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MORE FREE DINING AT DISNEY WORLD IN 2013?

So I’ve forecast a number of times—most recently here—that I don’t expect to see any generally available free dining in 2013 beyond the current deal for September.

But the possibility that we won’t see Fastpass+ until January 2014 has me re-thinking this a little.

Not much. Just a little.

There’s several possibilities, all framed around how well bookings for October to mid-December are already going:

Bookings for October to mid-December are going fine (which is still my guess, based on how strong attendance has been so far this year): if so, then no more free dining
Bookings for then are running a little behind expectations: then expansion of the current individualized pin-code offer, probably around 8/1
Bookings for then are running a lot behind expectations: then expansion of the pin-code offer, possibly well before 8/1, and also a limited general public free dining deal, probably after August 6th

Here’s why I think this.

THE LOGIC OF MORE DISNEY WORLD FREE DINING IN 2013 [Read more →]

(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Polynesian Resort, see this)

THE DISNEY VACATION CLUB AT DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT

Note: Guests in the Disney Vacation Club spaces at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort are eligible for Disney World’s Early Entry program, and have the ability to pre-book as early as seven days before check-in Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass rides. They are also eligible for its Extended Evening Hours.

Disney Vacation Club Studios and Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort opened to the general public in April 2015.

There’s two types of spaces here, Studios and Bungalows. These spaces can be booked by anyone like any other DIsney World offering–you don’t have to be a DVC member to book them.

Studios at the Polynesian are a little different than other DVC studios. The Bungalows are unlike anything else except the Cabins at Copper Creek.

There’s no traditional one or two bedroom villas present at the Polynesian or in any announced plans.

I have photo tours of both Polynesian Village offerings on this site, so you could just skip to those:

Otherwise, here’s some thoughts on them.

STUDIOS AT DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAS & BUNGALOWS

Studios at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows (“PVB”) sleep five in a queen bed, fold-out couch, and fold-down bed.

Besides normal deluxe room accoutrements, they—like other DVC studios—also include a mini-kitchen, with the same coffee-maker and mini-fridge as in other deluxe rooms, but also with a small sink, toaster, microwave, and a few eating utensils.

There’s a couple of distinctive features of these studios compared to other DVC studios.

First, you can book them as connecting rooms—most other DVC Studios only connect to (more expensive) One Bedroom Villas.

Second, their capacity for five is currently rare among studios—but becoming more common. Right now, only Studios at Disney’s Riviera Resort, the Villas at the Grand Floridian, BoardWalk Villas, Beach Club Villas, and Boulder Ridge Villas at the Wilderness Lodge also sleep five.

Third, the baths are distinct. Like the Studios at the Grand Floridian and Riviera, there’s both a sink and shower space and also a separate tub and toilet space. However, the baths at PVB add a sink to the tub and toilet space, yielding one full bath and a second bath with shower and sink. Add the third sink just outside in the mini-kitchen area, and your family will have every chance to be very clean.

Fourth, at 465 square feet (the size of the rooms they were converted from), these Studios are the largest among the DVC Studio offerings.

This is a mostly a function of extra width—about 14’ 3” compared to, for example, the Studios at Grand Floridian at 12’ 9” wide. About 50 square feet comes from that difference.

Much of the rest of the extra space is dedicated to the bath and hallway, rather than to the living space, which is wide but short.

As a result of these and other design choices, there’s no room for a dresser. Work at it and you can find probably enough storage in various points across a Studio…but less bath and more dresser would have been a good choice.

So who should stay in these rooms? Well, those renting points should definitely consider them.

Families paying cash instead will find prices most nights of the year in standard view Studios between 102% and 110% of what a standard view room at the Poly those nights would cost.

The Studios are in what used to be my most highly recommended longhouses at the Polynesian—Pago Pago (which most recently was Rapa Nui), Moorea (recently Tahiti) and Tokelau (whose name has not changed).

I used to recommend these longhouses for three reasons: balconies or patios in every room (standard second floor rooms at the rest of the Poly are missing balconies), nice positioning between the Magic Kingdom resort monorail and the walkway to the Epcot monorail, and an extra 50 square feet compared to rooms in the rest of the Poly longhouses, which extra space used to be all dedicated to the living area.

The first two reasons still hold. However, since now most of the extra square footage is now dedicated to the bath and mini-kitchen area, the third reason morphs a bit—at the Studios, for nearly the same amount of money you get a divided bath and the microwave/toaster, and a smaller overall living space.

I go with Tokelau as the best standard view choice among the Studios at the Polynesian.

A full photo tour of a Studio at The Polynesian is here.

BUNGALOWS AT DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAS & BUNGALOWS

Bungalows in the Polynesian DVC offering are unlike any other accommodations at Disney World except the Cabins at Copper Creek. They hold eight people in two bedrooms—like many DVC Two Bedroom Villas. But the differences are so profound that they should be thought of as their own thing, not as an option among the standard two bedroom choices.

I’m tempted to start with prices, but let’s first focus on the positive.

