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

[suebedo]

Might be stupid question but....Do the laundry rooms at the Poly sell laundry soap etc? I may want to do a load or two but Im not bringing any laundry supplies.

TIA

 

[mmmears]

Might be stupid question but....Do the laundry rooms at the Poly sell laundry soap etc? I may want to do a load or two but Im not bringing any laundry supplies.

TIA

Yes. Someone posted photos of the laundry room a while back, and there was a machine you can use to buy detergent (that's what we're planning to do when we're there).

 

[Princess Sam]

1. Refillable Mugs: My husband and I think it will be worth it to get the mugs, since we only have to refill about three times a day to make it economical. My question is this: do most people carry the mugs around with them at the parks just so they have them on-hand when they return to their resorts, or do they keep them in their rooms? If we lug them around, the only thing we could refill them with at the parks is water-fountain water, so we're not sure what the usual protocol is!

We used the mugs in the morning for coffee, etc and then brought them back to our rooms before we left for the parks.

2. Park Hopping: I know it's easy to hop from MK to Epcot, but what about to HS or AK? How long does it take to go from Poly to AK or Poly to HS? Are the buses at the resort or at the MK?

There is a bus stop at the resort and depending on what other hotels the bus is stopping at it can take anywhere from 15-30 mins to get to and from the ohter parks. No reason you can't do MK during the day and then go to HS or AK in the evening (we did this).

3. Longhouse requests: Many of you have used the fax and call system about 4-5 before arrival, but another site said the only request that works is the note with your initial reservation. Since we didn't request a particular longhouse with our reservation, are we plumb out of luck?

I put in NO longhouse requests until the day before our trip. I called and requested one near the GCH since my mom and MIL had limited mobility. I also requested adjoining rooms. I was told they would put the request in but could no guarantee anything. We got exactly what we wanted upon check in. So it is not too late.

4. Resort Dining: Ohana is completely booked except for 9:40 or so seatings, and that's way too late for our family (kids will be 7, 4 and 11 months) during the trip, so we've made reservations at Kona Cafe (we love Kona coffee) for breakfast a couple of days. Should we keep calling to see if Ohana opens up a time? On another note, is the coffee at the refillable station any good?

You can keep calling. I had a 9:30 res for Ohana on day of arrival and was able to get it moved to an 8:15 when I called upon arriving. We went to the podium around 7:00 and put another request in and were called within 30 minutes! So were were seat around 7:30! The refillable coffee at Captain Cook's is the BEST, and I am a coffe snob!

5. Stroller to/from Resort: I'm a big babywearer, so I will be carrying our baby in a sling/soft backpack, but I'm not sure about my 4-year-old's stamina. I'd prefer to rent a stroller from the park than risk taking our own (I've read several posts about people "losing" theirs to other visitors). Is the walk t/f the monorail short enough to expect our daughter to walk it without complaints of "I'm tired!"? Your daughter should be fine with the walk to/from the monorail busses. Mine is 3.5 and there was one night I had to carry her from the bus to the room since she fell asleep since hubby wasn't with us. My hubby also carried her sometimes on his shoulders, etc. Renting the stroller was super easy and NO hassle.

 

[Princess Sam]

Has anyone stayed in the Niue longhouse recently? I read in older posts that it used to be the smoking longhouse. It seems like a pretty good location, but leery of smoke smell (it never really seems to completely go away). This is will be our first stay at the Poly and I'm trying to figure out which room to request (or where to avoid I suppose). Have a toddler and 10 month old so close proximity to GCH and monorail is a big factor.

Suggestions? TIA !!!!

We stayed there last week. Location was the BEST! So close to the GCH and to the bus stop,the pool, etc. I am a former smoker and I smelled NO smoke smell in the rooms and I am pretty sensitive to that. Hope this helps!

 

[OooDeLally]

We'll be taking the long drive to Disney next month, so we will have our car with us. Is it better to rely on the buses for transportation to DHS and AK and DD? Should we just drive to those places since we'll have our car?

