OVER ONE HOUR AND FIFTY SEVEN MINUTES ON HOLD because their Polynesian resort gift shop sold me a defective item that they don't know if they can replace. DEPLORABLE! I am utterly amazed at how terrible Disney's customer service has become and their reputation is surely catching up with them. In the past, but never again, I have taken my family to Disney at least two times a year. The latest was August 5th through the 8th of this year. While there I purchased items from the lower level gift shop at the Polynesian Resort including a Polynesian Resort T-shirt for a mere $40. When I returned home and unpacked the t-shirt I discovered that the bottom hem on the shirt was improperly manufactured and actually had holes in it. I emailed Disney Merchandise Services and was told to reply with pictures of the item and a copy of my credit card statement which shows the purchase which I immediately did. After a week had gone by with no response or acknowledgment of the receipt of those pictures I found the phone number to contact this department directly, which I did. The first time I called at approximately 2pm on a Thursday afternoon, I was on hold for 34 minutes without speaking to anyone at which point I hung up the phone due to a meeting commitment. I again called at approximately 4pm that same day and spent an unrealistic and unbelievable HOUR AND FIFTY SEVEN MINUTES on hold to finally reach somebody who advised me they never received my photos of the item and copy of my credit card statement showing the purchase I have never in my life heard of any company, anywhere that makes people wait almost two hours to reach somebody and I took several pictures of my phone timer clearly showing the amount of time I had spent on hold. I WILL NEVER EVER step foot on Disney property again. It is absolutely inexcusable to make guests stay on hold that long especially when it was Disney's own gross negligence for putting defective and sub par items on their sales floor and then grossly overcharging for them. I paid just under $40 for a tee shirt that has preexisting holes and substandard construction, unbelievable!!! Then the representative I FINALLY spoke top AFTER AN HOUR AND FIFTY SEVEN MINUTES ON HOLD was LESS than helpful, unconcerned about the wait time or the defective product they are selling. Then I am advised that they are not sure they can replace the item because she couldn't find it. This is the pattern of how Disney and the staff at the Polynesian now treat you after you dish out thousands to stay at their resort. WE WILL NEVER BE RETURNING TO THE POLYNESIAN OR ANY DISNEY PROPERTY!!!!!! Read less

The deluxe DVC studios are extremely family friendly. The studio sleeps five easily with an upgraded sofa bed and a single bed which pulls down from under the television. Best is that there are two showers and sinks in the bathroom areas. This really moves the showering and bath time along. The Polynesian is so convenient to the monorail as well as a short walk to the ticket and trnsportation area. We had a water view room using DVC points but in the future will opt for standard view since the resort is so lovely anyways. For DVC members we received towel service on the morning of the fourth day and received daily trash service. The resort was quiet despite being crowded and the room was particularly quiet despite being near the ferry dock. The only downside is that the railings on the balconies domcut off the view. Read less

We stayed at the club level and it was the best decision we made! Before our trip we were debating whether to stay club level or not but club level made the entire trip so worth it. I want to mention Sara, Kathy and Genesis as the best cast members on club level attending to all of our needs the entire time. Thank you!! The room is comfortable and spacious and the fact that you are exclusively in one building make things way better. The breakfast is great.. lots of choices from croissants to pastries.. oatmeal yogurt etc. very nice. The light snack consisted of kale salad and toppings and either chicken or shrimp . Then sweets like cookies and fruits. At night they had little plates and desserts .. plus of course wine, beer and drinks. Very very nice. We will go back for sure!! Read less

I'll start this review as I do with all Disney World establishments: In the context of Disney World in central Florida. Our family loves staying at the Polynesian. We have stayed at the Poly each of the past two years and we will be staying there the next time we go. Both of our trips were with two children under the age of five years old. We go to the Magic Kingdom daily (with one stop at Epcot). The Poly (along with the other two monorail resorts) has the tremendous advantage of offering Magic Kingdom security AT the Poly. We found out how incredible this is when we went to Epcot and waited in an extremely long line for stroller security check (which is 100% fine, I want a secure visit, keep it up security you are awesome!). Without a stroller the park security check is much quicker but we have to have a stroller and diaper bag (with medical equipment), so we have to go through the long line. Both of our children love trains, so riding the monorail is part of the magic of Disney for them. The bus is fine, but the monorail is efficient and a lot of fun for our family. The Poly also has a ferry that goes to Magic Kingdom and back (shared with Grand Floridian). We would use that as well. Again, the kids find it to be extremely fun (smaller sized boat than the massive TTC ferry). And, it can (sometimes) be quicker to get back after park close. The pool is fantastic for little ones. The volcano pool is just the right size (went in June both times and never found it to be terribly crowded, actually, I'm always surprised it's not more crowded). But, the splash-pad might be my favorite part. Both of my children really enjoyed the splash-pad area (water shooting everywhere, shallow water spots, two slides, one in a tunnel!). We also love the food options there. O'hana is our favorite breakfast and dinner. I'll review the restaurants in more detail separately. Breakfast is with characters (Mickey, Lilo and Stich with Pluto outside taking pictures). The food is all you can eat family style (buffet brought to the table). Being able to wake up and not have to take a bus/minnie-van/monorail to get to breakfast is fantastic. RESORT TIP: If you are staying at the Poly, you can get O'hana dinner (basically the exact same thing you'd get in restaurant) brought to your room for room service. Our last night at DW got rained out and we went back to the room, enjoyed O'hana dinner in room (no need for reservations). The property is beautiful and well maintained. Our children loved watching lizards scatter around as we walked property. We booked a professional photography (through Disney, though 3rd party photographers are available) for a one hour session to take photos of our family on property. They turned out amazing. The resort property really is an amazing backdrop for incredible photos. (You don't have to stay at the Poly to do this, but it made it much easier). We have had a Park View room and a Standard View room. Both rooms were pretty much the same (turned out to be the same building) on the inside. The Park View is fun because you have a nice view of the lagoon, a very small castle and an amazing view of the fireworks. I would not say the Park View is not worth the extra cost (and it is EXTRA), but, if one is on the fence between the views, I'd say save the money and spend it elsewhere. With all that said, the Poly is not cheap. In fact, the per night cost is that which a five star hotel would cost in a major city. The room and service quality are nowhere near a five star establishment (quick clarification, I'm not saying the staff is not amazing, because the staff is absolutely incredible and amazing. But, this is a massive resort and the staff to guest ratio makes The Peninsula quality service impossible and not a fair expectation). The rooms are nice looking, smaller than newer Deluxe Hotels on property, but nothing fancy. I'd say the Poly's rooms are like what you could expect at a Westin, nice but not amazing. You are paying for the Disney experience here, and you absolutely get that at the Poly. You get Magical Express airport transportation, with bag pickup and delivery to your room and you can check you and your bags into your departure flight on property! As the dad, I end up having to be the pack mule on vacation. Not at the Poly. If you want a five star hotel at this price near Disney, for basically the same price you can stay at the Four Seasons on Disney property, but over half of the advantages I listed with the Poly are not at the Four Seasons. BASIC HOTEL REQUIREMENTS: Clean, comfortable, safe and quiet? YES! Read less

Stayed one night before boarding cruise. Location is terrific with monorail to magic kingdom and Epcot but resort looks a bit old and tired. It’s one of dvc’s older properties. The exterior and hallways need to be improved. Rooms are pretty nice and functional if your goal is to be close to parks. Bell services very helpful. Would stay again for 1-2 nights quick trip with focus on theme park proximity as key. Read less