Disney's POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT Information & Questions

[Sue M]

After splitting up our stay at POR with a few nights at the Poly, I decided I'd pop on here and ask a quick question! -- I'm very new to the Poly thread I'm so sorry if this has already been discussed!...

If I have a club level room with a theme park view, am I guaranteed a balcony?

I don't think so because 2nd floor doesn't have ant balconies. Only 3rd floor rooms have balconies. Ground floor have patios.

 

[jerseygal]

CAN'T WAIT for our Poly Stay, 3 nights Studio, DH and me.. FIRST TIME F&W this October! Think we will request Morea..SO CLOSE to transportation center... POLY looks SO GORGEOUS!

 

[princessap]

Sorry if this has been asked but I can't find the answer anywhere. We are contemplating a club level garden view room next year and I have read reports that the views aren't as good anymore in the club lounge and rooms. Can someone let me know their experience?

 

[Flyerjab]

I'm surprised at how many people seem to go for CL rooms at the Poly, actually at any resort in general. With their cost and assuming most of us who vacation at Disney are middle-class people, what is the draw/appeal? And how does it pan out financially for those of you who choose CL? Do you take shorter vacations? Or go less often? Or is there something I'm totally missing? The more I read, the more curious I am.

I will take a shot at this. Our family (me, wife, D13, S12, S8) do split stays almost every trip. We seem to divide them between DVC villas and club level rooms at the deluxe resorts. We like to spoil ourselves on these trips and club level allows that type of experience.

To give you an example of why we do this (and only with the 30% disney discount + the added 15% orbitz discount), I will describe the poly experience at club level. Last summer, we stayed club level at the Poly for several days. Every morning we would go to the lounge (arguably one of the nicest on property) for breakfast. The one wall is a two story window wall with a view of the castle and it is beautiful. The food at breakfast is great and can replace having to get a breakfast in the parks or a resort. In the afternoons we tend to come back to the resort to swim. At the poly, the lounge is right near the pool. I would run up to get afternoon snacks and drinks for the family. And by drinks, a glass of wine (included in the cost of club level pricing) for my wife. I can't drink due to medical reasons, but they typically have sodas, beer and wine available all day. In the evening they put out appetizer type food that is very good. Again, on more than one occasion, we have substituted a meal at a restaurant with the club level food in the lounge. After this, desserts are put out with some cordials and other offerings. One night, after swimming, we went into the Poly lounge and got some desserts and drinks and sat in some seats near the glass wall that faces the MK. They then dimmed the lights, and piped in the Wishes music and sounds, all timed up exactly with the fireworks. It was incredible and proved to be a memorable experience for us. It was a bunch of people huddled around tables and on plush seats, nibbling on desserts in the dark while watching Wishes. It was really nice.

We are going this week for a 4 day Mother's Day trip and will be in a new DVC deluxe studio. It won't be club level but we are really looking forward to exploring the new areas of the Poly.

Hope this helps.

 

[kiki02]

I will take a shot at this. Our family (me, wife, D13, S12, S8) do split stays almost every trip. We seem to divide them between DVC villas and club level rooms at the deluxe resorts. We like to spoil ourselves on these trips and club level allows that type of experience.

To give you an example of why we do this (and only with the 30% disney discount + the added 15% orbitz discount), I will describe the poly experience at club level. Last summer, we stayed club level at the Poly for several days. Every morning we would go to the lounge (arguably one of the nicest on property) for breakfast. The one wall is a two story window wall with a view of the castle and it is beautiful. The food at breakfast is great and can replace having to get a breakfast in the parks or a resort. In the afternoons we tend to come back to the resort to swim. At the poly, the lounge is right near the pool. I would run up to get afternoon snacks and drinks for the family. And by drinks, a glass of wine (included in the cost of club level pricing) for my wife. I can't drink due to medical reasons, but they typically have sodas, beer and wine available all day. In the evening they put out appetizer type food that is very good. Again, on more than one occasion, we have substituted a meal at a restaurant with the club level food in the lounge. After this, desserts are put out with some cordials and other offerings. One night, after swimming, we went into the Poly lounge and got some desserts and drinks and sat in some seats near the glass wall that faces the MK. They then dimmed the lights, and piped in the Wishes music and sounds, all timed up exactly with the fireworks. It was incredible and proved to be a memorable experience for us. It was a bunch of people huddled around tables and on plush seats, nibbling on desserts in the dark while watching Wishes. It was really nice.

We are going this week for a 4 day Mother's Day trip and will be in a new DVC deluxe studio. It won't be club level but we are really looking forward to exploring the new areas of the Poly.

Hope this helps.

All good and very very very expensive, even with the 15% discount. How are most people getting the 30%? We never get that. ((

 

[TJA]

Sorry if this has been asked but I can't find the answer anywhere. We are contemplating a club level garden view room next year and I have read reports that the views aren't as good anymore in the club lounge and rooms. Can someone let me know their experience?

The garden club rooms face the quiet pool undergoing refurb right now, so that's probably why people are reporting the negative views. I'm not sure when that work is slated to be done.

