Disney's Polynesian Resort

The Polynesian was one of the two original Disneyworld resorts along with the Contemporary. Disney's Polynesian Resort is an 847-room resort located on the monorail loop so it is ideally located on the Seven Seas Lagoon. The Polynesian is a deluxe resort, but feels very casual and family oriented. The Polynesian occupies 39 acres and is styled as a South Pacific paradise, complete with beaches, tropical landscaping, waterfalls, and bamboo tiki torches. The Great Ceremonial House is the main building and houses everything from check-in/out to two fantastic dining options. The resort is laid out in 11 different buildings called longhouses which are either 2 or 3 story buildings. The typical room is 409 sq. feet with two queen beds and a day bed along with typical furniture and bathroom amenities. There are suites available at a very sweet price but are found only in the Tonga longhouse. Room location options also include garden view, lagoon view, and Magic Kingdom view all of which offer spectacular scenery and a wide range of prices. The prices for the Polynesian are deluxe and among some of the most expensive on property. The standard room garden view is $355 a night in value season and quickly balloons to $765 a night for Magic Kingdom view in holiday season. Of course these are rack room rates and do not include any available promotions or packages. I must admit even though we have visited the Polynesian many times to dine, shop, and explore we have never actually stayed at this amazing resort. I would love to some day but with small children and a tight budget this one is a little out of my range for now. If you budget allows then definitely go for it because the Polynesian is consistently one of the highest rated resorts among Disney guests. The service and hospitality at this resort is second to none and the location is outstanding. The cast members at the Polynesian take special classes (above and beyond Disney) on traditional Polynesian values which harbour ideas of helpfulness and hospitality.

There are actually two pools at this resort. The resort's main pool is called the Nanea Volcano Pool, and features a volcano with waterfall and water slide. There is a second quiet pool that is larger than the main pool and is centrally located to all the longhouses. A stream begins outside of the Great Ceremonial House and continues down to the Volcano pool. A 40-foot high volcano houses the pool bar and a tubular slide. The beach side of the pool also features a zero entryway and the only real complaint I can see is the pool seems drastically undersized and crowded for the size of the Polynesian Resort. There is also a marina at the Polynesian where you can experience all types of water crafts from pontoons to sea racers. There are no health club facilities at the Polynesian but you are allowed to use the Grand Floridian's free of charge which is a short walk or monorail ride away. There is also a nice selection of merchandise available in a few specialty stores including tradition Disney merchandise and South Seas trinkets.

Here's where the good part begins. The food! There are two fantastic dining options at the Polynesian. The first is an extremely popular (for good reason) O'hana's and the often overlooked Kona Cafe. Ohana's books up quickly so always make reservations as far in advance up to 90 days as you can. 'Ohana is all-you-can-eat but it is not a buffet. It is served family-style at your table such as salad, welcome bread, wings, noodles, etc. and it just keeps coming until you can no longer see the table for the food. Items such as steak, turkey, shrimp, etc, is prepared on an open fire pit and brought to your table on a large skewer. This is family style and the food will not stop coming out until you throw in the towel. Simply an amazing meal! Just for reference purposes if your children will not eat this type of food just ask and you can get typical kids food such as grilled cheese, chicken fingers, fries, etc. They brought this plate out for our kids with enough food for 10+ children and it was delicious. Then the best part begins the bread pudding with bananas foster and ice cream. Needless to say we were so full we almost didn't eat dessert but after it came we ate it and proceeded to order more. It was so ridiculously good it was sinful. During your dinner there is someone singing Polynesian music, playing games with the kids, and teaching children how to luau. At breakfast Ohana's is a character meal with Lilo and Stitch. Also if you are lucky enough to have reservations at the right time request a window seat and you can watch the Magic Kingdom and they even pipe in the music for you. The Kona Cafe is often overlooked probably because of its location which is literally right next door to Ohana's so it kind of gets lost in the crazy busy hustle and bustle of Ohana's. Kona Cafe serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and unlike the family style of Ohana's this place is a la carte. It offers an interesting variety of South Seas fare with a Disney twist. It is probably best known for its unique desserts and Kona coffee. Both of these establishments are highly recommended and have yet to let my family down.

Some final thoughts on the Polynesian are the beaches which of course are on the Lagoon. You cannot swim in the Lagoon but this is an amazing place to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks and also view the Electrical Water Pageant. Watch future posts for details on both. I hope you enjoyed this post and it was helpful. The next post continues around the monorail loop to the Grand Floridian.