TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

We stayed at the Polynesian following our cruise on the Destiny. We have been concierge level on multiple Disney Cruises and decided to spring for the Club Level at the Polynesian during the week of Thanksgiving. Our welcome at the Front Desk was nice. The check-in took forever though. After we were finally checked in, we were walked by the front desk staff to the Hawaii building (we were not offered assistance with our luggage which isn't a big deal but I thought it was odd and would have gladly paid to have our luggage delivered to our room). We were introduced to the Club employees in the lobby and given the run-down on how Club Level worked. We were very open that we had never stayed on-site before and were seasoned Disney cruisers but we were looking forward to Mickey's Very Mery party Tuesday night. We were pointed in the direction of our room which was at the very end of the 1st floor hall and that was that. No one asked if we needed anything, needed assistance (unlike on the cruise ship). The next morning, I stopped by the Club desk in the lobby to ask about the wait time to get into Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Very Merry. I had managed to secure dinner reservations at Crystal Palace when they opened weeks earlier and we had a 4:45 reservation but we knew they wouldn't let Very Merry guests into the park until 4pm. I was again open about this being our first time and just looking for information (no perks or pixie dust) and was met with outright rude. The gentleman scoffed at me for even asking questions and asked "what do you want from me". I just wanted to understand timelines, can we walk directly in or will we be herded into a separate area and would we make our reservation in time. I got a big sigh and "well I can check to see if there's anything later" which I wasn't asking for. I had definitely hit a dead end and knew it, apologized and left quickly. I headed up to the main lodge area and found much nicer help who told me that we would be moved into a prep area for pictures and cookies and we could move through there as fast or as slow as we wanted but we should have no trouble making our reservation as long as we were in line by 3:30 (she said the lines would be massive) and suggested we be on the monorail by 3:15. PERFECT! That was the info I needed and with that info we had no issues getting into MG and making our reservations. The Club lounge was nice but was out of food most of the time but when the food was in stock it was excellent. Similar to the DCL cruise ships, bottled water and canned sodas were available all day but unlike the DCL ships, the coffee in the Club Lounge was terrible. The limited alcohol available was nice because I could self-serve and try this and that but there wasn't nearly the selection that was on the cruise ship and no mixed drinks. Overall we loved the location, loved the resort's atmosphere and the room was very nice and Moana themed. Would I book Club Level again? Probably not. Especially after being exposed to the concierge level service on Disney Cruise Lines - they do not remotely compare.

I had a very high level of anticipation for my 4 night stay at the Polynesian Resort. I was taking my sister on a trip to Disney to celebrate her anniversary for 13 years of being cancer free. I booked a water view room almost a year in advance. I was VERY excited to stay at a Disney Deluxe resort. My sister and I arrived about noon from another resort. Since my sister was in a scooter we took a bus to the TTC and walked/scooted. We checked in and waited until about 4:30 for our room. It was a ground floor room facing the Oasis pool but really had a view of a tree. I went back to our previous resort to get our bags thinking I would be helped by bell services when I arrived (I took a Lyft). It was torrentially raining when I arrived only to be met with “well, we’re really short on carts so let me see if I can find a friend to help me get a cart” and was left at the curb to unload 2 people’s worth of bags with my Lyft driver (who was actually super helpful). I paid $1,000/night for this Deluxe experience to unload my own bags and have a “water view” of a tree (I did receive a $100 resort credit for the luggage fiasco). Would I stay here again? No. Would I pay the extra for a water view? No - not knowing my water view would be the view I got. I had a great time with my sister, but the special treat of staying at the Polynesian turned out to be anything but.

I didn’t actually stay at the resort but went there for breakfast. When I arrived at 7 am, the officer at the gate to their parking lot refused me entry when I told him I didn’t have a breakfast reservation, but would be a walk up when they opened at 7:30. I was made to leave, and had to pay $35.00 to park with thousands of other cars at the main Magic Kingdom parking lot, then walk to the resort for breakfast. (I know, I should have just eaten elsewhere). As I walked up to the resort I saw that easily half of the parking spots there were empty. With the restaurant open to everyone, whether a resort guest or not, I shouldn’t have had to find expensive parking elsewhere. Very unreasonable.

Overall this is a fun resort with lots of great theming, and amazing transportation to the Magic Kingdom via monorail or boat. We also enjoyed the poolside food and beverage service. One big warning: the Moorea building is very close to the ferry dock of the Ticket and Transportation Center. Ferry horns will be part of your experience from very early in the morning to very late at night, roughly every ten minutes. While the room we were in was very nice, the noise pretty much ruined our one-night stay, as we were out for a late night in the Magic Kingdom, and then wanted to sleep in. If we were there for a longer stay, we definitely would've asked to move to a different building.

We stayed at the resort for five nights in early October, largely on the recommendation from many people. We did not have a disastrous experience by any means, but we were not overly impressed based on the price they charge for rooms. If we visited Disney again, we would select a less costly option and don't think we would need to sacrifice much in doing so. Some of the benefits are documented in other reviews (access to monorail, etc.). On the negative side, we were surprised that you only get cleaning service for your room every other day (even Motel 6 cleans your room everyday). Our room was on the ground floor facing a crowded walkway and so we had to leave our shades closed all day or else be a fishbowl. The resort is very busy/crowded, but I view that more as something to be expected on a Disney trip. I inadvertently left a jacket in the closet of our room when we left (which is my fault) and realized I forgot it on the way to the airport. What I found frustrating was there was no way to contact the hotel to try to report it (they have no phone, email, etc.). The only option was to submit a generic "lost item" request to Disney itself (no different than if you lost something at one of the parks). Not surprisingly, the response received was they were unable to find it. So to the hotel employee who claimed the jacket for themselves, you are welcome! Overall, it was very expensive for what you get and has pretty average service. You'd be better served by saving some money and staying elsewhere.