Tell me why the Poly is so popular!

[Disney-Kim]

my 2 cents. I really think the "bright" resorts are beautiful. I love the GF.
but if they re-did the Polynesian to todays look....would that make it look like the hotels in Las Vegas. Yes fancy and new.....but Disney?? not in my opinion. We go to Disney to get away from reality and enjoy the ambience that it has to offer.

The Polynesian is not lacking in ambience. Just my honest opinion.

 

[Bob NC]

The Poly used to be my favorite resort. Last time I was there, though, it just looked dingy, dirty and gross. It doesn't have the 'atmosphere' it once had, IMO. I'd love to love the place, really, It was my first Disney resort and also my honeymoon resort.

 

[kidzmom3]

The poly is my dream resort. We havent quite made it yet, but it helps to see a discussion of both sides. I think I would still love it, but some comments do make me say hmmm.

 

[IAMaGR8DISMOM]

We have stayed on property at Disney many times over many years, from moderate resorts, to home away from home, and honestly.....the best time my boys had was a Lagoon view room at the Poly. Hands down, if you ask them today, they will say they enjoyed the Poly the best. There is quite a lot of Disney magic at that resort, it is hard to describe.

Also, there is a wonderful smell in the GCH, lush foleage a huge waterfall, and nostalgia. Just to know that that hotel was there when it all began is comforting to me somehow.

Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed most of the on site hotels at Disney, but the Poly holds a special place in my heart.

Tikeman, thank you for your awesome website, it really is a great tribute to the Poly and very enjoyable if you are a Poly fan like me.

 

[Bstanley]

Friends, Mouseketeers, fellow Disneyoids, lend me your ears;
I come to bury The Polynesian, not to praise it.

The dis-satisfaction that resorts engender lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with the Polynesian. The noble jaguar9748
Hath told you the Polynesian is darkness and dated:
If it were so, it is a grievous fault,
And grievously hath the Polynesian answer'd it.

Here, under leave of jaguar9748 and the rest --
For jaguar9748 is an honourable man;
So are they all, all honourable men --

Come I to speak in the Polynesian's defense.
It is my favorite - convenient, comfortable and beautiful to me:
But jaguar9748 says it was darkness and dated;
And jaguar9748 is an honourable man.

The Polynesian hath captivated many at Walt Disney World
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
Did this in the Polynesian seem dark and dated?
When that the crowds departed other resorts, The Polynesian hath maintained:
Darkness and dated decor should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet jaguar9748 says it is darkness and dated;
And jaguar9748 is an honourable man.

I speak not to disprove what jaguar9748 spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love The Polynesian once, not without cause:

What cause withholds you then, to speak for The Polynesian?
O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason. Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with The Polynesian,
And I must pause till it come back to me ....

But yesterday the word of The Polynesian might
Have stood against the world; now lies it there.
And none so poor to do it reverence.

O masters, if I were disposed to stir
Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage,
I should do jaguar9748 wrong, and Edina wrong,

Who, you all know, are honourable men:
I will not do them wrong; I rather choose
To wrong the dead, to wrong myself and you,
Than I will wrong such honourable men.

But here's a parchment with the seal of The DIS Boards;
I found it The Polynesian's closet, 'tis the results of many Polls:
Let but the commons hear this testament --
Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read --

But, see thee - THE POLYNESIAN ALWAYS COMES IN FIRST!!

(With all due respect to the Bard)

 

[LAWalz23]

Great poem, Bstanely. Tikiman, I am with you if everyone else doesn't like it more room for us.
I guess you can figure out that I am a Poly lover, too! It is not dark it is relaxing. WDW is about themeing and the Poly is great! When I step out of my car or the monorail, I am in a different place. The transportation is not an issue. If you are willing to walk a little bit you have the monorail, the buses and TTC all at your disposal. That said everyone is entitlted to their own opinion. We all know however that opinion is not fact. What I would like to know is WHY some folks find it necessary to bash certain resorts. If you don't like it fine, but let other folks make up their own minds. The Poly is not perfect but please tell me which resort anywhere is? I don't think there are too many.

 

[CamColt]

LOL, donnamerry! Im sorry if my post came off the wrong way. I stayed there for my honeymoon 7 years ago. I was just glad that what I did experience was close to the "real thing". In fact DH are going back to the Poly for 1 night in July before our cruise. Since this is our first and probably only trip without the kids, I wanted to relive the honeymoon. Thanks for the congrats though.

