Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

The Basics of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

Here are a few basic things you’ll want to know about the resort:

• Check-In (3:00 p.m.)
• Check-Out (11:00 a.m.)
• Self-Parking (Complimentary)
• Free Wi-Fi Internet
• Address: 1600 Seven Seas Drive. Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830
• Resort Map: Disney’s Polynesian Village Map
• Refurbishments: Polynesian Resort Refurbishment Schedule

Housekeeping at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

• Rooms at Disney Deluxe Resorts receive daily full housekeeping service.
• For Disney Vacation Club Members who utilize their Member Points or Member Cash Discounts at a Disney Vacation Club Resort, a complimentary trash and towel service will be provided on the fourth day of their stay. If their visit extends beyond eight nights, they will also enjoy a full cleaning service on the fourth day and a trash and towel service on the eighth day.
• Non-Disney Vacation Club Members (not renting points) staying in rooms at Disney Deluxe Villas can expect daily full housekeeping service during their stay.

Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is home to the Polynesian Villas and Bungalows, a Disney Vacation Club Resort. Therefore, this section of the resort operates a little differently from the average Disney Resort Hotel. Disney’s Vacation Club members will have a first-come, first-served choice of rooms when reservations become available. However, it is rare for rooms to fill up, so Disney makes these rooms available for rent to regular resort guests. Therefore, you do not have to be a DVC member to stay at this or any other Disney Vacation Club Resort.

The Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows recently opened. This new resort tower offers over 260 new studios and villas, including a duo studio, deluxe studio, one-bedroom villa, two-bedroom villa, and a unique two-bedroom penthouse suite. We recently stopped in for a photo tour of the Moana-themed mural in the Island Tower.

Benefits of Staying at the Polynesian

Guests of Disney’s Polynesian and Polynesian Villas can participate in Disney’s early theme park entry, a perk extended to all Walt Disney World Resort guests.

Early Theme Park Entry: This perk allows resort guests to enter any Walt Disney World theme park 30 minutes before officially opening to the general public. This early entry provides several advantages:

1. Lower Crowds: Being among the first to enter the park allows you to experience popular attractions with shorter wait times. This will help you check off must-see rides and experiences ahead of the crowd.
2. Photography Opportunities: If you love capturing the magic of Disney, the early hours provide a fantastic opportunity for photos in front of iconic landmarks with fewer people in the background.
3. Cooler Temperatures: Morning hours are often cooler, making outdoor activities more comfortable. But if you visit during cooler weather, don’t forget a jacket!

Extended Evening Hours: Disney Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resort guests, including those staying at Disney’s Polynesian and Villas, can enjoy spending extra time in select theme parks on specific evenings. During extended evening hours, these parks stay open later than their regular closing time, usually for an additional two hours.

This benefit offers several advantages as well:

1. More Ride Time: This allows you to enjoy additional nighttime rides and attractions when lines tend to be shorter.
2. Magical Nighttime Atmosphere: Disney Parks have a unique and enchanting ambiance at night, with beautifully lit landscapes. Thus, you’ll have time to savor the nighttime magic for longer with fewer crowds. 
3. Less Rush: With extended hours, you can explore at a more relaxed pace.

If you want to know what it’s like to stay at this resort, our review of Disney’s Polynesian is a good place to start. It provides a detailed account of what to expect, pros and cons, and our overall thoughts.

Rooms

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is home to some of our favorite resort rooms. The standard rooms throughout each village have subtle Moana theming. Here are the room types.

• Resort View: Views of a Garden, Monorail, or Parking Area
• Water View: Views of Pool, Marina, or Seven Seas Lagoon
• Theme Park View: Views of Magic Kingdom Park and Seven Seas Lagoon
• Club Level: All View Types (Resort, Water, Theme Park)
• Honeymoon Club Level: Views of the Marina
• 1 Bedroom Suite Club Level: Views of the Marina
• Ambassador VP Suite Club Level: Garden Views
• King Kamehameha Suite Club Level: View of Cinderella Castle and the Marina

*This list does not include the types of units available at Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows. They are listed below. Here is a video tour of a standard Moana room at the resort.