Each bungalow is its own little building built on pilings in the Seven Seas Lagoon, just away from the Polynesian beaches, and reached from over-water walkways. There’s twenty in all—collectively, the “Bora Bora” area.

You enter into the bedroom wing (on the right of the floor plan) and at the far end (on the left) is a deck with views of the Magic Kingdom and its fireworks, sunbathing spots, and a little “cold water” pool in which to refresh yourself on hot sunbathing days.

Note on this deck lounge chairs, table and chairs (shown above), and the smaller set of chairs accessed from the master bedroom (shown on the floor plan). There’s nothing like this outdoor space anywhere else at Disney World.

Just inside, accessed from two sets of sliding glass doors, is a great room with a full kitchen and dining area on one side, and a living room on the other. The dining area seats all eight this room will sleep—something you won’t find at other two bedroom villas—but the living area, as is common, seats fewer. There’s room here to drag some dining room chairs over.

The living room sleeps three—two on a fold-out couch, and one on a fold-down bed.

Back down the entry hall on the right you’ll find the master suite, with a king bed and private bath. It’s similar to what you’ll find in other DVC master rooms.

Across the hall from the master bedroom is the bath for everyone else, which, after the washer/dryer and closet, is divided into two areas.

Beyond it is the second bedroom, sleeping three on a queen and a fold-down bed. Other second bedrooms at DVC villas are much bigger than this, and typically sleep four on two queens.

So what have we got?

An astonishing deck, likely pretty darn uncomfortable in the sun and humidity even with the little pool from later May through September, but charming the rest of the year, and in early mornings and evenings all year
A kitchen/dining/living space that in sum is clearly better than the eight person equivalents elsewhere except in Copper Creek and perhaps in Old Key West
A fine master bedroom and bath
A very small second bedroom

For this you will pay (including tax) between $3,000 and $5,200 a night.

That number is so big it makes my head hurt. This is around twice what a Two Bedroom Villa at the Villas at the Grand Floridian would cost, and comparable to what a Grand Villa at the Villas at the Grand Floridian—which sleeps four more in almost twice the space…

So Disney is clearly attributing a lot of value to that deck and little pool…or seeing the Bungalows as an alternative not to Two Bedroom Villas elsewhere, but rather to suites at the Polynesian or the Four Seasons.

Most of the highlights of a Bungalow have been covered, but for a full photo tour of a Bungalow at the Polynesian, see this.

PHOTO TOUR OF A STUDIO AT DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT

This review continues here.

TOPICS IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT

OTHER KEY PAGES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

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(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, click here.)

DINING AT DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT

Disney’s Polynesian Resort has some of the best dining at Walt Disney World, most of it in the Great Ceremonial House.

The counter service offering is the first-floor Captain Cook’s–also with outdoor seating…

…which you can see through the windows.

You’ll find the most up-to date menu on Disney’s site, but above is the lunch/dinner menu as of my last visit.

You order and then use a pager to actually get your food when it is ready.

The well-known Polynesian treat, a Reuben sandwich.

The breakfast menu.

There’s a number of dining items at Disney World that are considered must-trys, but to me the one that most consistently lives up to its billing is Tonga Toast (above).

Outside of Captain Cook’s is a spot where you can grab a Dole Whip or Pineapple Sundae.

The first floor bar, Trader Sam’s, is based on the famous one at the Disneyland Hotel. On my visit it was too crowded for me to get in to the indoor part of this bar other than for a quick, out-of-focus shot. I promise do better soon!

There’s also an outdoor section to Trader Sam’s–an image of it is at the top of the page.

The Trader Sam’s review from our book, The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit 2019:

Upstairs there’s two table service restaurants, the family-friendly ‘Ohana and the Kona Cafe.

‘Ohana (review here) does a breakfast meal with Mickey, Lilo and Stitch, and a no-character evening meal with skewered meat.

Here’s the review from our book, The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit 2019:

‘Ohana gets booked up in advance and its staging area gets quite crowded.

Kona Cafe, around the corner from ‘Ohana, has two areas. One serves as a coffee bar in the morning and a sushi bar in the evening.

The other is the restaurant proper.

The Kona Cafe review from our book, The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit 2019:

‘Ohana is best loved by families; Kona Café is an under-appreciated gem, best known for its Tonga Toast. Neither is a truly distinctive adult dining experience–for that, you’ll need to go to another Disney World deluxe resort.

Also on the second floor floor you’ll find another bar, Tambu Lounge.

If getting to the second floor seems like too much work, you may find this bar cart downstairs in the lobby area.

Outside and towards the Grand Floridian you’ll find the luau dinner show. Our lukewarm review from our book, The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit 2019:

There’s also a bar at each pool, and the smaller Oasis pool has a limited-hours grill with an interesting menu (click it to enlarge it):

THE POOLS AT DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT

This review continues here.

TOPICS IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT

OTHER KEY PAGES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

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June July August September October November December January

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: JUNE 22, 2013 TO JUNE 30, 2013

The material below details operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

The same stuff is in the table, but organized by park, not by topic.