 

[Bob NC]

What I would like to know is WHY some folks find it necessary to bash certain resorts. If you don't like it fine, but let other folks make up their own minds.

LOL.....Some of us have to try to even out the cult-like adoration of a 30 year old, dated hotel.

 

[Figment and I]

I didn't think I'd like the Poly, and after having stayed there on my last visit, I don't know if I want to stay anywhere else! It's not that it's that fantastic, but it's just that fantastic...it's the POLY, and if others don't want to stay there, more room for us!

 

[disneydel]

What is it about the Polynesian? You either feel it or you don't. I guess it is magic. All I can say is that last May we spent 3 days at the Hard Rock Hotel enjoying Universal and Islands of Adventure before heading off to Disney and our 7 day stay at the Polynesian. It was our first time staying at the HRH. We were on the 4th floor and the rooms were bright and very comfortable. Everywhere you looked interesting rock memorabilia was scattered about (ex., Jimmy Hendriks guitar). The atmosphere was great, rock music was playing everywhere even under water in the pool. The lobby was bright, shiny and very modern. We had a wonderful time. Upon arriving at the Poly the difference in the way we felt about our new surroundings immediately hit us. We were excited, but also immediately felt much more relaxed. When we entered our first floor room and opened the sliding glass doors to see the lagoon and castle, we just plopped down our suitcases and ran outside. The smell in the air of the tropical plants and the overwhelming sense that this is more than just a hotel is what always makes the Polynesian special. HRH is great, but it feels like a hotel. The Polynesian does not. The Poly is not shiny and new, nor is it modern and updated. It doesn't need to be. It is what it is. Something magical and special that cannot be explained. The musical sound of the bamboo in the wind, the familar musty scent of the lobby, the intimacy of the tiki torches against a dark night, along with the tropical casualness of the property, all combine to create a certain kind of comfortable magic.

 

[PhilipP]

Polynesian is definitely my favorite. Hard to describe, but I guess it's just because it feels more cozy than the other resorts. It's fun for me to walk around the grounds and totally emerse myself in the tropical surroundings. Okay that sounds a bit flaky but that's how I feel. My wife thinks I'm crazy because evertime we visit WDW (when we are not staying on-site), as soon as we get to the TTC, I start walking towards Polynesian. I tell her it's just to refill my mug, but it's more like a vacation kick starter for me.

Things I like...
Not too bright, but not dark either.
Folks there seem more easy going for some reason
Love those cushiony stairs leading downstairs. (Yes I'm weird)
The grounds are awesome
Great restaurants
Nice size rooms with cool theming
Great beach. Best place to rent boats.

Things that could be improved..
Some of the structures visible outside could be freshened up a bit. The view from a passing monorail exposes some of these areas.
Cheaper prices so I can afford to go more often.

 

[halfway there]

I totally agree with StevieD

I, too, had always dreamed of staying at the Polynesian since I was a kid and when we finally got there last year it wasn't all I had hoped it would be. Don't get me wrong, I loved the laid back feel and sense of nostalgia as well as the overall theme but our room was musty and damp despite the great location. It seemed old and a bit run down to me (we had a weird noise coming from the a/c vent). The beach was great with views of the castle. We too loved the way the pool gradually got deeper at one end when you walked right into it. The lush gardens are like not to be compared anywhere else in the 'world'. And you can't beat the proximity to the MK. I will most definitely give it another chance, however, the Epcot resorts will always be my first love.

 

[Cinderella]

I love this resort. It makes me want to visit Hawaii. I love everything about it - the huge rooms, watching the ducks and rabbits from my balcony.

I love wandering the resort at night - so beautiful and romantic. Watching the fireworks from the Beach or Ohana.

I really enjoy all the dining options - especially the dinner in Ohana, the Pina Colada (best I ever had) and the Tonga Toast in the Kona Cafe.

Staying at the Poly feels as if you are in another world so far from Disney, yet the monorail is so convenient. I really enjoy staying in one of the buildings furthest away from the main building for the convenience of the Epcot monorail. I enjoy the morning walks through the resort - so the distance doesn't bother me.

I personally love all the hotels I have stayed in at WDW but, I think at the end of the day, it all comes down to what kind of themeing u prefer - that's why it is great that there is so much choice there.

 

[Gigashadow]

Its everything that each post describes and more.

I loved the Polynesian for its overall theme. I Cant explain it in words - but thats my view.

