Updates for the Polynesian

[Tikiman]

I am not sure if the WL is a full concierge now or not but this discussion was a year or 2 ago that I found out about the WL. I would be surprised if they were taking care of any more concierge guests than that since they are usually only staffed with 3 people but on many occasions 1 or 2. Well either way they do a lot of work and spend a lot of hours helping everyone. We know how demanding some guests can be. Actually more than just the IPO staff. There are so many at the Polynesian that work their backsides off to make their guests happy. I am sure it is not easy to deal with the volume of guests and their attitudes and they do it with a smile and not a lot of pats on the back or recognition from Disney executives who just want to make more money……oh I won’t get into all that.

 

[SeaSpray]

Now they could be different groups of CMs all working out of one resort. Or it could be that a CM who is really John Doe is Jim when he does Polynesian guests , Joe when he helps GF guests and Jack for WL guests. There are different contact #s but at least at that point, the calls came from the same #.

LOL Now that would be funny! But I know for a fact that they use the same names when "working" for the Wilderness Lodge concierge guests, and the Polynesian concierge guests, because this past summer we did a split stay at both of these resorts, and I was in contact with the same group of CMs, same IPO office. The office, according to Jeffrey, is located in the Great Ceremonial House, at the Polynesian resort.

Since the Grand Floridian concierge is my first choice, in case Hawaii is not completed, I just emailed IPO to find out who would be handling our needs. I will be ordering another specialty "wedding" cake from the Grand Floridian bakery, so I'll need to be sure that I am in contact with the right people. Last time, Jeffrey at the Polynesian IPO handled the cake, which was a surprise on our anniversay for my DH, perfectly! I would actually be relieved to find out that they also handle the GF concierge!

 

[eeyoresmountainpals]

Thanks for all the great info Tikiman! I'll be sending you an email to be put on the list!

 

[BCV23]

LOL Now that would be funny! But I know for a fact that they use the same names when "working" for the Wilderness Lodge concierge guests, and the Polynesian concierge guests, because this past summer we did a split stay at both of these resorts, and I was in contact with the same group of CMs, same IPO office. The office, according to Jeffrey, is located in the Great Ceremonial House, at the Polynesian resort.

Since the Grand Floridian concierge is my first choice, in case Hawaii is not completed, I just emailed IPO to find out who would be handling our needs. I will be ordering another specialty "wedding" cake from the Grand Floridian bakery, so I'll need to be sure that I am in contact with the right people. Last time, Jeffrey at the Polynesian IPO handled the cake, which was a surprise on our anniversay for my DH, perfectly! I would actually be relieved to find out that they also handle the GF concierge!

Interesting info, Terry. If you end up working with the GF, you'll have to let us know. And yep, they're in the GCH....or at least were.

I still haven't talked with my husband about his preferences if we get "bumped." I suppose I should do so.

 

[Tikiman]

Interesting info, Terry. If you end up working with the GF, you'll have to let us know. And yep, they're in the GCH....or at least were.

I still haven't talked with my husband about his preferences if we get "bumped." I suppose I should do so.

They still are in the GCH but I think they rather not have us tell everyone what door so people don't go knocking on it.

 

[BCV23]

I am not sure if the WL is a full concierge now or not but this discussion was a year or 2 ago that I found out about the WL. I would be surprised if they were taking care of any more concierge guests than that since they are usually only staffed with 3 people but on many occasions 1 or 2. Well either way they do a lot of work and spend a lot of hours helping everyone. We know how demanding some guests can be. Actually more than just the IPO staff. There are so many at the Polynesian that work their backsides off to make their guests happy. I am sure it is not easy to deal with the volume of guests and their attitudes and they do it with a smile and not a lot of pats on the back or recognition from Disney executives who just want to make more money……oh I won’t get into all that.

I agree some guests are so demanding. On this board alone, it sometimes seems as if posters are trying to outdo each other with the things they ask of IPO.

And yes, the staff at the Polynesian really try hard to keep the magic alive.