As far as the views from the lounge, they are great once again now that bungalows are fully constructed. Obviously, it's a different view with the addition of the bungalows, but still very nice.

 

[jerseygal]

I will take a shot at this. Our family (me, wife, D13, S12, S8) do split stays almost every trip. We seem to divide them between DVC villas and club level rooms at the deluxe resorts. We like to spoil ourselves on these trips and club level allows that type of experience.

To give you an example of why we do this (and only with the 30% disney discount + the added 15% orbitz discount), I will describe the poly experience at club level. Last summer, we stayed club level at the Poly for several days. Every morning we would go to the lounge (arguably one of the nicest on property) for breakfast. The one wall is a two story window wall with a view of the castle and it is beautiful. The food at breakfast is great and can replace having to get a breakfast in the parks or a resort. In the afternoons we tend to come back to the resort to swim. At the poly, the lounge is right near the pool. I would run up to get afternoon snacks and drinks for the family. And by drinks, a glass of wine (included in the cost of club level pricing) for my wife. I can't drink due to medical reasons, but they typically have sodas, beer and wine available all day. In the evening they put out appetizer type food that is very good. Again, on more than one occasion, we have substituted a meal at a restaurant with the club level food in the lounge. After this, desserts are put out with some cordials and other offerings. One night, after swimming, we went into the Poly lounge and got some desserts and drinks and sat in some seats near the glass wall that faces the MK. They then dimmed the lights, and piped in the Wishes music and sounds, all timed up exactly with the fireworks. It was incredible and proved to be a memorable experience for us. It was a bunch of people huddled around tables and on plush seats, nibbling on desserts in the dark while watching Wishes. It was really nice.

We are going this week for a 4 day Mother's Day trip and will be in a new DVC deluxe studio. It won't be club level but we are really looking forward to exploring the new areas of the Poly.

Hope this helps.

 

[TJA]

All good and very very very expensive, even with the 15% discount. How are most people getting the 30%? We never get that. ((

30% is the average general public discount for Poly, I believe. Sometimes it's 35%, depending on the season. Easter week was 30% off (Disney's general discount), plus Orbitz gave the extra 15% on top of that.

I believe the only time there is a blackout for discounts is during very busy weeks, though they did not black out Easter week this year since spring breaks are now scattered all over. I think the week between Christmas and NYear's is blacked out. Not sure when else.

 

[jerseygal]

HOPE that you have a GREAT TIME on your Mother's Day trip! Are you staying standard studio and have you requested a longhouse? ENJOY!

 

[MouseMum]

I will take a shot at this. Our family (me, wife, D13, S12, S8) do split stays almost every trip. We seem to divide them between DVC villas and club level rooms at the deluxe resorts. We like to spoil ourselves on these trips and club level allows that type of experience.

To give you an example of why we do this (and only with the 30% disney discount + the added 15% orbitz discount), I will describe the poly experience at club level. Last summer, we stayed club level at the Poly for several days. Every morning we would go to the lounge (arguably one of the nicest on property) for breakfast. The one wall is a two story window wall with a view of the castle and it is beautiful. The food at breakfast is great and can replace having to get a breakfast in the parks or a resort. In the afternoons we tend to come back to the resort to swim. At the poly, the lounge is right near the pool. I would run up to get afternoon snacks and drinks for the family. And by drinks, a glass of wine (included in the cost of club level pricing) for my wife. I can't drink due to medical reasons, but they typically have sodas, beer and wine available all day. In the evening they put out appetizer type food that is very good. Again, on more than one occasion, we have substituted a meal at a restaurant with the club level food in the lounge. After this, desserts are put out with some cordials and other offerings. One night, after swimming, we went into the Poly lounge and got some desserts and drinks and sat in some seats near the glass wall that faces the MK. They then dimmed the lights, and piped in the Wishes music and sounds, all timed up exactly with the fireworks. It was incredible and proved to be a memorable experience for us. It was a bunch of people huddled around tables and on plush seats, nibbling on desserts in the dark while watching Wishes. It was really nice.

We are going this week for a 4 day Mother's Day trip and will be in a new DVC deluxe studio. It won't be club level but we are really looking forward to exploring the new areas of the Poly.

Hope this helps.

Thank you for your detailed explanation! I can certainly see how the beauty of the lagoon and castle when at the lounge, with wine and snacks, Wishes and music, would all make for a large dose of Disney perfection. I would love to try it! But not sure I can make it work for us...

We're from Canada so first and foremost, the exchange rate adds an extra expense on trips to the US regardless of what the actual exchange rate is at the time of purchase. We've been buying US funds here and there all year since our last trip, but a few months ago we paid approximately $300 to get $1000 US! Crazy!!! That's a big kick in the butt for us when planning a Disney vacation. (Fortunately, it's a little cheaper now but waiting for it to come down is always a gamble.) Disney vacations are not something we do often. Ok ok, we went last year for 11 days and are going again one year later for 12...with a few beach days to start. But we were sucked in by the Disney Magic! We didn't plan on loving it quite so much!! Our next trip, we'll likely be more budget conscious regarding when and where.

