Disney's POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT Information & Questions

[2boyzmommy]

Decided to add Memory Maker yesterday for our super short trip. Can't remember if there are any photographers at the resorts, we'll have my daughters' best friend with us and thought that it would be fun to get few resort photos.

We did see some photo pass people during our trip in August. They were in the lobby at night and we got some shots in front of the tiki. I'm not sure they were there every night though.

 

[rcraw45425]

thank you, we'll try to keep an eye out!!

 

[jennab]

Ok mini review here. We just got back yesterday from 7 nights in standard view. Originally they had us on 2nd floor of Nieu (sp?) but I really wanted ground floor and only option was A building (can't spell it) room 1203. Room seemed fine at first as it was only 3 in from the main entrance so not far at all from GCH. However, I would not say it is a great room for someone who has small children that nap during the day or those that go to bed early. It was pretty loud. It was across the elevator and by the housekeeping area. You could always hear housekeeping carts in the afternoon and one day there was this horrible buzzing noise coming from the area that drove DH insane. At night it was pretty loud too as everyone would enter by our room to take the elevator. Other than that we had a monorail view and that was nice.

We ate at Captain Cook's on our first day and it was not very good. The lines were super long (this was at like 2pm) and the wait was way longer than I would have expected. We ate at Ohana twice for dinner, the first time was great and the second they seemed to be rushing us as brought out the main dishes right after they brought out the apps (even before the noodles). We also ate their for breakfast and were one of the first ones seated so that went well and was fun! Did Kona for breakfast once (2 adults and 1 child shared the big kahuna (extra sausage) and fruit plate), and also for lunch twice. Sushi was good at lunch and also the surf and turf burger!

We went to Epcot on Monday and monorail didn't start until 9am so we took a bus that also stopped at GF (like all busses). Other than that we had no monorail issues and every time we needed a bus we waited no longer than about 5min (except coming back from AK which was about 10-15min - no biggie). We did Trader Sam's on Thurs night with no wait and that was fun. Also had a few drinks at the outside area and stopped once to have a dole whip!

The resort is beautiful but it is also crowded. People coming in for dining or just to look around. It was much more crowded than I expected. We did the pool a few times and the gate on the marina side (closest from our building) only worked once for my magic band. Otherwise some nice person let us in or we caught someone going out. I used the gate on the beach side and also by the dole whip area with no problems. We were always able to find loungers, now ones in the shade were a bit more difficult but we were mostly in the pool watching our DS (3) so it really didn't matter. DS loved the kids play area and both slides! I was surprised at how dark the kids one is but he just kept going over and over!

We watched the fireworks from the beach one night and arrived about 10min prior. It was pretty packed. The last 2 nights were NOJ at MK so they didn't have fireworks. That was a bit disappointing but oh well.

Overall we had a pretty good trip and I have always wanted to stay at the Poly so glad we got the chance! I think we will try somewhere else next time though. DH preferred beach club but I think he was also spoiled that we stayed in a 1bd DVC that year so had more space! He thought the pool at Poly was so small but compared to Stormalong Bay what isn't???

If you have any questions I will try to answer!

 

[Rosebud123]

All these Poly reviews have inspired me to add mine! Returned last Monday from a 10 night trip (5 at Poly/5 at YC).

First off, LOVED the Poly. It's a really special resort.

Room(s) review: Arrived on Friday, 08/28 around 7:00 p.m. in the rain. Was worried about the hurricane (that NEVER came!) so the rain bummed me out a bit. Super nice CM's at check-in. Had requested Fiji marina view, 3rd floor, got Fiji 2nd floor GF/beach view. Normally I would have been just fine with this (view was actually very pretty) but I was afraid we'd be stuck in the room for 24 hours due to the hurricane and I really wanted a balcony and a view of the "action." They couldn't switch us that night, but we were able to move the next day. The CM had to call over a gentleman to help us, and he told me everyone requests Fiji marina-view balcony now! Moving wasn't a big deal; we just didn't bother unpacking and bell services came early in the a.m. (6:30 since we left at 7 to make our BOG ADR at 8) and stored our bags. Room was ready when we returned from MK for our pool break. Both rooms were really pretty, but a bit dark. Loved the size of the bathroom but didn't like that the sinks were in the same area as the shower/toilet. Balcony was great but view is blocked when sitting because of weird placement of top railing. Housekeeping was awesome in terms of the room, but the hallway of Fiji was pretty grubby looking, especially the carpeting.

