ALOHA! The Polynesian Resort Information Thread: October 2013

[maiapapaya]

Hello everyone! So excited, booked a spilt stay(May 30-June 6) 3 nights Yacht Club/4 nights Polynesian! I wasn't able to get a discount through Disney so I had to book the Poly thru Orbitz, got a great rate. Yay!
Since I didn't book thru Disney for my room only, can I request specifically FiGi 3rd floor during online check in?
We got to see the new lobby when we made dinner reservations at Kona the day after Christmas. l loved the openness of it but the new DIY rock formation Is pretty sad looking. Sigh...
Also, does anyone know if the GCH bathrooms are going to be renovated? They just aren't up to par for a deluxe resort.
I'm feeling confident the pool will be open when we arrive, so we plan to drink many Lapu,Lapu's poolside. This vacation we plan to slow down and just enjoy the tropical ambiance of this beautiful resort!
Can't wait, so excited!

Yes, with the online check-in you can specify which longhouse and also if you want a balcony.
I have not heard if the bathrooms in the GCH are being redone, but with everything else it would make sense ...
I agree that the pictures of the new rock formation don't look that impressive. Hoping that when the little tiki that was shown in the concept art arrives that the look improves!

 

[TIME2DISNEY]

Thanks maiapapaya, I feel better knowing I can request a longhouse with a balcony, fingers crossed that I get what I ask for.

 

[Sue M]

We ate at Ohana last week and were also "snooping' around in preparation for our August trip. I have to say that the construction has come such a long way since last August. I also couldn't agree with you more about the lobby...we really do like it more than we thought we would and the view of the castle especially at night is so pretty.

As for Ohana...we had another great meal and this time we got seated by a window that had a great view of the castle...getting such a clear view of wishes from our table was amazing. We are all so excited about our upcoming stay and now that I got to see everything firsthand, I can honestly say we have no regrets with our booking. Now just crossing our fingers that the main pool will be open!

Hi! Teena didn't mention you were there! I'm sure we'll run into each other at some point!! Maybe August. Since we'll both be there.
According to Tikiman Main pool should be open by April? & then East a Pool will close for reno.
I'm glad we switched to GF last August, I couldn't imagine no main pool during August, plus all the construction. We ended up in a lagoon room at GF facing Poly and could hear all the construction noise lol.
But now really looking forward to our Aug Poly stay woohoo!

 

[ashnjam]

Holy moly I have never been more confused in my life. I presently have a reservation in the art of animation suite with my family but we are adding one more adult guest to the trip and are thinking of upgrading to the Poly. Thus is our first time staying on-site anD know nothing about it. That being said after reading about the Poly I think this is where we wind up. Now when it comes to requests what exactly are people requesting? Let's say I get a standard room what is something I might request? I can't believe how confused I am reguarding the whole request thing. Thanks for your help!

to the DIS!

 

[robinstrip]

Dumb question but if you have a monorail side room is there a lot of noise from the monorail? It will be our first time at Poly. We took the monorail there last week just to enjoy the atmosphere for a few minutes. I can't wait! Hopefully good Lord willing we will be there at the beginning of December!

 

[Joe in VA]

Any idea when Trader Sam's is opening? Staying Memorial Day Weekend and really hoping it's open by then.

 

[Skywise]

Any idea when Trader Sam's is opening? Staying Memorial Day Weekend and really hoping it's open by then.

Tikiman's page said he was currently hearing April 1st (not a joke!) I'm not sure that's definite yet but I think the May timeframe is very probable (I'll be there first week in June so I'm hoping the same!) (And the pool too!)

