Polynesian experts.....a little advice needed

[Mom2Four]

Hi all! We are coming down to the World on August 23, staying at the Poly!!! We are DVC members so never get to stay there, and we are soooo excited! I need a little help with what longhouse to request. We want to be near the Great Ceremonial House, and a balcony is a must! Any advice on what to request? TIA

 

[olive]

Hi all! We are coming down to the World on August 23, staying at the Poly!!! We are DVC members so never get to stay there, and we are soooo excited! I need a little help with what longhouse to request. We want to be near the Great Ceremonial House, and a balcony is a must! Any advice on what to request? TIA

I am a huge fan of the Polynesian. I recommend googling for the tikiman website for information about the different longhouses. Most of them do not have balconies on the second floor (patios on the first and balconies on the third are the norm), and I don't think any of the ones that are super close to the GCH have balconies on the second floor. The Polynesian isn't that spread out, but if a balcony can be a dealbreaker, you may want to reconsider. We generally request the third floor of Samoa, facing the volcano pool. It is quite close to the GCH and includes the balcony, although we like the higher floor for the view, not the balcony so much. I think Niue has balconies on the second floor (that building is only two floors), but double check on the Tikiman site. It is right next to the GCH, and sits between Samoa and that building.

Good luck with your planning!

 

[PoohsFan1]

I am a huge fan of the Polynesian. I recommend googling for the tikiman website for information about the different longhouses. Most of them do not have balconies on the second floor (patios on the first and balconies on the third are the norm), and I don't think any of the ones that are super close to the GCH have balconies on the second floor. The Polynesian isn't that spread out, but if a balcony can be a dealbreaker, you may want to reconsider. We generally request the third floor of Samoa, facing the volcano pool. It is quite close to the GCH and includes the balcony, although we like the higher floor for the view, not the balcony so much. I think Niue has balconies on the second floor (that building is only two floors), but double check on the Tikiman site. It is right next to the GCH, and sits between Samoa and that building.

Good luck with your planning!

We will be checking into the Poly on 8/28 and I have put in a request for the Somoa Longhouse on the 3rd floor. Balconies are huge for us...well, for me because I love to sit out there and watch the "World" go by. We have a GV View so I am hoping we will either get a view of the main Volcano Pool or a view of the Quiet Pool, as long as we are on the 3rd floor with a balcony, I don't care which pool I see . Good luck with your views.

 

[RivaLJ]

I found Tokelau to be convenient. There are balconies on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Very close to laundry and bus stop. There are exits at each end of the longhouse too- use one for the bus the other for the pool.

 

[DannysMom]

I really liked Tokelau too. Centrally located. We liked walking next door to the TTC to catch the Epcot direct monorail.

 

[iloveeeyore]

You can put in your requests when you make your initial reservation, either through CRO or a TA. Don't worry if your ressie is already made, you can call back and add your requests.

We are personally big fans of Samoa, but other Poly fans adore Tokelau. The great thing about Tokelau is that it is very centrally located between GCH and TTC, really close to bus stop, plus the rooms are bigger and have balconies on the 2nd floor. If you are bringing your big family and staying in one room, Tokelau might be a little better for you than Samoa.

We prefer a balcony like you, in fact that is our most important request. I word my request like this "third floor, balcony, preferably in Samoa facing the volcano pool." That way whoever reads my requests knows that if we can't get Samoa, we still want a balcony (we'd rather have a balcony in a different building than the 2nd floor of Samoa). If I were you I might word it like this "...preferably in Tokelau or Samoa," or "preferably in a central location" or "preferably near the lobby." Remember that when you check in, if you are not thrilled with your room assignment, you can ask to be moved to a room that you prefer; they will accommodate you, if one is available. Surprisingly, many of the folks who are not granted their wish find a blessing in disguise, and wind up thrilled with the assignment for reasons they didn't expect. There is magic everywhere at the Poly!

Congrats on your first Poly stay! We have a thread for folks visiting the Poly in August on the Countdowns and Live Reports Board if you'd like to join us!

ALOHA!

 

[MartyM]

I found Tokelau to be convenient. There are balconies on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Very close to laundry and bus stop. There are exits at each end of the longhouse too- use one for the bus the other for the pool.

Yep, same. It was pretty much the perfect location for us.

We didn't have to get on the resort loop monorail when going to or from the epcot area, as the longhouse was less than a 5 minute walk from the TTC. We don't have kids, but I would imagine that it would be nice to just step off the monorail and walk with the strollers, purchases, and little ones, rather than having to have the children load up again to go to the next stop.

Also, the walk was always filled with wildlife, literally thousands of little skinks (lizards) in the plants, squirrels, rabbits and ducks. We even saw a nest of duck eggs, and we always checked on the hen (is that right for a duck? a hen?) when we walked through to see if she was sitting or out and about.

While our room was not in the best shape, as far as location, I think that it was great. Patio was very private, since plants and bushes had grown over head high. We were visited almost every morning by a very cute rabbit, not much bigger than a baby. I'm pretty sure that he was used to being fed and was begging at the window.

I can look up the room number if you need for me to, I'm pretty sure I posted it on the Dis at some point. Just make sure that you check your room as soon as you arrive, before you unpack and rush off to the park. Moving is one thing when you just walked in, a whole other after you've done the MK at 90 MPH because you were too excited. ...not that I know anyone who would do that...

 

[Polydweller]

First, do not get hung up on being close to the GCH. The Poly is not spread out at all. In fact, you can walk from the TTC to Luau cove in 5-7 minutes. Any longhouse is 3-5 minutes away. Honestly, i've used gps and mapped the various walks at normal walking speed many times. So I'd suggest you remove that as a criteria.

That said, I recommend Tokelau. It's one of the newest buildings, has balcony or patio on all floors, many rooms can catch glimpses to the north of the lagoon, and as with the other newer buildings (Tokelau to TTC side) it has the largest rooms 475 sq ft compared to 415 sq ft for the rest of the buildings. It's centrally located about 3 min from the GCH and 3-5 to the TTC. Just make it your request on the reservation and you will be very pleased.

 

[mickeynut1]

We loved Samoa as it was convenient to everything. I think there are only balconies on the 3rd floor, so you would have to request that if you wanted a balcony.

 

[jcjen519]

We are checking in on September 1st and actually just upgraded to lagoon view club level. before upgrading though we were garden view standard room and from what I could tell it seems 3rd floor samoa volcano pool view is a very popular request. if I were you I would go to the website someone else suggested (tikiman) and read about the different longhouses. Also if a balcony is the deal breaker you may want to request 3rd floor. I was also told by a helpful CM that its a good idea to call the hotel a couple days before you check in a confirm your request. good luck Enjoy your trip and I'm sure whatever room you get will be wonderful!

 

[mickeynut1]

I was also told by a helpful CM that its a good idea to call the hotel a couple days before you check in a confirm your request.

Just wanted to mention that when you call a specific resort's phone number, you are routed to a call center and are not talking to someone at the resort (even though the call is answered as if you've reached the front desk). It doesn't hurt to call a week or two prior to arrival just to confirm requests are noted, but you will be talking to CRO rather than the actual resort.

 

[macnodos]

Agree with Olive in requesting Samoa poolside. 2nd floor does not have balconies which leaves 3rd. If no luck at Samoa, Fiji works well also, very convenient location on the water marina side. We are also DVC members and plan to go back next time (cash) because we like Poly that much. Good Luck.