Jennifer,
I think you'll be very happy with the Polynesian. The soothing sounds of the waterfall in the lobby will welcome you to this tropical resort.
With the exception of the Animal Kingdom Lodge, we almost never pay for more than a standard view. We have stayed in Aotearoa once (avoid the second floor rooms in this building as there are no balconies) and Tokelau a few times. We are usually only in the room to sleep (bedtime or naps), so the view isn’t that big of a deal to us. We do enjoy some time on our balcony or patio though and the
garden views here are very nice.
I liked the location of the Tokelau longhouse. Having a first floor patio room was really nice. From outside the Tokelau building, it's a short walk to the beach along the Seven Seas Lagoon where you can watch the fireworks at night. This is also a great location to watch the nightly Electric Water Pageant. Our son enjoyed playing in the sand while waiting for the “boat parade” or lounging in a hammock.
Monorail service to the Magic Kingdom is convenient. I really enjoyed being able to walk to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) where you can then board a monorail to Epcot. This was easier than taking the monorail to the TTC and then transferring to the Epcot monorail.
The walk over to the Grand Floridian is very pretty.
You’ll have access to shops and dining not only at the Polynesian but also at the Grand Floridian and Contemporary. You can also take a boat to the Wilderness Lodge which is a fun adventure whether you just look around the Lodge or have a meal there. Enjoy paradise at the Polynesian. Aloha!