Official Poly construction update thread **updated video page 103(2/17/15)**

[LovemesomeDW]

I haven't been able to find this info on his site . Does anyone have a link?

I believe I read it under the DVC section of his page. He has an entry regarding DVC and construction news which listed a timeline of events. He said in Sept 2014 permits were pulled for kitchen work on O'hana and Kona and to expect some closures. No estimate time frame was listed.

 

[johnvree]

Just my two cents - i would not anyone, including myself to stay at a hotel under so much construction. You're on vacation for pete's sake. I'm a huge and forever fan of Poly, but (was just there), the work going on is an eyesore, a nuisance and very awful.

We stayed at the Poly during its the last major construction. We showed up there for a one week stay at the concierge level completely unaware of the construction. It was costing me about $800 a night. I still remember coming out of the back of the GCH and seeing all of the brown walls. I complained, was offered to change hotels, but we ended up staying at the Poly. It wasn't the end of the world. But I did resent the construction taking away from our trip.

For the money they get, there should be no major construction. Shut the resort down and do it all in a couple of months. I know they are a business and they don't want to lose the revenue. But when I am on vacation, I don't want to be annoyed/inconvenienced by the resort I am paying to stay at.

Last year, we canceled the Poly concierge level and switched to the YC. This May we've skipped WDW altogether and are spending the week at Universal.

 

[BellsFam]

O.K., so now I'm thinking that I got a great deal at the Poly because of the construction!

Any news on how it's going to look over there in April? (2015)...

 

[jandkmom]

Thinking about book the Poly in mid-July. I just want to keep by expectations real. From what I've been reading, the lobby and the quick serve restaurant are done. The main pool should be done Aprilish. The quiet pool will be down for rehab. Anything I'm missing? How about the rooms, are they all done or will be done by July?

I'll probably book a standard view and may flip to Club(standard) if a good deal comes out. I want to stick to standard because those buildings are closest to the main bldg. (per Tiki's site.) Do any have balconies? Are there any covers over the sidewalks between any buildings? (Our trip will be in the summer and it usually rains.)

If your only concern about CL is distance, just know that it isn't far at all from GCH. Distance isn't really a factor at Poly as it is for many resorts…all of the longhouses are an easy walk. If you can get a deal on CL, I say go for it! We LOVE CL…the lounge with it's food and view of the fireworks, knowing which longhouse you will be in, etc. First floor rooms (CL and non-CL) have patios, third floor rooms have balconies, second floor have a sliding door that opens but just a railing outside. There are ways to cut through the longhouses to get to the GCH when it rains but you do have a short time outside.

 

[Fºoºz]

What refurbs will not be completed by November? Does anyone have a link or know where I can go to view photos of the refurbed rooms?

Thanks

 

[pamkat1820]

Add us to the list of "magical deals" staying at the poly. Honestly construction or no construction it has been my dream to stay at the poly, and I can't wait. I think if the main pool was finished I would be worried, but it. Should be finished by then.

This is gong to be the deciding trip for, do I really love the epoct resorts or will the poly be our home.

 

[Guapy]

Do they still light torches at night? Was there a few weeks back and they were not lit.

 

[TheLittleKatie]

Do they still light torches at night? Was there a few weeks back and they were not lit.

I'd like to know this too

 

[meganhernandez76]

We just booked our first stay at the Polynesian from may 22-29. Anyone know if the construction will be done by then? We booked a theme park view room. Will we still be able to see fireworks and The electric water parade from our room or do bungalows block our view?

 

[Skywise]

We just booked our first stay at the Polynesian from may 22-29. Anyone know if the construction will be done by then? We booked a theme park view room. Will we still be able to see fireworks and The electric water parade from our room or do bungalows block our view?

