Magical Monday {Disney’s Polynesian Resort}

6/2018 This post has been updated HERE

We spent our big Disney week back at an old fave, Disney’s Polynesian Resort.  I have such wonderful memories of staying here with Mother, Daddy-O and Sister and it felt so special to be back with my own family.

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If you remember the old Polynesian resort, I’m sure you’ll recall the huge waterfall that used to be in the center of the Grand Ceremonial House.  That is gone now, but I have to say, I do love what they did with the space.  It’s open and airy and, quite honestly, felt very familiar to Aulani.

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We were at the resort on the 45th anniversary of Magic Kingdom and the 3 original resorts.  It was a fun little treat to get commemorative buttons.  They were pretty strict about only giving them to resort guests.

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We loved the people watching in the Grand Ceremonial House and thought overall atmosphere was great with the Tambu Lounge just upstairs and Pineapple Lanai through the back doors.

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The property itself is lush and gorgeous.  Every detail was immaculate.  The views of Magic Kingdom and the 7 Seas Lagoon were pretty spectacular as well.

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We intended to rent a boat from the marina but never got around to it.  Getting into Magic Kingdom was SO easy that we tended to pop over there even when we didn’t have fast passes or dining plans.

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You can see the new rocks and fencing along the beach areas to prevent swimming.  I thought they were tasteful.  We came out one night to watch the Hallo-Wishes fireworks from this spot and it was wonderful!!  The 180 degree fireworks finale can’t be appreciated from inside the park like it can from this viewpoint.

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We stayed in the Tokelau Longhouse.  It was a fantastic location for us (I requested it) as it was steps away from the Oasis Pool (quiet pool) and close to both the monorail, bus stop, and Ticketing and Transportation Center.

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Our room was very nice and spacious as far as hotel rooms go.  The boys alternated sleeping on the pull out sofa and single murphy bed.

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The unit has a split bathroom which was fabulous.  “My” bathroom had a luxurious shower and sink, while the “boys” bathroom had a shower/tub combo, sink and potty.

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I usually request a ground floor when we are traveling for more than a long weekend because my littles’ need space to get out and run (while Honey and I need time to just chill and zone out.)  You usually do sacrifice a good view (ie. Magic Kingdom in this case) but it’s worth it for us.

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I LOVED the veggie noodle bowl from Captain Cooks quick service.  I ate it most days – either late afternoon on the patio or late evening at the pool.  MMMMM….

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There are SO many dining choices at Polynesian!  First things first, you can get the delish Dole Whip and Dole Whip Float at Pineapple Lanai.  (Shirt  |  Coffee Cozy |  Ears)

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Tambu Lounge is upstairs in the Grand Ceremonial House and has yummy tropical drinks.  My fave is the Lapu Lapu served in a pineapple.  I can’t recall what this one was, but it was very good.

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Trader Sam’s is the infamous Tiki bar that made it’s way to the East coast a few years back.  It’s a FUN experience that is not to be missed, especially if you sit at the large table in the middle and order a specialty drink.  They open at 4PM each day and start a wait list for tables around 3:30 pm.  Kids are allowed in (and there will be a few) from 4-8PM.  We went right at 4 one afternoon and had a great time.  There is also a terrace off of the back of Trader Sam’s with live music and a wonderful waterfall in the evenings.

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O’hana is the family style table service restaurant in the Grand Ceremonial House.  We did a late dinner our first night and it was a fun way to jump start the fun!  We love the food here and have always had a great time at this meal.  Our table was right next to the window and was PERFECT!!  We just lucked out with it, but I wouldn’t hesitate to ask at check-in for one.  We had a spectacular view of the Electric Water Pageant AND during Hallo-Wishes they dimmed the lights and piped in the music.

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We also ate at the Stitch’s Best Friends Breakfast at O’hana with some of our best friends :-)  I’ll be honest in saying that the food was meh for what you pay.  Eggs, Mickey + Stitch waffles, biscuits, fruit (mostly melons), bacon and sausage.  However, this is the only place to meet Lilo if you are after her.

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For a much better (and cheaper) breakfast, do Kona Cafe!!  I still remembered the Tonga Toast from when I was little and it is still SO yummy!!  We shared a french press pot of Kona Coffee and had a delightful breakfast here.

