Thanks for the help Gary! About 85% of the floors are perfect, there are just localized areas of alligator skin and bubbling. Would it be possible to locally sand out the bad spots and reapply the same poly to those areas, or is the poly never going to match due to environmental conditions, blending the new with the old areas, etc.?
For clarification on the hand sanding, you literally mean hand sanding, not a palm sander or anything powered, correct? The square buff "thing" you mention, is that another powered buffer that you suggest we could use for finishing? Would 320 grit be sufficient, too much, or too little for use with that?
Since everyone loves pictures, we sanded off this pickled finish and restained with a pecan (dining room and foyer remain to be sanded):
This is after the second poly coat - it's still drying so it retains the high sheen.