-Lally

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

We'll be taking the long drive to Disney next month, so we will have our car with us. Is it better to rely on the buses for transportation to DHS and AK and DD? Should we just drive to those places since we'll have our car?

-Lally

Either one is good so you got to decide if you want to use your own transportation or to rely on the Disney buses. Also should you decide to drive as a Resort guest you get free parking at the theme parks.

 

[SplashMtnCrew]

Got back from our first Poly trip on Saturday!
We had a wonderful time DH upgraded us to a GV CL room the day after we arrived
We thought the Poly was beautiful...the grounds, landscaping, etc. A bit too spread out for our liking, but still great. We loved having the monorail access, but I'm sorry to say that the Poly's bus service is the worst we've ever encountered. We waited for 45 mins for a bus to DHS and there were people who waited over an hour and 15 mins There were so many people waiting for a bus to DHS that children got on the bus and there was no room for the parents It was madness. They ended up sending 2 more buses. People told the bus drivers about waiting for an hour, no help. People went inside the resort to the front desk, no help. People who are paying $350 and up a night for a room should be recieving better transportation service. And that was basically the norm for the buses at the Poly. I would recommend to anyone who has a car to use it instead of the buses. Housekeeping was okay...not as good as it should be for a deluxe. Overall we had a fabulous time and came back relaxed and refreshed. Watching Wishes from the concierge lounge was awesome! Our original room was #1819 in Tokelau w/ patio and it had a partial view of the lagoon! Our CL room in Hawaii was #2125 w/no balcony.
We won't be staying at the Poly again though. It's just not our style of resort. Its age really shows. We're happy we were able to try it out though, and I truely would have to recommend the WL over the Poly. But that's just us. I can't put my finger on it, but there was something missing at the Poly for us. Besides the buses, we have no complaints about the Poly at all. A great vacation for sure!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Got back from our first Poly trip on Saturday!
We had a wonderful time DH upgraded us to a GV CL room the day after we arrived
We thought the Poly was beautiful...the grounds, landscaping, etc. A bit too spread out for our liking, but still great. We loved having the monorail access, but I'm sorry to say that the Poly's bus service is the worst we've ever encountered. We waited for 45 mins for a bus to DHS and there were people who waited over an hour and 15 mins There were so many people waiting for a bus to DHS that children got on the bus and there was no room for the parents It was madness. They ended up sending 2 more buses. People told the bus drivers about waiting for an hour, no help. People went inside the resort to the front desk, no help. People who are paying $350 and up a night for a room should be recieving better transportation service. And that was basically the norm for the buses at the Poly. I would recommend to anyone who has a car to use it instead of the buses. Housekeeping was okay...not as good as it should be for a deluxe. Overall we had a fabulous time and came back relaxed and refreshed. Watching Wishes from the concierge lounge was awesome! Our original room was #1819 in Tokelau w/ patio and it had a partial view of the lagoon! Our CL room in Hawaii was #2125 w/no balcony.
We won't be staying at the Poly again though. It's just not our style of resort. Its age really shows. We're happy we were able to try it out though, and I truely would have to recommend the WL over the Poly. But that's just us. I can't put my finger on it, but there was something missing at the Poly for us. Besides the buses, we have no complaints about the Poly at all. A great vacation for sure!

Thanks for posting your review and I agree that the guests staying at the Deluxe Resorts should get better bus service since the cost of the rooms are expensive even though others seem to disagree whenever I have mentioned that, since they say the number of buses a Resort get is determined by their total number of rooms.

 

[mmmears]

Thanks for posting your review and I agree that the guests staying at the Deluxe Resorts should get better bus service since the cost of the rooms are expensive even though others seem to disagree whenever I have mentioned that, since they say the number of buses a Resort get is determined by their total number of rooms.