(For more on June 2013 at Walt Disney World, see this.)

[Read more →]

(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, click here.)

AMENITIES AT DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN RESORT

Your visit to Disney’s Polynesian Resort will begin in the Great Ceremonial House, where you will spend much of your time other than when you are at the pool or in your room.

The outside entrance is flanked by a couple of water features.

Inside, the check-in area is on the first floor of a two story space, where you’ll also find shops and casual seating. The famous old water feature is gone from this area, replaced by this OK item instead. First timers won’t miss the old one.

More from this area of the Great Ceremonial House.

On the side of this two-story space you will check in and find concierge offerings for help with tickets and reservations.

There’s some fun art here and there.

Also on this floor you’ll find one of the two shops in the building.

The second shop is upstairs.

Just outside it is the resort monorail stop. The resort monorail runs clockwise and takes you to the Grand Floridian, Magic Kingdom, Contemporary, and the Transportation/Ticket Center (TTC), where you can find the monorail to Epcot.

Note that for many of the eastern longhouses, the fastest way to either Magic Kingdom or Epcot is to walk directly to TTC and pick up the monorail there.

Buses to other Disney World destinations are outside and to the east.

On the grounds of the Polynesian you’ll find lovely but sometimes confusing walkways to the longhouses which contain the rooms…

…and a green space created in the walkway area between the Great Ceremonial House, Samoa and the main pool has become an informal grassy playground–kinda like the courtyard in front of the BoardWalk Inn.

DINING AT DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT

This review continues here.

TOPICS IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT

OTHER KEY PAGES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

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(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, click here.)

PHOTO TOUR OF A STANDARD ROOM AT DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT

Note: rooms in the Polynesian re-opened in July 2021 with a new Moana theme. The basics of the rooms are similar. I will update this review with images from them after I stay in one of these rooms! In the meantime, there’s more on these new Polynesian rooms on the Disney Parks Blog here.

Standard rooms at Disney’s Polynesian Resort are among the largest on property.

As you enter the room, on one side you’ll find the bath and the other two closets separated by a cabinet with a mini-fridge below and coffee service above.

Each is good-sized, and overall there’s plenty of space with multiple hanging levels. This image is of the one closer to the door…

…and this one the one closer to the room. Note the ironing board, safe, and small drawers, and the space at the left for hanging longer dresses. (Most rooms do not have the robes.)

The mini-fridge is below the coffee maker, and has plenty of room.

The bath is on the other side of the entry hall. It retains the old-fashioned design of not being divided–the toilet, tub and sinks all share one space. See the floor plan at the top of the page.

As you enter the Polynesian bath, you’ll find two sinks on one side…

…a tub/shower combo on the other…

…and a toilet at the back.

Further back in the room, one side has two queen beds and a chair.

A closer view of a bed.

Between the beds is this small bedside table.

The beds from the window end of the room–you can also see the easy chair.

At the end of the room are three large windows–rooms with balconies or patios will access these from this space as well.

Here’s the view from our balcony in the Hawaii longhouse, theme park view!

The theme park view is best at night during the evening fireworks.

The other side of the room…

…and from the back.

This side of the room includes a desk…

…with a table on wheels underneath that can serve either as a better typing position for a laptop, or be rolled elsewhere in the room to as a place to dine or play with the kids.

Next to the desk is a dresser with a TV on top.

There’s six smallish drawers here.

The last item on this side of the room is a couch…

…which flips down into a bed.

The bed is ~33 inches wide by ~72 inches long, but sleeps longer than that as the frames have 75 inches clear between them. I’m about 6 feet tall, and was quite comfortable in this bed–both in length, and in its cushioning.

The bed side of these rooms has fine proportions, but in rooms with a connecting door, the desk/dresser/sofa side has everything jammed a little too closely together. Overall these are among Disney World’s most livable rooms.

Category — w. Most Recent Stuff

Softening a Bit on Free Dining at Disney World after September 2013

MORE FREE DINING AT DISNEY WORLD IN 2013?

THE LOGIC OF MORE DISNEY WORLD FREE DINING IN 2013 [Read more →]

Review: The Villas and Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

THE DISNEY VACATION CLUB AT DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT

STUDIOS AT DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAS & BUNGALOWS

BUNGALOWS AT DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAS & BUNGALOWS

PHOTO TOUR OF A STUDIO AT DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT

TOPICS IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT

OTHER KEY PAGES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

Dining at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

DINING AT DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT

THE POOLS AT DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT

TOPICS IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT

OTHER KEY PAGES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

Next Week (June 22 to June 30, 2013) at Walt Disney World

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: JUNE 22, 2013 TO JUNE 30, 2013

Amenities at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

AMENITIES AT DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN RESORT

DINING AT DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT

TOPICS IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT

OTHER KEY PAGES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

Photo Tour of a Standard Room 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

TOPICS IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT

OTHER KEY PAGES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

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