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[ehh]

My biggest complaint after staying there is a lack of bell services desk

We have bell services issues at the Poly every single trip (and we go at least once a year). The fact Island Tower is compounding the issues is frustrating to hear, but doesn't surprise me. Sorry it was such a cluster for your stay.

Whoever runs/manages bell services at the Poly is incompetent or doesn't care.

 

[Electron_si]

We have bell services issues at the Poly every single trip (and we go at least once a year). The fact Island Tower is compounding the issues is frustrating to hear, but doesn't surprise me. Sorry it was such a cluster for your stay.

Whoever runs/manages bell services at the Poly is incompetent or doesn't care.

This was probably our 4th stay there and other than long wait times in the OG studios we haven’t had too many issues. I will say the CM I spoke with trying to find my luggage was slightly rude, explaining how the bell services is combined and when bags arrive at the tower they have to call the GCH counter to “check them in”. She didn’t seem to appreciate that I knew my luggage had arrived with my air tag but also wouldn’t really explain who I needed to speak to to have them sent up to the room. It was a very weird situation.

 

[RichVIII]

Checked off Vero and while I stalked an upcoming trip, a NYE 1BR TP view popped up and I snagged it. The points for one night killed me but it was better than staying way off property since we were actually in Veira for a softball tournament. A few thoughts and observations.

• We drove, so I scanned my MagicBand twice with no luck. Hit the call button, it just rang and rang. Had to call it two times and someone just finally opened the gate. For a holiday, there parking lot was fairly full but spaces still open.
• Check-in as others have said is the staff with iPads. They had some leis but had to back to a room to get them. Get the card key and have your bands read.
• The offered a 1st floor TP and for the points I was like, I never complain at views but asked if anything else was open. Very nicely and understanding it was a holiday but worth the ask. They gave us a north facing 4th floor. She said, anything not looking at Shades could be considered a TPV.
• The room was amazing. Only a few design things that may be fixed at some point. For example, towel hooks that if you used them both the bathroom and shower door would not close completely. The glass sliding doors are insanely heavy.
• North View. At first I thought I would prefer an east view but enjoyed the view and watching the monorails. No music on that side of the resort and being closer to the ground, I found the an air chiller or some sort of mechanical on all the time slightly annoying (but no biggie).
• Wailua was great. Limited menu so hard to maybe repeat. We wanted to go back for lunch but it was the same menu. Actually prefer no ADRs since it gives resort guests a shot at eating there.
• The portals are such a nice addition, even with our TPV, I could see using them during a long stay.
• We got on the elevator several times with people clearly trying to use them since they had no keys and clearly didn’t know what to do.
• Security was tight for NYE. Wristbands as always but they wouldn’t even let people walk the path in front of the Tower coming from grand, they turned them back. I did hear several people at wristbands check-in show on the website how they could see fireworks with dining reservations. Not on NYE you can’t.
• As others have shared, it seems closer than I expected.
• I struggle to use points on the side facing Shades.
• My DW said, this doesn’t feel like any other Disney resort (other than Aulani) and that was a good thing for her.

Hope to return at some point but this was a point YOLO moment we need to recover from.

 

[MarkNC2Disney]

Checked off Vero and while I stalked an upcoming trip, a NYE 1BR TP view popped up and I snagged it. The points for one night killed me but it was better than staying way off property since we were actually in Veira for a softball tournament. A few thoughts and observations.

