Disney's POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT Information & Questions

[HubbDave]

2 more sleeps

Not that I will be able to

 

[kiki02]

Yay for checking at the gate, finally!!

right, except this lifeguard was also supposed to be watching the little kids. IN the pool.

 

[kiki02]

Hope you have a great time!



Like Cluelyss posted, yes you can watch wishes from the pool. That's one of the many things I love about the Poly .



Glad to hear they are checking at the gate. Hope you had a great time .



I agree .



Have a great trip!



I can't answer about the studios and views, but wanted to say I hope you have a great time at the Poly .



I also think the GF has a steam room, but I'm not sure if it's included in the gym for Poly guests. Hopefully someone else will be able to give a definite answer .

The walk between the Poly and GF is maybe 10-15 minutes, depending on your pace .

Does anyone know the max amount of people at the Poly at any given time? There were clearly not enough chairs, space and it wasn't even a busy day. Paying guests. No one else there. Not enough space for paying guests. And it was HOT HOT HOT.

 

[mommyrosa2]

Hi All,

We returned from our 3 day stay at the Poly on Friday so I thought I would give a little mini review. I know I have had so much great information from this thread over the last few months so if there are any questions I can answer please go ahead and ask.

We are from the UK and our stay at the Poly was the last leg of our 17 day trip. Prior to the Poly we had stayed at the Yacht Club, Sheraton Vistana and Cabana Bay but I was really hoping we had saved the best experience for last - and we certainly did! We had stayed at the Yacht/Beach before and had a great stay there and we also loved our first visit at Cabana Bay but I can definitely reassure those that are worried about the Poly that they shouldn't be. The resort is in amazing shape. We have stayed twice before with the most recent stay being 4 years ago when I felt the resort and rooms seemed a little run down and out of date but that is certainly not the case now.

We checked in at around 10.30am as we were coming straight from Cabana Bay and it was pouring with rain (as it had been pretty much doing non stop for the previous 7 days!). I remember thinking to myself that if the sun didn't come out soon the whole Hawaiian vibe would be spoilt but as luck would have it the rain stopped as soon as we had checked in. We were staying club level garden view but we went first to the main check in desk at the lobby. I jokingly mentioned that I knew our room wouldn't be ready yet and the CM behind the desk laughed and said "ha had you're wrong your room is ready" which I was thrilled about. She called over another CM to escort us over to the Hawaii building (the children were slightly disappointed we didn't get a golf cart like we had in the past) but I was just glad the sun was out.

We had booked GV Club Level with the 'magical rate' and I had requested either a patio or 3rd floor balcony but hadn't done online check in. I had been really worried about the construction and was going back and forward about changing the reservation but I am so glad I didn't in the end because when we checked in we found out we had been upgraded which I was so thrilled with. She said we had a 3rd floor room on the lagoon side but when we got into the room we had the most amazing theme park view room with a perfect unobstructed view of the castle. I was over the moon as it has always been a dream of mine to have a theme park view but have never been able to justify the cost. Here is the view from our balcony.

View attachment 114826

It was really hard to capture it fully in a picture but standing on the balcony you could see the Grand Floridian on the left, the castle and the railway station at MK in the middle and the contemporary on the right. We were in the end room on the 3rd floor so furthest away from the lounge but such a great location. I spent hours on that balcony just people watching and taking in the lovely ambience of the Poly. I particularly loved it at dusk when the lamps were on and the music was playing.

With regards to the rest of the resort I thought all the new renovations were great. I didn't find the fence around the pool ruined the look of the pool and it seemed more airier and open by the pool than previously. We never had a problem getting 6 loungers together unless we came to the pool after around 4ish. There were several tables with umbrellas near the pool bar and they weren't always occupied during the day if you are looking for shade. The kids play area looked lovely although my children are teenagers so too big to play there. The hot tub seemed to be closed a couple of the days we were there so we didn't get a chance to use it.

We loved the new lobby, it has a much brighter and lighter feel to it and I loved that you could see the castle as you walked in. I didn't like the new grassy area right outside Cpt Cooks as the grass was turning brown already. I much preferred the old area with the rocks and flowers. The shops seemed pretty similar to us but I liked the new menu at Cpt Cooks and that weird 'greasy' smell that used to be there seems to have disappeared which I was pleased about.

