The Official Polynesian Resort FAQ thread!

[cotomom]

This is the most useful travel tool I have found to help you find what it the best possible transport between places while in WDW.

http://www.ourlaughingplace.com/asp/twiz.aspx

Hope this helps!

Thank you, I'll check it out!

 

[disneymom2twins]

I am sure this has been asked numerous times before, but I don't have the energy to go through 150 pages

This is our first time staying in Poly (well, second for me, but I was 6). We have a garden room booked 9/29 - 10/5. I have twin 2 year olds. What is the best room to request? I am thinking I am better off being closer to the monorail for the late nights asleep in the carriage. I am also thinking I need a ground floor room so I don't have to deal with bright elevators, again, if they fall asleep on the ride home.

We will be doing most of our breakfast in our room, so I don't mind if I have a little bit of a walk to the GCH for mug refils and some snacks and stuff.

Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks,

Kristin

 

[marlower]

WickedWench,dancemomnj, and bcv23, Thank you so much for the advice! I will keep all my original plans and try to see EWP from CG if possible, if not, I guess I will have to plan another trip to the Poly to see EWP--darn

One more thing, what time is the EWP?

 

[cotomom]

9pm is the EWP! HTH!

 

[mirlow]

This is our first time staying in Poly (well, second for me, but I was 6). We have a garden room booked 9/29 - 10/5. I have twin 2 year olds. What is the best room to request? I am thinking I am better off being closer to the monorail for the late nights asleep in the carriage. I am also thinking I need a ground floor room so I don't have to deal with bright elevators, again, if they fall asleep on the ride home.

We will be doing most of our breakfast in our room, so I don't mind if I have a little bit of a walk to the GCH for mug refils and some snacks and stuff.

Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

I would suggest Rarotonga. We stayed there on our first trip. Our kids were 5 & 2 at the time. We had a patio room with a view of the monorail. It was great. The kids loved watching the monorail go by. Since it is ground level there was lots of shrubbery so you didn't see the parking lot. It gave you a sense of privacy without feeling like a jungle. It's right next to the GCH, so that made it convenient for food, coffee, the monorail and when it rains.

Have a great trip I will never forget how special that trip was!

 

[momtoPrincessA]

Hi Everyone! I am a Poly newbie (a displaced AKL vacationer!). We are arriving on 8/20 for 4 nights in a Poly Lagoon View. Is it worth upgrading to Theme Park View? I'm not even sure it's available. Anyway.....I guess I'm looking for validation that I made the right choice picking the Poly! My kids will be 9 and 6. I'm actually very excited about being on the monorail. I'm too tired to read the previouse 150 pages of posts so please be patient if I aske redundant questions!

 

[disneyfan67]

Hi Everyone! I am a Poly newbie (a displaced AKL vacationer!). We are arriving on 8/20 for 4 nights in a Poly Lagoon View. Is it worth upgrading to Theme Park View? I'm not even sure it's available. Anyway.....I guess I'm looking for validation that I made the right choice picking the Poly! My kids will be 9 and 6. I'm actually very excited about being on the monorail. I'm too tired to read the previous 150 pages of posts so please be patient if I asked redundant questions!

First off, congratulations for getting into the Poly and I'm sure you will enjoy your stay. You made the right choice in picking the Poly and your kids should love the Volcano pool, the resort theme, and landscaping, but the transportation options as well. You not only have the Monorail and Bus, but water taxi's/boats as well. It's great taking the boat from MK to the Poly at night and it's a nice alternative to a crowded monorail when MK is closing. Plus it's a peaceful and beautiful ride. The Poly is a great family resort that almost makes you want to skip a day at the parks and just relax around the pool. I know I have done it before. The view thing is all up to what you prefer. I would rather save my money and just take a garden view room, but the Poly is famous for it's Lagoon and MK views.

I have stayed at the Poly now 3 times and AKL once. I like AKL a lot, but the Poly is what I call home. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions and I would be more than glad to help. I'll be at the Poly is less than 10 days and I can't wait.

 

[grannyminnie]

Hi Everyone! I am a Poly newbie (a displaced AKL vacationer!). We are arriving on 8/20 for 4 nights in a Poly Lagoon View. Is it worth upgrading to Theme Park View? I'm not even sure it's available. Anyway.....I guess I'm looking for validation that I made the right choice picking the Poly! My kids will be 9 and 6. I'm actually very excited about being on the monorail. I'm too tired to read the previouse 150 pages of posts so please be patient if I aske redundant questions!

