Polynesian

[KellyHonos]

My dream resort is the Polynesian. When my sister and I visited Ohana one day for breakfast and got to check out the resort, I fell in love instantly. The decorations, the overall relaxed and tranquil vibe it had, the view...ugh, what I would do to go there today! I was gushing recently to a fellow Disney-lover who also has DVC points and goes 2-3x a year to WDW, and he looked at me in shock when I said polynesian was my dream resort. He said he had stayed there once and his experience was awful and that he'd never recommend it to anyone. I can't remember all the reasons he said he was dissatisfied, but one complaint that pops out was when he and his wife checked into the room, there was still trash in the garbage from the previous guests that had used the room. While I agree that that's pretty careless on Mousekeeping's part, I don't know if that would keep me away forever....is the Polynesian as nice as I've hyped it up in my head to be or no? Curious to know people's opinions!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

My personal opinion is mentally over-hyping a resort is a set up for things not meeting expectations. All resorts have various pros and cons, and Poly is no different. I personally love Poly and it's probably our favorite resort when I consider the overall mix of room size, view options, grounds, transportation, food/beverage, and location, but it's by no means perfect.

For every person like me that really likes what it has to offer, there will be just as many that don't care for it.

 

[KellyHonos]

My personal opinion is mentally over-hyping a resort is a set up for things not meeting expectations. All resorts have various pros and cons, and Poly is no different. I personally love Poly and it's probably our favorite resort when I consider the overall mix of room size, view options, grounds, transportation, food/beverage, and location, but it's by no means perfect.

For every person like me that really likes what it has to offer, there will be just as many that don't care for it.

I agree! When you over-hype something, it's very easy to be let down. I for one don't dock points for mistakes that seem genuine, though. Yeah, it's careless to not empty out a garbage, but if everything else in the room looked fresh, I would chalk it up as a human error and move on. If I saw a pattern of garbage not being emptied during my stay, then I might speak up and ask that mousekeeping put extra attention on doing that, but to me, that seems like that could happen anywhere, not just the poly....The pool looked stellar, the view from Ohana at breakfast was breathtaking, the tiki torches, that theming, UGH, I just would love to stay there just once. We stay in moderates typically but man, I'd love to visit the poly.

 

[FSU Girl]

It's my least favorite deluxe resort, I won't stay there again. And my night there was free for our wedding and upgraded. I just don't like going outside to get to my room, I feel like it makes it feel like a motel even though it's a really expensive hotel. The themeing wasn't for me either, the rooms were huge, but the hallways and elevator were really dated. We had a pool view room and it was really noisy, could hear everything going on. I love the restaurants there and visit the hotel often, but wouldn't want to stay there again.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I agree! When you over-hype something, it's very easy to be let down. I for one don't dock points for mistakes that seem genuine, though. Yeah, it's careless to not empty out a garbage, but if everything else in the room looked fresh, I would chalk it up as a human error and move on. If I saw a pattern of garbage not being emptied during my stay, then I might speak up and ask that mousekeeping put extra attention on doing that, but to me, that seems like that could happen anywhere, not just the poly....The pool looked stellar, the view from Ohana at breakfast was breathtaking, the tiki torches, that theming, UGH, I just would love to stay there just once. We stay in moderates typically but man, I'd love to visit the poly.

I'll throw out a few structural negatives that aren't human/Mousekeeping error that get mentioned occasionally around the DIS. These can be negatives for some and not negatives for others, always so subjective.

- The resort rooms (not the DVC/villa rooms) were last renovated 2013'ish. That's getting pretty long in the tooth in hotel years and you'll occasionally get a room with a few dents and dings. I've had perfect rooms and ones that showed a few scratches. That stuff doesn't bother me, but if
- Some people don't like having to walk outside to get to the longhouse. I've never quite understood this one, but some people legitimately don't like it and that's all good.
- The pools are great, but the Lava Pool (main pool) can be very crowded (think people soup) depending on the time of day and season. Chairs and shade can be hard to come by. Is this a reason not to stay there? No. Is it kind of annoying sometimes? Yes.
- Some don't like that things like Ohana and the Luau attract so many visitors and the lobby is busy. I love the buzz/feel of the lobby, but others don't.
- On the resort side, one could have a 2nd floor room and 2nd floor rooms don't have balconies. This one bugs me. Not a factor on the DVC/villa side as all floor have balconies in those longhouses.


Of course, I could put a laundry list of what our positives in our view too (large rooms, reasonable room view choices with different price points, great food/beverage options, monorail access to MK and walkable access to the TTC for the Epcot monorail, lush grounds, nightly fireworks viewing, etc). These conversations always remind me how thankful I am that there are lots of (edit, different) resort choices on/off property all around WDW.