• We drove, so I scanned my MagicBand twice with no luck. Hit the call button, it just rang and rang. Had to call it two times and someone just finally opened the gate. For a holiday, there parking lot was fairly full but spaces still open.
• Check-in as others have said is the staff with iPads. They had some leis but had to back to a room to get them. Get the card key and have your bands read.
• The offered a 1st floor TP and for the points I was like, I never complain at views but asked if anything else was open. Very nicely and understanding it was a holiday but worth the ask. They gave us a north facing 4th floor. She said, anything not looking at Shades could be considered a TPV.
• The room was amazing. Only a few design things that may be fixed at some point. For example, towel hooks that if you used them both the bathroom and shower door would not close completely. The glass sliding doors are insanely heavy.
• North View. At first I thought I would prefer an east view but enjoyed the view and watching the monorails. No music on that side of the resort and being closer to the ground, I found the an air chiller or some sort of mechanical on all the time slightly annoying (but no biggie).
• Wailua was great. Limited menu so hard to maybe repeat. We wanted to go back for lunch but it was the same menu. Actually prefer no ADRs since it gives resort guests a shot at eating there.
• The portals are such a nice addition, even with our TPV, I could see using them during a long stay.
• We got on the elevator several times with people clearly trying to use them since they had no keys and clearly didn’t know what to do.
• Security was tight for NYE. Wristbands as always but they wouldn’t even let people walk the path in front of the Tower coming from grand, they turned them back. I did hear several people at wristbands check-in show on the website how they could see fireworks with dining reservations. Not on NYE you can’t.
• As others have shared, it seems closer than I expected.
• I struggle to use points on the side facing Shades.
• My DW said, this doesn’t feel like any other Disney resort (other than Aulani) and that was a good thing for her.

Hope to return at some point but this was a point YOLO moment we need to recover from.

Thanks for the report! Interesting to me you’d have a hard time staying resort view despite getting a 1st floor (and ultimately north facing) TPV room. Given the points, that’s a significant concern for me but glad you felt it was worth it!!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

The view from Island Tower for the special midnight 12/30 & 12/31 shows didn't exactly suck. I'll share thoughts on our stay shortly.

 

[emchen]

Thanks for the report! Interesting to me you’d have a hard time staying resort view despite getting a 1st floor (and ultimately north facing) TPV room. Given the points, that’s a significant concern for me but glad you felt it was worth it!!

Very nicely and understanding it was a holiday but worth the ask. They gave us a north facing 4th floor.

Turned out it was worth it after they turned his 1st into a 4th floor room upon request.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

This will be TLDR but as a Poly fan and having followed the Tower and this thread for the last few years, figured I'd give my two cents after staying there. A little background - I'm not a DVC owner, my area of fandom/WDW experience mainly revolves around the WDW hotels, with Poly being where we've stayed the most over the years. I mainly stick to the hotel options but will occasionally pay cash for Villa accommodations. I have occasionally considered purchasing DVC, but for various reasons have never pulled the trigger. Maybe someday. Actually they should have had a guide knock on the door 5 minutes after us entering the room and they would have had me sign whatever right there. Missed opportunity Disney.

As I posted above, we were there for a few days over NYE. We've stayed at Poly for NYE every year since 2015 or 2016 I think - it's a unique few days around the resort with a ton of buzz and excitement, and of course nearly unmatched views.

We had a 2BR TPV room and I had called in a request for a "high floor." To our surprise our room was ready at 11:40am. 8th floor - yay! Ours was a dedicated 2BR - not sure if you're guaranteed a dedicated 2BR with a cash reservation or if that was just luck of the draw? I need you pros to correct me on that.

To no one's surprise, the view was stunning. This was the view looking "straight."



With a dedicated 2BR - the "three unit" balcony is pretty incredible. So much space. And being on this floor we were up with the angled roof line, making everything feel large. I will say that while the glass panels are nice, the large "bar" at the top blocks the park view when seated (at least at my height).




The glass is also prone to "fogging up" when the temp/humidity conditions are right, like they were on this evening:


As we were on the "corner" or "end" of the floor - this unit has great partial "wraparound" view of the Cove Pool and Poly grounds.


Poly was in the middle of a roof project for the longhouses when that hurricane hit - you can still see the damage on Aotearoa and a bit of Tuvalu. In the distance you can see the Hawaii and Samoa had been completed - they are an oh so subtle shade darker. I suspect the rest will be done in due time, which will clean up the Florida mold/staining that inevitably occurs over time.


If you turned your head to the right you see some pretty unsightly roof mechanical equipment (and a few spots of a bad exterior paint job) - but you have to really turn you head/look to see this.


Looking down at these little tiered mini-balconies, which are not accessible/serve no practical purpose.


This is looking straight down. A picky fan-boy potentially "eye roll" comment - seems like a cheap choice to go with the basic grey roof here and not otherwise themed or colored materials. The membrane roof in front of the pool facing rooms is at least the same color as surrounding materials and the metal awning over the fitness center area has some style to it. This is rather ugly for what is otherwise beautiful at every turn of the eye. But pretty minor, and again, picky comment.