I personally would just leave it at lagoon view...who knows, your view might just include the castle anyway!!

 

[suffolkprincess]

I am sure this has been asked numerous times before, but I don't have the energy to go through 150 pages

This is our first time staying in Poly (well, second for me, but I was 6). We have a garden room booked 9/29 - 10/5. I have twin 2 year olds. What is the best room to request? I am thinking I am better off being closer to the monorail for the late nights asleep in the carriage. I am also thinking I need a ground floor room so I don't have to deal with bright elevators, again, if they fall asleep on the ride home.

We will be doing most of our breakfast in our room, so I don't mind if I have a little bit of a walk to the GCH for mug refils and some snacks and stuff.

Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks,

Kristin

We were in FIJI on the cove side (I think room 1306) and it was perfect for us with DDthen3,now4. Once when she was asleep we carried her back on the boat and just had a quick walk up the pier to the lodge. The other time we did walk thru the hotel lobby from the monorail, but she didn't wake up (and DH stopped to get two Lapu-Lapus on the way...)

The BEST thing was being on the Cove side and having the patio. DH would get ready first while I got DD ready, then DH would give DD her breakfast on the patio on the days we ate in the room, and they would play a bit at the beach while I got ready and organized for the day. We really enjoyed the beach right there, and the music from the Luau never bothered us.

PLUS its really quite close to the monorail, because its right beside a side entrance to the GCH that takes you past Captain Cooks and thru the lobby to the monorail. We really liked that walk and found it convenient to stop for coffee on our way to the monorail.

 

[huntconn]

I have a Hawaii Bldg. Lagoon View Concierge question: Anyone have a favorite floor to stay on and why? Any opinions would be greatly welcomed and appreciated.

 

[grannyminnie]

I have a Hawaii Bldg. Lagoon View Concierge question: Anyone have a favorite floor to stay on and why? Any opinions would be greatly welcomed and appreciated.

Oh my goodness...I'd love to stay Hawaii lagoon view!! With a balcony, but some will say they want a patio, I bet!
Good luck in your choice.

 

[cara loves the poly]

I have a Hawaii Bldg. Lagoon View Concierge question: Anyone have a favorite floor to stay on and why? Any opinions would be greatly welcomed and appreciated.

3rd floor, balcony, view and privacy.

 

[LoveKermit]

I will be staying at the Poly for the first time Aug 18th and was just wondering about the EWP. First of all, is it really worth seeing, this is my dilemma. On the 18th we will be at MGM for Fantasmic, on 19th we have ADR at Calif Grill at 740pm, on 20th we have Biergarten/Illuminations, on 21st we have Luau at 8pm, and we check out on the 22nd. What would you do in order to see EWP, is the Luau good? What about Fantasmic? Should I change anything in order to view EWP? Thanks in advance

You don't even really need a window seat at Cali Grill. There are so many windows, you'll be able to see it from about anywhere. You will even see it a couple times (if you are going to sit there until Wishes) because you'll see it near the Poly then it goes behind I think to WL and FW and then back in front of CR. That's the only way I've seen it, twice. I didn't even realize it had music. I would have found that out when I'm at the Poly in a few short weeks. You might also be able to catch it after the Luau.

So I replied before finishing posts. But someone wondered about seeing EWP from the luau and that answer is no. It's kind of a covered closed-in area. OT: Also, you can watch Wishes outside at Cali Grill, they still pump in (or out) the music and stuff. It's a different way of seeing it. And there are no (or at least fewer) crowds when it's over. Wishes does cause the kitchen to slow down though.

 

[SeaSpray]

3rd floor, balcony, view and privacy.

 

[huntconn]

cara loves the poly and SeaSpray,
Thanks for the responses. I tend to agree with you. My wife however favors the 1st floor due to the easy access to the beach for the kids. She also prefers the view because there is no wooden railing to partially obstruct the view of the castle/fireworks (she likes to lay on the bed and watch them!). I agree with her on both points. However, we stayed 1st floor last year (of course I requested 3rd-I never get any of my requests filled!) and I really noticed the lack of privacy. That walkway in front of the building is a little too close for comfort (especially when exiting the bathroom in a towel!). It's also very well travelled so there always seemed to be people walking by. Any thoughts or other opinions out there?

