The *NEW* Polynesian Resort FAQ thread - *2008*

[ConcKahuna]

We will be at the Poly for the first time Aug. 10-16. I have been scanning this thread and keep running into raves about the miracle of "Tonga Toast." What exactly is it and why is it such a phenomena?

The way people talk here, the expression "greatest thing since sliced bread" will be changed to "greatest thing since Tonga Toast."

It's a piece of sourdough bread, about 4" thick, stuffed with bananas, rolled in sugar, and fried.

It's nearly as good as Dole Whip!!

 

[ConcKahuna]

Balconies on all 3 floors for Samoa and Fiji????
Thanks

Samoa and Fiji do not have balconies on the 2nd floor. The only bulidings that do are Tokelau, Tahiti, and Rapa Nui

 

[Tinker24Fun]

I know you will both have a wonderful time. The very first stay on property that our family had was at the Poly, back in 1988. It is probably the most relaxing resort on property and a great place to come back to in the afternoons and evening. I hope you and your DD have the most magical trip!

Thanks! I am looking forward to the relaxing part - we'll be spending the afternoons back at the resort chillin' and swimmin'. Morning and evenings in the parks - that's the plan.

 

[Tinker24Fun]

First of all welcome! You are going to love the Poly! We went for a few day around July 4th last year and I needed more. So my dh surprised me by planning a trip to the Poly again!
Looks like a few of us will be at the Poly starting the 10th.
I have a dd6 and a dd8. Your dd will love the water jets coming out of the ground near the pool. Also ask at the desk what activities they are having for the day. They have arts and crafts, hula lessons.... for the kids.
Dawn

WOW - great DH! Looks like we will be there at the same time as you- we are planning to be at the resort in the afternoon so great to know about the activities there - thanks - I can't PM yet (not enough posts) but keep an eye open for a chubby mom chasing a busy DD and that's probably us - LOL

 

[Tinker24Fun]

You couldn't have picked a better place for your first time!
You're going to love it and your DD will have so much fun!!

Be warned though...you may not want to go anywhere else.
We stayed at the Polynesian for our first time and every visit after that.

That's what I am worried about - Plans are in the works for next year to go again with DB and his family but they want to stay off-site- Yikes!

 

[NeverlandClub23]

How quickly do the MK view rooms sell out? We are going in January (end of the month) & I wanted to wait until my next cc cycle to book if possible, but I don't want to miss out.

Thanks!

I'm not sure about January but I booked an MK view club level room for July 26th at the end of June and they still had lots of availability (regular rooms too).

 

[krbq]

johnsonet & neverlandclub23, thank you so much for posting your photos!! You both took some incredibly beautiful pictures. The ones of the lagoon while it's still smooth and reflecting light are so serene . . .

I love when people post their shots -- more please!

 

[FreFam5]

We are heading there in October for our first ever stay on site and cannot wait to stay at the Poly after reading all of the wonderful information in this thread.

We are contemplating dumping our kids (oops I mean nicely placing our kids in daycare for an evening of fun and entertainment) while we go out for an adult only trip to the park.

any thoughts on the Neverland club???

 

[DiznEeyore]

We are heading there in October for our first ever stay on site and cannot wait to stay at the Poly after reading all of the wonderful information in this thread.

We are contemplating dumping our kids (oops I mean nicely placing our kids in daycare for an evening of fun and entertainment) while we go out for an adult only trip to the park.

any thoughts on the Neverland club???

Our ds spent time at the Neverland Club on every trip we took from when he was 5 'til he "aged-out" at 12, whether we were staying at the Poly or not. He loved it there. The club itself is really well-themed and there are lots of things to occupy the kids -- crafts, movies, video games, etc. He also liked having dinner there.

We used the Cub's Den twice and he didn't like it nearly as much as the NLC. The only kids' club he liked better was on the Disney Cruise.

I remember a couple of trips where he was at the NLC one night, and had so much fun that he asked to go back again later in the trip. And we definitely didn't turn down that request!

 

[FreFam5]

Our ds spend time at the Neverland Club on every trip we took from when he was 5 'til he "aged-out" at 12, whether we were staying at the Poly or not. He loved it there. The club itself is really well-themed and there are lots of things to occupy the kids -- crafts, movies, video games, etc. He also liked having dinner there.

We used the Cub's Den twice and he didn't like it nearly as much as the NLC. The only kids' club he liked better was on the Disney Cruise.

I remember a couple of trips where he was at the NLC one night, and had so much fun that he asked to go back again later in the trip. And we definitely didn't turn down that request!

thank you for the information. My kids will be 5, 7 and 9 and I have to admit I've been feeling a little guilty about putting them in the NLC for a night out. One side of me keeps saying "this is a family vacation - stay with the kids" and the other side says "they'll have fun and there's nothing wrong with a bit of grown up time while away".

Do I need to book a spot ahead of time?

 

[DiznEeyore]

thank you for the information. My kids will be 5, 7 and 9 and I have to admit I've been feeling a little guilty about putting them in the NLC for a night out. One side of me keeps saying "this is a family vacation - stay with the kids" and the other side says "they'll have fun and there's nothing wrong with a bit of grown up time while away".

Do I need to book a spot ahead of time?

Oh, my gosh, don't feel guilty! If your kids are anything like mine, they'll feel like it's their night out, not yours, LOL!! My son loved being "on his own" at Disney without mom & dad. I can still remember when he realized he was too old to go back -- he was actually bummed, because his night out was a special thing he really enjoyed at WDW. Plus, they give you a pager so you're always available to them should anything come up that needs your attention (nothing ever did with us).

