ALOHA! The Polynesian Resort Information Thread: Summer 2011 Edition!

[nala1128]

Speaking of Disney Dooneys.. Wouldnt it be fantastic if they came up with just a few resort related Dooneys?
Like a Poly one with tikis and sandbuckets and stitch and lilo on it.

A CBR one with nemo, and little mermaid characters.

A Wilderness Lodge one with moose, and mickey, donald, goofey, totem poles and such.

CR with the monorail and mickeys on it, maybe even the CM logo..

GF with princess theme for 1900PF and wedding pavillion.

Anyone else have any ideas?

A BC/YC one with sandcastles, anchors, seashells and other nautical items... of course the Little Mermaid too !!!!

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

Hi! I apologize if this question has been asked/answered but I didn't see it.

I'm planning a trip for Oct 2012. It's my 1st trip since 1993 & will be the 1st trip for my husband & our sons. My husband gave me the go-ahead today to "splurge" & have us stay at the Polynesian. We're planning on Garden View. Can I ask my agent to request a certain house or floor and, if so, what do you suggest? I read through this thread & I'm sure you're the ones to ask

Thanks for any advice/suggestions/recommendations you're willing to share!

I have always wanted to stay at the Poly and now I'm planning on doing it I was very disappointed when I read on another thread that the rooms smell musty and it is always crowded because of people coming to see the luau and wishes. I'm still planning on going to Poly anyway. I just wondered what you Poly fans think of what they said ?

I would like to know the answer to this question also

Welcome to the Poly thread. Planning a trip to the Poly is ALWAYS fun! First timers are usually pretty worried about room location but please, take a deep breath and relax. Poly has IMO probably the best garden views on property. Staying at the Poly is like a tropical vacation within a WDW vacation. People who complain about the darkness of the Poly or the smell(whatever that is) are generally just not "into" the theme...and that is OK because it leaves more rooms open for those of us that crave the Polynesian theme and atmosphere.

OK--room requests and location....you are more than welcome to add a room request onto you reservation but please be aware it is just a request and not guaranteed. Rooms are assigned randomly via computer now but we are told ressies with a request are kicked out and a person will look over these and try to fill requests. I would also caution against asking for a specific room number or floor as it increases the odds of your request not being met as you have really narrowed your pool of rooms. If those specific rooms are not available, the person looking at your ressie really has nothing to go by to make you happy. It would make more sense to request what is really important like "balcony or patio, near TTC or ground floor, near quiet pool or marina view, near luau". You only get 2 requests so make them something that is meaningful in order of importance

As far as location, each longhouse area has its own unique advantages/personalities. Highly suggest checking out tikiman's unoffical Poly website as you will learn LOTS about each longhouse and the Poly resort in general. Things to know: most Poly longhouses only have balconies on the 3rd floor. All have patios on the ground floor. The newer longhouses of Tokelau, Rapa Nui and Tahiti have balconies on the 2nd and 3rd floor AND are slightly larger rooms than the other longhouses. All longhouses have an elevator except Nuie which is the only 2 level longhouse. IT DOES have access to an elevator via its connection to Roratonga on the second floor--kinda a bridge/deck thing.

I have personally been in both Tokelau and Aotearoa. Loved both locations for different reasons. Loved Tokelau's larger rooms and closeness to TTC and Tahiti beach. Loved Aotearoa for the closeness to the SOA luau and the quiet beach next to Fiji/Tuvalu. It was great listening to the soft music from the luau at night, people watching from the balcony, and watching the fireworks from the balcony(obstructed but still nice) or unobstructed from the beach area. Also closer to GF for dinner ressies.

Good luck planning. HTHs

 

[sandym718]

I have always wanted to stay at the Poly and now I'm planning on doing it I was very disappointed when I read on another thread that the rooms smell musty and it is always crowded because of people coming to see the luau and wishes. I'm still planning on going to Poly anyway. I just wondered what you Poly fans think of what they said ?

I don't think it smells musty at all. I love the smell of the Poly!! As far as darkness (which you didn't mention, but usually goes along with that) - it's dark wood. The rooms themselves are not dark. The only place I find that needs more light is the bathroom. Someone suggested to me on here bringing a small light to plug in and that's what we're doing next time!!

