Most Recent Reviews
Reviewed by Conte Review Date: 12/04/2014
Rating: (8) Recommended
This was our 2nd stay at POR. We are a family of 5 and this is one of the few resorts at WDW that can accommodate us without upgrading to a suite. The family suites are too childish for my teens. We had no problems at check in we utilized the early check in online. No problems with our bands either. The one thing I noticed was the cast members were not as friendly as last time which was 5 years ago. They were nice enough but not as friendly, in fact I was surprised since I know Disney prides itself on this. For example when I walked up to the front desk there was no smile just a what can I help you with in a bored voice, it was not crowded at all. Even the cast member who helped us with the refillable mugs seemed bored, no smile or enthusiasm. I guess I was expecting more since I work in retail and we are constantly reviewed for our customer service. The room itself was nice the only problem was there wasn't anywhere to put our clothes. Just 3 small drawers under the pull down bed and about 8 hangers to hang stuff. As I said we are 5 people so we had to leave everything in our suitcase which we had all over the floor since there wasn't anywhere to put them. It worked out fine but as my kids get older we will not be able to fit in this room since the pull out bed is for a person under 5ft. All in all I would recommend staying at POR.
Pros:
Food court, restaurant, General store, Beautiful groundsCons:
Not enough dresser drawersReview of Disney Dining Plan
Reviewed by Conte Review Date: 12/04/2014
Rating: (7) Recommended
I purchased the Disney Dining plan for our latest trip. Since we are a family of 5 I thought it would save us money. The problem is that when you have a sit down meal you are limited to what you can order. Usually it is a main entree which is normally fine but there were times we would have liked to get just a salad and soup or an appetizer for the meal. The food was good but I felt that the variety was limited it seemed like we had more to choose from last time we used the dining plan 5 years ago. Plus the dessert is a waste. Most of the time we barely ate it and yes we did bring some back to the room only to throw it out untouched. I feel instead of entree and desert they should give you the option of either an appetizer or dessert and entree. Since the tip is not included we spent around $35 in tips for every sit down meal. Next time we go I won't bother with the dining plan because our family would not spend $1500 for meals in 5 days. By not being on the dining plan we will have more menu options during a sit down meal. I have to say the snacks and counter service meals were fine.
Pros:
Huge PortionsCons:
Limited menuReview of Holiday D-Lights Tour
Reviewed by stnick622 Review Date: 12/04/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
I took this tour on Wednesday evening, 12/3/2014 and it was excellent. Nancy, Jean, and Donna were our tour guides. We had about 40 people in our tour all together. Stops include Wilderness Lodge for dinner, Event and Decorating Services, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and finally EPCOT for the candlelight processional. When we split into 2 groups of 20 (to make getting around each location easier) Nancy led our group and she was FANTASTIC!! Full of wonderful facts about the Disney Christmas displays and a little humor too! I would recommend this tour to anyone who wants to add a little something extra to their vacation during the Christmas season. The only drawback is that due to the tour being such a large group it took a while to get everyone back together to for our departure to the next location. If that is my only compliant you know this was a wonderful tour.
Pros:
The tour guide, the lightsCons:
The speedReview of Landscape of Flavors - Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by CinCin Review Date: 12/02/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
I actually was staying at Pop Century, but when I couldn't find a suitable dinner choice that fit both my dietary needs and my palate, I walked across the bridge and came over to find something to eat. The dining rooms are beautifully decorated and had nicely themed settings. It is sooo much nicer than the retro-pop cafeteria style setting at Pop Century. The theming is well done here and I enjoyed the setting very much as well as just visiting the resort on my walk over. There were many different food options that aren't available elsewhere like the tandoori acorn squash with basmati rice, spinach and paneer, and naan bread. Really, were my eyes playing tricks? They had spinach and paneer? Acorn squash? Basmati rice? The clouds parted and angels sang. This must be food court heaven. So that was what I had. It was delicious and really refreshing to have such a change from sandwiches, burgers and fries, or pizza and pasta. I enjoyed everything on my plate and the portion size was quite generous with 2 pieces of roasted skin-on squash. This was way above usual food court food and it was definitely worth the trip over for. I saw several other interesting choices too like the tandoori chicken or the mongolian stir fry or the butter chicken. They also had the traditional food court burgers and fries and pizza and such. I can't wait to go back and try more! The staff was friendly and seemed to all smiles there. I only had the one meal here, but it was certainly outstanding and quite memorable. Yes, please.