Again, unique to this 2BR and the one below it, but you can see Epcot and various other WDW things in the distance. You can see Epcot fireworks from here, but you're pretty far so not a particularly quality viewing angle.

 

[tx911]

This will be TLDR but as a Poly fan and having followed the Tower and this thread for the last few years, figured I'd give my two cents after staying there. A little background - I'm not a DVC owner, my area of fandom/WDW experience mainly revolves around the WDW hotels, with Poly being where we've stayed the most over the years. I mainly stick to the hotel options but will occasionally pay cash for Villa accommodations. I have occasionally considered purchasing DVC, but for various reasons have never pulled the trigger. Maybe someday. Actually they should have had a guide knock on the door 5 minutes after us entering the room and they would have had me sign whatever right there. Missed opportunity to Disney.

As I posted above, we were there for a few days over NYE. We've stayed at Poly for NYE every year since 2015 or 2016 I think - it's a unique few days around the resort with a ton of buzz and excitement, and of course nearly unmatched views.

We had a 2BR TPV room and I had called in a request for a "high floor." To our surprise our room was ready at 11:40am. 8th floor - yay! Ours was a dedicated 2BR - not sure if you're guaranteed a dedicated 2BR with a cash reservation or if that was just luck of the draw? I need you pros to correct me on that.

To no one's surprise, the view was stunning. This was the view looking "straight."

View attachment 926419

With a dedicated 2BR - the "three unit" balcony is pretty incredible. So much space. And being on this floor we were up with the angled roof line, making everything feel large. I will say that while the glass panels are nice, the large "bar" at the top blocks the park view when seated (at least at my height).
View attachment 926420

View attachment 926421

The glass is also prone to "fogging up" when the temp/humidity conditions are right, like they were on this evening:
View attachment 926431

As we were on the "corner" or "end" of the floor - this unit has great partial "wraparound" view of the Cove Pool and Poly grounds.
View attachment 926422

Poly was in the middle of a roof project for the longhouses when that hurricane hit - you can still see the damage on Aotearoa and a bit of Tuvalu. In the distance you can see the Hawaii and Samoa had been completed - they are an oh so subtle shade darker. I suspect the rest will be done in due time, which will clean up the Florida mold/staining that inevitably occurs over time.
View attachment 926424

If you turned your head to the right you see some pretty unsightly roof mechanical equipment (and a few spots of a bad exterior paint job) - but you have to really turn you head/look to see this.
View attachment 926425

Looking down at these little tiered mini-balconies, which are not accessible/serve not practical purpose.
View attachment 926427

This is looking straight down. A picky fan-boy potentially "eye roll" comment - seems like a cheap choice to go with the basic grey roof here any not otherwise themed or colored materials. The membrane roof in front of the pool facing rooms is at least the same color as surrounding materials and the metal awning over the fitness center area has some style to it. This is rather ugly for what is otherwise beautiful at every turn. But pretty minor, and again, picky comment.
View attachment 926430

Again, unique to this 2BR and the one below it, but you can see Epcot and various other WDW things in the distance. You could see Epcot fireworks from here, but you're pretty far so not a particularly quality viewing angle.
View attachment 926433

Stunning, thanks for the pics!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

The room... won't bog down the thread with pics that every blogger has already covered from every angle.... but I found the room highly functional with maybe not the most expensive fixtures and finishes in the word, but materials that will last and have a nice style to them. I'll repeat the word "functional" again - everything flows well, space is used efficiently, and plenty of storage. The bathrooms are just fantastic. A couple of observations though....

Despite what I said above... the "rug made of recycled materials" is already unraveling. Hard to see in the pic, but those little frayed pieces are everywhere. At first I thought the room hadn't been vacuumed - but it had, those are just parts that have started to unravel. Pretty minor, but something that seems may not wear well.


Pretty darn impressive castle view from the king bed.


HVAC - Like every modern hotel these days, they have the motion settings on the HVAC system pretty dialed in to be as efficient as possible. Upon returning to the room it would be warm (but cool off quickly) and at night I swear the motion sensor in the master BR was super touchy/needed you to get up and move for it to kick on. It's been noted on the thread, but it's also set to go off when a balcony door is opened. Google is your friend on how to...adjust some of these things temporarily.

