Downton Disney: the Disney Snob and the Seven Seas Clubs - 5/20 Secret Tonga Lounge

[AGPrincess]

Originally Posted by jecskc

Girl ..... A BOOK ???? On Amazon ?? Sooooo exciting !! Congratulations !!! Loving all of your Poly photos !!

Awww, thanks!!

Originally Posted by KathyRN137

Congratulations on authoring an e-book! That is so exciting!

I love accompanying you on your meanderings around the resorts -- so peaceful!

Kathy

Thank you!

Originally Posted by Miss Potts

I can't wait to see what's in Tonga! The suspense!

It's coming up!!

[AGPrincess]

Right next to the Great Ceremonial House on the West side is Tonga.



As I suspected, the door to Tonga didn't open when I approached it. But I had a golden key; it was worth a try, right? So I put my key in, not expecting success...

And the doors swooshed open.



For a minute I just stared down the hallway in shock. Was there really another club longhouse at the Polynesian that my key would let me into that I had never even known about after years and years of staying at the Poly??!?

I GUESS SO!

Right inside the doors was a concierge desk, which at that moment was unmanned. I wandered down the hallway, which was super swanky and had different decor from the normal hallways (different from the new updates at the Poly too!):



I pay a lot of unneccesary attention to Disney decor, I know. But this was super exclusive modern-tropical decor that just ridiculously rich and ridiculously upgrade-lucky people get to see. So yeah I was kinda riveted by the wall lamps and wallpaper.



As I passed the doors I realized these were indeed the presidential and vice presidential suites. Tonga is a small longhouse to begin with, but there must've only been 6 or 7 rooms in the whole thing, since all the rooms were suites!



I was hoping someone would come out so I could get a peek inside, but it was completely quiet. And lucky as my key had been getting me into Tonga, I didn't think it would work on the presidential suite.

There were some stairs leading up, so I decided to have a look around the second floor as well. GUESS WHAT I FOUND.



A SUPER SECRET CLUB LOUNGE, THAT'S WHAT I FOUND!!!

To fully understand how mind-boggling this was to me, you have to keep in mind that my family has been staying at (on and off) and loving the King Kamehameha Club level at the Poly for at least the last ten years. But we've only stayed in the normal rooms in Hawaii and enjoyed the fabulous lounge there. So to find out that there was yet another club lounge that had been hiding under our noses, accessible by our club key, was kinda incredible.

And I thought I was an expert on the Polynesian. Pride goeth before a fall, right?



I had NO IDEA that the suite people get a mini lounge - complete with food - all to themselves. I mean, they already have all that extra space in their rooms, but I guess in case they feel cramped they can come out here too!



OOohhh, a Polynesian painting I have never seen before. Must photograph.



And another one!!



There were juices and soda and fruit just like in the big lounge in Hawaii.



Also a coffee machine with flavored syrups and tea.



The nibbly bits on the table were almost identical to the afternoon offerings in the lounge, EXCEPT THEY HAD CUPCAKES.

JEALOUS.

I wasn't sure if I should take anything or not, though, as I imagine the lounge was technically just for the suite guests, so they don't have to walk all the way over to Hawaii for food (the poor things...). And yet, my key did let me in?? I have no idea what the technical rules were regarding this lounge, but I was excited just to be able to see it.



Back out into the bamboo! After the discovery in Tonga, I naturally had to explore the other longhouses nearby to make sure there weren't any other super secret mini club lounges I had been missing all this time...



Fiji, Aoeteora, and Tuvalu were all accessible without a key and didn't seem to have any hidden lounges (though I did go upstairs to double check! )



I loved wandering around the longhouses though, discovering a few views I had never seen before.

There are just a few more photos left that won't fit in this update, so I'll save them for the next update (the last one for this TR!). But discovering that lounge was a perfect cherry on top for the end of the trip!

[petals]

ah the pics of poly look amazing. i wanna be in Florida like now

[jdd]

That's so cool that you found a bonus club lounge!

I'll have to do some research and see if that lounge is for everyone or just Tonga guests before our August stay. It would be awesome to have another place to just hang out.

[AGPrincess]

Originally Posted by petals

ah the pics of poly look amazing. i wanna be in Florida like now

Thanks! Haha, I know, that's how I always feel after writing a trip report or surfing the DIS for awhile!

Originally Posted by jdd

That's so cool that you found a bonus club lounge!

I'll have to do some research and see if that lounge is for everyone or just Tonga guests before our August stay. It would be awesome to have another place to just hang out.

Definitely! And I wonder if the suite guests do even use the Tonga lounge - all the food and drinks looked completely untouched when I went in.

[MEK]

No matter how many times you go to Disney there is always something new to be found. Cute lounge!

[AGPrincess]

Originally Posted by MEK

No matter how many times you go to Disney there is always something new to be found. Cute lounge!

So SO true!

[marDgreen88]

Ahhh, the beautiful Poly! Too bad this is almost over! Will you be writing another TR for your upcoming trip?