Aloha! ***Welcome to the NEW Poly FAQ***

[3KidletsMom]

So I called today and switched us from the Beach Club to the Poly! I wanted to try something new but just couldn't do it - my kids (and me) are beyond happy to be going back to the Poly!

 

[J'aime Paris]

Wow, that's so cool, Paris. Does everyone get a call like that? I'd like to get a confirmation just so I don't have to worry about it.

I'm not sure if they contact everyone. I think this is the first time I've gotten a phone message from the Poly. And we've stayed there 6 times before.

Looks like we'll be there at the same time. Have a fantastic vacation!

 

[momtolots]

I'm so excited. I just upgraded to the C.L....and it didn't cost anymore $, well, not really. WE just caame back from staying offsite, and I upgraded my 6day ph on the first day to an AP, and we had an extra 6day PH ...so I'm paying $20less now, than I was before. I can't wait, and we ae celebrating DD's 6th birthday while we are there. Plus, we are only takin the 2 youngest, so it will really feel like a holiday. Only 4months and 2 days until we are there!!!
Thanks for all the info.

 

[MHTeacher]

Awww, thanks!

So now I realize that I need to figure out which longhouses we might want to stay at... how do you pick? Or should I just leave it up to chance... what a great problem to have!

Don't leave it up to chance. Do a google search for tikiman and you will be led to his website about the Poly. He has a section on each longhouse, with pros and cons for each. Do your research and then put in your request....realizing that of course, it is only a request, nothing is guaranteed.

Personally, we love Tokelau. Oh, and BTW, congrats on your upcoming wedding and honeymoon....and now that I think about it, will it really matter which longhouse you're in???

 

[jandkmom]

I'm not sure if they contact everyone. I think this is the first time I've gotten a phone message from the Poly. And we've stayed there 6 times before.

Looks like we'll be there at the same time. Have a fantastic vacation!

Thanks, you too! It should be a perfect time to be there - not too hot (or cold, hopefully), and the crowds should be light. Can't wait!

 

[Sue M]

Had a message on my answering machine from the POLY today. A wonderful gal named Brittany left a message about our upcoming trip. We leave next Wednesday, and she wanted to confirm that everything was in order for our arrival.

Excellent, personal service, at the Poly. As always......

Wow! How nice. Are you staying CL there?

8 more days for me.

 

[Sue M]

Awww, thanks!

So now I realize that I need to figure out which longhouses we might want to stay at... how do you pick? Or should I just leave it up to chance... what a great problem to have!

It's my first time staying at The Poly too, and I found Tikimans site very helpful. http://www.tikimanpages.com/tiki/

 

[gretchenohar@hotmail]

So I called today and switched us from the Beach Club to the Poly! I wanted to try something new but just couldn't do it - my kids (and me) are beyond happy to be going back to the Poly!

May I ask why you did this? I'm considering scheduling a split-stay between Poly & BC; so if there's some reason you decided against BC, I'd love to know what it is...

I know absolutely nothing about BC, and even less about split stays!

BC just seems so nice... Especially SAB.

BUT, we've stayed at the Poly in the past and absolutley love it. Here's why:
1. The Monorail
2. EWP, Wishes on the Beach (and being able to see the fireworks from our room), Watching the Castle changing colors thru the nite from our beds, the Volcano Pool (grandson would be perfectly happy to spend 24 hrs/day here!
3. Convenience to MK
4. The staff is beyond compare
5. Kona Cafe serves FAB bkfst & lunch - can't say we've tried dinner...
6. The beach is heavenly

Cons:
1. Restaurants (other than Kona) are downright abyssmal! Spirit of Aloha show/dinner is overrated, as is the character bkfst (Lilo & Stitch). I know this is blasphemy, but none of us would go back to either of these again. They may have been good at one time; but they're far past their prime now... Food is mediocre/ and price is NOT worth it! I wouldn't do Ohana's again for dinner if you paid ME!
The fast food place by the pool (the name escapes me now) is fine - nothing special, but OK and on a par w/ the rest of the resorts. I think it might be Captain Cook's?)
2. You can't let your children go in the water at the beach due to the aeomba problem

I think the Poly's reputation is beginning to tarnish.
Still, the Monorail is a big draw....