We were fortunate to get a 40% family and friends discount for both trips, so it helped us stay deluxe rather than moderate. (Oh, speaking of discounts, can I ask for some details about Orbitz please and thank you??) Even with this discount, CL still seems out of reach for a vacation of this length. (We don't vacation for less than 2 weeks...certainly not, in this case anyway, with 4 driving days to consider!)

I can't hit the cheapest times for booking either. As with many other parents who go around their kids' school schedules, timing is an issue. A teacher myself , being in class on the first day of the school year is fairly important As it is, I've booked our vacation as near as possible to the end of summer vacation to help keep costs down. I'll likely be ready for another vacation in the week I should be at my teaching prime! Lol
But I digress...

Whether or not we try CL, it's nice to know why so many go for it. Maybe one day I'll do a split-stay, with the second being CL. For now, I'll be grateful spending time with my family in one of the most magical places on earth. I'll give a wave though, while at the Poly pool in August, to those sitting in the lounge taking in the fireworks!

 

[kiki02]

30% is the average general public discount for Poly, I believe. Sometimes it's 35%, depending on the season. Easter week was 30% off (Disney's general discount), plus Orbitz gave the extra 15% on top of that.

I believe the only time there is a blackout for discounts is during very busy weeks, though they did not black out Easter week this year since spring breaks are now scattered all over. I think the week between Christmas and NYear's is blacked out. Not sure when else.

Never get that. I call up the WDW # - ask for the Poly - 4 to 6 weeks in advance - we stay 3 to 5 nights and it's NEVER a discount. ? Thanks in any case.

 

[CJK]

We're not staying at the Poly this coming trip (hopefully soon though!), but we are planning on going to Trader Sams one late afternoon/early evening. Are we permitted to watch the outdoor movie on the beach that night at the Poly, or is it only for guests staying at that hotel? TIA!

 

[TJA]

Never get that. I call up the WDW # - ask for the Poly - 4 to 6 weeks in advance - we stay 3 to 5 nights and it's NEVER a discount. ? Thanks in any case.

Oh, I see. It sounds like by the time you call to book all of the discounted rooms are gone. Our dates are pretty much set in stone each year since our kids hit middle school (Easter week and July 4 week), so I book online immediately after the deals are released for those time frames. Thankfully, both weeks were discounted heavily this year.

 

[1971DBday]

wait....seriously?!? did that come from a lifeguard?? 48in is only for the small slide on the splash area? so bigger kids are at least allowed on the structure? there are 2 slides on the kids area right? the real tiny toddler one and then a little bigger one that goes through a mountain (like a mini version of the big pool slide)? please post all you know!! inquiring minds need to know

Sorry crazy week coming back from the trip. Yes, this was from a lifeguard. There are two slides, so the 48 inches is only limiting the use of the smaller slide.





Only seating right now. There is no shade for anyone with little ones.

 

[kiki02]

Oh, I see. It sounds like by the time you call to book all of the discounted rooms are gone. Our dates are pretty much set in stone each year since our kids hit middle school (Easter week and July 4 week), so I book online immediately after the deals are released for those time frames. Thankfully, both weeks were discounted heavily this year.

Great for you! But how do you know when the discounts are out? Do you get an email? a notice? Thanks. I HAVE NOT.

 

[Cluelyss]

Great for you! But how do you know when the discounts are out? Do you get an email? a notice? Thanks. I HAVE NOT.

Disney posts them online, or you can follow the Disney Parks Blog for info. Mousesavers.com also tracks historical discounts, so you can get an idea of what has been released when.

 

[Apopper74]

Sorry crazy week coming back from the trip. Yes, this was from a lifeguard. There are two slides, so the 48 inches is only limiting the use of the smaller slide.





Only seating right now. There is no shade for anyone with little ones.

Great news and thanks for the confirmation. My DS9 would be heartbroken if he couldn't play with my DS3 and vice versa.

 

[kiki02]

Disney posts them online, or you can follow the Disney Parks Blog for info. Mousesavers.com also tracks historical discounts, so you can get an idea of what has been released when.

Can you post the link for disney parks blog and thanks in any case! I do see discounts for Florida residents - that's about it! so far.

 

[1971DBday]

We're not staying at the Poly this coming trip (hopefully soon though!), but we are planning on going to Trader Sams one late afternoon/early evening. Are we permitted to watch the outdoor movie on the beach that night at the Poly, or is it only for guests staying at that hotel? TIA!

There should be no issue. It's not in a gated area and they don't check to see if yours guest.

 

[1971DBday]

While I haven't been at Poly since they installed the gate, I'm sure they will not allow access after posted hours. Other resorts I've been to, most recently AKL Jambo & Kidani, do make everyone leave at the posted time, both from the pool area & the hot tubs. Bummer because we also like to stay at parks til the wee hours & then take a quick dip or soak after. I know at Kidani you can't even get into the gate after the posted hours, I know from experience because we tried!

Just returned on Tuesday and this is correct. However, per one of the supervisors the summer hours will extend to 11pm.