Here's a 3rd person agreeing with you. For what we're paying, mostly based on location and quick access to the parks (as opposed to true luxury for the same price at 4 Seasons & similar hotels), there should be "deluxe" transportation at the deluxe resorts.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Hopefully I won't get flamed for this because I have in the past but I think it's also frustrating waiting at the parks or Downtown Disney for a bus to the Deluxe Resorts and waited a long time, when 5 or more buses in a row arrived for both Value Resorts came before our bus even showed up. Well that has happened a few years ago when my family and I were waiting for the Contemporary, Polynesian, Grand Floridian bus at Downtown Disney Marketplace. Well it was frustrating seeing 5 or more buses in a row for the Value Resorts and those guests are paying a lot less per night. I also know at the Deluxe Resorts we get the Monorail service, boats to the parks and walkways, however shouldn't we also get the best bus service possible and not having such long waits?

 

[sandym718]

We'll be taking the long drive to Disney next month, so we will have our car with us. Is it better to rely on the buses for transportation to DHS and AK and DD? Should we just drive to those places since we'll have our car?

-Lally

We do the long drive too (19 hours for us) and we just used our car for DHS, AK, DD and BB. The major factor in that decision was that we were using 2 strollers and I figured it would be difficult for DH and I to manage 2 kids, 2 folded strollers and our bag on the bus - didn't make sense when we had the car. The monorail is heaven let me tell you!!! We also liked just being able to leave when we wanted - a little more walking to the car, but no biggie. We didn't utilize the buses at all, but based on what I'm reading here - I agree, Deluxe resorts should have EXCELLENT bus service, we certainly pay enough!!

 

[urbanmama]

1. Refillable Mugs: My husband and I think it will be worth it to get the mugs, since we only have to refill about three times a day to make it economical. My question is this: do most people carry the mugs around with them at the parks just so they have them on-hand when they return to their resorts, or do they keep them in their rooms? If we lug them around, the only thing we could refill them with at the parks is water-fountain water, so we're not sure what the usual protocol is!

We used the mugs in the morning for coffee, etc and then brought them back to our rooms before we left for the parks.

Many thanks for your advice. I appreciate your input. We leave in 9 days!

 

[huntconn]

Got back from our first Poly trip on Saturday!
We had a wonderful time DH upgraded us to a GV CL room the day after we arrived
We thought the Poly was beautiful...the grounds, landscaping, etc. A bit too spread out for our liking, but still great. We loved having the monorail access, but I'm sorry to say that the Poly's bus service is the worst we've ever encountered. We waited for 45 mins for a bus to DHS and there were people who waited over an hour and 15 mins There were so many people waiting for a bus to DHS that children got on the bus and there was no room for the parents It was madness. They ended up sending 2 more buses. People told the bus drivers about waiting for an hour, no help. People went inside the resort to the front desk, no help. People who are paying $350 and up a night for a room should be recieving better transportation service. And that was basically the norm for the buses at the Poly. I would recommend to anyone who has a car to use it instead of the buses. Housekeeping was okay...not as good as it should be for a deluxe. Overall we had a fabulous time and came back relaxed and refreshed. Watching Wishes from the concierge lounge was awesome! Our original room was #1819 in Tokelau w/ patio and it had a partial view of the lagoon! Our CL room in Hawaii was #2125 w/no balcony.
We won't be staying at the Poly again though. It's just not our style of resort. Its age really shows. We're happy we were able to try it out though, and I truely would have to recommend the WL over the Poly. But that's just us. I can't put my finger on it, but there was something missing at the Poly for us. Besides the buses, we have no complaints about the Poly at all. A great vacation for sure!

Gotta agree with you on that one. The bus service at the Poly is TERRIBLE! No one who pays to stay at any resort at Disney deserves this type of service. Walking to the TTC to catch a bus is a much better option but it should not be. We stay at the Poly every year and I would not do it without our own vehicle or a rental. Getting to anywhere but the MK and Epcot is a nightmare. Oh, and BTW, there is no way I would choose the WL over the Poly! JMHO

 

[Carrie772]

We'll be taking the long drive to Disney next month, so we will have our car with us. Is it better to rely on the buses for transportation to DHS and AK and DD? Should we just drive to those places since we'll have our car?

