Polynesian

[jbehr12]

We are entitled to differently feelings. You like it having outdoor walkways I find it makes it feel cheap. Just a matter of opinion. The tiny elevator and 70s hallways also felt like a cheap hotel to me, but unless they demolish and rebuild that’ll never change. It can be your favorite resort, it’s my least favorite. Neither is wrong. I also don’t like how Grand Floridian is outside and prefer the rooms in the main building. You seem rather angry that I don’t like the hotel, not sure why.

We are entitled to differently feelings. You like it having outdoor walkways I find it makes it feel cheap. Just a matter of opinion. The tiny elevator and 70s hallways also felt like a cheap hotel to me, but unless they demolish and rebuild that’ll never change. It can be your favorite resort, it’s my least favorite. Neither is wrong. I also don’t like how Grand Floridian is outside and prefer the rooms in the main building. You seem rather angry that I don’t like the hotel, not sure why.

Well I apologize that came off as “angry”, that was not the intention. Your comments seemed to come off with a sense of superiority, so I got defensive over a hotel I enjoy. To each their own.

 

[FSU Girl]

Well I apologize that came off as “angry”, that was not the intention. Your comments seemed to come off with a sense of superiority, so I got defensive over a hotel I enjoy. To each their own.

I posted that almost 6 months ago. This was a thread looking for opinions on Poly. I gave mine I don’t like the hotel and it’s crazy expensive so I’ll never stay there again. But it’s fine if it’s your favorite, my opinion doesn’t take away from that. I know it’s a lot of people’s favorite. I hope you enjoy your future stays there.

 

[DISNEY1975]

Does anyone know the current pricing for the pool patios at Oasis pool?

I just booked one yesterday. $53 for my August trip, 1/2 day 10am-2pm. Someone else booked for Sept, same half day and it was $37.50. I guess it varies by season. Not sure about full days.

 

[DisMomof2Princesses]

I just booked one yesterday. $53 for my August trip, 1/2 day 10am-2pm. Someone else booked for Sept, same half day and it was $37.50. I guess it varies by season. Not sure about full days.

Thanks so much for the info.! Are you going early August or late August (just wondering for pricing)? What # did you call to book?

 

[DISNEY1975]

Thanks so much for the info.! Are you going early August or late August (just wondering for pricing)? What # did you call to book?

Mid Aug!

(407) 939-7529

 

[ErinsMommy]

Love LOVE the Poly. It seems to get a great breeze, the sounds of the Hawaiian music playing, the tiki torches lit up at night, we stay in the Hawaii building and met some of the nicest CMs there. DH wants to go back to his beloved Contemporary when we book our BB in November and I'm already sad about this.

 

[toodycat]

We’ve stayed at the Poly twice. The first time was totally magical, but part of that was because our son was 7 and it was his first night at WDW. (We arrived a day early and were only there one night until we could move to the originally scheduled GF.) Our last stay was was also over a decade ago, but so bad that I haven’t been back. There were quite a few screw ups, but the one that ruined the Poly for me was the pool. It hadn’t been skimmed at all and DH and I went in for an evening swim, ducked underwater and came up covered in dead insects. I don’t mean one or two; I mean at least 25 on my upper body. It was just so gross. I agree that the location is excellent, the monorail access can’t be beat and the room size is generous. But I don’t really care for the restaurants or the lobby and the incessant drumming from “Spirit of Aloha” grated on me after a few days.I read about how people love the Poly so much, and I feel like I should give it another chance and I’ll see what they’re talking about. But, giving the Poly another chance feels like an expensive experiment since I could stay at the GF, my very favorite for roughly the same $$ or the AKL, WL, BC or BW for less. If you’re already intrigued by the Poly’s theming, you’ll probably have a great time because it is executed very well. I’ve definitely idealized the GF and it’s never disappointed me.

 

[KenHutch]

Well we eat there 2-3 times a trip and the bosses ( the girls ) have selected it for our next trip. We have walked thru the CH many times and around the grounds. The youngest has taken to calling it the Moana Hotel. I do not really care if they have not upgraded since years they will like it.

 

[DisMomof2Princesses]

That's not how it works at Caribbean Beach which is why I was asking. And actually that's not how it works at OKW or Sarasota Springs. Well unless you're staying in one of the Tree Houses then that's the only time you have to transfer buses.

