Resort Review: Disney's Polynesian Resort

Hello there! Gabe again, this time with a review of Disney's Polynesian Resort at Walt Disney World in Florida!

The main lobby at the Polynesian

Resort Overview

The Polynesian is a deluxe-level resort that has a south seas theme, and rich history at Walt Disney World, as being one of the two original resorts on property, the other being the Contemporary. The Polynesian, which is situated right on the shores of Seven Seas Lagoon, features a multitude of features including dining, shopping, and recreation, all of which make it one of the more popular resorts on property.

Dining at the Polynesian

The Polynesian is home to some of the more unique dining offerings at Disney World. The main quick service location here is Capt. Cooks, which is located in the Great Ceremonial House, the main building of the resort, and serves up quick fare all day. There are also some smaller quick service locations near the pools, which are also useful for a quick bite. The Polynesian is home to three sit-down restaurants; the first being Kona Cafe, which serves up a variety of Pan-Pacific dishes, ranging from sushi rolls to noddle bowls. 'Ohana, which I reviewed in a previous post, features a character breakfast and a family-style dinner which is a fan favorite. These two restaurants are both located in the Great Ceremonial House. The third sit down location at the Polynesian is the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show, which is held twice a night in an outdoor restaurant where performers put on a South Seas inspired revue type show while guests dine on Polynesian favorites. The Spirit of Aloha is a fan favorite, and while I have not experienced  the show in it's entirety, I can definitely say that the portions that I did see were very nice, and went along very nicely with the whole theme of the Polynesian!

Shopping at the Polynesian

The Polynesian features two main gift shop areas, both in the Great Ceremonial House, one being on the lower level, and one is on the second level. The first floor gift shop features some of the standard Disney merchandise, as well as some Disney produced Polynesian themed merchandise, that can only be found at this resort, the Polynesian is unique in the fact that it also features merchandise that is authentic and comes from the islands of the South Seas. The shop on the second floor in the Great Ceremonial House features some Disney merchandise, and is also the place to buy name brand packaged snack foods. 

Recreation at the Polynesian

The Polynesian features a plethora of activities, which is nice if you need a break from the hustle and bustle of the parks. Firstly, there are two swimming pool areas at the Polynesian, the area just outside of the Great Ceremonial House features the main feature pool, with waterslide and splash area for kids. The other pool area is located among some of the guest room longhouses, and features just a single swimming pool in a more quiet, secluded location. Since Polynesian is one of the resorts that sits on Seven Seas Lagoon, there are various types of watercraft available for rental. The Polynesian also features a supervised kid's program, called Lilo's Playhouse. Another unique feature to this resort is the fact that there is a jogging track that runs between the Polynesian and Grand Floridian resorts, past the Wedding Pavilion.

The Disney Vacation Club Bungalows, which sit over the water
of Seven Seas Lagoo

Rooms at the Polynesian

The rooms at the Polynesian all have a very tropical feel to the decor, which enhances the Polynesian vibe that is evident throughout this resort. The Polynesian features several types of rooms, including Disney Vacation Club Studios, Disney Vacation Club Bungalows, Concierge Rooms, and of course standard rooms. The rooms are all nicely appointed, and have similar features as the rest of the Walt Disney World Resorts.

Thanks for reading along! Have you stayed at the Polynesian, did you enjoy it as much as I did?