Disney's POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT Information & Questions

[monorailsilver]

We’ve planned a resort day for the first time on our next visit - our first stay at the Poly. Now I’m thinking resort day on arrival day too. I just know I’ll miss out on so much at the Poly!!!

We do a pool day on arrival (and departure day). We were lucky this past trip because we got there between 11-12, our room was ready (BC) and we just went to the pool. I wish my achy feet were in that pool now.

I planned every other day as a park day and one day we went to the water park...but came back and watched HEA from the pool (we did a split).

 

[monorailsilver]

My turn to complain about the pool free loaders.

We spent 5 days at the BC (next time will only be 3 if any because I felt like I got short changed and missed the Poly). Pool was great there as everyone needed a magic band to get in!

Get to Poly, gate near captain cooks was broken so it wasn’t locking/latching and anyone could open it. Yesterday (Saturday) we were waiting to go back in the pool after the “rain delay” and my dh heard a kid telling his dad “we might as well just go back and swim at our resort”. Believe me when the pool reopened, I was looking for the dad with the white baseball cap and black brim to report him.

And we were sitting at hr table nearest the captain cooks gate. My dh said he watched countless people try to open the gate with no such luck and then when they saw someone coming they quickly went back to the gate to be let in. Thankfully the pool was not super crowded the time we were there except Tuesday evening before the fireworks.

 

[Summer2018]

My turn to complain about the pool free loaders.

We spent 5 days at the BC (next time will only be 3 if any because I felt like I got short changed and missed the Poly). Pool was great there as everyone needed a magic band to get in!

Get to Poly, gate near captain cooks was broken so it wasn’t locking/latching and anyone could open it. Yesterday (Saturday) we were waiting to go back in the pool after the “rain delay” and my dh heard a kid telling his dad “we might as well just go back and swim at our resort”. Believe me when the pool reopened, I was looking for the dad with the white baseball cap and black brim to report him.

And we were sitting at hr table nearest the captain cooks gate. My dh said he watched countless people try to open the gate with no such luck and then when they saw someone coming they quickly went back to the gate to be let in. Thankfully the pool was not super crowded the time we were there except Tuesday evening before the fireworks.

The Lava pool was so crowded when we were there. I didn't go in at all. I can't stand swimming in a sea of humanity. DD went in once just long enough to go down the slide one time, but didn't go down a second time because there were just too many people.

We lived at the Oasis pool which became rowdy at times with ball tossing. At one point there was a grown man tossing a football to two teenagers. Instead of picking one area and avoiding others trying to swim, they took over the entire pool throwing the football from one end to another, then a different side, then the opposite side criss-crossing the pool, bumping into others and splashing everyone in order to catch the football at all costs. Fortunately that nimrod was only there one day, and on the other days, the people throwing balls did attempt to pick one side of the pool. It would have been nice if they did all of that at the Lava pool instead of making the Oasis pool "sports center."

 

[monorailsilver]

The Lava pool was so crowded when we were there. I didn't go in at all. I can't stand swimming in a sea of humanity. DD went in once just long enough to go down the slide one time, but didn't go down a second time because there were just too many people.

We lived at the Oasis pool which became rowdy at times with ball tossing. At one point there was a grown man tossing a football to two teenagers. Instead of picking one area and avoiding others trying to swim, they took over the entire pool throwing the football from one end to another, then a different side, then the opposite side criss-crossing the pool, bumping into others and splashing everyone in order to catch the football at all costs. Fortunately that nimrod was only there one day, and on the other days, the people throwing balls did attempt to pick one side of the pool. It would have been nice if they did all of that at the Lava pool instead of making the Oasis pool "sports center."

Me either! I like some space to swim so I made sure on my pool days I was in the pool at opening so I got some, well a lot of space!

I saw many people throwing balls in both pools, ore so the oasis one. I figured I was just going to swim thru them and make them wait because they don’t own the space.

Incidental at the BC , there were some boys who were throwing one of the harder pool balls (like a kick ball) under one of the bridges to the point it made a loud sound when it hit the wall. Again I swam thru them and made them wait as they were tossing it across the entire length.