 

[SeaSpray]

cara loves the poly and SeaSpray,
Thanks for the responses. I tend to agree with you. My wife however favors the 1st floor due to the easy access to the beach for the kids. She also prefers the view because there is no wooden railing to partially obstruct the view of the castle/fireworks (she likes to lay on the bed and watch them!). I agree with her on both points. However, we stayed 1st floor last year (of course I requested 3rd-I never get any of my requests filled!) and I really noticed the lack of privacy. That walkway in front of the building is a little too close for comfort (especially when exiting the bathroom in a towel!). It's also very well travelled so there always seemed to be people walking by. Any thoughts or other opinions out there?

We'll be at the Polynesian a week from tomorrow in the Hawaii building, lagoon view, and I've requested the third floor as my first choice, and the first floor as my second choice. As much as I want a balcony, I am kind of curious to try a patio one of these times We don't have small children with us (our DSs are older teens and really don't have an interest in WDW trips right now), but I can understand where easy access to the beach would be really nice to have with young children.

 

[huntconn]

We'll be at the Polynesian a week from tomorrow in the Hawaii building, lagoon view, and I've requested the third floor as my first choice, and the first floor as my second choice. As much as I want a balcony, I am kind of curious to try a patio one of these times We don't have small children with us (our DSs are older teens and really don't have an interest in WDW trips right now), but I can understand where easy access to the beach would be really nice to have with young children.

SeaSpray,
I know you've got older boys...I've seen the pictures! One other thing I did not like about the 1st floor...duck poop! My kids loved feeding the ducks, as did several others above us, which made the little buggers swarm around us. I don't know if there was some weird duck stomach virus going around or it was just a product of too much "human food" but those little guys constantly left little land mines all over our patio. Enough so that several times I cleaned the stuff up with our room towels (yuk!) It was bad enough that it made being on the patio kind of unpleasant. Also, we were in the second to last room and I really disliked being so far from the lounge. I think I'm going with 2 main requests: 1. 3rd floor 2. Close to the lounge. Thanks again. Have a great time at the Poly!

 

[chamonix]

We prefer 3rd floor as well, but we have had first floor a couple times. The walkway is not as close to the rooms at the far end of the building, and so not all the rooms feel as exposed as others. I think overall there are great benefits to first floor with kids who are able to play on the beach while mom and dad get showered, etc. but I still prefer 3rd floor.

Seaspray, maybe we will be next door neighbors up there next week! I'll be the mom with the crazy curly hair (my hair goes insane in that humidity), my dd is 10yo (thankfully she has straight blond hair, lol) and my dh, who has, um, not much hair, LOL.

 

[applechips]

I have a Hawaii Bldg. Lagoon View Concierge question: Anyone have a favorite floor to stay on and why? Any opinions would be greatly welcomed and appreciated.

3rd floor!! We had a balcony, can't beat it!! You can see the fireworks in the distance at night, and the spectromagic parade comes by. I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED our stay there. I miss it so much! We were there in Dec 2006 and they were still working on the room in Cindy's castle that is why a crane is seen near the castle. *sigh* It was so magical!

here is a picture from our room:

 

[SeaSpray]

We prefer 3rd floor as well, but we have had first floor a couple times. The walkway is not as close to the rooms at the far end of the building, and so not all the rooms feel as exposed as others. I think overall there are great benefits to first floor with kids who are able to play on the beach while mom and dad get showered, etc. but I still prefer 3rd floor.

Seaspray, maybe we will be next door neighbors up there next week! I'll be the mom with the crazy curly hair (my hair goes insane in that humidity), my dd is 10yo (thankfully she has straight blond hair, lol) and my dh, who has, um, not much hair, LOL.

I am so excited I could scream, I can't wait!!!! A week from right now we'll be on our way to the airport!! When are you arriving??

I hope we both end up on the third floor! DH has a brand new DSLR camera and he'd like a balcony to set the tripod up on! His goal on this trip is to get some great fireworks-over-the-castle pictures.

I hear you about the humidity and hair thing! LOL Except, now my hair is much longer than in previous years, and straight, so it'll just hang like a mop on my head. Eh who cares, we'll be at the Polynesian having a great time and meeting lots of other Polynesian resort fans!!