Pros:
great variety offood options not offered elsewhere, tasty food, well decorated dining roomsCons:
noneReview of Cape May Cafe - Character Breakfast
Reviewed by SNC Review Date: 12/02/2014
Rating: (7) Recommended
My husband and I attended this breakfast on Thanksgiving Day. Oddly enough, this was decidedly more fun and less childish than our "romantic=expensive" dinner in Cinderella's Castle a few days before. Our waitress was lovely and helpful the entire time. We took pictures with Goofy and Donald and Minnie (Minnie could have spent a few more seconds with us, she ran off rather quick and I did not like the picture). They wear the cutest little sailor outfits which go with the Beach Club theme. There are also reproductions of vintage bathing suits and cases with sand castle sculptures throughout the dining room. It's cute! The food was OK. I have been to the Cape May Dinner Buffet, and found it much better in quality. But there are plentiful Mickey waffles with fresh strawberries, bacon, sausage, biscuits, freshly carved ham, and three wonderful kinds of smoked salmon and bagels. They also had the BEST mini chocolate chip muffins I have ever tasted. The eggs were very runny, which I was disappointed with, however as we were leaving I saw them refill this station and the eggs looked fluffy and well-cooked, so you never know. I also believe this one is a bit more affordable than some of the character breakfasts in other Disney locations. Try it, I think boys and girls would both like it!
Pros:
Characters come to EVERY table, mini chocolate muffins amazing, great serviceCons:
food could be a bit better for the priceReview of Blizzard Beach
Reviewed by SNC Review Date: 12/02/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
My husband and I were staying at the Polynesian over Thanksgiving for our honeymoon. Because of the hotel's renovations, we were offered free passes to Blizzard Beach, which we gladly accepted. Boy are we happy we did! I found a new favorite place at Disney. The theming of this water park is terrific, every little detail makes it look like an Alpine ski resort. We absolutely loved Runoff Rapids (which had a double-tube for us to ride together) and Teamboat Springs ( a loooong group raft ride). I also loved the wave pool, which churns out some nice big waves to bob around in. We left our items on our chairs, and no one ever disturbed them. Loved walking around looking at all the little details (dripping socks hanging over the creek, little skis on the back of the chair lift). So fun! The only drawbacks were that we waited about 20 minutes on line at the bar for a drink because only one gentleman was working. They should definitely have at least 2 people there. I also did not like the chair lift. The chair was slippery and so is your wet bathing suit and it was VERY high up! They should make the chair bottoms textured like sandpaper to grip you better. I would definitely close my eyes next time until I got to the top! There are also Tons of stairs to get up to the slides. We are in pretty good shape and in our 30's, but we had to stop to catch our breath a few times. We also bought a normal-size bottle of water at the entrance to the park which costs…get ready…$4! Bring your own water/beverage and towel and water shoes (I bought ours at a dollar store for $5) and go have a wonderful day at Blizzard Beach! We will go back!
