Disney's POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT Information & Questions

[Fsudisney]

So some further thoughts from today!
We woke up and went to Captain Cooks for breakfast. We had to wait 20 minutes for our food after placing our order and it was not busy. I think the layout of the place is just all wrong. I had the breakfast burrito which was pretty good. My DH had the Tonga Toast which he loves at Kona Cafe but did not like this version as much since it does not come with the strawberry compote.
We hit MK for a few hours and headed back around noon , it was soooo hot! I sent DH back up to Cap'n Cooks for lunch and it took him 45minutes to get back with our food. He was so over it by then!!! He was so unhappy with the layout- people were all over and there was not really a good place to wait for your food etc.
it's too bad because I like the food offerings there but am not used to waiting so long at any quick service place at any resort, much less a deluxe.
We rested in the room for a while and then hit the pool. My kids, 4 and 7, LOVE the kids splash area. We also swam in the main pool and tried the slide. It is fast and dark! My 4 year old son loves it, my 7 year old daughter and I , not so much.
The pool was great, not crowded at all, but this was at 5:00 and after. Great time though- not too hot! Loved the zero entry area.
I did experience some of the hair issues I had read about here, even though I was hoping I wouldn't. Just a couple of strands at first then later a big clump got my leg. Eww. I am not too squeamish but I found it odd that so many people are saying the same thing with the hair in the pool! I have never encountered that issue in any other pool here, so that makes me think they just have some draining issues or something with the new pool. They do need to fix that.
I do miss the old pool and don't really like the openness of the new area and lack of lush greenery that there used to be.
I also don't like the way the pool fence looks. But I think if you don't know the old Poly you won't notice anything wrong. It's still a beautiful resort.
But I do miss the old Poly.
We are watching the movie on the beach now and getting ready for the Electric Water Pageant. DH is at Tambu lounge getting us some apps!! Woo hoo!

 

[tarak]

This is a Beach Club/Poly mash up. Sunken Treasures served in Trader Sam's mugs

I made a batch of Sunken Treasures tonight. Just waiting for the toddler to go to bed before I have some. I wish I'd had the chance to get a drink at Trader Sam's. I think the Mai Tai glass would be just the thing for drinking Sunken Treasures at home.

 

[mickeynut1]

One last note about our trip. Our first room had some mold in the bathroom. Yikes! We checked in so late, and by the time we noticed it, the kids were sleeping. So, our first day plans were interrupted because we had to pack up our things and store them with bell service so our room could be changed. The CM's were very nice, and didn't give us a problem when we requested a room change. It was just a pain in the butt having to alter our plans.

View attachment 121475 View attachment 121476

I'm sorry about the mold issues and switching rooms meant you had to alter your plans the next day, but glad they were able to move you .

1 more week for me I requested 3rd Fl Rarotonga. I like being close to the parking area and GHC. Im sure the construction wont bother me..my worry is the weather. Fingers crossed its not raining on the 15th, which is when we are going to MNSSHP.

I have to make it through this long weekend and a couple of days of work, then Im off to the Poly for 10 nights I also have to keep this secret 6 more nights DD doesnt know we are going

You don't have too much longer to wait! Hope you have a great trip .

We checked in yesterday around 5:00. We have never stayed here but I've been coming here to walk around and for meals since I was little. My random thoughts and observations so far :

