Opinions on the new Poly

[disneyworldaddict]

Just curious about what everyone thinks about the changes to Poly. We ate there last night, at Kona and each of our meals was perfect. I had duck, my daughter had scallops and my husband had the tuna. For dessert they got the creme brûlée and I had the Ohana bread pudding (not on their menu, but as usual Disney is very accommodating).

After our meal we walked the grounds. I was disappointed in the changes. There is now what looks like a very fun water slide but they removed the waterfalls and little bridge. It felt very lively and chaotic, not like the romantic place my husband and I stayed and celebrated our anniversary in the past. I feel the same about the lobby. We walked over to the beach near Spirit of Aloha which was calmer and more romantic but there's no Hawaiian music on that side.

On a different note, Traded Sams looks like a really cool, fun place to be and we will check it out on this trip.

Please post your opinions, I'd especially love to hear from someone that's stayedd there both before and after he changes and also who's stayed in the new Poly DVC rooms.

 

[GreatLakes]

I think they ruined the lobby. The water feature was what made the resort in my opinion. Beyond that I think the other changes are fine. The addition of Trader Sam's was good, the bungalows don't bother me, and I don't really care one way or the other about the pools.

 

[wdwrich]

Although I won't see the Poly in person until December, from the numerous photos and videos I've seen to date I have to agree with GreatLakes. The charm and character of the GCH lobby was lost when they took out the water feature/garden.

 

[smiths02]

I can only speak for the lobby as that is the only part I've been in before/after. I agree that the taking out the new water feature/tiki statue is just not grand enough. Tikiman posted that there were many reasons that they had to take out the old feature, so I don't know what the solution would have been. My DH said they should have put in a few water features/planters/tiki statues not just one small one?

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We stayed there in 2005, 2008, 2012 and August of this year. I like many of the changes. I actually love the lobby. It's spacious and welcoming and with the number of guests that were there, the space and extra seating were very much needed. One evening almost every seating area was taken. Trader Sam's was fun, but we probably won't go back. The outdoor patio was lovely. Quiet and a great place to watch Wishes. The pool was nice. We enjoyed the slide and the splash area is fantastic, but they definitely need more shade. We enjoyed O'hana but Kona is in serious need of a rehab and Capt. Cooks was way too crowded. All in all, I liked the changes, but I find staying at the EP resorts far more relaxing so we will most likely book more trips there in the years to come.

 

[Skywise]

If you've never seen the old Polynesian it's a nice place. But the feel has changed quite a bit from what it was. It's hard to describe - It's like you used to be able to go to an authentic style chinese restaurant but now they've moved to a shopping mall with an HOA style contract that restricts decorating. Most of the lush plant life is gone and replaced with more manageable greenery. What used to be just tiki torch lit pathways are now nicely ilt sidewalks with tiki torches only providing ambience. What used to be a beautiful beach view and sunset point of the Magic Kingdom is now reduced to a park that has lovely views of where the rich people get to stay. You used to be able to walk from the sandy beach right into the pool but now there's a nicely painted chain link fence that prevents that (that's not really Disney's fault though)

That said it's STILL my favorite resort and my homebase. It just used to be... better...

 

[LvsTnk]

While I was a huge fan of the old lobby I understand the need to change it. The way it is now is just okay to me. I miss the stream running through the courtyard out to the pool area more. Loved Trader Sam's lot's of fun, we did outside and inside no complaints.

The pool is another story kids play area was amazing, hot tub was hit or miss with it working, but their lack of tables and shade is what got me. I am waiting to see how the new pool area turns out.

We stayed in a new studio and loved it, it will be the first of many visits hopefully. I didn't miss staying in the original rooms or the Hawaii building at all I really liked the bathroom layout and decor.

 

[JasonMouse]

I like the large fence around the main pool. Do they HAVE veloci-raptors in Hawaii??

 

[pixarmom]

I've been staying at Poly since the early 80's. As much as the old Poly had sentimental value for me, I love the new Poly. I prefer the new lobby, the new pool and even don't mind the bungalows. I think Trader Sam's is a bit over-hyped (prefer the DL version, mostly because it's not so over-hyped) and I miss the stream outside the lobby (the new area looks kind of bland,) but that's about it. Would love to switch our WL reservation to Poly for February 2016 . . . just waiting to see if we can get the studio villa with a discount . . .

 

[Nancyg56]

I have stayed at the retro Poly and have visited the new Poly. While I did notcheck out the pool, I did visit teh lobby and I really thought it was nice. I like the open airy feel, and found that it was much more conducive to sitting and relaxing. I do not like Captain Cooks. What a mess, in my opinion. The layout makes it very crowded and to me, it was a chaotic mess. I will nto be back there for a long time.

