Not always Paradise
As always I get feedback from people staying at the resort and it is mixed good and bad. That is no surprise and has always been the case. Even the Unofficial guide had rated the Polynesian lower due to some problems a few years ago. Since some of the problems were addressed the Unofficial Guide has rated the resort higher and even AAA had given it an extra Diamond. Recently some of you know there have been some issues with Polynesian Club level.
The Polynesian Club level was the original concierge at WDW and was always the example other resorts aspired to become. For the last few years there have been some inconsistencies with the quality of the service that many including myself have noticed. I figured as with other problems they would be addressed at some point. I am still getting some good reviews of the Polynesian Club level but some issues I have run into have made me question weather to spend the money on Club Level for my trip next year for Tikifest.
In the last few months some people I know who are long time visitors to the Polynesian concierge have had bad enough experiences that they will no longer return to the Polynesian Resort. They have experienced better service at other Disney resorts and their Club Levels have exceeded the service that they experienced at the Polynesian.
Since my love is the Polynesian resort it is hard for me to say I am disappointed in the action or lack of action to resolve the quality of the experiences guests are having at the Polynesian Resort.
Because of this concern I have considered not staying there for next years Tikifest and Magical Vacations is going to add some group rate rooms at other resorts such as the Board Walk, Beach Club and possibly the Yacht Club. Just like last Tikifest when the Wilderness Lodge, Contemporary and Grand Floridian were offered. I think I will give the Polynesian Club level another chance next year but that experience and the preplanning they offer will be something I evaluate closely.
As much as I love the Polynesian and I think the resort has done a spectacular job on refurbishing just about everything there it needs to concentrate as much on the heart of the resort as it does the looks of it. The heart is the Cast Members and the management that make it what it is.
For years the Cast Members there that made you feel like family is what got most of us to keep coming back. Many Cast Members looked at the Polynesian as the place to work and even if the Grand Floridian was called the Flag Ship Resort, most at Disney knew the Polynesian was really considered that. The resort just seemed to lose some of that special attitude. Even with the planning of Tikifest last year there were Cast Members that were excited to be part of the event but the Polynesian management wanted nothing to do with it. We were not asking for anything for free but they wanted no involvement. I thought that was an interesting attitude to have toward a large group of people that wanted to celebrate their love for the resort. Even the Beach Club has offered up having the next Tikifest on their beach. Maybe we need to have the party be Beachfest 2009.
Well we had a great Tikifest in 2007 even without the support of the Polynesian management, and it looks like it will be just as good next year. We still have Cast Members that are interested in being part of it and we all have enough Aloha Spirit to make this even better than 2007.
