Disney's POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT Information & Questions

[mickeynut1]

Today is pool day then dinner at California Grill!

Sounds like a great way to spend the day!

That sounds like a PERFECT Sunday to me.

At the pool. Glorious!!

Enjoy your pool time

 

[Farro]

At the pool. Glorious!!

I just got our room ready text. We got Aotearoa 3rd floor. From the room# I know we'll be on the side facing the monorail.
So it does seem like they are sticking to new view categories.

I still think it's a matter of luck at this point. There is no one who has paid for a pool view as that category doesn't exist yet. So unless they are keeping those views empty for future pool view bookings, people who paid for standard views are still staying those rooms.

 

[HeyIt'sMe]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I am so super excited to be back at the Polynesian. I just took a quick break from the pool to go to the room to check it out and have our bags delivered. It's actually nice. There's a view of a beautiful tree and we can see the monorail going by.

 

[BigMommaMouse]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I am so super excited to be back at the Polynesian. I just took a quick break from the pool to go to the room to check it out and have our bags delivered. It's actually nice. There's a view of a beautiful tree and we can see the monorail going by.

Thanks for taking the time to update. Enjoy your trip.

 

[Roxyfire]

I still think it's a matter of luck at this point. There is no one who has paid for a pool view as that category doesn't exist yet. So unless they are keeping those views empty for future pool view bookings, people who paid for standard views are still staying those rooms.

Exactly, there's no other way to do it. I guess they could allow someone to pay to upgrade but I can't see that being successful especially with how much the room rates are.

 

[menotyou21]

With the uncertainty of the room categories and assigning.....I'd appreciate the input of the experts here. I check in on Sat 9/2, check out on Sat 9/9. I'm thinking Disney would give request priority to "longer staying" guests, as opposed to the guests visiting for just the labor day weekend, but who knows.

Specifics:
Booked - 2 Standard View Rooms
Requested - connecting rooms
Requested - 1. Samoa & 2. Nieu

I did use a travel agent this time....not my favorite choice.....the TA actually thinks it would be best if I don't check-in until I arrive. I've felt at times I'm more aware of things at Disney than the TA. I believe the TA is unaware of the category change.....when I asked TA about it, the response was...."yes, Standard view is in place of the old Garden view" - of course I knew that! LOL

I've been thinking about changing my request to Rarotonga, as I feel if they are truly not giving Samoa to standard view bookings, I'd have a better shot at getting a longhouse closer to the TTC/GCH.

Appreciate thoughts/input.

 

[Farro]

With the uncertainty of the room categories and assigning.....I'd appreciate the input of the experts here. I check in on Sat 9/2, check out on Sat 9/9. I'm thinking Disney would give request priority to "longer staying" guests, as opposed to the guests visiting for just the labor day weekend, but who knows.

Specifics:
Booked - 2 Standard View Rooms
Requested - connecting rooms
Requested - 1. Samoa & 2. Nieu

I did use a travel agent this time....not my favorite choice.....the TA actually thinks it would be best if I don't check-in until I arrive. I've felt at times I'm more aware of things at Disney than the TA. I believe the TA is unaware of the category change.....when I asked TA about it, the response was...."yes, Standard view is in place of the old Garden view" - of course I knew that! LOL

I've been thinking about changing my request to Rarotonga, as I feel if they are truly not giving Samoa to standard view bookings, I'd have a better shot at getting a longhouse closer to the TTC/GCH.

Appreciate thoughts/input.

There is no bookable pool view category yet - no one is paying for a pool view, they are still included in standard views. Not sure why front desk is telling people it's not standard view, the only people staying in those rooms would have paid for standard view at this point.

Even if they changed the categories tomorrow, there would still be way more standard views booked than anything else for the next few months, so you would still have a shot at being in those rooms. Unless people upgrade packages.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Just curious, has anyone tried calling recently to see if they can book a new reservation and/or change their existing reservation to a pool view? Obviously it's not on the website, just curious if results are any different when calling?

