Disney's Polynesian Villas

By Nick

Ever since I started going to Walt Disney World in the early 1990's, I thought about how great it would be to stay at the Polynesian Resort, but could never bring myself to pay $400 plus for one single night.

Enter the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) and Disney's Polynesian Villas and Bungalows, which afforded me the opportunity to finally stay here!

And it was, well, it was okay. (queue wahwahwah sound effect)

Right up front here I'm going to say that there are a few things that are absolutely clouding my judgement, and that I would certainly consider staying here again, if things lined up properly.

The first thing preventing this stay from being more magical was the fact that I was solo. I would absolutely have had a better time with my wife.

Secondly, I didn't have enough points available to book a Lake view room, instead getting a standard view, which wasn't bad...

...but due to the railings, if you did decide to sit out, your view would be:

Then there was the room itself. It was nice, but I didn't feel that as much high quality touches were put into these rooms compared to The Villas at the Grand Floridian.

And even though they solved a design flaw in the under the bed storage I'd found at the Grand, there is even less room for clothes!

And finally, something that didn't have that much of an effect on me, but one I would certainly warn about in case you get a standard room in the next few months. The construction tarps, which stretched over a rather large portion of the grounds. I was told that this was going to be a refurbished pool and counter service restaurant, or the pool and a barbecue area. Perhaps both?

All things considered, however, there is much to be said for staying at the Poly. The top 3 things on the list being location, location, location. I especially liked the location of my building, Moorea.

While it was a bit of a hike to the Great Ceremonial House, which contains the main lobby, restaurants and lounges, it is very close to the Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC). It's also fairly close to the bus stop. So I had several options when it came to getting around.

And though the Great Ceremonial House is far-ish, the walk along the water is wonderful.

And you can watch Wishes from the beach!

Speaking of views, the grounds in general are lovely, even during rather cool January weather, they help convey a feeling of warmth.

The pool looks nice with a volcano themed slide, but I did not go for a swim during my stay.

While I didn't feel the rooms felt as posh as others on property, the double bathroom is a great touch.

The bed and pillows are super soft. I slept better on this trip than any other before!

Then there are all the food and drink options, from the newer Trader Sam's Grog Grotto, to the classics, Kona Cafe and O'hana, to the fact you a monorail ride from all the options at the Grand, Contemporary and Magic Kingdom, this is maybe my favorite thing about the Poly.

Which I suppose goes back to location, location, location.

So, to recap. Yes, it didn't live up to my expectations, but really, several of the reasons why were not the fault of the Polynesian.

In other words "It's not you Poly, it's me."

My Walt Disney World Monorail Resort Loop Lounge Tour

By Nick 

If you aren't familiar, the Monorail Resorts are The Contemporary and Bay Lake Tower, The Polynesian Village Resort, and The Grand Floridian, and a lounge is a place to get inebriated. And lounge. Put them together, and you get The Monorail Loop Lounge Tour, which was on my must do list for my solo trip to Walt Disney World.

Since my wife wasn't with me, I figured it was the perfect time to do it because Barbie doesn't drink, so I wouldn't be dragging her from resort to resort to watch me imbibe. Plus I was actually staying at The Polynesian Villas, making my commute very simple indeed.

I didn't actually start out intending to do the tour on Saturday evening. I'd been at Disney's Hollywood Studios, and was in the mood for dinner, but everywhere I went was packed, as it was one of the last evenings for The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights.

So I hopped a bus back to the Polynesian, and headed over to Trader Sams, which was also very crowded. I walked upstairs intending on checking if Kona Cafe had any open seats when I saw a spot open over at Kona Island, which is the sushi bar next to Kona, where I assumed that I'd be only able to order off their menu. I was surprised when a server approached me with a Kona Cafe menu!

I ordered the Kona Coffee Rubbed Pork Chop, which was delicious and a Lapu Lapu, which was also delicious, consisting of Myers’s Original Dark Rum and Tropical Fruit Juices served in a fresh Pineapple topped with Bacardi 151 Rum.

It was after drinking this concoction that I had the brilliant idea to do The Lounge Tour.

