ALOHA! The Poly FAQ: Fall 2010 Edition

[disneymumma]

You're not the only one. Posting photos using a non-computer device is a PITA.

Thanks for that, AJRItz. At least I know I'm not alone.

 

[DisneyDoc5]

Have a great time bluejasmine! And disneymumma too!

I hope you have a blast! Safe travels to everyone leaving soon!!! Take lots of pics!

 

[disneymumma]

I hope you have a blast! Safe travels to everyone leaving soon!!! Take lots of pics!

For sure! Thanks!

 

[Tess]

Thank you for the warning. Are you speaking from experience?

Yep. . .I wish someone had warned me. . .

 

[guitarob]

Yep. . .I wish someone had warned me. . .

Hehe, yeah, me too

 

[chimo2u]

Hi I am seeing a lot of threads/posts lately that compare the POLY to old-fashioned, brady bunch, 70's style rooms.....posts that say it smells musty and is dingy, and very old rooms?? This is dis-heartening as I have a image in my mind of the POLY being a lovely resort with nice rooms, I really hope the rooms aren't as run down as some are saying! Can those who have been and love the POLY please put my mind to ease about the shape/condition of the rooms! I changed my reservation from the Beach Club because something about the beauty of the POLY, the tranquil island theme and the ambience really intrigued me....I am hoping it is as beautiful as I imagine it!

 

[TheNewMrsB]

Hi I am seeing a lot of threads/posts lately that compare the POLY to old-fashioned, brady bunch, 70's style rooms.....posts that say it smells musty and is dingy, and very old rooms?? This is dis-heartening as I have a image in my mind of the POLY being a lovely resort with nice rooms, I really hope the rooms aren't as run down as some are saying! Can those who have been and love the POLY please put my mind to ease about the shape/condition of the rooms! I changed my reservation from the Beach Club because something about the beauty of the POLY, the tranquil island theme and the ambience really intrigued me....I am hoping it is as beautiful as I imagine it!

The rooms are great. There is nothing cheesy or outdated about the rooms. There are pics at the beginning of this very thread if you'd like to take a look.

 

[tpholland]

To all ya'll leaving this week, have a great time & safe travels

 

[chimo2u]

The rooms are great. There is nothing cheesy or outdated about the rooms. There are pics at the beginning of this very thread if you'd like to take a look.

From one Mrs. B to another....thank you for your reply! I have looked at the photos and I think they look lovely...I am just very surprised as to why so many people are stating lately how musty, old, cheesy the rooms are
It is almost as if they are talking about 2 completely different resorts! It is very comforting to hear that they are as lovely as I have hoped!
I am very much looking forward to experiencing the magic and beauty of the POLY both inside and out

 

[kimgof]

From one Mrs. B to another....thank you for your reply! I have looked at the photos and I think they look lovely...I am just very surprised as to why so many people are stating lately how musty, old, cheesy the rooms are
It is almost as if they are talking about 2 completely different resorts! It is very comforting to hear that they are as lovely as I have hoped!
I am very much looking forward to experiencing the magic and beauty of the POLY both inside and out

Some people think romantic lighting is dark, or that dark woods(island theme) is outdated or that maybe the smells of macadamia nut pancakes or pineapple is musty? You will go there and love it I'm sure, it is a wonderful resort with so many treasures in it. We stayed there last visit and will be going again next year!

 

[guitarob]

Hi I am seeing a lot of threads/posts lately that compare the POLY to old-fashioned, brady bunch, 70's style rooms.....posts that say it smells musty and is dingy, and very old rooms?? This is dis-heartening as I have a image in my mind of the POLY being a lovely resort with nice rooms, I really hope the rooms aren't as run down as some are saying! Can those who have been and love the POLY please put my mind to ease about the shape/condition of the rooms! I changed my reservation from the Beach Club because something about the beauty of the POLY, the tranquil island theme and the ambience really intrigued me....I am hoping it is as beautiful as I imagine it!

Ok, I'm tryyyyying to be objective here... which is hard, because I'm a fanboy, and there's no changing that. Not that I'd want to.

The Polynesian was built in 1971. That alone dates the style somewhat, because it's kind of hard to change the style of the longhouses and the resort was built on the idea of a 1970's fantasy tropical getaway.

The Contemporary isn't exactly contemporary anymore either, but it's still a very nice place, and is nostalgic and heartwarming, as is the Poly.

I think if they had stuck with the original look and colors of the resort that it would come off dated now, and back in the 70's and early 80's I can definitely see where the "Brady Bunch" thing comes from.

I mean, look at these benches around the waterfall in the GCH (1978) (oh, how I wish I had my own photo of the yellow and green tile on the floors to use, there's a well known Poly fan site out there that does if you care to look):

...and those awfully yellow "water mice" (photo 1987):

But, it has been updated very much since then.

Here's the same area in the GCH last year (sorry about the lighting, it was taken at like 5:30 AM while the lights in the GCH were still dim, I can't believe I don't have daytime photos of this area.):

And the newer "water mice":

Every aspect of the interiors of the resort has been updated with a newer theme and color scheme. Brown remains a consistent color throughout the resort because it lends to the wooden and tropical feel of the resort and some people do find it to be "dark".

But even in that aspect, where the longhouses used to be extremely brown:

...they are now accented with bright oranges, yellows and whites:

The rooms were refurbished in 2006, and I think also have a very welcoming feeling to them. Last year I didn't find them to be in the least bit of disrepair or feel run-down at all (although I'm sure if you nitpick you're bound to find some wear and tear, which is natural in any resort with that rate of occupancy:

All in all, I think you have to "get" the theme that they're going for. It's very earth-toned and natural feeling, with splashes of color. The hallways in the longhouses are a little dimmer and the lighting more subdued. To me this makes it feel more cozy and gives the whole resort a more subtle feel.

