What can you tell me about the Poly?

[jiggerj]

We will be there for 4 nights on our upcoming trip. This will be my first time there. I have heard its beautiful but what is it about the Poly that makes it so special? Is there a certain building that you prefer over another? Tell me everything!!! :) TIA

[jaysue]

Did you get a Garden or Lagoon view room?

thanks
jaysue

[jiggerj]

Did you get a Garden or Lagoon view room?

thanks
jaysue

We have a garden view room....

[Colorado Belle]

Well, Laura, the sweet/sad story is that I was engaged there, many years ago. My X says it was the Mai Tais, but I personally think it was the soft Polynesian music that emanates from the rocks along the tiki torch pathways, the water pageant, the luau, and of course , the view of the castle from our room. Our room was Lagoon front...and they changed the name of the building (it is now Hawaii...a concierge room).

The rooms were never a part of what made it special for me...tho they are quite large by today's standards. Enough that with 2 Queens you can still have a large day bed and room enough. It was the view of the castle and then being able to walk out to the 7 Seas Lagoon and swim (yep, back in the good ole you could swim in the lagoon), sun on the white sand beach, waste the day in a hammock or follow the mama duck out onto the 'point'.

Inside the main building of course, is a lovely waterfall. There used to be parrots and macaws...not sure anymore. The whole place just felt filled with aloha...and coming from an island girl (lived 6 years in Maui) that is saying a lot!

Old memories die hard, and I can't quite go back there to stay yet IYKWIM.
But I think you will like it! Sit out on the beach and watch the water pageant with the castle in the background for me, ok???? And if I figure out a way to sneak in an early Dec trip...I might join you!

[cobbler]

I can't tell you anything about it except that I soooooooooooo badly want to stay there but am not slated to do so until 2009. It's going to be a looong 4 years :faint:

[crisi]

I stayed there also many years ago. We always make it a point to go back for a meal - usually the Ohana character breakfast. Mine was my honeymoon with my ex.

The rooms are huge, the landscaping incredible. The three best themed resorts on property, IMNSHO, are WL, AKL and the Poly - and the Poly has the benefit of tradition and the monorail.

My biggest complaint is that there is no really good restaurant on site. All other Deluxe resorts have a signature place, the best the Poly does is the Kona Cafe - which isn't bad - and which is very reasonable - but doesn't live up to the other Deluxes.

I can't remember for sure, but I think this may also be the Deluxe without a hot tub.

The birds are gone from the lobby, though the waterfall remains. Its a little dated in its layout (the stairs in the main building always leave me humming the Brady Bunch theme). Unlike the other Deluxes - in a downpour you may find yourself darting outside to get somewhere for food. But the theming is so overwhelming, you don't care about those things.

[jiggerj]

Oh no CB....Im sorry !:hug: I hope that you can figure out how to join us for a bit..we can turn those old memories into new happy ones! :)

The Poly does sound like it is beautiful...!! :)

[idratherbeinwdw]

Before I was a DVC member the Poly was definitely my favorite resort. In fact the reason I waited so long to buy DVC was my Poly "addiction", and I still stay there now and then to get a "fix".

The best garden view building is Tokelau IMHO. It's centrally located, easy to walk to the main builiding (Great Ceremonial House) or to the TTC to pick up the Epcot monorail.

One of the best things about the Poly is being on the MK monorail AND having the ability to walk a short distance to the TTC for the monorail to Epcot.

Other things I love about the poly:
Beautiful resort, great theming, just like Hawaii.
You feel like you're in your own special quiet little land, and yet you're minutes from the MK and Epcot.
The beach has a great view of the MK Castle and the fireworks look spectacular from there.
The Electrical Water Pageant floats by every night at 9, lotsa fun.
Two great restaurants, Ohana and the Kona Cafe.
EXTREMELY friendly Cm's, as they take extra training in the Polynesian ways of customer service. Everywhere you go they call out "aloha" to you when you pass.
The lobby is beautiful, with a waterfall and lush tropical flowers in the center.

There's a lot more but the BEST advice I can give you is to check out this site: http://tikiman2001.homestead.com/ (http://tikiman2001.homestead.com/)
It will tell you everything you ever need to know about the poly and has some great pics too. I learned on that site that there are a few rooms in tokelau that are considered garden view and yet they have a view of the lagoon (although not the castle). I asked for, and received, those rooms twice. Steve, the guy who made the site, has a page for every building and the pros and cons of each.

Have a great time there Laura!

