Disney’s Polynesian Resort, Villas and Bungalows

I love to update my resort reviews after each visit, and we last stayed at Disney’s Polynesian Resort in July. At the resort entrance you are immediately transported to Polynesia with the lush plantings, tiki torches and waterfalls. The Polynesian is a great choice for deluxe travelers looking for a relaxing and convenient escape from the theme parks, with all of the magic, service and storytelling Disney is known for.

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

I love that this lobby is always a hub of activity and you will find families and friends gathered in the many seating areas no matter the time of day.

The property itself is lush and gorgeous.  Every detail is immaculate and you can’t help but treasure even the time spent walking on the many winding paths lit with tiki torches when you’re dog tired at night.  The views of Magic Kingdom and the 7 Seas Lagoon are pretty spectacular as well.

Disney’s Polynesian Resort

Polynesian has both regular hotel rooms and villa studios, as well as the most charming over-water two bedroom bungalows!  The regular hotel rooms are some of the most spacious on property, with the Polynesian being one of the original resorts at Walt Disney World on opening day in 1971. Most rooms offer lovely views of the gorgeous property. Every single one was fully renovated with a Moana theme in fall 2021. They look fantastic!

I love this feature wall so much! The couch folds down into a comfortable twin bed.

Peep HeiHei in the coffee station! He’s such a darling character.

The bathrooms are also huge, with double sinks, a toilet and a shower/tub combo in most.

King Kamehameha 2 Bedroom Concierge Suite

Regular hotel rooms also offer concierge level accommodations. The club level at Polynesian is one (if not the) most highly regarded concierge lounges on property! Note: All suites have also been updated since I last toured them!

And, in addition to standard club level rooms, there are also a variety of luxurious suites. This one is the King Kamehameha 2-story 2-bedroom suite.

Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows

A couple of the longhouses were converted to Disney Vacation Club studios a few years ago, but can be booked by any guests!

Deluxe Studio

The studio rooms are very spacious compared to any normal hotel room.  They have a queen bed, a sleeper sofa, and a twin sized pull down.  We love this configuration because our boys don’t have to share a bed (which leads to many problems) and there is so much more floor space in the room when the sleeper sofa is tucked away.

Note: The studios have been updated with Stitch and look wonderful! So much brighter!

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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 kids 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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Over Water 2-Bedroom Bungalow

We stayed in the over water 2-bedroom bungalow for our four nights in July and it was absolutely amazing!!

You can take a full tour here:

Dining at the Polynesian Resort

The Polynesian is one of my favorites for is varied and delicious dining on property. All of the options are located in the Grand Ceremonial House – a quick walk from any longhouse location and the hub of the resort.

Captain Cooks

As far as dining, Captain Cooks is easily in my top 3 quick serve restaurants across the entire Walt Disney World resort.  My favorites are the veggie noodle bowl and Thai coconut meatballs.  I also love the Tonga Toast at breakfast.

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Pineapple Lanai

There are SO many other dining choices at Polynesian!  First things first, you can get the delish Dole Whip and Dole Whip Float at Pineapple Lanai.  

Tambu Lounge

Tambu Lounge is upstairs in the Grand Ceremonial House and has yummy tropical drinks.  My fave is the Lapu Lapu served in a pineapple.  It is as tasty as it looks!

Trader Sam’s

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 3PM each day and start a wait list for tables around 2:30 pm.  Kids are allowed in (and there will be a few) from 3-8PM.  There is also a terrace off of the back of Trader Sam’s with live music and a wonderful waterfall in the evenings.

Read a full review here:

‘Ohana

O’hana is the family style table service restaurant in the Grand Ceremonial House. We love the food here and have always had a great time at this meal.  

Read a full review here:

Stitch’s Best Friends Breakfast at O’hana

We have also done Stitch’s Best Friends Breakfast at O’hana.  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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Kona Cafe

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!!  Lunch and inner here is a treat, with some of the best sushi on property and delicious burgers and bowls. Overall, we think Kona Cafe is extremely underrated!

Read a full review here:

Kona Island

Kona Island is located on the upper level of the Grand Ceremonial House. My favorite picks here are candied bacon, chocolate covered strawberries and lilikoi juice! They also keep the CUTEST celebration cakes in the case.

‘Ohana Twilight Feast

One of the tips I always give my clients is to consider ordering the Twilight Feast from ‘Ohana delivered to your room! It is such a treat and one of our very favorite things about the Polynesian. It serves a ton – this photo was an order for two – so definitely take one or two off of your order depending on how old your family is and how much they eat.

Note: This was not available on our visit.

Recreation at the Polynesian Resort

The marina offers boat and small craft rentals, like I’ve previously shared at other resorts.  One thing we love about the resorts on the Seven Seas Lagoon is that getting into Magic Kingdom is SO easy.  When staying here, it is definitely worth considering a park hopper if just for this reason alone.

Every time we have stayed here (even as kids!), we have enjoyed watching the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the beach and pool areas.

And, if you are traveling during July 4th, Halloween or Christmas, the 180 degree fireworks finales from those special presentations can’t be appreciated from inside the park like it can from this viewpoint.

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Another favorite childhood memory is the Electric Water Pageant.  It still runs today and there is a wonderful view from the Polynesian!

I still remember the Volcano Pool from when I was a kid and my kids thought it was just as fabulous as I did!  The water slide is always a huge hit with the kids, and the zero entry is so nice for families with younger kids. No matter how old you are, there is nothing like taking a swim with Cinderella Castle in the background!

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This pool has a large 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.

Two of my favorite cocktails in Disney are at the Polynesian pool bar! First is the Pina Co-lava (although it had a new name) and second is the Rose Gold Margarita. When that color trend passes, I sure hope they just rename the cocktail.

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The Oasis Pool is considered the “quiet pool”.  It also has a zero entry and sizeable hot tob.  We love the food at the quick serve restaurant… especially the malasadas that reminded us of Aulani!

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Like other Disney resorts, we also love to leave time in our schedule for the Movies Under the Stars.  They pass  out bags of popcorn and it is a lovely, low-key evening.  Times and movie schedules will be on the resort activity schedule at check-in.

Transportation at the Polynesian Resort

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.

All in all, we absolutely LOVE Polynesian and we keep coming back time and again.

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As a Premier Level Advisor with Glass Slipper Concierge, I am recognized for providing the highest level of customer service, experience, and knowledge in the industry.  I use my personal connections and firsthand expertise to craft bespoke Disney trips for the most discerning clients.  On top of that, Disney vacations are expensive and I know how to get the best value for your time and money.  If you’re looking to travel to Disney any time in 2022 or 2023, NOW is the time to plan!

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