Pool/Recreation: I worried that the pool would be too small/crowded, but it was totally fine. I liked that I could read/relax on a chair while my kids (11 and 13) swam and I could keep 1/2 an eye on them. Never had an issue finding a chair. Think we used the pool 4 different times. I didn't enjoy the afternoon pool games, but that's because I prefer a more relaxing pool experience. It wasn't super hot the first few days so we enjoyed the hot tub, too. That was awesome! Our MB's worked maybe 1/2 the time on the pool gates. Life guards/other guests let us in a lot. Didn't notice any obvious pool hoppers, but didn't notice anyone checking bands. Rented the little Sea Raycers one afternoon, which was very fun and not very expensive. Can't believe we never took advantage of watching Wishes from the Poly! My kids didn't care enough to go to see it, and I was afraid of getting more bug bites so we never bothered. Think some of my family saw part of it walking back to the room one night.

Dining: Really happy with all of our dining/drinking experiences at the Poly! We got iced coffees every morning from the little place next to Kona (can't think of the name right now! Kona Island??) and it was delish. First night got apps and drinks from the patio outside Trader Sam's. Food and drinks were great but I was super bummed that they ran out of Zombie mugs! Checked every day but they never came back in stock. I got about 10 bug bites on my ankle while we were eating, and the insanely itchy bites drove my crazy for the next 3-4 days. My ankle was really swollen so I must have been allergic to whatever it was that bit me! Grabbed take-out from Captain Cook's 2x. (Thai meatballs were yummy! Actually everything was really good.) Had a great lunch at Kona one day after leaving the MK for a break (it was actually after our Poly stay, but I just had to eat there once during our trip!). I love that place. We had the same waiter as 18 months ago. Serious guy but excellent waiter. Ordered the room service feast from 'Ohana on the last night and it was my kids' favorite meal from the whole trip! Ordered it for 1 and 4 of us shared (2 didn't eat much). It's a ton of food. Ordered many cocktails from the pool bar and enjoyed them all!

Transportation: Only used the monorail and our car. On our Epcot day we stupidly took the resort mono to the TTC instead of just walking. Didn't realize how fast it was to walk! No real monorail problems, but it was a bit slow sometimes. It was so easy to go back and forth to MK. Really enjoyed that. We started to take the bus to DTD (Disney Springs) one night, but we only had 40 minutes to get to Raglan Road so we ended up just driving. Also drove to Blizzard Beach one of the days and finding a spot in the Poly lot was never an issue.

Misc: Did laundry one night and the CM we asked for directions to the laundry room warned us it was "all the way" on the other side of the resort, which turned out to be maybe a 6 or 7 minute walk at most. Plenty of washers and dryers, which we appreciated! Everything is very close together. We really loved the location of Fiji. Very pretty views for the standard view category! Couldn't believe that this view is considered "standard."




Overall we were very happy with the Poly. The longhouses struck me as a bit hokey, but the grounds are really, really gorgeous. We got a "magical" deal, which was the only way we ever could have afforded to stay there. Very jealous of anyone with an upcoming trip!

 

[Sue M]

Great report! Do they give you a copy of the monorail schedule when you check in? I am so nervous about getting a mud pit facing room in October.

Yes, they do. I just didn't consult it that day, lol! Silly of me.

SueM..Thanks for your detailed report; sounds like you had a GREAT time. GLAD that you wound up moving to the room that you liked! Two quick questions in regard to the pool gate. When you say that the pool gate is tricky, do you have to do something "special" with the magic bands? Additionally, how early before Wishes if you want loungers do you think you must go to the beach?(of course with a fun drink in hand!) TIA!

