The *ALL NEW* Polynesian Resort FAQ thread - *APRIL 2009*

[BreezysMom]

Only one Customer Service issue. Took DS to use the 30 minute arcade card one afternoon while DD napped. He played one game and then it wouldn't work at any others - kept saying Locked Out. Tried for a few minutes, then tried to call on the phone they have right there for "Arcade Assistance". No luck, it kept disconnecting on me. Walked to Captain Cook's - they said ask at the front desk. Went to the desk, they said, no you have to ask at the Marina. I was pretty irritated at this point, probably 15 minutes had passed while we got passed around, I just wanted to sit and relax, let him play. Luckily, we got a nice guy at the Marina who walked over to the arcade with us. The card then worked. He said sometimes the games don't "close out" right - even though DS was done with the game, it said Game Over, etc, and it was minutes later, it was still locking him out of other games. He gave him a whole new card since we had lost so much time. He enjoyed it, the Lock Out thing happened again, but only for about a minute this time. It would be nice if they could make that better - if you only have 30 mins and the games take so long to let you play another, you lose a good chunk of time. It was fine, DS had fun.

I think this has become a recurring complaint. I have a read a few people have had problems.

I'm glad you enjoyed your trip!

 

[BreezysMom]

Thank you very much BreezysMom and same to you BTW, I love your new Profile Pic

Thanks! That is our little Poly! She is cute but little stinker all the same. We got her about a month after we came back from our first trip. DD got to name her and that is what she chose.

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

sandym718--Dh had same issue with our card. He took girls there one evening and it was a bust--total waste. He got it to work on one or two machines. Kids were disappointed. It's a bad set up.

 

[momjkm]

Transportation from Poly question: There are buses to DtD, DHD and AK from Poly. Are these same buses at the TTC and if our room is close to the TTC, would it be smarter to walk to TTC or the bus depot at the Poly?
Also, how long, time wise once on the bus, to these places? (DTD,DHD,AK)

FInally, if I want to go to a resort, can I get a bus there from the TTC or do I have to go to a park 1st? like MK?

Jill

 

[MsStinkerBelle]

I will ask, though, how the Neverland Club is. I have two boys, 11 and 6. Do they have video games? As I mentioned, it has been a long time since we have been there...

The Neverland Club does indeed have videogames. When my nephew got to stay there with my DD, all he could talk about was all the Playstation games they had. To this day he still talks about it.

I think they would have ditched us every night for the Neverland Club if we would allow it

I know mine would. Once I picked her up a few hours earlier than normal and she got *upset* with me.

Does anyone know if the neverland club is up to 12 or including the age of 12??
Jill

It is up to and including the age of 12.

 

[MsStinkerBelle]

Transportation from Poly question: There are buses to DtD, DHD and AK from Poly. Are these same buses at the TTC and if our room is close to the TTC, would it be smarter to walk to TTC or the bus depot at the Poly?
Also, how long, time wise once on the bus, to these places? (DTD,DHD,AK)

FInally, if I want to go to a resort, can I get a bus there from the TTC or do I have to go to a park 1st? like MK?

This is my .02 regarding bus service to/from the Poly.

1. If you're going to another resort not on the monorail route, go to the MK and get the resort bus you need from there.

2. Bus transportation for other parks is almost always quicker from the TTC. Buses that stop at the Poly have to stop at the GF to pick up people. Get the bus from the TTC and you're off--no waiting.

 

[MsStinkerBelle]

If you call housekeeping and request a toothbrush, the toothbrush comes with a small tube of toothpaste in it (like BVC mentioned, it's only 1 or 2 ounces or so). They leave those in the room in club level, but anyone can request them.

I just checked the toothbrush box I brought back from my December stay (it's in our 'Disney Guest' bathroom) and lo and behold there is indeed a little tube of toothpaste. I wouldn't have known that if you hadn't posted. Thanks! This sucker is going in my carry-on for my June trip.

 

[starstruck93]

Thank you very much BreezysMom and same to you BTW, I love your new Profile Pic



Ditto!



Congratulations on your upcoming trip and on your 15th wedding anniversary Absolutely you should request a balcony! I do hear of people still faxing their requests. You've got it on your res and I would go ahead and fax 4 or 5 days before you check in and then double-check at check-in that you've been given a room with a balcony. If not, ask to be moved, if possible. I'm sure they will accomodate you.

DD has always loved the Neverland Club. YES, they do have video games.



For a Garden View room very close to the Volcano pool, request Samoa or Niue Here are some pics of our room in Niue in March:

This is from last summer - but same bathroom and beds...