Construction will NOT be done by then but the pool should be reopened (hopefully). So long as the pool area is re-opened most of the construction at that point shouldn't affect your stay. (except for closing/refurb of the quiet pool which should happen almost immediately after! )

For the latter part, yes and yes. If you're doing CL (Hawaii building) the water parade might be partially obstructed depending on the room but it shouldn't really affect it. Fireworks will be fine. If you're NOT doing CL you should be fine as the rest of the TPV views are on the other side of the pool (the ones closest to TTC are now DVC buildings)

 

[meganhernandez76]

Construction will NOT be done by then but the pool should be reopened (hopefully). So long as the pool area is re-opened most of the construction at that point shouldn't affect your stay. (except for closing/refurb of the quiet pool which should happen almost immediately after! ) For the latter part, yes and yes. If you're doing CL (Hawaii building) the water parade might be partially obstructed depending on the room but it shouldn't really affect it. Fireworks will be fine. If you're NOT doing CL you should be fine as the rest of the TPV views are on the other side of the pool (the ones closest to TTC are now DVC buildings)

thanks. Have you ever stayed in the theme park view rooms? Are they worth the extra money? Do you have a clear view of castle?

 

[meganhernandez76]

thanks. Have you ever stayed in the theme park view rooms? Are they worth the extra money? Do you have a clear view of castle?

we are not doing CL, so I am wondering about the regular theme park view rooms.

 

[Sue M]

Worth it is so subjective. To me it's not. Yes, it is nice to be able to watch Wishes from your balcony if you have one. But to me it's not worth the extra up charge, I just go sit in a lounge on the beach the nights I'm at the resort to watch.
The actual castle view is pretty distant.

 

[Skywise]

thanks. Have you ever stayed in the theme park view rooms? Are they worth the extra money? Do you have a clear view of castle?

If you have a TPV room you definitely have a clear view of the castle. Note that with the Polynesian buildings you only get a balcony on the third floor and a patio on the first floor. The 2nd floor merely has a sliding glass door that opens onto a railing right up against the room.

Is TPV worth it? If you don't go that often/don't stay at a monorail resort often, yeah. There's a certain "magic" to having the castle right there when you wake up in the morning, seeing it lit up at night and all and also having your own private balcony fireworks view. If you're concerned about the cost, a cheaper alternative might be a "Lagoon" view. There you're guaranteed a view of the lake and you'll get to hear all the boat and ferry whistles and maybe even the occasional train whistle coming from the park. (If that's your cup of tea! I thought it was cool - it annoyed the daylights out of my dad! ) You won't necessarily see the castle but in most cases you'll still have a decent view of the bigger fireworks so long as a palm tree isn't in your way! (Tree blockage is true of the TPV as well, you're only guaranteed a view of the castle!)

 

[meganhernandez76]

If you have a TPV room you definitely have a clear view of the castle. Note that with the Polynesian buildings you only get a balcony on the third floor and a patio on the first floor. The 2nd floor merely has a sliding glass door that opens onto a railing right up against the room. Is TPV worth it? If you don't go that often/don't stay at a monorail resort often, yeah. There's a certain "magic" to having the castle right there when you wake up in the morning, seeing it lit up at night and all and also having your own private balcony fireworks view. If you're concerned about the cost, a cheaper alternative might be a "Lagoon" view. There you're guaranteed a view of the lake and you'll get to hear all the boat and ferry whistles and maybe even the occasional train whistle coming from the park. (If that's your cup of tea! I thought it was cool - it annoyed the daylights out of my dad! ) You won't necessarily see the castle but in most cases you'll still have a decent view of the bigger fireworks so long as a palm tree isn't in your way! (Tree blockage is true of the TPV as well, you're only guaranteed a view of the castle!)

thanks so much for your input. I was on the fence about the theme park view but my husband thought we should just do it. We have never stayed at a monorail resort and my son's very favorite thing to do at disney world is to watch the electric water parade or "the night show" as he calls it. When we stayed at the Fort Wilderness cabins one December, we went up to the beach every night to see the show and fireworks. We thought it might be really cool to be able to see it from our room every night. We have been wanting to stay at the Polynesian for a really long time. I really hope most of the construction is complete by then. Thanks again for your words of wisdom.

