Disney's Polynesian Villas & Bungalows

I stayed here for 2 nights for my birthday weekend. While I love the hotel itself, the rooms are a little dated --- especially for the price you are paying. That said, I do love the hotel grounds, the overall vibe of the hotel, and the location. Also the lounges are awesome (although you don't have to stay at hotel to go to those). I would stay here again, but only if the price is reasonable (which is rare).

This review is for the over the water bungalows, and it's a no for us. We had zero help with checking in and getting acquainted with our bungalow, and there are quirks for sure that ned to be explained, such as how to use the light switches that are overly complex. Or explaining the kitchen which has no sharp knives or even salt and pepper. Our unit felt very unprepared for guests. If you have young children, they will not go to sleep before about 9:30 bc there are fireworks to music, electric parade, and more fireworks with music. All of this is VERY loud on your back lana'i and you can't turn it off or tune it out. Our bedroom was warm. We slept so poorly here and it is so expensive that it felt like a trick. The location is great. And it is beautiful! Just need a lot more care for taking care of your guests.

Stayed in DVC studio in April, family of 5. Tokelau room, 3rd floor, west facing. Rooms were nice, beds were comfortable, patio was good. Tokelau is a good location on property - close to main building and closer to TTC for transit to Epcot. This was 4th visit to Disney. Would definitely stay at Poly again, though would consider if it is a prime 'busy' week whether the extra $ for Poly is worth is vs another option. Things we liked: -Staying at Poly is very convenient to MK and Epcot - quick and easy to get to both. -Views of MK fireworks and music from beach is great (no real need to get a 'fireworks view' room in my opinion) -Theming is good throughout the property -Quick service captain cooks is good food and very convenient (though be prepared for wait -- mobile order is way to go) -Movies on lawn is a nice touch -DVC pool has a very nice laid-back vibe especially compared to main pool - felt like you were in the Pacific islands -The bar at the new tower is gorgeous - great place to grab a drink and watch sunset or the fireworks -Room was spacious for a studio and had a great 5th trundle bed which was comfortable for a trundle for a kid. Helpful to have 2 showers. Bathroom with toilet could easily have fit a full pack and play. Mini fridge (which had a fridge and freezer compartment, though small freezer) fit plenty of leftovers and milk, and room also came with a toaster, microwave, coffee maker Things we did not like/things to know: -Granted it was a spring break week, but the hotel was very busy and felt like it. The main lobby was jam packed nearly always. There were definitely not enough pool chairs - these were filled by early AM (this is a major drawback and cannot be emphasized enough). Lines for dole whip were maybe 25 minutes at prime time. Wait list for Trader Sams bar filled up by 5pm (though you could try later in night for opening). Capt Cooks wait time for simple mac & cheese or pool lunch at 2pm was ~30-40 mins. This created a jarring experience of peaceful polynesian music in the background not matching a shoulder to shoulder experience in common areas. -Some disruptive repair/painting work randomly occurred outside of our windows in mid afternoon nap time. Hotel claimed that the website stated the resort is under renovation (which obviously applies to the new DVC tower area, but did not obviously reference existing longhouse rooms clear across the property) and the hotel tried to make it up to us. However, the work was not advertised or predicted, and guest services could not even give us an estimate of how many more days it would last (work did continue for additional days). So be aware that extended disruptions may occur not just around the DVC tower and the land behind it, but at original rooms, too. -The main pool (your only access if staying in the hotel and not DVC) was very busy with upbeat music and very crowded. Our kids/us did not like, though clearly many did. -Kona cafe food was overall good, but

We stayed here for three nights in a studio. The room was large and well maintained with two bathrooms, both with sinks, one with a shower and the other with a bath and toilet. There was also a fridge, coffee maker and microwave and some disposable utensils. The resort itself is very appealing, the pools were great and at night there are lit tiki torches to add to the ambience. It was easy to get to the parks too, our building (Pago Pago) was a short walk to the bus stop and also the Ticket and Transportation Centre which made getting to Epcot easy too. Trader Sam's is definitely worth a visit if you can get in. Would happily stay here again.

The Island Tower is a beautiful addition to the Polynesian Village Resort. The lobby's artsy lighting, murals, carved columns, marble, wood and stone accents, tall ceilings and lots of natural light all contribute to a serene and tropical ambiance. Located in the Island Tower, Wailulu Bar & Grill's open patio and outdoor bar look out onto the lagoon for what we were told are picture perfect views of the fireworks. As we were not hotel guests, we could not check out the themed open terraces on different floors of Island Tower. Tropical flowers like orchids, jasmine, hibiscus, plumeria and flower leis surround you when you visit Hawaii. We did not see any fresh flowers here. It was disappointing that the Island Tower has big urns in its lobby filled with ugly plastic ferns. Even some of the outdoor potted plants were plastic. After so much effort to create a beautiful space, it would be nice if Disney greeted guests with fresh flower arrangements in the lobby.

We stayed in a Deluxe Studio in mid-November. We were able to purchase DVC points to stay here for 3 nights. This has been my favorite resort for years, because of the amazing theming, its proximity to the monorail and two parks (Magic Kingdom and Epcot), and the space in a Deluxe Studio. The room was clean and big. The Deluxe Studios have a long hallway, which has enough space for shoes, a stroller or other items used when out and about. It also has two bathrooms, both have showers and sinks - one has a bathtub and toilet. This gave our family of three the ability to get ready for the day with ease. In addition, there’s a nice kitchenette with a microwave, sink, toaster and mini fridge. We brought breakfast foods and easily made our breakfast before heading to the parks. There are three beds: one queen, and two pull down Murphy beds (one was a queen size and the other a twin). We stayed in the Moorea complex, which was a short 5-minute walk from the Ticket and Transportation Center, which is where you can pick up the monorail to go either to Magic Kingdom or Epcot. This made it easy and fast to get to Epcot from the hotel. We loved the food offered here too, with Polynesian-inspired dishes. It definitely tops all the basic theme park fare you mostly find around Disney World. We never tried the bus system while we were here, since we brought our car, and spent our days going to Magic Kingdom and Epcot while staying here. My son checked out the pull and gave it two thumbs up, he said the slide was one of his favorites out of all the Disney resorts we’ve stayed at. I can’t wait to stay at this resort again for future Disney trips, and plan to purchase DVC points again as it is the cheapest option when staying here.