The Best Longhouses to Request at Disney’s Polynesian Resort

Disney’s Polynesian Resort is an extremely popular resort at Disney World because of its theming, proximity to Magic Kingdom, and incredible views. We happen to think some locations of the resort are better than others, and you may want to consider one of them to enhance your resort experience.

Disney’s Polynesian Resort

Themed after the South Pacific with sandy beaches, lush vegetation, and tiki torches, Disney’s Polynesian is highly sought after by guests. It’s like taking a Hawaiian vacation in the middle of Florida with all the Disney perks.

The resort is located on the monorail, directly across the Magic Kingdom on the Seven Seas Lagoon. It is one of the pricier Disney World Resorts because it is categorized as a deluxe resort.

Because you are spending such a great deal of money to stay at the Polynesian, it may be important to you that you stay in a great room during your vacation. After all, who wants to spend hundreds of dollars a night and not have a great room?

Requesting a Room

While you cannot request a specific room, you can increase your chances of the type of room and view you want. First, it’s important to note that the Polynesian has both “cash” rooms and Disney Vacation Club (DVC) rooms. These rooms are different, have different amenities, and are located in their own longhouses.

The cash rooms have a bright and airy Moana theme with a water view (just a view of the Seven Seas Lagoon), theme park view (view of the Seven Seas Lagoon and Magic Kingdom), and resort view (view of garden, parking lot, or monorail).

The DVC rooms also recently received a bright and airy soft goods refurbishment (although it is not Moana themed). You can either book a standard view (view of landscape or parking) or lake view (view of the Seven Seas Lagoon).

Depending on the room view you book, you may be able to request which longhouse you would like when completely online check-in. I can recall checking in online for DVC rooms and being able to select which longhouse I would like to be in.

Please note this is just a request and not a guarantee. My hope with this information is to help you make an informed decision about which type of view you want to book at the Polynesian and which longhouse to request (if available).

Cash Longhouses

There are several longhouses located around Disney’s Polynesian Resort. Starting from East to West they are:

• Aotearoa (mix of resort, water, and a few theme park views)
• Tuvala (mostly theme park view with a few resort views)
• Fiji (resort and water views)
• Tonga (water, theme park, and resort views)
• Hawaii (water, theme park, and resort views)
• Samoa (water views)
• Niue (resort views)
• Rarotonga (resort views)

Club level rooms are located in the Hawaii longhouse, and club level suites are located in the Tonga longhouse. Do note if you book a club level suite you will have to walk to the Hawaii longhouse for the lounge. It’s not a far walk but may be inconvenient during inclement weather.

Favorite Cash Longhouse

The best location in the Polynesian Resort is in the middle. The way everything is set up, the Samoa building is located in between the feature pool and the quiet pool. If you walk out the north end of that building, you are very close to the beach area. And, if you walk out the south end you are very close to the Great Ceremonial House.

While this building won’t offer a view of the fireworks or lagoon, getting around can take a little getting used to. Being in a central building like Samoa puts you in the middle of it all and an easy walk to amenities.

Plus, it’s my understanding almost all rooms have a view of one of the pools! Therefore, if you want to increase your chances of being in the Samoa longhouse, I recommend booking a water view room. There is a chance you may also get a view of the marina or lagoon, but at least this would increase your chances.

If you are looking for a more economical option and don’t care for your view, Niue and Rarotonga longhouses have resort views and are located close to the Great Ceremonial House and bus stop.

I feel that the longhouses Tuvalu, Fiji, and Aotearoa are secluded on their own, and they are very close to the future DVC building. If you want a quiet resort stay you may want to consider booking one of those views until December 2024 when the tower opens.

DVC Longhouses

The Polynesian has three dedicated longhouses and 20 bungalows to Disney Vacation Club. The longhouses are strictly made up of deluxe studios. I love these rooms more than the cash rooms because the deluxe studios have two bathrooms! One has a shower and vanity and the other has a shower/tub, toilet, and vanity.

When the tower opens in December 2024, there will be several more room types available, including duo studios (the 2-person rooms like at Riviera), spacious one- and two-bedroom villas and brand-new two-bedroom penthouse villas.

A new room category, called, two-bedroom penthouse villas, will be available at the Polynesian DVC tower.

I’m sure the majority of the rooms facing the Seven Seas Lagoon will have fantastic views of Magic Kingdom, but in the meantime there is one DVC longhouse that is my favorite because of its views.

Favorite DVC Longhouse

The Moorea longhouse is the only one of the DVC longhouses that has a “lake view” which features views of the Seven Seas Lagoon and Magic Kingdom. If you are looking for a theme park view in the DVC buildings, you have to book a lake view room! This will put you in the Moorea longhouse.

And, it may be worth the money to pay for this particular room type because the view is amazing! Not only can you watch the fireworks from your room, but there is also a great view of the sandy beaches and bungalows right below you.

If you book a standard view room you may still be placed in Moorea building. It would either just face the inside of the resort or possibly be on the ground level.

The Tokelau longhouse is the closest longhouse to the Great Ceremonial House and is located right next to one of the quiet pools. Pago Pago is closest to the Transportation and Ticket Center, so you will want to request this longhouse if you plan to use the Monorail a lot.

A word of warning: because the DVC longhouses are so close to the Transportation and Ticket Center you will absoutely hear the ferry boat during its operating hours (one hour before Magic Kingdom opens until one hour after it closes). It is loud and may disrupt your sleep.

Final Thoughts

Knowing which longhouses have the view you want will help you determine which view you should book. It’s imporant to note that you can’t book a room in one category and then expect a view in another category (unless you get upgraded, of course!).

I hope this guide was helpful in showing the views in each longhouse. Definitely play around with the map on the My Disney Experience app to see the buildings and where they are in relation to the beach, Great Ceremonial House, and any other amenities you may wish to experience.

Then, when you check-in (can be done immediately after booking and linking your reservation to the app), you may have the option of requesting the longhouse you want. As a general rule of thumb, if you want a great view of Magic Kingdom it would be helpful to request a higher floor.

And, not prioritizing having your room ready may even give you better chances of receiving the room/longhouse you want. If you prioritize having it ready as early as possible you may not be in the one you want to be in.

If you need further helping deciding where to stay or which view to book, see details below for getting in touch with me!

Do you have a favorite longhouse at the Polynesian? Let us know in the comments below, and share this post with a friend.