ALOHA! The Poly FAQ: Fall 2010 Edition

[GGGhosts]

1st Poly Trip starting Jan. 31st! I love this thread and can't wait to go! Hope the weather is not too cool! Anyway...what's this about the rat-hole longhouse???

 

[maiapapaya]

Re: Rat-infested longhouses ...
to quote myself from a few pages back!

Sorry! It's an old joke here in the Poly thread. Several months ago some of us were trashing our favorite longhouses in jest in an attempt to deter others from requesting rooms in them (therefore leaving more availability for us). There are no rodents at the Poly (that I'm aware of ) unless the big guy in the jaunty red pants counts!

Maybe GuitarRob needs to post a warning in the introduction to the thread!

 

[BreezysMom]

BreezysMom - I think that we will be there the same time as you exactly... 4 months and 1 day for me too!!!

Talk about a long time between visits - I think that it will be 18 years for me (longer since the Poly)!! I am sooo excited and can't wait. Plus I am hoping that my husband likes it as much and wants to visit over and over again... just don't know if we will be able to afford the Poly over and over again

Whoo Hoo! Finally a fellow May planner. We are going 5/7 to 5/15! We have breakfast booked at the Castle for Mother's Day! I am so excited

We must make sure we plan to search each other out...I promise, I am not a crazy stalker Our first visit to Poly was in 2007 and we have gone back every year since..except 2010 but we are going twice this year to make up for that! We will have to chat

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I think we will be at the Poly right after you. I WILL have one "Dis-meet" while we are there. My dear Dis-friend, Jane & I overlap 2 days and are planning to meet.

As you can see by my ticker, I waited 17 years between my 2nd & 3rd stays at the Poly. I know, I know. How could I last that long? There were many things that got in the way: DDs each took 2 trips with the band in hs, (which Mom & Dad were nice & let them do on their own), my bout with breast cancer, 2 daughters in college with all the associated expenses and the list goes on. Two years ago we celebrated my 10 years as a bc survivor and DH's retirement by taking our DDs (now grown & on their own) and their boyfriends on a wonderful "adults only" trip to the Poly. This year's trip was postponed due to DD#2's surgery, so we are now planning another trip "home" to the Poly May 19th, grown daughters, boyfriends and all!
Visiting my Poly Dis-friends every day sure is helping us get prepared. DD#2 & I are e-mailing back & forth today tweaking plans, deciding what all we are going to eat, what we promise not to miss this time, what pictures to take... What a nice way to dream on a cold, snowy day, only THIS dream will soon come true!!

I think the planning is half the fun I hate it when life gets in the way of going to Disney. We had to post pone our trip this year due to "life". Sorry we will miss you!

BreezysMom - I think that we will miss the same time by our last day.
We are leaving May 7th. So if my math is right that will be the day you and Allie arrives.

That is a bummer. Let's hope for some nice weather and low crowds for both of us

Thanks for the picture of the rat-hole BreezysMom!

I just posted a bunch of pictures last week, so I'll refrain from adding more.

Here's my three favorite things I love about the Poly:
1. The feeling of being right in the heart of Disney ... the castle off in the distance, the CR & GF off to the sides, the boat horns & train whistles, the EWP, the fireworks ....

2. The monorail ... so easy to get back & forth to the MK with the kids.

3. My Poly pals too!

1st Poly Trip starting Jan. 31st! I love this thread and can't wait to go! Hope the weather is not too cool! Anyway...what's this about the rat-hole longhouse???

Disclaimer about rat-hole cooment....it is a joke about Tuvalu, to keep people from requesting it so the Tuvalu TPV loving peeps can get the place all to themselves All the Longhouses are rat free as far as I know

Wow, your trip is coming soon You have to come back and give us all the details Have you started packing? I'm thinking about getting my Poly box out but DH would commit me for sure

 

[Alli76]

Whoo Hoo! Finally a fellow May planner. We are going 5/7 to 5/15! We have breakfast booked at the Castle for Mother's Day! I am so excited

We must make sure we plan to search each other out...I promise, I am not a crazy stalker Our first visit to Poly was in 2007 and we have gone back every year since..except 2010 but we are going twice this year to make up for that! We will have to chat

:

We will only be there until the 13th... The thinking was that we will need the weekend at home to rest before going back to the real world on Monday. Plus with cost and it being my kids (5 &3) first time at WDW I didn't want to overload them - 6 nights was it! Of course I am already wishing it was longer. We are planning on spending time at the resort - so we'll have to work something out to meet!!