 

[Farro]

Just curious, has anyone tried calling recently to see if they can book a new reservation and/or change their existing reservation to a pool view? Obviously it's not on the website, just curious if results are any different when calling?

I don't know...you might get some phone CM who says "oh sure, we can book that" and you end up booking a standard view anyways!

If they do change it soon, I wonder if they will give people the option to "upgrade" at check in...
The only standard rooms that will eventually be available will be the side of Rarotonga facing the monorail, the side of Fiji facing Grand Floridian and Aoetora monorail facing side. Anything with a view of any pool or lagoon will be pool or lagoon view.
That's not a lot of rooms.

 

[HeyIt'sMe]

I wonder if getting a discount on the room affected our room assignment. We got a really good discount through a TA. Maybe people that paid rack rate are still getting pool/marina views with a standard room booking? IDK. It's hard to figure out how Disney does stuff!!

Off to get ready for dinner.

 

[Farro]

I wonder if getting a discount on the room affected our room assignment. We got a really good discount through a TA. Maybe people that paid rack rate are still getting pool/marina views with a standard room booking? IDK. It's hard to figure out how Disney does stuff!!

Off to get ready for dinner.

Enjoy your trip!!! We will be there in 73 days, facing the monorail I'm sure!

 

[QVCshopper]

At the pool. Glorious!!

I just got our room ready text. We got Aotearoa 3rd floor. From the room# I know we'll be on the side facing the monorail.
So it does seem like they are sticking to new view categories.

I think you're right about the standard views. We checked in on Friday (two days ago) and got the same building as you and also 3rd floor, but we are on the other side of the building on a corner. We can see the marina on one side of the balcony and about the top 2/3s of the magic kingdom fireworks on the other side, plus parts of the GF.

We booked the same standard room deal last year and got Samoa 3rd floor. This year, we requested 3rd floor Samoa, 3rd floor Figi marina, or 1st floor Aotearoa.

Anyway, I gotta say I REALLY miss the ceiling fan. It circulated the air and made the room feel more refreshed. Our first day or so, the room felt damp to me, so we had maintenance come up and he said we had to lower the AC from 73 to 68. Feels less damp now... but cold. We were just at the Boardwalk Inn 3 nights before Poly and didn't feel damp like this, but it's been really wet the past two days.

Monorail has been running just fine to the person who asked. I think it's faster than the boat, but we've come back twice from magic kingdom via boat.

 

[HeyIt'sMe]

Enjoy your trip!!! We will be there in 73 days, facing the monorail I'm sure!

I wish I knew how to post pictures from my phone! I really do like our room. You can hear the Polynesian music and the foliage is nice. And I love when the monorail goes by.
DD & I went into MK today just for a couple hours. We took the Express Monorail back to the TTC (resort monorail had some kind of issue and was sitting at the MK station). I texted DH that we were on the red monorail and he went out on the balcony and I saw him waving as we went by. Fun!

 

[HeyIt'sMe]

I think you're right about the standard views. We checked in on Friday (two days ago) and got the same building as you and also 3rd floor, but we are on the other side of the building on a corner. We can see the marina on one side of the balcony and about the top 2/3s of the magic kingdom fireworks on the other side, plus parts of the GF.

We booked the same standard room deal last year and got Samoa 3rd floor. This year, we requested 3rd floor Samoa, 3rd floor Figi marina, or 1st floor Aotearoa.

Anyway, I gotta say I REALLY miss the ceiling fan. It circulated the air and made the room feel more refreshed. Our first day or so, the room felt damp to me, so we had maintenance come up and he said we had to lower the AC from 73 to 68. Feels less damp now... but cold. We were just at the Boardwalk Inn 3 nights before Poly and didn't feel damp like this, but it's been really wet the past two days.

