DVC Resort Tips and Tricks: Polynesian
A monorail ride away from Magic Kingdom is the tropical paradise that is the Polynesian. Whether you are a repeat guest at the Polynesian or you’re thinking of renting a stay there for the first time, here are some tips and tricks for booking and enjoying a great stay.
Booking and Availability
Room Types and Booking Categories
At the Polynesian, there are a few different buildings with DVC accommodations. There is the original DVC section with the Tokelau, Pago Pago, and Moorea longhouses as well as the Bora Bora Bungalows that sit on the Seven Seas Lagoon. The longhouses are entirely made up of Deluxe Studios that sleep up to 5 guests and are either Resort View (resort grounds and gardens or parking areas) or Preferred View (at least partial view of lakes, pools, or golf course). The Bora Bora Bungalows are unique standalone accommodations that sleep up to 8 guests. They are all Preferred View and have beautiful views of Magic Kingdom.
Then there is also the new Island Tower that offers more room types, including Duo Studios, Deluxe Studios, One Bedroom Villas, Two Bedroom Villas, and Two Bedroom Penthouse Villas. In addition to offering Resort View and Preferred View, there are Theme Park View rooms for all room types at the Island Tower except for the Duo Studios. Instead, Duo Studios have Resort View, Preferred View, and Premium View, which offers at least a partial view of the Seven Seas Lagoon.
Availability
While relatively low in point value, the Duo Studios of all views tend to book up quickly, so if you’re looking to rent one, put in your request for the 11-month window.
If you’re booking a Deluxe Studio, it tends to be easier to book one in the longhouses than in the Island Tower. Also note that the Island Tower Deluxe Studios only sleep up to 4 guests instead of 5.
One Bedroom Villas and Two Bedroom Villas at the Island Tower seem to follow the same pattern with the cheaper Resort View booking up first, followed by Preferred View and then the more expensive Theme Park View.
There are only 4 Two Bedroom Penthouse Villas at the Island Tower (2 Preferred View and 2 Theme Park View), and they are often booked by the 7-month mark.
There is typically good availability for the Bora Bora Bungalows (sometimes even beyond the 7-month booking window) since they are very high in point value.
Getting Around
Monorail
While you’ll need to take a bus to Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom, the monorail is the main mode of transportation to Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. They’re great when you’re traveling with a stroller or ECV. If you travel with young children, you’ll appreciate that you don’t need to collapse your stroller, not even if it’s a double stroller.
A great perk of the Polynesian’s location is that it is close to the Transportation and Ticket Center, particularly when you are staying in the Moorea and Pago Pago longhouses. This means you can walk to the Transportation and Ticket Center to board the EPCOT monorail or the express monorail or ferry boat to go directly to Magic Kingdom without stopping at the other monorail resorts along the way.
Boats
A more leisurely way to get to Magic Kingdom from the Polynesian is by boat. This shared boat stops at the Polynesian before heading to Magic Kingdom. When returning from the Magic Kingdom, the Grand Floridian is the first stop and then the Polynesian. There are two different types of boats that travel this route; one can accommodate ECVs and unfolded strollers while the smaller kind cannot.
Dining
Character Dining
At ‘Ohana, join Lilo and Stitch for the Best Friends Breakfast. Besides Lilo and Stitch, you’ll get to meet Mickey and Pluto. The all-you-care-to-eat breakfast includes fresh fruit, pineapple coconut bread, eggs, breakfast potatoes, sausage, Hawaiian-style ham with pineapple compote, Mickey waffles, and biscuits.
Casual Table Service Dining
At the Great Ceremonial House, you’ll find ‘Ohana and Kona Cafe. ‘Ohana doesn’t offer character dining for dinner but is still a favorite for many guests thanks to its all-you-care-to-eat skillets with noodles, grilled teriyaki beef, peel-n-eat shrimp, and its iconic pineapple bread pudding.
Kona Cafe serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You’ll find favorites like macadamia-pineapple pancakes and cinnamon and banana stuffed Tonga Toast on the breakfast menu. For lunch, there is sushi, poke bowls, stir fry, and a mirin-teriyaki burger. In addition to sushi and poke bowls, the dinner menu includes entrees like tamarind barbecue chicken, beer-braised pork shank, and Kona-braised short rib. The pineapple-coconut bread pudding is the same as the one from ‘Ohana, so this is an easier way to order it if you cannot get a reservation for ‘Ohana. Although Kona Cafe is a table service restaurant, you can order food to go through the My Disney Experience app.