-checkin went smoothly, except they had the wrong address and phone on file for me, which seems to happen a lot and I am constantly updating it when I do online check in.
-we got aeoteora first floor which was one of the buildings I requested. I initially wanted Samoa first floor facing the pool but after walking by last night, I think that may have been too loud. We are facing the monorail but my son likes it and the kids can actually run around off the patio which they could not do if we were on the north facing side, since those patios are blocked by foliage.
- The small beach over by Fiji is very nice and quiet and has a great view of the GF.
- I am liking the view from Fiji though and may request that in the future.
- Love the size of the room and style! Love the bathroom tiles.
- I noticed the room was a little dusty and some of the furniture a little banged up which is surprising for how pricey it is here. When we stayed at Beach Club I did not notice the wear and tear. But maybe the Poly was redone a while ago?? Not sure if also I am being more critical/ looking for things since reading these threads? Who knows if I would have noticed otherwise?
-Had my first Lapu Lapu last night! It was really sweet for the first couple of sips and then my next was like straight alcohol so I made sure to keep stirring it! I am a lightweight with liquor and never really know how it will hit me so I took it nice and slow and drank it throughout dinner. But I liked it!
-We had an ADR at Ohana for 6:55, waited about 7 minutes before we were seated. We hadn't eaten here for dinner in about 10 years. I thought it was better 10 years ago. I was trying to be positive but my husband who is very positive and rarely complains about anything but especially food agreed with all my thoughts:
Bread- good flavor but dry
Salad-ok, I liked it better than he did
Potstickers and wings - yummy!
Noodles-good but dry
Veggies- yuck
Chicken- mine was ok but very charred around edges,like very charred and DH hit some fatty pieces.
Shrimp- good!!!
Steak- neither one of us liked this mainly because of the flavor-a weird marinade or something.
Bread pudding- Delish!!!!

The meal was also pretty slow, it started out ok but after the shrimp it really slowed down and we waited forever for steak and then for the plates to be cleared and dessert. My DH also thought it was weird because our food runner basically like threw the plates at us and grunted when he brought them. I get that he may be in a hurry but it was like he really was throwing it at us. Weird!

We ended up just going back to the room after dinner because my 4 year old was a monster since he woke up before 6 am and had no nap!
We have some pool time later today so I'll check back later with any new thoughts! Hoping for a great weekend here!

Glad check in went smoothly and that your requests were met. Sorry Ohana wasn't the best. Hope everyone had a great time at the pool .

The rooms at the Poly were actually not done that long ago. I think it was spring/summer 2013. The wear and tear on the furniture is likely because of the popularity/busy nature of the resort (high volume of guests coming through) No excuse for dust though!

Hope you have a great rest of your stay!

I think you're right about the rooms being done in 2013 as I think the Poly was done in between the WL (2012) and GF (2014) .

I do miss the old pool and don't really like the openness of the new area and lack of lush greenery that there used to be.
I also don't like the way the pool fence looks. But I think if you don't know the old Poly you won't notice anything wrong. It's still a beautiful resort.
But I do miss the old Poly.
We are watching the movie on the beach now and getting ready for the Electric Water Pageant. DH is at Tambu lounge getting us some apps!! Woo hoo!

The bolded part is what I'm afraid will happen to us. We haven't been to the Poly since all of the renovations and the Poly is our favorite resort, but I'm afraid it won't have the same appeal as what we're used to. I am looking forward to seeing all of the new things and trying to keep an open mind, but it does worry me that it just won't have the same feel .

 

[5bound4wdw]

It also looked like a kindergartener caulked that toilet!

 

[5bound4wdw]

I am really torn between requesting Aotearoa or Rarotonga for our end of October trip. Online check in is available now that I'm passed 60 days out but I haven't done it yet b/c I don't want to request something and change my mind. I see a lot of pics of there being work done on the outside of the long houses. I know I have seen pics of Hawaii, Samoa, Figi, Tuvalu and I think Tonga having been worked on, so I think those are mostly completed. Which makes me concerned that Rarotonga and Aotearoa are still coming up. I think we will use the boat to MK a few times and Aotearoa looks closer to that but we will also be walking to the TTC at least 2 times to go to EP. I also don't want to risk requesting Rarotonga and get put on the side facing the east pool construction. Any thoughts? Also, can I just do online check in like a few days before or a week before once it's closer to the date so I can see what construction is going on at that time? Or is there any reason to do it this far out? I can't imagine they assign a room more than a few days out anyways. I am also using the touringplans room fax option which I think gets sent in 5 days before. Any opinions appreciated.