WOW!! Those rooms look great! Nice pics! Should I call now and have them post the request on my reservation? Thanks so much! April

 

[megveg]

My trip is so soon! I just wanted to tell you all I appreciate everyones vast Poly knowledge! This will be my first trip to WDW paying, and planning everything myself and I know most people spring for the values and work up but I had to stay at the Poly! Andim sure ill be spoiled and never want to stay anywhere else after this! Once I get there I'll post a live update from (hopefully) our balcony.

On that note, I'm planning on using dial up while there from my laptop and was wondering where I would go to find some local acess numbers.

I was also wondering about check in. I upgraded our lagoon view to TPV without letting DBF know (shhh its a suprise!) And I'm wondering how I should tell him. I was half planning on making a cute little letter/note/card with a cute little poem or something about the Poly but then he kept telling me he was planning on napping on the flight (were leaving at 730 pm and arriving around 10ish but he would have come straight from work) so my on the plane note might not work. Is there anyway that if I let the CM at check in know that I had a suprise for DBF they would help me by telling him we were upgraded? I don't know if I wanna make it so its like look we were magically upgraded or hey look what I did to suprise you, does that make sense? Lol

Also, I know Tuvalu is the longhouse we want to stay in so we requested it but on our reservation it says 'Lnghouse Tuzalu' how worried should I be that it doesn't say Tuvalu exactly? I'm assuming the Poly CMs will know what it is but I'm not 100 percent sure and I'm worrying over every last detail because I'm slightly neurotic because its my first planned trip.


Again I thank all of you for such a wonderful place to come for help about such a wonderful hotel! I hope everyone will experience some tikidust from the Tiki Gods on their trips!

-Meghan*

 

[TJM1976]

My trip is so soon! I just wanted to tell you all I appreciate everyones vast Poly knowledge! This will be my first trip to WDW paying, and planning everything myself and I know most people spring for the values and work up but I had to stay at the Poly! Andim sure ill be spoiled and never want to stay anywhere else after this! Once I get there I'll post a live update from (hopefully) our balcony.

On that note, I'm planning on using dial up while there from my laptop and was wondering where I would go to find some local acess numbers.

I was also wondering about check in. I upgraded our lagoon view to TPV without letting DBF know (shhh its a suprise!) And I'm wondering how I should tell him. I was half planning on making a cute little letter/note/card with a cute little poem or something about the Poly but then he kept telling me he was planning on napping on the flight (were leaving at 730 pm and arriving around 10ish but he would have come straight from work) so my on the plane note might not work. Is there anyway that if I let the CM at check in know that I had a suprise for DBF they would help me by telling him we were upgraded? I don't know if I wanna make it so its like look we were magically upgraded or hey look what I did to suprise you, does that make sense? Lol

Also, I know Tuvalu is the longhouse we want to stay in so we requested it but on our reservation it says 'Lnghouse Tuzalu' how worried should I be that it doesn't say Tuvalu exactly? I'm assuming the Poly CMs will know what it is but I'm not 100 percent sure and I'm worrying over every last detail because I'm slightly neurotic because its my first planned trip.


Again I thank all of you for such a wonderful place to come for help about such a wonderful hotel! I hope everyone will experience some tikidust from the Tiki Gods on their trips!

-Meghan*

I, personally, would not worry about the "Tuzalu". The Poly room assigner will know what your request is. And this is coming from another VERY detailed oriented person!

I'm not sure about the local access #'s, HOWEVER, Disney DOES charge for local calls. So keep that in mind. I don't recall the amount, but when I've checked in at WDW resorts, the CM always asks "do you have a cell phone?" Then use it for calling and not your room phone unless you need something within the hotel, and gives a

 

[Tiltowhirl]

Even though our trip is a way off (to put it mildly) I have been really talking about concierge level to my dh. He is really interested but not yet convinced. One question is beer available in the lounge or is it just sodas, water and juices. He is not a big beer drinker, but on occasion he likes to have a nice cold one. I am a wine drinker but I don't have to have it.

Any help in convincing him that concierge is the way to go, would be greatly appreciated. Just give me some "facts" that will sway him. We will book our package in August and will have a little over a year to pay it off.

Yes, beer and wine are both available in the concierge lounge. We were there 3 weeks ago and the selection was Heinekin, Amstel Light, & Miller Light. I'm not a big beer drinker either but after a long hot day at the park it was nice to head for the Air conditioned lounge, sit by the big windows overlooking the 7 seas lagoon and have a cold frosty beer and some snack items (popcorn, pretzels, chips & salsa, etc) . If the kids wanted to hit the pool, you could pour your beer into a cup and bring it to the pool with you. You can even bring some of the snacks to the pool too. Better than paying the barefoot bar prices (since you're already paying for the CL already).