THis is going to be a long 4 months!!!

 

[PolyndianPrincessJes]

Ooooh!!! I like this top three theme...

1. The atmosphere!!! Everything from the music to the beach to the friendly "Aloha"s from all the CMs make me feel soooo relaxed!! We run ourselves a bit ragged at the parks, and it's wonderful to come home to our own little paradise.

2. We love being able to see the castle!! Even though we don't rush off to MK on our first days, seeing the castle solidifies that we're home.

3. The way it makes our family feel. We are always so grateful to have another trip to the Disney World. Despite the thousands of people in the parks or the seemingly endless wait at TSM, there are so many people that will never get to experience this. Not only do we get to be at Disney World, but we get to stay at a resort that so many WDWers dream of and may only ever get to visit. We're always in a positive mindset, and nothing brings us down for the entire trip. Must be the magic and pixie dust in the air.

 

[BreezysMom]

Aloha fellow Poly lovers!

Looks like we will finally get our poly trip after years of wanting to go! We are going down the second week in April (which seems when a lot of you are going!) for our daughters 3rd birthday.

Peak rates. But really, I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be right now.


We also booked CL with the 40 percent discount. The first time that's been available to do that for us!

We are currently waffling back and forth if we want to downgrade the room and do the Deluxe Dining Plan, or if we want to keep our CL and do the regular. The difference is little under 100 bucks.

While I have never done the deluxe dining plan...I have stayed twice standard GV with reg Dining plan and we still ate, and ate,and ate. We had snack credits and CS credits that we had to use up our last day.

Then we stayed CL and paid OOP for TS (2 signatures included) and counter service (usually lunches). DH or DD and I usually split burgers and sandwhiches anyway but for the three of us it was still like $25-30 for lunch. When paying OOP I was amazed at the prices and when we added things up in the end, it really was almost even with the signature meals if we would have paid for the dining plan. Keep in mind that DD was ordering off the adult menu because she was so sick of the kid menu food.

I think we even held back on food/snack "spending" while paying OOP in the parks too. DH and I decided that we really preferred the fact that the food is already "paid for" which is why we decided to go back to the dining plan. It is a psychological thing for sure. Disney is not dumb

Our upcoming trip we are staying CL and doing the reg Dining plan but doing two signature TS dining. We are not big fans of ADRs and the scheduled dining so we tend to wing it on TS meals so the CL CMs help with that.

We also like CL because we like to grab a lite breakfast in the lounge and get on our way to the parks. We like the convenience of lounge during the day and evening to grab a drink or snack and the extra space to chill out instead of being confined to our room. I love the location of Hawaii as well. That being said...I will only stay CL with a discount and never will pay rack rate and I have been fortunate enough to get 40% pin codes for both my stays this year and my previous stay. We also stay GV CL as well. While I know the LG/TPV view is fabulous, I just think the difference in price is too steep!

Good luck in deciding

 

[Alli76]

Aloha fellow Poly lovers!

Looks like we will finally get our poly trip after years of wanting to go! We are going down the second week in April (which seems when a lot of you are going!) for our daughters 3rd birthday.

Peak rates. But really, I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be right now.


We also booked CL with the 40 percent discount. The first time that's been available to do that for us!

We are currently waffling back and forth if we want to downgrade the room and do the Deluxe Dining Plan, or if we want to keep our CL and do the regular. The difference is little under 100 bucks.

Ok - I am a TOTAL novice at this discount/pin thing.... but my question is this... I am assuming the 40% was a room only discount that has been offered. I thought that you couldn't book dining plan with that... If you have dining plan it means package and you need package discount???? Can someone who knows what they are talking about help me out... I booked a room only discount for May - but would prabably save some $$ if I got the dining plan v OOP so I would love to know the answer.. Thanks!

 

[loganpaulsmom]

I just booked a split stay at that Poly.. YAYAYAYAYA! May 8th thru the 12th..

As for previous posters question.. they do the room only and then they add on dining.. I was told that in order to get the dining i had to add at least a 1 day park pass.. Oh.. and I got the 40% off pin too.. YAHOO..

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

OK....3 things I love about the Poly...

