At the top of my Disney World bucket list was staying at Disney’s Polynesian, and I finally checked that off last month! In this review, I’ll share my experience of staying in a Standard View Studio at the Disney Polynesian Villas.
You can also check out my review of the new pools, dining and more at the Polynesian in this post!
Disney Polynesian Villas Standard View Studio
The Polynesian received a major upgrade in 2015 with a redesign of the lobby, upgrades to the pools and dining, and addition of the DVC villas and bungalows.
The resort also returned to its original name (Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort) and the DVC properties were named the Disney Polynesian Villas & Bungalows.
My four-year-old daughter and I stayed in a standard view studio on our most recent trip to Disney World last month. I rented some last-minute DVC points for our stay and got this room for $200/night – a total bargain for the Polynesian! Read all about how to save big on Deluxe accommodations by renting DVC points in this post.
The Cast Member who checked us in said that this room was her favorite standard view studio, and when you see the view from our balcony you’ll know why!
The 360 Deluxe Studio Villas at the Poly are located in three longhouses – Tokelau, Moorea, and Pago Pago. There are two categories of studios – Standard and Lake View. The Lake View Studios are only found in the Moorea longhouse and all have a view of the Magic Kingdom.
You can find how many points you’ll need for a stay with these point charts from ResalesDVC.
Our room was located in the Tokelau longhouse. Each longhouse has its own small lobby with a waiting area. I loved the cozy vibe and attention to detail in the Tokelau lobby.
Our villa was the closest room to the Seven Seas Lagoon on the left side of the longhouse. This offered us fantastic views of the Grand Floridian, the Bungalows, and the Magic Kingdom.
We totally lucked out with this room location, as almost all other standard view studios have a view of the pool, a courtyard, or the parking lot! You can find tips and tricks for getting the best room locations in this post – they continue to work like magic for us.
We were able to see the Electric Water Pageant and Magic Kingdom fireworks from our balcony as well. If your room doesn’t have a water view, I suggest heading down to the beach to watch the fireworks. The music and narration are piped in and you’ll still have a great view.
The balcony was spacious and included two comfortable chairs and a small table. Now on to the interior of the room…
The studios at the Disney Polynesian Villas are about 450 square feet, making them the largest of all DVC studios. The villa sleeps up to five and includes one queen bed, one full sleeper sofa, and a twin pull-down bed.
My daughter slept in the fold down Murphy bed and LOVED it. I’m 5’10” and I laid down on the bed and felt like I could even sleep in it if I had to. In general, I only recommend the sleeper sofa and Murphy bed for kids and teenagers.
I loved the design elements of the room, including the mid-century modern furniture that evokes the original “Tiki culture” theme of the resort. The table and chairs were especially nice, I thought.
The kitchenette is standard for DVC villas, with a microwave, minifridge, coffee maker, toaster, and small sink.
What is not standard for other DVC villas is the bathroom set-up. While technically only one bathroom, it is split between two rooms – one with a sink and tub/shower, and one with a sink and shower.
Disney Polynesian Villas Studio Bathrooms
The bathroom with the tub was huge! Lots of room to get ready in there.
Notice the “waterfall” shower head in the second bathroom’s shower… it was a nice feature, though not very practical for me at least! Luckily there was a regular showerhead as well.
The tile detail and rock work in the shower were stunning. I also really liked the brightly colored walls in the otherwise neutral bathrooms.
Both bathrooms have sliding doors and are located along a long hallway. I liked that there was plenty of room inside the entry door for parking a stroller.
Because of the additional bed, you won’t find a chest of drawers like you would in other studios. There is a drawer that pulls out on each side of the bed, however, which would definitely come in handy. There is storage space in the hall closet as well.
There were outlets with USB ports above the table and in each bedside storage unit. I’ve not seen these in other DVC studios, though I expect they will be standard for all new rooms from this point out.
Overall the Disney Polynesian Villas studio was one of the best rooms I’ve stayed in at Disney World, and definitely the best DVC studio.
I think the decor is perfect and the room was designed to be comfortable AND functional.
The split bathroom would be incredibly helpful for when more than one person wants to get ready at the same time. I loved the ease of using the Murphy bed as opposed to the pull out sofa, which is a pain to get out and put away each day.
Though the studios are the biggest on Disney property, much of that space is occupied by the hallway and split bathroom. The main room has plenty of space, but to me didn’t feel any larger than other studios.