Nothing special but the post with the box is a bit away from gate, and unlike your room, no light turning green to let you know gate unlocked. I had my daughter stand by gate while I tapped MB to scanner so she could try gate after I scanned. If it's not too noisy you can hear a faint click when lock releases.

The beach is a nice place to watch, first time I just stood on path by pool, second time I sat on pool lounger by fence. Third time we got beach lounger because we got there for movie, but no, not necessary to be on beach. My fav experience was watching Wishes in the pool floating on my pool noodle

LOL, thanks for the great trip report! Was there a bus to Epcot from Poly? Somewhere else I read that they were told by CM that the bus to Epcot on is from TTC not Poly.

Yes, you can get the bus from Poly at the bus stop a little ways down walkway from GCH. It's in front of Laundry facility and LILO & Stitch playhouse. We ended up getting the bus from TTC because we didn't read the schedule!

 

[Sue M]

Great report! Do they give you a copy of the monorail schedule when you check in? I am so nervous about getting a mud pit facing room in October.

If you don't like your room, just go back to front desk and inquire if anything else is available. Like us, you may have to wait a day or 2 and be willing to move. When we moved the next day, we just had Bell Service to hold our luggage until new room was ready. Our new room was ready at 4:00.

 

[Sue M]

All these Poly reviews have inspired me to add mine! Returned last Monday from a 10 night trip (5 at Poly/5 at YC).

First off, LOVED the Poly. It's a really special resort.

Room(s) review: Arrived on Friday, 08/28 around 7:00 p.m. in the rain. Was worried about the hurricane (that NEVER came!) so the rain bummed me out a bit. Super nice CM's at check-in. Had requested Fiji marina view, 3rd floor, got Fiji 2nd floor GF/beach view. Normally I would have been just fine with this (view was actually very pretty) but I was afraid we'd be stuck in the room for 24 hours due to the hurricane and I really wanted a balcony and a view of the "action." They couldn't switch us that night, but we were able to move the next day. The CM had to call over a gentleman to help us, and he told me everyone requests Fiji marina-view balcony now! Moving wasn't a big deal; we just didn't bother unpacking and bell services came early in the a.m. (6:30 since we left at 7 to make our BOG ADR at 8) and stored our bags. Room was ready when we returned from MK for our pool break. Both rooms were really pretty, but a bit dark. Loved the size of the bathroom but didn't like that the sinks were in the same area as the shower/toilet. Balcony was great but view is blocked when sitting because of weird placement of top railing. Housekeeping was awesome in terms of the room, but the hallway of Fiji was pretty grubby looking, especially the carpeting.

Pool/Recreation: I worried that the pool would be too small/crowded, but it was totally fine. I liked that I could read/relax on a chair while my kids (11 and 13) swam and I could keep 1/2 an eye on them. Never had an issue finding a chair. Think we used the pool 4 different times. I didn't enjoy the afternoon pool games, but that's because I prefer a more relaxing pool experience. It wasn't super hot the first few days so we enjoyed the hot tub, too. That was awesome! Our MB's worked maybe 1/2 the time on the pool gates. Life guards/other guests let us in a lot. Didn't notice any obvious pool hoppers, but didn't notice anyone checking bands. Rented the little Sea Raycers one afternoon, which was very fun and not very expensive.