8')

 

[leelee1971]

I'm a Polynesian lover, too. I've only been to WDW three times: the first time was a freebie because WDW overbooked and put us up at the Key West Resorts at no cost to us. The second time, I wanted to stay at a Monorail Resort since Magic Kingdom is our favorite (and my son was 20 months). We booked Contemporary because it was the least expensive of the three monorail resorts. But, then I started to look at pictures of all the resorts, and decided the Polynesian looked perfect. It didn't disappoint. I love the Great Ceremonial House. I love the music playing through the speakers, and the tropical look and feel of the grounds. I love the tiki torches and the feeling of quaintness -even though it's not so small. O'hana is our favorite with Kona as a close second. The transportation cannot be beat - a short walk to the Great Ceremonial House, and a short walk to the TTC. The Polynesian at night is even more spectacular. Watching the castle from the beach is breathtaking. Walking through the grounds at night with only the torches to light your way...

It's my kind of place. I'll never forget this past trip (in September), standing on my balcony admiring the view. It was truly a postcard moment!

 

[jtke5]

I just have to add to this thread. I stayed here as a child twice in the 70's so I guess for me a big part of it is nostalgia. My family finally got to stay here last August. It was the vacation of a lifetime for us. It was so incredible. I think we even stayed in the same room my family did on our first trip in Feb 1973. We enjoyed being on the monorail so much! The girls would yell out the color of the monorail as it passed by.

We had a memorable evening at the Tambu Lounge and then dinner at O'Hanna's. There was a terrible rainstorm that evening and it rained and thundered the whole time we were in there. Then when we left around sunset, we saw a rainbow over the Great Ceremonial House and Rartonga our building. Just a touch of Disney magic.

You can't go wrong with the Polynesian!

 

[jtke5]

I just have to add to this thread. I stayed here as a child twice in the 70's so I guess for me a big part of it is nostalgia. My family finally got to stay here last August. It was the vacation of a lifetime for us. It was so incredible. I think we even stayed in the same room my family did on our first trip in Feb 1973. We enjoyed being on the monorail so much! The girls would yell out the color of the monorail as it passed by.

We had a memorable evening at the Tambu Lounge and then dinner at O'Hanna's. There was a terrible rainstorm that evening and it rained and thundered the whole time we were in there. Then when we left around sunset, we saw a rainbow over the Great Ceremonial House and Rartonga our building. Just a touch of Disney magic.

You can't go wrong with the Polynesian!

 

[jtke5]

I just have to add to this thread. I stayed here as a child twice in the 70's so I guess a big part of it is nostalgia. My family finallly got to stay here last August. It was the vacation of a lifetime for us. It was so incredible. I think we even stayed in the same room my family did on our first trip in Feb 1973. We enjoyed being on the monorail so much! The girls would yell out the color of the monorail as it passed by.

We had a memorable evening at the Tambu Lounge and then dinner at O'Hanna's. There was a terrible rainstorm that evening and it rained and thundered the whole time we were in there. Then when we left around sunset, we saw a rainbow over the Great Ceremonial House and Rartonga our building. Just a touch of Disney magic.

You can't go wrong with the Polynesian!

 

[dizkid85]

Poly is the best. I stayed there as a kid (6 years old) in the summer of 72 and it was awesom. the biggest reason most people like it is nostalgia. If people have been going to Disney for a while the ploy was the nicest of the three hotels at the time. So many disney memories were made at the resort. The smells and colors all became part of that memory. we have gone back almost every year since, I even proposed to my wife at the Poly. At the end of June my family and my sisters family will be going back to stay at the poly. Can't Wait.

 

[susy]

Okay, speaking from NO experience whatsoever, I don't think there is a Disney resort that I wouldn't love!

Growing up in Florida, I've been to WDW numerous times (always offsite). My dad just loves the Embassy Suites...

In Jan we stayed at ASMo for a weekend and just LOVED it!!!!
Of course, it's not a grand hotel or anything, but just being at WDW 24/7 was wonderful!

We are planning a fall trip at Poly or BC-I keep going back and forth.

I love the brightness of the Epcot Resorts, but I feel like the castle will just be calling to me from very 'far away'.

My DH wants to stay at the Poly. So do I. One of the reasons I love Tikiman's website is that you can tell how much he loves the Poly!

Hopefully Ill be there soon. Sept or Nov- it doesn't matter....


CBR in 14 days- I KNOW I'll LOVE it!!!!