ALOHA! The Polynesian Resort Information Thread: September 2012

[Tinkerbellie16]

Am I missing something- is there not a hot tub anywhere at this resort? What about other recreation like tennis or sport/basketball courts?

There is no hot tub (spa) at the Polynesian but in the past they have allowed Poly resort guests to use the GF spa. With the opening of senses spa, I am not sure if they allow the use of that spa or not. Interesting question if anyone knows!

There is a volleyball net on the sand and you can use your room key to borrow a volleyball. I have heard they pulled out ping pong tables by the volcano pool but I've been there when none are out so I'm not sure of the criteria for that.

For an additional fee, you can rent surrey bikes or rent sea racers or boats at the marina. If you look on the first page, there is a lot of information on activities, costs, and other amenities at the Poly.

 

[NicoleK1974]

So this is my 39th resort stay coming up. My 4th at Poly and my third Club Level but most importantly my first Poly club.

So any advice? Things I won't know until going home day? FYI just me and dd18 for her bday. Dh and ds15 are the best!!! We will only be there 4/5-4/8.
thanks!

The Club level staff are simply amazing!

I am completely obsessed with customer service, as I work in the field, and the staff Club Level at the Poly even blew me away!

I felt like I was there a billion times over the week we stayed, constantly asking a question, asking a favor, etc, and each time I felt bad about having to go to ask, but after asking and getting such great results, with a sincere smile, and attention to making our trip the very best it could be, I was always glad I took the time to ask!

I am kicking myself at the moment for not remembering names...my daughter would remember, because she still talks about them 4 months later like they are her best buddies! Lol! (Alan and Stephanie come to mind, but I could be wrong...)

The food was great, and plentiful, on the rare occasion that something might not be out, just knock on the door, and if someone is back there, they will help you get anything you need.
We had a small issue with the water dispenser being empty at about 11:30pm when we got back from MK, and it seemed desolate in there, but I heard a little rustling in the back so I knocked on the door, and while they didn't have bottled water to give me, they did give me about 4 or 5 large cups with lids on them to take back to the room.

I can't say enough about the staff there.

They made me feel like whatever emergency that might come up while we were there could be easily handled by them.

They were all very attentive and even called my daughter by name each and every time we passed by the desk....from the very first day! I found that amazing considering how many people they see in a given day/week, etc!

My mother was skeptical, as she is a budget traveler and this trip was a HUGE splurge for her, and she didn't think we really needed to stay at a Deluxe Resort, and ESPECIALLY didn't think we needed club level.

She was SO impressed. She came home and told everyone we know about it, and that it was worth every single penny and more! She loved having every little thing taken care of, never needing to ask for anything....it's like they know what you need before you do! Also the little touches that they do that make you feel like a very valued and special guest.

They have us completely spoiled, so much so that now what use to be our annual trip to Disney, will now be done every 18 months or every other year and add on a day or two because we simply will not stay anywhere other than the Poly, and will only stay club level.

You will LOVE it!

I PROMISE you!!!

 

[Ferrentinos]

I almost always have been able to get the date/time I wanted for a cabana but I call a couple months in advance. Once I was not able to get the exact date/time but there were several options to chose from for the rest of our stay. You never know until you call and ask!

Thanks! We called and were able to reserve it for the morning we wanted!!! So excited to take advantage of it!

 

[Ferrentinos]

Now... How to convince DH that we need to upgrade to CL? I am dying to try it out!!!!

 

[Wanna be Ariel]

I am so happy. I got a email first thing this morning from the IPO at the Poly with all my ADR's that I wanted and at the times I wanted. VERY happy person this morning.

 

[psac]

I am so happy. I got a email first thing this morning from the IPO at the Poly with all my ADR's that I wanted and at the times I wanted. VERY happy person this morning.

Glad you got all of yours. I think it's a slow season, I was able to get all of ours as well this morning. However, in hindsight, I wish I did just let the IPO do it. The new website linked to My Disney Experience site is soooooo slow. I couldn't get it to work at all. I switched to the iPad, which seems to hit the old booking site, and I was able to get that to work (mostly, still dropped my session about 3 or 4 times which reset the current booking I was on), so it was really painful and took well over an hour to do breakfasts and dinners for the whole week. Due to something unrelated, I had to work from home today, so we thought doing them myself at 6am (when we had to wake up anyway) was better than trusting IPO, but the frustration level was so high, it was definitely the wrong choice! But, it's all done with.

