I know I am not the only person who feels like this: I have always thought Hawai’i would be amazing but don’t want to spend ALL that money just for one full day of my trip to be traveling out there and another to be traveling back.  I am not sure if that’s lazy or a more typical attitude but it brings the allure of the Polynesian Resort that much closer to home for me.  When we decided to stay their last February I knew we were in for a whole new world within Disney World!

Let’s look at the Pros and Cons of the Poly: 

PROS:

• Theming: The resort is a vacation within a vacation transporting you to the South Pacific from the moment you step out of the car or Magical Express bus that transported you there
• Pools: While the main Volcano pool can get a big crowded on hot days the quiet pools are just lovely in and of themselves
• Shopping: The Great Ceremonial House has both a souvenir gift shop and one with sundries as well as a Wyland gallery
• Dining: Not only does the Polynesian have one of the only 24 hour hot food courts on-property but there is also a coffee bar, sushi bar, and two well-loved restaurants Kona Cafe and O’Hana
• History: The Polynesian has a rich history being one of the first resort hotels on property
• Monorail: You can take the monorail at the stop on the second floor of the Great Ceremonial House or take a quick walk to the Transportation and Ticket Center and hop on the Epcot or Magic Kingdom monorail directly
• Castmembers: I knew it was going to be a good trip when I got lei’d by a handsome Hawaiian castmember the moment I walked through the door! They were friendly, knowledgable, and attentive!

 CONS:

• The only real con is that bus service can be slow to Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.  I did not experience this at all during my stays here, however I have seen posts about it online.  If you are worried about this and staying in a longhouse on the east side of the resort you can always hop the bus at Transportation and Ticket

My husband and I have stayed at resort hotels at all price levels and deluxes in both the Epcot and Magic Kingdom area.  Of all of the resorts we have stayed at the Polynesian is by far our favorite.  It is just as beautiful as it seems in pictures and it really just took my breathe away.  It was so incredible at one point I even said to my husband “I guess we took that Hawaiian vacation afterall!” If you have been thinking about staying here, don’t hesitate as you won’t be disappointed! We saw families of all shapes and sizes here with children of all ages and couples who were younger then us and older than us walking the grounds! The Polynesian is a little slice of the South Pacific right there in central Florida!

Related articles

• Captain Cooks Snack Co.-Polynesian Resort (disneyfoodreport.com)
• Disney Food Confessions – Big Kahuna Breakfast (chipandco.com)

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About Melissa

Melissa has written 145 post on Chip and Co..

Melissa is a history teacher who believes in fairytales. She has created many of Chip & Company’s Disney World Guide pages as well as chronicling her Disney baking (and cooking) exploits 'In the Kitchen'. She also writes about her experiences visiting Disney Parks and finding Disney magic in her home state of New York.

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