As far as crowds, we have never found it to be an issue. 2 early May trips, and this year was late March (a fairly busy time). The GCH can get crowded around dinner time, especially if the weather turns bad and the Luau guests are in there, but it's not a problem to me. Have never found the beach to be too crowded. One of the things I love about the Poly is the separate longhouses, as opposed to one large hotel building. When we're at Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary I always wonder how LOUD it is in those rooms where the doors open right up into the main area (above CM's, etc.). At the Poly, even if the GCH is crowded, just a minute outside of it and aaaaahhhhh....peace and relaxation. The longhouse areas are usually very quiet. I find the Poly to be very peaceful, tropical and relaxing. I feel like I get a 2-for-1 vacation there - the fast-paced, fun, theme-park vacation and the slower, relaxing, beach/tropical vacation.

Hi! I apologize if this question has been asked/answered but I didn't see it.

I'm planning a trip for Oct 2012. It's my 1st trip since 1993 & will be the 1st trip for my husband & our sons. My husband gave me the go-ahead today to "splurge" & have us stay at the Polynesian. We're planning on Garden View. Can I ask my agent to request a certain house or floor and, if so, what do you suggest? I read through this thread & I'm sure you're the ones to ask

Thanks for any advice/suggestions/recommendations you're willing to share!

Everyone has different opinions on this for sure!! Someone above mentioned Fiji and for us - that was our least favorite (we only stayed 1 night and moved - 2nd floor, no balcony so that was part of it, but also Luau Cove noise).

For us, we just looooove Tokelau and are willing to move to get it if needed (only that once). I find it to be very quiet and it's centrally located to the pools, GCH and the TTC. The walk from the TTC to our room at night is one of my favorite things in all of Disney.

We also love first floor. It just helps us feel as if we have more space for the week. On our beach vacations, we always have a condo, so for the 4 of us to be in 1 room for the week...any extra space is good. Not sure how old your kids are, but on our first two trips, we had at least one napper. With the first floor, the napper(s) would sleep, and we'd sit outside. Could take turns going to CC's for a snack, taking a walk, etc. Now we have no more nappers, but the kids love to just step outside and "play" (look for lizards mostly), while I finish getting ready, etc.

In addition, we personally like the East Side of Tokelau (the west side faces the quiet pool, the east side faces Tahiti). Just a bit quieter and the patios open to a grassy area with the walk farther away. We've gotten it 2x. This past trip we were on the west side, but on the end, so basically a lagoon view (for GV price). That was GREAT! But we agreed we still preferred the other side, as the patio had landscaping around it, so harder to come and go, and the walkway was much closer.

So for us, our request is - First Floor, Tokelau, East Side.

But as I said, everyone likes different things. Definitely check out Tikiman's site to get good information on all the longhouses!

Off the wall question here but does anyone know if the "over the door shoe organizers" will fit over the door in the poly bathrooms? Will the door shut? anyone ever used these to organize all their bathroom stuff. Someone on the tips thread said they used them and they worked great. Thinking about trying it but I know sometimes it will keep the door from shutting all the way. Just wondering if anyone has tried this at the poly. Thanks so much for input.
We will be there September 17th....cant wait!

The door will not shut all the way with one of those on. Almost, but not quite. We brought one for the first time this year. We decided to just go with it, it was worth it for the great storage. Everyone knew if the door was "closed" (almost), it was in use. I have been trying to think of a way to "rig it" for next trip, so the door will close all the way, haven't come up with anything yet.

 

[TK-Fett]

Hey guys im lookin for a photo favor from someone staying at the Poly in the next month or so.

I would like for someone to take several good clear pics of the painting in their room. Then I could assemble the pics to make a large image file I could print out as a print to give my wife as an anniversary present. We stayed there on our honeymoon and she would really love this. I can send a pic of the specific painting we are wanting but I will take what I can get.