Also my wife is the one who always does the big ADR batches for our stays, so maybe this was her master plan to show that it's not easy.

Now it's just waiting again. I'm sure we will see you in the lounge, we're planning a mostly resort stay for this trip, with maybe just one or two quick park trips out of the whole week. We've never stayed at Poly before, and from all the descriptions here, it sounded like Poly Club (and thanks for that great review NicoleK1974!!) was the right choice for that type of stay.

 

[trishadono]

The Club level staff are simply amazing!

I am completely obsessed with customer service, as I work in the field, and the staff Club Level at the Poly even blew me away!

I felt like I was there a billion times over the week we stayed, constantly asking a question, asking a favor, etc, and each time I felt bad about having to go to ask, but after asking and getting such great results, with a sincere smile, and attention to making our trip the very best it could be, I was always glad I took the time to ask!

I am kicking myself at the moment for not remembering names...my daughter would remember, because she still talks about them 4 months later like they are her best buddies! Lol! (Alan and Stephanie come to mind, but I could be wrong...)

The food was great, and plentiful, on the rare occasion that something might not be out, just knock on the door, and if someone is back there, they will help you get anything you need.
We had a small issue with the water dispenser being empty at about 11:30pm when we got back from MK, and it seemed desolate in there, but I heard a little rustling in the back so I knocked on the door, and while they didn't have bottled water to give me, they did give me about 4 or 5 large cups with lids on them to take back to the room.

I can't say enough about the staff there.

They made me feel like whatever emergency that might come up while we were there could be easily handled by them.

They were all very attentive and even called my daughter by name each and every time we passed by the desk....from the very first day! I found that amazing considering how many people they see in a given day/week, etc!

My mother was skeptical, as she is a budget traveler and this trip was a HUGE splurge for her, and she didn't think we really needed to stay at a Deluxe Resort, and ESPECIALLY didn't think we needed club level.

She was SO impressed. She came home and told everyone we know about it, and that it was worth every single penny and more! She loved having every little thing taken care of, never needing to ask for anything....it's like they know what you need before you do! Also the little touches that they do that make you feel like a very valued and special guest.

They have us completely spoiled, so much so that now what use to be our annual trip to Disney, will now be done every 18 months or every other year and add on a day or two because we simply will not stay anywhere other than the Poly, and will only stay club level.

You will LOVE it!

I PROMISE you!!!

I so can't wait.
Thanks for letting me know about your great trip. I think my mom would have been the same. I took her n dad to CSR a few years back and they still talking about it too!

 

[buzzmom12]

Hello just curious for those that have stayed cl lately have they changed the menu since the renovations? Cant wait till our stay in August. Tx

 

[psac]

Now... How to convince DH that we need to upgrade to CL? I am dying to try it out!!!!

For us it comes down to the following:

Will you spend a lot of time at the resort, where you would actually use the space of the club lounge areas? (E.g. Just sitting around reading not by the pool because its scotching hot out.)

Are continental breakfasts good for you and would you appreciate the quickness of eating in the lounge instead of dealing with quick service?

Would you want extra appetizers, wine and cheese, etc., before dinner or cocktails and dessert after?

Can you afford the extra money without it taking away from future vacations or other spending?

If any of these sound like you, then club level can definitely add to the vacation, and it's easy to justify. Otherwise, you can probably skip it.

 

[wishinuponastar]

Good morning Poly peeps! I have a question that i thought could be better answered on this thread. I just booked our WDW trip...polynesian in May! We will be there for my sons 12th birthday and i have booked Ohana character breakfast that morning. This will be our 5th stay at the Poly but i still learn something new on these boards everyday! Can anyone tell me what time the characters make their first rounds at breakfast? Thank you...

 

[uagirl]

Good morning Poly peeps! I have a question that i thought could be better answered on this thread. I just booked our WDW trip...polynesian in May! We will be there for my sons 12th birthday and i have booked Ohana character breakfast that morning. This will be our 5th stay at the Poly but i still learn something new on these boards everyday! Can anyone tell me what time the characters make their first rounds at breakfast? Thank you...

I'm not sure what time they make their first rounds, but they are SLOW. Ohana has been our least favorite character meal because of how slow it was. We were there for almost 2.5 hours just so DD could see all of the characters. With that said, our interaction with Stitch was one of our favorite ever.