1- Atmosphere. Love strolling the paths dotted with tiki torches and tropical flowers/foliage. The smell of the wood burning at Ohana. The sounds of the water lapping onto the beach and. the train whistles and boat horns.

2. Views across the lagoon. Something about seeing the castle across the lagoon with the boats criss-crossing, the palm trees, and the monorail streaming along....all as I am sipping a Pina Colava with my honey reading magazines by my side watching our girls play in the sand on the beach

3. Love the rooms. Lots of storage all in the right places. Laid back decor that is very calming after a hectic park day. Sitting on the balcony people watching. Also--love the padded chair and ottoman for kicking back in the room. we aren't tripping over each other since the rooms are spacious.

Sorry...I NEED a #4...TONGA TOAST. nuff said.

 

[BreezysMom]

Ooooh!!! I like this top three theme...

1. The atmosphere!!! Everything from the music to the beach to the friendly "Aloha"s from all the CMs make me feel soooo relaxed!! We run ourselves a bit ragged at the parks, and it's wonderful to come home to our own little paradise.

2. We love being able to see the castle!! Even though we don't rush off to MK on our first days, seeing the castle solidifies that we're home.

3. The way it makes our family feel. We are always so grateful to have another trip to the Disney World. Despite the thousands of people in the parks or the seemingly endless wait at TSM, there are so many people that will never get to experience this. Not only do we get to be at Disney World, but we get to stay at a resort that so many WDWers dream of and may only ever get to visit. We're always in a positive mindset, and nothing brings us down for the entire trip. Must be the magic and pixie dust in the air.

I like your number 3

 

[OhdahLolly]

Ok - I am a TOTAL novice at this discount/pin thing.... but my question is this... I am assuming the 40% was a room only discount that has been offered. I thought that you couldn't book dining plan with that... If you have dining plan it means package and you need package discount???? Can someone who knows what they are talking about help me out... I booked a room only discount for May - but would prabably save some $$ if I got the dining plan v OOP so I would love to know the answer.. Thanks!

40 percent off pins can be added with a package, just 99 percent of them will not apply to the package. It will apply to the room only, but that wont ever stop you from being able to add tickets or the DDP.

It is my understanding that you are limited in what dining plans you can purchase with the pin. For instance you can not however go Premium or Platinum for a night (which would have been nice!). That in order to do that, you have to pay a rack rate for one night, plus the plan and I am guessing also plus another ticket.
You are not allowed to add either of these dining plans ontop of your pin. However, Regular and Deluxe are not a problem what so ever.

It really just depends on what your eating style is, and how much you might save. There is a website around here floating around of resturants and their prices. You can price out where you want to eat, what you might get to get a better idea if this works for you.

 

[sandym718]

Is there a March Poly thread anywhere? I can start one if there's not, anyone interested?

 

[rcsilverspring]

Have you started packing? I'm thinking about getting my Poly box out but DH would commit me for sure

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I had clothes bought for this year's trip (that we had to postpone) that I refuse to wear until I wear them at WDW!!!! (I just hope I still fit in them! ) It's been really hard not to start putting them into my suitcase already, so I completely understand!

 

[bethclayton]

After I arrived home from the Poly, I was dying to share my opinions, as I LOVED this resort. But, after logging on here, I felt as though my bubble was burst because 2 or 3 other people had also just returned and had lots of bad things to say about their trips. It took the wind out of my sails and I never did get around to posting much of what I wanted to say! So, I am glad to be able to name my top 3!

1. The beach, the beach, the beach. I could have spent an insane amount of time there had the weather cooperated. As it were, I spent every moment there as soon as the temps went above 65! The view is positively breathtaking (love the GF but Poly's view is unparalleled). Loved the hammocks, the ferry whistle, watching the boats and the wildlife. Loved just every stinking thing about it!

2. The themeing. I love the lush foliage and I always felt like we had privacy even outside in public.

3. The location cannot be beat, particularly for transportation options. Others have elaborated, so I will not re-state that.

Sorry, but I, too, need a #4.... Kona Island Sushi Bar! We would have eaten there every night if I weren't so cheap. We love sushi but are very picky about it. We live in a metro area with a zillion sushi choices, but I can honestly tell you that Kona Island Sushi Bar was the best sushi all four of us have ever had. I had very low expectations for it and was shocked!

