OneLtlSpark
Registered: March 2007
Location: Chicago
Posts: 43
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Review Date: Thu November 17, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Location, beach, atmosphere
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Cons:
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We spent our honeymoon at the Poly the second week of November, and this remains our very favorite Disney resort. Upon arrival, we were greeted and personally walked to the front desk to check in. Everyone was as friendly as they could possibly be, and to our surprise, my husband and I were presented with stunning, handmade real floral leis to celebrate our honeymoon.
Our room was ready upon check in at 10am, and was located on the third floor of Tuvalu. The view of the Magic Kingdom was spectacular! There is nothing better than spending a lovely morning drinking coffee and absorbing that view.
Although that particular longhouse is a bit of a walk to the Transportation and Ticket Center, it is very close to the Floridian, as well as a beach that people seem to forget is there. We took full advantage of that! One night we brought a bottle of wine we had purchased in France at Epcot down with us, got comfortable on a swing, and enjoyed wine and the Magic Kingdom fireworks in complete solitude. It was perfectly magical.
The staff at the Poly seems to be the most helpful and happy of any we've encountered throughout all the resorts. They all went out of their way to be helpful and wish us a happy honeymoon. Tim, a bartender at the beach bar, was especially friendly, greeted us each time he saw us and always remembered our favorite cocktails. We struck up a lovely friendship with him, and actually look forward to seeing him again when we return next year.
Rooms at the Poly are the standard Disney setup, and although the bathroom is a bit darker than I'd like, in all our trips we have never encountered any problems with cleanliness our mousekeeping.
Love, love, love the Poly!
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cabarnes
Registered: May 2006
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 36
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Review Date: Mon November 14, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Atmosphere, Location
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Cons:
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None
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Just returned today from a stay at the Polynesian. We love this resort and have stayed here many times. I am happy to say that the cleanliness issue of the hallways last year, was not an issue this year. They cleaned them up. We also stayed in the Rapa Nui building, like the previous poster (we always request this location so we are close to the TTC). Noise can be a problem at this resort and I really think it's due to kids just being kids and running and talking in the hallways. We started requesting a fan in our room and they supply us with a box fan. Not only does it kill the noise, but it also keeps the air circulating and the room cooler. Very happy with our stay this time and I would highly recommend it to anyone. Not quite a 10 - that's perfection and it isn't quite perfect.
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tinkmama60
Registered: June 2010
Posts: 7
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Review Date: Thu November 10, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Staff, resort grounds, room
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Cons:
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none
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We just returned from a 4 day trip and everything was wonderful! The staff is super friendly, always offering an "Aloha" whenever they saw us. The grounds are meticulously kept and just breathtaking. We had a beautiful view of the MK castle and watched fireworks from our balcony. They pipe in the sounds from the firework show and it was just so magical. Highly recommend this resort and can't wait to return.
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abbellire
Registered: November 2011
Posts: 13
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Review Date: Mon November 7, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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beautiful grounds/ambience, great location, friendly and fun
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Cons:
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noise, noise, noise... and we had an untidy room
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Let me preface my review by stating that I am a VERY light sleeper, and I understand that the Polynesian staff have absolutely nothing to do with rude guests and their noisy, bratty children running loose and slamming doors at midnight (or later). Let me also say I am not factoring in expense (which is obviously a negative at the Poly), because everything at Walt Disney World is expensive; we managed to be able to stay at the Poly with our budget (we saved up for a long time, got free dining, and super cheap airfare).
Cons:
1. The Noise - I had the worst 6 nights of sleep ever at this hotel, despite having both a white noise app on my iPhone going, a Marpac sleep machine on high, and the A/C running. The doors at the Poly are heavy and metal, and there are long hallways through which noise travels. It is an old building. The toilets are loud. Every single noise is amplified here. I know this has been commented on previously, so I came prepared, and I was still disappointed with the noise levels. We stayed in Rapa Nui, on the third floor, furthest from the elevator (but not a corner room as those were all booked). I don't know if a corner room would have made that much of a difference. My husband and 4 year old son had no problems sleeping, however.
2. Untidy Room - Yes, the rooms are dark (fits the theme well), but I am talking about dirt here. There was dust on the floor and cobwebs on the ceiling (running from the air vents to the corners of the room). The shower curtain liner was covered in what appeared to be mildew at the top and corners. There were coffee stains on the counter. I notified housekeeping about these issues on our first morning here and none of the issues were taken care of on subsequent mousekeeping visits. I am especially disappointed because all the staff we met were otherwise charming, upbeat, and incredibly helpful. We also had cute towel animals almost every day, but I wish we also had some additional dusting along with the towel animals...
