Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort Review

The resort is themed after the South Pacific, so it obviously has a very vibrant tiki culture. Literally, as soon as you start walking into the main building – aka the Great Ceremonial House – you’re greeted by flaming tiki torches, small cascading waterfalls and tons of lush greenery. You basically feel like you’re on an exotic island, but also kind of get some”Brady Bunch Goes to Hawaii” vibes. There are 11 longhouses where guests can stay and each one is named after an island in the South Pacific. You can even attend a luau and take a dip in a volcano pool!

The Grand Ceremonial House is kind of the center of everything. Inside is the Front Desk where you’ll check in, the concierge, restaurants, gift shops and lounges. It’s a very open and spacious area, great for just sitting and taking in the atmosphere (or people watching). When you check-in you’ll be given a lei which is, let’s be honest, a small token considering how much you’re probably spending to stay here, but it’s a nice way to start your trip off, and no they aren’t real flowers. The Cast Members at the Polynesian are very kind and helpful, however, when we first arrived we did not have a great experience, which was a bummer, but throughout our stay the cast members we met totally made up for it. Overall, the ambiance of the resort is incredible thanks to the little details that Disney put into it and the theme is a favorite for many Disney fans.

We stayed in a Polynesian Villa Standard Deluxe Studio in the Moorea longhouse (you can see what the rooms look like here, I wasn’t able to get any good pictures because we moved our stuff in right away and the room turned into a mess, lol). As a family of 5, we normally don’t have a problem fitting into one hotel room, but this room specifically said it was made to fit 5, so we thought it would be a home run.

The room can definitely fit 5 people, we’ll start with that. There’s a queen bed, a queen sized pull out couch, and a single pull down Murphy bed. At about 450 square feet, they’re a little bit bigger than the normal resort rooms, which are already the biggest Deluxe Resort rooms on property. However, the space is pretty cramped. We eventually got used to it, but we were not that enthusiastic about it in the beginning. The main living area is small because they used most of the space for the two bathrooms.

That’s right two bathrooms! This was the part that worked out great for us, because after a long day at the parks, it was nice to not have to wait for someone to be done getting ready for bed before you could. I will also say that both the pull out couch and the Murphy bed were extremely comfortable. We slept well every night and were well rested for our days at the parks. There’s also a cute little surprise when you open the Murphy bed…

Another thing I want to note is that in the regular rooms you can get 2 queen beds and a pull out couch, as well as a spacious bathroom. So while the actual square footage of the room may be smaller than the studio, I think you’ll have more living space in a regular room – especially with a family of 5.

The Polynesian is not just a vacation destination, it’s also a culinary oasis. Some of the most raved about food options on Disney property are at the Poly. I really think it’s one of the only resorts, maybe apart from Animal Kingdom Lodge, where all the food options are loved by resort goers. Plus it’s the only resort where you can get a Dole Whip…

Trader Sam’s Grogg Grotto is absolutely awesome, and totally worth a visit even if you aren’t staying on property! The drinks and the food make it really good, but the atmosphere is what makes it great. The story behind it connects to the Jungle Cruise, and is further proof that Disney is the master of the details. Trader Sam is the head salesman of the Jungle Cruise Navigational Company, and, as an extension of his profession of creating head-shrinking potions, has discovered a passion for mixology. As he travels the world looking for ingredients, he has picked up many unique souvenirs and brought them back to the Grotto. You’ll want to get here early because it’s a small space that has a long waiting list – we showed up at around 6pm and the wait was about an hour! There’s lots of little details in this place, so definitely take the time to look around and appreciate them!

We ate at ‘Ohana the last night of our trip and it was truly an experience I will never forget! This was our first time eating here out of all the times we’ve been to WDW, so I was very, very excited. It’s one of those restaurants that everyone recommends and raves about – and honestly, it did not disappoint. The food was so delicious, but there is a lot of it!

They start you off with a loaf of Pineapple Bread, then your server will bring a salad along with your drinks (I hear the Lapu Lapu is the best alcohol option). It’s very hard not to fill up on these because the bread is amazing, but there’s a lot more food to come and thankfully we knew that, so we were able to pace ourselves.

Next came the Honey Coriander Wings and Pork Dumplings – both were soo tasty. For the main course they brought out Noodles and Stir Fried Veggies, followed by skewers of freshly grilled chicken, shrimp and steak. It is essentially an all you can eat restaurant, so when I say don’t fill up too quickly, I mean it! Every course was incredible and if we had the room for it, we would’ve kept eating. But I knew we couldn’t leave without trying the dessert – the Bread Pudding. Oh. My. God. I have thought about this dessert every day of my life since. Not to be dramatic, but it’s life changing.