 

[uagirl]

So this is my 39th resort stay coming up. My 4th at Poly and my third Club Level but most importantly my first Poly club.

So any advice? Things I won't know until going home day? FYI just me and dd18 for her bday. Dh and ds15 are the best!!! We will only be there 4/5-4/8.
thanks!

We loved our Poly CL stay and are most likely headed back there in 2014! Anyone who treats my 2 year old like such a princess gets high marks from me!

They took such great care of us. We forgot to pack swim diapers for my DD and the shops don't carry a large variety. They sent someone to Publix to get me a couple of packs.

One night, we came back incredibly late and the lounge was closed. One of the CMs heard DD crying for milk. She opened the door, told me to wait just a minute and came back holding 2 small cartons of milk for us.

DD was having a meltdown on our last day as we were heading to ME. She was tired, hungry and just done. There had been Uncrustables out in the lounge at lunch all week, but they weren't there on this day. When DH asked about one so DD could have something to eat on the bus, they went to the back and made her a PBJ to go.

My step-dad was on the trip with us as well. He is diabetic and asked one evening about any desserts that would be safe for him to eat. They didn't have any that night, but made sure some were available for him each remaining night of our trip.

 

[BringingUpDisney]

Thanks CJK ! I love using these Boards, you never have to wait for these "life or death" questions to be answered! My trip isn't until January 2014 and I'm on here everyday. The wait is killing me.

We don't get in until December 1 and I'm here everyday too! It's a happy addiction...

 

[Ferrentinos]

We loved our Poly CL stay and are most likely headed back there in 2014! Anyone who treats my 2 year old like such a princess gets high marks from me!

They took such great care of us. We forgot to pack swim diapers for my DD and the shops don't carry a large variety. They sent someone to Publix to get me a couple of packs.

One night, we came back incredibly late and the lounge was closed. One of the CMs heard DD crying for milk. She opened the door, told me to wait just a minute and came back holding 2 small cartons of milk for us.

DD was having a meltdown on our last day as we were heading to ME. She was tired, hungry and just done. There had been Uncrustables out in the lounge at lunch all week, but they weren't there on this day. When DH asked about one so DD could have something to eat on the bus, they went to the back and made her a PBJ to go.

My step-dad was on the trip with us as well. He is diabetic and asked one evening about any desserts that would be safe for him to eat. They didn't have any that night, but made sure some were available for him each remaining night of our trip.

This makes me really want to go for CL for our July stay!

 

[langolivia]

So this past trip we spent a lot of time resort hopping and enjoying the ambiance. We had never really explored the Poly before.

DH has decided it's on his "must stay" list now for the following reason:

He discovered the joy of self-serve dole whip!

Is staying at the polynesian worth the price?

 

[Mommy2TwoMickeys]

Is staying at the polynesian worth the price?

BY FAR! People either Love it or Hate it, but if you truly appreciate the Polyensian for what it is...Magical and Complete Paradise You will love it! Can't wait to go back and I literally just returned!

 

[Elinor Dashwood]

I'm not sure what time they make their first rounds, but they are SLOW. Ohana has been our least favorite character meal because of how slow it was. We were there for almost 2.5 hours just so DD could see all of the characters. With that said, our interaction with Stitch was one of our favorite ever.

We also love Ohana for breakfast! We seem to hit the right time for characters in the morning and our reservations have always been sometime between 7:45 and 8:00am. I agree, Stitch is worth going for and every time he is just a hoot! He's so playful and fun. Another thing we do is usually ask for the check, since it's family style and a set price, right after the server brings our food.

 

[trishadono]

We loved our Poly CL stay and are most likely headed back there in 2014! Anyone who treats my 2 year old like such a princess gets high marks from me!

They took such great care of us. We forgot to pack swim diapers for my DD and the shops don't carry a large variety. They sent someone to Publix to get me a couple of packs.

One night, we came back incredibly late and the lounge was closed. One of the CMs heard DD crying for milk. She opened the door, told me to wait just a minute and came back holding 2 small cartons of milk for us.

DD was having a meltdown on our last day as we were heading to ME. She was tired, hungry and just done. There had been Uncrustables out in the lounge at lunch all week, but they weren't there on this day. When DH asked about one so DD could have something to eat on the bus, they went to the back and made her a PBJ to go.