 

[KellyHonos]

It's my least favorite deluxe resort, I won't stay there again. And my night there was free for our wedding and upgraded. I just don't like going outside to get to my room, I feel like it makes it feel like a motel even though it's a really expensive hotel. The themeing wasn't for me either, the rooms were huge, but the hallways and elevator were really dated. We had a pool view room and it was really noisy, could hear everything going on. I love the restaurants there and visit the hotel often, but wouldn't want to stay there again.

Interesting. I'm glad to hear different opinions and experiences. Having a big room sounds really nice, though!

 

[KellyHonos]

I'll throw out a few structural negatives that aren't human/Mousekeeping error that get mentioned occasionally around the DIS. These can be negatives for some and not negatives for others, always so subjective.

- The resort rooms (not the DVC/villa rooms) were last renovated 2013'ish. That's getting pretty long in the tooth in hotel years and you'll occasionally get a room with a few dents and dings. I've had perfect rooms and ones that showed a few scratches. That stuff doesn't bother me, but if
- Some people don't like having to walk outside to get to the longhouse. I've never quite understood this one, but some people legitimately don't like it and that's all good.
- The pools are great, but the Lava Pool (main pool) can be very crowded (think people soup) depending on the time of day and season. Chairs and shade can be hard to come by. Is this a reason not to stay there? No. Is it kind of annoying sometimes? Yes.
- Some don't like that things like Ohana and the Luau attract so many visitors and the lobby is busy. I love the buzz/feel of the lobby, but others don't.

Of course, I could put a laundry list of what our positives in our view too (large rooms, reasonable room view choices, great food/beverage options, monorail access to MK and walkable access to the TTC for the Epcot monorail, lush grounds, nightly fireworks viewing, etc). These conversations always remind me how thankful I am that there are lots of difference resort choices on/off property all around WDW.

To your last point, I totally agree. Some families love the all-star resorts, while others cant stand them. We all look for different things when going on a trip, and all those needs/wants are valid. Finding a good fit is always nice. When I go to Vegas, my family and I habitually stay at the New York, New York because of it's stellar location on the strip and the fair pricing. But when I go to Disney, I'm more inclined to try a new place every time I go. Even though my sister and I adored the French Quarter, we wanted to check out Coronado the next time we went. We loved both, but each had their pros and cons. I could see myself staying at both again, but it's so hard for me to go to WDW and not try a new resort. Exploring new resorts is half the fun, I think. I've never stayed Deluxe though, so maybe that's why the polynesian is so dreamy to me lol.

 

[mickeynut1]

For every person like me that really likes what it has to offer, there will be just as many that don't care for it.

I agree. Poly is our favorite resort for many reasons, but I know it's not for everyone as some just don't care for it (but that can be said for every resort). Our first Poly stay was back in 2007 and it was amazing, I loved everything about it from the moment we checked in. Fast forward to our second stay this past Oct, which was just as magical as it was years ago. I read a lot of negative reviews prior to our first Poly stay, which made me start to second guess my choice, and I actually considered changing resorts. After some thought, I decided to stick with it and see for myself. I'm glad I didn't change because we had the most amazing time! We've had great stays at all of the resorts we've tried, but the Poly will always be my #1 fav. With all of that said, I wouldn't let one person's opinion/experience keep you from trying your dream resort. Will you stay there and love it? Maybe, maybe not. Will you hate it? Maybe. But the only way you'll know is if you experience it for yourself. Good luck!

 

[FSU Girl]

Interesting. I'm glad to hear different opinions and experiences. Having a big room sounds really nice, though!

The big room was a plus, but that was the only part I liked.

- Some people don't like having to walk outside to get to the longhouse. I've never quite understood this one, but some people legitimately don't like it and that's all good.

For me it makes the hotel feel cheap. I think a hotel should be in one building where you don't have to worry about the elements getting to your room. Especially in Florida where it can get really hot and have thunderstorms often.

 

[KellyHonos]

I agree. Poly is our favorite resort for many reasons, but I know it's not for everyone as some just don't care for it (but that can be said for every resort). Our first Poly stay was back in 2007 and it was amazing, I loved everything about it from the moment we checked in. Fast forward to our second stay this past Oct, which was just as magical as it was years ago. I read a lot of negative reviews prior to our first Poly stay, which made me start to second guess my choice, and I actually considered changing resorts. After some thought, I decided to stick with it and see for myself. I'm glad I didn't change because we had the most amazing time! We've had great stays at all of the resorts we've tried, but the Poly will always be my #1 fav. With all of that said, I wouldn't let one person's opinion/experience keep you from trying your dream resort. Will you stay there and love it? Maybe, maybe not. Will you hate it? Maybe. But the only way you'll know is if you experience it for yourself. Good luck!

