Disappointed with the Poly

[JewelAnn]

Well...after reading all of these posts, I am considering canceling our October/November stay at the CR--already this thread is mostly about the Poly (stayed at the GF last fall and loved it--no it's not a Ritz Carlton, which is the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in, but the GF room was about as good as many Hiltons I've stayed in (TV and reception were pathetic)--but smaller--except I haven't seen any Hilton lobbies that compare to the GF). There were a few glitches--the long line to check in, the several trees blocking part of our lagoon/MK view, having to call several times to have laundry picked up, hostess at tea was rude. I also thought the snack bar/game room looked pretty shabby, but the food (considering it was a snack bar) was good. Service was great, too--we were especially impressed with the valet parking staff, but I understand that that is now contracted out (always a negative for guests). I refuse to stay in a room that resembles some of those I've read about on this board--but I'm thinking odds are pretty slim that we'll encounter that. Perhaps staying in a hotel that hosts conventions is, in some ways, a good thing. If we ever stay off property, I had already decided that the Ritz Carlton would be my choice before reading about it on this board. My family can tell you that I'm very particular--we drove around Niagara Falls (U.S. side) FOREVER checking out hotels before we found one I could tolerate. I always check out my room at a non-Disney hotel before agreeing to stay. All that said, assuming we don't cancel the October/November trip, I'm sure we'll have a WONDERFUL time in the MK (our favorite park even though it's just the two of us now!)!!!

 

[trtrans]

Fish2Girl

Don't let everyone else's opion dissuade you to much. Just listen to the negative and positive and see what works best for your family.

We had a wonderful stay there and did not notice any building ready to fall over. (Ha!).
Our room was a good size I thought for us. We had 5 people 2 adults and 3 kids 13, 12, 11. The beds were quite comfy and the pullout couch which is like a futon was pretty comfortable too. The kids took turns on the couch and by the end of the trip my oldest son 13 and is a good size decided he like it the best and thought it was comfortable. There was plenty of storage areas for all our stuff. There are two good sized closets with a refrigerator with a counter in between that had the coffee maker etc..... It had a nice flat screen tv which made the kids feel at home with a dvd player that we could go the the lounge and get movies to watch.

The bathroom was a good size with plenty of counter space with plenty of storage area underneath. We did have a girl with all her amenities if you know what I mean. The sink is in the bathroom and not on the outside which did not effect our family. When someone was in the shower you still had plenty of privacy if someone wanted to be in there too. The toilet area was blocked by a wall with plenty of privacy I thought.

The service was great we had no issues whatsoever. They were always very friendly. Our room was clean when we arrived and we never had any issues. The first day we called housekeeping to ask if we could have a few extra towels per day due to teenagers and we also needed a couple more blankets and pillows and then we left for dinner. We went to the luau and half way there realized we had forgotten our tickets and then turned around to go get them and when I went back in the room housekeeping had already been there and had delivered our requests. Even throughout the week they always left us extra towels. A couple of times in the beginning of our trip we still did not have our bearings on the ground and were wandering around aimlessly and even a bellboy was passing us and asked if we were having a great stay and if he could help us.

After being at the parks all day with millions of people it was nice to go back to the poly where is was usually quiet and never felt like there were to many other people. Maybe it's because of the different long houses and that not all the people were in one building but I'm not sure but it also seemed so peaceful to us. Even one of my kids mentioned this to us. You have to remember that the poly is not a new resort but it does not looked runned down at all.

Well good luck with your decision but by my stay there I do not feel you would have a bad experience.

Dawn

 

[Fish2girls]

Fish2Girl

Don't let everyone else's opion dissuade you to much. Just listen to the negative and positive and see what works best for your family.

We had a wonderful stay there and did not notice any building ready to fall over. (Ha!).
Our room was a good size I thought for us. We had 5 people 2 adults and 3 kids 13, 12, 11. The beds were quite comfy and the pullout couch which is like a futon was pretty comfortable too. The kids took turns on the couch and by the end of the trip my oldest son 13 and is a good size decided he like it the best and thought it was comfortable. There was plenty of storage areas for all our stuff. There are two good sized closets with a refrigerator with a counter in between that had the coffee maker etc..... It had a nice flat screen tv which made the kids feel at home with a dvd player that we could go the the lounge and get movies to watch.