Thanks,
Tyler

 

[TinkPirateMom]

Off the wall question here but does anyone know if the "over the door shoe organizers" will fit over the door in the poly bathrooms? Will the door shut? anyone ever used these to organize all their bathroom stuff. Someone on the tips thread said they used them and they worked great. Thinking about trying it but I know sometimes it will keep the door from shutting all the way. Just wondering if anyone has tried this at the poly. Thanks so much for input.
We will be there September 17th....cant wait!

I was thinking of bringing two collapsible canvas storage cubes instead of the over the door shoe thing. It looks like there are two shelves in the vanity where these would fit, not sure though.

 

[ajh88]

I only have 27 more hours (read, 3 more days) of work until we are Florida bound! I've been dreaming of the Poly every night...which is weird, because this is our first stay!

So excited....

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

Hi! I apologize if this question has been asked/answered but I didn't see it.

I'm planning a trip for Oct 2012. It's my 1st trip since 1993 & will be the 1st trip for my husband & our sons. My husband gave me the go-ahead today to "splurge" & have us stay at the Polynesian. We're planning on Garden View. Can I ask my agent to request a certain house or floor and, if so, what do you suggest? I read through this thread & I'm sure you're the ones to ask

Thanks for any advice/suggestions/recommendations you're willing to share!

Check out tikiman's unofficial polynesian site for GREAT info on all the longhouses. I have only stayed in Tokelau (3 times!) and we LOVE IT! All rooms have balconies or patios and it is centrally located to the GCH and the TTC.

I have always wanted to stay at the Poly and now I'm planning on doing it I was very disappointed when I read on another thread that the rooms smell musty and it is always crowded because of people coming to see the luau and wishes. I'm still planning on going to Poly anyway. I just wondered what you Poly fans think of what they said ?

Never smelled a 'musty' smell at the Poly but all Disney resorts are in humid Florida so you will get some humid smell EVERYWHERE!

 

[POOHDRMR]

I was thinking of bringing two collapsible canvas storage cubes instead of the over the door shoe thing. It looks like there are two shelves in the vanity where these would fit, not sure though.

That is what I do-I bring one for each person and keep everyone's stuff in there own bin so I can just tell dh to grab the bin for dd or ds to help get them ready.It is good to know your stuff is all together.I got mine from the dollar store and even targets back to school dollar area had them.I put them up on the shelf above the sink.Of course I get the big size for me because of all the hair stuff and make-up and I had smaller ones for the kids stuff.I just went yesterday to get mine for this years trip in 22 daysI threw them away in the room when we left last year because I needed the extra room for souviners.The shelf is not that deep so the really big square cube that fits in those bookshelf cubes is too deep to fit on the shelf but you can put it in the corner of the vanity.

 

[sandym718]

That is what I do-I bring one for each person and keep everyone's stuff in there own bin so I can just tell dh to grab the bin for dd or ds to help get them ready.It is good to know your stuff is all together.I got mine from the dollar store and even targets back to school dollar area had them.I put them up on the shelf above the sink.Of course I get the big size for me because of all the hair stuff and make-up and I had smaller ones for the kids stuff.I just went yesterday to get mine for this years trip in 22 daysI threw them away in the room when we left last year because I needed the extra room for souviners.The shelf is not that deep so the really big square cube that fits in those bookshelf cubes is too deep to fit on the shelf but you can put it in the corner of the vanity.

Hmm...now this is a good idea too!

 

[dizneechic]

I have been trying to think of a way to "rig it" for next trip, so the door will close all the way, haven't come up with anything yet.

You can get 3M command hooks and stick those on the back of the door... then you caoul use 2 rings (think shower curtain ring like) and put one on the hook and loop one of the over the door hangers through the hoop. Heck, maybe you could even bend the over the door part into a loop itself to hand on the 3M hooks. But with those there has got to be a way to rig something.

 

[neenersmom]

Someone else just gave me the 3m command hooks suggestion as well. They said they used a shoe organizer just fine with four command hooks on the door and their organizer had 4 holes in the top (so does mine, i just checked) and those hooks just come right off so no damage done to the door. I would think that if you use three or four it should hold the weight just fine. I am going to try this when we go. So glad someone had that suggestion! Thanks!