 

[taylor3297]

Yes, beer and wine are both available in the concierge lounge. We were there 3 weeks ago and the selection was Heinekin, Amstel Light, & Miller Light. I'm not a big beer drinker either but after a long hot day at the park it was nice to head for the Air conditioned lounge, sit by the big windows overlooking the 7 seas lagoon and have a cold frosty beer and some snack items (popcorn, pretzels, chips & salsa, etc) . If the kids wanted to hit the pool, you could pour your beer into a cup and bring it to the pool with you. You can even bring some of the snacks to the pool too. Better than paying the barefoot bar prices (since you're already paying for the CL already).

Oh that sounds great. I will share the beer info with DH. He normally drinks Boddingtons but Heinekin will do. Also, great that you can take it with you. Not sure if we will be swimming in December, but we do like being outside.

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

Wow, this board moves fast.

We just got back this morning and we had a wonderful time. We stayed LVCL in room 1509. We had the perfect view of the castle and the kids loved running around in the grass outside our room. There were 5 of us all together (3 adults and 2 kids) and we always felt like we had enough space. The kids were even able to share the day bed by sleeping at different ends. We had a few small issues with our room. The fridge wasn't keeping anything cold and we had to have someone bring us a new fridge. (I couldn't figure out anyway to change the setting on it.) The shower was also a disappointment. It was so low and the water pressure was not very good. There was only one small area to put things too. Of course, these are all small things. We spent a lot of evenings eating in the concierge lounge. I think all the adults agreed the sticky wings were the best.

The Poly was so amazingly relaxing and I loved being able to use the monorail. I was really surprised by how much of a difference it made. We loved the zero entry pool. It was so nice to all be together in same pool. DS really liked the slide. He rode it a bunch on Sunday and also really liked watching other people come down the slide. I was able to watch fireworks every night and feel truly spoiled by that. On Thursday we were even able to catch Wishes on the beach on our way back from the TTC after seeing Illuminations at Epcot.

We ate at Capt. Cook's a few times and I loved the grown-up grilled cheese. We also ate a Kona for breakfast. Sooo yummy!

Overall we had a wonderful time with only two complaints: We had a really hard time finding chairs at the pool (and we only really needed one.) I couldn't tell if some of them were just being saved, but it really did look like they were all being used. Also the bus to and especially from DTD took FOREVER. If I didn't have kids that need to be in car seats I would have taken a taxi instead.

I'm the kind of person who usually likes to try staying at lots of different hotels, but I think that from now on every stay has to include at least a few nights at the Poly, although we probably won't be doing CL again unless there is another fabulous deal out there. But the Poly is so beautiful I wouldn't mind staying GV at all.

Hi....

I am staying one night at the Poly the end of this month. Does anyone know if the pool bathroom has a shower? We wanted to just hang by the pool before we have to leave for the airport on our last day.

thanks!

There is a small shower stall (there might be two) at the back of of the bathroom by the pool. There isn't a curtained off changing area though.

Can anyone tell me if you can still have park purchases sent to the POLY?

You can, but most of the time it took 48 hours for things to arrive. We didn't end up using this services nearly as much as we did when we were staying at Pop Century. With the monorail it was so easy to just load up the strollers instead.

My 12 yr old daughter is a huge Stitch fan. Does walk around the Polynesian? What is the best place to see or meet him?
Thanks.

We saw stitch at the entrance to AK.

hi, does anyone know if the poly still pipes in the wishes music into the cl lounge? tia

I watched Wishes twice from the lounge. Once they piped the music in and it was perfect. The next night they didn't play it at all.

the tooth brush comes with a little bitty tube of toothpaste in the box but it is so little you could miss it and throw it away!

We never opened the toothbrush, so that would explain it.

 

[johnsonet]

Thanks! That is our little Poly! She is cute but little stinker all the same. We got her about a month after we came back from our first trip. DD got to name her and that is what she chose.

OMG - I totally missed that her name is Poly That is adorable!! She's a beauty, so it doesn't matter if she's bad (jk - sort of )

WOW!! Those rooms look great! Nice pics! Should I call now and have them post the request on my reservation? Thanks so much! April

Thank you. Yes, I would call and add "Samoa or Niue" to your reservation as a request. Even if you don't get assigned to one of those longhouses, you may be put somewhere that you end up loving but if you KNOW what you want and you don't get it, then you can always ask at check-in if there is a room closer to the Volcano Pool The Polynesian is seriously magical Good luck!

