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

[dishm12/08]

DFI and I just upgraded to the Poly with a garden view with at 30% pin code. This thread is super.

 

[BCV23]

Terry, what an outstanding job you're doing with this thread. Thanks from another Polynesian lover. And of course, your beautiful pictures make it seem as if we're all there!

madysmom, I truly think each longhouse has advantages for most families. We've stayed at the Polynesian 30 times but in all those stays had only been in what's now Hawaii (including before it was club level), Samoa and Rapa Nui. This past October, do to a mistake on my part my DS2 and I were arriving a night before our Hawaii stay began. No rooms available in that category but I was able to snag a gardenview room for that night. We were second floor Raratonga facing the parking lot.....except the lot really wasn't noticeable. Instead we looked out at lush vegetation and the monorail occasionally schussing by on its entry to the GCH. I was so surprised at what a lovely view it was. In every single stay we've had, I've loved the view.

Long answer but I personally would leave it to the room assignor. We request a floor we like and used to request nonsmoking. No longer need to request that since all rooms are now.

Terry, again....great job and thanks!!!

 

[eclectics]

Very nice photos! Finally going back this September for 10 days. Yay! Can't wait to smell that lobby! Three years away was just too long.

 

[KMLOVESWDW]

Great job with the thread! As a fellow New Englander, you must be sick of this cold & depressing weather too, hence the great feelings when thinking about your past trips, but even better to think about upcoming trips! We have about 90 days until we return to the Poly. I just keep thinking about my macadamia pineapple pancakes & enjoying a little drinkie from the pool looking at the castle & thinking about all the wonderful things going on over there. Can't come fast enough. Thanks for all the hard work with this thread. It will be helpful to so many ( & you always take the best pics ).

 

[simonkodousek]

Thanks for starting the 2008 FAQ thread!

 

[SeaSpray]

Mahalo (Thanks!) for all of the nice comments, everyone! While the other Polynesian FAQ is a great thread, I thought I'd start a new one and try to include as much info as I could, in the first few pages.

I'll be adding more posts, to include more 'Ohana and Kona Cafe pictures, a post dedicated to the Concierge/Club Level, and more pictures of the beautiful grounds of the Polynesian resort.

This thread will be a success due to all of you who read it, post to it, ask questions, answer questions, etc! And a place where we can discuss our love of (in my opinion) the best resort at Walt Disney World!

And yes, creating this thread today is definitely helping me to forget how cold it is outside and how great it will be to be back at the Polynesian in May!!

 

[jndmommy]

Terry, thanks so much for creating this awesome thread. We are going in August and it'll be our first stay at Poly. These pics are such a great big help with my 4 y.o. ds who has high functioning autism/aspergers. He needs to be be built up to everything and thrives on knowing what's ahead. He loves the pics especially the kids water area with the shooting water. Thanks again so much!

 

[lazydoxy66]

I've never stayed at the Polynesian. This makes me want to though. It is beautiful. My husband and I will be going to the 'Spirit of Aloha' show during our visit in Sept. I've enjoyed the show in the past. I hope it is still a good pick.

 

[poohgirl6]

Such a great job on this thread Makes me want to go back to the Poly. I have a question for you Poly experts: Is there a place to purchase Kona coffee by the pkg or lb so that I can make some in my room? DH and I are staying at the GF in Sept and I may have to sneak over and buy some because there's no way I'm drinking that Nescafe crap they give you in the rooms ARGGGH....I'm all piratey without my coffee in the morning.....

 

[BCV23]

We'll be back in May, too. Going later this month but it will one of those rare trips that doesn't include nights at the Polynesian.

But you bet we'll be at Kona!!!

 

[SeaSpray]

We love having dinner at the Kona Cafe. Here are pictures of some of our favorite meals there. Enjoy!

Let's start dinner with a drink or two... Here are a Lapu-Lapu and some sort of electric blue martini drink (sorry can't remember the name! LOL) that came with a light-up plastic ice cube in it. It was fun to drink AND it tasted great!

