Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
The Polynesian Villas & Bungalows (Poly) is located on the shores of Seven Seas Lagoon in the Magic Kingdom area of Walt Disney World.
The Poly is a beautiful resort, and well worth a visit even if you aren’t staying there. The dining options at the Poly are big hits with Disney foodies and ‘Ohana’ is normally fully booked for its character meals 60 days in advance.
There are only 2 types of rooms available, deluxe studios in the long houses and the 2 bedroom Bora Bora bungalows over the lagoon. There is also the hotel side which has Moana themed guest rooms. When we stayed in June 2022 we were in the ‘Pago Pago’ building on the second floor and had a lovely view of the gardens from our balcony.
Currently the Poly is $250 per point direct purchase, and a week night in June is 20 points per night and a weekend is 23 points per night for a deluxe studio standard view.
The newest DVC expansion, the Polynesian Tower, is being built on the site of the ‘Spirit of Aloha Dinner show’. This tower is scheduled to open late 2024, and will include 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom grand villa’s which will be a welcome addition to this location. Not much has been released about this tower and the price per point, but as we learn more we will update this page.
The Poly takes its decoration inspiration from Polynesian culture. Beautiful carvings and flowers and can be found all over the resort. When you enter the lobby you are greeted by wonderful cast members who give you a lei, a symbol of friendship.
The lobby or Great Ceremonial House is one of the most relaxing places to sit with a coffee and watch the world go by, and it smells incredible. Every resort has its own scent and I think the Poly is my favourite.
The Great Ceremonial House is where you will find the monorail stop. This will take you on a loop to The Grand Floridian, Magic Kingdom, The Contemporary Resort, The Ticket & Transportation Center (TTC), then back to the Poly.
From the shores of Seven Seas Lagoon you can also get a boat across to Magic Kingdom or walk over to the TTC to catch the ferry boat across the lagoon.
You can also walk to the Magic Kingdom via The Grand Floridan which takes about 25 mins. You can also catch a trusty Disney bus to all the parks.
Unlike Old Key West, this resort is relatively compact with most of the long houses offering a standard view of the beautifully manicured grounds. Each of the buildings is 3 storeys with a lift. There are also more laundry locations at this resort as only the bungalows feature in room laundry facilities.
The Great Ceremonial House is where you will find all the dining and shopping options. The ‘BouTiki’ is the main store on the ground floor and offers some exclusive Aulani resort merchandise.
The ‘Lava Pool’ is where you will find the slides and kids activities during the day. The quieter ‘Polynesian East Pool’ also has a hot tub and small quick serve kiosk. There is also a soda machine to refill your resort mug if you have purchased one.
The variety of dining options at the Poly are some of the best out of all of the resorts. All the dining is located in the Great Ceremonial House.
We enjoyed breakfast at ‘Kona’ cafe, located on the second floor. This table service restaurant has had a refit and updated menu since our stay in June 2022, therefore it is only right that I try the pancakes again, for quality control purposes obviously!
‘Ohana’ is a character dining restaurant and is $45 per adult plus tax for breakfast and $59 per adult plus tax for dinner. If you time your evening meal to coincide with the Magic Kingdom fireworks make sure to request a window seat. If you can’t get a reservation at ‘Ohana’ you could always try ‘Tambu Lounge’. This walk up bar shares the same kitchen and you can order food from a small menu.
We have yet to get a reservation for ‘Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto’. This highly sort after lounge bar experience only accepts walk up reservations when it opens each day. If you would like to try the drinks but can’t get into the lounge you can always sit outside on the ‘Tiki Terrace’ where a selection of the same drinks are on offer just without the show.
If you need your dole whip fix and aren’t heading into the parks, you can visit ‘Pineapple Lani’ just outside the Great Ceremonial House towards the Lava pool. This is also next door to ‘Captain Cook’s’, the quick service dining options where you can get the infamous ‘Tonga toast’.
The Polynesian is my favourite DVC resort that I have stayed at, so far! We both felt so relaxed and comfortable. We were able to enjoy a cocktail whilst sat on the beach and spent a lovely evening sat in the hot tub chatting with other DVC members. The main downside of staying is the point cost per night. On our current 175 point contract we would only be able to stay for 8 nights compared to 14 nights at OKW.
If we ever add another contract it will probably be at the Poly and we are eagerly awaiting more details about the new tower.