Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Polynesian Resort





Welcome to those of you joining me from Mommy Mouseketeer and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the 4th stop on our Magical Blogorail.


Favorite Resort

With 18 resort options to choose from at the Walt Disney World complex, choosing a favorite resort can be difficult.  I think each resort is unique and perfect in its own ways.  It’s really like comparing apples to oranges, but for the sake of this month’s topic, I suppose I must pick one.  :)  Out of all the resorts that I’ve stayed at to date, my favorite resort would have to be the Polynesian.  I can’t resist the beach views of the Magic Kingdom, the Hawaiian tribal music found throughout the resort, the Grand Ceremonial House with its lovely waterfall and tropical smells, and easy access to the monorail line and the Ticket & Transportation Center.  The rum runners at the bar aren’t too bad, either.

Disney's Polynesian Village Resort was one of the original Walt Disney World resorts, opening on October 1, 1971.  It is positioned on the Seven Seas Lagoon, across from the Magic Kingdom.  The resort resides on 39 acres and is themed to a South Pacific paradise, complete with beaches, tropical plants, waterfalls, tiki torches, and a volcano pool.  The Great Ceremonial House is in the center of the property, housing the lobby, shops, and restaurants of the resort.  The rooms at the Polynesian are located in buildings called longhouses which surround the Great Ceremonial House and the Nanea Volcano Pool.  The names of the longhouses, often difficult to pronounce, are reminiscent of South Seas island destinations:  Tonga, Aotearoa, Fiji, Tuvalu, Hawaii, Samoa, Niue, Rarotonga, Tokelau, Tahiti, and Rapa Nui.


Housed inside the Great Ceremonial House is one of my favorite restaurants:  ‘Ohana.  ‘Ohana means family.  Here you can find an all-you-can eat Polynesian feast served to you family-style at your table.  Food is prepared on an open fire pit in the middle of the resturant, and brought to your table on skewers, along with a variety of side dishes.  For breakfast, ‘Ohana is the site of a character breakfast with Lilo & Stitch.  If you leave this place hungry, you have only yourself to blame. 

In a few short weeks, I will be at a new-to-me resort destination at WDW:  Wilderness Lodge.  I look forward to my trip and will see if the lodge can top the Polynesian for favorite resort.  I have high hopes as I’m already in love with the architecture of the Lodge. 

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is The Disney Point.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop ~ The Disney Chick
2nd Stop ~ Mandas Disney Blog
3rd Stop ~ Mommy Mouseketeer
4th Stop ~ The Magical Mouse Pad
Final Stop ~ The Disney Point