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

After I arrived home from the Poly, I was dying to share my opinions, as I LOVED this resort. But, after logging on here, I felt as though my bubble was burst because 2 or 3 other people had also just returned and had lots of bad things to say about their trips. It took the wind out of my sails and I never did get around to posting much of what I wanted to say! So, I am glad to be able to name my top 3!

1. The beach, the beach, the beach. I could have spent an insane amount of time there had the weather cooperated. As it were, I spent every moment there as soon as the temps went above 65! The view is positively breathtaking (love the GF but Poly's view is unparalleled). Loved the hammocks, the ferry whistle, watching the boats and the wildlife. Loved just every stinking thing about it!

2. The themeing. I love the lush foliage and I always felt like we had privacy even outside in public.

3. The location cannot be beat, particularly for transportation options. Others have elaborated, so I will not re-state that.

Sorry, but I, too, need a #4.... Kona Island Sushi Bar! We would have eaten there every night if I weren't so cheap. We love sushi but are very picky about it. We live in a metro area with a zillion sushi choices, but I can honestly tell you that Kona Island Sushi Bar was the best sushi all four of us have ever had. I had very low expectations for it and was shocked!

Yes--I am glad this thread has turned back more positive. There is still alot of bashing on other threads but, oh well, less people to compete with my room reservations next trip. It's not all bad. teehee

I felt the same way about the sushi. SSSOOOoo tasty but pricey. I only ate there once as I couldn't justify the extra $$. I think the sushi bar is overlooked by many but it is quite the bees knees for CS. I took mine back to my room and ate it on the balcony while people watching and listening to the luau music. good times....

 

[mommylovespoly]

So.... when we last went to the Poly (June 2008) they were testing the sushi bar. And it was very good then, we were very very happy with it. We were on the DxDP at the time and we were able to eat either a roll or a set number of pieces of suchi/ sashimi as our Dining Plan app OR we could order a sushi meal for the dinner. This was ONLY at Kona, the sushi bar themselves did not take DDP. But the Kona servers could get you things from the menu as I described. This was a major highlight of the trip as our whole family absolutely loves sushi-- it is our go-to dinner out.

On that same trip there was a coffee bar in the same spot as the sushi place-- might have actually been the same physical location, with coffee in am and sushi in pm. They served espresso drinks. DH and I cannot agree on if it was on DDP. He remembers paying cash for lattes, I don't. It was super handy for grabbing a cup of good coffee before the catching the monorail, except that you weren't actually supposed to take it *on* the monorail. (They never cared if it was in my refillable mug tho!)

SO: any of this still true?

 

[caravarela]

We were at the Poly Nov 28-Dec 5. It was our first time on-site, right after spending 2 nights at CSR. We loved it! We requested Tahiti or Tokelau, but got Aotearoa. Loved being so close to the GCH, made snacks and refilling the mugs super easy. I had to do laundry a couple times though, and the trek back and forth with 4 persons worth of clothes was a bit much!

Our room was great, except that we had no balcony, and our view was just of another building. We didn't spend a ton of time in the room, so it wasn't a big deal. We never got "towel animals" but on our first day we had a towel Mickey head with leis, and every day my daughter's Disney dolls and plushes were arranged on each bed. We also got a card with a pic of the fab 5 and a Photopass discount card for our celebration.

Can't wait to go back!!

Here are some pics:

 

[kungaloosh22]

Here are some pics:

This picture is soooo cute!

All of them are, actually, but something about this one really captures my attention.

 

[Alli76]

Caravarela - thanks for the pics! I love them!

All my poly friends out there - thanks for the help on the pin code question yesterday. I called Disney last night and changed my room only reservation to a package with dining plan and was still able to keep my 25% discount. (wish I had the 40 too)... I am not sure how much it will save us - probably not too much - but every little bit will help. Plus now we won't be constantly thinking about our food choices on vaca... Always helps to relax!

 

[BreezysMom]

Yes--I am glad this thread has turned back more positive. There is still alot of bashing on other threads but, oh well, less people to compete with my room reservations next trip. It's not all bad. teehee
....

It is the Seasonal disorder thing...it just makes people crabby! Thankfully we have this thread to come to for some sunshine Later I am passing out Lapu Lapus and Pina Colavas out to really get the party started

This picture is soooo cute!

All of them are, actually, but something about this one really captures my attention.

Because she is so darn cute Thanks for sharing the pics caravarela!

OK, keep them coming...I love the pics and the top threes

TGIF and FOUR months!!!!!!!!!!!!