Reviews of Polynesian Deluxe Studios (Disney Vacation Club)

Reviews

41

Rating

9 / 10

Recommended By

95%



Reviewed by scava Review Date: 07/13/2015

Rating: (10)
Recommended

Just returned from 10 day vacation at Poly studio. This is a beautiful location & I am so happy that DVC has added to our choices!! The studio is very spacious, we were 2 adults, a 14yo & 11yo no issues with storage plenty of room to store luggage & we had 4 suitcases & 2 golf bags Loved the split bathroom which gave us plenty of time to get ready!! Transportation was very easy, we were in Morea bldg. so short walk to TTC and 5 minute to main bldg. Took monorail to MK to change to bus when going to other resorts at night for dinner & returning just as easy as back to MK then hop on monorail. The only thing I thought at first would be an issue is our room was near the ferry dock & the horn starts early but after 1st day I didn't notice & missed that sound when I came home!!
I would highly recommend this location & cant wait to go back!!!

Pros:

LOCATION!!!!

Cons:

none
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Reviewed by melitodezan Review Date: 08/31/2015

Rating: (10)
Recommended

I have always loved the Poly and am super excited that it is a part of DVC! I lucked out and was able to book 3 nights in the middle of August in a standard view studio. I requested and received the 3rd floor. We were in the Pago Pago building, which is the closest to the parking lot and the TTC. We were 2 adults, a 13 yr old and a 7 yr old. The size of the room is awesome. Even with the murphy bed and the sofa out, I still felt I had room. The split bathroom is fantastic and HUGE! I can't wait until the rest of the DVC renovations are done at Poly, including the pool area so that there is access to another, closer pool. Pago Pago is the first building off the path to the TTC, and it was more convenient to walk there to take the monorail or the ferry to MK. I actually enjoyed it more than the Grand Floridian Studio, which I also liked and stayed at during our recent vacation.

Pros:

size of room, split bathroom, close to TTC

Cons:

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Reviewed by joplin Review Date: 09/07/2015

Rating: (10)
Recommended

First time staying in the new Polynesian DVC. Room layout is impressive. Disney's attention to detail and quality is seen throughout this new area. Thank you WDW!!!!

Pros:

Room design, location, dining and recreation

Cons:

Construction until next year
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Reviewed by monorailmom Review Date: 09/12/2015

Rating: (5)
Recommended

We stayed here for one night on 8/17. We are DVC members, and a family of 6, so had to book 2 studios to accommodate all of us. We had never stayed here before, and were pretty excited about trying something new.

We were in Tokelau, bottom floor, standard view. We were facing the construction of the new pool. It wasn't loud, but again, we were only there for one night before switching over the AKV for the rest of our stay. Noise was not a problem. Fortunately we were granted our request of connecting rooms. They were beautiful, really. Loved the decor and the split bathrooms.

I can only say that while I enjoyed it here, it is definitely not on my favorite resort list. I miss the option of a 2br villa, allowing my family to stay in one room. We tend to stay 9 nights in the summer, and for a trip that long I want my full kitchen and especially my washer and dryer. I also was disappointed in the pool area. It was very, very crowded. Finding a table/chairs for six of us was not easy. Resort refillable mugs are a pain here: there is no refill station at the pool, and the bartenders won't refill them either. You have to go to Captain Cook's. Well, my son was all wet, and Capt. Cook's is a decent little walk from the pool. This didn't really seem fair. My DH went and got my son a soda, but really, for the price of those mugs, it shouldn't be so hard to fill them here.

The transportation options here are great, but I'm not sure how soon we'll be back.

Pros:

Cons:

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Reviewed by Big Picture Review Date: 10/19/2015

Rating: (10)
Recommended

We enjoyed a fantastic week here. We were in the Tokelau building, toward the end of the building closest to the Magic Kingdom. A few steps to the 3rd floor balcony provided the best view of the MK fireworks I've ever seen (including the view from California Grill at the Contemporary).

Everything about this resort was spectacular. Aside from the fantastic room with the double bath/shower setup, which was excellent, we also enjoyed Trader Sam's Grog Grotto, Kona Café, getting a Dole Whip at Pineapple Lanai, and the Spirit of Aloha Luau. In other words, we spent more time at the resort than usual because we really enjoyed just being there and soaking it all in.

Tokelau was a great building, with views of the Magic Kingdom, proximity to the TTC for EPCOT monorail access, proximity to the boat launches fro the Magic Kingdom, proximity to the bus stop for trips to Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, and the Ceremonial House for everything else.

