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Polynesian Resort Concierge

Concierge service includes personalized front desk and guest services, robes, phone in bath area, data port on phone, coffeemaker (upon request), pantry service (upon request), turndown service, and lounge with continental breakfast, midday snacks, evening hors d'oeuvres, and evening cordials and dessert.

Concierge rooms and lounge are located in the Hawaii longhouse (currently being refurb., so rooms are in Tahiti), and suites are in Tonga.

The lounge has a large window looking out onto Seven Seas Lagoon. This offers a wondeful view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks, and the music is piped into the lounge.

The concierge lounge is staffed between 7am - 10pm.

Concierge Lounge Snacks-

Kakahiaka (Morning service)
7:00am - 10:30am
May include fruit, pastries, muffins, bagels, cereal, bread(for toast), oatmeal, yogurt, milk, hot drinks, juice, water.

Auinala (Afternoon service)
12:00pm - 4:00pm
Cookies, fruit, juice, soda, water, and treats for kids.

Ahiahi (Evening service)
5:00pm - 7:00pm
There is a different theme each day, for example, Italian, Luau, Asian. May include appetizers, fruit, cheese & crackers, etc.

Aumoe (Late evening service)
7:00pm - 10:00pm
Cheese, wine, desserts and cordials.

Stayed in concierge? Fill in the resort review form, or email me your comments and reviews.

Reviews

"Our family (two adults, a 15 y/o son, a 12 y/o [at the time] daughter, and our 11 y/o nephew) returned almost one week ago from a 10 night stay at Polynesian GV Concierge. We are Polynesian Concierge vets and have stayed at this level of service in several other deluxes at WDW as well. Polynesian is, far and away, our favorite and despite a few bumps in the road during our recent visit, remains so.

We arrived at Polynesian bell services stand on 6/13 at 7:30 a.m. We didn't expect our room to be ready (and it wasn't) but needed to check-in to obtain two UMP for the two non-PAP holders. Bell services promptly transported us to Tahiti and explained about the refurb, etc. Since we have been to Polynesian many times, he skipped the drive around normally given to guests upon arrival.

CHECK-IN
Once in the concierge building, we were taken to the 2nd floor for check-in. We were delighted to see Melissa and finally meet her face-to-face. In prior years Melissa was in the Island Planning office and did the PS scheduling and responded to inquiries. She has handled our vacations for a number of years but our only communication was written or by telephone. Melissa handled our check-in very efficiently and was extremely accommodating and welcoming.

We received our leis, a copy of the PS schedule, HDD tickets, and packet of information containing park schedules, maps, and information about the Resort. She even tried to locate a room for us that morning, but was unable to do so and meet our requests--west end of Tahiti close to exit--no floor preference, smoking optional for husband's occasional cigar in the evening. Melissa informed us that the room available was on the wrong side of the hall and that she couldn't "upgrade us" because the house was full! The CMs were still getting used to the change in room numbers and the new building which I find totally understandable. We also learned that Tahiti has 40 extra rooms that Hawaii does not--this caused our jaws to drop! To think that the building was completely booked with the additional rooms took us by surprise! We wondered whether all of those guests were "paying" guests or were "upgraded" to the service due to a lack of rooms with the Hawaii building out of operation. It also gave us pause to think what service would be like especially on 3rd floor. While we were certainly pleased that others have discovered the wonderful ambience of Polynesian's Concierge service, we were a bit concerned about how future visits might be affected when the service returns to Hawaii! I hope there's room for us next year!

LOUNGE
While we were going through the check-in process, the three kids went to the lounge to enjoy breakfast. My husband and I joined them after check-in for a quick cup of Espresso before heading to the MK. The lounge area was a complete ZOO! In all of our stays I have never seen this place as overwhelmed. The only explanation I have for it is the space being utilized for the food service AND the increased population inhabiting the concierge building. The lounge space is not as large and open as the concierge lounge in Hawaii and thus feels small and cramped--especially near the food service line.

The queues, during the first hour of service, were very long to get to the service tables and the staff seemed to be really hopping. There was no time for these CMs to have polite conversation with the guests--as we were used to during past stays. They were simply too busy just trying to keep food items, napkins, cups, plastic silverware, plates, and the like refilled. On this particular morning (at 9:00 a.m.) a guest was having a tizzy fit over the fact there was no more oatmeal. He was really giving it to one of the CMs in the lounge and was incredulous that no more would be offered. Sadly, this type of event occurred a few more times during our stay.