Dining: Really happy with all of our dining/drinking experiences at the Poly! We got iced coffees every morning from the little place next to Kona (can't think of the name right now! Kona Island??) and it was delish. First night got apps and drinks from the patio outside Trader Sam's. Food and drinks were great but I was super bummed that they ran out of Zombie mugs! Checked every day but they never came back in stock. I got about 10 bug bites on my ankle while we were eating, and the insanely itchy bites drove my crazy for the next 3-4 days. My ankle was really swollen so I must have been allergic to whatever it was that bit me! Grabbed take-out from Captain Cook's 2x. (Thai meatballs were yummy! Actually everything was really good.) Had a great lunch at Kona one day after leaving the MK for a break (it was actually after our Poly stay, but I just had to eat there once during our trip!). I love that place. We had the same waiter as 18 months ago. Serious guy but excellent waiter. Ordered the room service feast from 'Ohana on the last night and it was my kids' favorite meal from the whole trip! Ordered it for 1 and 4 of us shared (2 didn't eat much). It's a ton of food. Ordered many cocktails from the pool bar and enjoyed them all!

Transportation: Only used the monorail and our car. On our Epcot day we stupidly took the resort mono to the TTC instead of just walking. Didn't realize how fast it was to walk! No real monorail problems, but it was a bit slow sometimes. It was so easy to go back and forth to MK. Really enjoyed that. We started to take the bus to DTD (Disney Springs) one night, but we only had 40 minutes to get to Raglan Road so we ended up just driving. Also drove to Blizzard Beach one of the days and finding a spot in the Poly lot was never an issue.

Misc: Did laundry one night and the CM we asked for directions to the laundry room warned us it was "all the way" on the other side of the resort, which turned out to be maybe a 6 or 7 minute walk at most. Plenty of washers and dryers, which we appreciated! Everything is very close together. We really loved the location of Fiji. Very pretty views for the standard view category! Couldn't believe that this view is considered "standard."




Overall we were very happy with the Poly. The longhouses struck me as a bit hokey, but the grounds are really, really gorgeous. We got a "magical" deal, which was the only way we ever could have afforded to stay there. Very jealous of anyone with an upcoming trip!

We had requested Fiji/balcony/marina view too! But got 2nd floor. I need a balcony, esp for a 2 week stay so next day we moved to Samoa to have balcony.
I found MB tricky to use too for pool, but by my second week I got the hang, lol.
Only reason I knew some people were pool hoppers was they were broadcasting it within my hearing!
Great view! We sure did get some whopper of T-storms!!

 

[jennab]

I forgot to add since people were wondering that the walk to TTC from the west side rooms wasn't bad at all. Honestly I was probably an extra 2min than from Samoa.

And DS went to Lilo's playhouse one night and he had a fun time!

 

[Retro Magic]

Boy oh boy when I check-in 2nd week of November, I better not be stuck with construction views in a DVC studio. Parking lot I'll take, just no construction. Hopefully requesting a building/view the night prior in-person will help.

 

[walker0829]

Back from our first trip to the Poly in close to 20 years. Will be putting together a trip report as time allows. Things started off a bit disappointing when none of our room requests were honored. Asked for first or third floor and Rarotonga, was given 2nd floor Fiji. On the plus side, there was no construction to worry about on the Fiji side.

This was our first ever fall trip(we've gone in May every time prior). We never had an issue getting seating at Captain Cooks but if this is low season I can see where things would be a challenge during the busier times.

A couple quick comments:

* Having the dole whip available onsite was great!
* Bus transportation seemed lacking. Definitely didn't seem to be 15-20 min between buses. Is this common with monorail resorts?
* Mousekeeping was really good. They almost always had our room done by the time we returned from the park(usually around 1). The one time they didn't, we were let in while she finished and we were thanked for the tip(I tipped daily).
*Captain Cooks is great. A bit on the slow side for pushing out orders but considering it's Disney the food was great and the prices weren't bad(especially for kids meals).
*Trader Sam's- a very interesting bar. The staff is full of personality. It wasn't quite my thing but I was tired from a long day and just wanted a drink before it closed.
*Wishes on the Beach- makes the Poly worth every penny!

 

[jerseygal]

Walker0829, thanks for posting. Good to hear about Captain Cooks, there are happily more favorable comments than not. CAN'T WAIT to see Wishes from the pool and beach!