 

[gillep]

We booked our first ever stay at The Poly for April next year!!!!! We are so excited, we are planning mostly resort days so that we can really enjoy our time there. How difficult is it to book a poolside cabana?

 

[GADisneyDad14]

We booked our first ever stay at The Poly for April next year!!!!! We are so excited, we are planning mostly resort days so that we can really enjoy our time there. How difficult is it to book a poolside cabana?

Obviously can vary by time of year and such, but I wouldn't wait if you know your pool day/days.

I tried to book around 2 months out for 7/4 week (admittedly a busier time) and all time slots were booked every day for 7 days.

The cancellation policy is pretty generous if you need to book then make any tweaks later.

 

[gillep]

Obviously can vary by time of year and such, but I wouldn't wait if you know your pool day/days.

I tried to book around 2 months out for 7/4 week (admittedly a busier time) and all time slots were booked every day for 7 days.

The cancellation policy is pretty generous if you need to book then make any tweaks later.

Thanks, I tried to call the other day but they said that you could only book 180 days in advance, so that was my plan, but I wasn't sure if this was something I needed to do the minute it opened, which is likely 4 or 5 am in California, or if I could wake up at a normal time.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Thanks, I tried to call the other day but they said that you could only book 180 days in advance, so that was my plan, but I wasn't sure if this was something I needed to do the minute it opened, which is likely 4 or 5 am in California, or if I could wake up at a normal time.

Nah, at 180 days you're good (in my opinion) and you have plenty of time, no need to wake up at the crack of dawn. Just don't put it off weeks/months like I did.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

Is there a lifeguard at the Oasis pool? I'm surprised they allow folks to throw balls in there, why not go do that on the beach?

 

[lambdabeta]

Me either! I like some space to swim so I made sure on my pool days I was in the pool at opening so I got some, well a lot of space!

I saw many people throwing balls in both pools, ore so the oasis one. I figured I was just going to swim thru them and make them wait because they don’t own the space.

Incidental at the BC , there were some boys who were throwing one of the harder pool balls (like a kick ball) under one of the bridges to the point it made a loud sound when it hit the wall. Again I swam thru them and made them wait as they were tossing it across the entire length.

Good for you! This kind of behavior reminds me of pools on cruise ships where people don't watch their children and there are chair hogs. The cruise staff very rarely do anything about it. The pool is for everyone to enjoy but unfortunately there are too many selfish people in this world IMO.

 

[Summer2018]

Thanks, I tried to call the other day but they said that you could only book 180 days in advance, so that was my plan, but I wasn't sure if this was something I needed to do the minute it opened, which is likely 4 or 5 am in California, or if I could wake up at a normal time.

I booked my cabana, one full day, and one half day, for the end of July about 4 months prior on a random day at a random time. Both times I got the middle taller cabana. The family next to me had booked the day before because they had trouble finding lounge chairs around the pool. The other cabana was booked, but nobody showed up for the entire day.

 

[gillep]

I booked my cabana, one full day, and one half day, for the end of July about 4 months prior on a random day at a random time. Both times I got the middle taller cabana. The family next to me had booked the day before because they had trouble finding lounge chairs around the pool. The other cabana was booked, but nobody showed up for the entire day.

Thank you! Do you have a cabana recommendation or some pros/cons? I think we will be happy anywhere, but personal experiences are always best to go by.

 

[Summer2018]

Is there a lifeguard at the Oasis pool? I'm surprised they allow folks to throw balls in there, why not go do that on the beach?

No lifeguards in sight until storms begin to approach.

We had the same problem three years ago at Contemporary's quiet pool. Families were tossing the life jackets and hitting other swimmers by mistake. There were people eating burgers in the pool dropping pieces of it without any regard to anyone else.

I really wish they would keep the shenanigans on the beach, grassy area, or Lava pool.

 

[Summer2018]

Thank you! Do you have a cabana recommendation or some pros/cons? I think we will be happy anywhere, but personal experiences are always best to go by.

I loved my full cabana day. The fam went to AK that day, and I took the day off. I swam, drank a mai tai, read my book, and had lunch there. They returned all hot, sweaty, and exhausted by lunchtime to collapse in the comfortable chairs and swim until it was time to get ready for dinner.

