Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

Disney's Polynesian Village Resort Information: Rooms, Pools, Dining, and More

On this page is information on Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, including pictures of the view from every hotel room, pictures and video from inside Polynesian Village rooms, a list of amenities, restaurant reviews and dining menus with prices, pool photos and reviews, reader comments, childcare options, and more. Last updated: November 15, 2024

Use our exclusive Room Finder to see a resort map and find a great room!

Disney's Polynesian Resort Overview

South Pacific tropics are re-created at this Deluxe resort, which consists of two- and three-story Hawaiian longhouses situated around the four-story Great Ceremonial House, which contains restaurants, shops, and an atrium lobby with slate floors and many species of tropical plants. Buildings feature wood tones, including exposed roof beams and tribalinspired geometric inlays in the cornices.

Spread across 39 acres along Seven Seas Lagoon, the resort, which has fewer than 500 standard hotel rooms, has three white-sand beaches, some with volleyball courts. Its pool complex likewise captures the South Pacific theme. There is no dedicated fitness center, but guests are welcome to use the Grand Floridian’s facilities, just a quarter-mile walk or 2-minute monorail ride away. Landscaping is superb—garden-view rooms are generally superior to equivalent rooms at other resorts.

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The resort opened with the Magic Kingdom in 1971. The most recent room refurbishments were completed in summer 2021, adding bright, island-themed murals and subtle references to characters from Disney’s Moana.

We’re always suspicious when Disney adds characters to anything, as it’s often an attempt to distract from something else. But this is one of Disney’s better room-renovation projects in recent memory, and the Moana additions work well with the resort’s theme. As before, most rooms have two queen beds, a sofa, a reading chair, a large dresser with plenty of shelf space, and a wall-mounted TV. A minifridge and coffee maker sit between two large closets near the doorway and opposite the bathroom area. The closets are spacious and light. Lighting throughout the room, including that for the desk and beds, has improved.

The Polynesian Village has an on-site monorail station, and all rooms are within easy walking distance of the monorail station at the Transportation and Ticket Center. Easily accessible by monorail are full-service restaurants at the Grand Floridian and Contemporary Resorts, as well as restaurants in the Magic Kingdom. Bus service is available to other Disney destinations, and boat service takes you to the Magic Kingdom. Walking time to the bus and on-site monorail stations from the most remote rooms is 8–11 minutes. The pedestrian walkway between the Poly and Grand Floridian continues to the Magic Kingdom—it’s about 1.5 miles from the farthest point at the Poly to the Magic Kingdom turnstiles.

The Poly’s transportation options are a major draw for some readers:

We stay at the Polynesian Village because it offers the best transportation. You can walk to a direct monorail to both the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, the water taxi can be a fast option, and the bus service to other parks is fairly direct.

A Maryland family found the room soundproofing lacking, confirming our own research:

We took towels from the pool and stuffed them under the door to deaden the noise coming from the connecting room.

TouringPlans and Unofficial Guide correspondents Dawn and Taylor gave us this scoop about self-parking:

The parking situation here was INSANE! People were circling like vultures—like what you’d see at the mall on Black Friday.

The Polynesian Village has two lounges, with Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto being the more themed. Modeled after the famed bar of the same name at the Disneyland Hotel, Trader Sam’s serves whimsical (and potent) cocktails and tasty appetizers, along with interactive art and “artifacts” stuffed into every available inch of space. We love it ourselves, although in this Hartford, Wisconsin, reader’s eyes, it’s not special enough to warrant a stay at the resort:

After I stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge in a savanna-view room, the Polynesian Village was a letdown. The proximity to the Magic Kingdom is nice, and Trader Sam’s was awesome, but otherwise it was nothing extraordinary. They need to step it up for what they charge.

How Disney's Polynesian Resort Compares to Other Disney Deluxe Resorts

The major advantage of Polynesian is that is a short boat or Monorail ride (or slightly longer walk) to Walt Disney World's flagship theme park, Magic Kingdom. The same Monorail can be also be used to ride to the Transportation And Ticket Center, here guests can transfer to another Monorail and ride to the front gate of Epcot. At 415 square feet, Polynesian's rooms are some of the largest in all of WDW and the DVC rooms are even larger, making them the largest Studios in the DVC collection. These factors come at the cost of a high nightly price. Rooms at Polynesian fall in to the upper end of all the other WDW deluxe resorts. There is no on- site fitness center, but Disney officially lists Grand Floridian’s facility as an amenity of the Polynesian. Grand Floridian’s fitness center is located at the southern end of the resort, near the Grand Floridian Villas building. The closest Polynesian longhouses are Tuvalu, Fiji, Aotearoa, and Tonga.