The bathroom was a good size with plenty of counter space with plenty of storage area underneath. We did have a girl with all her amenities if you know what I mean. The sink is in the bathroom and not on the outside which did not effect our family. When someone was in the shower you still had plenty of privacy if someone wanted to be in there too. The toilet area was blocked by a wall with plenty of privacy I thought.

The service was great we had no issues whatsoever. They were always very friendly. Our room was clean when we arrived and we never had any issues. The first day we called housekeeping to ask if we could have a few extra towels per day due to teenagers and we also needed a couple more blankets and pillows and then we left for dinner. We went to the luau and half way there realized we had forgotten our tickets and then turned around to go get them and when I went back in the room housekeeping had already been there and had delivered our requests. Even throughout the week they always left us extra towels. A couple of times in the beginning of our trip we still did not have our bearings on the ground and were wandering around aimlessly and even a bellboy was passing us and asked if we were having a great stay and if he could help us.

After being at the parks all day with millions of people it was nice to go back to the poly where is was usually quiet and never felt like there were to many other people. Maybe it's because of the different long houses and that not all the people were in one building but I'm not sure but it also seemed so peaceful to us. Even one of my kids mentioned this to us. You have to remember that the poly is not a new resort but it does not looked runned down at all.

Well good luck with your decision but by my stay there I do not feel you would have a bad experience.

Dawn

Thank you so much Dawn, it helps a lot to know that the Poly would still be a great place to stay and we all have different experiences with staying at a DR. I am still going to book the Poly and just wing it for now!
Thanks for the pep talk!

 

[CarolA]

(Considering that on my ONE and ONLY stay at the GF the valet took over 45 minutes THREE times to bring my car, I am VERY hopeful that "contracting" out has improved the ROTTEN service. I have also had unacceptable waits for cars when dining there..... )

 

[Allensfan]

Well, now that I have read this whole thread, I feel a bit depressed. I am researching all the deluxe resorts for our Nov. 2008 trip and was all geared up for Poly until now, I'm a bit unsure. I have seen all the new pictures, renovations and reviews and I still want to go but hesitant. I guess it all depends on what your experience, but there are quite a few disapointed people. We have never stayed at the Poly and wanted to try something new! . So should I still concider this resort, it seems nice with all the new renovations . We have only been to AKL, so we are Disney beginners.

I am in the SAME boat as you. We are new to Disney, stayed at AKL last year and had so much fun. That hotel is fun, clean, service was awesome, and the hotel was amazing. We want to go back...and Poly was one of the top choices for us. After reading this string, I am wondering why I am trying to spend extra for this place??? Small pool, bad mousekeeping, smelly, and poor service...we loved how happy and caring the people were at AKL. I don't care how great the view is if the property is like this.

Now I don't know what to do. Planning the trip and picking the correct hotel is kind of my job in the family, I would hate to disappoint them.

 

[DisneyBride'03]

Hey folks.....

Let's all keep in mind there are now 7 pages now in response to the OP's comments.....This was HER experience, her opinion..and her comments reflect that. I cannot imagine how many guests stay at the Poly on a yearly basis....this is ONE opinion.

Yes, now others have joined in an expressed their experiences. Everyone has their opinions too....
I just hope that folks considering a Poly stay are not swayed by these comments. I have seen this happen before....a guest has a less than magical stay at a resort..comments on it....and so on and so on.
I do agree rates are too high...but Poly doesnt seem to be short on guests.
Everyone needs to make their own individual judgement.....based on their own experience.

 

[LoveKermit]

Thank you DisneyBride...I've been kind of stewing over people being swayed. People can spend their money how they want. There are far better deals than on-property (ever rented a house?), but there is definitely less "Magic." We only go about every 18 months. So, we do it up big. But that's what we decided when we got married. That's how we do many of our vacations....not necessarily most expensive, just big. Especially if there are special occasions, like many people visiting Disney have. If we went more frequently, we wouldn't stay in Deluxe every time either. We are considering DVC though. This thread has digressed.

 

[SeaSpray]

Hey folks.....

Let's all keep in mind there are now 7 pages now in response to the OP's comments.....This was HER experience, her opinion..and her comments reflect that. I cannot imagine how many guests stay at the Poly on a yearly basis....this is ONE opinion.

Yes, now others have joined in an expressed their experiences. Everyone has their opinions too....
I just hope that folks considering a Poly stay are not swayed by these comments. I have seen this happen before....a guest has a less than magical stay at a resort..comments on it....and so on and so on.
I do agree rates are too high...but Poly doesnt seem to be short on guests.
Everyone needs to make their own individual judgement.....based on their own experience.

