Just Back From Poly GV Concierge-

[3lilmcs]

Just returned from a 7 night stay at Poly GVC. This was our first trip to WDW and I have been reading these boards and biting my nails at all the different posts about the Poly, so I wanted to be sure to add my experience to the mix when I got back:

When we arrived the bellhop guys out front told us our room wasn't ready but we could park and walk around. We walked to the Hawaii building and were greeted with warm and friendly greetings as well as leighs (sp?) and buckets with goodies for the kids. Marylin even wished my son a happy birthday (he had turned 10 the day before we arrived which I noted on my itinerary) and wished my daughter a happy uncoming birthday (she would be turning 4 while we were there). She also chatted with my middle son about when his birthday was and if he was excited for his first trip to WDW, etc.--She was incredibly warm and welcoming. I asked them to check on the status of our room and they said that it was not ready yet (it was about 11:30 a.m.) but she asked if I would like a different room that was ready now. I opted for a room that was ready now (as the kids were dying to try out the volcano pool) and she gave us #1532. It was a lovely room and very clean and fresh. I found the decor to be very updated and not faded or displeasing in any way. Marylin told my husband to head back to the bellhop desk and tell them we had checked into Concierge and we needed a golf cart to get our luggage. He did and we were in the pool within 15 minutes.

Later that day in our room we found birthday cards and balloons for our birthday kids (from Cinderella and Goofy) as well as a card and balloon from Mickey and Donald for our son not having a recent birthday but welcoming him to WDW. We were also given a lovely large Poly choc. bar with a card of welcome from the Concierge staff. These were such nice gestures and really thrilled the kids. The day or two after that we were given a lovely card and gift basket with Kona coffee and treats. In every way possible, the concierge staff bent over backwards to make us feel welcome and happy. I cannot say enough about how lovely they were.

The lounge offerings were great. Bagels, fruit, danish, cereal for breakfast (a carb counters nightmare, but it WAS vacation time). Cookies, nuts, candies at afternoon time. Evening offerings were very nice as well--sushi, chicken ceasar salad, beef skewers and rice, eggrolls and lo mein. We spent quite a bit of time in the lounge as my youngest needed a nap every afternoon so we spent afternoon through dinnertime at the Poly to swim, rest, snack. Chef Dick was so nice and even gave my youngest son one of his apple swans as my boys sat and watched him make them one afternoon as their sister slept.

I never saw any food run out (as some posters were concerned about) and the staff in the lounge was always super helpful and always cleaning up dishes left behind on tables, etc. As our stay went on I noticed the lounge got alot more crowded and there were lines for the evening food, but it was never a big deal. Same with the other patrons--99% were very nice and polite. A few were obnoxious but only a few and that is the case almost everywhere you go in the world in general.

I found the Poly's location for transporation to the parks to be fantastic. Boat to MK, Monorail to Epcot, bus to MGM was all really convenient. We weren't having much luck getting a trip to ride up front on the monorail (very popular) and we mentioned it one day to the lady at the Poly station. She told us to wait by her and she would do what she could to get us up front on one. It took 2 or 3 more trains, but we got up front within 10 min. or so and the kids really loved it.

Sorry if I didn't hit all the important points, but I wanted to post as soon as we got back because we had such a great experience at the Poly. For those of you considering the Poly (especially concierge) for your first WDW trip--Go for it! You won't be dissapointed!

Thanks to Tikiman also--Your site really helped in planning our trip--

Any ?'s I'll try to answer--

 

[rnd4life]

Sounds like your family had an awesome trip! We stayed GV concierge at the Poly last May/June and fell in love with the place. All of the CM's were friendly and really interacted with our children. We loved watching Wishes from the lounge or the beach and the pool was a huge hit for our 10 year old son.

Can't wait until our next visit to the Poly but sadly, it won't be until next September.

 

[SeaSpray]

Thanks for the review, I'm glad that you and your family had such a wonderful time. We'll be there in 3 weeks, and I can't wait!!!

