Being on the monorail is great! The overall theming and atmosphere can't be beat. The rooms are large, with lots of amenities. A very relaxing way to spend a Disney Vacation!

We just spent four nights at the Polynesian on our second trip to Disney World. We were in the Hawaii building in a concierge room. We specifically stayed there rather than the Grand Floridian, where we stayed last year, because the GF did not have any more concierge rooms left at the rate special we were eligible for and we really enjoyed that aspect of the stay at the GF last year. So, we decided to try a new place and the Polynesian.
Overall the Poly is a lovely property and the grounds are very Hawaiian and pretty. The buildings do have a dated feel to them but I am not sure that it is because it is actually dated; the building is supposed to look like a Brady Bunch-era kitschy Polynesian construction with dark wood and it's just that. I did think that the buildings themselves were not quite as pristine as the GF, for example, the doors to the rooms had marks on them, and I could see some splatter marks of what looked like maybe milk or something on one of the door frames in our room. It was otherwise very clean, however, and this was minor. No problems with linens or towels.
The setup of the concierge area is nice at the Poly because it looks out over the lake and the castle, it is also totally enclosed in its own two story room instead of being an open area on one floor of the hotel lobby like it was at the main building at the GF. We liked this aspect of it better than the GF. Overall, though, we noticed a decline in the amount and variety of food offerings in the lounge compared to what the GF offered last year. Bottled water was not left out for guests to take with them, nor was fruit. After the specific service times were over, no sodas were available. No cheese or meats were offered at breakfast. There was not a teatime service like at GF (but that may be b/c the GF is Victorian and that is more appropriate to that hotel). There were just definitely fewer food offerings out and they didn't seem quite as nice as what they had at GF. We don't know if that is a difference between the hotels, however, or maybe an overall cutback at Disney in how much they put out at any of the properties offering concierge service. We also noticed that the hotel did not give us an amenity marking our kids' birthdays (last year they each got an autographed picture of their favorite character, a cookie plate, and a white chocolate Mickey) and I think this was an oversight on the hotel's part as when we checked in, the agent asked each child who their favorite character was like they did last year.
Check in was not as smooth as at GF, we checked in at the counter and were not personally walked to our room by a host/hostess and checked in there as a concierge amenity like we were at GF. I actually thought that the staff did not seem quite as warm as at the GF too but that may be partially because we didn't seem to see as much staff as we did at the GF having a room at the main building...the Poly's set up is more spread out and there is less opportunity to cross paths with staff for example. We were not greeted right away when we got off the magical express and had to go up to and find a staff member to tell us where to check in. They were, however, very friendly.
I say all this not because we did not like the hotel because we did...it is very family friendly, can't beat the location, had a great room view, was cheaper than the GF, and our kids loved it. We would stay there again. I just noticed some subtle differences or possible changes overall, it's hard to tell, from the GF. We did remark though that depending on if this is a parkwide change to the concierge service we might go with a regular room next time and do the meal plan instead. Depends on the circumstances and cost difference.
The room was definitely bigger than our room last year at the GF. Enjoyed watching fireworks over the castle at night from our balcony as well as the water parade. The rooms were quiet as was walking around the resort even though it was full of families like ours. All in all a great stay.

This is our second stay at a Disney resort and we were very happy with our decision to pick the Polynesian. Our last stay was at the Port Orleans French Quarter which were were very pleased with, but was NOTHING compared to this. The hotel was gorgeous; immaculate, and the staff very helpful. The surroundings are LUSH with greenery; just like staying in Hawaii or some other polynesian location. The rooms were spacious and nicely appointed; GREAT beds/mattresses, deluxe cotton sheets; felt like we were sleeping in our own beds! It was a spendy hotel, but worth it. The housekeeping staff was amazing; really catered to our every whim/question/issue. My ONLY issue is that for some strange reason, there is minimal bus service to and from the parks and attractions. The Port Orleans had buses running CONSTANTLY, whereas the buses to and from the Polynesian were scant and AT LEAST 25 min wait times. Took on average 50 mins between wait time and bus ride to get to EPCOT in BOTH directions. That was very disappointing. The monorail was great though; but they really need to extend that service to ALL the parks.

We hope to stay at the Polynesian on our next trip next June. I would highly recommend this hotel!

being on the monorail is the only reason Disney can justify these rates. The rooms are old and out of date. Housekeeping service was intermittent and poor. We had to call daily for towels or toilet paper. If you want to be on the monorail line go fo the Grand Floridian or the Contemporary. They have up to date rooms and adequate housekeeping svs.