Pros:
1. Beautiful Grounds/Ambiance - The Poly is absolutely one of the prettiest hotels/resorts I've ever been in. The pools are clean, the lawns manicured, the flowers are gorgeous. Everything on the outside looks immaculate (which amplifies my frustration over the dirty room). The stone paths are well-lit at night with both lights and tiki torches. There is soft tropical music playing by the volcano pool and the Great Ceremonial House. The beaches are clean, with raked white sands. You truly do feel as though you might be on a tropical island instead of Walt Disney World.
2. Location - The Poly is on the monorail, close to the Ticket & Transportation Center, and also has boat service to the Magic Kingdom. Since we spent 3 days at the Magic Kingdom (and only 1 at each of the other parks), the Poly gets high-marks for ease of getting around.
3. Friendly and Fun - Just about everyone I encountered at the Poly was smiling, saying "Aloha," giving us advice, etc. There are two pools, as I mentioned. One of them has a water slide (husband liked) and a shallow end, which was nice for our 4 year old who can't quite swim yet. There are three separate beach areas with plenty of seating, so you can find one to suit your needs. We spent one morning just playing in the sand and swimming, and listening to the music from the Magic Kingdom. They have movies and s'mores around a campfire at night. We would have liked to spend more time just hanging out at the resort.
Overall, I would recommend staying at the Poly if you can overlook the noise and are a good sleeper. As for the untidy rooms.... well, I said my piece and let the Poly know I was disappointed in that aspect. Hopefully this was an isolated incident with our room because I find it hard to believe that the helpful staff at the Poly would just ignore requests.
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CanadianGrumpy
Registered: October 2011
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Sat October 29, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Location, Theming, Staff
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Cons:
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Crowded restaurants, bus service to some parks
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Stayed at Polynesian for the first time on an Oct 24 - 29 visit and may never go to another DW resort again. I've stayed at Coronado Springs, Port Orleans and Animal Kingdom Lodge before, but even AK Lodge pales in comparison to Polynesian. The staff here really are extra friendly and helpful, even by Disney standards, and the lush tropical grounds, gardens and beaches are spectacular. The convenience of the monorail and the boat to MK cannot be beat and the ability to watch the fireworks from the relative comfort of the beach is a great plus.
The little extras make this resort great, like the nightly movies on the beach or the torch lighting ceremony in front of the main lobby or the luau shows "Spirit of Aloha"
The only real downside is that the two restaurants, Kona Cafe and 'Ohana are so popular it's almost impossible to get in without a reservation months in advance.
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Briggs0214
Registered: November 2008
Location: massachusetts
Posts: 5
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Review Date: Wed October 26, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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location, friendly staff, large rooms, pools
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Cons:
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none
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Stayed here from 10/12 - 10/18. We had two connecting rooms on the second floor of Tokelau. Great location located just outside the quiet pool and steps to the beach to watch the fireworks or water pageant.Requested an early check in and the rooms were ready when we arrived at 1 PM. Love the fact that for such a big resort it never feels crowded. A quick walk to the monorail can't be beat nor can the boat ride direct to the Magic Kingdom. Our favorite resort and using the passholder discount brought the cost down significantly. Well worth the extra money for the great accommodations.
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kangaand2roos
Registered: December 2008
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Thu October 20, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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best theme, location and restaurant
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Cons:
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None
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We stayed here 9/24-10/2 for the second time. We stayed on the third floor of Tokelau. Perefct location. The flexibility of taking a bus to the Polynesian or TTC meant we never had to stand on a bus trip. Easy monorail ride to Epcot or MK. Restaurants are the best. Kona is my absolute favorite and we tried 'Ohana for the first time this trip and were very pleased. The availabilty of Dole Whip in Capt. Cook's is a plus too. (I think I had about 6 this trip). The staff is always friendly and mosuekeeping did a great job and left us daily towel animals. Rumor is they are about to have a major rehab and if they do I just hope they keep the beauty and classic Disney feel of this wonderful resort. The Polynesian is definately our Disney "home".
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angela923
Registered: October 2011
Location: United States
Posts: 18
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Review Date: Mon October 3, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Best place to be
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Cons:
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I can't afford to live there
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OK, I have to admit the following review is bias. I have been in love with the Polynesian since 1983. Went there from 9/23-9/29 with a party of 10, 6 adults, 2 children, 2 infants, had 3 rooms in Tokelau long house, wanted Tuvalu but it was not to be. Turns out Tokelau was a better fit, close to ticket and transportation, and about the same distance to Ceremonial house.
Rooms large and clean and not dark at all unless you pull the curtains closed (great for naps for the grandsons) Private patio, ducks visit you on the patio each morning.
Kona Cafe is great for breakfast, 'Ohana dinner is also great. 'Ohana Character breakfast fun for the little ones, nice to have 3 good places to eat right in you hotel. Captain Cooks and Dole whips Pineapple ok, vanilla is real good.