 

[sandym718]

You can get 3M command hooks and stick those on the back of the door... then you caoul use 2 rings (think shower curtain ring like) and put one on the hook and loop one of the over the door hangers through the hoop. Heck, maybe you could even bend the over the door part into a loop itself to hand on the 3M hooks. But with those there has got to be a way to rig something.

Thank you, thank you!! I'm going to try that!! I might get a couple storage cubes, too. you can never have too much storage!

 

[nicole0992]

I haven't had much time since we returned from our Poly trip (June 21-27). I wanted to take the time to say what a fabulous time we had. Our room was in Rapa Nui since I requested top floor and close to TTC. We loved the building and location. Literally walked out the side door and we were on the EPCOT monorail in under 5 minutes! Can't beat that.

Our room was spotless, cool and quiet. We ate at 'Ohana for breakfast and dinner twice. Also we enjoyed multiple meals and snacks at Capt. Cook's.

This was my first trip back to Poly since 2005. I was trying to make an effort to try more of the Disney resorts. Now I cannot wait to go back again! We did have a split stay with a few days at Beach Club first (switched from Yacht Club at the last minute).

Hoping to return in February 2012 or definitely by summer of 2012.

Aloha!

 

[maryj11]

Welcome to the Poly thread. Planning a trip to the Poly is ALWAYS fun! First timers are usually pretty worried about room location but please, take a deep breath and relax. Poly has IMO probably the best garden views on property. Staying at the Poly is like a tropical vacation within a WDW vacation. People who complain about the darkness of the Poly or the smell(whatever that is) are generally just not "into" the theme...and that is OK because it leaves more rooms open for those of us that crave the Polynesian theme and atmosphere.

OK--room requests and location....you are more than welcome to add a room request onto you reservation but please be aware it is just a request and not guaranteed. Rooms are assigned randomly via computer now but we are told ressies with a request are kicked out and a person will look over these and try to fill requests. I would also caution against asking for a specific room number or floor as it increases the odds of your request not being met as you have really narrowed your pool of rooms. If those specific rooms are not available, the person looking at your ressie really has nothing to go by to make you happy. It would make more sense to request what is really important like "balcony or patio, near TTC or ground floor, near quiet pool or marina view, near luau". You only get 2 requests so make them something that is meaningful in order of importance

As far as location, each longhouse area has its own unique advantages/personalities. Highly suggest checking out tikiman's unoffical Poly website as you will learn LOTS about each longhouse and the Poly resort in general. Things to know: most Poly longhouses only have balconies on the 3rd floor. All have patios on the ground floor. The newer longhouses of Tokelau, Rapa Nui and Tahiti have balconies on the 2nd and 3rd floor AND are slightly larger rooms than the other longhouses. All longhouses have an elevator except Nuie which is the only 2 level longhouse. IT DOES have access to an elevator via its connection to Roratonga on the second floor--kinda a bridge/deck thing.

I have personally been in both Tokelau and Aotearoa. Loved both locations for different reasons. Loved Tokelau's larger rooms and closeness to TTC and Tahiti beach. Loved Aotearoa for the closeness to the SOA luau and the quiet beach next to Fiji/Tuvalu. It was great listening to the soft music from the luau at night, people watching from the balcony, and watching the fireworks from the balcony(obstructed but still nice) or unobstructed from the beach area. Also closer to GF for dinner ressies.

Good luck planning. HTHs

Wow thank you so much for all the information, I think I have decided to stay at Poly. I love the tropical theme ! I'm thinking of requesting the Tokelau building. Would that be a good choice to be in the middle of everything ?

 

[maryj11]

Hi Maryj!! We are going on our fourth trip to the POLY in a few weeks. We have never had an issue with a musty smell in the rooms. We have also always found the crowds to be average. We do go the last week in August which is not one of the most crowded times though!!!!

For this trip, I originally booked the YC for a change of pace (we have stayed WL, and AKL on previous trips as well). My family loves the POLY so much that they insisted that we change the ressie to the POLY!! We love it there!!!