The seating area near the food was so jam packed I don't know how anyone could breathe let alone eat. Thankfully, the two guest rooms converted for concierge service were never full! I guess those with young children wanted to be near the large screen TV and the food--we were very happy with a 19" television, the beautiful castle view, and the relative quiet of those two rooms!

During our 10 day stay we witnessed a great deal of guest "abuse" directed toward CMs in the lounge and acts of complete piggery. I have, in all the years staying at Polynesian, never witnessed the lack of concern for fellow guests and outright rude behavior mentioned on the boards--until this stay!

By way of example, and certainly not limitation: one a.m. a woman came to the lounge with a box--the type that beverages come stacked on by the case. She proceeded to load it with pastries, bagels, muffins, and the like--more than any 12 people could eat. She then tells her child of around 6-7 that they will just throw away anything that they don't like. On another occasion, a woman was telling us that she was going to make the concierge experience pay for her and her family--they stocked up on PB&Js, bagels, cookies and the like that they would be taking to the parks for lunch the next day--she went on to say that's what "she paid for". This particular woman said that she was given the information how to "work the system" on another internet board that shall remain nameless. A family occupying rooms above ours were routinely feeding the ducks from the balcony--guess where they got the food--yep, it was bagels, muffins, and pastries from the lounge! (This is why I don't particularly care for first floor--people above feed the animals and they poo all over the patios! Why don't people read those signs that say do not feed the wildlife! )

One afternoon we went in search of cookies--there were none. The CM in the lounge indicated that no matter how much they increase the order for items from one day to the next, they never have enough to go around. This was a consistent problem throughout our stay--the lounge area didn't have enough food to feed the number of guests in house. I would say this was more of a problem during afternoon service and late evening (dessert) service. For some reason people simply LOADED up on all of the sweets. I can't tell you how many bottles of Bailey's the folks drank. My husband and I would, on a few of the evenings we were back, go to the lounge for a Bailey's, Kahlua, and Franjelica--every time we went to pour a cordial--the Bailey's was empty or nearly so. Thankfully, there was another bottle, but people must have been drinking the heck out of that stuff!

I guess what I'm trying to say is there was a definite, pervasive feel in the lounge of "I'm going to get mine and you better get out of my way". There have always been people, over the years, which you could clearly categorize as the "type". This year, however, it was overwhelmingly so--there were far fewer of us that were more thoughtful and polite in our behavior.

The food during the evening service always seemed plentiful if not all that terrific. The variety was okay although the kids' table was certainly lacking. In years past, the kids' table had a variety of sandwiches throughout the week. This year it was strictly Uncrustables and a dessert-type item, i.e., cookies or brownies. I sort of missed that because I particularly liked the ham roll-ups and tuna sandwiches. I'm not sure why the change there unless it's just more difficult to handle the variety in the new lounge OR if it's another "cost cutting" measure.

Another disappointment was Chef Dick being on vacation during our stay. He is scheduled to return on 6/29 and I think the guests in Tahiti will be better for that! While the food was okay, it is certainly better and presented with more imagination when Chef Dick is around. I also believe, and maybe incorrectly, that some of the food ordering issues will be resolved under his skillful hand. We simply missed his presence--he's such a great guy. Our daughter left a letter for him that I hope he receives--she was so sad that her "friend" wasn't going to be around during our entire visit. We sure hope that he's there next time around--we missed him!

RESORT ROOM
Our room was ready before noon which was wonderful. What can we say--we are Polynesian diehard fans. We LOVE this resort. We've never had a complaint about a room and never experienced service problems of any kind while here. All of that being said--this trip was very different. The infamous Polynesian smell has always been in doubt where we were concerned. We've never experienced anything but the pleasant, Earthy smell of tropical plants and wet soil. We're stayed in a variety of room locations in Hawaii and this was our second stay in Tahiti. I'm here to tell everyone that, for the first time ever, we encountered that HORRID odor of which everyone speaks. Sorry Steve--this isn't air conditioning odor--it's STENCH! It was rank, mold and mildew--no question about it. It smelled as if the walls were full of it and it was filling the room. We surmised that because this room (1014) was the end room by the door, the walls soaked up a great deal of moisture from the exterior due to the large amount of vegetation. PLibsters' family had this room prior to us and requested a move for these very reasons. We, however, were sort of stuck there due to the full house.