We usually stay at a moderate (Port Orleans: French Quarter for the win!), so we knew this was going to be more expensive, but the value for the cost was still pretty good.

We got a good deal on the room (considering it's a monorail resort) when we booked it, probably because of the ongoing construction in the central area, where it looks like they're putting in a quiet pool and some other amenities.

The construction was only a minor inconvenience - we never heard the construction when we were in our room, and the extra few feet we had to walk around the construction area were no big deal.

Not really a positive or a negative, just an observation: the curtains in our room, when pulled completely closed, might have been a little too effective. They let it no sunlight at all. Waking up at 7:30 a.m. on a bright sunny day, the ambient light in the room would convince you it was the dead of night. We started leaving the curtains slightly open just so we'd know the sun still rose every day!

Pros:

Location, Monorail Access, Ambience, Cleanliness, Comfort, Proximity to the TTC for EPCOT Monorail

Cons:

Ongoing construction made getting from the Great Ceremonial House to our building a little longer than it would have been otherwise, but it was a very minor inconvenience.
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Reviewed by disneymom35 Review Date: 11/17/2015

Rating: (8)
Recommended

I waited my entire adult life to stay at the Poly, but that was the old Poly, the one with the magnificent waterfall and foliage in the lobby. Don't get me wrong, it is a pretty resort. The transportation options are great. A short walk to the TTC and you can jump on the Epcot monorail. There's a relaxing water taxi to get you to the MK. Kona Cafe is a great hidden secret, but you do need to get reservations. Drinks on the pineapple lanai were perfect (Trader Sam's was over capacity).

Pool area was okay. We actually had a mother and father leave their three kids who looked to be around 5 to 7 years old by themselves and then didn't come back for them for well over an hour. Hot tub was usually either closed or full with children.

Unfortunately, part of what used to be a great beach view is now obstructed by the new 2-bedroom DVC villas.

We stayed in Pago Pago. Everything was new but kind of felt "cheap." Also, we were not only able to hear several neighbors toilets flushing, we could hear our next door neighbor's muffled conversations, as well as anytime anyone walked across the floor upstairs (or ran). If someone was on the balcony either upstairs or to the side, it sounded as if they were actually in our room. And that's why it only gets an 8, because I associate the Polynesian with relaxation and peacefulness and it was definitely not either of those.

Pros:

Transportation options

Cons:

Thin walls/ceilings/noisy
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Reviewed by NOSaintsfan1970 Review Date: 11/29/2016

Rating: (7)
Recommended

My wife and I have always wanted to stay at the Polynesian. It wasn't what we had expected our stay wasn't horrible but it wasn't what we expected. We had lake view and could see the castle and fireworks every night and that was one of the things my wife and I enjoyed. We like the location because a short monorail trip to the MK and a short monorail ride to Epcot. We had some friends that came with us and the family that stayed next to them were so loud it was almost as if they were in the room with them. Well she called the front desk and they were able to move them to another room which I thought was nice. Now our friends understand that this is a place for kids and they are very understanding and patient but after a couple of days with no sleep I understand their frustration. Well with that being said we would stay there again and maybe it will be different next time.

Pros:

Location

Cons:

Noise
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Reviewed by tinkiebell Review Date: 12/15/2016

Rating: (9)
Recommended

This was our second stay in the DVC Studios. The location of our room this time was much nicer—only steps away from the new Oasis pool, in fact. Everything was properly stocked and clean. The beds are very comfortable, even the Murphy bed, which features an adorable mural of Lilo & Stitch (sacked out on a hammock on the beach—Stitch is drooling) and has its own little light. The Oasis pool made me want to do absolutely nothing else, including visit the parks. The lounges and other furnishings were dangerously comfy, there were shaded areas available, and relaxing Hawaiian music is piped in. You seriously feel like you are on an island somewhere. The Oasis pool has its own bar and grill but not activities, keeping it quiet as opposed to the noisy offerings at the Lava pool in the afternoons. I seriously could have spent my entire visit at the Oasis pool and in fact am planning to visit again to skip the parks and sit at the pool instead. We enjoyed our customary “monorail” shopping trip and were treated to seeing the gingerbread cottage in the Grand Floridian being assembled, not to mention the gingerbread samples they were giving out along with the talk about how it’s all done. I am disappointed, however, that it took so long to get into our room. I indicated our arrival time and arrived after it but we still had to wait several hours to get into our room. In addition, they would not do us the courtesy of allowing us to stay one additional hour before checking out. I just don’t understand what takes so long to turn over a room when you know a guest is waiting for it, in a building where not all the rooms get housekeeping every day and they by all appearances enforce the 11 am check out. Some flexibility in these areas would go a long way towards this guest’s satisfaction and as a long-time DVC member. I don’t think it’s an unreasonable request.