Villas Room Types:

• Deluxe Studio: Lake View
• Deluxe Studio: Standard
• Bungalows

We have the following room tours for Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort if you would like to see more photos and specifics:

• Disney’s Polynesian Moana Room Photos: Preview photos of a standard room among the villages at the Polynesian.
• Deluxe Studio at Disney’s Polynesian: This Disney Vacation Club unit sleeps up to five guests and has a popular layout with a split bathroom plan.
• Bungalow Tour at Disney’s Polynesian: These bungalows are designed to look like Bora Bora and are among the most exclusive units at Disney World.

Disney’s Polynesian is one of several resorts that offer rooms sleeping up to five guests. If you’re looking for a comparison, see which Disney resorts with 5th sleeper rooms can accommodate larger families without booking multiple rooms.

Island Tower Room Types

• Duo Studio
• Deluxe Studio
• One-Bedroom Villa
• Two-Bedroom Villa
• Penthouse Villa (Two-Bedroom)

Learn More>> Preview Video Room Tours of the Island Tower

What is Club Level?

Disney’s Polynesian Kamehameha Club Level is located in the Hawaii building, which faces Seven Seas Lagoon. Guests staying at the club level will be placed in this building, except for a few suites. You must scan your room key or Magic Band to access this building.

You’ll be privy to a private lounge as a club-level guest. The lounge is open daily from 7:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. They have multiple servings, including a hot breakfast and continental offerings. The offerings include snacks, beverages (including beer and wine), appetizer hour, and nightly desserts (with cordials). We have stayed at the club level many times. If you want to learn more, read our review of the Kamehameha club level at the Polynesian.

Dining

When dining at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, you’ll have plenty of options between the resort and the neighboring monorail resorts. Here is a summary of the dining options.

‘Ohana: This location serves breakfast and dinner. However, they are entirely different experiences. Breakfast is called The Best Friends Breakfast, a character meal with Lilo, Stitch, Mickey Mouse, and Pluto. We have a review of breakfast at ‘Ohana if you want to learn more.

Dinner is an all-you-care-to-enjoy family-style meal where meats and noodles are brought to the table. Characters are only present at breakfast. See our ‘Ohana Dinner Review to learn more.

Kona Cafe: This table-service restaurant is located on the second floor of the Great Ceremonial House. It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The menu is Polynesian-inspired, and there is a sushi bar. But don’t let that deter you from dining here if you have picky eaters. Kona has plenty of American cuisine on the menu. For more on dinner at this location, see our Kona Cafe Dinner Review.

Tambu Lounge: Tambu Lounge is the open bar and lounge for Ohana. This back corner of the second-floor lobby is often packed with guests picking up their favorite tropical drink, the Lapu Lapu, which comes in the core of a pineapple. The menu offers a fabulous selection of cocktails unique to the Polynesian, some dating back to 1971 when the resort opened.

Capt. Cook’s: This fun resort quick-service restaurant is located on the first floor of the Great Ceremonial House. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While their indoor dining room is pleasant, you might enjoy dining out on the terrace when the weather is pleasant! Trust me, you won’t regret it. We have a Capt. Cook’s Review that details more about this location and a separate list of Mobile Orders from Capt. Cook’s.

Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto: This original bar is a classic. Guests line up around the corner from the entrance to get a seat. When crowded, a cast member will take your information and text you when a seat becomes available. It’s that cool of a spot!

Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace: We prefer the casualness of the Tiki Terrace, which is outside and adjoins the terrace for Capt. Cook’s. Grab a seat, and a cast member will come by to take your order. This location is usually open from mid-afternoon until late evening. A limited selection of seats offers a view of the Electrical Water Pageant as it passes in the evening. Expect unique cocktails and appetizers.