The bathroom (by the end of each day) had mildew all over the ceiling above the shower AND there was no vent fan operating in the bathroom. This caused the room to fill with steam every time someone showered. Of course, the housekeeping staff removed it daily, but the mildew/mold returned each day. The carpet was eternally damp (not unexpected in Florida) despite the air conditioning remaining static and nothing dried in that room--swimsuits were always damp, wet socks from rain water--never dried, etc.

Maintenance came and changed a filter; housekeeping/maintenance used a dryer in the room and ionized it. This worked for a few hours on check-in day--but by the next a.m. the odor was back. Once we were in the room for a period of time, we didn't notice the smell. It was just the initial entry into the room--the smell of dirty sweat socks and a filthy locker room combined with the moldy odor of an overly damp room.

Upon check-in our room was also less than clean. One of the kids spilled something in the bathroom and when I went to wipe it up with a towel, I got a towel full of black dirt and hair. It was pretty gross. The refrigerator in the room didn't work and neither did the remote control. The air was set very high (80º) despite being 95º outside! The humidity control was also set at 60%--and I really don't think it worked anyway. We called the concierge desk to report all of these matters prior to leaving the resort that afternoon (noon).

Someone from concierge came to the room and adjusted the broken knob on the fridge and housekeeping dealt with the cleanliness issues while we were out. When we returned in the evening, the fridge still didn't work nor the remote, but the room smelled less. Maintenance was called again and brought a replacement fridge (10:30 p.m. ). We were told that the Resort had purchased a multitude of new units and that maintenance was having problems with the lot--they were leaking coolant. The new fridge, despite its tardy arrival, worked great! The remote was also reprogrammed by the gentleman from maintenance.

Maintenance also told us to leave the humidity control at 60% and the air at 70º to alleviate the smell. We did this and it didn't work--the room still smelled.

Frankly, I suppose if we'd have thrown a hissy about the room, we might have received a new assignment during our stay. We don't spend much time in our room and we could tolerate the initial blast. We didn't feel like changing rooms after we were settled AND we loved the location. All of the benefits outweighed the odor given the limited amount of time in the room.

GENERAL MATTERS
Bus transportation was fairly good compared to prior stays. Wait times for transport to AK/MGM/DD/BB/TL were usually 20 mins or less. The one exception being the DD/TL bus. We were lucky on the return from DD, we hit a bus pick-up upon our arrival at the stop. We've never done that before. Still, it's ridiculous for a bus to take 30 mins or longer to get from Polynesian to DD! If there were sidewalks I could walk faster than that! Since DD is such a big shopping venue, one would think that Disney would encourage guests to get there and back expediently--they want people to be happy to head there rather than dread the going to and from. I'm not sure how to remedy this situation--no answers here, but it behooves WDW to come up with one!

Buses were, for the most part, comfortable with no one standing. There were the odd times that a bus would be packed, but those times were rare. I believe we only stood once or twice. We had a hard time figuring out the routes though--sometimes we went to GF to pick-up while others we went directly from our resort to the park. We were told that Contemporary and Polynesian were on a route while GF and WL were on a route--this varied during our visit.

Frequently during our stay, we were told by CMs that the concierge service was changing. While most didn't share details, that was the answer we received when we asked why things were different. Each year we've stayed at Polynesian, we received that beautiful chocolate bar with the Polynesian Resort on it. There was none on this visit. Likewise, at check-out the guests would receive a thank-you note AND a box of fruit/nuts--none this time. On our last day we stopped back at the concierge desk to retrieve our "carry-on" luggage (containing swim gear and essentials). We engaged a CM in conversation and inquired about the chocolate bar--she simply said "Things are changing" and "We don't know why". She went on to indicate that they weren't giving out the chocolate bars any longer and she pointed out they weren't handing out the departing gift either. While these two items are not "make it or break it" items for us, they were lovely little touches that made the guest feel appreciated.

Tahiti is a nice building--frankly, I think most of the buildings at Polynesian are "nice". It is not, however, Hawaii. Tahiti lacks the "intimacy" of Hawaii--it's too large for a concierge service. . .at least the concierge service we are used to and enjoy at Polynesian. The lounge area of Tahiti vs Hawaii leaves a great deal to be desired--there is no better way to set it up--it's just not equipped to handle the guests with as great an efficiency as Hawaii. That's not surprising--it's make-shift and the staff does a good job with what it has to work with.

