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Brian Bennett

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Polynesian Resort
Photo Tour

Photos by Brian Bennett

The Resort Grounds  |  The Restaurants  |  The Shops  |  Pools, etc.

The Polynesian Resort is one of WDW's originals. It opened when the Magic Kingdom did, back in 1971, and remains one of the resort's most popular hotels. It was expanded in the mid-1980s to increase guest capacity, and was overhauled a bit over the last 10 years; most notably, when the old "grotto pool" was replaced with the all-new "volcano pool."

Seen from the Grand Floridian Resort across Seven Seas Lagoon, the resort is obviously a beach-front tropical paradise. The A-frame buildings, each one just a little bit different from all of the others, are the guest buildings.

Polynesian Resort's beach, viewed from the Grand Floridian.
Polynesian Resort's beach, viewed from the Grand Floridian.

White sand beaches line the waterfront all along Seven Seas Lagoon. The swaying palms, hot afternoon sun, and cool breezes off the water are icing on the cake. [By the way, you can see the Grand Floridian in the background of the following picture, too.]

Beach in Front of Tahiti
Beach in front of the Tahiti building at the Polynesian Resort.

Tthe towering spires of Cinderella's Castle can be seen in the distance directly across the Lagoon.

Cinderella's Castle Across Seven Seas Lagoon.
You can see the Magic Kingdom's Cinderella's Castle across Seven Seas Lagoon.

In addition to the great themeing and lovely atmosphere at the Polynesian, one of its greatest draws is its closeness to the Magic Kingdom. Of course, the resort is well-known as one of the three resorts that the monorail stops at, with express service to the Magic Kingdom and transfer service to Epcot. [The Studios, Animal Kingdom, and other locations can be reached via bus from the Ticket and Transportation Center, which is located directly next to the Polynesian.]

The Polynesian Resort's Monorail Station.
The monorail zips through the station on the second floor of the Great Ceremonial House.

 

Magic Kingdom Ferries on Seven Seas Lagoon.
Magic Kingdom ferries on Seven Seas Lagoon run between the Ticket & Transportation Center and the Magic Kingdom. Space Mountain is in the background to the far left.

 

Magic Kingdom Ferry Docked at the Ticket and Transporation Center.
Magic Kingdom ferry docked at the Ticket & Transporation Center. The Center is right next tot he beach in front of the resort's Tahiti building.

Now, moving way over to the other end of the resort, in the picture below, the very large building to the far right with the open roof is the Great Ceremonial House. This picture was taken from the Grand Floridian, like the one above.

Polynesian Beach Resort from Grand Floridian.
Polynesian Beach Resort from Grand Floridian.

The front of the Great Ceremonial House, which is the main resort building, is less impressive than the water view. The check-in lobby, shops, restaurants, and other central services are located mostly in this building.

The Great Ceremonial House.
The Great Ceremonial House.

Walking into the Great Ceremonial House just adds to the atmosphere. The lush vegetation, the pools filled with koi (Japanese carp), and the strains of South Sea Island music begin to work their magic as you arere transported from Central Florida into the lush tropical paradise that is the Polynesian Resort.

Great Ceremonial House Entrance.
Great Ceremonial House Entrance.

 

Check-In Lobby.
The check-in area is to the right as you enter the building.

Lush vegetation and waterfalls form the nucleus of the building. Scattered around, too, are comfortable sitting areas like the one below.

Lobby Sitting Area.
Lobby Sitting Area.

Here are some examples of the guest buildings.

Beach side view of the Tahiti Building.
Beach-side view of the Tahiti building.

Here's a view of Tahiti from inside the resort. The lush tropical plants do a great job of setting the stage for the resort's atmosphere. 

Resort side view of the Tahiti Building.
Resort-side view of the Tahiti Building.

The Tokelau building is very similar to the Tahiti, but there are subtle differences in color and details.

Tokelau Building.
Tokelau Building.

I could show you more guest buildings, but I'm sure you get the general idea.

The Resort Grounds  |  The Restaurants  |  The Shops  |  Pools, etc.

Click here to return to the Polynesian Resort "Fast Facts" Page.

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