5 things we loved about Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

1. The monorail location
When I recently recommended Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort to friends booking their Walt Disney World holiday, the main reason was the combination of a hotel in a brilliant location that also has the added bonus of superb theming. Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is one of the three monorail hotels, which means guests can easily access two of the five Disney theme parks by monorail from this resort–Magic Kingdom (also accessible via boat) and Epcot. In addition, guests can easily get to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Disney’s Contemporary via monorail, or use the walkway between Disney’s Polynesian and Disney’s Grand Floridian.

2. The unique theming
As soon as we checked into Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort for our last Walt Disney World holiday, we were all presented with colourful leis in true Hawaiian style, and we quickly fell into a relaxed island mode. In fact, the whole family enjoyed the tropical theming of the resort, which is not only visible in the interior, but is further reinforced by the fact that cast members greet guests with ‘Aloha’ and are regularly handing out the flower leis. In addition, dark wooden interior and tropical flower decorations were aplenty in the hotel’s communal areas.

3. The entertainment options
With a surprisingly cool bar, a dinner show, movies playing on big screen on the beach and pool-side children’s activities, there seems to be a lot happening at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. The highly-themed tropical tiki bar Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto would be a definite highlight for guests wanting to enjoy a drink in an intimate, Hawaiian-style setting–assuming they can secure a spot in this popular hideaway, and families wanting to learn more about island culture can enjoy Polynesian-style cuisine, hula dancing and drumming at Disney’s Spirit of Aloha dinner show. It’s also possible to view the Magic Kingdom’s Happily Ever After fireworks from the hotel beach, where they blast the music (but bear in mind it would be best to get closer for those wanting to see the projections on the castle), and guests can also enjoy the 15-minute nighttime Electric Water Pageant on the Seven Seas Lagoon.

Enjoying dinner at Disney’s Spirit of Aloha

4. The themed pool area
When we visited Walt Disney World in 2018, we didn’t spend any time in the hotel pool, but at Disney’s Polynesian Resort the pool area was too cool to skip family pool-time. The main pool area for families, the Lava Pool, features a volcano-style backdrop, a waterfall and a waterslide. There’s also a fun, themed play area, which was brilliant for our preschooler, and both children used the complimentary life vests provided on racks next to the pool. We also loved the pool-side activities in the afternoon, and one day the children played Disney bingo by the pool and another afternoon they made Mickey tie-dye t-shirts (fee per t-shirt).

Creating a Mickey tie-dye t-shirt by the pool at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

5. The multiple table-service dining options
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort boasts several table-service dining options, and the location also means guests are within walking distance of table-service restaurants at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, which we found particularly convenient as we felt it increased our dining options. Since Walt Disney World is huge and we’ve been travelling with young children, we’ve prioritised dining at table-service restaurants in the parks or easily accessible from the hotel property. For families staying at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and prioritising character meals to get autographs and photos, I would suggest a character breakfast with Lilo, Stitch, Mickey and Pluto at the hotel’s ‘Ohana restaurant and a walk over to 1900 Park Fare for a character buffet meal.