Another year, another trip report! This year we stayed at the Polynesian Village Resort, June 23rd-28th.
Day 1
We were up super early for our Spirit flight out of Atlantic City. Like last year, we had no problems with Spirit out of A.C. On time, very organized. The wait at security was much longer than last year though (approx. 20 min)
Got to Orlando 10 min. early, almost no wait for bags, no wait for the rental car (Alamo). Did a grocery run at Goodings, McDonald's for lunch, and headed to the Poly for check-in.
We haven't stayed at the Poly in about 20 years. We ususally stay at the Caribbean, and thought we'd try something different this time.
We arrived around 11:30am and the room wasn't ready. We were told we'd get a text when it was, and the cast member who checked us in said the room would be ready sometime between then and 3:00pm. Although we were a little disappointed because our room was always ready
at the Caribbean when we arrived early.
So we headed to the Studios to kill a few hours. No wait for a bus, one pulled up as soon as we got to the stop. (Tip: Poly buses stop at the Grand Floridian after the Polynesian during most of the day before heading to your theme park. Allow for 10 min. avg. extra travel time. The only times we didn't stop at the Grand were first thing in the morning.)
Lines were long at midday, and we didn't have any fastpasses (we made them for Epcot later in the evening) so we just walked around. HOT. Heat index was 105.
Headed back to the Poly around 2:15pm as we hadn't gotten a text yet and were told the room would be ready before 3. Checked at the front desk close to 3 and the room still wasn't ready. As we walked around, we noticed a packed lobby including people asleep with their luggage. Tons of luggage waiting outside too. This cast member at the desk now says the room is not guaranteed before 5, and previous cast member should not have told us otherwise (with a slight attitude I may add). We waited around for another hour, hot, sweaty, and tired from being up over 12 hours. I honestly expected better for $560 a night when "Check in" is 3:00pm.
After speaking with the manager we asked if we could be transferred to the Caribbean Beach since they couldn't tell us when the room would be ready, and still were not "guaranteeing" it would be ready by 5pm. The Caribbean was completely booked.
After waiting some more, going back to the next shift manager, and some computer wrangling, they somehow finally managed to get us a room in a different building (Fiji) and it was after 5pm.
So this room situation left a bad taste in our mouth for the Poly from day 1. I want to say I'm not whining, we are Disney vets and know what to expect, but we have NEVER encountered a wait for a room like this, especially for the money you are paying.
If the room is only guaranteed "Before 5pm" (and that was not even the case here) they should say so, not just publish a check in time of 3pm. We have had a room as early as 11:00am at the Carribbean before, paying less than half as much.
We headed to Captain Cooks for dinner before Epcot. When we left it was pushing 6pm. There were still many people in the lobby with luggage (waiting for Magical Express or still waiting for a room?? Hmmmm....)
We took the "short walk" to the TTC for the Epcot monorail. In 105 heat index, which was really about a 15 min. walk. Ugh.
We had a 7:30pm Fastpass for Soarin. Epoct was tremendously hot. Soarin was practically a walk on with the Fastpass and the new movie is fantastic. Lots of applause at the end.
It was just so hot when we left the Land and we were so tired from our long day, we headed back to the Poly. We took the resort monorail back instead of swealtering on the walk this time, but walking up and down all those monorail ramps made it feel just as long.
(It had been SUCH a long day...) We were there last July, and this was still probably the hottest weather we have ever encountered there.
Thoughts for Day 1
*Mediocre food at Captain Cooks for the price. We didn't eat there again except to grab stuff from the refrigerated case.
*Goodings Market is much easier and closer for groceries than the 535 Walmart, which is a zoo.
Day 2 (with photos) Coming soon!
Day 1
We were up super early for our Spirit flight out of Atlantic City. Like last year, we had no problems with Spirit out of A.C. On time, very organized. The wait at security was much longer than last year though (approx. 20 min)
Got to Orlando 10 min. early, almost no wait for bags, no wait for the rental car (Alamo). Did a grocery run at Goodings, McDonald's for lunch, and headed to the Poly for check-in.
We haven't stayed at the Poly in about 20 years. We ususally stay at the Caribbean, and thought we'd try something different this time.
We arrived around 11:30am and the room wasn't ready. We were told we'd get a text when it was, and the cast member who checked us in said the room would be ready sometime between then and 3:00pm. Although we were a little disappointed because our room was always ready
at the Caribbean when we arrived early.
So we headed to the Studios to kill a few hours. No wait for a bus, one pulled up as soon as we got to the stop. (Tip: Poly buses stop at the Grand Floridian after the Polynesian during most of the day before heading to your theme park. Allow for 10 min. avg. extra travel time. The only times we didn't stop at the Grand were first thing in the morning.)
Lines were long at midday, and we didn't have any fastpasses (we made them for Epcot later in the evening) so we just walked around. HOT. Heat index was 105.
Headed back to the Poly around 2:15pm as we hadn't gotten a text yet and were told the room would be ready before 3. Checked at the front desk close to 3 and the room still wasn't ready. As we walked around, we noticed a packed lobby including people asleep with their luggage. Tons of luggage waiting outside too. This cast member at the desk now says the room is not guaranteed before 5, and previous cast member should not have told us otherwise (with a slight attitude I may add). We waited around for another hour, hot, sweaty, and tired from being up over 12 hours. I honestly expected better for $560 a night when "Check in" is 3:00pm.
After speaking with the manager we asked if we could be transferred to the Caribbean Beach since they couldn't tell us when the room would be ready, and still were not "guaranteeing" it would be ready by 5pm. The Caribbean was completely booked.
After waiting some more, going back to the next shift manager, and some computer wrangling, they somehow finally managed to get us a room in a different building (Fiji) and it was after 5pm.
So this room situation left a bad taste in our mouth for the Poly from day 1. I want to say I'm not whining, we are Disney vets and know what to expect, but we have NEVER encountered a wait for a room like this, especially for the money you are paying.
If the room is only guaranteed "Before 5pm" (and that was not even the case here) they should say so, not just publish a check in time of 3pm. We have had a room as early as 11:00am at the Carribbean before, paying less than half as much.
We headed to Captain Cooks for dinner before Epcot. When we left it was pushing 6pm. There were still many people in the lobby with luggage (waiting for Magical Express or still waiting for a room?? Hmmmm....)
We took the "short walk" to the TTC for the Epcot monorail. In 105 heat index, which was really about a 15 min. walk. Ugh.
We had a 7:30pm Fastpass for Soarin. Epoct was tremendously hot. Soarin was practically a walk on with the Fastpass and the new movie is fantastic. Lots of applause at the end.
It was just so hot when we left the Land and we were so tired from our long day, we headed back to the Poly. We took the resort monorail back instead of swealtering on the walk this time, but walking up and down all those monorail ramps made it feel just as long.
(It had been SUCH a long day...) We were there last July, and this was still probably the hottest weather we have ever encountered there.
Thoughts for Day 1
*Mediocre food at Captain Cooks for the price. We didn't eat there again except to grab stuff from the refrigerated case.
*Goodings Market is much easier and closer for groceries than the 535 Walmart, which is a zoo.
Day 2 (with photos) Coming soon!