We didn't get a chance to try out Trader Sam's and if I hadn't known it was there I don't think I would have even noticed it. I guess I thought that the bar terrace would be more open in terms of a wider door from the bar to the terrace but it just seemed like a single door on both sides that didn't seem that inviting. I guess I have never seen the one in Disneyland so I probably wasn't exactly sure what to expect.

We loved the club lounge and had the following food items while we were there: Tues we had sushi (veggie and salmon), red pepper humus and pitta, vegetables, pineapple and caramel sauce and PBJ uncrustables for the children. Weds we had bacon rolls with beef in the middle, veggie spring rolls and the usual vegetables, crackers and cheese etc, Thurs was my favourite as we had chicken quesadillas. During the day it was oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies, goldfish crackers and trail mix type things. Desserts were nice (though I am not a big dessert person) we had mousses, cheesecakes, mini cakes etc. In terms of drinks the fridge was stocked with coke, diet coke and sprite and they had lemonade, POG (pomegranate and orange) and water on tap. Breakfast was bagels, croissants, sometimes Danish pastries, cereal (coloured fruit loops, rice krispy type things and something else I can't remember). They also had wrapped apples, bananas and oranges out all day. I was really pleased that the new bungalows didn't have much impact on the view from the lounge and if I can find the picture I took of the view I will post it when I can.

We had a great view of the fireworks from the lounge but on the second night we watched it from our own balcony which I loved best of all. Sorry the picture is not great as I took it with my mobile.

View attachment 114836

In terms of the construction at the East Pool, I think there was some noise during the day but as we were on the other side we didn't really hear it. I did take some photos for those that are travelling soon and I will find them and post them soon.

In terms of transportation, one day the monorail was not running so we took the boat to MK which we actually preferred. The boats are very small and the launch is very convenient as it is right by the pool/beach.

Overall, we had an amazing trip to WDW and the Poly in particular was the icing on the cake. If you are going soon, I am sure you will have a great time. The resort is looking beautiful and the staff were nothing but helpful and courteous too us.

Wow, what a nice view...hope to be that lucky!!

 

[mickeynut1]

Hi All,

We returned from our 3 day stay at the Poly on Friday so I thought I would give a little mini review.

Overall, we had an amazing trip to WDW and the Poly in particular was the icing on the cake. If you are going soon, I am sure you will have a great time. The resort is looking beautiful and the staff were nothing but helpful and courteous too us.

Thanks for your review, glad you had a great time! Congrats on the upgrade, what a beautiful view .

2 more sleeps

Not that I will be able to

 

[cinderkelly]

Is anyone else in the "what do I do now" zone of planning? We're under 60 days.. ADRs are done, fastpasses are booked, food and wine menus have been read and our favorites have been marked.... but it's too early to pack. This is my least favorite part of the wait - there's nothing to distract me!

I'm in the same "waiting" zone but different time frame. With over 12 months to wait, I have Poly booked but have to wait to buy plane tickets, book ADR's, etc... I think I've looked at every menu imaginable already

The waiting game with nothing you need to do is the worst! Have a great trip!

 

[cinderkelly]

Hi All,

We returned from our 3 day stay at the Poly on Friday so I thought I would give a little mini review. I know I have had so much great information from this thread over the last few months so if there are any questions I can answer please go ahead and ask.

We are from the UK and our stay at the Poly was the last leg of our 17 day trip. Prior to the Poly we had stayed at the Yacht Club, Sheraton Vistana and Cabana Bay but I was really hoping we had saved the best experience for last - and we certainly did! We had stayed at the Yacht/Beach before and had a great stay there and we also loved our first visit at Cabana Bay but I can definitely reassure those that are worried about the Poly that they shouldn't be. The resort is in amazing shape. We have stayed twice before with the most recent stay being 4 years ago when I felt the resort and rooms seemed a little run down and out of date but that is certainly not the case now.

We checked in at around 10.30am as we were coming straight from Cabana Bay and it was pouring with rain (as it had been pretty much doing non stop for the previous 7 days!). I remember thinking to myself that if the sun didn't come out soon the whole Hawaiian vibe would be spoilt but as luck would have it the rain stopped as soon as we had checked in. We were staying club level garden view but we went first to the main check in desk at the lobby. I jokingly mentioned that I knew our room wouldn't be ready yet and the CM behind the desk laughed and said "ha had you're wrong your room is ready" which I was thrilled about. She called over another CM to escort us over to the Hawaii building (the children were slightly disappointed we didn't get a golf cart like we had in the past) but I was just glad the sun was out.

