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Tahiti is one of the newest longhouses that was part of the 1985 expansion of the Polynesian. Tahiti happens to be my favorite longhouse for Lagoon and Theme Park view rooms. The beach on this end is very quiet and many that have stayed at the Polynesian never even knew the beach was over there. There is no pathway between the beach and the grass area so there are not people walking by the ground level rooms on the lagoon side like at the Hawaii longhouse.
Lagoon View rooms
THeme Park View rooms
All other rooms are Garden View
Handicap Accessible rooms
Room with tub rails: 1016
Room with roll-in showers: 1017
Pros: This longhouse is my favorite non-club level building when it comes to Lagoon view or Theme Park view rooms. The rooms on the lagoon side have a great view of the Magic Kingdom but do look over the island on in the lagoon. The beach is much more quiet and private. These rooms are slightly larger (see layout on the room page) and all the bathrooms have double sinks. You are very close to the Transportation and Ticket Center. The path to the TTC is right out the entrance to the longhouse. There are balconies on 2nd and 3rd floors.
Cons: You are the farthest longhouse from the Great Ceremonial House but the walk is only about a 5 minute walk. The views in the garden view rooms are nice but not the best you can get. They look into the garden area between Tokelau and Rapa Nui and some can be some what surrounded with plants. There seem to be the most maintenace problems at this longhouse.
Facts about the real island of Tahiti
The population of Tahiti is 188,000. (70% are Polynesian) In the Tahitian culture, sharing and reciprocal generosity have traditionally been important qualities. Most land is still owned by the islanders. Most Tahitians live along the coast because the interior is too rugged and possibly inhabited by ghosts. Adoption is commonplace and family relationships complex. Young Tahitians generally go out in groups rather than on individual dates. Their lifestyle can be summed up with AITA E PEAPEA (No problem).
About Tahiti the Longhouse
Tahiti may seem isolated back in the corner of the resort but actually the walk from the longhouse to other spots of the resort is not usually very long. You will see often I write down walk times and the walk from Tahiti is argued all the time on discussion forums. Sometimes the walk can be confusing since there is a maze of paths just outside Tahiti but you can usually get back to the Great Ceremonial House in 3-5 minutes depending on your walking speed. Some request Tahiti because of its isolation and quiet beach. Also it is right next to the Transportation and Ticket Center to get to the monorail in a minute or two. This was the first longhouse I ever stayed in back when it was Moorea so I will always have fond memories of it. I think it has the best lagoon views outside of Hawaii but be aware that the ferry to the Magic Kingdom is right next door and does like to blow its horn. Also for some unknown reason Tahiti does not seem to have gotten the full rehab or the rooms like the other longhouses. It lagged even back when the other longhouses were done, waiting for the rest of the furniture and fixtures but finally the inside of the room was completed but it seems the new sliding glass doors never made it in. I don’t know if this was budget cuts or they felt they did not need to be replaced. Tahiti seems to have had a history of problems with moisture trapped in between some rooms causing a smell and electrical and plumbing but as of the last couple of years I have not heard any reports of these problems so I am hoping they were addressed.
Some tips if staying in Tahiti. There is a small parking lot next to Rapa Nui (right across from Tahiti) that would be a better place to park if you have a vehicle. Also use the beach path when going to the pool or boat instead of weaving in and out around the internal paths of the resort. If you are caught in the rain at the GCH and need to get to Tahiti, go out the door of the GCH to Rarotonga and go through to the end, then out the doors go to the left through Tokelau and go to the end, then make a right and go in the end of Tahiti. This should minimize your exposure to the rain.
