Polynesian Island Tower was next on the list! Although I had already made up my mind that my direct purchase was going to be Riv, the kids we were traveling with were asking to go to Poly and my cousin said she wanted to stay there since she was a child.
I saw it as an opportunity to compare it to Riv in hopes that id like it better due to it being non restricted and retaining more value if the need to sell arose. I always wished that I liked Poly better to resolve that whisper that the resale restrictions were not worth the cost and buying supplemental points at Riv only was not for me, but I knew my heart was set on Riv. I would never buy a direct resort I didn't like, so I was really staying there just for the family.
My wife wasn't thrilled either complaining that the lobby was extremely crowded when we toured, she didnt like the cologney smell, the elevators would probably be jam packed. I agreed with her. No adult dining and the thought of it being over run by kids, I was looking forward to it the least. Oh how wrong I was again!!
When we walked into the Island tower, we were greeted by smiling cast members with Leis. Our room was already ready thru the app, so no need to utilize the front desk. Opening that door for the first time was one of those magical moments you never forget. To my left was a full bathroom (ive never stayed in a 2 bedroom or three bathroom hotel room!)
Walking throughout, I would be met with luxury and cute Disney touches sprinkled everywhere. The stingray from Moana above our dining table, the Murphy bed with the heart of Tefiti, the soaking tub with the Hawaiian flower and details from the movie etched into it. I am a huge Disney fan and they captured the movie so elegantly and beautifully. Who knew I would love a bench in the shower after a long theme park day
I thought, this is necessary as we get older
Seeing my families reaction brought me great joy, the kids ran to the living room and claimed their beds. That little single bed would be fought over by them throughout the entire trip
The usb plug ins for their devices right by the Murphy bed made for some really happy kids. The room still had that "new" smell.
Have you ever been somewhere or were given something so wonderful that you thought, "I don't deserve this, this must be a dream." And almost felt a fear that it was too good to be true and would be taken from you? That's how I felt in that moment. Seeing both my cousin and wife praying and giving thanks to God for us being able to stay there, I was just in total awe. I felt like i had made it in life, in what I felt was my rich Polynesian penthouse, I felt really cool that night
Snapping out of the fairytale
We discovered there was some mechanical issues and the third shower couldnt be used. It was getting later and apparently engineering was at Magic Kingdom and would come tomorrow. Here we go again, I thought. We slept well and told them to come during our stitch breakfast.
Stitch breakfast was so much fun for the family. Stitch being a rarer character at breakfast and like many families, a favorite of ours, was great. The bread rolls special to this resort were loved by all. The characters spent a good amount of time with us and when we were done and went back to the room, all mechanical issues were fixed. Thank God.
Daily housekeeping was given to us as if we were hotel guests. I have no idea why. Maybe they do this at all
DVC resorts currently on sale?? I called housekeeping just to make sure I wasnt being charged and they told me I wasn't at all. Wow, what a nice touch.
The trip went without a hitch and was wonderful the entire stay. We were able to snag some rocking chairs on the terrace and had an amazing view of the
MNSSHP fireworks. We mobile ordered the famous pork nachos and guava Danish for dessert and I was in Heaven.
The next day dinner at Wailulu was another great fireworks experience. This time, Happily Ever After. There was definitely something extremely magical about watching the fireworks from the hotel over the Seven Seas Lagoon. It really is, in my opinion, the most beautiful resort view for fireworks viewing and even beats my beloved BLT in that regard.
Wailulu to me was good, I have to disagree that they have the best burger on property as we were told, but they def have one of the best views and I loved the hummus appetizer! My wife is a huge chicken wings fan and they were hard to come by at the hotels, but Poly had them and she said they were amazing so she was pleased.
I was delighted that the smell she was complaining about last time didnt bother her at all, the Polynesian Island Tower smelled fresh and natural
Perhaps it was the time of year, but it was not over run by kids and we never even had to wait to use the elevator. I suppose I didnt think that all the rooms were outside, obviously lol!!
More than one gift shop, one being pretty big. I bought some soaps and bath bombs for that soaking tub (I wished it had been a jacuzzi one!), a cute photo book for our travels, and a few other items.
Iced Lattes at Kona to start our day was a must as well as a dole whip while laying out at the impressive Volcano pool. Its the only Disney pool ive seen with a waterfall and the slide was so fun! It was dark inside, which added to the thrill and reminded me of a water slide I loved as a teenager, The Dark Hole. It went down as my favorite hotel waterslide! Between Boardwalk and this hotel, Disney was def working the nostalgia for me this trip!
Dole whips poolside were refreshing and delicious and even the jacuzzi was part of the Volcano theme and very large. This is a resort I sure wouldnt mind staying at for over a week and was really sad when our time was over after 5 nights. I would actually miss the walk and seeing the plants and Moana splash pad greeting me every morning. I loved exploring the Island Tower and finding a new detail every day etched into the poles and/or the surroundings.
The nature theme really spoke to us. My wife is passionate about saving the environment and she appreciated all of the recycled elements used in the building of this hotel. As I said in my other post, Poly is just a vibe, a chill, relaxing Island Vibe that just radiates, "I'm on vacation!" Its another one where the spirit of the theme really shines and a winner in our book! Dare I say, I was even questioning my BLT purchase during this trip because I was certain I'd feel the same for Riv
Perhaps I should have gone Poly resale! But the thought was very fleeting as I would be proud to own direct here
Riviera had some really big shoes to fill and I couldnt be more delighted about this unexpected love for the Polynesian hotel!
