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E-mailStill cold at Disney World?
Again the Luau was canceled from cold weather. The February 4th and 5th dinner show were canceled.
Secret Hawaiian and Christmas stuff going on?
I was told that over in the Epcot rehearsal hall they have been practicing some Hawaiian Chants. There might be for a new show somewhere in the world. Some other secret stuff has been going on that is going to be huge changes for next Christmas’ show at Epcot that will help move the crowds around the park more but nothing can be mentioned at this time.
Tikifest 2009
So the group is growing of Tikifest attendees. With it being the dessert party and not the dinner we might run out of room since there is a maximum we can have for the Italy location so get signed up soon.
HUGE news on the rooms that are available around Tikifest. 3 of the new Bay Lake Tower rooms at the Contemporary DVC will be available at a discounted rate to non-DVC guests. At this point non-DVC owners can’t get a reservation at the new DVC location but Magical Vacations has 3 available for travel dates between August 4 and August 10. There is a 1 bedroom Bay Lake view room, a 2 bedroom Bay Lake View room and a 1 bedroom Themepark View room available at a discounted rate.
http://dvc.disney.go.com/dvc/miniSite/index?name=CrystalMiniSitePage&bhcp=1
Another exclusive discount is the 1 bedroom Princess Suite at the Polynesian is available at a discount. I have been told for years by those who work the suites at the Polynesian that they NEVER discount these rooms, not even for Cast Members. Well the impossible is now possible and you can book the Princess Suite in the Tonga Longhouse with its own concierge desk and small offerings area along with access to Hawaii longhouses lounge and a view of the Magic Kingdom for lower than rack rate. The 1 bedroom only sleeps 6 but it is a great room and view with room to spread out.
http://www.tikimanpages.com/tiki/quick-longhouses/quick-tonga?start=2
Pay for 4 and get 3 free a good deal?
So many are loving this pay for 4 nights and get 3 for free and it is a great deal but do your math and see it for what it is. You are paying rack rate and ticket prices for 4 nights. You can get some great room discounts for a week that may be less than paying full price for 4 and getting 3 for free. Also we all know with tickets once you get to 3 or 4 days of paying for the tickets adding on a few days is very little. With that said check out what deals are available before you go jumping into what Disney is telling you is so great. Magical Vacations even looked into the rates that we have the rooms for Tikifest at and the group rates that are in May, July, October, November and December of 2009 and added up the cost of rooms and tickets through their deal and compared it to the other Disney Deal and the rooms that they got through Disney Events and tickets are lower for a week by about $250.
Now some have asked why we did not get the dinning plan with the group rate rooms and we decided that getting the lowest rate for the rooms was the best choice. To have the Dinning Plan option would have increased the nightly rate of the group rooms. This way we can give the Tikifest attendees the lowest cost. So rooms are available at the Polynesian (Garden View, Garden View Club, Lagoon View Club and Princess suite) Grand Floridian (garden view and standard club level-Royal Palm) and Beach Club (standard view, garden club and lagoon club view rooms).
For room or Tikifest party info and signup go to http://www.magicalvacationstravel.com/mv/index.php
We are going to have quite a time in the Polynesian Hawaii longhouse since we have about a 3rd of the whole building worth of rooms and many of them already taken by our Tikifest group. The Garden view Club level rooms have been popular since the rate is lower than the rack rate for a standard Garden View room in Value Season. People are telling me it is the first time they have been able to afford to not only go to the Polynesian but stay club level. For us that makes all this hard work worth it. That way you save enough to go to the party and still would not spend what you usually would for a Disney World trip. Sounds better than the Stimulus Package!!!
Pin trading
Not really Polynesian news other than that they sell pins but some inside info says that there will be a complete change in how PINs will be bought and sold. At the end of February All Pins (both coasts) will go to a (color = price) pin. This will be done on the backs of the pin. So for example a purple back means that the pin sells for $5.00. They are trying to do this so they will only have 4 or 5 skus to scan instead of 100. Also all pins will go up $2.00 each. So a $6.95 pin will now sell for $8.95. This will happen at the same time as the new backing at the end of the month.
Part of the Polynesian’s History
I have a lot of new stuff coming out for the site and some info I got recently was from one of the best General Managers to ever be at the Polynesian Resort, Clyde Min. I recently got in contact with Mr. Min and he gave me some contacts and documents from back when they changed the whole philosophy at the resort. Mr. Min was the GM from 11/95 to 02/99 and that is when the Aloha spirit was its strongest. Back when the “Management by Values- the magic of Polynesia” program that started at the Polynesian was recognized by Cornell University as a “Best Practice”. It was also used as a case study by the Amewrican Lodging Association that you can read about in a book called “Be our Guest”. Dr. George Kanahele was also a mentor to many of the people at the resort at the time.
Coming from being the managing director of the Hotel Hana Maui (1987-1990) Clyde was the perfect person to bring the culture of the islands to the Polynesian. This was also when they teamed up with the Kaanapali Beach Hotel to make the Polynesian more authentic. Anyone that argues with you about the authenticity of the resort or calls it dated will have to debate that with people that have a lot of background and time in the islands. This theme was not just dreamed up by Disney Imagineers in an office in California , it was built by those who know the true Spirit of Aloha.
I will have more on all of this as I research it more and read more of what Mr. Min was so nice to share with me. This is what my site is about. It is to educate about the resort and enjoy how it became what it is. Lets just hope there is someone like Mr. Min to keep it going in the right direction.
Check in Online
Online Check-In Service was being done as a trial at the Polynesian and will be coming to the resort soon. Online Check-In Service enables Guests to simplify their arrival by allowing them to go online and provide information related to their upcoming stay. On a Guest’s scheduled arrival date, since information will have been provided previously online by the Guest, they may experience a streamlined check-in at select Walt Disney World® Resort hotels or Disney Vacation Club resorts.
A welcome folder with their Key to the World Card will be waiting at a designated Online Check-In Service area in the resort hotel lobby. Guests will need to present valid photo ID to pick up the folder and complete check-in. Guests may begin accessing Online Check-In Service 10 days prior to their arrival date. Disney Cruise Vacations guests may begin using the service 45 days prior to arrival. Web site addresses for Online Check-In Service will vary based on the original method of booking. As Guests are using Online Check-In Service, select Guests will have an opportunity to apply for the Disney Rewards® Visa Card® that could be used during their stay (scheduled to begin late March 2009).
Disney's Magical Express
Effective March 30, 2009, Disney’s Magical Express will no longer offer luggage delivery service for arrivals to the Orlando International Airport after 10 p.m.
As a part of our normal course of business, they regularly evaluate offerings and make appropriate adjustments as needed. As a result, Disney will no longer offer luggage delivery service to the Walt Disney World® Resort for Disney’s Magical Express arrivals to the Orlando International Airport after 10 p.m. This will impact a small percentage of our Guests on a daily basis. They have received feedback from Guests using Disney’s Magical Express that they would prefer to have more immediate access to their luggage upon late arrival.
Guests arriving at the airport after 10 p.m. should be advised to claim their luggage at the baggage claim and take it with them to the Disney’s Magical Express motor coach to their resort. Luggage delivery service will be provided for Disney’s Magical Express and Disney Cruise Line Guests traveling to Walt Disney World for a resort stay who arrive on flights beginning at 5 a.m. until 10 p.m. Disney’s Magical Express Guests will be notified of these changes through their Airport Transportation Information Booklet.
WDW Today Podcast
Tikifest 2009 will be on WDW Today podcast on Friday, February 27. WDW TODAY
For more details about Tikifest check out the Tikifest 2009 page on this site.