As I had been updating my Disney Exchange Podcast co-host Lisa Green as to my plans via Facebook Instant Messaging, I informed her I was about embark on this adventure, and she became my voice of reason. My Jiminy Cricket of sorts.

Unfortunately, like Pinocchio, I went somewhat astray. More on that later.

Perhaps my first misstep of the evening was my decision that Kona Island clearly isn't a lounge. It's an island. Luckily, a lounge is very close to that. Tambu Lounge is located adjacent to O'hana.

So I strolled over there, and, not wanting to get another Lapu Lapu, because, I'm pretty sure it's a rule that a different drink must be had at each stop(?), I started to peruse the drink menu. About this time a young lady sitting next to me received her drink, which had what looked to be a long backscratcher sticking out of it! Well, it looked that way, because it was indeed a backscratcher, which appropriately enough is the name of the drink it was in!

The Backscratcher is Bacardi Superior rum, Myers's Original Dark rum, and passion fruit juice topped with Jack Daniel's and, of course, a bamboo backscratcher.

About this time Lisa started telling me to be sure to drink water! So I did. Honest.

After this very tasty drink, I was feeling pretty good. So I headed over to the monorail stop, where I saw a very, very long line. As it was a fairly nice evening, I decided to walk over to the Grand Floridian. Is there a rule that one must ride the monorail on this tour? If so, I guess I'll just have to do it again in the future! But I digress. 

The second lounge on the tour was Mizner's. This is a very quiet spot. That is until The Grand Floridian Society Orchestra started playing, and I was swinging to some jazz. 

Well, by swinging I mean tapping my toes and drinking a very simple Bacardi and Coke.

I chose this option because I figured, hey, it's rum. The other drinks had rum, so...
Lisa: "Stay Hydrated!" Yes ma'am! 

If you have not caught The Grand Floridian Society Orchestra, you should! They play a wide range of great jazz standards, I especially loved The Pink Panther, as well as Disney classics.

I stumbled strolled onto the Monorail to head to my last stop, The Contemporary. More specifically, Bay Lake Tower and The Top of the World Lounge, which is for members of the Disney Vacation Club. 

 
This spot at the top of BLT offers a great view of the Magic Kingdom and Seven Seas Lagoon.

It was not very late, but Wishes was over, the lounge was almost completely empty.

I sat down and ordered a Monorail Yellow, which is Myer's Platinum Rum, Pina Colada Mix, and Orange Juice.

Lisa: "Are you still drinking water?! Don't mix too much." Me: "Well, all my drinks had rum in them, does that count?"

Well, it didn't count, it turns out, because the next morning, I felt none too well!

My advise, stick to one type of drink. A beer or a whiskey at each stop instead of several tropical drinks. Have a bite to eat in between. And, yes, stay hydrated!

This article was originally posted on The Disney Exchange Blog, official home of The Disney Exchange Podcast!

The Disney Exchange Podcast, Episode 51 ; Monorail Resort Loop and Epcot Resort Lounge Hopping

By Nick

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The Disney Exchange is David Hodges, Lisa Green, and me, Nicholas Maglio.

A little background info on this week's show. This was recorded several weeks ago during one of our experimental Blab shows. Blab is a Twitter App that allows for live video interaction. There are several references throughout to us interacting with people watching us recording live as well as reacting to each others antics. Also, there are several references to Dave not being able to see. That's because he had just THAT DAY had Lasik eye surgery!

This is me recording live.

We launch directly into the show's topic, bar or lounge hopping around the Monorail Loop at Walt Disney World, which takes us to the Contemporary, the Polynesian and the Grand Floridian where we pick a snack and alcoholic beverage at each location of our choice.

The Lounge at Citricos at Disney's Grand Floridian

We then continue over to the Epcot Resort area, which includes The Boardwalk, The Yacht and the Beach Club, and the Swan and Dolphin.

 The lovely seating area outside the Belle Vue Lounge

 at Disney's Boardwalk Resort.

The Wheel of Distiny topic: Turkey Leg, yes or no?

Thank you for listening to The Disney Exchange, the smoothest, most professionally organized podcast on the interwebs.

