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

[Ghick56]

We're dancing too!

 

[Me&3]

Single Digit Dance (I assume )

Thank You

 

[BarleyJack]

Question--I know WDW is notorious for bad coffee, but the Poly is one of the FEW places where it can be good. If I were to order a pot through room service, is it a pot of the good stuff (Kona) or do I have to go the coffee place on site to get that? Weird question I know, but just wondering if I have to add coffee to my wegoshop order plan. Thanks!

 

[Tess]

Hi All--

We arrived home very late last night and I just caught up on the thread. After getting totally drenched at EPCOT as we were leaving for the airport pick-up--our flight was delayed approximately 3 hours! We left the airport around the time we should have arrived in Detroit. We were looking forward to getting back to the heat and sun for the evening--but the last day was Murphy's Law in action.

I have an old school camera so I will have to develop my film to upload my pics later.

The weather from 5/17-22/09 was not very Disney-like and put quite a damper on our second week. We've been through a couple of tropical storms in the past and the rains from Sunday evening through yesterday were that torrential. I'm talking all day soakers not the usual afternoon brief showers. We were told repeatedly that this "just doesn't happen in May". . .I'm here to tell ya' it does and it is not pleasant! By Thursday we had forgotten what the sun looked like and there was no pool time or afternoon breaks last week (except Thurs when we got a glimmer of light and the pools were open--the wind was something else though).

The first week was gorgeous (5/12-17/09) and the crowds were light early in the week. By the weekend, however, the crowds were definitely at an early June level. Thankfully, we are old hands at crowd management and we were leaving parks for our afternoon break when the masses were rolling in. We never waited more than 20 minutes for anything and that 20 minute wait was for Soarin' with a fastpass! Most rides we rode repeatedly without wait since we arrived in the parks at opening.

Now for the truly horrendous news--the CL no longer offers pineapple bread at morning service! It is still available in Kona and at the pastry/coffee bar--for purchase of course. . .that really STINKS! I can get a bagel or cinnamon roll anywhere, but the pineapple bread is the Polynesian. . .

I have the menu from the lounge and it really hasn't changed from the last year. Soup was out sometimes, but due to the heat, salad was substituted on occasion. That was not the case during the torrential rain week.

The adult beverage selection has changed since we were there last and the dessert offerings were limited to three types at night. Bud Light, Miller Light, Corona, Yuengling, and Wailua (a Hawaiian beer) were available. Bailey's has bitten the dust, but Amarula was added. Berringer's and Redwood (I think--it was something Canyon and Californian anyway ) Canyon were the wines available.

We met Carlnix, KathyZ, and SeaTurtles while there! Hi y'all and glad to see you made it back safely! It was nice to put faces to the names!

I am inundated with two weeks of soggy and probably won't be back around until later today. I'm going to enjoy some sunshine and warm weather today, tomorrow and Monday since I didn't get any last week! If anyone needs any specific information let me know!

Oh yeah, almost forgot--we had room 3507--dead, bang, straight on view of the MK/Castle! Awesome room. . . The CL CMs--Dick, Yvette, Barbara, Nereda, David, Kathy, and Awilda--to name a few--(and resort in general) were fabulous as always! Hey Conc--good to see ya' again! These people are what brings us back to the Polynesian CL time and time again. . .if they weren't there, we wouldn't be either!

Have a magical day everyone--wish I could say it was good to be home. . .

 

[mmmears]

Tess,

Glad to hear that you had some good weather along with the bad, and that you made the most of your vacation even after the rains began.

I was disappointed in the breakfast offerings, too, since they seemed so generic. I had heard about the pineapple bread here, but didn't see any of it on our week there in April. I was hoping it was just a fluke and that they aren't seriously cutting back on the CL offerings.

Glad you had a great room! That dead-on view of the lagoon (with views of the GF, CR, and of couse the castle) is IMO the BEST view in all of WDW. I prefer it to the MK views at the GF and even at the CR, since I love the lake-view with the castle peeking up above the islands.

Like you, I thought that the CL staff at the Poly were all wonderful. They were friendly, courteous, and very helpful to us, and we were impressed with their attitudes and interest in customer service.

 

[PolyAddict]

Thanks for the update Tess and glad you guys made it home safe and sound. I can see how that sort of rain would make a trip unbearable but you seemed to hang in there ok. We arrive CL a week from Monday. That is sad news about the pineapple bread. I remember enjoying it back during our one and only other CL stay in 2003. Do you remember if they had cream cheese danishes (those are my favorite) or plain croissants?

 

[mmmears]

Thanks for the update Tess and glad you guys made it home safe and sound. I can see how that sort of rain would make a trip unbearable but you seemed to hang in there ok. We arrive CL a week from Monday. That is sad news about the pineapple bread. I remember enjoying it back during our one and only other CL stay in 2003. Do you remember if they had cream cheese danishes (those are my favorite) or plain croissants?

As of April, they had plain croissants, plain bagels, and cinnamon rolls out each morning. The selection didn't change at all the week we were there.

Sorry, no danishes, at least when we were there.