We got gipped on our half-day. We rented it for check-out day to extend our stay a little. We only enjoyed it for about 90 minutes, and then the storms came. Suddenly the skies cleared, but because there was still lightning in the area, we were done for the day. It was hot, sunny, and if I were home, I wouldn't have hesitated to go back in the pool. But, the lifeguards wouldn't allow it. I understand taking precautions, but it didn't storm again for another hour. We could have gotten in a little more time, but instead, we all crowded together by the pool bar. We had lunch, but it was really sad to look at the pool and my cabana across the way knowing that vacation was over and I wasn't getting one last swim.

When you rent the cabana, that's the risk you take. I got lucky that I had one good day.

 

[Rosanne]

So here's a question... a few posts back I read that it is okay to walk around the resort with an adult beverage sold by Disney. At home I often mix a coconut malibu rum (1 oz. bottle) with some pineapple juice for an evening nightcap. If I buy a Dole Whip Float at the Poly can I add my own tiny bottle of rum after I walk away from the counter or would I have to go back to my room to do that?

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I booked my cabana, one full day, and one half day, for the end of July about 4 months prior on a random day at a random time. Both times I got the middle taller cabana. The family next to me had booked the day before because they had trouble finding lounge chairs around the pool. The other cabana was booked, but nobody showed up for the entire day.

I rented a cabana there for a half day coming up in a couple of weeks, did you request the middle one when you booked it or they assigned it to you? I have it booked for a weekday, I'm debating if I should try to switch to the Saturday instead thinking maybe it's busier by the pools.

 

[monorailsilver]

Good for you! This kind of behavior reminds me of pools on cruise ships where people don't watch their children and there are chair hogs. The cruise staff very rarely do anything about it. The pool is for everyone to enjoy but unfortunately there are too many selfish people in this world IMO.

And let me add the parents not watching their kids swimming! We probably saw the guards rescue about 3-4 kids at the lava pool when they came down the slide because they couldn’t swim. Parents put life jackets on them! One little girl went down, I think it was Thursday, and the guard at the end of the slide had to jump in and get her. Her dad reprimanded her and told her she was not to swim with out an adult. Um...your the adult, why were your eyes not on your kids? I think of me going to the beach with my kids and they just want to run in the water (when they were younger) and I made them wait while I set up the umbrella and chairs, etc...

No lifeguards in sight until storms begin to approach.

We had the same problem three years ago at Contemporary's quiet pool. Families were tossing the life jackets and hitting other swimmers by mistake. There were people eating burgers in the pool dropping pieces of it without any regard to anyone else.

I really wish they would keep the shenanigans on the beach, grassy area, or Lava pool.

There was a dad and son tossing a small hackysack size ball in the lava pool. Um.. there was no room for that there! So yep I swam thru them!

And the oasis pool-the amount of drinks that were in the pool won’t people or on the edge, really?? I know at the BC the guard would come by and tell you to move the drink/don’t drink in the water.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

So here's a question... a few posts back I read that it is okay to walk around the resort with an adult beverage sold by Disney. At home I often mix a coconut malibu rum (1 oz. bottle) with some pineapple juice for an evening nightcap. If I buy a Dole Whip Float at the Poly can I add my own tiny bottle of rum after I walk away from the counter or would I have to go back to my room to do that?

I think that should be fine, folks bring their own beer and wine.

 

[Summer2018]

I rented a cabana there for a half day coming up in a couple of weeks, did you request the middle one when you booked it or they assigned it to you? I have it booked for a weekday, I'm debating if I should try to switch to the Saturday instead thinking maybe it's busier by the pools.

I didn’t request it. I think that I got it because I was the first person to reserve a cabana on those days.

 

[Summer2018]

So here's a question... a few posts back I read that it is okay to walk around the resort with an adult beverage sold by Disney. At home I often mix a coconut malibu rum (1 oz. bottle) with some pineapple juice for an evening nightcap. If I buy a Dole Whip Float at the Poly can I add my own tiny bottle of rum after I walk away from the counter or would I have to go back to my room to do that?

Just order a frosted pineapple. It’s a dole whip with rum. I loved it, and it got me tipsy pretty quickly.