I completely agree! Trust me, it's on my Disney Bucket list. But the price is out of my budget. I am thinking maybe one day when I'm a little more successful or maybe for a special occasion, that will be my little treat to myself. The hard part about choosing deluxe over moderate or value is that we barely spend any time in our room except for showering and sleeping, so I just start to get a little stingy with my $ when I factor in that we barely are there! But...one day

 

[KellyHonos]

For me it makes the hotel feel cheap. I think a hotel should be in one building where you don't have to worry about the elements getting to your room. Especially in Florida where it can get really hot and have thunderstorms often.

Both FQ and Coronado had rooms like this so I guess I just assumed all rooms had these entry ways....apparently not! Yeah, I'd prefer an indoor entrance for sure, but entering from the outside versus in a building isnt a total drawback. Different strokes for different folks, right!?

 

[roydavid7771]

My family stayed at the Poly on our last trip last May. I had always wanted to stay at a monorail resort, and we were lucky that our waitlist for a DVC villa came through. We instantly fell in love with it. Walking outside doesn't bother me, and I understand that the feeling is more of 70's kitschy feel than modern day. Most importantly, you cannot underestimate the value of being on the monorail line as well as being close to major transportation options at the TTC.

 

[FSU Girl]

Both FQ and Coronado had rooms like this so I guess I just assumed all rooms had these entry ways....apparently not! Yeah, I'd prefer an indoor entrance for sure, but entering from the outside versus in a building isnt a total drawback. Different strokes for different folks, right!?

Oh definitely, it doesn't bother a lot of people. It's just definitely a pet peeve of mine. I think all the moderates and values have outdoor entrances. For deluxe I like that Contemporary, Boardwalk, Beach Club, Yacht Club and Animal Kingdom Lodge are in one building. For Poly the entrance is in an indoor hallway, but the actual building the room is in is an outdoor walk from the main building.

 

[KellyHonos]

Most importantly, you cannot underestimate the value of being on the monorail line as well as being close to major transportation

I KNOW!!!! I'd love to stay at a monorail resort! Sounds so easy-peasy!!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Oh definitely, it doesn't bother a lot of people. It's just definitely a pet peeve of mine. I think all the moderates and values have outdoor entrances. For deluxe I like that Contemporary, Boardwalk, Beach Club, Yacht Club and Animal Kingdom Lodge are in one building. For Poly the entrance is in an indoor hallway, but the actual building the room is in is an outdoor walk from the main building.

The GF consists of multiple buildings like the Polynesian. And it's the flagship resort at WDW.

 

[FSU Girl]

The GF consists of multiple buildings like the Polynesian. And it's the flagship resort at WDW.

Ya I hated my stay in the outer buildings there. Just like Poly I felt it made the resort feel cheap and it is far from a cheap stay. And it was beyond annoying to have a reservation at Victoria and Albert's and have it pour outside and we had to walk in that. I won't stay in those again, but I liked staying in the main building there. If Poly had rooms in the main building I'd probably go back there too.

 

[cvjw]

We love everything about the poly. We are dvc members and have used our points for 4 or 5 poly stays. We normally stay in 2 bedrooms with our family of 4, so we get 2 studios at the poly.

We love the large studios, the theming, the extra bathroom in the studios, the location, the restaurants, the pool, the monorail, and eating dole whips whenever we want.

When we stay in studios, poly is our #1 choice.

 

[KellyHonos]

We love everything about the poly. We are dvc members and have used our points for 4 or 5 poly stays. We normally stay in 2 bedrooms with our family of 4, so we get 2 studios at the poly.

We love the large studios, the theming, the extra bathroom in the studios, the location, the restaurants, the pool, the monorail, and eating dole whips whenever we want.

When we stay in studios, poly is our #1 choice.

You guys sound like you're living your best polynesian life!!! You lucky dogs! i'm envious!!!!

 

[mickeynut1]

I completely agree! Trust me, it's on my Disney Bucket list. But the price is out of my budget. I am thinking maybe one day when I'm a little more successful or maybe for a special occasion, that will be my little treat to myself. The hard part about choosing deluxe over moderate or value is that we barely spend any time in our room except for showering and sleeping, so I just start to get a little stingy with my $ when I factor in that we barely are there! But...one day

I totally get it. The deluxe resorts are really get up there in price, especially the monorail ones. If a split stay is ever an option, that's a good way to try it for a couple of nights without breaking the bank (especially if you can get a discount) .

 

[KellyHonos]

I totally get it. The deluxe resorts are really get up there in price, especially the monorail ones. If a split stay is ever an option, that's a good way to try it for a couple of nights without breaking the bank (especially if you can get a discount) .

You had me at "discount"....how exactly do I get a discount on a deluxe?!