Well said. Back in early 2001 when I was planning and researching our first onsite stay, the consensus here on the Resorts Board was very negative towards Caribbean Beach (it still is, but not as much). However, the theming of CBR really appealed to my family and I, and I did a LOT of research; I learned exactly what people didn't like about it, I looked at as many personal pictures of the resort that I could (there weren't a lot of people posting their personal pics back then!), and I finally made the decision to stick with CBR. I was SO GLAD that I did because we loved the resort.

However, the lesson here is that even negative comments, experiences, and opinions can be valuable because it gives you the larger picture of where you're going, and what to expect, the good and bad. Because of people saying how large and spread out that CBR is, we chose to make a request to be near the main building/food court/main pool, etc due to medical issues that my younger DS and DH were experiencing. We were placed in a GREAT location (now, you can book and therefore guarantee a preferred location but back then it was only a request) and it all worked out very well for us. If people on the boards hadn't complained about how far away some of the buildings were, I never would've known to make that request and our stay at CBR might not have been as perfect as it was.

People need to research whatever resort they're planning on staying at, no matter what the cost or price level, and they have to be comfortable with what they're paying, AND they need to know all aspects of that resort so they can make an informed decision. And if all of the factors point you towards a particular resort, don't let ANY negative reviews steer you from it!

 

[Allensfan]

I am personally very thankful that threads like this are here. Otherwise, how would I know all of these things about Poly before I open my checkbook. This is why the forum is here in the first place. I had this dreamy idea of Poly that I am sure would have fallen short. Now I know the pros and cons.

Happy to hear the feed-back, in my humble opinion, keep it coming.

 

[DisneyBride'03]

Oh, I am all for feedback...give me the good with the bad. My point is I don't believe you should not try a resort cause some have had a less than magical time.
I recently have stayed at a value resort..Pop Century....read some negative things...we had a great time! If I would have taken everything to heart I read....we would have missed out.

 

[tigger536]

Oh, I am all for feedback...give me the good with the bad. My point is I don't believe you should not try a resort cause some have had a less than magical time.
I recently have stayed at a value resort..Pop Century....read some negative things...we had a great time! If I would have taken everything to heart I read....we would have missed out.

Definately! Well said. Always decide for yourself.

 

[Alyssa's Mom]

Hey folks.....

Let's all keep in mind there are now 7 pages now in response to the OP's comments.....This was HER experience, her opinion..and her comments reflect that. I cannot imagine how many guests stay at the Poly on a yearly basis....this is ONE opinion.

Yes, now others have joined in an expressed their experiences. Everyone has their opinions too....
I just hope that folks considering a Poly stay are not swayed by these comments. I have seen this happen before....a guest has a less than magical stay at a resort..comments on it....and so on and so on.
I do agree rates are too high...but Poly doesnt seem to be short on guests.
Everyone needs to make their own individual judgement.....based on their own experience.

I agree EVERYONE has different experiences at different resorts. Something that bothers someone terribly, may not bother someone else all that bad.
That is what this is- ONE persons OPINION.

We stayed at the Poly last year and had a WONDERFUL experience. I cannot say enough Great things about the Poly.
I actually did not have any cons.

Room was very clean and spacious, mousekeeping always did an excellent job. Room was always cleaned by 12:00,(where we just lucky and on an early schedule? I don't know) But if it was an issue it could be solved by calling housekeeping and requesting early cleaning.

I don't think I have encountered nicer CM's than at the Poly, always an ALOHA everywhere we went.

We arrived at 3:00 easy check-in, no wait at all. The CM checking us in was so nice, I even remembered his name, Peter.

We also stayed at the AKL and it was wonderful too, Not any better, just as nice.

Remember- EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN OPINION- Don't let THEIR opinion ruin YOUR vacation.


Just my .02 cents.

 

[aplejax76]

We are staying at the Poly for the first time. I have read the whole thread. I can honestly say that it hasn't swayed me one bit. I still want to stay there.

I remember when I was going to stay at POR, I read every thread I could on it. Read this one thread that ripped the resort to shreds. I started panicing.
Was sure it was going to be the worst resort ever. I was soooooo wrong. It was lovely. Had a wonderful time.

Remember for every bad review there's 10 good ones to back it up.

For the people worried, sometimes things happen. Even at Disney. It's your choice to dwell on it and let it ruin a vacation.

