Polynesian resort & concierge review **PICS ADDED - PAGE 3**

[nrsldy]

Thanks for the great review! I would like to stay at the Poly before our cruise next year. After seeing your review it's a go.
Thanks again!

 

[SeaSpray]

I can't forget this picture!!

One night, around 9:30pm, while swimming in the pool and enjoying the view of the castle at night, I heard someone say "Terry!". I looked over and saw this person looking right at me. He introduced himself, and said he recognised DH and I as soon as he saw us. He's "TheRobbs" from right here on the DIS boards! DH and I chatted with Sean for quite a while and met his wife, children, and other family members/friends. Sean is such a friendly, warm person, I was very glad that we had the chance to meet.

On our last day, I told DH that I wished I had thought to take a picture of Sean, and also a picture of Colleen (clombardi). As we were walking out the door of the lounge to go meet our limo to take us to the airport, we happened to almost literally bump into him! So I was able to have this picture snapped of the two of us.

Sean, I hope you started to feel better soon, and I hope the rest of your Disney World trip went/is going very well! It was a real pleasure to meet you and your family. Here's the pic John took of us, as we posed with a Polynesian concierge lounge resident. LOL

I also got to meet Colleen (clombardi) during check in! She said she recognised my DSs from the picture in my signature here on the boards. LOL I really regret not thinking to take out the camera and snapping her picture, but I thought we'd run into her again. Colleen, it was wonderful to meet you, even though it was so briefly. I hope you and your family had a wonderful time!!

 

[tubachick]

and I thought your WL review was great, this sounds amazing also!! Thanks for sharing.

 

[jjohnson]

Love, love, love all the photos. I'm so happy we decided to do a split stay!
We'll be there is less than a month!

 

[jjohnson]

Hey! That last one was post 1,000!!!!
:thewave: :thewave: :thewave:

 

[mlwear]

Oh WOW! Anxiety over this trip is now gone! I have a huge smile on my face what a wonderful morning surprise to see these pics. Oh, I can't wait to go. I can't decide if I should share the pics with my family or let how beautiful everything is be a complete surprise.
I know posting took a lot of time, thanks so much.

 

[chamonix]

WOW! Terry, those are fantastic pictures!!! We have stayed in concierge several times (headed back in Oct) and those pictures really made me do the Polynesian Pout too! (Tess, I have always loved your photo, and miss it! We plan to make our own version in Oct, lol)

Terry, what kind of camera do you use? We even take binoculars with us when we go (we're birdwatchers) and I have never seen the castle in such detail as in your photos. It must have a great lens.

I wonder if Tikiman would want any of your pictures for his website? Your photos of the lounge, the pool and the grounds, the view, etc are that good.

 

[Tikiman]

Great photos!! Yes you can eat the picture on the chocolate postcard.

Aloha

Steve

 

[SeaSpray]

WOW! Terry, those are fantastic pictures!!! We have stayed in concierge several times (headed back in Oct) and those pictures really made me do the Polynesian Pout too! (Tess, I have always loved your photo, and miss it! We plan to make our own version in Oct, lol)

Terry, what kind of camera do you use? We even take binoculars with us when we go (we're birdwatchers) and I have never seen the castle in such detail as in your photos. It must have a great lens.

I wonder if Tikiman would want any of your pictures for his website? Your photos of the lounge, the pool and the grounds, the view, etc are that good.

First of all, thank you EVERYONE, for your kind comments It is truly my pleasure to share them all here with you. As I took the pictures, I tried to keep in mind the kinds of things I had wanted to see while planning and researching our trip. DH and I were pretty ill during the beginning of our trip, and there are so many more pictures I could've/should've taken, but I hope that I captured the essence of the Polynesian resort (and the Wilderness Lodge, in my other thread).

chamonix: I brought binoculars with us too! I had a gift basket made for DH for our Disney cruise last year, and the binoculars were in the basket, so when I was packing for this trip, I remember how much we used them while sitting out on the verandah on the ship, and I figured that since we had a lagoon view room, we might want to use them on this trip too. I was really glad I packed them. We all used them, especially DS14.

Our camera is an Olympus C-740 digital camera. It's a 3.2 megapixel camera, with a 10X optical zoom, and 30X optical and digital zoom. WHATEVER all that means, I have no idea.(I just read that info off the camera itself). LOL Well, I have some idea, but I'm not a tech person at all. lol It just has the zoom lens that it came with; it's not the kind that you can add differents lenses too. That'll be on our NEXT camera. lol I don't know how to operate this camera properly. It has all kinds of settings that I wish I knew how to use. We had some outstanding views at night that just didn't turn out, because I don't know the night time settings However, I am very pleased with every single picture I took in the daylight, or in indoor lighting.