 

[Dreamin of Dole Whip]

New to the boards and am so excited I found this thread, I'm planning my first stay at the Poly for early Sept! I would really like a third floor room, and have made my request through my reservation. I requested 3rd floor, Fiji longhouse, king room. I also plan to add it to online check in. I am curious what has been others experience with requests. Are requests common with the Poly and have others had success in getting their requests met? Is Fiji a common request or is their a longhouse you have a better chance of getting a balcony? I care more about the balcony than the location. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[To the honeypots]

New to the boards and am so excited I found this thread, I'm planning my first stay at the Poly for early Sept! I would really like a third floor room, and have made my request through my reservation. I requested 3rd floor, Fiji longhouse, king room. I also plan to add it to online check in. I am curious what has been others experience with requests. Are requests common with the Poly and have others had success in getting their requests met? Is Fiji a common request or is their a longhouse you have a better chance of getting a balcony? I care more about the balcony than the location. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

We are there early September as well and also requested Fiji, 3rd floor. I fear lots may be requesting this to avoid the east pool construction.

 

[kenly777]

Another request for Fiji, 3rd floor

 

[Sue M]

New to the boards and am so excited I found this thread, I'm planning my first stay at the Poly for early Sept! I would really like a third floor room, and have made my request through my reservation. I requested 3rd floor, Fiji longhouse, king room. I also plan to add it to online check in. I am curious what has been others experience with requests. Are requests common with the Poly and have others had success in getting their requests met? Is Fiji a common request or is their a longhouse you have a better chance of getting a balcony? I care more about the balcony than the location. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

First, Welcome!! We stayed pre construction, and did get our requests. I'm not sure now, but hope we do this time. We are also going late Aug/early Sept!!

 

[Dreamin of Dole Whip]

Thanks everyone! I didn't even think about folks avoiding the east side pool, but that is probably very true. Crum! I think I care more about a balcony than the view, any recommendations of long houses that get less requests? Also, planning my flight in, does it make a difference to get there first thing in the morning, rather than the afternoon? I work from home, so my arrival day I can come early and just park my comp at a poolside table and do work until 5, rather than flying in that evening. Saves a vacation day!

 

[mom-mom2three]

Dumb question but if you have a monorail side room is there a lot of noise from the monorail? It will be our first time at Poly. We took the monorail there last week just to enjoy the atmosphere for a few minutes. I can't wait! Hopefully good Lord willing we will be there at the beginning of December!

HI
We stayed at the Poly in a room in Rapanui. We could see the monorail, and it was not noisy. I loved the view!

 

[LUVDisney1975]

6 months from today we'll be at the Poly!!!!! I'm sooooooooooooo excited!
Yay!!!!!!!

 

[ready2vacation]

We are traveling April 17th and staying at the Poly and I have no concerns. It is still a Monorail resort, we can still watch the Electric Water Parade and we will have a great view of the fireworks. While my daughter may miss the slide I suspect it will be a bit chilly to be spending a lot of time in the pool anyway. All of the restaurants will be open and the walk to TTC is unaffected. I cannot wait!

Is the walk to TTC open? We're going in May and last May we were able to use it, but heard they closed it a few days later.

 

[robinstrip]

HI
We stayed at the Poly in a room in Rapanui. We could see the monorail, and it was not noisy. I loved the view!

Thanks!!

 

[BellsFam]

Any news on the 'Ohana/Kona modifications?

 

[Scott MC]

All rooms have been renovated. We are going in Aug and I requested Fiji or Aotearoa. Samoa is a good location too. I think they may block the rooms on construction side of Samoa.

Do you really think they will block all rooms facing the quiet pool reno? That would take a big load off my mind!

You can make a room request at any time: when you first make your reservation, if you reserve over the phone; you can call CRO and have it added to your reservation; or you have the opportunity to make requests if you do online check-in - there is an area on the online form where you can choose a longhouse and other things like a balcony, accessible room, etc.

But if you do online check-in, don't you loose your opportunity to have any flexibility in the room you're assigned? In that, I mean, unless you're assigned a room that has something wrong with it, you're somewhat stuck with it, right? Ugh, I feel like I'm not explaining myself well. What I mean is, when you check-in in person, and for example, you're assigned Fiji, but you'd rather Samoa, you have the opportunity to ask the CM if there's anything in Samoa available, or if you're assigned ground floor, but you'd rather be up higher, you can request a move right then and there. These options are taken away with online-checkin. Right?