We were in both buildings in August; Aotearoa...with the mold...and then Rarotonga. I loved the location of Rarotonga over Aotearoa. I found it so convenient to everything I needed. The Great Ceremonial House was on one side, and the laundry was on the other! (Sad, I know). Also, the bus stop was at the end of Rarotonga. That was especially nice at the end of couple long days at HS and Blizzard Beach. After being in that August heat all day, the last thing any of us wanted to do was trek across the Poly grounds to get to our longhouse.

 

[kastoney]

Greetings from the Polynesian!

We checked in yesterday and I wanted to share the view from our room. Our only requests were for a balcony and to be away from construction, both of which were graciously answered as we are in the 3rd floor of Samoa with a pool view. The room is very large and beautifully decorated. You can hear the ferry boats and some noise from the pool, but so far nothing too obtrusive.

Our checkin went largely ok. We were greeted by a cast member at the bus by name and given leis and my daughter a flower for her hair. We had some credit card issues, but after a call to the bank realized they had the wrong expiration date. We never got a text our room was ready, so when I checked apparently the system was having issues with the mass quantities of magic bands Disney insists on sending us. She was able to get one working and later I had some very nice cast members help with the rest (my hubby had decorated a bunch for us). To boot a wonderful cast member felt bad I had to deal with all of this so he gave us 3 extra fast passes for anything we want to do today. We will be in MK and MGM so hello mine train and TSM! Will be sending Disney an email for all of his pixie dust.

 

[DISNEY1975]

Greetings from the Polynesian!

We checked in yesterday and I wanted to share the view from our room. Our only requests were for a balcony and to be away from construction, both of which were graciously answered as we are in the 3rd floor of Samoa with a pool view. The room is very large and beautifully decorated. You can hear the ferry boats and some noise from the pool, but so far nothing too obtrusive.

Our checkin went largely ok. We were greeted by a cast member at the bus by name and given leis and my daughter a flower for her hair. We had some credit card issues, but after a call to the bank realized they had the wrong expiration date. We never got a text our room was ready, so when I checked apparently the system was having issues with the mass quantities of magic bands Disney insists on sending us. She was able to get one working and later I had some very nice cast members help with the rest (my hubby had decorated a bunch for us). To boot a wonderful cast member felt bad I had to deal with all of this so he gave us 3 extra fast passes for anything we want to do today. We will be in MK and MGM so hello mine train and TSM! Will be sending Disney an email for all of his pixie dust.View attachment 121999

That is a gorgeous view!

 

[jhaig]

We are checking in on Tuesday for our first Poly stay. I'm so giddy I can't stand it!

We have also come to a family decision - neither construction, nor lack of a quiet pool, nor pool hoppers hogging chairs, nor anything else, will ruin our vacation. It's all pixie dust from here on out!

 

[mickeynut1]

Greetings from the Polynesian!

We checked in yesterday and I wanted to share the view from our room. Our only requests were for a balcony and to be away from construction, both of which were graciously answered as we are in the 3rd floor of Samoa with a pool view. The room is very large and beautifully decorated. You can hear the ferry boats and some noise from the pool, but so far nothing too obtrusive.

Our checkin went largely ok. We were greeted by a cast member at the bus by name and given leis and my daughter a flower for her hair. We had some credit card issues, but after a call to the bank realized they had the wrong expiration date. We never got a text our room was ready, so when I checked apparently the system was having issues with the mass quantities of magic bands Disney insists on sending us. She was able to get one working and later I had some very nice cast members help with the rest (my hubby had decorated a bunch for us). To boot a wonderful cast member felt bad I had to deal with all of this so he gave us 3 extra fast passes for anything we want to do today. We will be in MK and MGM so hello mine train and TSM! Will be sending Disney an email for all of his pixie dust.View attachment 121999

What a beautiful view! Glad check in went ok and the minor issues were resolved quickly. Hope you have a great time .

