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

[Kathy Z]

We are returning for our third visit to the Polynesian in just 18 days! Our last stay there was in '06, so I have enjoyed reading this thread, which I considered to be my "refresher course" in all things Polynesian!

Anyway, when we were last there, Capt Cook's was being refurbished and was in a temporary location and generally annoying to deal with so we didn't eat there except once. Thinking it will be back to normal this trip, I was checking out the menu for it over on allears.net and I saw something called "Polynesian chips" listed. What exactly are those? I think I remember reading in the 160+ pages here that someone liked them, but I am still wondering what they are lol!!

The Polynesian chips are freshly fried thin chips made from a variety of potatoes and perhaps some other root vegetables. I know they included a small amount of sweet potato fries which I love. I really liked them but our granddaughter and my husband did not care for them. DGD was expecting cold potato or tortilla like chips. DH is not a big fan of any type of chips.

 

[BCV23]

We are staying at the Poly MK view in December (so excited!), I have mobility issues and use a scooter to get around. Do the buildings have elevators? Is there a particular building that is better to request than another or should I just leave it to chance? If the buildings don't have elevatiors, I will need to request a ground floor. I know requests are just that but any advice wil be greatly appreciated.

I would request first floor and note that you will have a scooter. As BarleyJack said, all longhouses except Niue have elevators but many of them are rather small. In addition, in an emergency wouldn't you prefer to be on the first?

 

[tarak]

mermster - I might just take a cab if I were you. When I was looking at going from WL to Beach Club for a fireworks cruise it made my head hurt just thinking about it (not to mention being on buses for that long with two young kids who just want to ride the boat). I took a cab and think it cost about $12.

I have an Ohana question now. I know they only serve breakfast and dinner, right? I was able to get an ADR for the character breakfast for the day I planned to go to MK. But it's for 11:30, which seems way late for a breakfast and everything I saw online says they serve until 11. That day they have EMH at the MK, so I figured we'd go to MK, spend a few hours, take the monorail to Poly for the late breakfast and go back to the park. Just suspicious that it's so late. I used the online reservation system and I would think the time wouldn't pop up if it weren't available. Still seems odd.

Wish we were going to the Poly for this trip, but I didn't expect to be going at all until next year, so I'm happy for that!

 

[LorieDisneyLover]

Currently at the Polynesian. Finally the sun is shining. Yippee. We are enjoying the day at the pool. It's beginning to get a little crowded but still very nice

someone asked about the sand buckets. If u are staying club lev the kids will definitely receive them. We haven't seen laying around on the beach for grabs

 

[PRaffen]

What's the easiest way to get to AK from Poly - walk to TTC and then take a bus? TIA

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

What's the easiest way to get to AK from Poly - walk to TTC and then take a bus? TIA

If your staying close to the GCH I would say get the bus from the Poly, however if your staying close to the TTC it might be better to get the bus from there.

 

[TxTiggergal]

The Polynesian chips are freshly fried thin chips made from a variety of potatoes and perhaps some other root vegetables. I know they included a small amount of sweet potato fries which I love. I really liked them but our granddaughter and my husband did not care for them. DGD was expecting cold potato or tortilla like chips. DH is not a big fan of any type of chips.

Polynesian chips = like potato chips. Not sure if they were potato, or something else - I thought they were kind of "eh". They come with the sandwiches.

Thanks for answering my question! They sound like the kind of thing that I might like to try once or twice, but not the type of food DD18 is going to enjoy! Guess we will have to hop on the monorail and head over to Gasparilla's at the GF if she needs some good ole french fries!

 

[Kathy Z]

I posted the following question on the restaurant forum this afternoon but have not received any replies. So I decided I had better ask my Poly friends since you are the real experts on all things Poly.

Can someone tell me what time the Kona Cafe changes from their breakfast menu to their lunch menu? We want to book a late breakfast ADR. My booking window doesn't open until September 2 but I was checking out how the on-line system works this afternoon just putting in Oct. 1 to get an idea of how difficult it will be to get the restaurants and times we want. I looked for 10:30 am and was offered a 10:15 or 10:45. I want to be sure before I'm doing this for real that I don't end up with a lunch menu if I go with too late of a time.

I'm sure some of you experts know the answer to this. Thanks!

 

[PixieDustandEeyore]

Well for the first time next October I get to stay at a deluxe and the Polynesian I have always found excuses to visit the Poly each disney trip! So I have just finished reading everyone's reviews and noticed that there are no reviews on Aotearoa and Niue. I was just curious what they were like. Thanks !

 

[rcsilverspring]

I posted the following question on the restaurant forum this afternoon but have not received any replies. So I decided I had better ask my Poly friends since you are the real experts on all things Poly.

Can someone tell me what time the Kona Cafe changes from their breakfast menu to their lunch menu? We want to book a late breakfast ADR. My booking window doesn't open until September 2 but I was checking out how the on-line system works this afternoon just putting in Oct. 1 to get an idea of how difficult it will be to get the restaurants and times we want. I looked for 10:30 am and was offered a 10:15 or 10:45. I want to be sure before I'm doing this for real that I don't end up with a lunch menu if I go with too late of a time.

I'm sure some of you experts know the answer to this. Thanks!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Got this from WDWinfo.com:

Kona Cafe Information
Food/Dining Type: American
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
Location: Polynesian / Second Floor of Great Ceremonial Hall
Reservations: Suggested
Hours: Breakfast 7:30am - 11:30am;
Lunch 12:00pm - 3:00pm;
Dinner 5:00pm - 10:00pm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Tonga Toast and Macadamia Pineapple Pancakes are both to die for!

