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

[huntconn]

Hi all!! Getting very excited about our upcoming stay at the Poly!!!! So what exactly is a 'lapu lapu' and what are these great pancakes I am hearing about at Kona?

Well...the Lapu Lapu is a tropical drink only found at the Poly. You can get it at the Barefoot Bar near the Volcano pool or at the Tambu Lounge in the GCH. The version at the Tambu Lounge is preferred because it comes in a hollowed out pineapple. I believe the pancakes are the Macadamia Nut pancakes available at Kona Cafe. I'm not a pancake guy but lots of folks love them.

 

[Debbie]

Here's wishing everyone headed to WDW a fabulous trip. Me, I still have a week of school, + meetings the following week. I have a sneaky suspicion that when I FINALLY get there, I won't want to ever leave the place!

 

[SeaSpray]

Wholeheartedly agreed! I know when I saw the new castle LED lights 2 Christmases ago, I was thinking they were Clark W. Griswold-type lighting. Started tearing up like he did in Christmas Vacation.



Yeah, that definitely sums it up. Plus I thought that they made Mr. Wally look like Walt Disney 'on purpose'! Love that moment between him and Clark, especially when he talks about driving the family to Florida and how that stank.



LOL, thanks! It's a bummer not being able to stay at the Poly this time but we'll be crashing it like we are. I'll have a Lapu Lapu in your honor.

"Christmas Vacation" is my favorite in that series of movies; so many classic moments! LOL "Eddie, do you smell something??" "Just fried pussycat!"

And did you notice that the site works about as well as all of its other components. . .? Honestly, it asks you to put in your hotel reservation number then indictates "not found", asks you to update your profile with your AP# but loops back to the same page telling you to put in the same information, asks you to take a survey and gives you a 404 "not found" page. . .classic Disney website issues. I think I will be sticking to actual telephoning.

Yikes, Tess! Sorry to say that I'm not surprised either. Hopefully they'll eventually work some of the bugs out! lol

Hi all!! Getting very excited about our upcoming stay at the Poly!!!! So what exactly is a 'lapu lapu' and what are these great pancakes I am hearing about at Kona?

Only the BEST PANCAKES in the WORLD! Feast your eyes on this!

Pineapple-Macadamia Nut Pancakes! Served with bacon, ham, or sausage. The butter is macadamia-nut butter. I don't put syrup on these pancakes but I always ask for a little extra of that awesome butter on the side!

Have a wonderful time you guys!!!



I'm starting to get excited
Almost done with for the year. My DD and are going to have so much fun! I've always wanted to be in WDW when I turned 50

Congrats on ending another school year (I think teachers are the most underpaid and underappreciated people!), and congrats on your upcoming trip! I'm only a couple of years behind you and I'd love to be at WDW when I turn the big 5-0!

 

[papaof3]

Thanks MsStinkerBelle. I think all of us Dis'ers have a bit of Clark Griswold in 'em , don't you think? I'll tell you, I think my favorite scene in Vacation is when the family is driving and they start singing the Wally World National Anthem. Clark is getting choked up, Ellen is singing with absolute reverance, and the kids are just having fun singing in the backseat forgetting (for a moment) how "uncool" the song is. I know they are poking fun at us Disney nuts but it's really sweet at the same time. I think that scene really sums up how wonderful and dorky (at the same time) our love for Disney World is.

Exactly! I checked in at a local theme park this weekend in Western New York and told them it was the Griswald family for our summer vacation. I got a puzzled star from the 18 year old as she looked over the names and didn't find us. I'm also the one with the big inflatables in the yard every Christmas.

 

[maiapapaya]

Exactly! I checked in at a local theme park this weekend in Western New York and told them it was the Griswald family for our summer vacation. I got a puzzled star from the 18 year old as she looked over the names and didn't find us. I'm also the one with the big inflatables in the yard every Christmas.

You know the saying ... growing up doesn't mean getting old.
I think too many people forget that, which is a shame. They miss out on a lot of fun!

 

[Kteacher]

Hey all I have a question-I picked up my docs yesterday, and included in the pkg was a 30 minutes of free arcade time card. Is there an arcade at the Poly? I know there is a big one at the CR, but I don't remember seeing one at the Poly. TIA

 

[bdink921]

Only the BEST PANCAKES in the WORLD! Feast your eyes on this!

Pineapple-Macadamia Nut Pancakes! Served with bacon, ham, or sausage. The butter is macadamia-nut butter. I don't put syrup on these pancakes but I always ask for a little extra of that awesome butter on the side!

Those pancakes look awesome!!! Honestly I can't wait for this vacation to finally get here. I need some warm and sunny. Weather for today around here is rainy and 60-ish . This is the first year in a long long time that we have not needed to put the AC on mid June. It's almost too cool at night to leave the windows open. Feels like early spring to me .

 

[Tess]

Hey all I have a question-I picked up my docs yesterday, and included in the pkg was a 30 minutes of free arcade time card. Is there an arcade at the Poly? I know there is a big one at the CR, but I don't remember seeing one at the Poly. TIA

Kteacher, there is a fairly good sized arcade in the GCH just down the hall from Captain Cook's (west end of the building). We had a card as well, plus another that was given to us by a CM on behalf of another DIS member. Some have reported having issues using the card, but our two had no problems with the cards at all. It gave them something to do during the week of rain.