This picture also includes the drink that can order at most WDW restaurants; "Pirate's Punch". You can get ANY soda, and it comes with the souvenir cup and a light-up Tinkerbell or light-up Capt. Hook. The lights also have clips on them so you can clip them to your backpack, shirt, etc. There's a switch on them too, so you can save the battery.

This is "shrimp toast" and was brought complimentary to our table. I'm not sure why we got it; DH and I were wearing Anniversary pins, maybe that was why? No idea... but it was DELICIOUS! And everyone at my table was given their own serving:

I LOVE these sticky wings appetizer. The sauce is delicious and has a nice drizzle of some sort of mustard. DH and I ALWAYS get these wings whenever we have dinner at the Kona Cafe:

Beef Teriyaki; this is the entree' that DH and I almost always gets. I love it; it's always been a nice cut of sirloin steak, with a light teriyaki glaze, pineapple/mango salsa, and fresh brocolli:

Shrimp and scallops

Turkey medallions wrapped in bacon:

Prime rib:

Pan Asian noodles (with chicken and with shrimp):

Kiluea torte (although I've heard that they changed this! I'll report back after my trip in May. I'll have to order this for "investigative" reasons. LOL)

cheesecake:

Koko puffs, which are no longer on the menu, are still brought out for special occasions! DH and I were wearing our Anniversary pins when our server presented this to us. We thought it was such a nice gesture! And the koko puffs were delicious:

Kiddie Cone:

 

[MsStinkerBelle]

We have a loonngg wait ahead of us as it will be December before we're back at the Poly. But this thread will help the time pass by quicker. My DD8 (who has PDD) absolutely adores the Poly and has the best memories of Disney from that resort.

I've even hooked other family members so bad that they've decided if they can't stay at the Poly, they're not going to Disney.

 

[SeaSpray]

Terry, thanks so much for creating this awesome thread. We are going in August and it'll be our first stay at Poly. These pics are such a great big help with my 4 y.o. ds who has high functioning autism/aspergers. He needs to be be built up to everything and thrives on knowing what's ahead. He loves the pics especially the kids water area with the shooting water. Thanks again so much!

I'm so glad to hear that your DS is also enjoying the thread! My DS16 1/2 is also a very high-fuctioning person with Asperger's, and he loves the Polynesian resort, and he loves the Kona Cafe, and Always orders the Kiddie Cone. (That's him in the picture with the Kiddie Cone, taken back in 2005). My DS also has to be built up to everything and feels better when he knows what to expect, which I think is why we always stay at the Polynesian on the trips when the kids are with us (at almost-20 and almost-17 they don't really want to spend time at WDW as much as DH and I like to).


Hello to your DS! I hope you all have a wonderful time at the Polynesian!

 

[dishm12/08]

We love having dinner at the Kona Cafe. Here are pictures of some of our favorite meals there. Enjoy!

Let's start dinner with a drink or two... Here are a Lapu-Lapu and some sort of electric blue martini drink (sorry can't remember the name! LOL) that came with a light-up plastic ice cube in it. It was fun to drink AND it tasted great!

This picture also includes the drink that can order at most WDW restaurants; "Pirate's Punch". You can get ANY soda, and it comes with the souvenir cup and a light-up Tinkerbell or light-up Capt. Hook. The lights also have clips on them so you can clip them to your backpack, shirt, etc. There's a switch on them too, so you can save the battery.

This is "shrimp toast" and was brought complimentary to our table. I'm not sure why we got it; DH and I were wearing Anniversary pins, maybe that was why? No idea... but it was DELICIOUS! And everyone at my table was given their own serving:

I LOVE these sticky wings appetizer. The sauce is delicious and has a nice drizzle of some sort of mustard. DH and I ALWAYS get these wings whenever we have dinner at the Kona Cafe:

Beef Teriyaki; this is the entree' that DH and I almost always gets. I love it; it's always been a nice cut of sirloin steak, with a light teriyaki glaze, pineapple/mango salsa, and fresh brocolli:

Shrimp and scallops

Turkey medallions wrapped in bacon:

Prime rib:

Pan Asian noodles (with chicken and with shrimp):

Kiluea torte (although I've heard that they changed this! I'll report back after my trip in May. I'll have to order this for "investigative" reasons. LOL)

cheesecake:

Koko puffs, which are no longer on the menu, are still brought out for special occasions! DH and I were wearing our Anniversary pins when our server presented this to us. We thought it was such a nice gesture! And the koko puffs were delicious:

Kiddie Cone:

That Kiluea torte is still on the menu and that we'll get Koko puffs because we're on our honeymoon.