As for my pictures going on to Tikiman's site, that would be great, if he is interested in any of them He knows how to reach me and I'd be happy to send him the originals which are of a much larger size, or I can send the size that appears in the posts, which my DH reduced for me.

 

[SeaSpray]

Great photos!! Yes you can eat the picture on the chocolate postcard.

Aloha

Steve

Thanks Steve!!! I knew you'd know the answer to that.

 

[Cindy B]

To me the Poly looked dated and old from the outside. (I've never stayed there). Your pictures are making me rethink to actually staying there someday.

I've been to the Royal Pacific at USF twice. The decor is similiar but slightly different.

 

[chamonix]

Just a word of caution on that edible postcard picture: we have received them every time we have stayed in concierge. The first time we ate the picture and it tasted good--sort of tart and had the consistency of a fruit leather or like those Fruit Roll Ups, you know? It was fun "stretching" the picture when we ate it. Then on every subsequent trip they have crumbled and tasted like paper or cardboard and we spit them out every time! I figured that maybe when fresh they are truly edible, but after a couple months of storage or something they get nasty....? I don't know. I knew they were supposed to be edible, but I can tell you the last couple times they definitely were not! LOL Maybe technically, but I couldn't swallow them! LOL

Thanks for the camera info. I can't believe those are only 3.2! I think the lighting is great--most pictures I have seen of the same areas come out darker and blurrier. (is blurrier a word, lol?)

 

[TXBelle]

Thank you so much for the great photos! That view from your room is making me rethink our GVC reservation. Maybe we should splurge and go with the LVC again. I cannot wait to go in September! I was excited to see that our good friend Cathi is still at the Concierge Desk. (She's in the background in one of your check-in photos). There is just something so special about the Poly.

 

[7thdwarf/dopey]

Great pictures Terry. It was nice to see your family group shot with your special cake. Loved the shirts

 

[MNmom]

Thanks so much for those great photos. You really captured the essence of the Polynesian Resort. I can't wait until Aug. We just paid in full today!!!!

Where are all the people in your pics? I was surprised that the CL didn't have more people and the pool pic even looked uncrowded. I guess I had images of people lining up out the door for those choc. chip cookies and the pool being so crowded it is hard to swim. It was great to see all the empty tables and lounge chairs at the pool.

Thanks again!!!

 

[tammy]

SeaSpray - What beautiful pictures. I loved your very detailed descriptions. Thanks so much for sharing.

 

[Tikiman]

Sorry to answer for you Seaspray.

TXBelle,

When is your reservation in September? Have you been notified about concierge closing in September?

Mnmom,

I have been on busy weeks at the Polynesian in the summer (many of them 4th of July week) and I have never found the lounge or pool to be as crowded as people say. I am sure those reports are true but it is not always like that and also people have different ideas of what is crowded. I heard a couple say the lounge was too crowded when there were 5 of us lined up for food once but many times the lounge had little or no one in it. If it is crowded come back in 10 minutes. Just keep in mind that sometimes things are not as bad as they are reported here on the DIS and the only way to tell is to see for yourself.

Aloha

Steve

 

[mom2febgirls]

Great, now I'm even more depressed about being bumped in September.

Ah, well...Dh says we can do the Poly next time (I didn't even have to suggest it)

 

[SeaSpray]

Thanks so much for those great photos. You really captured the essence of the Polynesian Resort. I can't wait until Aug. We just paid in full today!!!!

Where are all the people in your pics? I was surprised that the CL didn't have more people and the pool pic even looked uncrowded. I guess I had images of people lining up out the door for those choc. chip cookies and the pool being so crowded it is hard to swim. It was great to see all the empty tables and lounge chairs at the pool.

Thanks again!!!

Good question! Where was everyone?? LOL

I have to Echo what Tikiman said regarding the crowds at the Polynesian!

You have to remember that while the resort *may* be full, there are only so many rooms in the Hawaii building (plus the concierge Tonga building), with only so many people who have access to the lounge. Also, one night, we weren't at the resort at all at "dinner" time, and every single evening we weren't at the resort for the "late night cordials and desserts". Even so, on the days and nights we were there, it was never crowded. In the mornings we saw a few more people grabbing a bite for breakfast, and/or relaxing in the lounge, watching the big screen tv, or reading the newspapers.

As for the pool, it wasn't nearly as crowded as I had expected it to be. Especially evening-night swimming. It was wonderful! The night that we were in the pool while watching the fireworks going off over the castle was one of my best memories of this trip. There were maybe a dozen people in the pool at that time.

 

[cottontail]

Hi Seaspray:

Thanks for sharing your pics , I loved looking at the poly again. That is our fav resort.

deb.