Interested in staying at the Polynesian? Get a free quote from Siera at Destinations in Florida who can help you plan your trip! If you have any questions, just leave a comment below or send me a message on The Frugal South’s Facebook page!
Kristy Gerke
Thursday 17th of October 2019
Do ALL the deluxe studios, regardless of the floor, have a balcony? I thought I read that 2nd floor accommodations do not have a balcony. Thanks!
Leah
Monday 21st of October 2019
HI Kristy! So you are right about the hotel rooms at the Poly - most second floor rooms don't have a balcony. But all DVC villas have a patio or balcony, regardless of the floor. :) The hotels rooms are very different from the DVC rooms.
Benjamin
Monday 30th of September 2019
Hi, Leah! Thanks for your wonderful post, and for sharing this detailed information with everyone. We've been looking for information like this all day, trying to find a solid review of a standard room at Poly. My wife and I are looking to take our little guy in (late) April 2020 on his first trip to Disney, as well as delayed celebration of our 5th wedding anniversary. We've been fortunate enough to have stayed as a couple in multiple DVC resorts (SSR, BLT, AKV) by renting points. But, this time we are looking for a different pace this time around, now that we are going as a young family, rather than couple, and are deeply considering Copper Creek vs. a Standard View at Poly. I love the idea of being on the monorail, it's so convenient, and would make easy work of nap-time for the little one. We're both sentimental about bay lake, as I proposed out there during wishes back in 2014, and as an added bonus neither of us have ever stayed at poly. That said, we both have great memories at wilderness lodge, and though it's not on the monorail, it is substantially less expensive. I could see our little one having a fantastic time at either place. Have you stayed at CCV at wilderness lodge? Any thoughts on it being worth the difference for Poly? Looks like CCV only has one category of studio, with wildly varying different views. Also, just finished up the article on room request faxes, awesome idea, and thanks for sharing that too! - Ben and Bethany Bullock
Leah
Monday 30th of September 2019
Hi Ben! I have stayed in a Wilderness Lodge studio as well as Bay Lake Tower. I think the difference is worth it at the Poly. The bathroom layout is awesome and the room seems a lot bigger than other studios. The convenience of the monorail is great like you said. The plus side to Wilderness Lodge is that it is quieter and less hectic. But the boat to/from MK is definitely not as fast or convenient as the monorail and the boat launches from the Poly. Also the convenience of walking to the Epcot monorail from the Poly is wonderful as well. All three places are wonderful for different reasons! Thanks so much for reading. :)
Erica Johnson
Thursday 27th of June 2019
Did you request this long house at the time of booking with David’s or when you checked in? Did you check in online in advance or in person when you arrived? We want to have the experience of being welcomed with the leis and I want to figure out when the exact time we need to request this long house - we already have our confirmation number through WDW via David’s DVC for a standard view studio villa- thanks
Leah
Friday 28th of June 2019
I suggest adding your room request about a week in advance.
Leah
Friday 28th of June 2019
Hi Erica! I faxed in a room request ahead of time and did online check-in. Here's how to make a request: https://www.thefrugalsouth.com/the-best-way-to-make-a-room-request-at-disney-world-free-printable/
Erica Johnson
Thursday 27th of June 2019
We have rented from David’s before ... and we are going this Dec. to the Poly... did you request this long house when you checked in “online” or when you arrived to the resort? Or did you request when you booked with David’s? I booked in Jan and already have my confirmation etc- so I’m hoping requesting this at check in will help us get into this building with a view that great. We rented the standard view as well.
gkf
Tuesday 5th of February 2019
Our family has stayed in a regular standard room in the past but just booked a Deluxe Studio Villa somewhat by chance (it was a tad cheaper than the standard). Now, I'm looking at pictures wondering if it's roomy enough for four (one being 10 and one 14). While I really love the idea of the split bath, I'm wondering what you think in terms of room for four in that space, especially wondering where did you put all your stuff? Suitcases, etc...somehow it all looks smaller to me.
Leah
Wednesday 6th of February 2019
I think you'd be okay in the studio villa. The living space is a bit smaller than the standard room (you are right) but you are guaranteed a balcony and you have the split bath setup. Your ten year old would love the Murphy bed for her/his own space and not having to share a bed with a sibling I'm sure! There is a closet in the hallway for storing suitcases. Hope that helps.