I'm so jealous that you'll be going sooner than we will--AND now I'm hungry, too!

 

[CoolPool]

Well for the first time next October I get to stay at a deluxe and the Polynesian I have always found excuses to visit the Poly each disney trip! So I have just finished reading everyone's reviews and noticed that there are no reviews on Aotearoa and Niue. I was just curious what they were like. Thanks !

There are lots of Aotearoa reviews but Niue is very small Its like a little puddle next to the GCH. I think it would be a terrific place to stay in terms of location now that the smoke has cleared. If I were going back, that's the longhouse I'd request.

 

[Kathy Z]

Thanks, rcsilverspring. Now I feel silly for forgetting to check Disney's own site.

 

[CleveRocks]

Thanks, rcsilverspring. Now I feel silly for forgetting to check Disney's own site.

Just so you know, to avoid confusion, wdwinfo.com is NOT Disney's own site ... it's the "main" site of this forum right here. It's a wonderful wealth of information, but it isn't an official site of the Disney company.

 

[notaclue]

Back to the 'chips' questions for a minute, if that's ok.....On the restaurant forum in the food pix thread there is a pix of some french fries supposedly from Captain Cooks. So can I get fries at Captain Cooks or just the chips? Do you order strictly from the screens or from a live person so you can make special requests? We'll be at the Poly in Sept and I was hoping we could get fries with our sandwiches. TIA

 

[LorieDisneyLover]

Thanks for answering my question! They sound like the kind of thing that I might like to try once or twice, but not the type of food DD18 is going to enjoy! Guess we will have to hop on the monorail and head over to Gasparilla's at the GF if she needs some good ole french fries!

Captain cooks has regular old French fries too. My kids have been ordering them all week even though they enjoy the chips.

If you are on the meal an the fries can be ordered ad a snack if all you want is an order of fries

 

[Kteacher]

Hi all
I just returned last night from a stay in a LVCL room (#3517). The resort was beautiful, and was clean. I always saw cast members cleaning around the grounds. Every cast member was friendly, and the staff in the Hawaii building are outstanding.
Our room was perfect, and it was always cleaned when we returned from the parks for a break (usually between 2-3).
The CL food offerings were wonderful, but I'm also missing the pineapple bread . The evening menu rotations followed the list in the link on the first page of this thread. Someone asked about yogurt, and the answer is yes, it is available, but you have to ask for it.
So, another wonderful stay, and I'm already looking forward to my next trip .

 

[CleveRocks]

Back to the 'chips' questions for a minute, if that's ok.....On the restaurant forum in the food pix thread there is a pix of some french fries supposedly from Captain Cooks. So can I get fries at Captain Cooks or just the chips? Do you order strictly from the screens or from a live person so you can make special requests? We'll be at the Poly in Sept and I was hoping we could get fries with our sandwiches. TIA

You have to order via the touch screens ... you don't have the option of placing an order with a live person. If you have a true special request you can certainly get someone's attention, but you can't place the order itself through that live person.

And as you've already read, they sell french fries at Capt. Cook's. You won't be able to substitute them for the chips (for meals that come with those fresh chips), but you can certainly buy an order of fries ... $2.49 when I was there in February.

 

[notaclue]

Captain cooks has regular old French fries too. My kids have been ordering them all week even though they enjoy the chips.

If you are on the meal an the fries can be ordered ad a snack if all you want is an order of fries

Thanks for the quick reply. I think I'm hopelessly hooked on fries. You Poly People are the best!!

 

[johnsonet]

Well for the first time next October I get to stay at a deluxe and the Polynesian I have always found excuses to visit the Poly each disney trip! So I have just finished reading everyone's reviews and noticed that there are no reviews on Aotearoa and Niue. I was just curious what they were like. Thanks !

We were in Niue in March and I absolutely LOVED it! Fabulous location. I will be requesting this longhouse next time I book GV at the Polynesian.
The building is very small and only two stories. It is a darling little building, just steps from the GCH, very convenient to BOTH pools, very convenient to the parking lot and also the laundry facility, bus stop and Neverland Club.

We were on the first floor, on the quiet pool side. We had a nice, large grassy "yard" in front of our patio (not all 1st floor rooms at the Poly enjoy this.

This is a pic of Niue and our room taken from my lounge chair at the Quiet Pool

This is the Volcano Pool side of Niue. You can see the nice open space the patios have.

Hi all
I just returned last night from a stay in a LVCL room (#3517). The resort was beautiful, and was clean. I always saw cast members cleaning around the grounds. Every cast member was friendly, and the staff in the Hawaii building are outstanding.
Our room was perfect, and it was always cleaned when we returned from the parks for a break (usually between 2-3).
The CL food offerings were wonderful, but I'm also missing the pineapple bread . The evening menu rotations followed the list in the link on the first page of this thread. Someone asked about yogurt, and the answer is yes, it is available, but you have to ask for it.
So, another wonderful stay, and I'm already looking forward to my next trip .

Sounds absolutely heavenly. Glad you had a great stay

 

[LorieDisneyLover]

Thanks for answering my question! They sound like the kind of thing that I might like to try once or twice, but not the type of food DD18 is going to enjoy! Guess we will have to hop on the monorail and head over to Gasparilla's at the GF if she needs some good ole french fries!

Captain cooks has regular old French fries too. My kids have been ordering them all week even though they enjoy the chips.

If you are on the meal an the fries can be ordered ad a snack if all you want is an order of fries