Monorail on 2nd floor is great. Eat breakfast at the Kona Cafe and walk 100 feet and you are on your way. Staff friendly and always have a Aloha for you. On second floor of great ceremonial house, you have a place where you can see the pictures you have taken with Photo Pass each day. At night you can see the Light show on the Seven Seas Lagoon and the Fireworks over the Castle from the beach.
The Polynesian is a deluxe hotel in every sense of the word. Also has Laundry area so you don't have to bring so many clothes. Pool is great for the kids, able to walk in instead of walking down steps. Also has a quiet pool for adults and older children. Can be used by all.
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ChristaMac
Registered: August 2011
Location: New England
Posts: 7
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Review Date: Tue August 23, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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Large rooms, Beautiful Grounds, Pools, Staff
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Cons:
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Price, monrail service
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We have just returned from a trip to Disney that included a lengthy stay at the Poly. This was our second trip to Disney as a family and both times we have chosen the Poly because of it's family-friendly theme and the monorail service. First off, the rooms are wonderfully large. The bathrooms aren't fantastic, but the counter space is adequate. The Poly has beautiful grounds and there is nothing quite like sitting on the beach or in the pool and watching the MK fireworks. It's truly a remarkable location. The Neverland club is fantastic. Our kids had a great time. I have to say though that if cost is a factor in your vacation planning you may not be happy with this resort. Even when you get a discounted rate, it's still super expensive for what it offers. In most other markets you could have a pretty kickin' suite for the one room you get here. It's Disney though and so we've always been happy to shell out the cash to be immersed in the magic. This trip I think we finally decided that we can have just as much magic at a moderate resort. Now that they have cut back the monorail service to just regular park hours, that's one less reason to stay here.
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mikat
Registered: July 2009
Location: ontario
Posts: 32
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Review Date: Fri August 5, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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views/ theming, cast members, location,dining
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Cons:
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cut backs on monorail without notice
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Stayed July 17-23, myself DH &DD's 10& 16. We had such an incredible time last year that we couldn't resist another stay. Room ready by 1:30- beautiful "standard" view in Fiji 3rd floor(marina overlooking pool, lake etc- fun to watch boats, monorail etc- beautiful and relaxing). Room wasn't quite as new looking(maybe more because we'd moved from what seemed like a brand new refurbished room at boardwalk?) but it was still nice and very clean- Mousekeeper was great,plenty toiletries, made towel animals, designs with leis& arranged DD's dolls. Bathroom- new shower head height is much better.
Resort activity list seemed cut back, but movies on the beach added- fun!, still had pool games, hula in lobby etc. and again, FANTASTIC CM's- esp Brian and Auntie Kaui in the lobby who really go beyond their job. Pool is awesome- underwater hula music and a fun slide that isn't too intense (comp to boardwalk), beach sooo peaceful. Busy pool, but still found chairs & room to swim every time.Love the resort music and theming.
Food- pleanty of choice-LOVE kona cafe/ sushi bar- even got last min seating 2x. Ohana's during wishes is GREAT. Capt'n cooks good again, mug fill up very convenient comp to BWI, and mmm...dole whip:)
Only complaint was that they announced that monorail service wouldn't be avail. from EPCOT for late night EMH right before we arrived, but stated it would be running for early EMH (& we double checked before we left for early EMH), but it was NOT running and clearly wasn't intended to after talk with station CM's. Monorail was also broken down a couple other times during trip. I understand they must do maint. work and the system clearly needs it, but when WDW states that your paying a premium to be at a "monorail resort" the service should be available in the way its promised- in the least just tell guests the truth about what they can expect- we had a car we'd have driven if we'd known those mornings. Ultimately, I see this as a bigger Disney co. problem more than the resort itself. By no means did this ruin our stay, it was just an unneccessary hassle in an otherwise wonderful vacation- I prefer my "Disney bubble"
to remain un-popped at all times 
We genuinely loved our stay and love everything about the Poly itself.
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Laxmom3kids
Registered: August 2010
Location: Maryland
Posts: 10
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Review Date: Tue August 2, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 3
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Pros:
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Beautiful gardens, great location, large rooms
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Cons:
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Mousekeeping, condition of rooms
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We stayed at the Polynesian for the third and probably final time from August 24-August 30. We were upgraded to a beautiful, surprisingly quiet first floor Magic Kingdom view in the Tahiti building. Unfortunately that is where the "magic" ended. The room was extremely dusty, had a mysterious sticky goo on the inside of the entry door and toothpaste on the ceiling of the bathroom, as well as other issues. We immediately reported it to the front desk and went to dinner. The room was dusted when we returned. It took another trip to the front desk and a note left for housekeeping for the other issues to be addressed. By the time we left most of the issues had been addressed, but not all. The room looked like it needed some updating. The grounds were well kept and the halls/lobby area clean. Would hesitate to recommend this resort based on the room condition, although the location, room size, and gardens are wonderful. Just not sure the cost is worth it any longer. We loved the Poly, but now are not sure.
