ALOHA! The Polynesian Resort Information Thread: October 2013

[Spunky946]

Ok...who wants to help me pick a longhouse that I should request??

We are 2 adults and 2 young children (3 & 5) on our very first trip to Disney. We just have a standard room. We are going in February so I am doubtful we will even use the pool. I just want something semi quiet with a low chance of a parking lot view.

I was thinking we should request Niue?? Any others you would suggest??

Thanks!!!

We stayed in Aoteroa the last time and loved it. We had a monorail view, which was great. It was very quiet, but close to the boat, pool and Captain cooks.

 

[Dominion]

OK, I lied...one more question just so I'm prepared...

We are checking in club level and likely arriving around 12:30pm. I've heard that they will walk us back to the Hawaii building and check us in there. Do we unpack our car and take all of our stuff with us? Do they then valet the car or should I go with the stuff and the kids and let my husband park? And if we take all the stuff with us and the room isn't ready, will they keep it over at Hawaii until the room is ready? Just trying to understand how the logistics might work with this...

Thank you!!!

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[Wood Nymph]

A funny thing happened at Captain Cook's at the Poly today. We had gone over there for lunch and this lady was trying to fill her four non-resort mugs with Coke. It wasn't working for her and she couldn't figure out why. I told her that there was a sensor in the machine and if she didn't have a rapidfill mug, she couldn't get a drink. Her mugs were from an outside resort. Maybe the monorail resorts will have a whole lot less non-resort traffic now. The volcano pool had very few people in it, too.

 

[Kebby]

Checked in today and I am NOT a happy camper. Did not get any of my requests, and when we checked in at 4 pm our room was not ready. Finally put waaay back in aotearoa where we are looking at the monorail and hearing it go by every few minutes, not to mention the constant drums from spirit of aloha. I booked this trip for my family including my patents and bro and wife to celebrate my overcoming cancer. My bro and wife were upgraded to club and my parents got thier request of Samoa third floor. My kids are overtired and between the monorail and the drums no one is able to sleep

 

[Dominion]

Checked in today and I am NOT a happy camper. Did not get any of my requests, and when we checked in at 4 pm our room was not ready. Finally put waaay back in aotearoa where we are looking at the monorail and hearing it go by every few minutes, not to mention the constant drums from spirit of aloha. I booked this trip for my family including my patents and bro and wife to celebrate my overcoming cancer. My bro and wife were upgraded to club and my parents got thier request of Samoa third floor. My kids are overtired and between the monorail and the drums no one is able to sleep

So sorry! That seems incredibly unfair that part of your party got upgraded to club and others did not! I would definitely go back to them in the morning and see if they can change your room for the rest of your stay. At least to closer to what you requested if not upgraded with your brother!

Hope things improve quickly!

 

[Spunky946]

Checked in today and I am NOT a happy camper. Did not get any of my requests, and when we checked in at 4 pm our room was not ready. Finally put waaay back in aotearoa where we are looking at the monorail and hearing it go by every few minutes, not to mention the constant drums from spirit of aloha. I booked this trip for my family including my patents and bro and wife to celebrate my overcoming cancer. My bro and wife were upgraded to club and my parents got thier request of Samoa third floor. My kids are overtired and between the monorail and the drums no one is able to sleep

Did you talk to the manager and ask for another room? I'm sorry you do not like the building, we loved it.

 

[soulmates]

Great thread!! We've got a big family trip planned fall of 2014 so we'll swing by and see the construction. As DVC owners, we're VERY excited that the new addition will be up and running for our 10th anniversary trip in 2016!

I'm sure I'll be POURING over this thread as we plan our amazing trip. I'm crossing my fingers that the villas will also have Club Level. This trip we're doing ALL the things we say we'll do "One Day".

Great thread, keep it coming!

 

[BarbieSmith]

My family did laundry yesterday! So at least then it was working. I am on my way to do laundry now, myself. If I don't respond assume it is still open and functional!

 

[BarbieSmith]

Just did laundry! Only two washers and one dryer out of commission. You will need to do laundry in off times in order to get a space (totally doable this week, don't worry)

 

[Lsdolphin]

We will be staying at Polynesian 2/1-2/4. Was planning to request Tokelau and hoping for a view of fireworks but now I am concerned about construction both noise and view. Also does anyone know anything about the pool being closed during Jan. - Feb.? I read somewhere that pool was to be closed and shuttle available to GF this would be unacceptable for us. Love the Poly and really want to stay there for the monorail and the great restaurants but wondering if I should try another resort!