We had booked GV Club Level with the 'magical rate' and I had requested either a patio or 3rd floor balcony but hadn't done online check in. I had been really worried about the construction and was going back and forward about changing the reservation but I am so glad I didn't in the end because when we checked in we found out we had been upgraded which I was so thrilled with. She said we had a 3rd floor room on the lagoon side but when we got into the room we had the most amazing theme park view room with a perfect unobstructed view of the castle. I was over the moon as it has always been a dream of mine to have a theme park view but have never been able to justify the cost. Here is the view from our balcony.

View attachment 114826

It was really hard to capture it fully in a picture but standing on the balcony you could see the Grand Floridian on the left, the castle and the railway station at MK in the middle and the contemporary on the right. We were in the end room on the 3rd floor so furthest away from the lounge but such a great location. I spent hours on that balcony just people watching and taking in the lovely ambience of the Poly. I particularly loved it at dusk when the lamps were on and the music was playing.

With regards to the rest of the resort I thought all the new renovations were great. I didn't find the fence around the pool ruined the look of the pool and it seemed more airier and open by the pool than previously. We never had a problem getting 6 loungers together unless we came to the pool after around 4ish. There were several tables with umbrellas near the pool bar and they weren't always occupied during the day if you are looking for shade. The kids play area looked lovely although my children are teenagers so too big to play there. The hot tub seemed to be closed a couple of the days we were there so we didn't get a chance to use it.

We loved the new lobby, it has a much brighter and lighter feel to it and I loved that you could see the castle as you walked in. I didn't like the new grassy area right outside Cpt Cooks as the grass was turning brown already. I much preferred the old area with the rocks and flowers. The shops seemed pretty similar to us but I liked the new menu at Cpt Cooks and that weird 'greasy' smell that used to be there seems to have disappeared which I was pleased about.

We didn't get a chance to try out Trader Sam's and if I hadn't known it was there I don't think I would have even noticed it. I guess I thought that the bar terrace would be more open in terms of a wider door from the bar to the terrace but it just seemed like a single door on both sides that didn't seem that inviting. I guess I have never seen the one in Disneyland so I probably wasn't exactly sure what to expect.

We loved the club lounge and had the following food items while we were there: Tues we had sushi (veggie and salmon), red pepper humus and pitta, vegetables, pineapple and caramel sauce and PBJ uncrustables for the children. Weds we had bacon rolls with beef in the middle, veggie spring rolls and the usual vegetables, crackers and cheese etc, Thurs was my favourite as we had chicken quesadillas. During the day it was oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies, goldfish crackers and trail mix type things. Desserts were nice (though I am not a big dessert person) we had mousses, cheesecakes, mini cakes etc. In terms of drinks the fridge was stocked with coke, diet coke and sprite and they had lemonade, POG (pomegranate and orange) and water on tap. Breakfast was bagels, croissants, sometimes Danish pastries, cereal (coloured fruit loops, rice krispy type things and something else I can't remember). They also had wrapped apples, bananas and oranges out all day. I was really pleased that the new bungalows didn't have much impact on the view from the lounge and if I can find the picture I took of the view I will post it when I can.

We had a great view of the fireworks from the lounge but on the second night we watched it from our own balcony which I loved best of all. Sorry the picture is not great as I took it with my mobile.

View attachment 114836

In terms of the construction at the East Pool, I think there was some noise during the day but as we were on the other side we didn't really hear it. I did take some photos for those that are travelling soon and I will find them and post them soon.

In terms of transportation, one day the monorail was not running so we took the boat to MK which we actually preferred. The boats are very small and the launch is very convenient as it is right by the pool/beach.

Overall, we had an amazing trip to WDW and the Poly in particular was the icing on the cake. If you are going soon, I am sure you will have a great time. The resort is looking beautiful and the staff were nothing but helpful and courteous too us.

I really enjoyed reading your Poly report! What a fantastic upgrade you got! It looks like a very special view you had.

 

[dansdad]

Question about monorail outages. Is it best to just get Monorail schedule at checkin and then plan accordingly?

The schedule can, and often does, change daily. So be prepared with a backup every day.

Are people using the buses if monorail is down? Thanks.

Bus or boat.

 

[HubbDave]

I'm in the same "waiting" zone but different time frame. With over 12 months to wait, I have Poly booked but have to wait to buy plane tickets, book ADR's, etc... I think I've looked at every menu imaginable already

The waiting game with nothing you need to do is the worst! Have a great trip!

