What if you won a trip to stay at the Polynesian?
Another friend of mine wrote a great report from her first stay at the Polynesian and to make it even more special it was a visit she won. Here is Stacey Lantz’s report
Not many people can say that they went to Walt Disney World on someone elses dime. I can! After winning a trip through a Twitter contest back in March, I began planning a weeklong vacation with my husband, mother, and mother-in-law. We were put up in the best resort on property… The Polynesian Resort! This meant the world to me since it’s been my dream resort since I was a teenager and I had never dreamt I’d actually get to stay there any time soon.
After waiting many months our trip finally arrived. My family and I left the cold Detroit airport and arrived in sunny Florida. Once Disney’s Magical Express dropped us off at the resort, we knew we were home. I admit, in the line to check-in, I cried. All excited tears aside, check-in was a breeze and the cast members made it very easy for us. They couldn’t find our grocery order right away then but by the time we made it up to our room it was being delivered.
I opted to not request a longhouse and let the fates choose. We were placed in a lagoon view room (3221) in Aotearoa. Having third floor was wonderful. Standing on the left side of our balcony we had a great view of Cinderella Castle. Upon first inspection of the room I did not notice any bed bugs, peeling wallpaper, or broken light fixtures.
After our first day we did notice that the fridge did not want to stay cold so we called and asked for a replacement one. Instead of putting the new fridge back where the other one was, they left it out on the floor. That seemed to do be the end of our maintenance problems. However, we had to ask for a replacement hair dryer when the heat adjusting piece became loose. If there had been an issue with the cord it could have been a safety hazard. Maybe this is something that housekeeping needs to check regularly.
My family and I enjoyed many meals at the Polynesian Resort during our stay. The infamous Adult Grilled Cheese from Captain Cooks went over very well with everyone. It was also wonderful to have Dole Whip at our disposal at any given time. Trust me when I say that we abused this convenience a few too many times. Before my family enjoyed a late night dinner at ‘Ohana, my husband and I enjoyed a few drinks from Tambu Lounge. The bartender told me that because of a poorly hallowed pineapple, my Lapu Lapu had almost all rum. Boy was he right! I now understand the saying ‘one and done!’ On our last day of vacation we stuffed our bellies full at Kona Café. Delicious as usual!
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to venture too much into recreation at the Polynesian due to crowds seeming unusually heavy. We hit the beach by the volcano pool a few times and it was always a bit of a struggle to get chairs. The quiet pool, however, was our saving grace. I really suggest heading their when the volcano pool becomes crowded.
We had great experiences with the transportation at the Polynesian. Rarely did we have to wait more than ten minutes for a bus and often we didn’t have to make a stop to the Grand Floridian. Sharing busses when we had to didn’t bother us at all. Having the monorail right on site was truly a joy but having to walk from our distant longhouse to the TTC was a bit tiresome. I think next time I plan on spending so much time at Epcot I will request a longhouse closer to the TTC.
I found the grounds to be really clean and well kept for the most part. On our last few days I noticed a lot of 
landscaping work being done. It was nice waking up and seeing new plants outside our balcony. Sadly, there was a complaint I had that I can’t believe no cast member noticed or cared to take care of. Right outside the window of Aotearoa in a small garden area, there was a dead bird lying on the rocks. I figured I would see how many days it took for someone to take care of it… about three.
Minor problems aside, it really was the trip of a lifetime. I’m so glad I finally got to be a Polynesian Resort guest. If it’s possible, I love the resort even more now and hopefully I will make it back some day. To hear more about my entire Walt Disney World vacation as well as my helpful planning tips, visit my blog at www.disney-nerd.blogspot.com.
Congratulations to Matt and Marissa Hochberg for the addition of a baby girl to their family. You can visit Matt’s site at http://www.studioscentral.com/ or listen to him at http://wdwtoday.com/
Some new links
I always enjoy finding new links to sites that I enjoy or sometimes other sites find me to share links. Be sure to check out my links page for some great Disney and Polynesian themed sites. Here are a few I have added recently.
Many of my favorite sites to visit for Disney news are blocked at my work so in my search for other news sites I found this great site. http://www.mickeyxtreme.com/index.html
Recently I added another Disney site called The Mouse Info http://www.theinfomouse.com/