 

[alisonarod]

After reading this thread, my wife and I are a bit weary about staying at the Poly. We loved the Contemporary but wanted to try something knew. We'll be at the Poly august 6th-10th. If anyone staying at the CR during that time-frame wishes to switch ressies, please let me know. The CR has always treated it well. As the old saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[disgirl]

Alisonarod: I can understand your hesitation with trying a new resort when you have always had good experiences at CR. I can also respect the fact that you would actually be willing to switch a ressie with someone. However, as others have said here I do not think you should let some negative reviews sway you. I am sure there have been people who have had a less than magical experience at every hotel including CR, at some time. It is just that you have been fortunate enough to have great experiences there and that is wonderful. Years ago DH, DS, and myself always stayed at a moderate, CBR. We really enjoyed it there, but one year after hearing rave reviews about the yacht and BC, we decided to stay at the BC. Well, needless to say, DH, DS fell in love with its location and SAB. We then joined DVC and have gone to the BC 3 times and are headed back next month. Only this time I convinced them to cut our stay at the BC and try the POLY again for 3 nights. DH and I have been there many years ago and DS has never been. Although I agree that it is nice and "safe" to visit a place you have already experienced great stays at, I also think there is nothing wrong with trying new places. Who knows, some people try new places and they then become their NEW favorite place. Many people, including DH and I (many years ago) have had wonderful stays at the Polynesian Hotel. I just do not think you should let negative posts get you down. Look at all the positive ones on these boards, too. Good Luck!!

 

[4 mickey]

HI
We did stay at the poly while on a land & sea package in may 2004 .
We loved it nice resort , clean , cms very nice , pool a bit small but then again so beautifuld , I would go again don't worry once in a while at any given resort there will be a case of somebody for whom a few things go wrong it did happen to a friend of mine and no not at the poly .
It is always unfortunate for that personn I,ll give you that .
But pop , all star's , poly , ....anything can happen but 99% of the time it doesn,t .
As I said poly is a resort worth trying .

 

[Rudy6]

I am a little worried about my upcoming tip to WDW. For my daughter's 7th birthday, we are staying at the Polynesian for three nights of our trip. She wanted to stay at the Contemporary, but only rediculously expensive rooms were available at the Contemporary. I suggested the Poly, because it is on the monorail. I want this to be a birthday she always remembers, but I do not want her to remember smelly elevators and a generally dumpy crowded place.

I have only been to the Poly one time. We ate at the Kona - the food was wonderful. The main building was neat. We did not walk around outside, so I do not know much about the place, other than photos.

She wanted to stay at the Boardwalk. Her brother and her are facinated with the photos of the pool. On a side note, do people really pool hop? I do not see all tht much difference between the resort pools, other than the little slide. I just cannot see wasting time going to another resort to swim. How is the bus service from the Boardwalk to the MK?

After reading some of the opinions on the Poly, I am worried.

One of the main reasons I want to stay there, is that we will be so close to the Magic Kingdom. We will be there from Jan 1st to Jan 4th, so I thought we will spend every day at the Magic Kingdom. We will be at the ASMo for thirteen nights, so we will be able to see everything else at that time. I just did not want to deal wit the crowds at Christmas in the Magic Kingdom, so I thought the few days after the 1st would be great.

I could care less about when the lugage arrives, though I agree, it should be delievered immediately to a deluxe resort.

I am a little concerned about housekeeping arriving late in the day, but in the many nights we have stayed in a WDW resort, I cannot recall that being a problem. One time, we must have been taking a nap, and a bag of fresh linens was hanging on the outside door.

We got a standard view, but in reading the Tikiman's webpages, it only looks like a few of the rooms have obstructed views of the parking lots. Is the cost of a Magic Kingdom view really worth it?

My big question is whether we should do the Poly or go to the Boardwalk Inn? Oh, my daughter loved the AKL, and asked about it, too, but I think it is going to be under construction with the DVC. Am I right?

Thanks

 

[DisneyBride'03]

Call me silly...but I think this thread has run its course....

 

[CoolPool]

I agree. I just think that if people think that Disney is out to rip them off at the Poly then they shouldn't stay there. Simple. So easy. Ignore the 999 threads that are positive and only look at this one because it confirms your inner fears of vacation "ruined".

 

[DisneyBride'03]

CoolPool....have a Lava Flow for me at at the Poly! So jealous.....had to get my Poly fix in March...had one and walked the beach. Will do the same next trip!