[idratherbeinwdw]

IMy biggest complaint is that there is no really good restaurant on site. All other Deluxe resorts have a signature place, the best the Poly does is the Kona Cafe - which isn't bad - and which is very reasonable - but doesn't live up to the other Deluxes.

I can't remember for sure, but I think this may also be the Deluxe without a hot tub.

I guess it's all a matter of opinion as I love the kona cafe, even when i am not staying at the poly I usually go there for a meal. I find the tonga toast for breakfast delicious, and the sticky wings appetizers at dinner superb. I think the food is consistently very good, as is the service. I guess it isn't as fancy as some other restaurants, but that doesn't faze me. I think Ohana is very good too, although admittedly a bit noisy due to the games they play with the kids at dinner. It's also got great view of the castle if you're lucky enough to get seated in the right place.

I am not sure what you're comparing the poly restaurants to, but I can't think of any deluxe restaurants that are any better, with the possible exception of V&A, which I have never tried and is very $$. Different strokes for different folks I guess! :beaniepro

You are correct about the lack of a hot tub and I do think that is the one failing of the resort. I was amazed when they rehabbed the pool a few years back and the new pool STILL lacked a hot tub. Couldn't understand it then, still don't get it.

[WDWSTAR]

we love the poly it is our favorite resort right next to the BCV. We always try to stay at the poly a few nights on every trip. The pool is great, the view of the castle from the pool/lagoon beach area and from ohanas restuarant, a must to do also. The rooms are alittle run down but i believe they are refurbing section by section. If you get a chance i believe everyone should stay at the poly at least once. Oh, cant forget to mention the conveince of the monorail to two other wonderful resorts to visit and eat and the magic kingdom & epcot.

[AFMom]

You're all makeing me yearn for a DVC addition to the Poly!!! We were fortunate enought to be able to ride the monorail there and pool hope for a nice long afternoon before our MNSSHP last Fall. It was gorgeous! Having Mai Tais by the pool was great, and the kids loved the volcano waterslide (ok - so did the parents!). The lobby was a bit 70's-ish (love the Brady bunch staircase joke!) but you really won't notice! I do hope we have an excuse to stay thre sometime!

[Rozzie]

Tahiti was always our favorite, as it was so close to the the TTC. Gosh the Poly, so many memoires. Our favorite thing to do (and we still do this some trips) and sit on the swing at the beach and watch Wishes with a nice drink/or a cup of Kona coffee. Kona coffee, so miss it. That nescafe junk just irks me. We also sometimes take a cab first thing in morning and have tonga toast for breakfast and a press pot. Yummmm.....
We might stay there again, but really we have done our offsite weekend nights at PBH, but maybe I could get a good rate there again soon. It really is a slice of heaven and our favorite nonDVC resort.:goodvibes

[jiggerj]

It really is a slice of heaven and our favorite nonDVC resort.:goodvibes

You were so right Rozzie...! Definately a slice of heaven! :)

We were assigned Fiji with a view of the Marina. It was VERY nice. We were in one of the newly renovated rooms with the flat screened TV. Beautiful! We did "the walk" one night over to the GF for dinner , went out to the little beach for Wishes and another night for wishes at the Marina.

My ds enjoyed the Neverland Club not once but twice at his request....(I was happy to oblige!)

All in all I loved it there! Thanks to all on your replies- :)

[PolyColleen]

It really is a destination unto itself. There is a lot to experience right there. Two summers ago we stayed because my hubby had a conference in Orlando and work was footing a sizeable chunk of the lodging. As he would be gone all day, the Poly seemed the perfect place for me to just hang out with the kiddos. My Mom joined us and we had two adjoining rooms in Raratonga, with a view of the quiet pool and right on top of the Ceremonial House. I was in HEAVEN.

It was extremely hot for early June, near 100 every day. That turned out to be a blessing, because it was too warm for Mom to do the parks. We hung out at the Volcano pool, ate late breakfasts at Kona, and enjoyed the lobby. Made leis one afternoon. One evening we walked the path to the GF at sunset -- I had always wanted to do that -- and it was gorgeous. The lake was on one side, with the view of the MK, and the other side was green and flowers and beautiful smells and all of a sudden you come up to the wedding pavilion and it is bright white against all the colors... Gorgeous. It was on this trip that I promised myself that as soon as I can swing it, I will move to central Florida!

We had dinner at Kona and 'Ohana. Rode the monorail, and walked to Sunset Point. Took pictures with the Tikis. Really you could visit this beatiful resort and not go anywhere else all week and still love it. Combine that with all my memories of this place from childhood and the Poly is easily my favorite place in the World.

Enjoy!