Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort {Agent Review}
By: Christie Causey
Recently my family and I traveled to Walt Disney World and had the pleasure of staying at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. This has always been a favorite of mine, but we haven’t had the opportunity to be guests at this resort yet!
This resort is one of the two ORIGINAL resorts built when Walt Disney World opened in 1971. The Polynesian consists of ‘’Longhouses’’ all centrally located around the main building, called, ‘’The Great Ceremonial House.’’ This two-story main building doesn’t feature any rooms but houses guest services, most of the resort’s dining, several gift shop locations, along with bell services and access to Disney’s iconic monorail. Yes, it’s located on the coveted ‘’Monorail Loop.’’
Since its opening back in 1971 this resort has been through three expansions, each one making the resort even more sought-after by guests wanting to spend their vacations here.
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Located on the Southern shore of the Seven Seas Lagoon and almost directly across from Magic Kingdom, I guess you could say this resort checks the LOCATION box. Guests who stay at The Polynesian can choose between using the Monorail, walking path or boat service to Magic Kingdom, which is just another reason guests love this resort, they always say LOCATION IS EVERYTHING, RIGHT!
The Monorail also provides service to Epcot, while guests can use the Disney bus service for transportation to Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.
The “Poly” as many Disney fans refer to it, has this certain something that everyone notices the moment you arrive. Some guests think it’s the smell, the music, the laidback feeling or just the overall Polynesian flair throughout the resort. For me, it’s all of that. The moment I arrived I understood why everyone loves this resort so much. The resort is beautiful, there is an abundance of beautiful tropical plants and water features that frame the entrance, and the tiki torches are just the perfect added extras. The smell is amazing, you immediately feel relaxed after entering the lobby. The Great Ceremonial House is one of my favorite spots. It can be a little busy during the day but early in the morning, I have found that sitting in one of those comfy oversized chairs with a good cup of coffee is such a great way to start your day.
The Poly consists of several different room types, and they also have a Disney Vacation Club section, which provides larger room types that are great for larger families or multiple families traveling together. Currently the room types to choose from are – Resort View, Water View, Theme Park View and Lagoon View. Each of these feature similar layouts, with two queen beds, and a single pull-down bed, one bathroom, a beverage cooler and coffee maker. Rooms on the ground level offer a walk out patio, second floor rooms feature large sliding doors with railing, but no true balcony and third floor rooms offer walk out balconies. The newer DVC buildings offer walk out balconies on both the second and third floors. The Theme Park View rooms have a king bed option. The Poly also has one- and two-bedroom suites, along with the King Kamehameha Presidential Suite, which is a two story, two-bedroom suite with a kitchen, great room and two and half bathrooms. The DVC side features deluxe studios with lake or standard view, and the Over the Water Bungalows. Currently there is construction going on for a new DVC building on the west side of the property that will offer new villas and amenities, I’m hopeful those will be one and two bedroom villas, giving guests more room options to choose from in the future.
The Polynesian Village Resort is considered a deluxe resort, so it will offer rooms and suites with CLUB LEVEL SERVICE as well. The club level rooms are in the Hawaii building, while the club level suites are in the Tonga building. The club level buildings are for the exclusive use of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort Club Concierge Guests via magic band or key card. The Hawaii building, which features most of the club level rooms, consists of three floors with guest rooms on all three floors, concierge services on the first floor, and the King Kamehameha Club Lounge on the second floor with a tv area and bathrooms on the third floor. The club level suites in the Tonga building also have access to the lounge in the Hawaii building.
My group opted for a theme park view club level room this trip, so we were able to experience all the amenities that club level has to offer. Booking a club level room gives you a quicker check-in process, access to a personal concierge that is available only to club level guests and use of the club level lounge. The club level lounge is probably my favorite part, because you have access to the complimentary food and drinks during the day from 7am to 10pm. The specific hours are listed below –
KAKAHIAKA
Continental Breakfast – 7am until 10;30am
AUINALA
Refreshments – 11am until 4pm
AHIAHI
Appetizers, Beverages, and Cheese Selection – 5pm until 7pm
AUMOE
Desserts and Cordials – 8pm until 10pm
We thoroughly enjoyed staying club level but all the rooms at the Poly are fantastic, the recent refurbishment using the Moana theme is fantastic and the color scheme is a designer’s dream.