 

[DeborahB]

Aloha Terry! Thank you for this thread, you've done a fabulous job so far.

Your pictures have always been a notch above the rest and it's wonderful to see them here. Our split stay is coming up in May and I can't wait to go. Looking forward to your club level info and pics

I think your blue drink is a GLOWtini. I hope to be enjoying one of these in about 95 days!

 

[SeaSpray]

Club Level Suites are located in the Tonga building. I don't have any pictures of those; if anyone does, and would like to post them, I'm sure we'd all love to see them

Standard Concierge/Club Level rooms are located in the Hawaii building. The concierge lounge for the Tonga suites as well as for the guests of the Hawaii building, is located on the second and third floors of the Hawaii building. The first floor of the Hawaii building contains the concierge check-in desk.

Only guests staying in the Tonga and Hawaii buildings can open the doors with their specially-encoded room key cards.

Welcome to the Hawaii building!

Hawaii building, as seen from the beach:

Entrance-way of the Hawaii building:

Checking in inside the Hawaii building:

Ice-cold orange/guava/passion fruit juice is availabe while you're checking in:

Seating area on the second floor:

More seating and tables/chairs, you can see the staircase up to third floor:

Looking back towards where the food offerings and drinks are set up (second floor), and you can see more of the third floor:

All concierge level rooms have DVD players (beneath the TV). You can borrow DVDs from the CMs on the first floor of the Hawaii building. No charge, you only have to sign them out:

Breakfast offerings in the lounge:

Pineapple bread and fresh cut fruit:

Bagels (toaster, cream cheese, peanut butter, jelly, etc are all available too), croissants, danish:

Fresh whole fruit, and juices and milk:

More concierge lounge pics to follow!

 

[SeaSpray]

During the day there are cold drinks (cans in the fridge, and juice/lemonade/iced tea available by the glass), cookies, gummy sharks, chips and salsa, cheese popcorn, whole fruit, etc:

Small-sized tables and chairs for the kids:

Evening food offerings:

Uncrustables and Hummus and pita bread:

'Ohana grilled turkey skewers, and scalloped potatoes:

Veggie platter and dip, fresh pineapple:

Cheese and crackers, and in the background you can see bottles of wine:

DH's and my plates one evening; the food in the lounge make a great appetizer before going to dinner:

Mac and cheese, grilled chicken, and Caesar salad:

Sushi night:

Desserts and cordials:

Teas, and hot chocolate:

Coffee machine:

 

[CinderellyCinderelly]

Does Captain Cooks have Tonga Toast all day? We don't have time to do breakfast at the Kona Cafe but I still reallllly want to try this famous dish! Maybe as a late night snack? Let me know! Oh, and does it count as a snack credit or a CS meal credit? Thanks! We go in March in Concierge and I can't wait!

 

[jedi jen]

Really appreciate this thread. We are staying at the Poly for the first time this August. I have learned so much already from the pics and info. It is great.

 

[Susiesnowflake]

Terry,
Always love, love, love all your vacation pictures, but especially the ones of the Polynesian! Thanks, again, for sharing! I'm back Wed and taking a college friend for the first time. I've warned her that she'll never want to stay anywhere else! Now to just have the weather cooperate to get me to Manchester. Maine's in for another wintry mix Tues. Oh, to be sitting by the pool or on the beach in sunny, warm temps and sipping a wonderful tropical drink surrounded by bamboo and palms trees and views of Cinderella's Castle!