When we had definite plans we always booked him a spot ahead of time, but we also had no trouble getting him in the couple times he asked to go at the last minute. It might have been easier because we only needed one spot -- with 3, I'd definitely make reservations.

I hope you and your dh get to have a fun parents' night out while your kiddos enjoy their own!

 

[johnsonet]

thank you for the information. My kids will be 5, 7 and 9 and I have to admit I've been feeling a little guilty about putting them in the NLC for a night out. One side of me keeps saying "this is a family vacation - stay with the kids" and the other side says "they'll have fun and there's nothing wrong with a bit of grown up time while away".

Do I need to book a spot ahead of time?

Try not to feel guilty They will have fun and so will you and your husband
I always recommend booking things in advance at WDW but after speaking with a wonderful CM at the Neverland Club last week, I can tell you that they can take 99 children per night and that the only nights that sell out are Valentine's Day and New Year's Eve Of course I'm sure there could be an exception but you should have no trouble getting 3 spots on any given night...

johnsonet & neverlandclub23, thank you so much for posting your photos!! You both took some incredibly beautiful pictures. The ones of the lagoon while it's still smooth and reflecting light are so serene . . .

I love when people post their shots -- more please!

You're welcome. And thanks
Here are some more pics:

View of the fabulous Polynesian from the GF

Balcony view from Hawaii bldg.; Boat dock and GF

View of Space Mountain in the MK and the Contemporary Resort

Samoa bldg. detail. This same woodwork was being refurbished on Tokelau while we were there and they were re-sealing the roof of Raratonga. It was temporarily green instead of brown

Desserts one evening in Hawaii Club Lounge

Have a great day everyone and for all of you who are looking forward to a Polynesian trip, or just dreaming about one...

 

[BCV23]

johnsonset, that first photo is incredible. I think it should be a postcard. Thanks for posting all your beautiful Polynesian photos.

 

[PNO4TE]

johnsonset, that first photo is incredible. I think it should be a postcard. Thanks for posting all your beautiful Polynesian photos.

I agree... I was going to ask permission to use it as my desktop shot. But I think it is too small and vertical instead of horizontal. But I can look at it on here and really appreciate it!

All your pictures make me very excited to be at the Poly NEXT MONTH!

 

[momatater]

johnsonet...fantastic pics!! Again, thanks so much for taking time to post. It really helps build the excitement for our Sept trip! Hawaii building, here we come (still 39 days away, but here we come!!)

 

[disney4all]

Does anyone know if there are any discounts in the June time frame to stay at poly? $380 per night is a little expensive when we like to stay 8/9 days hopefully. Its such a wonderful place we walked around last time Sept. 07 and it was great, also Kona is one of our favorite places to eat. I thought the crowd was heavy in Sept. 07 during the free dining how does it compare to June's crowds? Here's hopeing for poly June 09, would love a little direction from someone, thanks....

 

[Aliceacc]

Can we assume you already have the AAA discount?

 

[disney4all]

Hi, we are members of AAA but I'm not even sure what the discount would be, do you know? I would love to get a great deal for poly next June, my family would be thrilled...we love the atmosphere there.

 

[Aliceacc]

Hi, we are members of AAA but I'm not even sure what the discount would be, do you know? I would love to get a great deal for poly next June, my family would be thrilled...we love the atmosphere there.

From mousesavers.com:

"AAA and CAA Resort Hotel Discounts
American Automobile Association (AAA) and Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) members qualify for "room only" discounts almost year-round, though there are a limited number of rooms available for each date. You can generally save about 10-20% at the Disney resort hotels, depending on the season.

In general, the discounts run as follows:

During Value Season you can get up to 15% off at the Disney Deluxe and Disney Vacation Club resorts, or 20% off at the Value and Moderate resorts and the Ft. Wilderness campsites.

During Regular Season you can usually get up to 10% off at the Disney Deluxe and Disney Vacation Club resorts, or 15% off at the Value and Moderate resorts and the Ft. Wilderness campsites.

During Peak Season and Summer Season you can usually get up to 10% off at the Disney Deluxe and Disney Vacation Club resorts, or 15% off at the Value and Moderate resorts.

The only time AAA/CAA discounts don't usually apply is Holiday Season (around Christmas) at the Value and Moderate resorts.

You don't have to book AAA/CAA rates through the Auto Club. Room-only reservations with an AAA discount can be booked directly through the Disney Reservation Center at (407) W-DISNEY or a travel agent who specializes in Disney travel. Just ask if there is an AAA or CAA discount for your dates and resort.

AAA/CAA rates for all of the following year are usually released in the summer. 2008 AAA/CAA "room only" discounts were released on August 5, 2007.
"

From March to mid-July it's "Regular season" so you're looking at a 10% discount. If it's possible to move your trip a bit futher, you could do "Value Season" and save 15% off the discounted price.

This year's dates: (Again, from mousesavers)

Polynesian Resort - Season Dates
Value Season: January 1 - February 13, July 20 - October 1, November 30 - December 18

Regular Season: March 30 - July 19, October 2 - November 29

Peak Season: February 14 - March 29

Holiday Season: December 19 - December 31

 

[DiznEeyore]

I always recommend booking things in advance at WDW but after speaking with a wonderful CM at the Neverland Club last week, I can tell you that they can take 99 children per night and that the only nights that sell out are Valentine's Day and New Year's Eve Of course I'm sure there could be an exception but you should have no trouble getting 3 spots on any given night...

WOW -- 99 per night!! I'm sure the kids' arrival and departure times would be staggered, but I can't imagine 40 kids in the club at one time, let alone double that! I guess we were really lucky that the times our son was there they had maybe a dozen kids or so. I don't think he'd have enjoyed himself as much if there was a crowd, LOL!!