Photos at Polynesian resort if you aren't staying there?

[Pangiebear1119]

Hi everyone,
I am sorry in advance if a similar question like this has already been asked.

I am staying in Orlando for 8 nights for my 4th wedding anniversary over Halloween (my anniversary is actually on Halloween). We are doing MNSSHP that night (tix already bought), but our day is wide open, so we decided to have some portraits taken that day. I prefer to use an outside photographer, so I'm limited in the areas that I can have my photos taken. We already know outside photographers are allowed at the Boardwalk, so that is where we'll be going, but I was wondering...I'm planning on making an ADR for Kona Café for that morning. I've heard they have seasonal breakfast items on the menu (pumpkin pancakes!), I love Hawaii (it was actually where we honeymooned), my husband's favorite meal of the day is breakfast, so it makes sense...

Anyway. I was wondering if anyone knows if I could possibly have my outside photographer meet us on the Polynesian Resort property and take some photos on the grounds before moving to Disney Boardwalk. We aren't staying on Disney property this year, we are staying at a Good Neighbor Hotel (Lake Buena Vista Village Resort & Spa). I was just wondering if anyone can tell me the rules for exploring the common grounds at a Disney Resort if I'm not staying there (and not staying anywhere on site). Any information would be helpful. Thanks!

 

[spiceycat]

are you sure about the BWV/I - now along the BW is quite different from the BWV/I resort.

first the BW is a public area - so pictures are allowed. the hotel is generally not a public area.

that say if you are allowed to take pictures inside the BWV/I then would guess that the Polyn would be allowed too.

although both of these are a change in rules for disney.

 

[Polydweller]

Tricky one. The grounds of a hotel are not public rather public access. Important distinction because it means that I as a hotelier give you access to the public to my private property under usage conditions I set. It is not wide open to the public. Violate the hotelier's usage conditions for a public access space is the same as trespassing.

Now Disney makes money at the Poly by selling sessions with a photographer and in the case of weddings selling wedding photography and wedding packages. They may reserve the use of that area for the use of their photographers to make money rather than an outside photographer. So, they may very well be unhappy with an outside photographer working on the grounds without that photographer receiving prior permission.