 

[BCV23]

They still are in the GCH but I think they rather not have us tell everyone what door so people don't go knocking on it.

LOL....okey doke!

 

[Tinkerchele]

Thanks Steve!

I just got my copy of the 2006 Unofficial Guide today and saw the link to your homepage! (Page 134). Congrats!

 

[tlev]

We just left the Poly on Sun. Sept 18. and Hawaii was indeed closed and the work had been started. It was rather noisy with alot going on. I don't think the quiet pool is going to be too quiet for awhile. The new sliding doors had been put in Niue and Fiji but there was still alot of work to be done. The hallways were still all torn up. None of the rooms on the non-parking lot side of Rapa-Nui had the new doors yet, it looked like they were just setting up some scaffolding over there as we left.

 

[Tikiman]

Thanks Steve!

I just got my copy of the 2006 Unofficial Guide today and saw the link to your homepage! (Page 134). Congrats!

Hey that is great!!! They spent a lot of time looking into all the details of all the resorts. Hopefully this will be the best guide book ever. My trip to see the new rooms in August was also in support of gathering info for the updated version that will come out later this year and they had me get details down to the type of towels they use.

I guess I will have to get myself a copy.

Aloha

Steve

 

[Tikiman]

We just left the Poly on Sun. Sept 18. and Hawaii was indeed closed and the work had been started. It was rather noisy with alot going on. I don't think the quiet pool is going to be too quiet for awhile. The new sliding doors had been put in Niue and Fiji but there was still alot of work to be done. The hallways were still all torn up. None of the rooms on the non-parking lot side of Rapa-Nui had the new doors yet, it looked like they were just setting up some scaffolding over there as we left.

Thanks for the info. Good to see they are getting the new doors in. Guess that means Rapa Nui is still closed. So that is over a month late in opening and everyone thinks Hawaii will open on the 11th? We will see.

 

[BCV23]

Four longhouses closed at once! I guess September IS slow this year.

I for one don't know at all if Hawaii will open on time. All I can do is hope that it does or at least that we are contacted soon if it won't. We check in 3 weeks from today!

Thanks for the report tlev.

 

[alohaguy]

Four longhouses closed at once! I guess September IS slow this year.

I for one don't know at all if Hawaii will open on time. All I can do is hope that it does or at least that we are contacted soon if it won't. We check in 3 weeks from today!

Thanks for the report tlev.

I know that all of the renovations have so far run much longer than anticipated, but the fact that you haven't yet been contacted about your reservation - and you are only three weeks out - leads me to believe that at least they are trying as hard as they possibly can to open Hawaii on time. I think that if they contact many guests at the last minute there will be some very disappointed people.

I am an architect, and I know that if they have the number of people necessary showing up each day, Hawaii can be finished surprisingly quickly. It all depends on how many workers are physically there each morning, weather, and supplies being received on time. It can be done. I would hope, though, for your sake and for others, that they contact you soon if it becomes apparent that they will not meet their finish date.

I'm not advocating that people should become irate if they are moved on short notice - just that the less notice you are given would be more disheartening - in my opinion.


Good Luck

 

[Tikiman]

I am glad Alohaguy posted. He knows and has even seen it at the Polynesian how schedules slip. I know even when they changed Hawaii’s renovation from June to September there were people that were not contacted in May when they were going to close it in June. I think the problem is not that the concierge staff or CRO are waiting till the last minute but they are not being given up to date info. I know when Rapa Nui was supposed to open and I flew out to be in the new room the staff did not even know the room I was checking into in Rapa Nui had not been finished until I walked through the door of the room. The construction info does not seem to get back to the staff in an efficient manor and that is not the CMs fault. That is why I am worried that they will not even know if the schedule is slipping or not. When I talk to the Cm’s about progress, many times they are not given any good info and they need to walk to the building and peek for themselves to see how it is going. It is not like they are given an up to date schedule every few days so even if you asked them if Hawaii will be done on time all they can do is hope and tell you what the schedule says. Only the contractors will know and I am sure they only update management. I am not trying to discourage anyone of make them worry about their trip. I would rather be able to tell you everything will open on time but I have to give you my honest opinion and go by what I have seen in the past.