Here's why we'd like to try BC:
1. Proximity to Epcot
2. Such a light & airy feel
3. Would like to try Yachtsman's Club Steakhouse as well as Beaches & Cream. (Know we can do thius no mattter where we stay, but like to patronise our resorts....)
4. LOVE the look of SAB - tho have heard concerns re: keeping track of young children when 2 or more are in the pool


What are your thoughts?
Any/All opinions will be greatly apprecialed~

 

[Sue M]

May I ask why you did this? I'm considering scheduling a split-stay between Poly & BC; so if there's some reason you decided against BC, I'd love to know what it is...

I know absolutely nothing about BC, and even less about split stays!

BC just seems so nice... Especially SAB.

BUT, we've stayed at the Poly in the past and absolutley love it. Here's why:
1. The Monorail
2. EWP, Wishes on the Beach (and being able to see the fireworks from our room), Watching the Castle changing colors thru the nite from our beds, the Volcano Pool (grandson would be perfectly happy to spend 24 hrs/day here!
3. Convenience to MK
4. The staff is beyond compare
5. Kona Cafe serves FAB bkfst & lunch - can't say we've tried dinner...
6. The beach is heavenly

Cons:
1. Restaurants (other than Kona) are downright abyssmal! Spirit of Aloha show/dinner is overrated, as is the character bkfst (Lilo & Stitch). I know this is blasphemy, but none of us would go back to either of these again. They may have been good at one time; but they're far past their prime now... Food is mediocre/ and price is NOT worth it! I wouldn't do Ohana's again for dinner if you paid ME!
The fast food place by the pool (the name escapes me now) is fine - nothing special, but OK and on a par w/ the rest of the resorts. I think it might be Captain Cook's?)
2. You can't let your children go in the water at the beach due to the aeomba problem

I think the Poly's reputation is beginning to tarnish.
Still, the Monorail is a big draw....



Here's why we'd like to try BC:
1. Proximity to Epcot
2. Such a light & airy feel
3. Would like to try Yachtsman's Club Steakhouse as well as Beaches & Cream. (Know we can do thius no mattter where we stay, but like to patronise our resorts....)
4. LOVE the look of SAB - tho have heard concerns re: keeping track of young children when 2 or more are in the pool


What are your thoughts?
Any/All opinions will be greatly apprecialed~

We did a split stay in August with POR, 4 nights, and WL 5 nights. We have APs so the ticket issue wasn't a problem for us.
I don't know if you plan on getting the DDP for both resort stays, if so it requires park tickets for a package.
I would buy length of stay tickets with your first reservation, do the DDP if you want with this res too, then with second res, book as room only and you will have the park tickets from your first res on that KTTW card, so now you'll have 2 KTTW cards, the one from your first resort with all your park tickets on, plus the new KTTW card for your second resort.
If you want the DDP on both reservations, you'll have to buy 1 day park tickets on the second res.
If DDP isn't involved on both reservations, it's easier as you can see.
WDW will transfer your luggage for you to your new resort. You arrange thru Bell Services.
I hope I didn't totally confuse you! We enjoyed our split stay, almost like having 2 vacays!

 

[KimDis]

Hi everyone - can't believe I've been away for so long - the new thread is beautiful!!!

Hoping I can get some help here. My party of 5 has become a party of six (1 more niece this year which means 4 tween girls - pray for me now) and so I think we're gonna need a bigger boat- I mean room, lol.

Does anyone know the bed situation for connecting rooms? Is it 1 King connected to 2 queens? Does it vary by longhouse?

Thanks!

 

[Stefy]

Gosh look at all you Disers leaving for the Poly soon, you must be soooo excited

Quick question, out of your experiences which LH do you prefer out of Aotearoa or Fiji?

 

[Tess]

Hi everyone - can't believe I've been away for so long - the new thread is beautiful!!!

Hoping I can get some help here. My party of 5 has become a party of six (1 more niece this year which means 4 tween girls - pray for me now) and so I think we're gonna need a bigger boat- I mean room, lol.

Does anyone know the bed situation for connecting rooms? Is it 1 King connected to 2 queens? Does it vary by longhouse?