 

[Tess]

As of April, they had plain croissants, plain bagels, and cinnamon rolls out each morning. The selection didn't change at all the week we were there.

Sorry, no danishes, at least when we were there.

mmmears is right--gone are the cream cheese danish as well. . . The welcoming chocolate bar is also about 1/2 the original size. . .cutbacks. . . *sigh*

 

[Me&3]

Hi All--

We arrived home very late last night and I just caught up on the thread. After getting totally drenched at EPCOT as we were leaving for the airport pick-up--our flight was delayed approximately 3 hours! We left the airport around the time we should have arrived in Detroit. We were looking forward to getting back to the heat and sun for the evening--but the last day was Murphy's Law in action.

I have an old school camera so I will have to develop my film to upload my pics later.

The weather from 5/17-22/09 was not very Disney-like and put quite a damper on our second week. We've been through a couple of tropical storms in the past and the rains from Sunday evening through yesterday were that torrential. I'm talking all day soakers not the usual afternoon brief showers. We were told repeatedly that this "just doesn't happen in May". . .I'm here to tell ya' it does and it is not pleasant! By Thursday we had forgotten what the sun looked like and there was no pool time or afternoon breaks last week (except Thurs when we got a glimmer of light and the pools were open--the wind was something else though).

The first week was gorgeous (5/12-17/09) and the crowds were light early in the week. By the weekend, however, the crowds were definitely at an early June level. Thankfully, we are old hands at crowd management and we were leaving parks for our afternoon break when the masses were rolling in. We never waited more than 20 minutes for anything and that 20 minute wait was for Soarin' with a fastpass! Most rides we rode repeatedly without wait since we arrived in the parks at opening.

Now for the truly horrendous news--the CL no longer offers pineapple bread at morning service! It is still available in Kona and at the pastry/coffee bar--for purchase of course. . .that really STINKS! I can get a bagel or cinnamon roll anywhere, but the pineapple bread is the Polynesian. . .

I have the menu from the lounge and it really hasn't changed from the last year. Soup was out sometimes, but due to the heat, salad was substituted on occasion. That was not the case during the torrential rain week.

The adult beverage selection has changed since we were there last and the dessert offerings were limited to three types at night. Bud Light, Miller Light, Corona, Yuengling, and Wailua (a Hawaiian beer) were available. Bailey's has bitten the dust, but Amarula was added. Berringer's and Redwood (I think--it was something Canyon and Californian anyway ) Canyon were the wines available.

We met Carlnix, KathyZ, and SeaTurtles while there! Hi y'all and glad to see you made it back safely! It was nice to put faces to the names!

I am inundated with two weeks of soggy and probably won't be back around until later today. I'm going to enjoy some sunshine and warm weather today, tomorrow and Monday since I didn't get any last week! If anyone needs any specific information let me know!

Oh yeah, almost forgot--we had room 3507--dead, bang, straight on view of the MK/Castle! Awesome room. . . The CL CMs--Dick, Yvette, Barbara, Nereda, David, Kathy, and Awilda--to name a few--(and resort in general) were fabulous as always! Hey Conc--good to see ya' again! These people are what brings us back to the Polynesian CL time and time again. . .if they weren't there, we wouldn't be either!

Have a magical day everyone--wish I could say it was good to be home. . .

Welcomeback glad you had a good time can't wait to see your pics

 

[mmmears]

mmmears is right--gone are the cream cheese danish as well. . . The welcoming chocolate bar is also about 1/2 the original size. . .cutbacks. . . *sigh*

And I thought that the chocolate bar just looked bigger in the photographs. It did seemed smaller than what we were expecting, but that's not a big deal to me -- I'm trying to stay away from stuff like than anyway.

 

[Kay7979]

We'll be doing our first CL stay over Labor Day weekend. We just want to sample it and see what it's like. I really don't need help with itinerary planning, so the main benefit of CL for this stay (aside from the food offerings) will be to watch Wishes from the lounge, and perhaps occassionally relax there and enjoy the view at other times of the day.

It's disappointing to hear about the cutbacks in the food service. I suppose some people have four or five people in the room, so that many people, even if three are children, can eat and drink quite a bit per day. Still, it seems the extra cost for CL ought to be more than enough to cover food and personel. As for us, it's only DH and myself, so they should be money ahead on our stay.

I remember a couple years ago I expressed my opinion that people get illogically excited over having breakfast in the lounge. It's convenient, but most mid-level hotels offer similar breakfasts for free, so it's no big deal. Someone wrote back and bit my head off saying surely I didn't think that food at the Best Western or the Holiday Inn was as good as the food you get staying club level. Well, I'll find out for myself in a few months, but I've seen the pictures and read the list of offerings, and from what I can see, I've most definitely had better breakfasts at chain hotels. For instance, why can't Disney install a Mickey waffle maker in the lounges? Or offer some sort of quiche or omelet every day? I'm sure the evening food offerings and cordials etc. will be very nice and we'll enjoy that, but breakfast sounds rather lame, and I'm disappointed to hear that the famed pineapple bread has fallen by the wayside.