My step-dad was on the trip with us as well. He is diabetic and asked one evening about any desserts that would be safe for him to eat. They didn't have any that night, but made sure some were available for him each remaining night of our trip.

Love hearing everyone's great trips! Thanks for feedback. Only 10 more days

 

[mickeynut1]

The Club level staff are simply amazing!

I am completely obsessed with customer service, as I work in the field, and the staff Club Level at the Poly even blew me away!

I felt like I was there a billion times over the week we stayed, constantly asking a question, asking a favor, etc, and each time I felt bad about having to go to ask, but after asking and getting such great results, with a sincere smile, and attention to making our trip the very best it could be, I was always glad I took the time to ask!

I am kicking myself at the moment for not remembering names...my daughter would remember, because she still talks about them 4 months later like they are her best buddies! Lol! (Alan and Stephanie come to mind, but I could be wrong...)

The food was great, and plentiful, on the rare occasion that something might not be out, just knock on the door, and if someone is back there, they will help you get anything you need.
We had a small issue with the water dispenser being empty at about 11:30pm when we got back from MK, and it seemed desolate in there, but I heard a little rustling in the back so I knocked on the door, and while they didn't have bottled water to give me, they did give me about 4 or 5 large cups with lids on them to take back to the room.

I can't say enough about the staff there.

They made me feel like whatever emergency that might come up while we were there could be easily handled by them.

They were all very attentive and even called my daughter by name each and every time we passed by the desk....from the very first day! I found that amazing considering how many people they see in a given day/week, etc!

My mother was skeptical, as she is a budget traveler and this trip was a HUGE splurge for her, and she didn't think we really needed to stay at a Deluxe Resort, and ESPECIALLY didn't think we needed club level.

She was SO impressed. She came home and told everyone we know about it, and that it was worth every single penny and more! She loved having every little thing taken care of, never needing to ask for anything....it's like they know what you need before you do! Also the little touches that they do that make you feel like a very valued and special guest.

They have us completely spoiled, so much so that now what use to be our annual trip to Disney, will now be done every 18 months or every other year and add on a day or two because we simply will not stay anywhere other than the Poly, and will only stay club level.

You will LOVE it!

I PROMISE you!!!

This is good to hear . We've stayed at the Poly before (GV) and fell in love with the resort the minute we checked in. We are trying CL there for the first time in December and can't wait .

Now... How to convince DH that we need to upgrade to CL? I am dying to try it out!!!!

We haven't tried CL at the Poly (yet), but we have stayed CL at two other resorts and it is great. We don't stay so much for the food (although that is a nice perk ), but we think CL is worth it just to have the lounge for someplace else to go instead of relaxing around the resort and/or in our room. Plus, from reports I've read about Poly CL, the view from the lounge is amazing. I hope you are able to upgrade .

I am so happy. I got a email first thing this morning from the IPO at the Poly with all my ADR's that I wanted and at the times I wanted. VERY happy person this morning.

Glad you got everything you wanted .

We loved our Poly CL stay and are most likely headed back there in 2014! Anyone who treats my 2 year old like such a princess gets high marks from me!

They took such great care of us. We forgot to pack swim diapers for my DD and the shops don't carry a large variety. They sent someone to Publix to get me a couple of packs.

One night, we came back incredibly late and the lounge was closed. One of the CMs heard DD crying for milk. She opened the door, told me to wait just a minute and came back holding 2 small cartons of milk for us.

DD was having a meltdown on our last day as we were heading to ME. She was tired, hungry and just done. There had been Uncrustables out in the lounge at lunch all week, but they weren't there on this day. When DH asked about one so DD could have something to eat on the bus, they went to the back and made her a PBJ to go.

My step-dad was on the trip with us as well. He is diabetic and asked one evening about any desserts that would be safe for him to eat. They didn't have any that night, but made sure some were available for him each remaining night of our trip.

I love reading all of these great reports about the Poly CL staff . Our first CL stay was at the WL many years ago. Our boys were 9 & 11 and I remember the CL CMs telling us that if the boys wanted something that wasn't out to just ask one of them and they would gladly get it for us. That was back in 2004 and we remember it like it was yesterday, so it's great to hear that other resort CL CMs today are just as accommodating .

 

[Ferrentinos]

We did it!!! CL here we come! Hope it is included in the summer special rates that will be released soon!

Anyone know what floor the lounge is on? We requested 3rd floor in hopes of a balcony!