Where To Check-In, Get Theme Park Tickets, and Make Dining Reservations

A security gate guards the entrance to Polynesian's grounds. If you arrive by car, you'll need to provide photo ID at the gate; it's not necessary to provide your reservation number or paperwork. A dedicated parking lot across from the lobby serves as temporary parking for those who need it while checking in.

Guests keeping a car at the hotel overnight will be charged $25 per day.

Check-in time at Polynesian is 3:00 PM, and check-out time is 11:00 AM. Polynesian participates in Disney's Online Check-In program, which allows you to you provide name, address, and credit card information up to 60 days before your arrival. If you've checked-in online and provided a mobile phone number or email address, you will receive your room number electronically. Then you can go straight to the room and use your smart phone or MagicBand to open the door, skipping the lobby altogether.

Polynesian Village's gift shop sells MagicBands for your stay, if you don't already have them.

If you've not registered online, look for signs pointing you to the Registration/Check-In area. You'll need to provide a government-issued photo ID and credit/debit card when you register. While parents are completing the paperwork, kids can unwind in a nearby play area decorated with child-sized furniture, and a television showing classic Disney animated films.

Get theme park tickets and dining reservations at the Concierge Desk, to the right of the Registration Desk. If you need to check in and obtain theme park tickets, you can save some time in line if one adult gets in line for tickets just after another adult starts the registration process. The Concierge Desk can also make Disney dining reservations, and you can avoid a wait there by making them online prior to arrival.

Disney's Polynesian Resort's Rooms

Most rooms have two queen beds, a sofa, a reading chair, and a large dresser with a built-in flat-panel TV cabinet. A mini-fridge and coffeemaker sit between two large closets near the doorway and opposite the bathroom area. The dresser includes two horizontal shelves above and below the TV for extra storage capacity. The closets are spacious and light. Lighting throughout the room, including that for the desk and beds, is among the best on Disney property.

Seafoam–colored walls are offset by the dark wood of the desk and beds and by lighter woods used as accents on the remaining furniture. The color scheme is brightened by the use of white bed comforters. Woven straw headboards and carved wood tikis provide texture throughout the room.

King beds were added to some rooms in Fiji, Rarotonga, and Samoa. These can be booked directly through Disney’s website or by phone. All are categorized as garden-view rooms.

Polynesian Village Villas and Bungalows

The Tokelau, Moorea, and Pago Pago longhouses hold DVC studio rooms that sleep five and are the largest studios in Walt Disney World’s DVC inventory. They also have two bathrooms: The smaller bath has a small sink and step-in shower; the larger has a toilet, sink, and bath–shower combination. This allows three people to get ready simultaneously. The studios also include kitchenettes.

While these studios are functionally similar to the Poly’s standard rooms, they have enough small touches to make them different, including recessed ceilings, more stone and tile work in the baths, and a slightly darker color scheme.

The Polynesian’s 20 over-the-water Bora Bora Bungalows sit in front of Hawaii, Tokelau, and Moorea. Connected to land by a wood walkway, these two-bedroom bungalows offer stunning views of the Magic Kingdom fireworks and of Seven Seas Lagoon and its nightly Electrical Water Pageant. Not surprisingly, those stunning views come with stunning prices—up to $5,528 per night.

Let’s start with the positives: The bungalows are well built, with topnotch design elements from top to bottom. The bedrooms are spacious, the beds are the best on Disney property, the bathrooms are gorgeous, and the showers will make you feel as happy as anything nonsentient is capable of. The open kitchen design works wonderfully, and you could easily host a good-size party inside. The floors are spotlessly clean, with interesting slate and rug textures, so you’ll want to run around barefoot. Hell, the doorbell plays a different chime every time you ring it. And yeah, the views are spectacular.

The bungalows’ two fatal flaws: price and location. First of all, 160 DVC points for a one-night stay is equivalent to about $3,000 in cash at the time of this writing. Check-in is at 4 p.m. and checkout at 11 a.m., so a 19-hour stay costs about $158 an hour.

Problem was, we couldn’t check in at 4—we never got our room assignment by text, email, or phone. It wasn’t until we walked back to the front desk at 5 p.m. that we finally got our bungalow. The 75 minutes we couldn’t use it amounted to about $200 in lost time—almost enough to pay for an entire night at Saratoga Springs. And nobody said a word about it.