Further, the added rooms in Tahiti puts a greater strain on the CMs--they don't have the time to be as cordial, welcoming, friendly, and personal as they are able to do when in Hawaii--at least that's our observation. We never felt as if the staff had time to "recognize" the guests. I always request tomato juice during my stay--a strange quirk I know, but I love TJ. Usually, after the initial request at check-in, the staff knows me and heads to the kitchen to pour it upon my arrival in the lounge each a.m.--not an expectation, just a lovely gesture. This year everyone was so very busy--I had to track someone down each day and ask for it. Each day I was told (sometimes by the same CM) that they didn't think they had tomato juice (I knew they did because I had requested it). The staff was just so overwhelmed; they didn't remember one guest from another let alone their repeat visitors.

The convenience of Tahiti is questionable. I realize it's only a 3 minute walk from Tahiti to the Volcano pool, boat launch, and GCH--it's a very long 3 mins when it's 95º with 100% humidity! Those trips back to your room when you've forgotten a pair of goggles, sunscreen, or need a cookie/lemonade/Diet Coke are awful on those hot, hot days! On the other hand, it's a very convenient walk from the monorail to/from EPCOT. The double sinks in the larger bathrooms are nice when there are 5 in a room. There was plenty of space to spread out those toiletries! All things considered--we can't wait for Hawaii to be refurbished! The location of Hawaii can't be beat and we'll sacrifice the larger bathroom for that!

With Hawaii in refurb, a good many of the beach speakers are out of commission. If you wish to view the fireworks WITH sound, your best bet is closer to the pool (volcano) and bar area--the sound is great there although you can't see the castle. Farther down the beach there is no sound AND there is no piped in music in the Tahiti lounge.

Despite reports that 2nd floor--east end is the smoking optional floor--if you are allergic or have other health concerns--be sure to ask. We were placed at the west end, first floor and due to the occasional cigar issue, requested a smoking optional. Initially, we were told the smoking optional rooms were going to be in this location--first floor, west end--later Steve said (and it was reported by other guests, too) he was told it was east end, 2nd floor--I'm not sure what was up with that, but you may wish to ask if you have concerns.

For us, Polynesian Concierge service is unbeatable. We love the staff, the Resort, and the service. This trip hasn't soured us on the Polynesian--the service wasn't up to standards compared with other visits. Our personal belief is the staff is simply overwhelmed with the additional, significant number of guests and location change. We were disappointed with the behavior of other guests but realize we can't change others. Rudeness occurs everywhere, it's just never been our experience at Polynesian.

As visitors who return the same time frame every year, we have a certain level of expectation. If I had to assign a grade to this year's level of service versus past experience, I'd have to give the service a C--just average. There are those CMs who were A+ all the way (Melissa for one, Ralph at the pool, and the CMs around the resort). For the most part, however, the stay was not exceptional--just average. Thankfully, we have past experience and know how great it can be to stay in this level of service

We truly believe that once the staff is back in its own element, everything will fall back into place. As I said to PLibster, the first time visitor probably wouldn't notice a thing. Further, they would have no "expectation" of the service--it's the repeat visitor that could be somewhat disappointed.

Despite the snafus described, we're very much looking forward to our return next year and the refurbished Hawaii building. We had a wonderful trip--the weather was terrific compared to last year's rainfest, the parks were manageable, and we did everything we wanted to do." (6/03) Tess

"We just returned from a terrific 11 day stay at WDW. We spent one day at POR (or DxL as it will forever be known to me), 8 days at Polynesian Concierge and two days at Beach Club concierge.

There is a split vote in our family as to which concierge/hotel is best--our 13 y/o male thinks the food in the BC concierge is better than Polynesian while our now 11 y/o votes Polynesian and Chef Dick tops! As much as I wanted to love BC, I'm afraid my DH and I are still much more fond of Polynesian Concierge! Both kids do agree, they prefer the Polynesian location to BC (neither are big EPCOT fans and our daughter can be relentless when it comes to getting out of that park--very aggravating for DH and I who LOVE IT!). As far as the concierge staff goes, we found both helpful, courteous, and friendly. Polynesian staff members remembered us from previous visits, so I guess they get an extra credit point or two.