I like using the touring plan subscription and making new touring plans

 

[mickeynut1]

I'm in the same "waiting" zone but different time frame. With over 12 months to wait, I have Poly booked but have to wait to buy plane tickets, book ADR's, etc... I think I've looked at every menu imaginable already

We have quite a long wait too as we are booked for the end of July. I know it will be here before I know it, but right now it's just so far away! I'm always thinking about ADRs and like you, I've looked at a lot of menus (some multiple times...lol) for places we want to try .

 

[5bound4wdw]

Just finalized our plans for our upcoming trip!! I checked our on line check in and realized I have three choices checked off. It reads: Aotearoa, Balcony, Fiji. OOPS! The kids were hoping for a view of the monorail from Aotearoa, but I would like Fiji. I am thinking i will fax to request monorail view first choice, but Fiji as second to clear up any confusion? I am hoping the faxing will help us!

 

[AngiTN]

Just finalized our plans for our upcoming trip!! I checked our on line check in and realized I have three choices checked off. It reads: Aotearoa, Balcony, Fiji. OOPS! The kids were hoping for a view of the monorail from Aotearoa, but I would like Fiji. I am thinking i will fax to request monorail view first choice, but Fiji as second to clear up any confusion? I am hoping the faxing will help us!

The issue is when you first do online check in and you check 2 boxes, they are checked forever. You can go back in and edit your check in but you can't remove those checks, you can only add more.

Mine ended up being Fiji, Rarotouga, First Floor. Rarotouga was added 2nd, Fiji and 1st Floor were done first.
Then I used the Touring Plans fax service, Faxing a request for Rarotouga, 1st floor, facing monorail.
We got a room on 1st floor of Rarotouga, facing Monorail.
As long as the requests don't counteract each other I think you'll be ok. In our case we were fine with either building and the key was we wanted 1st floor. Had we put in 3rd floor also it may have been much harder on the room assigner.

 

[jakeybake]

The issue is when you first do online check in and you check 2 boxes, they are checked forever. You can go back in and edit your check in but you can't remove those checks, you can only add more.

Mine ended up being Fiji, Rarotouga, First Floor. Rarotouga was added 2nd, Fiji and 1st Floor were done first.
Then I used the Touring Plans fax service, Faxing a request for Rarotouga, 1st floor, facing monorail.
We got a room on 1st floor of Rarotouga, facing Monorail.
As long as the requests don't counteract each other I think you'll be ok. In our case we were fine with either building and the key was we wanted 1st floor. Had we put in 3rd floor also it may have been much harder on the room assigner.

Same thing happened to us. I checked two boxes, then realized I had made a mistake and went back in to fix it and I couldn't change it at all. Frustrating!!

Jay

 

[5bound4wdw]

The issue is when you first do online check in and you check 2 boxes, they are checked forever. You can go back in and edit your check in but you can't remove those checks, you can only add more.

Mine ended up being Fiji, Rarotouga, First Floor. Rarotouga was added 2nd, Fiji and 1st Floor were done first.
Then I used the Touring Plans fax service, Faxing a request for Rarotouga, 1st floor, facing monorail.
We got a room on 1st floor of Rarotouga, facing Monorail.
As long as the requests don't counteract each other I think you'll be ok. In our case we were fine with either building and the key was we wanted 1st floor. Had we put in 3rd floor also it may have been much harder on the room assigner.

Thanks for sharing! I am going to try the TP fax as well now. Is the time window three days out from your check in?

 

[Polyonmymind]

Touring Plans sends the fax 5 days prior to your arrival.

 

[mommyrosa2]

For the Poly CL experts....

How bad is a garden view room, 2nd floor, closest to the lounge? Will it be noisy?

 

[5bound4wdw]

Thanks!

 

[danjoan14]

2 more sleeps

Not that I will be able to

Have a great trip. We still have 4 more sleeps until we can get to the Poly.

 

[dljacob]

7 more sleeps. And I haven't packed a thing. I am going to be a ball of stress this weekend.

 

[danjoan14]

7 more sleeps. And I haven't packed a thing. I am going to be a ball of stress this weekend.

Do like I did. I made a list of things to do this week so I can tackle a little bit everyday. I cross them off as they are completed. Trying to avoid the stress and anxiety of going on vacation.