thanks Minnie, sounds great- haven't booked yet, Thinking of Club, but really trying to keep costs down and don't know if we will really be taking advantage of it enough to make it worth while. Thinking of Garden view - hope I don't get a view of parking lot, although it really doesn't make much of a diff. since we are really rarely in the room. Activities sound great, I would love to see my GS HULA! That would be a video event. Also booked the Character BF at Ohana's, do they also do a dinner? I can't wait to see the water parade, we have seen it from the GF (when we stayed there), GS will also get a charge out of that. Maybe we'll see you there! Thanks for the info. Anything else (hints, tips, etc) you want to share is appreciated. Thanks!

Your welcome. My sister has stayed in a gv room before and said she enjoyed it just as much as the concierge room. I know you will have a great time no matter which category you book. Watching the children hula is a lot of fun and great photo opps. Maybe we will see you there. I have met several people at Disney from these boards. Let me know when your going. We are there every couple of months so it's definitely a possibility that our stays could overlap.

Myra

 

[roe]

subscribing

 

[BreezysMom]

We planned for over a year for our Disney trip this past October. We originally planned on staying at CBR but after much research and browsing the DIS, I talked my husband into upgrading to the Poly. DH and I had never been to Disney ever. So this was a once in a lifetime trip.

Upon arrival via ME, which is a great service. We headed to the check in desk. We were able to walk right up to a CM and get checked in. Our only issue was that DD decided to vomit all over my shoes during this process which came as a total surprise to us! But that is a whole other story! (after 24 hours, she was 100%). It took a awhile to get our bags delivered to our room that evening, but I came prepared with my carry ons! Not a big deal at all.

I did not put in a room request other than we wanted a 3rd floor room. I decided to let the Tiki Gods decide our fate since we had never been to Disney. We were put in Figi in a room facing the GF. It was incredible to say the least! I felt so blessed. We arrived on a Sat evening and the Luau had been canceled due to rain. The Luau is dark on Sun and Monday, so the first three nights of our stay it was quiet and deserted by our longhouse.

Due to DD brief illness, the first night we sat on the beach all alone and watch the water parade and Halloween wishes (there was a MNSSHP at MK that night). We were in awe. We felt like we were in paradise. We watched fireworks from the beach a few times during our stay! This is one of the most magical parts of staying at the Poly!

Once the Luau started up again Tuesday, and we were not too bothered by the people, but DH and I like to people watch anyway. So as far as our room, all three of us gave it a big . Mousekeeping was great and we did get the ever popular towel animals! We felt it was more than enough room for our little family.

The transportation to MK and Epcot was first class! Between the boat and the Monorail, we enjoyed each trip back and forth to the parks. We did not use busses at all so I cannot comment on them. (again due to illness, we stuck to MK and Epcot, but all the more reason to go back to see AK and DHS later) We got to ride in front on the Monorail on two seperate occasions which DD really enjoyed.

We ate dinner at Kona and it was excellent! My favorite meal the entire trip hands down! Our last day we had breakfast at O'Hana's. We waited a little to get seated but it was a great meal! We loved Stitch and of course Lilo and Mickey! We did eat at Captain Cooks a few times and after you figured out the touch screens and the "flow", it was not too bad. One thing that we did, is I would walk and get breakfast for us (they had to go containers) while dd and dh got ready to go the the parks (I am a very early riser) and then we would eat in the room and enjoy our coffee as we prepared for our day. This plan worked very well for us!

We loved the lobby! We figured out the flow of the lobby very quickly too! Especially at prime dinner time and before the Luau when people are checking in. But dd loved the coloring table and the classic cartoons and I have to say, we spent a great deal of time in that lobby chilling out at the end of our day. Dh and I talked and met other guests while dd colored and interacted with other kiddos which is nice because she is an only child!

The pool was great! We spent some time there every day! Sometimes twice a day. We bought a little bucket and shovel in the gift shop and dd loved playing on the beach while we relaxed! DD did not quite get up enough nerve to try the slide but dh and I used it plenty We did try the surrey bikes which was a nice little tour around the Poly.

As you can tell, we spent a lot of time at the resort. We really wanted/needed a vacation, so we were not park commandos. We saw every bit of Epcot and MK and did lots of character meals and that was perfect for us. We are heading back in December for the holiday decorations! A whole new experience, but with a little more knowledge plus two more days to enjoy!

I honestly can't find one thing to complain about at the Poly. Yes, the lobby gets crowded, yes Captain Cooks get crowded and is a little goofy in its layout, but hey, I am on vacation, I am not going to sweat the small stuff, we just rolled with the flow. We were saying Aloha for months after our return home!

We will stay at Poly again in December and look forward to going back to paradise. We even enjoyed the Poly so much that dd named her new puppy Poly! We could not argue with her choice!

If you are planning on a trip to the Poly! Enjoy! You will love it!

 

[BCV23]

Hawaii

Our first stay here was way back in 1983 when it wasn't club level. Great location with the pools, beach and dock all so close. I think we have about 10 stays here over the years. Love it. To me, lagoonview is the way to go if at all possible but we also have had several stays in gardenview concierge. The views are lovely in those rooms too and the lounge of course has a drop dead view of the castle for all to enjoy.

 

[BCV23]

Samoa enjoys a great location too. A bit closer to the GCH than Hawaii, it is just as close to the dock and pools. I think we've stayed here around 8 times and on both sides. Love them both. The Volcano pool side has great views of the pool and even the GF from some rooms. The quiet pool side has lovely views of the great privacy landscaping around that pool. It is the more peaceful side and the patios have afternoon shade if you enjoy sitting out in the afternoon.

 

[BCV23]

I'm guestimating we've stayed in this longhouse about 12 times and always in an accessible room. The rooms in Rapa Nui, Tahiti and Tokelau are quite a bit more spacious than the original longhouses but also a bit farther away from the GCH so it's a tradeoff.

There is a small parking lot right outside this longhouse with a drive right up to the entrance which makes it very convenient for loading passengers and luggage. We've also had cabs pick up or drop off family members right in front of Rapa Nui.

One side of this longhouse faces the triangular and huge courtyard formed by Tahiti, Rapa Nui and Tokelau. The landscaping is just beautiful and the buildings are quite far apart so you get a sense of privacy.

The other side of Rapa Nui faces the parking lot. We've never been on that side but it wouldn't be my first choice. However, you would be able to see the monorail go by at a bit of a distance which could be fun for kids.

Rapa Nui is the closest of all to the TTC making it a very shirt walk to hop the Epcot monorail or the large ferry to the MK.

 

[BCV23]

We've had exactly one night in this longhouse. I booked our flights incorrectly and by the time I realized it, we couldn't get into Hawaii for our first night so we booked gardenview for my DS2 and me.

We were on the second floor of Raratonga. The rooms on this floor have sliding glass doors and a railing but no balconies. Our room faced the parking lot but due to the incredible landscaping, it wasn't noticeable other than the far off lights at night. Instead the view was of the monorail swishing by quite close and lovely tropical landscaping. I was very pleasantly surprised.

This building is the closest of all to the GCH (well, Tonga ties but is all suites). It is also closest to the bus stop, laundry and convenient to both pools. For anyone who needs to minimize walking, it is a great choice as is Niue.