 

[mickeynut1]

I'm here now. In rarotonga facing construction. Looking at a large mud pit. Uglier than expected. Nothing beautiful about my view from the 3 rd floor. they cut the trees down, so I'm looking directly at the mess. Went to monorail at 7:45am. Not running. Walked to tcg, not working there either. Epcot monorail has been down for 2 days. We took a bus to Epcot this morning. So far, not fantastic. The BBQ was fun last night. I'll try to write more complete sentences when I'm with a real computer

I'm sorry about the mud pit view. I hope things get better as your trip goes on .

Sorry this report is late. I hope these observations are helpful.
1.We were @ WDW Aug1-Aug10 staying @ The Polynesian Village on DVC points (home resort is Poly) in Moorea, standard view, first floor DVC room 1046. Me, DH, DS20, DS15, DD13.
We've stayed Poly 4 other vacations, BC once, Pop quick 3 nights, POR 1 night.
2. Upon arriving from ME @ 8:30pm, we were a little disappointed. No "Welcome Home!", no leis walked to Moorea and MB not working. Had to walk back to GCH. He followed us back to make sure he activated correctly.
3. Very satisfied and happy w our choice to buy @ Poly. Room observations are- we loved the 2 bathrooms. Having 2 toilets would have been very helpful as well-oh well. Rooms are good size compared to Poly non-DVC rooms. Be careful of the front left foot of the bed. Several of my family hit their leg right in to platform that juts out a bit several times.
We were there 9 days w 5 people and we do not do laundry on vaca, so had quite a bit of luggage. Was unable to find room to unpack my suitcase. We had no problem w drawer and the coffee table storage for the other 4. It was ok though. Just left open on luggage rack in closet.
View was great. Noise was never a problem. Ducks are still there and if they see you relaxing on patio they will visit you and always relieve themselves. It is a pain to try and clean off. Yuck!
There were some issues w shower drain in the walkout shower. We didn't complain. It wasn't horrible but I see how it's happening. The drain is along the left side. The water falls in a long, thin cutout.Any lady with long hair loses some when washing her hair. There is no way to even see the drain to clean. The shower is beautiful! But I wish they would have tested this a bit before installing.
My son uses a manual wheelchair for long distances. We didn't bother w a handicap DVCroom, bc guest services told me they were the same size as the reg DVC rms. it was a little difficult to find a good place to park the chair in the room and out of the way. But we did manage fine.
I was happy w decor. Nice supply of plates, paper towels, cups, dishwash soap. Nice size refrigerator wh used a lot. Microwave was great too. Used Garden Grocer for water, meat and cheese, beer, wine, juice, milk, and cole slaw mix. The Cole slaw mix was old and out of date. I emailed them and was given a refund.
4. Housekeeping was not good at all. I added to our ressie, weeks out, daily towel service. Upon checking in , I again made sure it was added to our reservation. We were never given towel service without call to housekeeping. Every night we'd get back around midnight to see it had not arrived and we'd then have to wait 15-30 min for delivery. In the end, I was not charged for it, but very annoying bc I would have paid for it. Also, if you plan to make your own coffee, might want to bring your own. There was only one days supply when we checked in and on the 5th day was only given 1 more day supply. Mb this normal? Not sure. Notice I said 5th. Yep they "missed" our room on the 4th day. Our sheets were not changed once. Bc this was our first DVC stay, I'm not sure if this is normal protocol. I asked housekeeping and they said it was?
5. Pool was as beautiful and relaxing as always. I miss the sand. But still love it! I love relaxing at the pool and hearing the sounds from MK, the boats, monorail, etc!! There was one day where there were a few chair issues that I noticed. Again 5 of us and we always use only 3 chairs. Why? Bc really how many times are we all out of the pool at the same time??? When a family of 8 puts towels on 8 chairs and you only see one or 2 of them return at a time (I was there for an hour laying out), I find that a little selfish to other families. I would never say anything to them. But--I saw several people walking around not sure what to do bc they couldn't find chairs. Gate didn't always work w MB but not a problem. CM cleaning up wet towels laying around were great. Bar was fast and good.
6. Loved Kona for lunch more than dinner. Fish tacos were the best I've had. Love kona pressed coffee from there, too. Room service (breakfast) was great and fast. Capt Cooks was satisfactory as well. They changed the entry and exit to ordering while we there. A few confused guests but they were trying very hard to make it efficient and workable for everyone. Try not to go right when it changes from bfast to lunch- a little longer wait. Ohana was still just as yummy as always. Tried the Spirit of Aloha for the first time. My family really enjoyed the show and food. I'm glad we finally tried it.
7. No issues w monorail, boat, or buses. Very happy using all 3 note if you have a wheelchair you cannot use the small resort boat. After a late MK night we noticed they were using the large boat so we took advantage of it. But did not see it used again.
8. The Poly grounds were maintained beautifully as always and I really love the new lobby. I do miss the aroma that used to be there. But I'm satisfied and happy w the new feature that replaced the old.
9. All in all I'm happy to call the Poly home and excited to see the quiet pool area when it's finished! We had an awesome trip this year trying new things and spending wonderful time together. The park visits and restaurants were great as always. Used TIW and think it saved quite a bit of $. DVC disc for souvenirs was great too! Very magical stay! Sorry this is so long.