At the Island Tower is Wailulu Bar & Grill, which has views of the Seven Seas Lagoon. From 7am to 11am, the restaurant offers grab-and-go breakfast items like pastries, fruit, and Mickey waffles. At lunch and dinner, it operates as a table service restaurant with menu highlights such as poke bowls, the Wayfinder burger, a Kālua pork shank, short rib loco moco, and pineapple barbecue chicken sliders. Like Kona Cafe, you can order food to go from Wailulu Bar & Grill from the My Disney Experience app.
Quick Service Dining
Capt. Cook’s serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. At breakfast, you can enjoy Mickey waffles, or eggs. Lunch and dinner offer favorites like the Thai coconut meatballs, pulled pork nachos, or pan-Asian noodles. Capt. Cook’s is also where you can fill up any resort refillable mugs here. There is a good amount of indoor seating as well as some outdoor seating.
When staying at the Polynesian, you don’t have to go all the way to Magic Kingdom to get your Dole Whip fix! Just head to Pineapple Lanai outside of the Great Ceremonial House for Dole Whip and floats.
Bars and Lounges
The Polynesian has Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto and the Tambu Lounge. Trader Sam’s is a fun tiki bar with interactive drinks like the Krakatoa Punch or Uh-Oa! that trigger different lighting and effects as well as some light bites. It tends to be busy, so it helps to get there early if you don’t want to wait too long. It’s now open at 11am daily. Just outside, Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace (which is currently closed for refurbishment) is an outdoor lounge with live music that serves the same menu as Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto.
Right next to ‘Ohana is the Tambu Lounge. It serves tropical drinks and Hawaiian-inspired appetizers, including pork ribs and the chicken wings and pot stickers from ‘Ohana. Tables are limited at the Tambu Lounge, so if you’re going more for the bites than the drinks, you may want to arrive early.
Recreation and Entertainment
Pools
The Polynesian has three pools: the Lava Pool, Oasis Pool, and Cove Pool. The Lava Pool is the feature pool with a volcano, waterfall, and 142-foot waterslide. There’s also a nearby splash pad. The Oasis Pool is the resort’s leisure pool, which is perfect for a more relaxing swim. If you plan to spend the day by the Oasis Pool, you may want to consider renting an Oasis Patio to have a private shaded area with cushioned lounge chairs.
The Cove Pool is the new zero-entry pool by the Island Tower. At night, it has wonderful views of Happily Ever After! Adjacent to the Cove Pool is Moana’s Voyage, a splash pad featuring a life-size sculpture of Moana and her canoe.
Whether you are staying in the original longhouses and bungalows or the newer Island Tower, you have access to all three of the Polynesian’s pools.
Terrace Gardens
Guests staying at the Island Tower have exclusive access to the 4 terrace gardens:
- Bamboo Terrace Garden (3rd Floor)
- Lava Rock Terrace Garden (4th Floor)
- Wave Break Terrace Garden (5th Floor)
- Lagoon Reef Terrace Garden (6th Floor)
The Bamboo and Wave Break Terrace Gardens face the Seven Seas Lagoon and offer fireworks views while the Lava Rock and Lagoon Reef Terraces face the front of the resort and Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course. The gardens are unique amenities and the perfect spots for a little quiet time during the day. If you’re heading there for fireworks viewing, be sure to arrive early since sitting is limited.
If you’re staying at the longhouses or bungalows or simply want to find other fireworks viewing areas, there are plenty of great spots at the Polynesian.
Boat Rentals and Fishing Excursions
From Seven Seas Marina, you can rent a motorized boat to cruise the Seven Seas Lagoon or go on a guided bass fishing excursion. These excursions are either 2 or 4 hours.
Volleyball
Play volleyball on the sandy court between the Hawaii and Tahiti buildings. You can check out volleyballs from Seven Seas Marina using your MagicBand or Key to the World Card.
Stay at the Polynesian or any of the other incredible DVC Resorts for your next Disney vacation! Browse the confirmed reservations, or request a free quote to rent DVC points and save up to 65% compared to booking directly through Disney.