Thanks!

Your connecting rooms will have two queen beds and a day bed in each room. There are no king beds at the Polynesian in the non-suite longhouses. Hope that helps with your 'tween planning.

 

[1971DBday]

Just needed to catch up and get my Poly fix. My daughter will be in high school next year and we are contemplating whether to change our trip to August (oh God the heat). We are going to wait for the parent meeting in end of January to make our decision. Does anyone pull the high school age kids out of school?? If yes, challenging? With college so close, I don't want this to cause any problems, but we love our Nov/Dec trips!

 

[momtolots]

We just came back from a 2wk trip. Our DD, who is Gr.12, missed 1wk of school. I sent a note to the school in the fall, and she talked to each of her teachers in Nov. and again in Dec. She received assignments and completed the 1 which was due last week, before we left, and dropped it off at school. The teachers were very understanding, and they also gave her their school e-mail addresses so she could e-mail them any questions.
Since she will be going to univ. out of province, we explained that this might be our last family vacation for sometime...everyone was very understanding.
Hope that helps.
Cathy

 

[kandt]

I had requested a pack n play when the reservation was made and the CM said they are in every room in the closet. Is this true? I hadn't hear it before.

 

[MsStinkerBelle]

Quick question, out of your experiences which LH do you prefer out of Aotearoa or Fiji?

Out of those two I prefer Fiji mainly because there's a 50% chance you can get a water view for the price of a garden view, it's right near the boat launch to the MK, and very close to the GCH.

Aotearoa is nice too but I just love Fiji more.

So excited for all the folks headed to the Poly soon. I sure wish I was.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Awww, thanks!

So now I realize that I need to figure out which longhouses we might want to stay at... how do you pick? Or should I just leave it up to chance... what a great problem to have!

From one Poly noob to another...
I went round and round wondering the same thing about longhouses. The pics of each look fantastic, and they all seem to shine for various reasons. I studied the Tikiman site for weeks. I had just about decided to just not request anything, then wound up requesting 3rd floor Fiji (marina side). I just loved the views I saw in pics on thread here at the DIS and and elsewhere. Having said that, if I don't get it I won't be disappointed. I just don't want an asphalt parking lot view or an up-close view of a HVAC unit, and apparently the Poly has very few of those.
My suggestion would be to study that Tikiman site, and view all the pics here and on the Poly pic thread. If proximity to any certain feature is going to be important be sure to factor that in your decision making.
I'll let you know how the 3rd floor Fiji thing works out...soon.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

I know there is no hot tub at the Poly. Someone tell me about this little jetted cove in the main pool I have heard about. Is that part heated? How does that work, being jetted yet part of the pool?
Looking at the current forecast, it looks like it might be pool weather after all during part of my stay.

 

[Tess]

I had requested a pack n play when the reservation was made and the CM said they are in every room in the closet. Is this true? I hadn't hear it before.

Not sure about the other longhouses, but there is no pack-n-play in the closets of Hawaii. When we've stayed at BWI (among others), the pack-n-play was in the closet.

 

[BCV23]

I hope your son is doing better and it was nothing serious. . .

Oh goodness ! I hope he's doing better and it wasn't too serious?

Thanks, Tess and MsStinkerbelle. He's doing much better.

I forgot to mention but another nice thing about that urgent care was that there is a Turner drug right across the hallway. So convenient. Our entire trip took less than an hour including picking up his prescription!

We did try to have lunch at Kona later in the trip but the wait at 1:05 was at least an hour! It was absolutely slammed! I laughed with the host saying I had never seen it like that at lunch and he said he hadn't either!

Awww, thanks!

So now I realize that I need to figure out which longhouses we might want to stay at... how do you pick? Or should I just leave it up to chance... what a great problem to have!

We've always left it up to the Tiki gods other than when we're staying club level and also our very last stay. That time I did request Rapa Nui since we were going to be in an accessible room. I wouldn't even do that again.

I think there are two good reasons for not making a request. First of all, every longhouse has its advantages....and fans. Secondly, if the longhouse requested just isn't available it would be a shame to begin a Polynesian vacation feeling disappointed.