We just ended our vacation at Disneyworld, staying at the Polynesian. The decor and landscape had a nice Hawaii feel but I question the 4 star rating for several reasons. Regarding rooms, they were fine, not a wow factor but clean and included the basics, and were cleaned daily by very friendly housekeeping. For most who choose this hotel, they are expecting a higher end experience and pay for that. But, we found that the hotel guests are not treated any more special than someone off the street. We were unable to attend the luau because they had no space, I asked the employees about this as this is a no brainer for activities, but she casually told me that I should have made reservations months ago, as anyone can book it (no special consideration for their guests). We also tried to eat at Ohana restaurant, only able to eat there once (again, no specials for their guests) (by the way, it was a fun experience for kids, pretty good breakfast). So, for guests who fail to make reservations for basic meals months in advance, you can eat at captain hooks, easily one of the worst (but still expensive) self serve type places. Basically, you stand in a long line to self order, then go in another long line to pay, then in another line to get your food (I don't know about all foods, but we ordered a chicken sand which, hamburger, an d grilled cheese, these were really bad!). The sit down restaurants (if available, are a little more money but the food and service is much better). Otherwise, the hotel has a nice pool, relaxing setting, nice family activities (like biking/boating). From a location standpoint, it is great. You can take the ferry or tram to parks in minutes. Overall, hotel has good potential and we would go again, but would have to plan everything to ensure a good experience. And, they did great for making the trip easy (bags arrived in our hotel room and we could check our bags when leaving, meaning no lugging suitcases through airport). Also, concierge service was poor, compared to every hotel I've ever been at. If you need help getting reservations or info to other events, better to spend 20 minutes on the phone to get ahold of reservations...once you get someone I found they were very friendly and helpful, even getting us reservations to places in Disney.

We have stayed twice here, this time due to the construction going on at the Grand Floridian. The first when the Grand Floridian was overbooked. Being so close to the Magic Kingdom is fantastic. The pool is great, the food is surprisingly good too and the service is very good. The rooms are good, and are being updated right now. I hope they update the very noisy A/C, the beds and the safe, the closet doors were bent out of shape and the toiletries are tiny. But without being real luxurious, the advantage of being a stop from Magic kingdom (we were closer to the transportation center than the hotels own monorail stop) and the view of the lagoon and the castle is worth the luxurious price. But they could do better, like having duvets, softer beds, separate showers, quiet A/C units, or new carpeting. But that is not the top priority on peoples minds when they visit. And it actually reminds me of Hawaii. You will enjoy it.

I love the tropics, so this resort was my favorite to stay in! The decorations were so interesting and fun to take pics with. the food was great, and the chef even came out to talk to us about my MIL's food restrictions! So accommodating and friendly. Will definitely stay here again.

My family stayed in the Rapa Nui building in adjoining rooms. First the good:

* Everything we needed and asked for from the staff was done with a smile. I cannot say enough good things about the people who work at this hotel.
* The location was so convenient. This building is a 5 minute walk (at most) from the Ticket and Transportation Center with direct monorail service to both the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. We saved so much time being able to get to the parks quickly.
* The rooms were quiet, clean and spacious.
* The tropical theme is well-executed and fun, not silly.

Okay, now the bad:
* The rooms are dark and outdated. Even with every light turned on, I still felt like I was in a cave. Maybe it was on purpose so I would not notice the hole in the carpet, the thread-bare coverlet, or the dinged-up furniture.
* Despite what they advertise, the pools are not heated. It got close to 90 on our trip so it certainly was hot enough to swim, but even my daughter complained about how cold the water was. If a 10-year-old wants to skip swimming because it is too cold, you know you are in trouble. In addition, the "big" pool was closed without explanation several times during our stay.
* The beds and pillows were not comfortable. We stayed for 6 nights, so I really noticed.