Photo Tour of a Studio at Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows
By Dave Shute
(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Polynesian Resort, click here.)
PHOTO TOUR OF A STUDIO AT DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAS AND BUNGALOWS
The Studios and Bungalows opened at the Polynesian in April 2015, and I had the chance to stay in a Studio late that month, and stayed in one again in January 2019.
At 465 square feet, the Studios at the Polynesian are the largest DVC studios, are among a currently small group of DVC studios that sleep 5 (all Polynesian standard rooms sleep 5), and are alone in having one and a half baths. They are also the only DVC studios that can connect to another studio.
However, the extra square footage largely comes from not-useful extra width, and the half bath comes at the expense of living space and convenient storage. So for families paying cash (as opposed to using DVC points) the pros and cons of a studio and a standard room are a bit difficult to tease out.
The entry to my Pago Pago longhouse had fun stuff tied to its theme.
My Moorea longhouse room also had a fun and vibrant entry.
The corridor walls and carpet are fun and colorful, and hint at the orange color scheme you’ll find in the rooms–frankly, more fun than the green of the Polynesian’s standard rooms.
You enter the Studio into long hallway–half of its total length.
One side has the connecting door, closet and kitchenette. This is the outside of the closet…
…and this is the inside.
I did not measure the safe, but my book is six inches by nine inches. Note the small shelves under the safe. Storage is probably adequate in total, but is widely distributed in these Studios (there is no dresser), so I’ll be calling out all the storage options as we tour it.
Next to the closet is the kitchenette.
All Disney deluxe rooms have a mini-fridge and coffeemaker. Studio kitchenettes add another sink, a toaster and microwave…
…and some basic utensils and supplies. Note that you can probably gain a shelf for storage by consolidating some of this stuff…
…especially if you use the cabinet above the microwave.
The other side of the entry has the two bath areas. The first is a full bath with no interior walls–with a sink…
…with these toiletries…
…and some storage drawers and shelves…
…and a tub/shower combo and toilet next to it.
On the side wall there’s this charming art.
The second bath has just a large shower and a sink.
Note the blue accent wall. There’s one in each bath, and they really add a lot to the overall playfulness of the space.
Toiletries in this bath…
…which also has storage.
I also really like the lighting in the shower.
The showerheads.
The living/sleeping area takes up about half the square footage of the Studio–I think this is means less living/sleeping space than you’ll find in a standard Polynesian Village room, but Tikiman disagrees. I’ll sort that out on my next stay in a regular Polynesian room, but regardless, the bed space in a Studio is just a tad more than 16 feet long. This has to be less than standard rooms, as they fit two queens and an easy chair along their bed side–hard to do in 16 feet…
On one side is the queen bed and couch…
This side from the back of the room. The colors are vibrant and fun, but I find this whole wall to be cramped.
A closer view of the bed. Note that–at least as of January 2019–these rooms have not lost their bed skirts!
A bedside table on either side adds a storage shelf with powerpoints, and a storage drawer.
The drawer is large enough for your important books.
On either side of the bed, built in below it, are long, large drawers. The one on the bath side is awkward to access…
…as is the one on the couch side, when the couch is folded out into a bed.
The bed is raised, platform style, enabling storage of rolly bags and similarly proportioned luggage underneath, even slob luggage like mine.
Between the bed and the bath wall is this fun art.
Next to the bed is this couch and chest that serves as a coffee table or place to prop up your feet (when mom isn’t looking). The couch is pretty tight to the queen bed–this side of the room would have worked better with another 12 or 18 inches. The total length of this living and sleeping area is 16 feet 2.5 inches–that’s two feet shorter than the longer wall in the bedroom space of a value resort room…
Above the couch there’s more fun art.
The top of the chest is hinged, yielding access to a large storage area within. Two large drawers in this object would have been more practical than a top-opening chest.
The couch unfolds into a bed that I measured as 76 inches by 59 inches–just a bit less than a queen–with a six inch cushion. I slept fine on it.
On the other side is a fold-down Murphy bed under a large 54 inch TV, and a table and chairs.
The TV side from the back. There’s no dresser.
The Murphy bed pulls down from the enormous object underneath the TV. I measured it as 72″ by 30″, but it sleeps a little shorter than that because of the way it is framed. The cushion is 6 inches. I napped on it fine, but it’s really not suited to anyone over 5′ 9″ tall for a full night.
Note the charming picture of a sleeping Lilo and Stitch revealed when the bed is pulled down.
In the back corner of the room is this table and chairs. Note the different chair colors–a fun feature. Above the table is a power point with one normal outlet and two USB power jacks. There’s another regular outlet below the table, and more in the kitchenette. This room is short on dressers but not on power!
The balcony extends the full width of the room.
All Studios have balconies or patios–in the longhouses with standard Polynesian Village rooms, second floor standard rooms have no balconies.
Views vary, not just by longhouse and longhouse side, but also by the season. Compare the view from my Pago Pago room in April (above) with the foliage you can see from my Moorea room in January, below.
More specifically, among the three Polynesian longhouses with Studios:
- Tokelau has the best overall location, and all of its rooms have fine views. Half face the Oasis pool, so may suffer from noise.
- All Moorea rooms have fine views. Half face the Seven Seas Lagoon, but likely all these will get scarfed up by DVC members.
- Half of Pago Pago rooms have fine views, and the other half face a parking lot that while handy to all three of these longhouses is not worth looking at.
Compared to a standard room, Studios get you a toaster and microwave, a half bath, and guarantee a balcony or a patio.
They trade the desk for a table and chairs, and a queen bed for a pull-out sofa, at the expense of a smaller living space, a bit of cramped space along the bed/couch wall, and no dresser. You also lose an easy chair.
