In November 2018, Stella and I had the privilege of staying at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. As one of the first two hotels built at Walt Disney World, the Polynesian sits on the Seven Seas Lagoon, minutes away via monorail from the Magic Kingdom.
Themed to the wonderful 1960s tiki culture, the resort hotel echoes a romanticized version of the South Pacific. The hotel also builds that escapist longing to travel to the South Seas. I am a sucker for the 1960s tiki culture and it is one of my favorite themes. And the Polynesian, as a hotel built at the height of the tiki theme, nails it.
Theming
As I said above, the Polynesian is themed as a tropical oasis in the South Seas. The grounds are full of lush tropical trees along white sand beaches. The resort complex is broken into different longhouses, each named after an island in the Pacific.
The hotel lobby and dining restaurants are located in the Great Ceremonial House, meant to reflect the grandest longhouse of them all. The lobby contains topical plants and smells. Until recently, it even had an indoor waterfall.
The tropical South Seas theme is evident throughout the entire resort. The longhouses look straight out of the South Pacific and the lobby instantly takes you to a faraway place. Not once did I lose touch with the theme. Whenever I was on hotel grounds, I was in the Pacific. The Florida humidity and the white sand beaches of the Seven Seas Lagoon solidify the theme.
Along with Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, I feel the Polynesian excels at its theming. I stay on Disney property (among other things) to be transported to a different time and place. The Polynesian is able to do this and does it well.
Now, tiki culture has faded in recent years but I can only imagine how well this resort executed its theme back in the 70s. Since it is still effective today, I’m sure it was even better when it first opened.
We visited during the Christmas season and the Polynesian was decked out with Christmas decorations. The decorations were subtle and didn’t take away from the South Seas theme. Instead, the Christmas decorations reminded me of the song, Mele Kalikimaka (Hawaiian Christmas Song) by Bing Crosby. As I strolled through the resort, that song played in my head the entire time. And it never got old. Since I couldn’t spend Christmas in Hawaii, the next best thing was the Polynesian.
Search Mele Kalikimaka on YouTube and play the song to imagine roaming the grounds of the Polynesian with Christmas trees, holly and the like decorated throughout the resort. It’s perfect. I felt like I entered a time machine and transported back to the 60s. Again, the Poly kills it theming.
Rooms
During our visit, we stayed in the Honeymoon Suite. The Polynesian host a handful of suites and all suites are located in the Tonga building, directly adjacent to the Grand Ceremonial House. From the lobby, the walk back to our room was about five minutes.
Since we were in a suite, we were also Club Level guests. The Polynesian is a bit unique in how it operates its Club Level service. The Hawaii Longhouse is the building were most Club Level Rooms are located. If you book a normal Club Level room, you will be housed in that building. It’s also where the main Club Level lounge, the King Kamehameha Lounge is located.
But since we were in a different building, we also had access to a mini Club Level lounge in our building. Yup, we had access to two different lounges. And since our lounge didn’t serve hot food, we received complimentary room service for breakfast and the evening appetizer service. You can find my full review of the Polynesian’s Club Level service HERE but complimentary room service was a huge perk of staying in the Honeymoon Suite.
Overall, our room was great. Although it is called the Honeymoon Suite, it isn’t a true suite. It only included one room and the bathroom. But, the room was larger than a normal hotel room and the bathroom was also bigger than a standard hotel bathroom.
The Honeymoon suite includes a four poster bed with curtains and a Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom. We also had more H2O+ products like mouth wash, aloe vera lotion and foot powder. The standard amenities like a Kurieg coffee maker and mini fridge were in the room as well.
The Tonga Suites building is two stories and our room was on the first floor at the far end. We shared a wall with one other suite and during our stay, I didn’t hear anyone in that room. It does include a connecting door if you want to make the suite larger.
From our room, we had a view of the Seven Seas Lagoon. If it wasn’t for the Tuvalu Longhouse building, we would have been able to see Cinderella Castle from our room. But Tuvalu just peaks out right where our window was located. Our view was still great and we could see Cinderella Castle and the fireworks from the King Kamehameha Lounge.
Unlike the Yacht and Beach Club Resorts, the tropical theming continued into the room. The curtain on the four poster bed felt like a luxury mosquito net as we slept on the beach in the South Pacific.
We consistently rank our room at the Polynesian as our favorite hotel room at Walt Disney World. It was beautiful and so close to everything at the resort. We were two minutes from Trader Sam’s, five minutes from all other dining and five minutes from the King Kamehameha Lounge. The location was prefect.
