ALOHA! The Polynesian Resort Information Thread: October 2013

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... I cannot say enough about how helpful the people at the concierge desk were. They made the vacation "magical" by helping with reservations, fast passes and assistance with a medical issue...

We were welcome to visit Hawaii and our bands opened the door over there. If you wanted ANYTHING (food wise) from over there our concierge person would get if for you. They offered several times but we ate enough when we were out and didn't need anything more than what was already at Tonga.

Thanks so much for the review!

The quality of staff seems to be one of the biggest advantages of these suites! You've echoed the sentiment of nearly every review I've read! The smaller room quantity really allows for a much more intimate setting... so happy to hear the staff even offers to bring goodies from Hawaii!

These just sound more and more tempting :ssst:
 
I faxed over my dining requests beforehand and they were able to schedule all my requests, the Royal Table, Be Our Guest, etc. It may not have been the exact day/time I wanted but I was able to rework reservations to fit. First class service all the way from start to finish. We were very pleased with all the staff at Poly, but especially the folks at Tonga.
 
Here's a few pics from early 2013 which I think is the current decor!

ETA: uh oh...
http://**************.com/princess-suite-is-sweet/
Try subbing 'travel on a dream'

These are of a 2-bedroom Princess Suite, but I believe the layout is the same minus the King Bedroom?

:cloud9:

I think you guys will have a wonderful stay!

Thank you! I had come across those awhile back but forgot how I found them...Those look much better than the old decor! We're very excited :)
 
[/QUOTE] Any questions I will try to answer.[/QUOTE]

Thank you so much for the detailed review! Glad you enjoyed your stay and you made me more excited for ours :) I do have a couple questions if you dont mind!

1. Old reviews say that Tonga has "limited" offerings...it sounds like you didn't think breakfast and appetizer offerings were limited besides not having the 2 hot appetizers at night, right?

2. Did you hear pool construction from the room and/or balcony? I figure we will and I'm not changing resorts but just wondering what to expect :)

3. Was music piped in when you watched fireworks from the balcony?

Thank you so much!
 

We just returned from our stay at the POLY and our family had a great stay there. Yes, there was construction but I had requested our standard-view rooms be in FIJI - facing the beach and GF. They met ALL of my request, FIJI, 3rd floor (balcony), adjoining rooms with a GREAT view of the beach and GF (3303/3302). The room was spotless. I'm not a fan of the new bathroom renovation. I liked the old tiki light decor better. I guess because I LIKE the "retro" look of the POLY.

This was dgs 1st visit so we did the OHANA breakfast and it was great. Also, ate dinner there and it was great as always.

We aren't pool people so that really didn't bother our families plans. We were there mostly to experience Xmas at Disney since my kids had never been at this time.

The POLY is still a great hotel IMO and you really can't beat it when traveling with a toddler.

Thanks for the report! Our first Poly stay is next month!
 
typhoonlagooner:

Room 3302 had a king bed and 3303 had 2 queens. Third floor rooms all have balconies if that matters to you. The Tikiman site has a room-layout for each building and you can see which are king rooms on there too.

We were still in the parks for the fireworks so I don't really know how crowded the beach area was at that time. We did see a couple get married on it the first day we arrived and they were the only ones there.

IMO these were really great "standard-view" rooms. Only saw the pool construction when we went to the lobby.
 
I believe Tonga had the same breakfast items as Hawaii, just in smaller quantities as there are a lot less folks. Cereal was in small boxes, not big containers.
Construction noise: We left the room very early most morning (tours) and didn't get back until later. Never heard noise in the room. Did hear noise walking around the resort but did not bother me. Only out on the balcony very early in the morning or late at night so don't know about construction noise but given the location of the construction so close to Tonga you might hear it on the balcony during the day.

Do not remember if music was piped in, probably because of the "punch".
 
/
Have a trip booked for Feb 2-6, first time at Poly, several times stayed at POP and other values. Wanted this to be special for DH 60th birthday, then saw about all this construction. Hoping the lobby area will be done by February, not interested in the pool that time of year. A lot of the comments don't seem to mind the construction going on. Can I have some more opinions from those recently there. Stay with Poly and the monorail experience or choose another hotel?

I love the Poly but have thought twice before booking with all the construction. It really depends on what you want out of your stay. Do you need to use a pool slide or require complete silence in your room at 1 pm yet want to stay in a longhouse closest to the TTC or main pool? Or this is your once in a lifetime stay at a deluxe resort? Then don't go to the Poly in February. Our family has decided to visit in March because we typically enjoy the East pool more, we love the location (walking distance to direct monorails to both MK and Epcot), and with the hope that the GCH will be fairly open. I'll miss our extra large room (At Tokelau which is now converting to DVC) but I know we will still be in a room that is one of the largest standard rooms on property. I'll miss the slide at the volcano pool but I only use it once or twice a visit anyway. But everything else should be 'as usual' great - transportation, theme, staff, guests, restaurants, etc. You need to determine your requirements and go from there. Good luck!
 
typhoonlagooner:

Room 3302 had a king bed and 3303 had 2 queens. Third floor rooms all have balconies if that matters to you. The Tikiman site has a room-layout for each building and you can see which are king rooms on there too.

We were still in the parks for the fireworks so I don't really know how crowded the beach area was at that time. We did see a couple get married on it the first day we arrived and they were the only ones there.

IMO these were really great "standard-view" rooms. Only saw the pool construction when we went to the lobby.