We are checking in on Tuesday for our first Poly stay. I'm so giddy I can't stand it!

We have also come to a family decision - neither construction, nor lack of a quiet pool, nor pool hoppers hogging chairs, nor anything else, will ruin our vacation. It's all pixie dust from here on out!

What a great attitude to have! I'm sure you'll love the Poly. Have a great time .

 

[jesster]

So some further thoughts from today!
We woke up and went to Captain Cooks for breakfast. We had to wait 20 minutes for our food after placing our order and it was not busy. I think the layout of the place is just all wrong. I had the breakfast burrito which was pretty good. My DH had the Tonga Toast which he loves at Kona Cafe but did not like this version as much since it does not come with the strawberry compote.
We hit MK for a few hours and headed back around noon , it was soooo hot! I sent DH back up to Cap'n Cooks for lunch and it took him 45minutes to get back with our food. He was so over it by then!!! He was so unhappy with the layout- people were all over and there was not really a good place to wait for your food etc.
it's too bad because I like the food offerings there but am not used to waiting so long at any quick service place at any resort, much less a deluxe.
We rested in the room for a while and then hit the pool. My kids, 4 and 7, LOVE the kids splash area. We also swam in the main pool and tried the slide. It is fast and dark! My 4 year old son loves it, my 7 year old daughter and I , not so much.
The pool was great, not crowded at all, but this was at 5:00 and after. Great time though- not too hot! Loved the zero entry area.
I did experience some of the hair issues I had read about here, even though I was hoping I wouldn't. Just a couple of strands at first then later a big clump got my leg. Eww. I am not too squeamish but I found it odd that so many people are saying the same thing with the hair in the pool! I have never encountered that issue in any other pool here, so that makes me think they just have some draining issues or something with the new pool. They do need to fix that.
I do miss the old pool and don't really like the openness of the new area and lack of lush greenery that there used to be.
I also don't like the way the pool fence looks. But I think if you don't know the old Poly you won't notice anything wrong. It's still a beautiful resort.
But I do miss the old Poly.
We are watching the movie on the beach now and getting ready for the Electric Water Pageant. DH is at Tambu lounge getting us some apps!! Woo hoo!

I completely agree with you about Capt. Cook's. I expected to love it, but it was very confusing! Too bad it was just re-imagined. It's design could definitely use another look.

And I'd forgotten about the hair in the pool! What is up with the hair?! It was like someone lost an extension and it's just been floating around in their shedding for months.

Even still, we had a great time at the Poly and would totally go back (twist my arm )

Enjoy the rest of your vacation!!

 

[han22735]

We are checking in on Tuesday for our first Poly stay. I'm so giddy I can't stand it!

We have also come to a family decision - neither construction, nor lack of a quiet pool, nor pool hoppers hogging chairs, nor anything else, will ruin our vacation. It's all pixie dust from here on out!

We are in the same boat as you and we are all sooooo excited for our first stay at the poly!!! Only 3 more days!!!

 

[PAdislover]

We were in both buildings in August; Aotearoa...with the mold...and then Rarotonga. I loved the location of Rarotonga over Aotearoa. I found it so convenient to everything I needed. The Great Ceremonial House was on one side, and the laundry was on the other! (Sad, I know). Also, the bus stop was at the end of Rarotonga. That was especially nice at the end of couple long days at HS and Blizzard Beach. After being in that August heat all day, the last thing any of us wanted to do was trek across the Poly grounds to get to our longhouse.

So you didn't have any issue with construction equipment going past the room with it being close to the east pool? I was afraid that being in rarotonga would put us too close to construction. But I really do like its central location. How was the walk to the boat dock? I think we will use the boat to MK most times.

 

[cinderkelly]

Greetings from the Polynesian!