Unfortunately if things happen the way I think it will and if they booked people for the day after renovation is scheduled to finish I can see them not knowing until days before and scrambling to fix it. They are always left to fix the issues caused by lack of communication from above but I believe they are all trying to improve that communication.

 

[4orm]

I just called to check if Fiji might be open next week and the CM (Linda) told me "yes m'am, some rooms are open right now"
Right on! I hope she knows what she's talking about

 

[alohaguy]

I think the problem is not that the concierge staff or CRO are waiting till the last minute but they are not being given up to date info. I know when Rapa Nui was supposed to open and I flew out to be in the new room the staff did not even know the room I was checking into in Rapa Nui had not been finished until I walked through the door of the room. The construction info does not seem to get back to the staff in an efficient manor and that is not the CMs fault. ... Only the contractors will know and I am sure they only update management. I am not trying to discourage anyone of make them worry about their trip. I would rather be able to tell you everything will open on time but I have to give you my honest opinion and go by what I have seen in the past.

I think that probably all CM's - including concierge staff - have no real concrete daily information regarding the rehabs. I do, however, call the front desk from time to time and they offer answers to my questions. Whether these answers are accurate or not remains to be seen, but they offer answers to the best of their ability nonetheless.

I would assume - as Tikiman said - that only management deals directly with contractors and that there is someone whose job it is to be Disney's representative regarding the construction process. And while I certainly don't believe anyone is intentionally waiting until the last minute to notify guests - that may, unfortunately be the end result. I would hope, and suspect, that there is a Disney employee, or several, that keep daily tabs on construction at the Polynesian. I would also hope that any information regarding slippage in renovations filters down appropriately to those that need to call guests and notify them of room changes. I am sure that when management sees a finish date fast approaching, and has a building that will not be ready for occupation, that they will notify guests quickly. I am sure that they have a plan in place for this scenario and that they will deal with it as best they can.

I still believe, though, that the later the notice - even though no one is to blame - the more likely that guests will be disappointed. Especially those that do not frequent these boards and may not even know that any renovation is taking place (these people do exist). Maybe it would be appropriate for guests to be notified now of the possibility that their room may not be ready, and asked to provide an alternate preference in case it becomes necessary. Just a thought.

 

[Susiesnowflake]

I won't be returning to the Polynesian until late November, and we aren't staying concierge, but I would be so, so disappointed if we were moved due to renovations!! We were made to move one other time, due to overbooking or whatever Disney wants to call it, and it was handled in the worse possible way. They couldn't do that to us twice, could they?!?! My heart is so set on this trip...and so desperately in need of it! Fingers and toes and everything else crossed!!!

 

[BCV23]

I agree with your points, alohaguy. If enough manpower is available, it could be done. And I do think that must still be the plan. People checking in before us were contacted some time ago. It is also the only longhouse with firm dates.

I also agree that the concierge staff may not be getting up to date info. It is not their responsibility to let us know anyway from my understanding. DRC will contact us.

Anyway, I'm not stressing in any way. The important thing to me is that:

I'm going to Disney World!

 

[eclectics]

I just called to check if Fiji might be open next week and the CM (Linda) told me "yes m'am, some rooms are open right now"
Right on! I hope she knows what she's talking about

When we left on the 14th, Fiji had it's brown nylon fencing off. It was on when we got there on the 4th but I'm not sure what day it came down. But I think that's a good sign, maybe?

 

[Tikiman]

The fencing is only up when they are working on the exterior (probably the sliding glass doors) but when they are working on the interior rooms the only thing they seem to put up is something to block the entry to the building. Rapa Nui was in the middle of work and had nothing around it until you got to the side doors and it was just a small wall blocking the door. Otherwise you could not even tell they were working on the rooms.

I have faith that they will do a good job as quickly as possible but any information you get from the front desk, IPO or even Mickey Mouse should be taken with a grain of salt until someone sees someone physically inside a new room.