 

[johnsonet]

I'm really home-sick lately!! I thought I could go without a trip to WDW for a long time (last trip was May 2008 - no current trips planned!) because we have a Royal Caribbean Cruise in April 2010 and then a 2-week Disney Cruise in September 2010. But... the thing is... as much as we LOVE cruising, it's not the same as going "home" to WDW. Just got a pin-code email yesterday (NEVER thought I'd get one of those! LOL) with some fairly excellent rates for September... Just trying to figure out if we can squeeze in a short trip this fall... Darn DS18 starting college this fall and those college bills! LOL

I'm home-sick too
Hope a September trip works out for you, SeaSpray

I am bouncing off the walls since we'll be at WDW in a little over 36 hours and will be dining at the Poly on Friday night (Kona Cafe). Confirmed with my Aunt last night that she and my uncle and my cousin will be joining us for dinner at 'Ohana on Sunday for Father's Day!

Have a GREAT time

Thanks for the best wishes everyone. I'm sure we'll have a blast and I hope everyone else who is heading down soon does as well. Thinking I may post a couple of live updates while I'm down there if anyone would be interested. I did it last year and really had fun with it.

Looking forward to your live reports

Can anyone tell me how difficult (or easy) it is to find laundry machines available to use? (Recently stayed at a beach resort and while there was a set of machines on each floor, they were ALWAYS being used and it got frustrating trying to get laundry done) How is the laundry facility set up? Is it all in one room or in the different longhouses? And are they pretty plentiful? Any idea what the cost is to use them? Thinking it'd be nice to pack LIGHT and do some laundry half-way through the trip while the kids are napping!

I've always had good experiences doing laundry at the Poly. Here are some pics I took in March. There is one laundry room, rather than one or two machines per building:

I just looked at my signature and realized we're under 20 days!!!!!!

Awesome!

Hi all!! Getting very excited about our upcoming stay at the Poly!!!! So what exactly is a 'lapu lapu' and what are these great pancakes I am hearing about at Kona?

Wanted to add that SeaSpray has a pic of the lapu lapus on the very first page of this thread

 

[NJBILL]

I've always had good experiences doing laundry at the Poly. Here are some pics I took in March. There is one laundry room, rather than one or two machines per building:

How far is the Laundry room from the HAwaii bldg? Anyone know how much per load to wash and dry?

 

[johnsonet]

How far is the Laundry room from the HAwaii bldg? Anyone know how much per load to wash and dry?

Not far at all, really. Maybe a few minutes' walk. All the longhouses on the TTC side of the GCH are convenient to the laundry IMO.
The laundry room is right next to the bus stop.
As MsStinkerbelle posted earlier, loads are $2 each. $2 in quarters to wash and $2 in quarters to dry. There is a coin machine in the laundry room

 

[tinkerrn]

I went ahead and splurged and booked 4 nights at the POLY in a GV CL room. I also switched weeks ( going a week later). I figured that it is summer and very hot!! I think Hawaii is pretty close to the pool, bar, beach, and boat. Mom won't have to walk too far and we can chill out at night in the lounge or on the beach watching the fireworks.

Any good reviews on the GV CL rooms or for that matter the CL at the POLY? Would love to hear some input!! What kind of snacks/beverages are served there?

Thanks!

 

[cmesq61]

"As MsStinkerbelle posted earlier, loads are $2 each. $2 in quarters to wash and $2 in quarters to dry. There is a coin machine in the laundry room"

And do they have the mini boxes of detergent to buy? Since it is just us adults this time I will splurge on laundry detergent in order to pack a bit lighter.

Just a few days...

 

[johnsonet]

And do they have the mini boxes of detergent to buy? Since it is just us adults this time I will splurge on laundry detergent in order to pack a bit lighter.

Just a few days...

Yes. $1 a box.

 

[simplymama]

Does anybody know the last time the CL Hawaii building rooms were renovated?

TIA!

 

[huntconn]

2006. All the rooms and the lounge were re-done.

 

[Picabo]

Yes. $1 a box.

WOW! $1 a box, seriously??!! I was going to try to pack some but if it's really just a buck, I'll just buy it there! Thanks!!

Any tips from you experienced Disney travelers on how to pack as light as possible? I have read tips on packing the kids clothes in individual ziplock bags for each day - which I plan to do! (Figure it saves time each morning figuring out what to wear!) How are the toiletry items at the Poly - do they have the soap, shampoo and conditioner there and is it any good? I generally pack my own but I'm racking my brain on ways to pack light!!

Thanks!

 

[johnsonet]

Picabo - that is $1 for a very small box - big enough for single load (Although in a pinch I've used one box for 2 smaller loads). On longer trips I bring my own detergent.

I like the products at the Poly but - well - I use a LOT of products and bring plenty of my own. Personally, I'd rather have too much than too little but over the years I have learned what works for me.

Try and think of every little thing you might need while away, so that you don't waste a lot of time and money on things you could've brought from home. Sunscreen, goggles, visor/hat, sunglasses, ponchos, flip flops, magazines/books, snacks to have in the room, (last trip I drove off-site to the nearby Whole Foods) wet wipes, etc. I bring quarters and laundry soap for doing laundry, as well as a tote bag for laundry. I bring my own coffee and filters and buy milk from the resort's food court. I also bring a small pair of scissors, playing cards...

Not much help w/ packing light tips, am I? But I think the best way is to not pack too many clothes and just plan to do laundry.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[tinkerbell60]

I was able to buy some Tide in the travel section of Walmart - it was pretty small. The travel section also has a lot of other little items that make packing easier. Check them out at any of the Walmart, Target, or drug store places.

I have also found that rolling clothes and then putting them into plastic bags makes more room in the suitcase. Just make sure you get all the air out of the bags.

 

[MagicPrincess]

Could someone please explain the difference between the Poly 1 bedroom suite vs. the Princess suite. Are either of these in the Hawaii longhouse, or are both in Tonga?

Also, how many of these rooms are available (I read somewhere that there are only 2 princess suites). And how quicky do the book up? For instance, if we want to book a room for June 2010, how far in advance should we book one of these rooms!?

Thanks so much!