Amenities
As a Disney resort hotel, the Polynesian offers the standard line-up of amenities:
- Magical Express transportation to and from Orlando International Airport
- Complimentary Magic Bands
- Extra Magic Hours
- Fast Pass selections 60 days out from the first day of the reservation
- And for Club Level guests, 90 days out if paying the additional fee ($50/day per person for a minimum of three days)
- Merchandise delivery and pickup
- Free access to Disney transportation
- Online check-in
- Access to the Disney Dining Plan
As usual, we used the above perks, minus the Disney Dining Plan (which we don’t recommend). As Club Level guests, we did pay the extra fee and book our Fast Passes 90 days in advance. You can find my full review of the experience HERE. To summarize, it was great and we rode every ride with ease.
Outside the standard amenities, the Polynesian offers a slew of other services. One of the best perks of staying at the Polynesian is easy access to the monorail. The Polynesian is on the Magic Kingdom monorail loop and is two stops away from the Magic Kingdom.
The Polynesian is also about an eight minute walk from the Transportation and Ticket Center, allowing easy access to the EPCOT monorail. You can take the Magic Kingdom monorail all around the Magic Kingdom resorts or just walk eight easy minutes to the Transportation and Ticket Center. We walked and found no issues with the route. Plus, it allowed us to view the hotel grounds.
You can also take a boat from the Polynesian to the Magic Kingdom. After the Christmas Party, we opted to take the boat back since the monorail was crazy busy. The boat was quick and efficient and it was fun heading back to the resort across the Seven Seas Lagoon.
For access to Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, the Polynesian shares bus service with the Grand Floridan Resort. We had no issues with bus transport during our stay.
Outside of transportation, the Polynesian offers great views of the Electric Water Pagent and the Magic Kingdom fireworks. With its strategic location on the Seven Seas Lagoon, there are plenty of spots along the beach to find a spot and watch the parade or fireworks. Since we were Club Level guests, we watched inside the lounge but saw plenty of open beach space in front of the building.
Other amenities include in-room celebrations, Disney wake-up calls and access to the spa and fitness center at the Grand Floridan Resort. The Polynesian does not have its own fitness center and guests must head to the Grand Floridan. We made the walk to the Grand Floridan and it took ten minutes at most. Not a bad walk.
Additionally, the resort hosts a movie under the stars each night and campfire activities. Check your activity and times guide at check-in for a full list of amenities and programs operating during you stay.
Pools and Recreation
One of my favorite reasons for staying at Disney hotels are the themed pools. Although the pools at the Polynesian can’t compete with Stormalong Bay (what can?) they are still fun. The Polynesian has the following pools:
- Lava Pool: Main pool behind the Great Ceremonial House. It features a towering volcano, waterfall and a 142ft long waterslide. It also features a zero-depth entry point for easy access. During our stay, we spent our time at this pool, especially using the waterslide. It was a fun pool and themed to a South Pacific island with its waterfall and volcano. The waterslide is at the top of the volcano and cuts through its slops. Food is available via the Barefoot Pool Bar.
- Oasis Pool: Small all-ages leisure pool located by the Tokelau building. We didn’t use it but walked by it to and from the Transportation and Ticket Center. Each time we walked by, we probably saw three people using it. It’s a large pool. But, it’s just a standard pool without the fun features on display like the Laval Pool. I would assess this is more for adults looking for a nice quiet place to swim and relax without children. Food is available via the Oasis Bar & Grill.
Outside the pools, the Polynesian features the following recreation activities:
- Motorized Boat Rentals: With its location on the Seven Seas Lagoon, the Polynesian offers boat rentals. Renting a boat on the Seven Seas Lagoon looks fun but we didn’t use this service. Boat rentals start at $32 per half-hour.
- Fishing: Guests can experience catch-and-release bass fishing. We hate fishing and did not experience this service.
- Volleyball: The Polynesian has a sandy volleyball court on property between the Hawaii and Tahiti buildings. Complimentary volleyballs may be checked out from the Seven Seas Marina.
The Polynesian has a fair amount of things to do if you are not venturing into the park. We only experienced the pools but I remember our activity and times guide was stacked with different activities each day. If we had more time, we definitely would have spent more time doing activities on the hotel grounds. Just gotta save it for next time!
Restaurants
Like Animal Kingdom Lodge, the Polynesian offers a stacked lineup for dining choices. With its theming, the Polynesian dining options are predominately Polynesian/Asian cuisine. But, it has dining options for all eaters. Here is the full list below:
- “Ohana: Character buffet during breakfast featuring Lilo & Stitch. Breakfast offers American favorites influenced by Polynesian flavors. Dinner is a Hawaiian-flavored buffet with fun and games for children. Characters are not present at dinner.