Laundry - Maybe normal for DVC units since I don't stay in them frequently, but both the washer and dryer were pretty noisy. You didn't really want to run either when enjoying the room - better to turn it on when leaving.

Housekeeping - As a cash guest, we had normal housekeeping each day. On two days it must have been late morning/noonish (weren't there to know exactly) on New Years Day it didn't happen until pretty late.. like 4pm+, but I have some grace on holidays. I always find Poly housekeepers quick and pleasant, and this stay was no exception.

Arrival - For the first time in forever, our bands actually worked! They opened the front gate with no issue. We parked and headed in for a brief chat with a roaming ipad CM who checked out bands were programmed for the room, then off we went. Super simple.

Parking - While the lot was well used during our days, we never had a time where we couldn't find a space. Incredibly convenient by the way - nothing about this property is all that big (thinking about the Tower, not Poly as a whole), so getting around is easy, in my opinion.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Speaking of the lot... current view of things in that direction...still a ways to go on the Floridian Way widening, but at least looking a little better.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Electrical Water Pageant - I had been hoping with the Tower opening they'd adjust the EWP position to pull them "back" a bit instead of so far towards the TTC side of the resort, but it's still a good show from the Tower and plenty loud. From the Tower you can also see the stop in front of GF as well.




These zoomed in shots give a false sense of things as that's not what the eye sees, but I thought this one was pretty cool looking. At this angle and height you really do see a ton of things.... castle, Christmas tree, MK entrance, Space, and Tron with the show building mostly properly hidden. I love CR and stay there frequently too, but this view wins no doubt.


Here's a more "normal" shot of Happily Ever After .

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Last post...

Wailulu - Had lunch there after arrival. Joined the mobile wait list (which gives options for indoors, outdoors, or first available) with a quoted wait of 40 mins - but it ended up being more like 10. We really enjoyed our meal and food, but I wonder a bit about the repeatability factor? No doubt the setting is bonkers good, but not sure there's anything about the food or drink that would specifically draw us back the way, say, Geyser Point does? That could easily just be us and our food preferences though. Of course we'll go back, despite what I just said.

Wailulu Walk-Up Bar - Could use some improvement, hate to say. Granted it was a busy time, but there was often a deep'ish line at the walk-up bar. Their menu drinks are somewhat slow to prepare and seems like CMs are still getting the hang of things. Everything just seemed a bit slow. And small pours. We can all debate this as it's subjective, but I'm more fond of the Tambu Lounge/Trader Sam's type Polynesian drink experience than I am of the Wailulu drink experience, which they've clearly taken in a different direction. It's not that big a deal as it's good to have options, but you were more likely to find me walking over to the GCH for beverages than Wailulu.

Wailulu Breakfast - Not sure what I expected but I found it interesting the to-go options are served at the walk-up bar area. Fine in warm weather, but the last day it was COLD and the poor CM out there was really uncomfortable! Not that there's really any space inside I guess? I had coffee from here each morning. But for the kids we mobile ordered Captain Cooks for breakfast as there just aren't that many options at Wailulu,. I don't find this bothersome - we enjoy the walk - but I could see how some may want "more" within the Tower.

Gym - FINALLY a Poly gym! And a pretty good one too. Great location and setting/view - love that it's not tucked in some corner/inside somewhere. It was being well used daily as well. And halleluiah the Tower is done and full running trail back open. Lots of people were getting their miles in each morning and it makes for such a wonderful setting for a run.

Torches/Signage - Not to agree with that blogger that was posted/discussed a bit a few weeks ago, but I do have to agree with him on this - it's not a deal killer, but it sure would have been nicer to tie the Tower grounds in to the rest of the resort with torches or at least some similar lighting materials. As-is it all just looks different - un-themed lights/light poles, a different color scheme, and different graphic style on the signage. Yes, another eye roll picky comment - but as a fan of the resort, I do scratch my head a bit about all the design style choices.

Sorry for the verbose report and thanks for following along. Overall we were very happy with the stay and personally despite a few nits, I think it's a fantastic addition to the Polynesian and the Seven Seas Lagoon area. Happy to answer any questions!