The first “Are you out of the room yet?” knock on our door came before 9 a.m. We’re not kidding.

Then there’s the ferry horn. We were in 7019, the second-closest bungalow to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) ferry dock. A ferry leaves here about every 12 minutes, from about 30–45 minutes before the park opens until an hour after closing. Every time a ferry departs, it has to sound a warning horn so that nearby craft know it’s coming.

The sound of the horn is akin to an air-raid siren: loud enough to stop indoor conversation in its tracks. Reading, watching TV, getting a baby to nap? Forget it. You simply can’t hear or think above the noise.

If the bungalows were on the other side of the Poly’s marina, we could almost justify selling a gently used organ to stay here again, but between the stratospheric prices and that hellish horn, we just can’t. If you’re determined to stay here anyway, shoot for one of bungalows 7001–7005, which are farthest from the TTC.

The Polynesian Villas have a separate parking lot close to their longhouses. Dining and transportation are shared with the main resort.

Each Disney's Polynesian Resort room is furnished with the following:

• Two queen beds
• Dresser with 4 small drawers
• Day bed
• Lounge chair
• Nightstand digital alarm clock
• WiFi wireless Internet access
• Flat-panel TV
• Mini fridge
• Coffee Maker
• Ironing board and iron
• Hair dryer
• Digital thermostat
• In-room safe
• Shower-mounted shampoo, conditioner, and body wash; bar soap

The mini-fridge is a dorm-style unit that sits under a counter or desk. It's more like a beverage chiller than a refrigerator in that it'll keep drinks cool, but you're not going to freeze popsicles or make ice cubes in it.

The Poly’s bathrooms were redone in 2021. Two large sinks offer plenty of counter space. A spacious, glass-enclosed shower provides good-to-excellent water pressure. (Note: We’re pretty sure that most bathrooms have only showers, not bathtubs, so if a tub is important to you, ask your travel agent or Disney about it when booking.) The new bathroom layout includes a door between the toilet and sink area, plus another separating the entire bathroom from the rest of the room. This allows three people to get dressed at once—an improvement over the old bathroom design.

Polynesian Club Level Rooms

The concierge level of a deluxe resort can also be referred to as club level. Each one throughout the property has a name for their concierge level. At the Polynesian it is called King Kamehameha Club and it’s located in the Hawaii and Tonga Longhouse. Here guests willing to pay a premium are treated to special services including a lounge, complimentary food and drink, and personalized service. There are about 108 King Kamehameha Club rooms most of which are similar to regular rooms throughout the resort, but there are also 6 suites available. Club level prices can be over $100 more than standard rooms at the Polynesian

Upon arriving to Polynesian, concierge guests are taken to an exclusive area to be checked in and taken care of. Once guests are brought to the club level they will be introduced to the cast members on hand at two desks set up to be the resource for any special services they may need. These CMs are there to help folks with whatever they might need including dining reservations, park tickets, and transportation options.

Another special service provided to concierge level guests is a nightly turn down. Housekeeping cast members come to your room in the evening to prepare your bed for you to fall into it after a long day in the parks and leave chocolates.

A more exciting benefit to staying in The King Kamehameha Club is access to free food for most of the day. The breakfast offerings are relatively light so don’t expect to fuel up for a full day here. Later in the day snacks are available along with an assortment of drinks including soda, hot drinks like coffee, and beer. In the late afternoon/early evening the menu changes but appetizers are put out for guests to enjoy before they begin their evening. Wine and liqueurs along with desserts area served throughout the evening as well.

The selection of food and drink is laid out in the lounge only accessible to club level guests. There are several tables and chairs set up for folks to you use throughout the day. The area is busy a breakfast time, but can be a quiet place to relax and maybe even get some work done if guests happen to be business travelers. There are also a few couches in the mix where friends can gather to chat. Kids have their own area here with child sized table and chairs and a TV running cartoons and other Disney favorites.

Handicap-Accessible Room Options

Disney's Polynesian Resort have around 71 handicap-accessible rooms. Some feature roll-in showers or tubs with rails, while others include assistive hearing or visual devices. A subset of these rooms have been converted to comply with Florida's Accessibility Code, with changes to everything from bed, counter-top, and dresser drawer height, to door widths, wheelchair ramps, and more. Use our hotel room finder to see which rooms have which features.