We checked in yesterday and I wanted to share the view from our room. Our only requests were for a balcony and to be away from construction, both of which were graciously answered as we are in the 3rd floor of Samoa with a pool view. The room is very large and beautifully decorated. You can hear the ferry boats and some noise from the pool, but so far nothing too obtrusive.

Our checkin went largely ok. We were greeted by a cast member at the bus by name and given leis and my daughter a flower for her hair. We had some credit card issues, but after a call to the bank realized they had the wrong expiration date. We never got a text our room was ready, so when I checked apparently the system was having issues with the mass quantities of magic bands Disney insists on sending us. She was able to get one working and later I had some very nice cast members help with the rest (my hubby had decorated a bunch for us). To boot a wonderful cast member felt bad I had to deal with all of this so he gave us 3 extra fast passes for anything we want to do today. We will be in MK and MGM so hello mine train and TSM! Will be sending Disney an email for all of his pixie dust.View attachment 121999

Yea! What a great room you received!! ( cough cough. Still jealous)

Glad you had a great check in, enjoy your Disney day!

 

[5bound4wdw]

So you didn't have any issue with construction equipment going past the room with it being close to the east pool? I was afraid that being in rarotonga would put us too close to construction. But I really do like its central location. How was the walk to the boat dock? I think we will use the boat to MK most times.

We were on the monorail side of the building. The only time we ever saw construction was walking to and from the TTC. Oh, and on the two occasions I did laundry. Our room was on the third floor, so I would use the outside stairs and could see into the construction area as I climbed. We never heard or saw a thing, other than that. The walk to the boat dock was not as close, but still not a terrible distance. The electrical storms were so severe when we were there, it seemed the resort boats weren't running when we needed them! So, instead, we took the ferry to TTC and walked back from there. Hopefully you will have calmer weather!

Even though we were on the monorail side of the building facing the parking area, there was so much greenery growing, all we saw was vegetation, and a passing monorail

 

[danjoan14]

I loved the location of Rarotonga over Aotearoa. I found it so convenient to everything I needed. The Great Ceremonial House was on one side, and the laundry was on the other! (Sad, I know). Also, the bus stop was at the end of Rarotonga. That was especially nice at the end of couple long days at HS and Blizzard Beach. After being in that August heat all day, the last thing any of us wanted to do was trek across the Poly grounds to get to our longhouse.

I also agree. We were on the third floor of Rarotonga. Great view of the fireworks. The construction didn't bother us at all. Never really heard anything, and we really weren't in our room much at all. I thought the location was perfect. Very easy to get our mug refilled as well as get to the monorail station. When we return, I may even request the same location as well.

 

[jennab]

Just checked in today. My request was Nuie or Samoa ground floor but they didn't have that so had given us a 2nd floor room in Nuie. The guy checking us in was super nice and called about a ground floor room and got us one in Aerotora (sp?) facing monorail side. So far it's nice. We have a nice green area for DS to play and can watch the monorails! Didn't seem to far when we walked to the room. The pool was packed at 3pm when we go here so the resort must be pretty full right now.

 

[rcraw45425]

*snif* in three weeks the girls and I will be back home from our whirlwind Halloween Party/Food & Wine trip. I'm sad jus thinking about it!! :'(

 

[DISNEY1975]

*snif* in three weeks the girls and I will be back home from our whirlwind Halloween Party/Food & Wine trip. I'm sad jus thinking about it!! :'(

Im sad thinking 2 weeks from tomorrow, we will be headed back home........literally

 

[jerseygal]

KASTONEY, BEAUTIFUL view; thanks for posting! ENJOY your vaca! "HOPING" that whatever the "hair" problem is, drain issues or whatever at the Lava pool are resolved by October.. unfortunately, reading too many posts on this. YUK!

 

[jennab]

Any tips for keeping the AC on in the room? It seems to shut off at night while we are sleeping due to no movement then I wake up hot!!!