If you have a show or a wheel of Distiny topic, please let us on on our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thedisneyexchange, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/disneyexchange  or email us at: info@thedisneyexchange

More Than Just a Way to Travel-Walt Disney World Transportation

By Lisa Green 

We once rented a car for our Walt Disney World vacation – once being the important word here.  I’m not counting the time we rented a car for one day so we could run errands and visit Downtown Disney the day before our Disney Cruise departure.  I’m talking about driving to Disney World from the airport and driving from the resort to the parks, restaurants, and so on.  Epic mistake!  Disney transportation is wonderful, convenient and way more than just a mode of travel from points A to B.  In my usual way, I give you…

FIVE great things about Walt Disney World Transportation:

No need to know how to get where you’re going (or remember where you parked) – Once we enter the Disney Bubble, maximizing the magic of the Disney vacation experience is a must.  If we had our own car, every time we got in it, I would feel like I was at home!  NO WAY!  That would interfere terribly with shutting out the rest of the world for the duration of our vacation.  If we had a rental car, we would have to know how to navigate the roads, streets, and avenues of Disney property – we might also (GASP) be tempted to visit Orlando attractions outside the World of Disney – thus diminishing the power of the Bubble.

Cool and comfortable – Think about this:  You’re visiting the World at the peak of the summer.  You want to leave a park and go back to your resort hotel for a rest – the inside of your vehicle will be roughly the same temperature as the surface of the sun.  Seatbelts, car seats, steering wheel – all burning hot.  By the time you get way out into the parking lot, find the car and cool it off, you’d already be on your way (if not arriving at your destination) in the comfortable, refreshing coolness of a Disney bus (or monorail, or boat).

As a form of entertainment – The people-watching opportunities are excellent!  You can see a wide variety of #DisneySide displays in the form of hats, clothing, shoes, even nail polish.  You can check out other travelers’ pin collections and sometimes souvenirs.  On a crowded bus, you can teach your children courtesy and good manners – offer a seat to others who may not be able to stand for the duration of the trip.  Also, just riding the monorail to take a look around or relaxing on a scenic trip aboard the boats that cross Bay Lake can be wonderfully entertaining journeys.  Board a boat (Blue Flag Launch) at the Contemporary boat dock and just stay seated when it stops at the Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness – or get off and explore, then catch the boat back to where you started.  Ferry boats will take you from the Magic Kingdom to the Ticket and Transportation Center and there are boat from many resorts to Downtown Disney.

Included in the price of your stay – You are already paying for it, why not use it?  I’m not picking on control freaks, but as our friend Elsa would say, “Let it go!”.  Put yourself in the capable hands of the Disney drivers and let yourself experience Disney’s world class hospitality.  Save the control for when you get back into the real world and just be a kid again on vacation.

Wine and Dine – Enjoy some wine with dinner, make the loop on the monorail pub crawl, enjoy tasting the exotic adult beverages along the World Showcase – I’m not saying you should overindulge, I’m just pointing out how convenient it is that Disney provides a designated driver for you.  So, when dessert has been ordered and the nice Italian server you have at Tutto Italia says, “You look like a limoncello fan to me” – feel free to say, “Yes, indeed!”
Complete, official deets on Disney transportation can be found here.

What do you like most about Disney Transportation?

This article was originally posted on Lisa's Living a Disney Life Blog.
She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LivingaDisLife and on Twitter at @life_of_green

Please be sure to check out Lisa along with me and David Hodges on The Disney Exchange Podcast!

Two Momentos From Our First Visit to Disneyland

I just found these in a drawer. They are from our first trip to Disneyland in 2008.

The coin was part of our package from the Disney Travel Company, which is who we booked the trip with.

.

I picked this gift card up because I loved the Monorail artwork.






I know I have a couple of other Disneyland items around somewhere, and when I eventually find them, I will share them here.

Wordless Wednesday - Sunset from the Monorail

By Gaylin  

5 Great Things About Walt Disney World's Monorail

 

By Lisa Green 

Stated simply, I love the monorail.  I’m pretty sure it’s a family thing, too, since we ALL love the monorail, and the resorts, restaurants, and shops on the monorail loop!  We have stayed at all three resorts on the loop (The Contemporary, The Polynesian, and the Grand Floridian) and became DVC members at the earliest possible time once Bay Lake Tower was complete.  Yes, we can walk to the Magic Kingdom from our DVC “home”, but let’s be honest – it’s the MONORAIL that drew us in.