Fiji marina view or Aeotaroa are my August requests. 3rd floor. I'd be good with the beach side of Fiji too. Do you think Marina view would be good? Our last stay was Tokalau. I had thought of requesting Samoa, but in August the quiet pool is down for construction and didn't want to risk a room overlooking that.
 
I requested beach-side of Fiji with connecting rooms and balcony if possible. I was lucky enough to get all my requests. If you are on the marina side NOW you are looking at the pool construction. I was afraid we would have a monorail-view in Aeotaroa with a standard room. That's why I asked for Fiji. It was a much better standard view than we had our 2 times in Tahiti.
 
I requested beach-side of Fiji with connecting rooms and balcony if possible. I was lucky enough to get all my requests. If you are on the marina side NOW you are looking at the pool construction. I was afraid we would have a monorail-view in Aeotaroa with a standard room. That's why I asked for Fiji. It was a much better standard view than we had our 2 times in Tahiti.

did you have a standard room or upgraded room?
 
I had thought of requesting Samoa, but in August the quiet pool is down for construction and didn't want to risk a room overlooking that.

How sure are you that the quiet pool will be still under construction in August?
 
In regards to construction in August...

The 'original' construction time frame called for work to be COMPLETE by end of June 2015.

As projects were started, construction delays appeared which is giving the impression of a potential cascading effect. The GC for instance... and Trader Sam's.

The quiet pool can't close for refurbishment until the main pool is complete. The 'given' completion date for work was March/April.

IF... work is delayed... then the quiet pool construction will be delayed as well. Hence why many, including Steve, are hesitant to say August will be a 'construction free zone.'

Having seen the site plans for the new 'Lounge Pool'... I'm even hesitant that work can be completed in the current April to June time frame.

It does appear that a 'fire has been lit' under the Polynesian as work in the GC seems to be progressing a lot faster than in previous weeks. One recent guest said they were working around the clock, day and night. Obviously, due to long house proximity, they can't do this with the pools.

As for those of us going in August?

Most of our online check-in windows will open in June, and by that point, we should have a much better look at what kind of construction, if any, will be happening in August.

Fingers crossed here...
 
Is there construction and canvas up outside the entrance? I think there were exterior fountains or water features there before?
 
Hi. Anyone going the third week of August? We might change our early July trip to August. :sunny:
 
Hi. Anyone going the third week of August? We might change our early July trip to August. :sunny:

We are going Aug 16 to the 22nd! First time even staying onsite!! We are so excited, I ended up getting the "magical labor day deal" which made it possible for us to stay at the Poly!
 
We are booked CL at poly June 30 - I know that the main pool is undergoing work now but we have booked a cabana there in the past and are hoping to do so again this summer. Are the cabanas bookable yet? Or do we have to wait until the pool actually opens up?
 
I requested beach-side of Fiji with connecting rooms and balcony if possible. I was lucky enough to get all my requests. If you are on the marina side NOW you are looking at the pool construction. I was afraid we would have a monorail-view in Aeotaroa with a standard room. That's why I asked for Fiji. It was a much better standard view than we had our 2 times in Tahiti.

How did you make this kind of request? I didn't see anyone on the online check-in to request 'beach side'.
 
We've been at the Poly three times before -- far and away our favorite resort. But we're two days in, and we won't be back. The construction is omnipresent -- you can't get anywhere without having to shift your direction. The path to the TTC now goes along the street -- the ceremonial house just exists on the edges. Everything is dominated by construction screens.

We're staying in a lagoon view in Hawaii and paying club level prices to be woken at 7 by cranes beeping and our view is of neon-clad construction workers and huts under construction. You have to walk down the beach to see the boat parade or get unobstructed of the fireworks and everyone is crammed together on a compressed bit of beach.

We expected the pool to be closed and the waterfall shut down. But we didn't expect construction to take over every single spect of the stay. For two rooms at 800 a piece a night they should have been more honest about what to expect. When we politely complained, we were given the choice to move to GF with garden view on the furthest building halfway through our stay but nothing club level on the monorail resorts. In the end they took off 100 per room per night, which is better, but it's still 1400 a night.

Sorry to vent but its been pretty grumpy here so far. :goodvibes
 
We've been at the Poly three times before -- far and away our favorite resort. But we're two days in, and we won't be back. The construction is omnipresent -- you can't get anywhere without having to shift your direction. The path to the TTC now goes along the street -- the ceremonial house just exists on the edges. Everything is dominated by construction screens.

We're staying in a lagoon view in Hawaii and paying club level prices to be woken at 7 by cranes beeping and our view is of neon-clad construction workers and huts under construction. You have to walk down the beach to see the boat parade or get unobstructed of the fireworks and everyone is crammed together on a compressed bit of beach.

We expected the pool to be closed and the waterfall shut down. But we didn't expect construction to take over every single spect of the stay. For two rooms at 800 a piece a night they should have been more honest about what to expect. When we politely complained, we were given the choice to move to GF with garden view on the furthest building halfway through our stay but nothing club level on the monorail resorts. In the end they took off 100 per room per night, which is better, but it's still 1400 a night.

Sorry to vent but its been pretty grumpy here so far. :goodvibes

Try and make the best of it! remember a day at WDW is better than NOT being at WDW…I agree when you pay big bucks it will make you question everything about choosing to go there now. When I was there I stayed in Fiji facing the beach for one quarter of what you are paying and I had a blast…construction did not bother me….but if I was paying $1400 a night….!!!???

Why don't you ask them to switch you to third floor of Fiji facing the beach with connecting rooms. They will if they have availability... and you will save a ton of money!
 
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