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I love all the hotels at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. But perhaps my very favorite is Disney’s Polynesian Resort. There is something truly magical about this hotel, and there about a billion reasons why I love this Disney deluxe resort.
You can see it for yourself in our virtual tour of the hotel:
I know your family will love staying at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort as much as my family has, so I am going to offer you some tips for your family for staying here. These tips will help maximize your experience…and some tips will even save you money!
1Book through David’s Vacation Club Rentals
And in the case of this tip, it will save you a lot of money – perhaps hundreds of dollars!
The cheapest way to save money on a stay at the Polynesian Resort is to book through David’s Vacation Club Rentals. You can rent a stay at one of the Disney Vacation Club rooms.
And the great thing is, you can do this through David’s without even being a Disney Vacation Club member. The last three few times I stayed at Polynesian was in one of the DVC villas, I was able to book it for an incredibly low rate.
We go over how to book a DVC room here.
You can find DVC rooms in the following buildings at the Polynesian:
- Pago Pago
- Tokelau
- Moorea
- Bora Bora
- Island Tower
The Pago Pago, Tokelau, and Moorea are longhouse buildings with studio options.
The Bora Bora bungalows have three-room units that are on the water. While this obviously has its upsides, they are (understandably) a lot more expensive than other rooms.
Polynesian’s new Island Tower opened up a few months ago. It has all kinds of room options, from duo studios to two-bedroom penthouse villas.
If it is just you or just you and another person, then the duo studio is a wonderful hack to stay at Polynesian for a cheaper rate. Your room will be smaller, but you get all the great features of Polynesian. And if it’s just two of you or one of you, you won’t need as much space.
But if you have between three to five people, then the studios are a great option. That is what my family has chosen, and we have loved our stays. The longhouses and the tower is very close to the main building at Polynesian, including the dining (more about the dining later), the monorail station (more about the monorail later), and the buses. And once again, by renting a DVC room, we paid so much less.
2Bring Your Own Food
One of the big advantages of booking a Disney Vacation Club villa over a hotel room at the Polynesian, aside from the savings in money, is the fact that the villas have full kitchens. We’re talking silverware, plates, microwave, refrigerator, dishwasher, table to eat, etc. To save money on your trip, have a meal or two at the room. If you’re flying in and can’t bring food, you can always order food from Amazon and have it delivered to your room.
3Eat at Polynesian’s Restaurants
When you’re not eating in your room, take advantage of the great restaurants available at Polynesian!
My family’s personal favorite is the quick service meals at Captain Cook’s. It has Polynesian vibes and delicious foods without a super high price tag. When we feel like spending a bit more money, we’ve also loved the character breakfast at Ohana.
4Watch Happily Ever After from Outside Your Room
Do you love the fireworks at Magic Kingdom but hate waiting around for them? Then you’ll love getting to see them from outside your room at Polynesian! Right before the Happily Ever After Fireworks, just walk out your room towards the bungalows. And then you’ll get an amazing view! And they even pipe in the music! You won’t get the projections on the castle, but you won’t have to wait around for it, have to worry about people putting kids on your shoulders obstructing your views, etc. For my family, it was the perfect way to watch the fireworks!
5Take the Monorail to Magic Kingdom
One of the great things about staying at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is that it is on the monorail line. So you just need to walk to the Grand Ceremonial House (which is a close walk from all the rooms) and then go up the 2nd floor and take the monorail. It is a really fun, convenient way to get to the Magic Kingdom.
6Walk to the Ticket & Transportation Center to Take the Monorail to EPCOT
The Ticket & Transportation Center is actually a pretty short walk from the Polynesian Resort. You can take a monorail from the Ticket & Transportation Center right to EPCOT. This makes Polynesian unique as the one Disney hotel with super convenient transportation to both EPCOT & Magic Kingdom.
7Take a Boat to the Magic Kingdom
Sick of the monorail? Then consider taking a boat to & from the Magic Kingdom! I love how you get both ways of transportation. Definitely make sure you do the boat ride at least once, because it really is a beautiful boat ride.
8Shops at the Gift Shops
I know Disney has a lot of gift shops and you might think they are all alike (and often, you would be right). But the gift shops at Polynesian are truly unique. I love shopping there. I have picked up a lot of unique Polynesian & Hawaiian-themed items there that you can’t get elsewhere in the park. The shops are also super conveniently located in the Grand Ceremonial House, where the monorail transportation & dining are.
9Have Fun at the Pool
Polynesian has an amazing pool complex with a volcano replica. It is fun for all ages and definitely something you will want to check out.
10Shop Ahead of the Trip
You can save money during your trip by shopping ahead of time. There are a lot of items that will cost you a lot less if you buy it online before you arrive at Disney World. See our recommendations on what to buy online ahead of time.
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