 

[Tess]

We'll be doing our first CL stay over Labor Day weekend. We just want to sample it and see what it's like. I really don't need help with itinerary planning, so the main benefit of CL for this stay (aside from the food offerings) will be to watch Wishes from the lounge, and perhaps occassionally relax there and enjoy the view at other times of the day.

It's disappointing to hear about the cutbacks in the food service. I suppose some people have four or five people in the room, so that many people, even if three are children, can eat and drink quite a bit per day. Still, it seems the extra cost for CL ought to be more than enough to cover food and personel. As for us, it's only DH and myself, so they should be money ahead on our stay.

I remember a couple years ago I expressed my opinion that people get illogically excited over having breakfast in the lounge. It's convenient, but most mid-level hotels offer similar breakfasts for free, so it's no big deal. Someone wrote back and bit my head off saying surely I didn't think that food at the Best Western or the Holiday Inn was as good as the food you get staying club level. Well, I'll find out for myself in a few months, but I've seen the pictures and read the list of offerings, and from what I can see, I've most definitely had better breakfasts at chain hotels. For instance, why can't Disney install a Mickey waffle maker in the lounges? Or offer some sort of quiche or omelet every day? I'm sure the evening food offerings and cordials etc. will be very nice and we'll enjoy that, but breakfast sounds rather lame, and I'm disappointed to hear that the famed pineapple bread has fallen by the wayside.

I promise, I won't bite your head off--in fact, for the cost of a CL stay at WDW--I concur with your assessment. Then again, as we all know, it is Disney and we are paying for the convenience. . .something the off property mid-level chains can't provide. . .

As I posted, the CMs are the draw for us, but I admit I like the evening service at the Polynesian the best. Compared to the other Disney CL properties--the offerings are much more substantial.

I hope you enjoy your stay.

 

[mmmears]

I promise, I won't bite your head off--in fact, for the cost of a CL stay at WDW--I concur with your assessment. Then again, as we all know, it is Disney and we are paying for the convenience. . .something the off property mid-level chains can't provide. . .

As I posted, the CMs are the draw for us, but I admit I like the evening service at the Polynesian the best. Compared to the other Disney CL properties--the offerings are much more substantial.

I hope you enjoy your stay.

I agree. The evening food at the Poly is enough food for a light dinner. It is where you'll find the best choices and selection at the Poly.

AKL's breakfast foods beat Poly IMO since they had hot oatmeal and more choices, like chocolate croissants.

But we loved staying in the Hawaii building for the lounge, the location, and the views.

 

[johnsonet]

Welcome back, Tess.
Sorry your vacation was filled with rain. Rain like that would be very disappointing to me. I'm glad you sound upbeat.
The cutbacks continue, I see Another disappointment. I don't care for pineapple bread personally but as you said, it was a unique offering and it's a shame that it's gone.
I agree though that the Hawaii building, its views, CMs and the lounge make CL special. Thanks for your report!

 

[Sea Turtles]

We met Carlnix, KathyZ, and SeaTurtles while there! Hi y'all and glad to see you made it back safely! It was nice to put faces to the names!

Welcome back!

 

[summersalt]

I'm here! I'm here! AND I AINT NEVER LEAVING!!! I love this place. I will never stay anywhere else. We got GV Fuji which is really nice. First Floor. The beach is just steps from our room. Can't wait to see Wishes from there tonight. I am the happiest person alive right now! Thanks everyone for all the tips and info. It convinced me to pick the Poly and I'm so grateful.

 

[mmmears]

I'm here! I'm here! AND I AINT NEVER LEAVING!!! I love this place. I will never stay anywhere else. We got GV Fuji which is really nice. First Floor. The beach is just steps from our room. Can't wait to see Wishes from there tonight. I am the happiest person alive right now! Thanks everyone for all the tips and info. It convinced me to pick the Poly and I'm so grateful.

I am so glad that you are loving the Poly! It is such a beautiful and relaxing place. And the views from Fiji look amazing. Enjoy Wishes tonight -- it's so much better to watch it without the pushy crowds. I hope you enjoy the rest of your vacation .

 

[johnsonet]

summersalt you sound excited! That's awesome. Have a fabulous time!! Looking forward to more of your live reports

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I'm here! I'm here! AND I AINT NEVER LEAVING!!! I love this place. I will never stay anywhere else. We got GV Fuji which is really nice. First Floor. The beach is just steps from our room. Can't wait to see Wishes from there tonight. I am the happiest person alive right now! Thanks everyone for all the tips and info. It convinced me to pick the Poly and I'm so grateful.

It's great to read your having such a great time, so thanks for the live update.

 

[Kathy Z]

Welcome home Tess. I made sure Wolverine Country would provide pleasant weather for your homecoming.

I forgot to mention in my report that I absolutely loved the pineapple macadamia nut pancakes at Kona Cafe. Wish I could get a half order though. I ate slightly more than half but stuffed myself doing that. DH wanted plain pancakes and he is the pineapple lover. I would have gladly split the order.