Theme Park Views, Lagoon Views and Garden Views

Disney knows that some hotel rooms are better than others. Most people want something pretty to look at from their hotel room window. To capitalize on this, Disney categorizes all of Polynesian's hotel rooms based on what you see from inside the room.

Here's the system Disney uses:

• Theme Park View: The view from your window for the most part includes good views of Magic Kingdom. But some rooms may be partially blocked by a large tree.
  
  
• Lagoon View: At the Polynesian any rooms facing the Seven Seas Lagoon, that don't have a view of Magic Kingdom, are tagged with the Lagoon View. Most rooms have a view of the lagoon. Some rooms have several trees blocking the view. There are a couple of Lagoon View rooms where you can see Magic Kingdom if you crane your neck.
  
  
• Standard View: Standard View rooms don't have views as good as Theme Park or Lagoon View rooms, but you'll still see some nice scenery. Most rooms have view of landscaping, the resort's pool, or other buildings. In some rooms you may catch a glimpse of the Monorail. Many standard views have partial lagoon, marina and a few in Tokelau can see the castle off to the right.
  
  

Polynesian Pools

The Polynesian Village Resort has 2 pools. The largest, Lava Pool, sits behind theGreat Ceremonial House and near the Samoa, Niue and Rarotonga Longhouses. The pool features a lava rock structure and a waterslide. There is also a hot tub, kiddie pool and water play area.

The other smaller pool, the Oasis Pool, is located between the Samoa, Niue, Hawaii, Tokelau, and Rarotonga Longhouse.

Polynesian's pools range in depth from around 3 feet 6 inches/1.1m to 4 feet 9 inches/1.4m. Pool are open every day, including during winter. The pools are heated to 82°F/28°C throughout the year. Polynesian also has a hot tub located near Lava Pool.

Lava Pool has one water slide that all ages are free to use. Guests can find showers, storage lockers, and restrooms. Pool hours are at least 10 AM to 8 PM, extending to as much as 7 AM to 11 PM during busy times. Feature Pool will have lifeguards during the pools' operating hours.

For more information on the pools at WDW resorts, including towels, entertainment programming, handicap access, kiddie pools, life vests, and much more, see our Walt Disney World Resort Pool Fact Sheet FAQ.

Restaurants and Dining

Polynesian has a number of excellent dining options, including one counter service restaurant and two table service restaurants.

'Ohana

'Ohana Best Friends Breakfast Menu - 'Ohana Dinner Menu

'Ohana, which means "family," gets high marks from our readers. The food is good but not superior, but if you love meat and you go hungry, it's a great place to fill up. The method of service and the fact that it just keeps coming make it all taste a little better. Insist on being seated in the main dining room, where the fire pit is.

A large open pit is the centerpiece of the room. Here the grilled foods are prepared with flair - as well as flare: from time to time the chef will pour some liquid on the fire, causing huge flames to shoot up. This is usually in response to something one of the strolling entertainers has said, evoking a sign from the fire gods. At any given moment, there may be a hula-hoop contest or a coconut race, where kids are invited to push coconuts around the dining room with broomsticks.

Skewer service is the specialty here-there's no menu. As soon as you're seated, your server will begin to deliver food. First comes bread and a green salad, followed by honey-glazed chicken wings, pork fried dumplings, pineapple-coconut bread, and fresh pineapple. The main course is steak, pork loin, chicken, and grilled peel-and-eat shrimp, accompanied by stir-fried vegetables and lo mein noodles placed on a lazy Susan in the center of the table.

During breakfast hours (7:30 AM to 11 AM), 'Ohana is a character meal with Mickey, Pluto, Lilo and Stitch.

Kona Cafe

Kona Cafe Breakfast Menu - Kona Cafe Kids Breakfast Menu - Kona Cafe Lunch Menu - Kona Cafe Dinner Menu - Kona Cafe Lunch/Dinner Menu

The casual Kona Cafe has a postmodern decor, with arched railings and grillwork on the ceiling. If you want to escape the Magic Kingdom for a quiet lunch, hop on the monorail or take the resort launch to the Polynesian. This isn't a fancy dining room, but the food is on a higher plane than your average java joint's.

House Specialty for breakfast is the Tonga toast, a decadent French toast layered with bananas. For lunch we recommend stir-fried Asian noodles, barbecued-pork taco, and sticky wings. For dinner try the pomegranate barbecued pork chop, ginger-crusted rib-eye with tamarind jus, and sustainable fish.