When we stayed at OKW a few years ago, there was an internal bus to take you to the HH, but you didn't have to take it, and could wait for whatever bus you needed (parks, waterparks, etc.) at any bus stop.

 

[ljmclin]

We’ve stayed at the Poly twice. The first time was totally magical, but part of that was because our son was 7 and it was his first night at WDW. (We arrived a day early and were only there one night until we could move to the originally scheduled GF.) Our last stay was was also over a decade ago, but so bad that I haven’t been back. There were quite a few screw ups, but the one that ruined the Poly for me was the pool. It hadn’t been skimmed at all and DH and I went in for an evening swim, ducked underwater and came up covered in dead insects. I don’t mean one or two; I mean at least 25 on my upper body. It was just so gross. I agree that the location is excellent, the monorail access can’t be beat and the room size is generous. But I don’t really care for the restaurants or the lobby and the incessant drumming from “Spirit of Aloha” grated on me after a few days.I read about how people love the Poly so much, and I feel like I should give it another chance and I’ll see what they’re talking about. But, giving the Poly another chance feels like an expensive experiment since I could stay at the GF, my very favorite for roughly the same $$ or the AKL, WL, BC or BW for less. If you’re already intrigued by the Poly’s theming, you’ll probably have a great time because it is executed very well. I’ve definitely idealized the GF and it’s never disappointed me.

I can understand your feeling. We absolutely LOVE the Poly. It's our favorite resort and we will save to be able to stay there every time we go to Disney; however, it's not for everyone. We ventured out and stayed at BC one year because we heard such amazing things about it (pool, walk to epcot.....). We literally walked into our room and I looked at my husband and said, can we move to the Poly. My kids were even like "when are we going to OUR resort." We tried the pool at BC and the food and walked around a bit then we had the cast member move us over to the Poly. Everyone was much happier. It's all about what you like. When I try a resort, I try not to let negative things that could happen at any resort affect my opinion. Any resort can have a bad day with dishes, bugs, rude staff. That is definitely not exclusive to one place. You never know what you will like until you try it!! And I agree with the experiment comment. We save for these trips and i'm not spending my money hoping I will like the resort!!! For me, the GF is beautiful but I would never experiment with my money over there lol!! So funny how different everyone sees things. Enjoy your next GF trip!!!

 

[BingoJoe]

We stayed at the Poly for two weeks last August for 14 days, we had a good holiday, but it was my least favourite resort. I actually enjoyed it less than a stay at Caribbean beach we took some years before.

I think the grounds of the Poly are nice, and the quiet pool is a good one. The rooms are also very large.

The trouble with the Poly is that it is not a resort centred around it's guests. The bars, lobby, beaches, transportation, and walkways are all heavily used by non-resort guests and are therefore very busy. I actually felt like I was staying in an extension of the Magic Kingdom rather than a hotel in its own right.

If you stay at the other resorts, you can find lots of nice places to sit, or use the hotel bars when you want, but even the nightly kids movie at the Poly is overrun by visitors and people making their way through to go somewhere else.

When you walk through the doors of Jambo house at Animal Kingdom Lodge it says "Welcome Home", and it feels great after a long day at the parks, but you never get that feeling walking through the doors of the Polynesian. It is so busy and spread it out that it doesn't have a sense of place.

Maybe it is great if you are going to be there two nights and going in and out of the magic kingdom non-stop, but for two weeks I like to have a resort that feels like a resort.

 

[DISNEY1975]

I think the grounds of the Poly are nice, and the quiet pool is a good one. The rooms are also very large.

The trouble with the Poly is that it is not a resort centred around it's guests. The bars, lobby, beaches, transportation, and walkways are all heavily used by non-resort guests and are therefore very busy. I actually felt like I was staying in an extension of the Magic Kingdom rather than a hotel in its own right.

If you stay at the other resorts, you can find lots of nice places to sit, or use the hotel bars when you want, but even the nightly kids movie at the Poly is overrun by visitors and people making their way through to go somewhere else.

This is the most perfect description of the Poly I have ever seen.