 

[WMorganS]

thanks so much for your input. I was on the fence about the theme park view but my husband thought we should just do it. We have never stayed at a monorail resort and my son's very favorite thing to do at disney world is to watch the electric water parade or "the night show" as he calls it. When we stayed at the Fort Wilderness cabins one December, we went up to the beach every night to see the show and fireworks. We thought it might be really cool to be able to see it from our room every night. We have been wanting to stay at the Polynesian for a really long time. I really hope most of the construction is complete by then. Thanks again for your words of wisdom.

IMO, it's totally worth it once, or if you are hosting for family or friends who aren't regulars at WDW.

 

[BensDaddy]

Hello all,

I'm sure there are details on this thread but I apologize, 128 pages is a lot! We are staying 2 nights at the Magic Kingdom following a Disney cruise in late March. I was thinking of splurging to surprise the family and upgrading from Pop Century to a Theme Park view at either Contemporary or Polynesian.

Polynesian is our preference since we have never stayed there. The website says the great house and the pool are under construction. In your opinion, how will those two things impact our short visit (March probably too cold to swim anyway)?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Babsy]

Hello all,

I'm sure there are details on this thread but I apologize, 128 pages is a lot! We are staying 2 nights at the Magic Kingdom following a Disney cruise in late March. I was thinking of splurging to surprise the family and upgrading from Pop Century to a Theme Park view at either Contemporary or Polynesian.

Polynesian is our preference since we have never stayed there. The website says the great house and the pool are under construction. In your opinion, how will those two things impact our short visit (March probably too cold to swim anyway)?

Thanks in advance.

If you haven't already you should take a look at Tikiman's website. (just google Tikiman) he has all the latest on the Polynesian construction.

There will be walls up blocking construction areas and there may be noise during the daytime hours. The good news is that the construction in the GCH is largely completed.

Overall, There has been massive construction at the Poly recently. Some people are fine with it, others don't seem to mind too much, still others hate it. Only you can decide the degree to which it will bother you personally. I am really disturbed by construction, so i avoid any resort that I know has even minor construction in the works. So, obviously, my advice is to stay away from the Poly and book other accommodations. There are lots of great resorts in WDW.

Either the CR or the GF have a lot to offer and no construction, so for the moment I would choose one of those if I wanted to stay in the MK area. Later this fall or next year the Poly should be back to 'normal' again (I hope!)

 

[Skywise]

The website says the great house and the pool are under construction. In your opinion, how will those two things impact our short visit (March probably too cold to swim anyway)?

Thanks in advance.

If you're not going to use the pool probably not at all. The GCH is, for the most part, finished. There's some construction going on in the side wings but the main lobby is done. There's rumors of a few days of closing for the various restaurants but nothing long term or definite and you'll have to go through the GCH to get to the docks if you're on the opposite side of the resort. The pool and the back area are "nicely" boarded, up along with the front entrance.

All of that sounds horrible but depending on what building you end up at you'll likely not really encounter the construction areas at all.

I was there for Christmas week and enjoyed it immensely and while the resort isn't in tip top condition and you may not be getting the max value for your dollar it's still a great experience (now don't get me started on the actual refurbs and the waterfall! )

 

[Skywise]

thanks so much for your input. I was on the fence about the theme park view but my husband thought we should just do it. We have never stayed at a monorail resort and my son's very favorite thing to do at disney world is to watch the electric water parade or "the night show" as he calls it. When we stayed at the Fort Wilderness cabins one December, we went up to the beach every night to see the show and fireworks. We thought it might be really cool to be able to see it from our room every night. We have been wanting to stay at the Polynesian for a really long time. I really hope most of the construction is complete by then. Thanks again for your words of wisdom.

Thanks!

Definitely if this is a "once in a time" trip to the Poly you want to do TPV!