Trader Sam's Grog Grotto

Bar Menu

Fans of Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at the Disneyland Hotel couldn’t wait for Disney World to get a version of its own. But while the two share nostalgic interactive props and animatronics (the ones here are a nod to the old 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction) and even a few menu items, the Grog Grotto has its own vibe. Off the Polynesian Village’s main lobby and featuring views of the marina and Seven Seas Lagoon, this tiki bar has its own lore built in: It was started by Trader Sam, Adventureland’s famous “head” salesman, who welcomes you to his enchanted South Seas hideaway to explore a menu of “magical tropical drinks and food.”

Cocktails are the big draw, with names like Castaway Crush, Tahitian Torch, and the over-the-top Uh-Oa!—Myers’s and Bacardi rums mixed with various fruit juices and served in a communal tiki bowl with straws all around; there are also “No Booze Brews” for teetotalers.

Kona Island

Kona Island Breakfast Menu

Kona Island is very casual, imitating the tones and textures of Kona Cafe but placed in an area of high traffic for the Polynesian. the small eatery seats about 20 diners. When eating in, guests can sit right at the bar, or be stationed against a glass wall with views of the resort's monorail stop, tropical gardens, and the ceremonial lighting of the torches on most nights. Kona Island currently serves coffee and pastries. Any of the menu items from Kona Cafe can be ordered here.

Capt. Cook's

Capt. Cook's Breakfast Menu (Kids) — Capt. Cook's Lunch & Dinner Menu (Kids)

Capt. Cook's is Polynesian's counter service eatery. You'll find Tonga toast, flatbreads, chicken sandwich, pork sandwich, turkey club, salads, baked goods.

Capt. Cook's participates in Disney's Rapid Fill refillable mug program, where you purchase a souvenir plastic mug once, and get free refills for the remainder of your stay. The cost is a flat $19.99 for your length of stay.

Restaurants at Polynesian participate in the Disney Dining Plan (when it's offered); meals cost 1 credit at 'Ohana, Kona Cafe, and Capt. Cook's, and 2 credits at Spirit of Aloha. Tables in Wonderland cardholders are eligible for a 20% discount at most resort restaurants.

Tambu Lounge is located on the second floor in Polynesian's Great Ceremonial House, next to 'Ohana. Tambu has indoor seating and a full drink menu, with several beers, wines, and a selection of spirits. The Barefoot Pool Bar is located adjacent to the Lava Pool at the Polynesian. It also has a selection of beers, wines, and cocktails. Barefoot Pool Bar also has a few non-alcoholic selections such as the Lava Smoothie with Raspberry Puree and Piña Colada Mix.

Transportation to and from Disney's Polynesian Resort

Driving Your Own Car Disney's Polynesian Resort is just off of I-4 in Lake Buena Vista. Take I-4 Exit 67 - Epcot Center Dr. and you'll end up on World Drive. Take World Dr. for about 2.1 miles, and turn left on Seven Seas Drive. After .4 miles, turn right and Polynesian will be on your right.

Disney's Polynesian Resort's GPS address and location are:

Disney's Polynesian Resort
1600 Seven Seas Drive
Orlando, FL 32830

Latitude: 28.401090 North, Longitude: 81.579452 West

From Orlando International Airport See our Walt Disney World Transportation Options page for information about how to get to and from Orlando International Airport and Walt Disney World.

From Sanford International Airport It's about a 40-minute drive from Sanford to Disney's Polynesian Resort. If you're not renting a car, be aware that Sanford's airport offers fewer transportation options than Orlando's, and Sanford's options are generally much more expensive. A taxi from Sanford International Airport to Disney's Polynesian Resort will cost between $120 and $150, depending on traffic. Mears Transportation offers 3-passenger towncar service to Disney's Polynesian Resort for around $140 each way, plus tip; 5-passenger SUV service or 10- passenger van is around $190 each way. That means round-trip transportation will run you somewhere between $240 and $380, plus tip, between Sanford and Disney's Polynesian Resort. At those prices, it may be less expensive to rent a car and park it at the hotel.

Getting to the theme parks, water parks and Disney Springs Disney provides free bus service from Disney's Polynesian Resort to Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, and Disney Springs. Disney's Polynesian Resort's bus stops sit along the front wall of the lobby, between the lobby and check-in parking lot. Each theme park has its own bus stop somewhere along the wall. Animal Kingdom's bus service is shared with Blizzard Beach, while Disney Springs and Typhoon Lagoon also share a stop and service.