 

[psac]

A funny thing happened at Captain Cook's at the Poly today. We had gone over there for lunch and this lady was trying to fill her four non-resort mugs with Coke. It wasn't working for her and she couldn't figure out why. I told her that there was a sensor in the machine and if she didn't have a rapidfill mug, she couldn't get a drink. Her mugs were from an outside resort. Maybe the monorail resorts will have a whole lot less non-resort traffic now. The volcano pool had very few people in it, too.

But the lady had a right to get the free coke!!!

 

[Lsdolphin]

But the lady had a right to get the free coke!!!

Maybe she could just fill her cup at the Dole Whip machine no chips in those bowls...yet!

 

[alex9179]

Can't believe this happened today.

DH calls to tell me what vacation he has for 2014. He put in for the beginning of June and beginning of August. Well, they assigned him January instead of June! At first, I told him to see if they can adjust it because we were going to visit his family in June, but then I realized that there are some pretty good RO deals going on at WDW. The person he needed to speak to about it wasn't available today sooooo...

We just booked a last minute trip to the POLY We'll be celebrating DS's December bday as well as DD's and mine for January.

I realize there's some significant construction, but I think GV CL will be ok. Besides, we have 2 parks practically next door No worries about the pool, either. I think it will be too cool for swimming and have already told the kids that.

Oh, I tried to be good and do a budget trip. Told DH about ASMu and POR, but when he found out Poly CL was within our comfort zone, he jumped on it - even with the construction!

 

[Sandi]

Checked in yesterday afternoon. Had requested a room with a balcony room in Samoa. Got a second floor room in Samoa, so no balcony. Asked if any rooms with a balcony were available not in a building by construction. No such luck. The room is very nice, but I don't understand why they designed these buildings with no balconies on the second flooring some sections.

Housekeeping is great. Captain Cook's is good. Ordered from Garden Grocer and that was perfect. We have a view of the volcano pool, but it's not loud.

Overall, really nice. Now back to my Spartans!

 

[maiapapaya]

Can't believe this happened today.

DH calls to tell me what vacation he has for 2014. He put in for the beginning of June and beginning of August. Well, they assigned him January instead of June! At first, I told him to see if they can adjust it because we were going to visit his family in June, but then I realized that there are some pretty good RO deals going on at WDW. The person he needed to speak to about it wasn't available today sooooo...

We just booked a last minute trip to the POLY We'll be celebrating DS's December bday as well as DD's and mine for January.

I realize there's some significant construction, but I think GV CL will be ok. Besides, we have 2 parks practically next door No worries about the pool, either. I think it will be too cool for swimming and have already told the kids that.

Oh, I tried to be good and do a budget trip. Told DH about ASMu and POR, but when he found out Poly CL was within our comfort zone, he jumped on it - even with the construction!

We just got back from the Poly on Wednesday. At this point, the construction impact is really nominal, unless you are staying TPV. We actually had very little sense that construction was going on unless travelling past the areas with construction fences, which are all on one side of the resort. Unless they start up some work in the GCH in January your trip should not have a huge impact from the work going on. Enjoy your vacation!

 

[alex9179]

We just got back from the Poly on Wednesday. At this point, the construction impact is really nominal, unless you are staying TPV. We actually had very little sense that construction was going on unless travelling past the areas with construction fences, which are all on one side of the resort. Unless they start up some work in the GCH in January your trip should not have a huge impact from the work going on. Enjoy your vacation!

Wonderful! Thank you for your "real time" insight. Since we know what's going on, I don't think it will affect our vacation too much. I'm sure the construction played a large part in why Poly is available under the RO code and CR (my first choice for something different) was almost completely booked.

So excited! I booked, figured out a loose daily park plan, made a couple of ADRs, chose MB colors, checked in with a balcony request and mapped a couple of options to stop for the night since we're driving. I just LOVE the planning part!

 

[BringingUpDisney]

We had a lackluster trip to the Poly earlier this week. We had reserved CL GV with the only request being 1st or 3rd floor. We were upgraded to a TP view on the 2nd floor. We appreciated the upgrade but it was at the far end of Hawaii right in the midst of the construction and the view was blocked by a big hill of diet with a steam shovel on it, which rose above the construction fence. When we asked for the GV room we had booked or any other room away from the construction we were told nothing was available. There was a lot of beeping equipment so the end result is my DD 3 couldn't get an uninterrupted nap for 4 days. This made everything tough. I mentioned it to the staff and again asked to move to another room only to be told that nothing was available.