If you use it all and creatively, you’ll likely find enough drawers, shelves, chests and such for all your stuff, but it’ll be spread around more than if you had a dresser.
Most Polynesian Studio rooms have a better location than most Polynesian standard rooms, and, at least to my eye, have lovelier baths and a much more charming color scheme in the living area.
PHOTO TOUR OF A BUNGALOW AT DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT
This review continues here.
TOPICS IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT
- Summary and overview of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Theming and Accommodations at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Photo Tour of a Standard Room at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Amenities at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Dining at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- The Pools at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- The Disney Vacation Club at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Photo Tour of a Studio at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Photo Tour of a Bungalow at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
OTHER KEY PAGES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD
- Where to stay–the Basics
- Where first-timers should stay
- Reviews of all the Disney World resorts, based on my 150+ stays in them
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70 comments
Hello ,dave I found I listing for one night
At the Polynesian.
It says studio sleeps 2
My question. What are the smallest studios
I have 2 adults 3 kids.
Didnt. Know if all studios had pullout sofa
And a Murphy bed
Brian, what “listing”? Book your studio on the Disney site and you’ll be fine.
Dave,
Which buildings at the poly have DVC deluxe lake view studio rooms? If more than one, which building would you recomend and why? We will have 2 adults with 3 small children.
Meredith, “lake” (sometimes know as lagoon or theme park) views are available in Poly studios only in the Moorea building.
Quick question: do any of the Moorea lake view studios NOT have a connecting door to another room?
Jennifer, from Steve’s Tikiman site it looks like 100% connecting http://www.tikimanpages.com/poly/moorea-deluxe-studios
Dave, if staying in a studio, but paying cash (we aren’t DVC members), can we use all the pools in resort? Thank you! Anna
Anna, you bet!
We booked a standard studio room for a busy April week. Which buildings are the studio rooms in and which building is best location to request? Also, how does the living space in the poly studio compare to a GF outer building standard room? thanks!
Patty, studios are in the Pago Pago, Tokelau, and Moorea buildings. Tokelau is the best choice.
The living space in the Studios is smaller than in the GF rooms.
I rented DVC points for April stay. 2 questions…
1. Online check in opened up already however i was only able to choose 2 from the following categories: upper/lower floors, near elevator, near transportation, or near lobby. Does this mean i cannot request a building?
2. I am not concerned about views. I prefer top floor, quieter part of the hotel amd away from elevators. Is there a building you recommend that address these preferences? Or do i “get what i get from disney and not get upset?”
Donna, in your shoes I would just call (407-939-7675). Request upper floor and far from elevators.
Note, though, that all Poly studios have a fair amount of noise that comes from the nearby ferryboat docks–the ferries blow their horns morning til night. The studio building farthest from these (but not much different) is Tokelau.
If you don’t get what you want, try at the check in desk for a reassignment. But since WDW hotels run at around 90% occupancy, options can be slim, which is why requests are just that–requests–and not guaranteed.
Dave,
I am hoping free dining will be offered in the fall of 2017 and have a deluxe studio booked as well as ADRs. Do you know if these rooms have been included in the free dining promotion in the past? I am assuming it is the larger bungalows that are excluded. Is that correct? Thanks!
Felix, the studios have been included!
Thanks for everything Dave. I am really enjoying your book. If you remember, can you tell me if the fridge in the Poly DVC studio has a freezer compartment? I need to plan accordingly with my Garden Grocer order. Thanks.
Suzanne, I am so sorry that for some reason I did not take a picture of the fridge open. Similar studios have a small freezer compartment–here’s one at Kidani that I photographed in 2016
. So my guess is that you’ll find something similar.
Hi there! Thank you for the detailed review! Do you happen to have a picture of the bottom floor patio in the deluxe studio? We have 2 small children and thought we may like the ground floor! Thank you!
Brandy, so sorry, but I don’t.
Will suitcases fit under the bed? It looks like there’s quite a bit of height, but I wasn’t sure. Thanks!
Holly they might fit on one of the under-bed drawers, but you kinda need the drawers. The rest of the bed is enclosed.
Hello! Thank you for the informative review. I have one question, do you have any idea about the hair dryer. Is is a small travel size or full size? I have seen a variation at Disney properties.
Sorry, Nicole, I don’t know…
Just for the record, the studio’s don’t have a freezer. You may want to include that info, since it is good to know when ordering groceries.
Thanks Suzanne!!!
Hypothetically, if someone was planning a holiday visit to a DVC villa and wanted to get silly and festive with the balcony, 1) do you remember if there’s an outlet on the balcony and 2) if there IS an outlet and one wished to bring a string of lights, how long would you recommend said string of lights should be to go from one end of the balcony to the other?
Asking for a friend. 😉
Jennifer, cute idea!! I can’t recall that there is power on the balcony–I doubt it, but am not sure.
Does the murphy bed go all the way to the floor? It’s hard to tell in the picture and we are trying to decide if we need to bring a floor mattress for a toddler to prevent them from falling off the bed. But if it is on the floor, it wouldn’t be necessary. THANKS!!!
Hi Laura! No, they don’t go to the floor…
Hi Laura, forgive me as I sometimes \”troll\” the comments just to learn as much as possible. We stayed at the Poly in October and had the same concerns. You mentioned bringing a floor mattress, I just wanted to let you know that Kingdom Strollers has rental air mattresses for kids. If you are not driving to Orlando, Kingdom Strollers are fantastic. Quality is very good and clean. I would also recommend them for the strollers, especially rather than renting inside the parks.
If you are driving and have the trunk space, ignore this message 🙂
Eric, thanks for chiming in!!
Love the site and all the detailed information! My question is–where does the trunk/coffee table go when the sofa bed is pulled out? Thanks!
Hi Laura, I just haul it back by the table and chairs.
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