The Polynesian Resort is served by the Magic Kingdom monorail and is an easy walk from the transportation center. (It's also possible to walk to the Magic Kingdom via the Grand Floridian - the route takes 20 to 25 minutes depending on where you start.) At the center, you can catch an express monorail to Epcot. This makes the Polynesian the only Disney resort with direct monorail access to both Epcot and the Magic Kingdom. To minimize your walk to the transportation center, request a room in the Pago Pago, Moorea, or Tokelau guest buildings. You can also catch a Monorail on the second floor of the Great Ceremonial House. The Monorail will make a stop at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort, and then the Magic Kingdom. The same Monorail also makes stops at the Contemporary Resort and the Transportation and Ticket Center.

Disney's Polynesian Resort's Bus Schedule

Ask a Disney Cast Member about Polynesian's bus schedule, and they'll tell you that buses run about every 20 minutes. In reality, Polynesian's bus schedule varies considerably depending on the time of day and where you're headed.

For example, if you're headed to the Animal Kingdom between 8 AM and 11 AM, you'll wait around 15 minutes, on average, for a bus to arrive. The bus schedules for Disney's Hollywood Studios are about the same early in the day, with a bus arriving every 8-17 minutes, on average. Bus schedules to the water parks and Disney Springs are a little less frequent, and you could wait anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes for a ride.

Buses run a little slower from around 11 AM to around 4 PM, when most people are already in a park. Disney's evening buses are scheduled around the theme parks' closing times, where most of the fleet is deployed to get guests back to their hotels. Your waits to return to your hotel from a theme park should average out to around 30 minutes under most circumstances.

If you've got your own car, it's faster to drive yourself to Disney's Animal Kingdom, the Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach water parks, and Disney Springs. Disney's bus service is faster to Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Getting to another hotel from Disney's Polynesian Resort If you've got dining plans at another Disney hotel, the cheapest option is to take a Disney bus from Disney's Polynesian Resort to Disney Springs (or an open theme park), then take another bus from there to your destination hotel. Do the reverse to get back to Disney's Polynesian Resort. While that's free, it can take anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 hours each way. If your destination is one of the other Magic Kingdom monorail resorts, and the Magic Kingdom is still open, hop on the Monorail (to the Grand Floridian and Contemporary), or exit the Monorail at Magic Kingdom and transfer to a boat to Fort Wilderness, the Wilderness Lodge, and the Contemporary. We suggest you still allow at least an hour for that.

The fastest option, however, is almost always a taxi from Polynesian to wherever you're going; it's generally not more than a $20, 15-minute cab ride to get to most Disney hotels from Polynesian, and often less. Taxis are available outside the lobby; if a taxi is not already sitting out front, the bell services desk also serves as a taxi stand, and they'll call one for you.

To Universal Orlando If you're staying at Walt Disney World and don't have a car, Mears Transportation will shuttle you from your hotel to Universal and back for $18 per person. Pickup and return times are at your convenience. A one-way taxi ride is around $36, and may be the cheapest option if you have three to five people.

Shopping, Recreation and Things to Do

Polynesian Resort's beach is a great place to watch Magic Kingdom's fireworks show>. We recommend you find a spot on the beach at least 15 minutes before show time to guarantee a spot.

Polynesian has no spa or fitness center, but guests are allowed to use the facility over at Grand Floridian. It is open 24 hours a day but attendants are only available from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

Watercraft Rentals are available for use in Seven Seas Lagoon 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Kayaks, sailboats, pedal boats, and Sea Raycers can be rented. Prices vary. All rentals can be purchased in a booth near the Great Ceremonial House.

Polynesian has a number of gift shops, including Moana Mercantile. Moana Mercantile sells basic pharmacy items such as sunscreen, aspirin, allergy and cold medicine, baby diapers and formula, shampoo, and food and drink items to make simple meals from. Moana Mercantile also has Disney-branded cookies, chocolate, coffee tins, and similar items, if that's what you're looking for. Prices for these items are considerably higher - about double - than what you'd probably pay at home.

The other side of Moana Mercantile sells an assortment of Disney merchandise. As you'd expect from a Disney gift shop, Moana Mercantile has a decent collection of souvenirs ranging from small trinkets such as keychains and pens, to embroidered jackets and Disney princess dresses. Prices for these items are about what you'd pay in the theme parks or Disney Springs.

Other shops include BouTiki, it features men's and women's apparel and some Polynesian-branded merchandise.