I figured that I shouldnt worry about the rooms having a musty smell or corwds . The tropical them and great location are enough for me We are not going during one of the most crowded times either.

 

[virge]

Thanks you, thank you, thank you for the wonderfully thought out suggestions about room requests. I think I'll try to keep it simple & just ask for a room with a balcony or patio. It sounds like the only real "disappointment" might be if we had one of the 2nd floor rooms without a balcony.

I'm already bursting with excitement. I don't know how I'll last until next October!

 

[FosterA]

I haven't had much time since we returned from our Poly trip (June 21-27). I wanted to take the time to say what a fabulous time we had. Our room was in Rapa Nui since I requested top floor and close to TTC. We loved the building and location. Literally walked out the side door and we were on the EPCOT monorail in under 5 minutes! Can't beat that.

Our room was spotless, cool and quiet. We ate at 'Ohana for breakfast and dinner twice. Also we enjoyed multiple meals and snacks at Capt. Cook's.

This was my first trip back to Poly since 2005. I was trying to make an effort to try more of the Disney resorts. Now I cannot wait to go back again! We did have a split stay with a few days at Beach Club first (switched from Yacht Club at the last minute).

Hoping to return in February 2012 or definitely by summer of 2012.

Aloha!

So glad you loved your room location. I'm torn with which section to request (not that any are guaranteed of course) Part of me wants to stay where you did to be close to TTC and part of me wants to be right by volcano pool. Can't decide Also..I know I'm crazy...but I have to do laundry once while on vacation and I believe the building you stayed in is near the laundry area right??
Part of me likes the idea of a quieter section near TTC and the other is to be near pool in case older kids want to hang out there and technically I can see them from our room (if we get lucky and get facing pool) which might be nice.
Glad you had a great trip!

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

Wow thank you so much for all the information, I think I have decided to stay at Poly. I love the tropical theme ! I'm thinking of requesting the Tokelau building. Would that be a good choice to be in the middle of everything ?

Tokelau is a great location to be between GCH and TTC esp if you plan on going to Epcot quite often. Honestly, there is no bad location at Poly. You can walk from one end of the resort to the other in 5-7 minutes....oh....and the walk is so beautiful. The tropical flowers and foliage lining the paths dotted with tiki torches just puts you in a different frame of mind. I always stop and take pictures of the tropical blooms The best is evenings when the tiki torches are lit and you can hear the soft music from the luau combined with a little hint of smoke from Ohana's open flame grilling. Purely magical. And I almost forget looking over the lagoon at the castle changing colors and the boat horns on the lagoon....can you tell I love the Poly

 

[Aanna]

Tokelau is a great location to be between GCH and TTC esp if you plan on going to Epcot quite often. Honestly, there is no bad location at Poly. You can walk from one end of the resort to the other in 5-7 minutes....oh....and the walk is so beautiful. The tropical flowers and foliage lining the paths dotted with tiki torches just puts you in a different frame of mind. I always stop and take pictures of the tropical blooms The best is evenings when the tiki torches are lit and you can hear the soft music from the luau combined with a little hint of smoke from Ohana's open flame grilling. Purely magical. And I almost forget looking over the lagoon at the castle changing colors and the boat horns on the lagoon....can you tell I love the Poly

-happy sigh- I swear that I am there right now after reading your description.

 

[sandym718]

Tokelau is a great location to be between GCH and TTC esp if you plan on going to Epcot quite often. Honestly, there is no bad location at Poly. You can walk from one end of the resort to the other in 5-7 minutes....oh....and the walk is so beautiful. The tropical flowers and foliage lining the paths dotted with tiki torches just puts you in a different frame of mind. I always stop and take pictures of the tropical blooms The best is evenings when the tiki torches are lit and you can hear the soft music from the luau combined with a little hint of smoke from Ohana's open flame grilling. Purely magical. And I almost forget looking over the lagoon at the castle changing colors and the boat horns on the lagoon....can you tell I love the Poly

aaaah....my happy place!!!

If I had only been to the Poly before having my kids - that would have been the place I was imagining, just as you wrote it, during labor!!