 

[maui22]

This will be TLDR but as a Poly fan and having followed the Tower and this thread for the last few years, figured I'd give my two cents after staying there. A little background - I'm not a DVC owner, my area of fandom/WDW experience mainly revolves around the WDW hotels, with Poly being where we've stayed the most over the years. I mainly stick to the hotel options but will occasionally pay cash for Villa accommodations. I have occasionally considered purchasing DVC, but for various reasons have never pulled the trigger. Maybe someday. Actually they should have had a guide knock on the door 5 minutes after us entering the room and they would have had me sign whatever right there. Missed opportunity Disney.

As I posted above, we were there for a few days over NYE. We've stayed at Poly for NYE every year since 2015 or 2016 I think - it's a unique few days around the resort with a ton of buzz and excitement, and of course nearly unmatched views.

We had a 2BR TPV room and I had called in a request for a "high floor." To our surprise our room was ready at 11:40am. 8th floor - yay! Ours was a dedicated 2BR - not sure if you're guaranteed a dedicated 2BR with a cash reservation or if that was just luck of the draw? I need you pros to correct me on that.

To no one's surprise, the view was stunning. This was the view looking "straight."

View attachment 926419

With a dedicated 2BR - the "three unit" balcony is pretty incredible. So much space. And being on this floor we were up with the angled roof line, making everything feel large. I will say that while the glass panels are nice, the large "bar" at the top blocks the park view when seated (at least at my height).
View attachment 926420

View attachment 926421

The glass is also prone to "fogging up" when the temp/humidity conditions are right, like they were on this evening:
View attachment 926431

As we were on the "corner" or "end" of the floor - this unit has great partial "wraparound" view of the Cove Pool and Poly grounds.
View attachment 926422

Poly was in the middle of a roof project for the longhouses when that hurricane hit - you can still see the damage on Aotearoa and a bit of Tuvalu. In the distance you can see the Hawaii and Samoa had been completed - they are an oh so subtle shade darker. I suspect the rest will be done in due time, which will clean up the Florida mold/staining that inevitably occurs over time.
View attachment 926424

If you turned your head to the right you see some pretty unsightly roof mechanical equipment (and a few spots of a bad exterior paint job) - but you have to really turn you head/look to see this.
View attachment 926425

Looking down at these little tiered mini-balconies, which are not accessible/serve no practical purpose.
View attachment 926427

This is looking straight down. A picky fan-boy potentially "eye roll" comment - seems like a cheap choice to go with the basic grey roof here and not otherwise themed or colored materials. The membrane roof in front of the pool facing rooms is at least the same color as surrounding materials and the metal awning over the fitness center area has some style to it. This is rather ugly for what is otherwise beautiful at every turn of the eye. But pretty minor, and again, picky comment.
View attachment 926430

Again, unique to this 2BR and the one below it, but you can see Epcot and various other WDW things in the distance. You can see Epcot fireworks from here, but you're pretty far so not a particularly quality viewing angle.
View attachment 926433

Thanks for the post. You had the same room Poly legend Tikiman had openings days.

 

[maui22]

Wailulu Walk-Up Bar - Could use some improvement, hate to say. Granted it was a busy time, but there was often a deep'ish line at the walk-up bar. Their menu drinks are somewhat slow to prepare and seems like CMs are still getting the hang of things. Everything just seemed a bit slow. And small pours. We can all debate this as it's subjective, but I'm more fond of the Tambu Lounge/Trader Sam's type Polynesian drink experience than I am of the Wailulu drink experience, which they've clearly taken in a different direction. It's not that big a deal as it's good to have options, but you were more likely to find me walking over to the GCH for beverages than Wailulu.

We found the same thing. Spent a couple nights at Tambu because we preferred their adult beverages.

We talked with the Wailulu GM (I forgot his name) on two different days. They are definitely working through a few hiccups. Hopefully they learn and improve.

 

[HairyChest]

Last post...