Thanks for your review, glad you had a great DVC stay .

Has it been a week since we left Poly? So unfair time flies on vacay. So Mini report on our trip! 2 week stay.

1. We were in Lauderdale first & drove up to WDW, arriving late morning. Room wasn't ready but wasn't expecting it to be. Checked in and my first request was a balcony. asked if we had one, nope. 2nd floor. Since we had a long stay, balcony was really important to me. I requested on res & put it in the online check in.
So I asked if we could have a balcony in Fiji. Nothing avail for 2 days. Asked, what about Samoa? Yup, next day if I wanted to move, so I just asked for any avail room for the night (got Nieu looking at mud pit) and moved next day.

Love Samoa!!

2. Email notifications not so great!! They don't text to international phones for room notification, only email. We returned to resort at 3:00 to see if room was ready. They said housekeeping was in it and would be ready in 30min.

Fine, great opportunity to go upstairs and get a Lapulapu from Walter, and meet up with Beth!! We had a great Dis meet, then went back down to check on room. Got in room by 4:00. Email notification came thru at 7:30pm, lol. Gave us a good laugh.

3. Room was fantastic! But.......had old fridge in it with 5 inches of ice built up on roof. I have had bad experiences with those ( food was ruined and had to throw out) and phoned to ask for one of the new fridges. Also shampoo. No problem, shampoo was promptly delivered, & next day new fridge was in room, but instead of taking old fridge out, they just plugged new fridge in by desk. Plugs are old and loose. If you just touch cord by accident plug moves and breaks connection. They really should have replaced the plugs in desk unit when they renovated, but I digress!!
Happened to see our wonderful housekeeper near our room. I asked her if this was usual, that they leave old fridge in cabinet, and stick new fridge by desk? She said, don't worry about it, I'll take care of it! And she did. Guess she got maintenance to take out old fridge & put new one in cabinet.

Our room was also very quiet! Never heard neighbours. Luckily we didn't have loud ones.

4. Did I mention housekeeper was great? Great job keeping our room nice. All public areas were clean and well kept too.

5. You need to be a PHd to read transportation schedule!! If it's Tues, and a full moon, resort monorail is on modified schedule, but if it's Thurs and a crescent moon, express monorail is on modified schedule. Lol. We messed up once, and walked to TTC to get Epcot monorail, which turned out to be on the modified schedule that morning and ended up taking the bus we could have taken from Poly ;-).
But in general transportation was fine. Just don't get caught at MK park closing and rain starting. Really long waits for boat or monorail. Many people using resort monorail to get to TTC instead of the express monorail that had even longer line. Wish they could do something about that, at park closing, I've heard at busy times they have CMs checking MBs at resort monorail and directing those going to TTC to use Express.
We weren't planning to leave at park closing. But evening parade was canceled due to incoming weather so everyone left early!!