-Lally

Downtown Disney busses seem few and far between esp when we finally get ready to go! Perhaps in the morning its better. But, I prefer my own care for a trip like that. We like the busses for AK and DHS.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Downtown Disney busses seem few and far between esp when we finally get ready to go! Perhaps in the morning its better. But, I prefer my own care for a trip like that. We like the busses for AK and DHS.

I agree with you about the buses to Downtown Disney because they seem to be horrible for the Magic Kingdom Resorts both going there and getting back, which is why my family and I always have our own car when going there. So that is the location we will not take with Disney Transportation if we can help it.

 

[WickedWench]

I prefer using my car over the buses. If you use the valet parking, its even easier. You avoid other stops before your destination, and it's more comfortable. I can also leave things that I don't want to take into the park in my car. And I have more options on where I want to go. If I want to leave DHS and go to AK, I can do so without taking a bus to a resort first.

 

[kimgof]

We'll be taking the long drive to Disney next month, so we will have our car with us. Is it better to rely on the buses for transportation to DHS and AK and DD? Should we just drive to those places since we'll have our car?

-Lally

we also drive to Disney. We use our car for most things. This is our first trip staying at a monorail resort, however , so we will use the monorail when we can. I've found it nice to drive and not have to wait for a bus. I don't know how young your kids are, but with small ones, the car is definitely easier and you don't have to pay for parking since you are staying on site.

 

[Luvamouse]

My aunt and uncle are headed down Friday with their 2 youngest kids (DS 26 and DD 32 ) for what, sadly, will most certainly be my DU's last WDW trip. Since the 70's they have gone annually with their kids. In March, at 59, he was diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer. He wasn't supposed to do this well for this long at all, but with lots of wonderful medical care and a firm desire to hang in, he is still fairly comfortable but tiring quickly. This is their second WDW trip in 3 months-- in early November he went with his other daughter and his 3 grandsons for their 1st WDW trip. It was wonderful but exhausting. I switched them to the Poly for this Jan. trip (from a split WL/CR stay) when the 4/3 came out (they wanted the Poly, but didn't know the daybed was in all rooms) for ease of getting to parks and their love of the Poly.

My aunt is concerned about the temps (he's bringing all his long underwear )and just mentioned they are going to the luau on Friday night. It is supposed to be really cold-- low in 30's overnight-- and showers. What will happen if it rains? Must it pour to cancel? My aunt seemed to remember heat blowers of some sort from many years ago-- is that correct? I told her to call right now to try and change it to a warmer night since I think it is a 48 hour cancellation, right? I am just really concerned for them since it will take all he has to get on the plane in the morning. I did rent a Town Car for them to speed up the trip to the Poly and keep him mask free in the ME. Any advice on how the Poly handles the weather with the luau or been there, froze that advice?? I feel it will be too much, but I can't just tell her to cancel...

I'm hoping somebody else is sitting at their keyboard in this snow/sleet/ice storm stretching so far and has some advice.

Thanks sooo much--

 

[BCV23]

Oh, Luvamouse...my heart goes out to your uncle and his family. You too.

I have no advice except what you're already suggesting. It's been many years since we did the luau. But I bet they'll work with your Uncle's family given the circumstances. I hope someone else comes along with recent experience with rain and cold. And I hope they have the most magical trip possible.

 

[Tina G]

Regarding the transportation issue, we stayed at the Poly on our last trip and we actually found the opposite of what many of you are reporting. Our waits for buses were usually short, no more than 10-15 minutes max. When we were at AK or DS, we found that our buses always came quickly compared to watching 100+ people crowded at the bus stop for the values and they were always still there waiting even after we left. I'm shocked to hear that someone waited 45 minutes or more for a bus. It almost sounds like there was some sort of problem that caused this. I would be very upset if I had to wait any longer than 30 minutes for a bus.

By the same token, one of the reasons I like the Poly is that you can avoid the bus issue to both MK and EP. When we stayed at POR and had to take a bus everywhere, it seemed like we were constantly waiting for the bus or on the bus.

I wonder if the time of year makes a difference? Or certain parks on certain days? We tend to avoid the parks that have extra magic hours because we know they will be more crowded, so I wonder if bus waits are longer for the parks on their EMH day?