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The Spirit of Aloha Show is another family style dinner and luau type show at Polynesian.  We took the boys last when they were 2 and 5 and they still talk about it!  They were completely enamored by the show again this year and I was glad that we went.  BUT, I really didn’t care for the food at ALL.  The boys didn’t seem to either as both ordered kid pizzas – that’s saying a lot because the usually eat anything and everything.  We had fantastic seats – like front and center – so that definitely helped up the enjoyment factor.  Would I go again?  Maybe.  In a few years.  If you DO go, make your reservations 180 days out and pay for the tier 1 seating.  They assign tables based on the time you make your reservation NOT on the time you check-in at the podium before your meal.   I would have been very disappointed if we couldn’t see the show on top of average food.

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So, to recap the dining, dinner at O’hana and breakfast at Kona Cafe are my favorites.  Grab a Lapu Lapu at Tambu lounge before O’hana.  Make time to hit Trader Sam’s with 4PM being the easiest time to get in, and don’t miss the Dole Whips at Pineapple Lanai.

One HUGE benefit of Poly is the incredible access to transportation.  The monorail from the Grand Ceremonial House takes you to Magic Kingdom, as does a boat from the marina.  You can walk right over to ticketing and transportation and catch the direct Epcot monorail and a bus to pretty much anywhere on property.  If you are planning to spend most or all of your days in Magic Kingdom the monorail is a huge asset.

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I still remember the Volcano Pool from when I was a kid and my kids thought it was just as fabulous as I did!  Most of our park plans were in the evening, so most of our mornings were spent at the pool.  It was nice because it seemed like we were on the opposite schedule from the other guests.

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This pool has a new splash area, zero entry at one end, waterfall, infinity hot tub overlooking Magic Kingdom, and waterslide.  It’s really close to Captain Cooks for food and has it’s own pool bar in the back.  I will always call this drink the Pina Co-lava although it had a new name.  It’s my fave Disney drink of all time.

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The new Oasis Pool is considered the “quiet pool” and was just outside of our room in Tokelau.  It also had a zero entry and sizeable hot tob.  We loved the three little cabana areas (no rental, just first come first serve) and the food at the quick serve restaurant… especially the malasadas that reminded us of Aulani!

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My sweet friend Ashley at Dressing for Disney came over for an afternoon with baby Will to hang out.  I love seeing her!!

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The pool was nice during the day but quite enchanting in the evening.

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When we do our annual big trip to Disney we always send the littles’ to kids club one night so we can do a date night.  Whit LOVES kids club and always begs to go back. John is probably aging out, I’ll be honest.  The one at Poly is called Lilo’s Playhouse and was SO cute.  They do have an open house each day for a peek inside but I didn’t take any pictures.  This one has a flat fee and your kids can stay as long as they want from 4:30-midnight.  On the night mine went they had a science experiment, a cooking class and free play.  Whit loved it, John said he was bored when they weren’t doing the structured activities.  Mommy and Daddy got to go to California Grill.  Wahoo!!!!!

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All in all, we absolutely LOVED Polynesian.  The location really cannot be beat and the cast members went out of their way on three separate occasions to make our trip magical.  Since we love to hop around to different resorts, I’m not sure when we will be back.  BUT, I’m already looking forward to it!

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9 thoughts on “Magical Monday {Disney’s Polynesian Resort}

  1. I love your resort recaps! We stayed at the Poly in May for the first time and I fell in love. We also like to change resorts each trip, but it’s going to be difficult. We wanted to hit up Trader Sam’s but didn’t think taking kids was allowed so we never went inside. Now I know they can go too!

    1. I know what you mean about changing resorts each trip. I love so many!!! We still have Contemporary and Beach Club on our deluxe list and really want to stay at Art of Animation and the cabins at Fort Wilderness still. Ahhh…. :-)

  2. HI Amanda! I need some advice please. My daughter and I are scheduled to be at Epicot on Wednesday for the Food and Wine Festival. With the current threat of terrible weather, will we be able to still be able to get around? Just spoke with Disney and we can not reschedule. Thanks for any advice.

    1. Oh no!! I’ve not been during a storm. I thought I read on their site that if there is a hurricane within 7 days of your arrival that you could cancel without penalty. Hmmm?? At any rate, having grown up with hurricanes a regular threat, any storm weather should clear out in 12 hours or so. They will keep the bus and monorail running as long as it is safe, however it was our experience during a huge storm last week that many of the outdoor kitchens for food and wine shut down. So…. it really could be a bust if that is your one day to be at food and wine.

  3. I love your Disney posts. We are taking our kids for the first time to WDW in 10 days. I have used so many of your awesome Disney ideas for our trip. Keep them coming!! :)

  4. Hi Amanda, I love your cozie!!! I can’t find that design on their website, is this a special order/create your own? Yours has all my favorite colors :)

  5. Yay!!! Just placed my order – thanks – and love, love, love all your posts! I’m a Disney fan too!!! It makes me happy :)

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