We had a wonderful trip to Disneys worlds Poly resort . We stayed club level which was nice . They offer mini meals buffet snack style throughout the day . Our only small compliant was the hotel doesn’t have great sound protection we could hear kids running in the rooms above and below. But altogether we enjoyed
Pros: Proximity to Magic Kingdom and Epcot, incredible setting and atmosphere, charming theming throughout, large and functional guest rooms. Cons: In-room tech is cumbersome, check-in via the Disney app is limited, absurdly expensive without many corresponding benefits. Having stayed here when my parents first brought us to WDW nearly 30 years ago, I was excited for the opportunity to stay at the Polynesian once again. In many ways, it has not changed- the incredible theming covers every corner of the resort, from lava rock in the lobby, to the colorful wallpaper in the guest rooms, to the flaming tiki torches on the walking paths at night. It's whimsical without being tacky. My guest room was larger than it needed to be, which was a nice change of pace from modern hotel rooms getting smaller and smaller. My room featured a king bed and a separate sitting area perfect for watching TV at night. The fridge was of a decent size- a plus for someone like me who likes to keep an ample supply of drinks on hand. The only downside was one small elevator in the entire building- it was easier and faster for me to take the outdoor stairs to my third floor room- which required a visit to the front desk despite checking in and receiving my room via the WDW app, because the ability to request more than a first floor room (which I did not want in a hotel to be filled with kids) was not offered. Getting to Magic Kingdom and Epcot are very easy- a quick ride on the monorail delivers guests directly to the front gates. Buses are available for travel to other theme parks, resorts, and Disney Springs- still convenient, but also feeling a little bit like commuting. I probably could have saved time by taking my car to Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, opposed to waiting for buses. A nice perk of staying at the Polynesian is early admission to the parks, although it's limited to a half hour prior to opening to the public, and the availability of attractions varies from park to park (for example, only part of Magic Kingdom is open to early admission guests). With this comes some drawbacks. The in-room tech makes it impossible to connect external devices, so I was unable to do as I usually do in hotels and use my Nintendo Switch in docked mode. Adding to this, I had to call the front desk to have the internet connection fixed upon check-in. It took three calls and two tech visits to get everything resolved- not what I expected for the price paid (and streaming from apps was still a challenge). And speaking of, the resort is insanely expensive for what amounts to a moderate hotel with heavy theming. I understand the appeal is being on site at WDW and accepted it for what it was, but there's no denying better accommodations are available off site for a lot less money. I'll return in the future- it won't be another 30 years, that's for certain- but it will be a special treat, because money goes much further outside of WDW grounds.…
Disney's Polynesian is more "Disney" than any location on Walt Disney World property, including the theme parks. This property is one of the few things Walt Disney had the opportunity to design (that was ultimately built) in Walt Disney World. Disney's Polynesian creates a class of themed hotels that includes no other. The climate, gardens, cast members, activities, and accommodations surpass theming as we know it, and borders reality. This is above and beyond every other Disney property, even deluxe properties. Some Disney hotels will have an elaborately themed lobby and a restaurant that is themed to the resort, usually in name only. Short of only the Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Wilderness Lodge (both which have dismal transportation options and guest rooms for the price), and the Boardwalk (Disney's worst hotel by far), the Polynesian Resort is one of the very few hotels on property where the theming extends everywhere in the resort. The current state of the Polynesian is a give and take. Gone is the luau, an experience many Disney guests consider better than any other offerings at the Walt Disney Resort. Passed are the days Aunty Kau'i would greet you in the lobby. The guest rooms, however, have received a refreshment during the time the luau was closed that now approaches the price category. So the best experience is gone now, but the best rooms are here. The loss of the luau and the passing of Aunty Kau'i were detrimental to the authenticity of this resort. Rather than restaffing the luau, possibly as a memorial to this Disney Legend, the luau was demolished. That won't be the biggest blow to this resort... we are now approaching a new phase of destruction at the Polynesian, one that will likely ruin this entire property for good. No one knows what the future holds... except some ugly, jarring, high capacity addition apparently thematically set to a late 90s Fairfield Inn and Suites is to be built on site... presumably because the land between the Floridian and Magic Kingdom isn't prime real estate, or the location of this former building hidden in the middle of Bay lake would have cost too much. Most Disney fans just assume the plans Reflections Lakeside Lodge were made less-Polynesian, and moved from Bay Lake as the Polynesian name will theoretically command double the price. In reality added capacity without added infrastructure will likely destroy the relaxed vibe. That rant aside, The Polynesian Resort has one of the longest track records of beloved Disney World assets being maintained, enhanced but mostly unchanged. Soon someone who doesn't understand what the theme is will defecate some high profit, high capacity addition in the middle of a practically historic attraction. As of this writing that hasn't happened. Now is the time to stay one last time at the Polynesian.... on the TTC side of the resort where construction isn't ruining hundreds of guests' $10,000+ vacations. Seriously that rant aside, Disney's Polynesian Resort has a cohesive theme through the torch-lit winding garden paths, enhanced by Hawaiian music and plant life. Transportation options are better than any other Disney Resort. In addition to resort loop boat and monorail service, and a very long walking path to Magic Kingdom (when not closed by construction), the Polynesian borders the transportation and ticket center. A short walk to this location will provide direct monorail and ferryboat access to the Magic Kingdom and direct monorail access to Epcot. O'hanna provides a good meal. It's not the grilling experience it once was, but at least they didn't tear it down to build a Days Inn... Real or maybe fake smoked meat smells are exhausted through the top of the Grand Ceremonial House at dinner time. Directly below the slightly hidden Trader Sam's offers more fun than any bar on property... provided you don't mind waiting 3 hours for the experience. Kona Cafe provides Tonga Toast... and probably other stuff too. Fireworks over Magic Kingdom can be viewed from the beaches of the Polynesian, and some lucky rooms, and music for these shows is piped in to many areas of the resort. Disney's Polynesian Resort is what people mean when they refer to "Disney Magic", and it is slowly fading.…
They shouldn't offer the rooms facing the construction/remodeling. No courtesy room change when mentioned about noise and view. It's an old hotel and some renovation is needed asap. Not the magical time you expect from Disney...