Walkers, joggers and runners can find a jogging trail. The trail is a 1-mile jogging path located near the resort's marina. The trail starts at the Polynesian Resort and ends at Grand Floridian.

Disney's Polynesian Resort Child Care

Disney contracts with a third party company, Kids Nite Out, to provide babysitting services at the resort hotels. See our Disney resort childcare page for more information.

Miscellaneous Polynesian

There are on site washers and dryers available for guest use. For more information on guest laundry services at Walt Disney World hotels, see our WDW Laundry Information page.

If you lose something during your stay, contact Disney's Polynesian Resort's Lost and Found department by calling (407) 824-2000.

Polynesian Villas & Bungalows

The Tokelau, Moorea, and Pago Pago longhouses hold DVC studio rooms that sleep five and are the largest studios in Walt Disney World’s DVC inventory. They are also the first DVC studios to feature two bathrooms: The smaller bath has a small sink and step-in shower; the larger has a toilet, sink, and bath/shower combination. This allows three people to get ready simultaneously.

While these studios are otherwise similar to the Poly’s standard rooms, there are enough small touches to make them different, including recessed ceilings, more stone and tile work in the baths, and a slightly darker color scheme.

The Polynesian’s 20 new two-bedroom Bora Bora bungalows sit in front of the Hawaii, Tokelau, and Moorea buildings; they’re connected to land by a wood walkway. The bungalows offer very good views of the Magic Kingdom and Seven Seas Lagoon, at some astounding prices (up to $3,400 per night). They’re nice rooms, and we’re sure that Disney will sell them, but we can’t say that the view is worth that cost.

The Poly Villas have a separate parking lot on the east side of the resort. Dining, child care, and transportation will be shared with the main resort.

Would you recommend this hotel to a friend?

Hotel	Definitely (+/- since last year)
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort	75% (-7%)
Average for WDW hotels	76% (+0%)
Average for off-site hotels	57% (+0%)

Would you stay at this hotel again?

Hotel	Definitely (+/- since last year)
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort	95% (+3%)
Average for WDW hotels	92% (+2%)
Average for off-site hotels	79% (-7%)

Hotel Photos

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Moana Room at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

Polynesian Villa Studio Room Tour

Polynesian Village Resort Tour

Polynesian Village Resort Bungalow Room Tour

Good (and Not-So-Good) Rooms at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

The Polynesian Village’s 11 guest-room buildings, or longhouses, are spread over a long strip of land bordered by the monorail on one side and Seven Seas Lagoon on the other. All buildings have first-floor patios and third-floor balconies. The older buildings, which comprise more than half of the resort’s rooms, have faux balconies on their second floors. (The newer buildings offer full balconies on both the second and third floors, and patios on the first.) A small number of patios in the first-floor rooms have views blocked by mature vegetation, but these patios provide more room than do the balconies on the third floor. If views are important and you’re staying in one of the eight older longhouses, ask for a thirdfloor room.

The Great Ceremonial House contains most of the restaurants and shops, as well as the resort lobby, guest services, and bus and monorail stations. The longhouses most convenient to the Great Ceremonial House—Fiji, the Tonga suites, Rarotonga, Niue, and Samoa—offer views of the swimming complex, a small marina, or inner gardens (possibly with the monorail). There are no lagoon views except for oblique views from the upper floors of Fiji, Samoa, and Tuvalu; Aotearoa; and a tunnel view from Tonga. Samoa, however, by virtue of its proximity to the main swimming complex, is a good choice for families who plan to spend time at the pool. If your children are under age 8, request a first-floor room on the volcano-pool side of Samoa.

You can specifically request a lagoon- or Magic Kingdom–view room at the Polynesian Village, provided you’re willing to pay extra. The best of these rooms are on the third floor in Tuvalu and, if you’re staying in a Club Level (concierge) room, the third floor in Hawaii.

In addition to second-floor rooms in the older buildings (the ones with fake balconies), we also advise against booking the monorail-side (south-facing) rooms in Rarotonga and Aotearoa. Garden-view rooms here are especially nice, but the monorail, though quiet, runs within spitting distance.

Many first-floor rooms in Hawaii (1501–1518) are garden- or lagoonview rooms; their scenery is blocked by the over-the-water bungalows. These rooms still offer a chance to see the evening fireworks, however, and are a little less expensive than similar rooms on higher floors.