Monorail has been running just fine to the person who asked. I think it's faster than the boat, but we've come back twice from magic kingdom via boat.

Hello neighbor! I miss the ceiling fan too!

When I was waiting for Bell services to bring up our luggage a maintenance man came by our room. He said there was a report that the room was hot (from housekeeping?). He set our AC so low it was freezing. I set the temp up a little.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I did use a travel agent this time....not my favorite choice.....the TA actually thinks it would be best if I don't check-in until I arrive. I've felt at times I'm more aware of things at Disney than the TA. I believe the TA is unaware of the category change.....when I asked TA about it, the response was...."yes, Standard view is in place of the old Garden view" - of course I knew that! LOL

I don't really agree with the bolded. Rooms are assigned several days in advance regardless if you have done online check-in or not. I wouldn't worry about its impact on you getting your room requests, one way or the other.

Also FWIW, I always like to mention that doing online check-in ahead of time doesn't mean you can't physically check-in when you get there. I will often do both.

 

[CuteAsMinnie]

We were at the Poly in May. We booked directly with WDW CRO and made our requests there. A "knowledgeable" friend said for online check-in, ONLY state time of your arrival, nothing else. She said if you state your room requests upon booking, then state room requests during online check-in, they cancel each other out. If anyone finds this to be u true, please don't shoot the messenger!!!!!

That is what we did and we're very lucky to receive all our room requests, plus our room was ready at 9am, BUT I think that really had more to do with the sprinkled pixie dust because we were celebrating our 30th Wedding Anniversary.

Re: guests checking in now who are told Somoa rooms are not standard rooms... wonder what they would be told if they asked what the charge is to "upgrade" or Somoa rooms since "pool view" is not currently a bookable category??
Can't believe this rooms are being left empty until that "new category" is booked and guests arrive.

 

[menotyou21]

I don't really agree with the bolded. Rooms are assigned several days in advance regardless if you have done online check-in or not. I wouldn't worry about its impact on you getting your room requests, one way or the other.

Also FWIW, I always like to mention that doing online check-in ahead of time doesn't mean you can't physically check-in when you get there. I will often do both.

Agreed. That's exactly what I said back to the TA. If rooms are assigned about 3 days in advance, I don't see how checking in online vs at resort would have any impact on room requests.

 

[menotyou21]

There is no bookable pool view category yet - no one is paying for a pool view, they are still included in standard views. Not sure why front desk is telling people it's not standard view, the only people staying in those rooms would have paid for standard view at this point.

Even if they changed the categories tomorrow, there would still be way more standard views booked than anything else for the next few months, so you would still have a shot at being in those rooms. Unless people upgrade packages.

Does anyone know where the pool view category came in? If it's not on the Disney booking site (which I looked and didn't see it) then is this simply something being stated at the resort by the front desk?

I'm happy to call, anyone have the best suggested phone number? I'm not well versed on who is best to speak with, seeing that room assignments and front desk/resort staff are different groups.

 

[gluestickgirl]

There is no bookable pool view category yet - no one is paying for a pool view, they are still included in standard views. Not sure why front desk is telling people it's not standard view, the only people staying in those rooms would have paid for standard view at this point.

Even if they changed the categories tomorrow, there would still be way more standard views booked than anything else for the next few months, so you would still have a shot at being in those rooms. Unless people upgrade packages.

i have to wonder if they aren't saying this to cut down on complaints from people who requested and didn't receive those rooms. it's an easy (and final) response for them to give potentially upset guests.

 

[Smittolis]

We have just got back, we used touring plans and requested Samoa, we got Samoa! With an Oasis Pool view on the 2nd floor, so that was a nice result!

I took lots of pictures and video footage that I'm working through and putting up on youtube for easy viewing. Here is a quick one from our slider door overlooking the Cabanas at the Oasis pool (we rented one too and it was well worth it!)

https://goo.gl/photos/uPWqzddt7m2r2fBJ8