We ate at Ohana last week and were also "snooping' around in preparation for our August trip. I have to say that the construction has come such a long way since last August. I also couldn't agree with you more about the lobby...we really do like it more than we thought we would and the view of the castle especially at night is so pretty.

As for Ohana...we had another great meal and this time we got seated by a window that had a great view of the castle...getting such a clear view of wishes from our table was amazing. We are all so excited about our upcoming stay and now that I got to see everything firsthand, I can honestly say we have no regrets with our booking. Now just crossing our fingers that the main pool will be open!

Looks like we'll be at the same resort at the same time, again!

Hi! Teena didn't mention you were there! I'm sure we'll run into each other at some point!! Maybe August. Since we'll both be there.
According to Tikiman Main pool should be open by April? & then East a Pool will close for reno.
I'm glad we switched to GF last August, I couldn't imagine no main pool during August, plus all the construction. We ended up in a lagoon room at GF facing Poly and could hear all the construction noise lol.
But now really looking forward to our Aug Poly stay woohoo!

I'm concerned about the quiet pool reno. Do we think it will be the mess that the main pool reno currently is? I'd really like to stay at POLY for the first time, but am more than ready to jump ship if the resort is going to be under the heavy construction I fear.

Any news on the 'Ohana/Kona modifications?

I'd be interested in this as well.

 

[Sue M]

Do you really think they will block all rooms facing the quiet pool reno? That would take a big load off my mind!



But if you do online check-in, don't you loose your opportunity to have any flexibility in the room you're assigned? In that, I mean, unless you're assigned a room that has something wrong with it, you're somewhat stuck with it, right? Ugh, I feel like I'm not explaining myself well. What I mean is, when you check-in in person, and for example, you're assigned Fiji, but you'd rather Samoa, you have the opportunity to ask the CM if there's anything in Samoa available, or if you're assigned ground floor, but you'd rather be up higher, you can request a move right then and there. These options are taken away with online-checkin. Right?




Looks like we'll be at the same resort at the same time, again!



I'm concerned about the quiet pool reno. Do we think it will be the mess that the main pool reno currently is? I'd really like to stay at POLY for the first time, but am more than ready to jump ship if the resort is going to be under the heavy construction I fear.



I'd be interested in this as well.

All I can say Scott is that I was walking around Poly before dining, scoping out location requests for Aug and I spoke with a CM at check in desk about possibly Samoa but was worried I'd face East Pool construction. What CM told me is that currently they have the rooms blocked off that face main pool construction, and so he thought they'd do the same with rooms facing a East Pool construction. It would make sense. But it's just word of mouth from a CM. Sometimes they're wrong. I feel he was just giving me his educated opinion, which is prob the best anyone can do right now, until closer to the date.


No, online Check in doesn't lock you in to anything. 2 yrs ago August we had a split stay with GF/YC. At GF I got a dormer room, ugh, the only thing I didn't want. It was on my first room request. No Dormer!! Went back to desk and asked for room change. But it didn't stop there nooooooo! Checked into YC and got the worst room possible, over the garbage dump and service area :-0 I can't believe they even have these rooms at a deluxe!!!
Again I went down to desk and asked for a different room.

I think it was similar to your experience except I didn't get the 'tude. Just bad room.

 

[jakeybake]

I booked a single night, room only reservation for 8/19. I did it because the airfare was almost $400 cheaper leaving on Wednesday instead of Thursday. I booked the Poly because we have always wanted to try it. We are at the Beach Club, our all time favorite, 8/20-8/27. I am starting to worry a bit now about the construction. I know the main pool should be finished by then but I have been reading about a bunch of additional construction going on. Not sure I want to start my trip surrounded by construction. Does anyone have any idea if it will be disruptive? I may switch out to the Yacht Club or the Floridian.

Thanks!
Jay