The Polynesian

Staying at the Polynesian was a dangerous decision from the start. If I believe I can afford a resort like the Polynesian then, I’ll be open to more expensive hotels down the road. 

I throughly enjoyed my experience staying at the Polynesian. I love how each Disney resort has its own vibe and ambiance. When you step into the Polynesian, you feel like you’re in Hawaii with Lilo & Stitch. It’s peaceful walking the paths of the resort that overlook the lake with Cinderella’s castle in the distance, listening to Polynesian music play as you enjoy the scenery. Speaking of music, the theme song of this trip was Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride. It was a change of pace from singing Little Mermaid songs to myself in the shower while staying at the Art of Animation.

We had a deluxe studio room with a view of the parking lot because I’m too poor for an upgrade LOL. Again, rooms encompass the Polynesian aesthetic well with a luxury feel to it. Also, to my surprise, the room included two bathrooms. The first bathroom was very spacious with a tub, toilet and a vanity. The second bathroom had a stand-in shower with a vanity. The stand-in shower was heavenly. I didn’t want to go back home from Disney, and have to shower in a civilian bathroom. It was probably the nicest place I’ve showered in. Rich people shit. LOL. We had a single bed, and a nice area to sit on the couch and relax. There was also a pull out bed, which revealed an adorable Lilo and Stitch mural of them sleeping on a hammock on the beach at night.

We took a stroll through the resort, viewing the Bora Bora bungalows and seeing the Grand Floridian off in the distance. I hope to one day conquer the Grand Floridian with Chinh and Christine, and redeem our lost Disney vacation that Hurricane Sandy stole from us. The main building, The Great Ceremonial House, has several restaurants and gift shops, including the infamous ‘Ohana restaurant. I spotted $5 sour Stitch candies, and almost wasted my money on unnecessary sugar simply in the name of that mischievous blue alien. I love the open atrium and decor of the Great Ceremonial House. It’s has a relaxed, spacious atmosphere to it with a cute Tiki statue in the middle of the main floor. I’ve read that the Polynesian closure will be extended for renovations into 2021 including a Moana-themed makeover to guest rooms and enhancements to the Great Ceremonial House.  I’m curious to see how different the resort will look after refurbishments are done.

The Polynesian has several dining options, which was new and overwhelming to me. Having only stayed at value and moderate resorts, I’m used to there being only one central counter service restaurant. The Polynesian has too many options lol. The resort has several bars and lounges, including the popular Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto and Tambu Lounge. For quick service, you can dine at the Kona Café or Captain Cook’s. Their two table service options include ‘Ohana, and Disney’s Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show located in the Luau Cove, which showcases the music and dances of several Polynesian cultures. Also, available is Disney’s famous dole whip at Pineapple Lanai! One day I’ll make it there on 626 to get a Stitch dole whip cone... 

We only ate at ‘Ohana while we were there. Sadly, I didn’t have much time to explore the other options as I had wanted both breakfast with Stitch and dinner at ‘Ohana. Unfortunately, ‘Ohana is always booked and is a very hard reservation to obtain. I think it’s up to par with securing reservations at Be Our Guest and Cinderella’s Castle. Luckily, if you stay at the Polynesian, you can order the Twilight Feast directly from room service, and have ‘Ohana dinner delivered to your room!  The ‘Ohana feast includes spiced chicken wings, Asian-style pot stickers, Yakisoba noodles, stir-fried vegetables, skewered meats, Oak-grilled shrimp and salad. The meal also includes ‘Ohana sunset punch, pineapple coconut bread, and the infamous bread pudding. These three things alone are delicious enough to make me want to come back to ‘Ohana every time. I absolutely don’t know what they put in the punch, but I’m pretty sure it’s crack. I also loved the bread pudding, but Miguel did not, so I tried my best to finish as much as I could. I thoroughly enjoyed this meal, but it was way too much for me to finish on my own, so I’m glad that Miguel was there to finish everything that I couldn’t LOL. I am sad that ‘Ohana is not currently open because I would have loved to eat there again this year.

The best part about staying at a resort that is so close to Magic Kingdom is that you can watch fireworks every night. I think I was able to watch fireworks from Magic Kingdom every night on my vacation, which was absolutely magical. The first night we sat down on the beach and watched the entire show. Since the Polynesian is so close to the park, they play the music during the fireworks display. After our visit to Hollywood Studios, we were able to get to the resort in time to view the fireworks again from Magic Kingdom. This time we chose to watch the fireworks from the grassy hill. Luckily, it wasn’t as cloudy as the previous night was and we could see the fireworks more clearly.

I’d love to stay at the Polynesian again for my birthday, especially in a room that faces the lagoon where you can see Cinderella’s castle off in the distance. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like the resort will go back to normal until the second half of 2021, but I hope at least ‘Ohana will be open soon.  Until then, I’ll be dreaming of those magical moments of watching fireworks every night and eating Stitch waffles.