We were on a Big Thunder when Wishes was going on, so great, definatly a WDW moment. So great we rode again, was walk on. Everyone was waiting for parade I guess or watching Wishes. Should have resisted that second ride, in hind sight!!

I still think Poly has the best transportation, with boat and monorail to MK and the other MK resorts, and walking distance to TTC.

6. Food at Capt Cooks was pretty good. And loved Tonga Toast at breakfast. At busy times my suggestion would be to have one line just for Grab & Go. Having to wait 15 min just to buy a Mickey Bar was crazy because the line is also for orders. And it kept melting so I had to put it back in freezer and get another.
Love the Cooks outdoor seating in the evenings, we sat near the Trader Sam's seating area and enjoyed listening to the singer.
Also watching the cute momma duck & babies!!
We also enjoyed our meals at Kona & 'Ohana. Wanted to get the Shave Ice at Kona Island but machine was down.

7. Pool was nice, even enjoyed the slide once or twice. Really enjoyed floating around watching Wishes.
Occasionally was difficult to find a couple of lounges together. It would be courteous if "guests" would put their used towels in the towel return they have to walk right by on the way out when they're done with them instead of leaving them on lounges.
There were pool hoppers. 2 men with 4 kids were next to us one day, but didn't realize they were hoppers until they were leaving and heard one tell friend he didn't realize they were going to stop for a swim or he would have packed a suit in his back pack, Hmmm. Of course they took prime spot lounges. Seeing strollers loaded down with bags, back packs etc makes you wonder. Locals were also using pool that had dinner reservations and thought it was ok to use pool for a swim too. I prob wouldn't find it as annoying if there were plenty of lounges. Some days there was more availability. Especially our second week, when crowds thinned out everywhere ( until Labour Day). I wish they had the SAB system of CMs at gate scanning MBs.

8. Same problem finding a lounge on beach to watch Wishes. One night we got lounge to watch Wishes because we arrived there early to watch movie on the beach. Other nights we just watched sitting on pool lounge or floating in pool, which was so special.

9. Pool gate was tricky to use. No light going green to let you know it unlocked. But after a few days we got the hang of it!!

10. Construction was a non issue for us. It was sometimes tricky getting to TTC path or bus stop with the screens, but I admit I'm directionally challenged at the best of times!!

11. Love the new pay options in laundry, no more having to carry around bag full of quarters. Or quarters being jammed in machine.

12. All the CMs were great, friendly and helpful.

13. Have to say it, not happy they built the bungalows, loved the old beach and panoramic views.
We loved sitting on our balcony watching that huge storm blow in. Glad we weren't caught out in it! Sure, we had a few minor glitches, but really loved our stay, our first stay was during winter, and after that always wanted to return during summer. So glad we did.

14. Oh yes, we got our MaiTai mug from Trader Sam's!!

15. Looking forward to staying again!

Glad they were able to change your room. We stayed in Samoa and loved the location, very convenient to everything! Thanks for sharing about your trip .

Ok mini review here. We just got back yesterday from 7 nights in standard view.

Overall we had a pretty good trip and I have always wanted to stay at the Poly so glad we got the chance! I think we will try somewhere else next time though. DH preferred beach club but I think he was also spoiled that we stayed in a 1bd DVC that year so had more space! He thought the pool at Poly was so small but compared to Stormalong Bay what isn't???

If you have any questions I will try to answer!

Thanks for your review. Glad you had a nice stay overall .

All these Poly reviews have inspired me to add mine! Returned last Monday from a 10 night trip (5 at Poly/5 at YC).

First off, LOVED the Poly. It's a really special resort.

We really loved the location of Fiji. Very pretty views for the standard view category! Couldn't believe that this view is considered "standard."




Overall we were very happy with the Poly. The longhouses struck me as a bit hokey, but the grounds are really, really gorgeous. We got a "magical" deal, which was the only way we ever could have afforded to stay there. Very jealous of anyone with an upcoming trip!