The latest updates included a complete refurbishment of the bathroom, wallpaper, lighting, furniture, and flooring using Moana, Maui, and Hei Hei, as their inspiration. The color palette consists of several different shades of blue, beige, and brown and a hint of golden yellow and soft orange. It’s very aesthetically pleasing.
The DVC rooms only received a soft goods refurbishment but nevertheless they are just as beautiful.
The dining at the Polynesian is plentiful, with one quick service option, two reservation style restaurants, one walk up window to grab a famous dole whip, two lounge areas and two poolside bars, you have lots to choose from.
One of the most popular restaurants is Ohana, this family style restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Ohana is popular for its character dining during breakfast and lunch, guests who have reservations during these times will get a chance to meet Lilo, Stitch, Pluto, and Mickey Mouse. Dinner at Ohana is all-you-care-to-enjoy featuring Hawaiian flavored specialties, which even include the famous Ohana noodles. Reservations can be made 60 days prior to your arrival at this restaurant, but you can also try visiting the concierge or the host stand to see if they have any times available. Resorts will sometimes hold back some dining times for those guests staying at their resort in case they didn’t make a reservation prior to their arrival.
Kona Café is a casual restaurant featuring an open sushi kitchen and is the other restaurant that requires reservations. I would recommend trying both during your stay.
Captain Cook’s is the quick service and ‘’grab and go’’ option which has an assortment of menu options from mickey waffles for breakfast to sandwiches, salads and more for lunch and dinner.
We also loved visiting Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto, the tropical tiki bar that offers unique food and drinks and a lively atmosphere, where anything can happen. This fan favorite can’t accommodate many people so while it opens at 3pm, usually there is a line of guests waiting to get in or place their name on a waiting list around 2pm. Trader Sam’s is kid friendly until 8pm and then only available to guests 21 and up from then until 12am.
I highly recommend visiting Trader Sam’s and trying one of their amazing cocktails such as the Polynesian Pearl, Dark and Tropical Stormy or the HippopotoMAI-TAI. They also offer several fun nonalcoholic beverages as well. The atmosphere is so much fun, and you will enjoy the lively island magic.
Since the Poly is located on the Seven Seas Lagoon, they do have a nice beach area, that is safely roped off from the water, offering volleyball, porch swings and the perfect viewing spot for the fireworks at Magic Kingdom. This is a very popular spot for guests to spend their evening, but it is also open to non-guests, so I recommend arriving early to secure your spot.
There are two swimming pools onsite for guests to enjoy, the main pool, the Lava Pool and the quieter pool, the Oasis pool.
The Lava Pool is where we spent most of our time on our resort days. This pool offers lots of seating but limited chairs with umbrellas, so I would recommend arriving earlier to secure one if you need some shade. The Lava Pool is the family favorite, with its towering volcano, 142-foot-long waterslide and zero entry, this pool is so much fun for everyone. The Barefoot Pool Bar is also right beside the pool deck and provides snacks and refreshments and wait staff to assist in placing orders if you’d rather remain at your seat.
The Oasis Pool is more low-key and provides a quieter atmosphere for guests looking to relax. They also feature the Oasis Patios for more privacy. These cabana type areas provide cushioned lounge chairs, towels and can accommodate up to 6 guests. These are available to rent 60 days in advance by contacting your travel agent. The Oasis Bar and Grill has a great menu, featuring things like Polynesian themed burgers, sliders, fish tacos, cocktails, and a wide variety of other beverages and is conveniently located within the Oasis Pool area.
The Polynesian Village Resort offers something for everyone, from dining to daily poolside activities, and they even have nighttime entertainment, such as Movies Under the Stars, or watching the Electrical Water Pageant sail by on the lagoon. I can’t begin to explain how wonderful the Poly is, the only way to truly know is to experience it for yourself.
For more practically perfect tips, contact Christie at Christie.JollyHoliday@gmail.com