Both adults think the BC concierge lounge service is better in that its hours of service and food variety is better. Food quality, however, is not an issue since both provide what we consider tasty treats. We also like the BC location, although it's not a convenient place to be when it comes to pool access, etc. We much prefer the location of the Hawaii building with its wonderful access to the entire resort, especially the pools. Also, the separate building for concierge and inaccessibility for security purposes make it desirable. At BC, we found that it wasn't difficult to gain access to the sprawling concierge 5th floor and hence, security was more of an issue.

We have now stayed at CB, DxL, GF, BI, Polynesian, and BC. It looks as if Polynesian will still rank #1 in our vacation plans. That doesn't mean we won't be trying out other locales. . .Polynesian will be our primary destination though!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention this--we didn't ask for BC concierge until after we were nearing our stay at Polynesian. I had booked a standard room figuring we were just looking for a place to sleep and relax since we would be done park hopping on Sunday and Monday. Well, the staff at Polynesian called and secured a spot in concierge for us at my request, adding that I knew there would be an additional charge--heck, yeah--it was a good bit more than the standard I had paid for, but that was okay with me. Well, we checked into BC and lucky us--a comp upgrade to concierge! I'm not sure whom to thank for that one, but you can bet nice letters will be headed in both directions." (5/02) Tess

"We also stayed at the Polynesian concierge, garden view room number 2532. This was my second time at the Poly concierge, and I thought it was very nice once again. The staff here is very friendly and helpful as well. Before my trip they asked several times via email if I had any special requests, needs, etc. They also honored our request for a non-smoking room. This resort seemed busier than the Yacht Club, and we definitely saw more families with children here than at the Yacht Club. However, despite the business of the resort, it definitely still had a relaxed, tropical feel to it. The food in the Poly's lounge was delicious! The breakfast had bagels, cereal, danishes, and the yummy coconut bread they serve at the character breakfast at 'Ohana. I believe that mid-day snacks were mostly fresh cookies, though we weren't there in the middle of the day to confirm that. I don't believe we had any other meals in the Poly concierge (we were only there 2 nights), but I remember thinking the food was fabulous on my last trip. Bottled water and soft drinks are out for the taking, and the guava juice was wonderful. The Poly itself is a great resort with super convenience to the Magic Kingdom. Also, you can walk directly from the Poly to the TTC, shortening the commute to Epcot quite a bit. The restaurants at the Poly are outstanding--we ate at both 'Ohana and Kona Cafe and were more than pleased with both restaurants. I would also recommend the Poly to anyone who enjoys a relaxed, family-oriented resort." (12/02) Elisabeth

"Polynesian lagoon view concierge, Dec. 2001
We had room 1512 at the Polynesian in the Hawaii concierge building. The castle was directly outside our window, and you could see the Contemporary on the right and the GF on the left. If you walked out onto the patio, you could also see the wedding pavilion. The Hawaii building is very close to the new pool, marina, and Great Ceremonial House. When we checked in, our bellman escorted us to the Hawaii building where the concierge staff buzzed us in and told us to come pay them a visit once we got settled in our room. We did just that, and they gave us park maps, a sheet with confirmations of our priority seatings, and told us about the food offerings of the lounge upstairs on the 2nd floor of the building. Of course we went up there next to see all the goodies. It was the middle of the day, so there were snack foods available. The cookies are outstanding. Also, there were soft drinks, bottled water, gummy worms and M & M's for the kids, guava juice, and lemonade out for the taking. We had to change several of our priority seatings, and the concierge staff was extremely helpful with this. That night when we returned to our room, there was a chocolate bar with a picture of the Poly on it waiting for us. How neat! We definitely utilized the concierge lounge, as the food was just delicious. We really enjoyed the fried shrimp rolls, pasta, and pineapple with caramel dipping sauce (pineapple from 'Ohana I think) they had one night. The dessert offerings were also outstanding. They had tons to choose from, and they were all delicious. The breakfast spread was also yummy--cereals, bagels, muffins, donuts, etc. The loung staff and chefs were also incredibly friendly--at one point during our stay the chef was teaching the kids to make "animals" out of fruits. Also, there were trays and paper plates so you could take food with you back to your room and leave the tray to be picked up outside the door, which was very convenient. I would definitely stay at the Poly concierge again. The staff, lounge, and room view were all outstanding." (12/01) Elisabeth

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