 

[trappednabox]

Really glad you had a great time, our upcoming trip will be our 1st and we're staying Poly GVC too! Hopefully we'll have as great of a trip as you did!

 

[mlwear]

Thank you for the lovely post. This will be our first trip in MANY years and the first with our kids. We are staying Poly LVC and I have been a bit nervous by some of the things I have read. Your post was exactly what I needed.

 

[BCV23]

Gald to hear that you had such a nice stay. Isn't the Polynesian beautiful and concierge fun?

What a way to visit for your first WDW vacation! Do you think you will return?

 

[lillygator]

thanks for the post = I am looking forward to our upcomping concierge stay...

Did they have beer/wine in the evenings?

 

[tinknsnow]

Hey thanks for your thorough review (I particularly liked that you listed the food choices ). We are WL loyals who have decided to break out of the mold and try Poly GVC next trip. Posts like yours are really great to read! Thanks again. And I'm glad your stay was so fun!

I have two questions: what did your room face? And had you used the Itinerary Planning Office to get PSes before your arrival?

 

[clombardi]

3lilmcs- Thanks so much for that great report. We have stayed at the Poly in the past and are trying Poly GVC for the first time in July. Some of the negative posts lately have made me nervous, but your post really eased my mind!

tinknsnow- I have been in contact with the planning office several times in the past two months through email. Jeffrey has been very helpful with PSs and seems very willing to help in any way.

 

[Tikiman]

Thanks for the report. I almost felt like I was back there.

That sounds like the Polynesian I know.

Every time I have gone I have seen posts about how bad the place is and a few times I started to wonder if something happened to make it so bad but every time I get there everything is fine and looks great. I do actually look for bad things or damage but it is hard to find and I have only run int a few rude CMs but 90% act like you are family and most of them I have never met.

I am glad you were not scared off by the negative posts. Sometimes you just have to try a resort and find out for yourself.

Aloha

Steve

 

[3lilmcs]

Hi-

To answer some ?s:

We will return again--But probably not for a couple of years (because it's a little pricey for us to do every year)

I did use the planning itinerary via email and I emailed 4 or 5 times with requests/questions after that--They were always very helpful. I ended up changing alot of PSs once I was actully there and got more familiar with what we wanted. They were able to get almost any reservation with a couple of days notice. We did O'Hana, Chef Mickey's, and 1900 Park Fare for dinners and the big hit with my 4 yr old birthday girl was Cinderella's Royal Table breakfast--My son's thought they were being tortured --but it was fun.

They did have beer and wine with the 5-7 p.m. offerings. The beer wasn't always out, but all you had to do was ask for it (my husband is more of a beer drinker than wine drinker). I think it was Amstel light, Heinekin (sp?) and Bud.

 

[3lilmcs]

Sorry --I forgot-- Our room faced the quiet pool and the end of another longhouse. I think a room farther into the center of the building might have had a better view (i.e., not looking right at another longhouse). That being said there were lots of plants, flowers and bushes to make it feel quite private and tropical. I thought getting a 1st or 3rd floor room would be such a big deal but we actually didn't go out on the patio at all--If we were headed outside it was to the parks or to the pool (I think my 7 yr old son would have lived in the volcano pool if he could have).

 

[kaceyisme]

3lilmcs - was your room location quiet? Did you hear any noise from the pool at all?

 

[Race4fun]

Thanks for the great post, we want to stay at the poly and this helped us make our decision.

 

[eeyoresmountainpals]

Ah, yes, this is the POLY that we've come to know and love! I'm so glad to hear such a raving review! This is what we've always found to be true. I've been nervous about a lot of the negative posts lately but your post has eased my mind!

I'm so glad you had such a wonderful trip!

 

[lisareniff]

Thanks for the lovely trip report. We hope to go to the poly next trip and your report brought a smile.

 

[goodferry]

Thanks for taking the time to post your report, I am glad you enjoyed the Polynesian, we love it Can't wait to go back in December