If you’ve ridden the monorail EVER, then I’m sure you love it too!  I’m sharing today the FIVE things I love most about this most unique, special, fantastic, dare I say magical mode of transportation in the whole wide World!  Please don’t hesitate to comment with what YOU love most about Disney’s “Highway in the sky”.

1.  The VOICE – and I’m not as picky as some.  I do love the late Jack Wagner’s “Please Stand Clear of the Doors. Por favor manténganse alejado de las puertas.” – the original voice of the monorail system and still the voice that says that particular line.   I’ve loved ALL the voices!  Joe Hursh, voice of the monorail from 2004 to 2012 is probably the one I like the best – because I have incredibly happy vacation memories from those years!  In 2012, voice actor Tom Kane (Star Wars, The Clone Wars) took over…taking a bunch of flack from die-hard monorail fans for being too bland in his delivery.  The first time Joseph looked me in the eye (around age 9) and deadpan, perfectly lip-synced “Por favor manténganse alejado de las puertas” was one of the most memorable, happiest moments of my life as a parent!

2. The SMELL – call me weird, but the monorail has a unique smell and I love it!  Maybe it’s the air conditioner – for sure, on a hot day, the monorail is a cool and relaxing oasis – nearly a destination on its own – the fact that it takes you places while you’re listening to #1 and riding in cool, shaded comfort is just a great bonus!

3. The WRAPS – if you missed “Tronorail” or “Avengerail” I’m so sorry!  The outside of the monorail occasionally gets a totally fabulous new groove.  There have also been wraps for Iron Man 3 and Monsters University.  Inside and out, the monorail often adopts an alter-ego based on Disney’s latest cinematographic endeavors.  It’s just the coolest thing EVER.  Anybody remember when Stich was inside the monorail with you?  Ah, good times.

4.  The EATS – No, the monorail hasn’t started serving snacks, but it can take you to some of the very best, most exciting (and delicious) restaurants on Disney property.  Take ‘Ohana for example – this resort-loop favorite has been, for a long time, one of the hardest places to get into for a meal.

5.  The CONVENIENCE – even if you are not staying at a resort hotel on the monorail loop, you can’t beat the ease of jumping on the monorail at the Magic Kingdom, making a quick switch at the TCC (Ticket and Transportation Center) and…presto!  Arriving at Epcot!  If you haven’t had the pleasure of riding the monorail into the station at Epcot, you’ve been missing out!  Also, if you ever want to see some truly exceptional Christmas decorations – jump on the monorail at the Magic Kingdom, hop off at each resort for a look-see, and end up back at the Magic Kingdom.  Grownups can do the very same thing for happy hour – hop off at each resort for a snack and a beverage!

One time, six of us were anxiously awaiting the monorail to whisk us off to our ADR at ‘Ohana and we could see it in the distance (Magic Kingdom station) – inching, literally, barely moving forward.  As our ride drew slowly closer we could see what the problem was…not a mechanical malfunction as we would have expected, but a squirrel on the rail!  And that squirrel was running for his life – straight towards all the spectators on the platform now watching the drama unfold with rapt attention.  Surely, that squirrel would jump off the track and head for safer ground….but NO!  He kept on running towards us – the HUGE crowd waiting for a ride – and holding our collective breath in anticipation of what fate the squirrel might face.  As it ran ever closer, the poor thing began stopping every few feet to rest – and we all just quietly looked on!  The air fairly crackling with anticipation.  Finally, AT THE STATION – the poor squirrel leaped for safety and the crowd sighed in relief before, as one, everyone began to cheer!  With that uproar, the monorail came to a stop and shortly, we were off – to enjoy our evening.

Now, it’s your turn!  What do YOU love most about the Walt Disney World monorail system?

This article was originally posted on Lisa's Living a Disney Life Blog

Editor's Note: Lisa can also be found co-hosting The Disney Exchange Podcast along with Dave Hodges and myself! - Nick
 

Wordless Wednesday: Monorail Action