Pros:

location, ambiance

Cons:

availability for check-in and late check-out courtesy
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Reviewed by mg0914 Review Date: 01/12/2017

Rating: (10)
Recommended

We stayed in a studio DVC room in the Moorea Building from 12/22-12/27. This was only our second time at Polynesian and our first since 2007 when our kids were still...kids! We were very happy with our stay. The Polynesian is so beautiful and so incredibly themed. All the cast members greet you with an "Aloha!" which adds to the fun.

The check-in process was smooth and friendly. We had lunch reservations at Kona Café and before we were done eating I received a text saying our room was ready! The separate longhouses are spread out a bit but our walk from the lobby to our room was probably 7-8 minutes. We were happy to find out later that the walk from our room to the T&TC was even quicker. Very convenient for access to the monorails heading to MK or Epcot. The pathways get a little dark at night making it a little challenging but they're lit by tiki torches which makes it fun!

Our room was a decent size with nice décor, clean and comfortable. There was enough storage space for four people to survive just fine for five days. We were so happy to see we had two bathrooms! Two showers and two sinks - only one toilet. Boy did this help speed up the "get ready" time in the mornings.

The Great Ceremonial House, as the lobby building is known, can get crazy busy during afternoons and evenings and that's a good enough reason for me to avoid it whenever possible! The Kona Café, O'Hana's, a lounge, two gift shops and a coffee and pastry shop are all located there. We didn't do much at the cafeteria besides filling our resort mugs so I am not able to comment on that. The quiet pool was centrally located and very, well, quiet. It was a nice place to stop for a drink. The main resort pool was usually pretty busy.

We enjoyed our stay very much at the Polynesian and can't wait for a return visit!

Pros:

peaceful, beautiful resort

Cons:

nothing at all
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Reviewed by tiggeress Review Date: 01/19/2017

Rating: (6)
Recommended

First off, before this trip I LOVED the Poly. I've stayed here 6 times previously, and never wanted to stay anywhere else. I was too afraid I wouldn't love a different resort as much. However, I hadn't been here for 10 years, and my husband had never even been to Disney World. I planned to make this trip extra special, hoping he would love it as much as I do.

Check in was speedy and courteous. Gone are the days of driving you and your luggage in a golf cart to your room. Bags were brought after we called bell services from our room. The pools are definitely bigger, and better, at least in some ways. The quiet pool used to be pretty quiet, and it still is. However, with the addition of the whirlpools, more children are there, believing the whirlpool is a kiddie pool. The whirlpool is kept at 104 degrees, to hot and not safe for children. It would seen totally appropriate for the quiet pool to become for adults only, especially with the addition of the bar, and in the absence of lifeguards, similar to what Aulani has done. Give us empty-nesters something.

The rooms are nice, and the split bathroom is handy. I did not like how the fan went on by motion. At night its just too loud. The room was very nice, but with the addition of the split bath, it was! now smaller than their normal hotel rooms. There are a couple of small drawers in the nightstands and in the washrooms, but the two deep drawers under the bed are impractical, making clothes storage a problem, especially if you had three to five people in the room. Give us a dresser!

The monorail was inoperable for one and a half days. I suppose that can happen. The worst part of our transportation was one night when we were headed over to MK for the evening. From dinner we planned on taking the monorail. We went upstairs and found approximately 150 people waiting to board. Figured out is was right after the early luau was over. I think for the money you spend to stay there, and with the implementation of the magic bands, Poly guests should get priority boarding during times like this. The other hotels on the resort loop don't have large gatherings getting out at the same time. We had to then walk back to the TTC to get to the MK to make our first FP time.

In the past, I always felt the magic here, and felt like I was in paradise. I didn't feel that this time. The landscaping, while still neat, lacked the flowers and beauty from the past. Staff never once greeted with "Aloha". The beach area is almost an afterthought, especially since most of the view is blocked by the bungalows. We had a couple meals at the GF, and found that for the same, or just a little more money, it felt much, much more special overall. From the holiday decorations, to the live music in the lobby, and the beauty of the landscaping, the GF will be the next place we stay.

I never thought I'd say it, but I don't believe we will be staying at the Poly our next trip, and it breaks my heart.

Pros:

Location, Nice Rooms

Cons:

Transportation Problems, Decline of "Magic", Lack of Drawer Space
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