...Also, I know Tuvalu is the longhouse we want to stay in so we requested it but on our reservation it says 'Lnghouse Tuzalu' how worried should I be that it doesn't say Tuvalu exactly? I'm assuming the Poly CMs will know what it is but I'm not 100 percent sure and I'm worrying over every last detail because I'm slightly neurotic because its my first planned trip.

That would be driving me crazy as well but I agree with TJM1976, the room assignor will know what you're requesting. Hope you get it and hope you keep it a surprise from your DBF

 

[MickeyT]

Hey Everyone.

Just wanted to let everyone know how much I have enjoyed reading this thread. Even went back and hit the closed ones, John and Terry’s web pages and of course Tikiman’s site.

Our August (1st-8th) trip to the Poly will be full of 'first' for us. First monorail resort, first deluxe/deluxe resort, first CL room, first time letting a TA book my room, first time in August. I am the planner extraordinaire of our little family and usually have all the park days planned out fairly well. But the more I look at this trip and the more I see of the Poly, the more I think I want to just relax. Being August and usually hot I’m thinking this may be a time to just sit back, soak up the ambiance and enjoy the views, sights and sounds. Something that does not always coincide with Disney World and me. Relax.

Some of my best memories are waking up early at the WL and AKL , sitting in the lobby drinking coffee while the rest of my crew sleeps and watching the World come to life. Don’t get me wrong. I still have my park days planned out (thanks TGM) ADR’s made and spreadsheets done. But the more I read from you guys the more the thought of going into a complete Polynesian Chill in August sounds great.

Even though we are staying GV in Hawaii we do have a history of getting crappy rooms. Ever see those photos of the green roof view from WL. That’s us. Ended up in the basement beside the elevators and laundry room at AKL (booked pool view, got nothing but bushes and sidewalk). I just have a feeling if there is a tree blocking any kind of views outside of a GV room in Hawaii, we’ll find it. In the past it didn’t matter so much because of our commando attitude. You know. Back to the room for the quick afternoon nap and gone again. But I’m thinking , if we are going to relax in the room and I get our standard crappy view room, I’m asking for a room change.

Anyhow thanks for listening and more importantly thanks for all the information. Already looking forward to Tonga Toast and the press pot for breakfast and multiple Dole Whips!

 

[Tess]

We will be leaving for Detroit in a few hours and flying early a.m. tomorrow! Thanks to all who have posted the for our trip. No live reports from us, but I will give you my thoughts when I return. . .

Hold down the fort and see y'all in a couple of weeks! I'm sure it will be over too soon, but I have really enjoyed the anticipation this time around!

 

[NJBILL]

We will be leaving for Detroit in a few hours and flying early a.m. tomorrow! Thanks to all who have posted the for our trip. No live reports from us, but I will give you my thoughts when I return. . .

Hold down the fort and see y'all in a couple of weeks! I'm sure it will be over too soon, but I have really enjoyed the anticipation this time around!

Have a great trip and we will look forward to your trip report when u get back.Enjoy.

 

[BCV23]

Tess, we'll look for to your report..... and pout upon your return. Safe and easy travels and have a perfectly wonderful May trip! And of course,


Aloha!!!!!

 

[Carrie772]

Hey Everyone.
Our August (1st-8th) trip to the Poly will be full of 'first' for us. First monorail resort, first deluxe/deluxe resort, first CL room, first time letting a TA book my room, first time in August. I am the planner extraordinaire of our little family and usually have all the park days planned out fairly well. But the more I look at this trip and the more I see of the Poly, the more I think I want to just relax. Being August and usually hot I’m thinking this may be a time to just sit back, soak up the ambiance and enjoy the views, sights and sounds. Something that does not always coincide with Disney World and me. Relax.

Hey, Mickey T! We will see you there in August! We are staying in Tallahassee Friday then driving the rest of the way on Saturday, checking in GV. There are 5 of us, and will be rather noisy in the pool! I can't wait!

 

[BCV23]

Mickey T, welcome to the FAQ. It sounds like you have a wonderful trip planned. I think you will love the Polynesian. Almost all of the CL rooms (really almost all Polynesian rooms) have beautiful views. I hope you get an especially beautiful view. It's your turn!

Breezysmom, Poly is so cute.

Tarheel girl 1975, thanks for the report. It sounds like you had a wonderful trip overall.