I stayed at YC last trip and everything was perfect. Beautiful, quiet, amazing pool, great transportation to Epcot and DHS, not to mention the boardwalk area. Everything was perfect, but I just missed "something". The vibe was so different. You are 100% correct the Poly feels like an extension of the MK....not a place to relax at all, but definitely a place to feel you are at WDW.

 

[SillySallySews]

Poly was our “dream” resort and for us it wound up being just sort of meh. We’d stay there again, but it wasn’t our favorite. That’s the great thing about Disney though, there’s a resort to please just about everyone’s taste.

 

[Sarahslay]

We stayed at the Poly for two weeks last August for 14 days, we had a good holiday, but it was my least favourite resort. I actually enjoyed it less than a stay at Caribbean beach we took some years before.

I think the grounds of the Poly are nice, and the quiet pool is a good one. The rooms are also very large.

The trouble with the Poly is that it is not a resort centred around it's guests. The bars, lobby, beaches, transportation, and walkways are all heavily used by non-resort guests and are therefore very busy. I actually felt like I was staying in an extension of the Magic Kingdom rather than a hotel in its own right.

If you stay at the other resorts, you can find lots of nice places to sit, or use the hotel bars when you want, but even the nightly kids movie at the Poly is overrun by visitors and people making their way through to go somewhere else.

When you walk through the doors of Jambo house at Animal Kingdom Lodge it says "Welcome Home", and it feels great after a long day at the parks, but you never get that feeling walking through the doors of the Polynesian. It is so busy and spread it out that it doesn't have a sense of place.

Maybe it is great if you are going to be there two nights and going in and out of the magic kingdom non-stop, but for two weeks I like to have a resort that feels like a resort.

I actually feel like all of the deluxe resorts get a ton of traffic from non-resort guests. I've stayed at all but Boardwalk and Poly (I have it booked for next summer but I frequent it a lot for a quiet non-park dole whip and bit of a break midday), and even at places like AKL I feel like tend to get extra traffic for people either coming for meals or even just to check out the resort. CR always feels the worst to me with multiple restaurants, monorail stop, and easy access to MK, as does GF (it's hard to relax in my vacation garb knowing I'm probably going to be in the background of someones wedding photos). Even at BC you have people packing in to the lobby for their Cape May ADR, and people going to YC for Yachtsman. I personally find Poly to be one of the more relaxing, it just feels chill to me, and I feel comfortable lounging in the common spaces where I might not at places like GF.....I still love GF though, I'll even be there twice over the next month. I do realize that everyone has their own things that relax them, and WDW resorts really need an "experiences may vary" warning when anyone is giving their opinion.

 

[Crasstastic]

I actually feel like all of the deluxe resorts get a ton of traffic from non-resort guests.

Tbh, I never feel like that at WL... and I’m struggling over that because we’re planning a trip after only having stayed at WL (which we love) and POFQ. I’ve read here and elsewhere about the “busy” feeling of the Poly and CR, both of which we’re looking at for a new/different experience, and it worries me.

How can so many people describe the Poly as chill and relaxing, while so many others have the exact opposite takeaway due to the heavy non-guest traffic. I’m not sure “different strokes for different folks” fully explains this divergence.

 

[Crasstastic]

On a related note, while I don’t think this is necessarily unique to the Poly, it was just nice as a lesbian couple to be able to enjoy ourselves and not be fearful. We have had some negative experiences with hospitality staff in the past while traveling elsewhere but Disney is always very welcoming and the Poly is no exception.

I don’t know whether to feel glad you’ve enjoyed a safe and happy experience at WDW, or angry that you would not experience that everywhere. Both, I think.

 

[DISNEY1975]

and people going to YC for Yachtsman.

YS is far from the lobby, and doesnt get a huge crowd - no waiting around common areas. This is definitely the quietest resort Ive stayed at. Many guests are there for business. They are in conference rooms all day and have a planned activity at night. AKL is a close second. Poly is the "loudest" by far. I sometimes take the monorail over to CR for an ice cream just for some quiet time!

 

[DISNEY1975]

How can so many people describe the Poly as chill and relaxing, while so many others have the exact opposite takeaway due to the heavy non-guest traffic. I’m not sure “different strokes for different folks” fully explains this divergence.