Wailulu - Had lunch there after arrival. Joined the mobile wait list (which gives options for indoors, outdoors, or first available) with a quoted wait of 40 mins - but it ended up being more like 10. We really enjoyed our meal and food, but I wonder a bit about the repeatability factor? No doubt the setting is bonkers good, but not sure there's anything about the food or drink that would specifically draw us back the way, say, Geyser Point does? That could easily just be us and our food preferences though. Of course we'll go back, despite what I just said.

Wailulu Walk-Up Bar - Could use some improvement, hate to say. Granted it was a busy time, but there was often a deep'ish line at the walk-up bar. Their menu drinks are somewhat slow to prepare and seems like CMs are still getting the hang of things. Everything just seemed a bit slow. And small pours. We can all debate this as it's subjective, but I'm more fond of the Tambu Lounge/Trader Sam's type Polynesian drink experience than I am of the Wailulu drink experience, which they've clearly taken in a different direction. It's not that big a deal as it's good to have options, but you were more likely to find me walking over to the GCH for beverages than Wailulu.

Wailulu Breakfast - Not sure what I expected but I found it interesting the to-go options are served at the walk-up bar area. Fine in warm weather, but the last day it was COLD and the poor CM out there was really uncomfortable! Not that there's really any space inside I guess? I had coffee from here each morning. But for the kids we mobile ordered Captain Cooks for breakfast as there just aren't that many options at Wailulu,. I don't find this bothersome - we enjoy the walk - but I could see how some may want "more" within the Tower.

Gym - FINALLY a Poly gym! And a pretty good one too. Great location and setting/view - love that it's not tucked in some corner/inside somewhere. It was being well used daily as well. And halleluiah the Tower is done and full running trail back open. Lots of people were getting their miles in each morning and it makes for such a wonderful setting for a run.

Torches/Signage - Not to agree with that blogger that was posted/discussed a bit a few weeks ago, but I do have to agree with him on this - it's not a deal killer, but it sure would have been nicer to tie the Tower grounds in to the rest of the resort with torches or at least some similar lighting materials. As-is it all just looks different - un-themed lights/light poles, a different color scheme, and different graphic style on the signage. Yes, another eye roll picky comment - but as a fan of the resort, I do scratch my head a bit about all the design style choices.

Sorry for the verbose report and thanks for following along. Overall we were very happy with the stay and personally despite a few nits, I think it's a fantastic addition to the Polynesian and the Seven Seas Lagoon area. Happy to answer any questions!

Wonderful review!! Having 2br tpv is no doubt amazing and since you know how it feels to stay in the tower vs the original Polynesian , if you were to book a standard view studio, would you say your preference would be at the tower or the longhouses?

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Wonderful review!! Having 2br tpv is no doubt amazing and since you know how it feels to stay in the tower vs the original Polynesian , if you were to book a standard view studio, would you say your preference would be at the tower or the longhouses?

Hmm - seems like one of those questions that's going to be very subjective person to person. There's not really a wrong answer though, so that's a good thing! Both would be fun.

Big picture, I 'think' I err towards the legacy side of the resort. The Tower is new/modern/fun, but it has also brought a more "vibrant" vibe... more foot traffic... more noise - that's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's not the quiet manicured grounds of the Poly I love. I've always liked the original Poly studios and those longhouses - good size rooms, you generally know your view (with some exceptions), steps to the TTC, bus stop, and I'm quite fond of the Oasis Pool.

Standard view Tower (now called Resort View, fyi) is going to look at the parking lot, current two-lane and soon to be four-lane Floridian Way with the golf course in the distance - that seems to me like a decent downgrade to the majority of the views from the legacy DVC longhouses. Whether or not being in the "shiny new Tower" itself makes up for it, I'm not sure.

I think for me personally, I don't think the Tower will be my go to way to experience Poly - I'll stick to the hotel side/longhouse locations that I know/love, with occasional consideration for the Tower for the right trip circumstances or room size needs. That's not a knock on the Tower, just my personal take sitting here digesting our experience.

 

[MarkNC2Disney]

We found the same thing. Spent a couple nights at Tambu because we preferred their adult beverages.

We talked with the Wailulu GM (I forgot his name) on two different days. They are definitely working through a few hiccups. Hopefully they learn and improve.

