Disney Polynesian Villas Review

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!