I loved the old Poly, and it is my family's favorite resort to stay at, but it really did need sime updates. I know change is hard but this lovely resort, including that pool, did need to change.

 

[Baklava]

I like the large fence around the main pool. Do they HAVE veloci-raptors in Hawaii??

Pool hoppers, velociraptors... tomato, tomahto.

 

[johnvree]

Based on pictures only, I am going to miss the old Lobby. But how much time do you really spend in the lobby at the Poly. If you are not at the parks, you are probably in your room or at the pool. The only time you are in the lobby, for the most part, is when you check in, are shopping, or waiting to be seated in a restaurant, or heading to the monorail. Still, I am going to miss the old lobby. We usually stay club level and you can bypass the lobby at check in by telling a bellhop you are staying club level. Someone will come pick you up in a cart and drive you and your luggage to the Hawaii Longhouse. We always skipped this little perk because I wanted my arrival to begin with a walk through the lobby.

The main pool looks pretty much the same and it sounds like the quiet pool is going to be a big upgrade when they finish it next century.

The one thing I am worried about is the bungalows - or bungled-lows as I like to call them. Again, I'll have to wait to see them firsthand. But it seems to me that they killed one of the best spots on the resort -- the beaches facing the MK. And my guess is these bungalows are going to end up being a headache for the resort. Mold was a problem in the longhouse close to the lake. I have to imagine it's going to be an issue for structures hovering over the water. And wasn't moisture/mold one of the reasons they killed the waterfalls in the lobby?

Anyway, we'll be there in May. The Poly has always been our favorite resort. Hopefully we will still feel that way. Otherwise, as our kids get older and being on the monorail to get to MK becomes less important, we may pick a new favorite, and that new favorite is likely to be over at USO. The Portofino is our second favorite resort in Orlando. Last year, with all the construction going on at the Poly, we canceled our May trip, considered other resorts, and eventually talked ourselves into staying on site at Universal instead.

 

[wdwrich]

Based on pictures only, I am going to miss the old Lobby. But how much time do you really spend in the lobby at the Poly. If you are not at the parks, you are probably in your room or at the pool. The only time you are in the lobby, for the most part, is when you check in, are shopping, or waiting to be seated in a restaurant, or heading to the monorail. Still, I am going to miss the old lobby. ...

Actually, when our kids were younger we spent quite a bit of time hanging out in the (old) lobby. Sitting there enjoying the ambiance withe the garden/water feature was something we always seemed to enjoy at the Poly, but never really did at the other Disney resorts.

 

[Dentam]

We stayed at the Poly back in 1999 and checked it out again when we were there this month. I LOVED the new furniture and rugs in the lobby with the beach floats hanging from the ceiling... all of the colors they used are so rich and I just love the feel of the entire area. In my opinion, the pool is VERY small for a deluxe resort. We stayed at the AKL at the end of our trip and that pool was much larger and way less crowded plus it had seating areas tucked away from the main pool which was very nice. The new villas over the water at the Poly look very nice though - would take a lottery win to stay there unfortunately!

 

[Southernswthrt]

Although we had never stayed at the Poly prior to Labor Day week this year, we have visited many, many times in the past for meals and/or fireworks on the beach. No matter where we stay, no trip is complete without a visit to the Poly for Ohana or Kona Cafe. The lobby does look different, but it is still quite nice - and I have to say - there is something magical about walking into the lobby and being able to see the castle straight ahead. We were also upgraded to a studio villa in Moorea upon arrival.

Cons - Parking was scarce upon arrival, Captain Cooks is quite chaotic at times, and the fence around the pool is probably necessary but it didn't seem to be doing anything as far as keeping non-resort guests out. None of these detracted from our visit. Pro's - DD loved the kids splash area, but we'll probably get more use out of the "quiet pool" area when it's complete. We loved the resort. The grounds are beautiful, and as busy as it is around the GCH and pool, the resort is so quiet and peaceful. We enjoyed sitting on the beach in the evenings, and especially loved taking the boat to MK. We had issues with our Magic Bands, and the CM's were very helpful. We hope to return for many years to come! I just don't get the same feeling at any of the other resorts

 

[one11sgt]

I guess Im in the minority with really liking the new lobby

 

[Kaigler]

I loved the change. A few years ago, my wife and I toured the resort and felt like we were in a retirement home. Everything felt dated. I swore I'd never spend the money to stay there. Last month we bought DVC there. When we toured the resort this time, we fell in love. The resort has a completely different vibe. A lot of people hold onto the old Poly for nostalgic purposes. But for us, the changes are amazing and were needed.

 

[Disney Ron]

I guess Im in the minority with really liking the new lobby

Well we're with you. We were there in August and loved the new lobby. We will be back next August.