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wowgirl111
Registered: July 2011
Location: CT
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Sun July 3, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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nice setting, clean, wonderful cast members.....
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Cons:
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price, room far away from lobby
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This was my first time staying at the Polynesian and it was a wonderful resort. The cast members were so nice and I loved the leis they gave you! When my family first got there, we all thought it was great. We got our room quickly and the room was ready. We couldn't find the room, we stayed at the Tahiti. It was soo far away it took us at least 5 minutes to get to the lobby. We were all disappointed about this..but we found a shortcut to the transportation and ticket center so it all worked out. The rest of our stay was great and probably won't be staying here again...but its a nice hotel so I would recommend it. This was a great vacation and this is one of my favorite hotels!
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City of Lukington
Registered: June 2011
Location: Chelsea, London
Posts: 25
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Review Date: Sun June 12, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Great atmosphere, convenient AND scenic location
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Cons:
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None (bit pricey)
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My personal favourite of all Disney resort, The Polynesian Resort (or Polynesian Village as many old-timers will recall) is a South Seas-style resort on the Seven Seas Lagoon. Its main hub is the Great Ceremonial House, where guests can enjoy shopping and dining with an authentic South Seas Flavour. Scattered around white beaches and amid acres of beautiful plant life - be aware, tiki statues may pop up too!) are longhouses named after Pacific islands - such as Hawaii, Tokelau, Nive, Tahiti, etc. These longhouses each contain up to 300 rooms, each offering stunning views either of the grounds or the lagoon, where Cinderella Castle and The Magic Kingdom can be seen across the lake. The resort rooms were recently refurbished and now can house up to 5, with new plasma televisions also fitted. Rooms overlooking the lagoon offer views of Wishes! and the Electric Light Floats parade, but will be more expensive. The Polynesian Resort has speed-boat rentals, a swimming pool built around an incredible miniature volcano (don't worry; all that's in its centre is a delightful water slide), white-sand beaches complete with hammocks, is one of 3 resorts served by the monorails, and is a 5-minute walk to the Transportation & Ticket Centre, right next door, which means fast transport to Magic Kingdom and Epcot as well as any other destination within WDW. The Polynesian Resort's Concierge Lounge services are among the best in Walt Disney World. A must from me, Aloha!
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EleanorofAquitaine
Registered: June 2007
Location: Georgia
Posts: 19
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Review Date: Thu June 2, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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atmosphere, convenience, big rooms
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Cons:
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price
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My faith in the Poly has been restored. After a disastrous stay in the concierge level in December, we were hesitant to stay here again. But this time, everything was wonderful. We got a good passholder rate and chose to save by getting a garden view. We arrived around 1 pm and our room was ready. We got a third floor room in Fiji, which meant we had a balcony overlooking the quiet beach. Some might not like it because you could hear the drums from the show every night, but it just seemed to go with the setting for us. It was great to walk down to the beach to watch the water show and fireworks in a secluded spot-- and if you turn your head, you can watch the fire dancer in the luau show, too!
We were there for our anniversary, and on our last day, a cast member gave my husband a REAL lei, made of yellow and maroon carnations, to give to me. SO much nicer than the paper leis they give out and such a lovely gesture. That same night, we had room service-- our first time-- and really enjoyed that. The service was prompt and polite; they sent along little salt and pepper shakers, cloth napkins, and small bottles of various condiments. There's a table you can pull out from the desk by the television that was just the right size for a romantic dinner for two. I have always loved the daybed in the Poly rooms. Housekeeping was wonderful-- we got towel animals one day and a mickey on the bed made out of our leis another day. This trip ALMOST made me forget what a mess that December trip was. Thank you, Polynesian.
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jll12
Registered: June 2011
Location: Masachusetts
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Wed June 1, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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monorail access, size of rooms
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Cons:
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cost
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Stayed for 3 nights at Poly May 16-19. Have always wanted to stay at monorail resort. Given rooms in Tahiti building, lagoon view with partial theme park views. Rooms are huge! As others have commented rooms are dark, but it didnt bother us. Tahiti building very close to Ticket and Transportation Center-perfect for geting to parks quickly. Mousekeeping was great and did give us towel animals. One of our rooms had problems with fridge not working well- they are located in a enclosed cabinet that doesn't allow for air flow, problem fixed if you kept the cabinet open. Didn't have time to use the pools.
Really loved the proximity to everything. Only downside is cost-but to be expected at Disney
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