Polynesian Villas: Your expectations vs. your experience

[DVC Mike]

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When the rumors started swirling about DVC coming to the Polynesian, people started to get very excited.

The initial rumors looked very promising, with:

• A new 5-story T-shaped DVC building near Disney’s Wedding Pavilion on the site of Luau Cove
• A new 5-story T-shaped DVC building that will replace the current Rapa Nui building and parking lot on the east side of the resort near the Ticket and Transportation Center
• Refurbishing the Tahiti longhouse and turning it into DVC rooms
• A new themed pool area will be added between Tahiti, Tokelau, and the new DVC building. The pool area will feature a lazy river and will be modeled after the pool at Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa.
• Grand Villa bungalows will be built right over the water

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So, when the official announcement came in 2013, a lot of people (including me) were very disappointed.

• No new DVC buildings (except the bungalows)
• No 1-Bedroom, 2-BR or Grand Villa units
• Just studios from refurbished longhouses and the bungalows would only be the size of 2-BR units
• No Aulani-Style pool with a lazy river

So, all of us reset and lowered our expectations. Some were still very excited to buy PVB, while others weren't interested in buying but looked forward to staying there.

PVB opened on April 1, 2015, and a lot of us have had the chance to stay there. My first stay isn't until next month.

For those of you who have actually stayed at the Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, how did your expectations about PVB prior to an actual stay line up with your actual experience of a stay at PVB?


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Purchasing DVC

• What was your purchase philosophy when choosing your home resort(s)?
• Headed up or down with your points?
• How much of the DVC legal documents have you actually read?

DVC Resorts

• Favorite thing you love, and what you most dislike, about your home resort?
• Which DVC resorts have your favorite cocktail lounge/bar?
• How much time do you spend at the resort versus the parks?
• Which DVC Resort is your favorite for watching the MK fireworks?
• Are the Polynesian Villas really that noisy?
• What does the future hold for DVC?

Renting Points

• Do you rent out your points yourself or use a “points broker”?

Using Your DVC Membership

• Do you still call Member Services?
• Out of points, but you still want to go to Disney?
• Which room sizes do you book the most?
• Do you still experience obsessive Disney planning?
• How much of your vacation time do you spend at Disney?
• How has DVC changed your vacation pattern?
• What meals or snacks do you prepare in your room?

Just for Fun

• How did you pick your DISboards User Name?
• Are you a "lurker" on DISboards? If not, what caused you to de-lurk?
• How long have you been a DVC member?
• How old were you when you first became a DVC member?
• What is your family status?
• Do you unpack or live out of your suitcase?

http://i235.************************************************************* DVC Mike - *******.com

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[wdrl]

We won't stay at PVB until November, so it would be premature for me to vote in the poll.

Unlike any of the 12 other DVC resorts, PVB is the only resort I know of that had a lot of pre-development news. Thanks to Tikiman and his sources, we were given a regular dose of what Disney was contemplating on doing with the Poly property months before anything official was released by Disney. I'm not doubting the credibility of Tikiman's sources -- far from it -- but I think some of the plans we heard about never had a chance of being part of the final plans.

Who is to say that we would not be shocked if we could have seen the preliminary plans Disney had for the other resorts. Maybe Disney thought about putting elevators in every building at Old Key West? Maybe Bay Lake Tower was going to have a second tower AND over-the-water grand villas? Maybe Boardwalk Villas was going to have a roller coaster and a ferris wheel attraction for the exclusive use of BWV guests?

 

[DVC Mike]

Wow, so few responses. I guess few people have stayed at PVB.

Now, with the fire, there will even be less opportunity.

http://i235.*************************************Misc/SentinelPoly_3.jpg

Of course, this is purely fictitious and is just a joke.​

 

[julluvsdisney]

I had low expectations due to the response on here but was blown away with how much we loved it! I think PVB has made my DH a disney fanatic! Now he wants to purchase points there and basically stay there every trip! Which he has allowed me to book twice a year now!

 

[JWG]

I just don't see the value of PVB. We own at BLT and enjoy walking to MK or the MK bus stops if going to other resorts. We enjoy being the first resort stop for the monorail post MK so we can usually get on and are the first off when leaving. We have view categories so standard view allows us to save points. Love the large common area of the 1BR (2BR). Though having access to Kona Cafe, Ohana, Trader Sam's, and Dole Whips at the resort isn't a bad deal.

 

[freediverdude]

I had fairly high expectations and they were met. But then again I'm happy with the studios. But the studios did feel special like they were upgraded versions of the regular hotel rooms. And I did get the castle view room and not the parking lot view, which helped with the magic. It is a very nice resort.

Now yes a lot of things got cut, and yes I think the DVC buildings should have been given a resort amenity, even if it wasn't a pool, like a big water feature or something, sort of like how the VGF got a fountain and covered walkway.

 

[dizfan]

We had high expectations. Some were met, some were exceeded, some were not met. The resort is new and I now understand why some refuse to stay at a new resort during the first year.

I didn't vote simply because I reserve final judgment until they complete construction which won't be until next year some time.

 

[suebeelin]

Staying in january . Will let you know...

 

[nkosiek]

I have mixed feelings on the Poly after staying there back in July. Bill is probably correct in that it isn't great to stay someplace until a year or two after opening so kinks and whatnot can be worked out. There were constantly DVC salespeople and groups wandering through Moorea while we were staying there and that was annoying. The number of carts on the grounds doing maintenance and other jobs was very noticable. I didn't like that in the one bathroom the tub was a reglaze and not brand-new. I'm not a fan of the layout of Captain Cooks, I know some people swear it's a great counter-service place, but I wasn't wowed). Selfishly I was disappointed in the fact that the one souvenir I was going to purchase they didn't have in a size larger than medium at all during my stay (8 days). That said, the grounds that were available were incredible. It was super relaxing when away from the construction. The decor of the rooms was great, the roominess was awesome, and they fixed the storage issues from VGF with the drawers and raised bed. Access to Dole Whips is nice but the Pineapple Lanai wasn't anything special. I'd stay there again when it's all finished but not before.