My guess is city people vs town people. Maybe if I lived in NYC, I wouldnt think of it as loud and busy. I live in a small city, though city nonetheless, 20 miles from Boston, another "small" city compared to other big named cities. Its fairly quiet here at night and I hear birds chirp in the AM. Daytime traffic can get bad. I feel a have a medium tolerance for busy/noise.

That said...I find the Poly very loud and busy. All common areas are filled with guests for dining...either Ohana, Konas and even Captain Cooks QS from people who hop the monorail mid day for a break from the park and a look around the infamous "Poly". CC's is not too busy in the AM or PM, but then comes the Spirit of Aloha dinner show at night were guest checkin is in the lobby (though they are lead to a different area for the show, away from main building) 2 shows nightly, I would guess 150ish guests per show. Trader Sams starts getting busy around 4pm, which includes their outdoor patio basically overlooking the pool area. Ohana dinner starts getting backed up as soon as they open for dinner, so at least 40 - 50 people are at waiting area in upstairs lobby - Tambu lounge waiting for their table. Konas is not super popular, no wait, but there are guests dining, with a view to the upstairs "lobby".

Then...you also get the guests who dine, who plan it perfectly to be at the beach to see the electric light parade at 9pm and the fireworks across the lagoon. Also about 1/2 of the 150ish guests who leave the 1st showing of Spirit of Aloha, shop a bit, then go to the beach area for the fireworks. AND..the guests who had breakfast at the Poly, then went straight to the MK on the monorail coming back at MK closing. As far as I know, the pool situation (MK guests taking a mid day swim because MBs are not checked) is under control since the fence, but Ive seen plenty of people just open the door for anyone carrying a tray of food from CCs into the pool area, feeling bad for them they dont have a spare hand to open the door themselves. Who knows if they are guests or not, but its the busiest pool Ive seen other than SAB at BC/YC. At night though, its quiet.

Inside my room, I have never heard a peep. Rooms are fairly large. The balconies are relaxing and the buildings are quiet, The views from the rooms are tropical....truly beautiful. It is only the common areas that are packed daily.

Ive been to CR and GF plenty during the day and their pools look abandoned, as do their lobbies (though 1900 can get a crowd if they start getting behind at breakfast or dinner. During the day is not a problem)

I typically go May, Sept thru Nov, off peak times, once in March. Everything I wrote is 100% accurate from what I have witnessed. You can decide whether you feel that is relaxing or not.

 

[BingoJoe]

I actually feel like all of the deluxe resorts get a ton of traffic from non-resort guests. I've stayed at all but Boardwalk and Poly (I have it booked for next summer but I frequent it a lot for a quiet non-park dole whip and bit of a break midday), and even at places like AKL I feel like tend to get extra traffic for people either coming for meals or even just to check out the resort.

Yep, all resorts are certainly active, and I don't want a quiet mountain retreat, but Poly takes it to another level in my view. I haven't stayed at the contemporary, but at all the other deluxe resorts I have been happy and comfortable in the lobby waiting for people to gather. The Poly lobby isn't somewhere to pass any time, even if you can find a seat people are squeezing past and tripping over your feet.

I am pretty sure they haven't solved the issue of non resort guests using the pool either. It can be quite pleasant in the evenings but is madness during the day, with many people getting changed in the pool bathroom (which would be unusual if everyone had a room).

I think the Poly is a great place to visit, eat, and drink, but one of the worse places to actually stay for a long vacation on property. You can essentially get all the benefits by hopping over for a couple of nights and actually stay somewhere that feels more like it is for you, the guest.

 

[Disneylover99]

Tbh, I never feel like that at WL... and I’m struggling over that because we’re planning a trip after only having stayed at WL (which we love) and POFQ. I’ve read here and elsewhere about the “busy” feeling of the Poly and CR, both of which we’re looking at for a new/different experience, and it worries me.

How can so many people describe the Poly as chill and relaxing, while so many others have the exact opposite takeaway due to the heavy non-guest traffic. I’m not sure “different strokes for different folks” fully explains this divergence.

I really do think it’s just what speaks to you. I love the Poly. Yes it can be busy, especially upstairs near Ohana or downstairs in the lobby as people line up for the Spirit of Aloha. But I don’t feel the crowds there. I just feel relaxation and tranquility, no matter where I am on those grounds.

When I stay at or visit another deluxe, I don’t feel as relaxed, even if the environment is less busy.