The Polynesian has become our favorite property. We love the proximity to the transportation center and monorails. The room sleep 5 comfortably. The pool gives you a feel of being in Hawaii and the Pork Nachos are the best! The laundry room is great as well. The only downside is that the activities are a bit overpriced compared to other resorts. They had a pineapple to paint for $10 that you can also paint the exact one at the Riviera for $4. So i am not sure why they would charge more, but it wasn't the end of the world. We are already booked to return in a few months.
We had planned for years that we would “do” Disney. We do it big we’d do it once. We’d pay for the extras and our kids would remember the event that Disney was. The parks at Disney were amazing … the hotel unfortunately was not. The Polynesian is the equivalent of a Florida motel. The rooms were an acceptable size. We were placed in a room that was in front of a construction zone which we tolerated for a few days before the noise became so intruding that my son and I developed migraines and we required that they move us. But beyond just an unfortunate disruption of being placed in a bad room the hotel was “fine”. It wasn’t magical it wasn’t special it was fine. The food options were poor … for the entire hotel there is one place to get coffee and one poor cast member working there. The restaurant’s aren’t great my kids ate so many chicken nuggets we legit ordered dominos our last night because I just couldn’t take it anymore. Transportation to magic kingdom and Epcot was nice … the buses to the other two parks were fine but I feel like an Uber would have been just as convenient and well worth the money given what was paid for the motel. All in all I deff recommend bringing your tiny humans to Disney it’s a whole experience that our family loved … I’d deff suggest not staying at the “delux” hotels … they just aren’t worth the $$ for what you get.…
We are still here and it’s been the worst 24 hours I’ve ever had at a hotel. Many housekeeping issues. I can’t even get towels sent to my room. Every time you call down, you can’t speak with anyone on site. The service is terrible. We’ve stayed at the Grand Floridian in the past and it’s night and day the difference. Really disappointed.
This is another Disney resort worth visiting, even if one is not staying there. The grounds have a comfortable laid-back tropical ambiance, for strolling and/or relaxing. A pineapple/vanilla swirl at the Pineapple Lanai is a tasty little indulgence and (for Disney) reasonably priced. We were pleasantly surprised on our visit, to happenstance upon Goofy and Pluto, making an appearance for photo ops. All and all, if one enjoys Disney resort exploring, as we do, this is one of the more engaging options.
Sorry to post another bad review. Just got here. Reservation was totally misrepresented by Disney people. We were told we were getting 2/3 bedrooms to sleep 7. We thought we were getting 2 of them. We walked into 2 rooms each with Murphy Beds and a Seinfeld-esque bed in a cabinet Later that night we followed foul scent and found 2 full trash bins in cabinet-one of which was packed with dirty diapers! Housekeeping during rest of trip was poor to no existent We were also advised not to worry about not being able to book character meals because kids would not be able to hug/get close to characters in restaurants only in parks. Completely untrue. Virtually saw no characters in park I could go on and on. Suffice to say this is NOT the Disney we remember and we feel completely cheated and defrauded by process…
We absolutely loved our stay at Poly. I stayed with my 80 yr old dad and my two children age 20 and 27. We were in the Tonga building right next to the main building with the restaurants and monorail station. We enjoyed morning pastries and drinks as well as evening desserts in Tonga's upstairs Club Lounge. So convenient to have easy snack options without having to go far. On one occasion we went to the parks around 9am instead of our usual rope drop scenario and went to the larger Club Lounge in Hawaii. Breakfast that day was sausage, potatoes, ham and cheese fritattas, and more. They also had a selection of yogurts, fresh fruit, oatmeal, cereals, and pastries. The white chocolate macadamia muffins were magnificent. (I may have eaten more than one). We also had dinner in Hawaii on two occasions and it was delicious. There was shrimp and chicken wellington as well as several Polynesian items. I highly recommend this lounge. The staff was helpful and did everything to make our experience a good one. We adored the concierges in Tonga so much. They did so much to help us really get the most out of the experience. One night they even had chicken nuggets which made my picky eater very happy. Captain Cook's is also quick and easy to grab items for the kids. The vibe of this resort is just perfect It felt like a luxury version of the tv show Survivor. The Tiki torches and waterfalls with lush greenery were absolutely gorgeous. Honestly, I don't know if I will ever stay anywhere else in the future. There is water transportation to MK as well as Monorail. We also walked to the TTC to catch the direct monorail to Epcot which saves you about 20-30 minutes in transportation time. The bus to HS is efficient and the bus to AK is not bad either. Do not rely on the times that your MDE app tells you the bus will arrive. The bus came early each time I used it. I did not get to use the pools, but they looked amazing. It was a cold snap with Dec. highs of low 50's so we missed out on this. I can't wait to go in the fall or spring when the weather is more typical of Florida. As for restaurants, we did not get to experience the famous O'Hana. I tried for months to get a reservation and could not. I'm sure the Club Concierge could have helped with that, but we were just in the parks too much to have a spare time slot. It looked beautiful and I know the food was good because people talked about it constantly. Trader Sams is a night spot/bar that everyone raves about and is EXTREMELY hard to get into. I heard someone ask at 5pm and they were full for the rest of the evening. So I advise you to inquire early in the day. I can't say enough about this little slice of paradise. Spend the money and get a Disney vacation that feels like a tropical dream!…
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