Barefoot Pool Bar: This popular bar offers quick service and serves as the Oasis Pool’s poolside bar. It is located inside the pool gates, but it has a walk-up bar near the Marina side where anyone (resort guest or not) can order a drink.

Oasis Bar & Grill: This bar serves as the poolside bar and quick service for the Oasis Pool. It is within the pool gates and only available to resort guests.

Pineapple Lanai: Dole Whip, anyone? This location is on a small patio next to the resort-side entrance of the Great Ceremonial House. They serve Dole Whip and various concoctions made with the tropical treat.

Kona Island: This island stop is a kiosk. It’s near the monorail entrance. They serve coffee, including a special Kona blend and various other treats.

Wailulu Bar and Grill: This casual table service restaurant in the Island Tower serves lunch and dinner. Grab-and-go items are available for breakfast. See our review of the Wayfinder Burger if you’re looking to enjoy a delicious cheeseburger during your visit.

*Most of the restaurants at the Polynesian accept the Disney Dining Plan. Rapid Fill Mugs are available at Capt. Cook’s. We have a separate guide to refillable mugs for Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. It details the location of refill stations along with the current price and drink options.

Coffee Options at Disney’s Polynesian Resort: We share a list of the best brews and everything else that’s available when it comes to coffee at this resort.

Transportation

The following forms of transportation are available at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort:

• Monorail
• Resort Watercraft
• Disney Bus Service
• Walking Paths

Monorail: Guests can take the monorail to Magic Kingdom and the surrounding monorail resorts. For Epcot, guests will need to walk or take the resort monorail to the Transportation and Ticket Center. From there, you’ll take another monorail to Epcot. In most instances, it will be quicker to walk from the Polynesian to the TTC.

Resort Watercraft: Guests can take the resort watercraft launch (behind the Lava Pool and marina) to the Magic Kingdom and the Grand Floridian. The boat stops at the Magic Kingdom first, then the Grand Floridian, and then returns to the Polynesian.

Disney Buses: Guests can take Disney buses from the Polynesian to Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney Springs. A transfer bus is provided to Disney’s water parks. The bus service is shared with the Grand Floridian, so the bus picks up at the Polynesian and stops at the Grand Floridian before continuing to the destination. The Polynesian will be the first resort stop on the return trip. (See our Polynesian Resort Bus Schedule with average times for more details.)

Walking: We have a separate guide that shares the details of the walk between the Island Tower and the Polynesian’s bus stop. It shares two important things you’ll want to know upfront when staying at the Tower. We also have an overview of the walking path between the Grand Floridian and Polynesian.

Our resort transportation guide teaches you how to use the transportation options at Disney’s Polynesian efficiently. We consider it the most beneficial guide when planning a trip to this resort. If you’ll be staying at the resort, you might also like a copy of our cheat sheet that discusses how to get from the Polynesian to popular destinations.

Recreation at the Polynesian

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort has three stunning pools, a marina, and tropical grounds. We have an overview of all the pools at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. The Lava Pool features a volcano with a waterslide that runs through it! One end of the pool has a zero-depth entry that faces Cinderella Castle. The Oasis is the smaller of the pools. However, it’s still a decent size. Lastly, the Cove Pool sits adjacent to the Island Tower. It features a splash area for little ones themed to Moana.

Our only complaint about the pools is that they are often crowded. The Polynesian could definitely stand to install another pool on its grounds. We’ve found it challenging to get a seat at the pool during the warmer months of the year.

Gift Shops

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is home to two gift shops. They are as follows:

Moana Mercantile: A portion of Moana Mercantile sells items geared toward children. Often, you’ll find plush animals, games, dolls, and various toys in this area. Children’s clothing is also available at this location. The opposite side serves as the resort’s sundries shop, offering a selection of convenience items. These are items you might need during your stay.

Boutiki: This particular shop is more of an apparel store carrying men’s and women’s fashions along with resort-branded merchandise and other souvenirs. See our Polynesian Resort Merchandise photo post for the latest resort-branded items.