Glad you loved the Poly, it really is a great resort . Thanks for the pic, very pretty/peaceful view.

If you don't like your room, just go back to front desk and inquire if anything else is available. Like us, you may have to wait a day or 2 and be willing to move. When we moved the next day, we just had Bell Service to hold our luggage until new room was ready. Our new room was ready at 4:00.

I agree! It's not guaranteed they can make the change, but it never hurts to ask .

Back from our first trip to the Poly in close to 20 years. Will be putting together a trip report as time allows. Things started off a bit disappointing when none of our room requests were honored. Asked for first or third floor and Rarotonga, was given 2nd floor Fiji. On the plus side, there was no construction to worry about on the Fiji side.

This was our first ever fall trip(we've gone in May every time prior). We never had an issue getting seating at Captain Cooks but if this is low season I can see where things would be a challenge during the busier times.

A couple quick comments:

* Having the dole whip available onsite was great!
* Bus transportation seemed lacking. Definitely didn't seem to be 15-20 min between buses. Is this common with monorail resorts?
* Mousekeeping was really good. They almost always had our room done by the time we returned from the park(usually around 1). The one time they didn't, we were let in while she finished and we were thanked for the tip(I tipped daily).
*Captain Cooks is great. A bit on the slow side for pushing out orders but considering it's Disney the food was great and the prices weren't bad(especially for kids meals).
*Trader Sam's- a very interesting bar. The staff is full of personality. It wasn't quite my thing but I was tired from a long day and just wanted a drink before it closed.
*Wishes on the Beach- makes the Poly worth every penny!

I'm sorry your requests weren't met, but I hope you had a nice stay overall .

 

[SeaSpray]

I finally got all of my resort pictures and thoughts up onto my web site. It starts here on my "WDW 2015" page. I hope you enjoy!

http://brownfamilyvacations.com/html/WDW2015.htm

 

[walker0829]

I'm sorry your requests weren't met, but I hope you had a nice stay overall .

It was a nice stay overall. We managed a cheaper nightly rate than our Universal Studios hotel which factored into our happiness with the stay. Hard to say if we'd stay there again unless another magical deal was offered.

 

[danjoan14]

* Having the dole whip available onsite was great!

I agree 100%. I had one everyday during our stay!

 

[jerseygal]

I finally got all of my resort pictures and thoughts up onto my web site. It starts here on my "WDW 2015" page. I hope you enjoy!

http://brownfamilyvacations.com/html/WDW2015.htm

HAPPY "15TH" anniversary; hope you had a great one! THANKS for the link; enjoyed your BEAUTIFUL pics!The Magic Star Cocktail looks so pretty and refreshing; can't wait!

 

[Mommy2TwoMickeys]

Single Digit Dance!!!!! 9 Days Until I Am Back Home!!!!!

 

[DisneyMomChristine]

Aloha!

We will be staying in a deluxe studio in October. My online check-in only let me request upper or lower floor and near elevator. I went with upper floor & elevator.
I plan on calling in a longhouse request, but would like to know your opinions - please let me know your thoughts!

 

[mickeynut1]

I finally got all of my resort pictures and thoughts up onto my web site. It starts here on my "WDW 2015" page. I hope you enjoy!

http://brownfamilyvacations.com/html/WDW2015.htm

Beautiful pics, thanks for sharing all of them .

It was a nice stay overall. We managed a cheaper nightly rate than our Universal Studios hotel which factored into our happiness with the stay. Hard to say if we'd stay there again unless another magical deal was offered.

It's always nice getting a great deal! Glad you had a nice stay overall .

Single Digit Dance!!!!! 9 Days Until I Am Back Home!!!!!

Have a great trip!

 

[vinotinto]

Did anyone at the Poly go to MNSSHP last night? Or planning on going soon? I would like to know your impression of transportation towards the end of MNSSHP. Read that someone waited 80 minutes for a bus. I hope the monorail or boat is better than that!