As for the smell... ::sigh:: that smell to me is just a smell of peace and tranquility and a Disney tropical vacation. I wish I could bottle it up and bring it home with me. But, then again, if I smelled it every day, it wouldn't be so special.

Ok, It's getting late, and I'm overtired and starting to babble a little. I hope that I've helped some.

 

[Missoutandabout]

I didn't think it was humanly possible to be jonesin' for our vacation any more -- but after all the lovely recent reviews and that last fanboy (LOL) post -- I believe I might need professional help.

 

[megwilliams]

OMG, those pics are making me want to be there right now. We arrive on 9/27. 19 days!

I do have a quick question for you all... We have booked a garden view room and the only request I made on the ressie was for a balcony. However, I would prefer to be in either Rapa Nui or Tahiti. I plan on doing online check-in, though I don't mind to hold off and check in at the resort if it means a better chance of getting my desired longhouse. My question is, should I call back and add my request of Rapa Nui or Tahiti, should I add it to my online check-in information, or should I just request those longhouses upon check-in? I hate calling, but will do it if necessary. I would be happy with any longhouse, as long as I have the 3rd floor if the 2nd is sans balcony, but I really do like the idea of slightly-bigger rooms and 2 sinks. I've never made a resort request before, so I'm a bit of a noob in that regard.

TIA!

 

[bluejasmine]

Thank you guitarob aka fanboy! LOL I didnt think I could get even more excited as I am right now!

Today is my last day in the office, tonight I have DD volleyball game and tomorrow I have court (for work, Im court rep for my company)

Will have dinner out with the kids tomorrow (teens actually) to spend some time with them before leaving for 8 days, I cant remember the last time I spent 8 days away from them, our honeymoon in 2008 was only 4 days!

I cant stand it anymore! WIll be so hard to keep my mind on work today but I need to cram 3 days of work into one!

Hope everyone has a great day!

 

[Tess]

OMG, those pics are making me want to be there right now. We arrive on 9/27. 19 days!

I do have a quick question for you all... We have booked a garden view room and the only request I made on the ressie was for a balcony. However, I would prefer to be in either Rapa Nui or Tahiti. I plan on doing online check-in, though I don't mind to hold off and check in at the resort if it means a better chance of getting my desired longhouse. My question is, should I call back and add my request of Rapa Nui or Tahiti, should I add it to my online check-in information, or should I just request those longhouses upon check-in? I hate calling, but will do it if necessary. I would be happy with any longhouse, as long as I have the 3rd floor if the 2nd is sans balcony, but I really do like the idea of slightly-bigger rooms and 2 sinks. I've never made a resort request before, so I'm a bit of a noob in that regard.

TIA!

I would call and add the request to my reservation. If when you arrive and you are not in your longhouse(s) of choice, simply ask if there is a room available in either.

 

[Kteacher]

Great pictures!

 

[TheNewMrsB]

Did anyone else notice, in the pic with the yellow "water mice", that the Grand Floridian is being built in the background? I think that is so cool!

PS...those Mickey ears! What a cutie patootie!

 

[dragonfly57005]

guitarob: love the pictures!! It makes me want to be at the Poly! Well, not in 1978, but right now! Not too much longer to wait.

 

[athenna]

After those pics (thanks for posting them) I sooooo have Poly withdrawal, I CAN NOT wait to stay there again

 

[MommyPoppins]

We got back on Monday. We had a great time. We arrived at the Poly around 12:30 and when we checked in they first had given us a 2nd. floor room in Aotearoa facing the monorail. She immediately looked for a new one.(without me asking) She put us on the 3rd floor in Tokelau facing the Grand Floridian. I was excited about it, that building is supposed to have great garden views. Well, it was a major let down when I opened the curtain and we were facing the stairway of the next building. So we walked back up there and I sweetly asked if there was ANYTHING else. Nothing in Fiji or Samoa(where we've previously stayed). So I asked her to check Aotearoa facing the lagoon as I had heard that some of those garden view rooms had nice views. A few minutes later she came back and said they found us a room on the 1st floor in Aotearoa and it was a lagoon view with a view of the castle.(room 1219)
(sitting on end of bed, zoomed)

(not zoomed at all)

(looking straight out and zoomed in)

(looking to the right)

(walking up the path that goes in front of the building, same path that all the Spirit of Aloha diners use, twice a night)

Here are a couple pictures I took on the path of the other side of Aotearoa, beautiful garden view rooms if you are on the side of the building closest to the GCH, otherwise it's a street view with TONS of traffic.

The room was free of bed bugs. ;o) But very VERY dusty in the corners and the touch up paint they used did NOT blend in with the old paint at all. So that was really tacky. If any of you get that room the fridge is super cold because my DH pulled it out and cranked it. lol. It actually kept our beer cold enough to drink. We are picky about ice cold beer. The noise from the Spirit of Aloha was annoying. You couldn't hear any music just the drum beats, which wasn't very relaxing. But it was only for a short time at the end of the show. You could hear the loop music(ugh, hate it so tacky) from the patio because there was a light/speaker right in front of the room. Which was also a bad thing because the light was VERY bright when you were trying to watch the fireworks. And if you wanted to photograph them you had to walk out past the light. It was a good location though. Quiet except at night and we like walking, so it didn't matter how far it was.
In retrospect I don't want a patio room ever again. You really don't get to see your view much because you can't keep your curtains open, especially not in that building because the Spirit of Aloha dinner crew walked 10 feet in front of our patio every night, twice. lol. Also, the mosquitoes were SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO bad that you couldn't even sit out on your patio after dark, or down on the beach, to watch the fireworks. So that was a major bummer. It was the first time we'd ever been to Disney that they didn't have the mosquitoes under control.