Hello! We're just back from six nights at the Polynesian, September 10-16. I'm happy to report that the resort is just as beautiful as ever!
We arrived last Tuesday at 11:00 am and our room was ready and waiting for us. We were thrilled to see our location: Tokelau room 1948, which I am now convinced is the greatest garden-view room in the whole resort. It is the first room to the right of the longhouse's "front door," so we didn't have any neighbors on the bed & bath side of the room and it was very quiet! We also didn't have to wait for the elevator for our son's wheelchair. Plus, we were only steps away from the quiet pool, half a minute from the beach, and a short walk to both the Great Ceremonial House and the TTC. I couldn't have picked a better location!
The resort grounds are absolutely lovely right now too ... lush and green and loaded with wonderfully-scented blooming vegetation. It almost made me wish the morning coffee-walk to Captain Cook's was a little longer. (But alas, the checkout line at Captain Cooks was a different story. Too long and painfully slow-moving due to all-around confusion with the
DDP. However, that's another story ... )
Anyhow, here are my impressions:
My favorite things about the Polynesian:
1. The MONORAIL!!! You can't beat it for a family with a stroller or wheelchair (or anyone, for that matter). The cars have been remodeled since the last time were were down so that now every single car can be rolled onto. Hooray! Easy access to both monorail loops sealed the deal for this wheelchair-pushing family.
2. Fireworks from the Beach, and the EWP. What better to end your evening than with a tropical drink and a spot on the sand, listening to the Wishes soundtrack being piped in over the pathway speakers while watching the gorgeous fireworks burst all around the castle. Absolutely magical! We did this three times!
3. The Pool. I know, it's not the biggest on property, but it is wonderfully atmospheric. How many places can you swim in view of the lagoon and the castle? My multi-handicapped son was able to enjoy the pool too, because he could wade in to his comfortable depth (which is very shallow), splash around and have fun. I enjoyed the tropical plants growing all around the pool deck, and even found a place near the zero-entry with a little shade in the afternoon for us to sit under. It's the most fun we've had in a pool in years.
4. The laaaarge rooms. We are a family of four, with three adults, so the extra room and daybed were much appreciated. Our 18-year old daughter utilized the patio often to text her boyfriend in private. And the beds! Oh, the beds! I think they are the most comfortable hotel beds I've ever slept in. And I've slept in a lot. Thank you, Polynesian!
5. The ATMOSPHERE! So tropical and relaxing, you never want to leave. And the grounds are impeccable. I loved it, loved it, loved it.
And for completeness' sake, My small disappointments:
1. Mousekeeping. Four nights out of the six we were there, the cleaning left something to be desired. One day it was obvious that the floor hadn't even been swept. The bath wall was rather moldy as well, which could have been easily remedied with a few squirts of Tilex. I didn't mind the lack of towel animals, but I do expect a little better housekeeping when staying at a deluxe resort.
2. No ventilation in the bathroom. No exhaust fan, no AC, nothing. Even a short shower resulted in stifling heat and humidity, and unwipeable steamy mirrors. The only way to clear the bathroom of steam or other unpleasant vapors was to leave the door open. Not an option when a family of four is all staying in the same room. Perhaps this was just our room, I don't know, but it got reeeeealy old after a day or two.
3. Free DDP. This is in no way the fault of the resort, unless you count having very popular restaurants, but having the Polynesian's three dining options constantly clogged made our stay there a bit less fun. There was no way to get a full-service meal unless you had booked it months in advance, even during a supposedly slower season. And sometimes, you find simply youreslf at your resort at suppertime, even if you hadn't planned it last March. One night we did hop the monorail and eat at the Grand Floridian Cafe, the only monorail restaurant with availability. The meal was very good, but not quite the relaxed atmosphere we would have preferred. If Disney wants to offer
free dining, they need more restaurants or to leave more tables open for resort guests.
But despite those few glitches, we really had a wonderful stay, I swear it! We truly enjoyed the beauty and convenience of the resort. I would stay there again in a heartbeat, but would try to avoid a free DDP time due to the restaurant issues. All in all, though, the resort's many positives greatly outweighed the few negatives. I hope everyone staying at the Polynesian soon has as wonderful a time as we did!
. I got my documents today, and bought the last parts to our 
(and DH will be lugging around all our junk!!)
Hi, it was nice talking with you and your DH. I hope you all had a great trip!!