Tuvalu, Fiji, and Aotearoa are the most distant accommodations from the bus stop. For large strollers or wheelchair access, take the ferry to the Magic Kingdom.

Good Rooms in Tonga Building

Tonga is home to some of the resort's suites. Rooms facing south look out on to vegetation, but you may catch a glimpse of the Monorail. Rooms facing North have a view of the resort's Marina. If you squint you may be able to see Magic Kingdom. With all that being said, none of the rooms in Tonga have what we would consider bad views.

Good Rooms in Aotearoa Building

Aotearoa Rooms facing south look out on to vegetation and landscaping. The Monorail is also visible but this may cause higher than usual noise levels. Rooms facing north have a view of landscaping and foliage. But there are a hand full of Lagoon and Theme Park View rooms. However, we wouldn't call these the best Theme Park View rooms as Magic Kingdom is quite far in the distance.

Good Rooms in Fiji Building

Fiji rooms facing west look out on to vegetation and landscaping. Rooms facing east look on to the resort's marina, but this may cause higher than usual noise levels.

Good Rooms in Tuvalu Building

Tuvalu rooms facing north have mostly unobstructed views of Magic Kingdom, Seven Seas Lagoon, and the Grand Floridian. Rooms facing south look on to foliage and landscaping.

Good Rooms in Hawaii

The Hawaii Building is home to Polynesian's Club Level rooms. Rooms facing north have mostly unobstructed views of Magic Kingdom, Seven Seas Lagoon, and the Polynesian's beach. Rooms facing south look on to foliage, landscaping, and the resort's Lava Pool.

Good Rooms in Samoa

The Samoa Building the Lava Pool and the Oasis Pool. Because of the pools these rooms may have higher than usual noise levels.

Good Rooms in Niue

Rooms in Niue have views of landscaping and foliage. The major advantage of this building is that it's next door to the Polynesian's lobby, the Great Ceremonial House.

Good Rooms in Rarotonga

Rarotonga is also next door to the Polynesian's lobby, the Great Ceremonial House. Rooms in Rarotonga have views of landscaping and foliage. Some rooms have a view of the Monorail.

Good Rooms in Tokelau

Rooms in Tokelau have views of landscaping and foliage. The building is next to the resort's Oasis Pool, but most views of it are blocked by large plants or trees.

Good Rooms in Moorea

Most rooms in Moorea facing north are facing the Polynesian bungalows. Rooms facing south have views of landscaping and foliage.

Good Rooms in Pago Pago

Pago Pago has the least amount of good views thanks to rooms facing southeast that look on to a parking lot. The other half of the rooms face landscaping and foliage. The major advantage of this building is that it is a short walk to the Transportation and Ticket Center. At the Transportation and Ticket Center you can catch a Monorail to Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Grand Floridian Resort, and the Contemporary Resort.

Related blogs:
Resort Exploring Vol 7 - The Polynesian

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths	Weaknesses
Moana-themed rooms are bright and very functional	No spa or exercise facilities (guests must use those at the Grand Floridian)
Most family-friendly dining on the monorail loop	Noise from boat horns and whistles
Fun South Seas theme	Bus transportation to DHS, Animal Kingdom, water parks, and Disney Springs is shared with other monorail resorts
View of Magic Kingdom fireworks from the pool
Boat and monorail transportation to the Magic Kingdom
Among the best Club Levels of the Deluxe resorts
Walking distance to EPCOT monorail (and Magic Kingdom, if you're up for it)
Close to Palm, Magnolia, and Oak Trail Golf Courses

Disney's Polynesian Village Resort Dining

• Barefoot Pool Bar (Bar or Lounge)
• Capt. Cook's (Quick Service)
• Kona Café (Table Service)
• Kona Island (Market)
• Moana Mercantile (Market)
• Oasis Bar and Grill (Quick Service)
• 'Ohana (Table Service)
• Pineapple Lanai (Food Stand or Cart)
• Private Dining (Room Service) (Table Service)
• Tambu Lounge (Bar or Lounge)
• Trader Sam's Grog Grotto (Bar or Lounge)

Commuting Times to the Parks

Park	Boat	Bus	Monorail	Walk	Personal Automobile
Magic Kingdom	14.0 min	–	11.0 min	25.0 min	–
EPCOT	–	–	32.0 min	–	17.0 min
Hollywood Studios	–	26.0 min	–	–	19.0 min
Animal Kingdom	–	24.0 min	–	–	17.0 min
Disney Springs	–	26.0 min	–	–	15.0 min