Can y'all say more about the types of drinks served at Wailulu? Boring and small? I do enjoy an early evening stroll of the grounds with my Lapu Lapu…

 

[Einstein509]

Hmm - seems like one of those questions that's going to be very subjective person to person. There's not really a wrong answer though, so that's a good thing! Both would be fun.

Big picture, I 'think' I err towards the legacy side of the resort. The Tower is new/modern/fun, but it has also brought a more "vibrant" vibe... more foot traffic... more noise - that's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's not the quiet manicured grounds of the Poly I love. I've always liked the original Poly studios and those longhouses - good size rooms, you generally know your view (with some exceptions), steps to the TTC, bus stop, and I'm quite fond of the Oasis Pool.

Standard view Tower (now called Resort View, fyi) is going to look at the parking lot, current two-lane and soon to be four-lane Floridian Way with the golf course in the distance - that seems to me like a decent downgrade to the majority of the views from the legacy DVC longhouses. Whether or not being in the "shiny new Tower" itself makes up for it, I'm not sure.

I think for me personally, I don't think the Tower will be my go to way to experience Poly - I'll stick to the hotel side/longhouse locations that I know/love, with occasional consideration for the Tower for the right trip circumstances or room size needs. That's not a knock on the Tower, just my personal take sitting here digesting our experience.

Thanks for the great review from your perspective. I agree with your assessment that the standard/resort view in the longhouses totally beats the tower views except for Pago Pago where you also may be stuck with a parking lot view. However, most standard/resort views are of the resort grounds. We totally enjoy the flickering of a tiki-torch outside of our balcony with the lush landscape when going to bed at night and that does seem like a missing element with the tower.

Plus the size of the studios with two bathrooms is a better setup for some in the longhouses.

 

[DonkeyHoTay]

Hmm - seems like one of those questions that's going to be very subjective person to person. There's not really a wrong answer though, so that's a good thing! Both would be fun.

Big picture, I 'think' I err towards the legacy side of the resort. The Tower is new/modern/fun, but it has also brought a more "vibrant" vibe... more foot traffic... more noise - that's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's not the quiet manicured grounds of the Poly I love. I've always liked the original Poly studios and those longhouses - good size rooms, you generally know your view (with some exceptions), steps to the TTC, bus stop, and I'm quite fond of the Oasis Pool.

Standard view Tower (now called Resort View, fyi) is going to look at the parking lot, current two-lane and soon to be four-lane Floridian Way with the golf course in the distance - that seems to me like a decent downgrade to the majority of the views from the legacy DVC longhouses. Whether or not being in the "shiny new Tower" itself makes up for it, I'm not sure.

I think for me personally, I don't think the Tower will be my go to way to experience Poly - I'll stick to the hotel side/longhouse locations that I know/love, with occasional consideration for the Tower for the right trip circumstances or room size needs. That's not a knock on the Tower, just my personal take sitting here digesting our experience.

Your pictures and detailed review are deeply appreciated! To your point about subjectivity, your insight has firmly convinced me I will never stay on the legacy side of the resort and it justifies all the Poly points I bought just to stay in the tower with TPV.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Can y'all say more about the types of drinks served at Wailulu? Boring and small? I do enjoy an early evening stroll of the grounds with my Lapu Lapu…

I guess I'm old and stuck on Disney's fake 70's Polynesian vibe vs more modern times - that's OK, I'll own it. But I'm a Lapu Lapu, Backscatcher, Painkiller, etc tiki drink type of person. Give me Tambu Lounge or the Barefoot Pool Bar. If I'm going to take the sugar/calorie hit, at least pack a punch. And I like the appeal of unique drinks you generally can only find in tiki or beach bar type settings.

Wailulu reads more like the cocktail menu at a modern trendy restaurant... a Mule, an Old Fashioned, an Espresso Martini, a Margarita... not a ton of rum drinks to be found. Out of these I've had the Mule, Espresso Martini, and Margarita and they were all pretty small, measured to exact proportions, and not repeatable, in my humble opinion. Lots of sugar - they all needed more alcohol/kick to take the edge off the sweetness and other various flavors (looking at you Cinnamon Syrup in the margarita...).

Granted, I did not ask for any off menu drinks (wanted to try the menu items without modification) - I'm assuming they can make other things.

Going to need to keep going back to hone in on something I like here.