- Oasis Bar & Grill: Pool bar located at the Oasis Pool. Serves poolside favorites, like tacos and burgers, but with a Polynesian twist. Beer, wine and specialty cocktails can also be purchased.
- Tambu Lounge: Full bar in the lobby next to ‘Ohana’s. Serves exotic tropical drinks and Hawaiian-inspired appetizers. Ever wanted 151 Rum in a pineapple? Oh yes, they sell it here. And it is glorious. Remember, if you save the pineapple, it’s $5 off your next drink.
- Pineapple Lanai: Snack window serving the legendary frozen DOLE Whip. Floats and souvenir tiki sippers are also available.
- Disney’s Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show: Full on Polynesian luau with an all you can eat buffet. With two performances per night, guests can indulge in pork, ribs, salads and desserts. Unlimited soft drinks and beer/wine are included. The show includes hula dancing, fire dancing and drummers.
- Kona Cafe: Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in a casual setting. Menu options include sushi, Tonga Toast and poke bowls.
- Capt. Cook’s: The Polynesian’s counter service option serving meals all day. Mobile Ordering is available.
- Kona Island: Grab and go option selling coffee, pastries sandwiches and sushi.
- Barefoot Pool Bar: Laval Pool’s dining option serving poolside favorites and alcoholic beverages.
- Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto: The crown jewel of dining at the Polynesian. Trader Sam’s is an unique tiki bar serving fantastic tiki drinks in a show like setting. Once you order a drink, who knows what will happen! It’s all apart of the show. Trader Sam’s also serves small plates with Polynesian/Asian flavors. Hands down the best bar at all of Walt Disney World. See our full Review of Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto HERE.
Throughout our vacations to Disney World, we’ve eaten at Kona Cafe, Capt. Cook’s, Tambu Lounge and Trader Sam’s. Kona Cafe and Capt. Cook’s were average. We needed a quick breakfast one morning and Capt. Cook’s is prefect for something cheap and on the go.
We had dinner at Kona Cafe, but it’s food is just okay. The sushi wasn’t very good and the rest of the food was pretty bland. I wouldn’t recommend eating here if you can avoid it. Tambu Lounge was amazing for the pineapple drink, Lapu Lapu. The drink is strong, but delicious. Highly recommend trying this drink.
As I said above, Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto is the crown jewel. With the success of Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at the Disneyland Hotel, it was recreated at the Polynesian. The menus differ slightly between the two but the experience is still the same.
The drinks are fantastic, strong and come with a show. Order a Nautilus. It’s the best drink and the whole bar gets crazy when it’s ordered. Plus, as a tiki culture inspired hotel, the Polynesian is the absolute perfect place for a tiki bar. Go to Trader Sam’s. It’s so much fun and so much more than a bar.
Conclusion
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is one of the best onsite resort hotels at the Walt Disney World Resort. Themed to the South Seas during the golden age of tiki culture, the resort hotels transports you to a different time and place. The gardens are lush and tropical. The beaches are filled with white sand. A waterslide cuts through a towering volcano. And just beyond in the distance, stands Cinderella Castle.
The resort hotel has it all. The theming is spot on, the rooms beautiful and comfortable and the dining is out of this world. But most off, it’s relaxing. After a busy day in the parks, it feels so nice to come to a quiet hotel, order a strong tiki drink and watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks off in the distance. Then you get to retreat to a comfortable bed and fall asleep knowing you can do it all over again tomorrow.
The Polynesian lives up to its name as a deluxe resort at Walt Disney World. Ever since our trip, we’ve been dying to get back. We want to walk through the main lobby, wonder its lush grounds and pray to the tiki gods at Trader Sam’s one more time. The resort hotel is expensive (one of the most expensive at Walt Disney World) but it’s so worth it.
For your next trip, we recommend booking a room here if you can. If money was no issue, we would always stay here without a doubt. The Polynesian is a thing of beauty and we know all families will have the time of their lives staying at this fantastic resort hotel. We know you will too.
Thoughts?
Thank you reading our review of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort! We hope it was helpful and will be useful with your vacation planning needs. Please read our One-Day Magic Kingdom Itinerary HERE and our One-Day EPCOT Itinerary HERE for great tips on how to maximize your time in both parks!
For those interested in Club Level, check out our review of the King Kamehameha Club HERE for an in-depth analysis of the Polynesian’s Club Level offerings.
Have you stayed at the Polynesian before? How was it? What was your favorite part? Have you ever prayed to the tiki gods after visiting Trader Sam’s? Let us know in the comments below!