Pros:
Great Theme, Wave Pool, Teamboat SpringsCons:
Bar Slow, Chair Lift Slippery, lots of stairs, Icy water drips in creek, Expensive Drinking WaterReview of Yachtsman Steakhouse
Reviewed by SNC Review Date: 11/30/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
We had Thanksgiving dinner during our Disney Honeymoon at the Yacht Club Steakhouse. Although they offered a nice Thanksgiving meal on the menu (turkey and fixings) we opted to get steaks and were very happy we did! We started with the shrimp cocktail and the charcuterie board, which were both excellent (I had to take a picture of the charcuterie, it was so amazing) and then he had the filet and I had the NY 8 oz. Strip steak. We also ordered truffle macaroni and cheese and caramelized onions as sides. Everything was excellent. They also give you warm rolls with butter and a whole soft head of garlic to spread on it. The service was attentive but not overbearing. We were so full, we could not order dessert, but our waiter gave us a beautiful little plate with tiny chocolates and macarons to celebrate our honeymoon. Wonderful experience. I Could NOT believe how casually people were dressed in there! We happily dressed nicely (I wore a black dress and my husband wore a dress shirt and pants) and we had a very nice romantic evening together at the Yachtsman Steakhouse. We will go back!
Pros:
Good Service, Great SteaksCons:
NoneReview of Cinderella's Royal Table Dinner
Reviewed by SNC Review Date: 11/30/2014
Rating: (5) Recommended
My husband and I started off the first night of our honeymoon at Cinderella's Royal Table for dinner. I had heard that this was a nice romantic spot for couples, where people get engaged and celebrate honeymoons. Boy was I wrong! We had an 8:15 dinner reservation and there were TONS of little kids. Yelling toddlers, not children who would get a lot from this experience. The table next to us had three little boys dressed up as pirates who were very antsy (why would you do this to them??) We were seated at a really nice table next to the window, but the service was ho hum. Our meal was served about two minutes after our appetizers, so it was hard to focus on either and felt rushed. We both ordered the filet, which was nicely done. Princesses (Snow White, Ariel, Aurora, and Jasmine) entered the room one at a time and were announced during the entire dinner and came around for pictures. I did one or two happily, but then I started feeling like I was five. My husband received a plastic sword and I received a plastic wand. It was funny, but NOT Romantic. Very lovely to see the fireworks going off right next to our window and the novelty of being inside the castle made it worth it (although not sure $150 worth it…). We did it, but we will not be back! Will go to the French Restaurants at Epcot instead.
Pros:
Nice view of Fireworks, Food Pretty GoodCons:
Tons of kids, NOT Romantic, Check-In was not friendlyReview of Chefs de France - Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by SNC Review Date: 11/30/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
My husband surprised me with dinner here on our Honeymoon Thanksgiving week. It was a terrific experience. We were seated right by the window and we had a really nice waiter. The ambiance is fitting for a French brasserie and did not feel stuffy at any point. Our food was exceptionally good! We both had the French Onion soup (best I've ever had) and I had the short ribs, my husband had the filet. We ended the meal with profiteroles and each of us had a nice cold glass of Vouvray. Everything was superb. We both agreed that this was the BEST meal of our entire trip (ate at Cinderella's Castle and the Yacht Club Steakhouse too). A very nice, relaxing overall experience for adults on vacation at Disney.
Pros:
Delicious food, great serviceCons:
BusyReviewed by SNC Review Date: 11/30/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
I cannot say enough good things about our recent trip to the Poly! We started our honeymoon at Disney here Thanksgiving week, and were greeted so warmly from the minute we entered the lobby. Everyone said Aloha! The woman at the check-in desk had a folder with all of our information organized and celebration buttons. She then brought out a fresh flower Hawaiian leigh for me and a natural leaf braided one for my husband and had us put it over each other's heads and give each other a kiss. It was so lovely and memorable! Our room was gorgeous, right on the water on the first floor in Tuvalu. We were never bothered or inconvenienced by any of the construction. Enjoyed flatbread pizzas at captain cook's, walked on the white sandy beach next to our room, had drinks at the little pool, and we loved taking the boat across to the MK, very convenient! Everyone was so nice. Our room was also super clean. It was the largest room of the 3 deluxe resorts we stayed at during our week at Disney. So peaceful and we cannot wait to go back and see all the new additions when the Poly is completely finished! We even ended our trip with the luau at the Poly so we could go back and end our trip there. Fantastic!