The staff at CL was indifferent - the guy that checked us in really only cared about his ongoing sinus infection and gave us wrong directions to HDDR. Some days no one even said good morning, much less the cheery "Alohas" that are usual at the Poly. When I would ask for milk for my daughter it was treated as a big imposition. Mostly, it just didn't feel friendly or welcoming.

We moved to the YC for the second half of our trip and the staff couldn't be nicer. It is calm, relaxing and very friendly, much more my style!

 

[maiapapaya]

We had a lackluster trip to the Poly earlier this week. We had reserved CL GV with the only request being 1st or 3rd floor. We were upgraded to a TP view on the 2nd floor. We appreciated the upgrade but it was at the far end of Hawaii right in the midst of the construction and the view was blocked by a big hill of diet with a steam shovel on it, which rose above the construction fence. When we asked for the GV room we had booked or any other room away from the construction we were told nothing was available. There was a lot of beeping equipment so the end result is my DD 3 couldn't get an uninterrupted nap for 4 days. This made everything tough. I mentioned it to the staff and again asked to move to another room only to be told that nothing was available.

The staff at CL was indifferent - the guy that checked us in really only cared about his ongoing sinus infection and gave us wrong directions to HDDR. Some days no one even said good morning, much less the cheery "Alohas" that are usual at the Poly. When I would ask for milk for my daughter it was treated as a big imposition. Mostly, it just didn't feel friendly or welcoming.

We moved to the YC for the second half of our trip and the staff couldn't be nicer. It is calm, relaxing and very friendly, much more my style!

Sorry your stay at the Poly wasn't great. What happened to you is exactly what I've told my DH & friend I suspect they are going to do. We were just there and booked a BB for next fall. The only rooms available for the BB were CL GV, there weren't even any non CL "standard" (GV) rooms. My theory is that with Tahiti & Rapa Nui coming out of inventory they will probably not have a problem filling the resort (being down 2 longhouses), but they probably aren't selling many CL LV/TPV rooms right now, so they will try to fill Hawaii with GV bookings and then "magically" upgrade people to the TPV side of the building. I agree with you. Right now I would want the GV room and wouldn't consider the TPV an upgrade. Happy that the YC has made the second half of your vacation much more enjoyable!

 

[alex9179]

We had a lackluster trip to the Poly earlier this week. We had reserved CL GV with the only request being 1st or 3rd floor. We were upgraded to a TP view on the 2nd floor. We appreciated the upgrade but it was at the far end of Hawaii right in the midst of the construction and the view was blocked by a big hill of diet with a steam shovel on it, which rose above the construction fence. When we asked for the GV room we had booked or any other room away from the construction we were told nothing was available. There was a lot of beeping equipment so the end result is my DD 3 couldn't get an uninterrupted nap for 4 days. This made everything tough. I mentioned it to the staff and again asked to move to another room only to be told that nothing was available.

The staff at CL was indifferent - the guy that checked us in really only cared about his ongoing sinus infection and gave us wrong directions to HDDR. Some days no one even said good morning, much less the cheery "Alohas" that are usual at the Poly. When I would ask for milk for my daughter it was treated as a big imposition. Mostly, it just didn't feel friendly or welcoming.

We moved to the YC for the second half of our trip and the staff couldn't be nicer. It is calm, relaxing and very friendly, much more my style!

That's really too bad. I considered YC but, with 5 of us, the larger rooms at the Poly and the proximity to MK and EPCOT were deciding factors. Also, I didn't want the kids begging to swim at SAB if it's cold…because they would and the youngest is a tyrant. I guess if I'm "unlucky" enough to be upgraded and am bothered by noise, I could request a different resort! I think we'll be ok, though.

 

[MelissaTnNc]

Checked out yesterday from a 4 night stay. Our room was in Tokelau GV and we were on the third floor in the back half of the building, so the end of the building close to the convention hall. We barely noticed the construction, def did not hear any construction from our room or even when out swimming at the main pool and were thrilled with our room and the location of the building. Our stay was wonderful, we splurged for this trip and I don't know how we will ever go back to a mod or off site again .