WORRIED ! Just read bad reviews about POLY...

[Cindie-rella]

I was originally planning to stay 8 nights at POR (we love that resort) but due to some issues I decided to book us at the POLY mainly for the convenience of the monorail. Only rooms available are lagoon view so I took that at almost $5oo/night ! I'm fine with paying all that extra IF it is actually worth it. Now I just read some bad things such as the rooms aren't really nice or luxurious as the cost would presume, or that the beds are very uncomfortable ! That is one thing I am concerned with, I'm used to a really puffy,comfortable bed surrounded with down pillows and comforters and such.Also the pool is always very crowded and Capt'n Cooks isn't really good and a few other issues. My DH was not thrilled with my decision to move to the POLY esp. considering the price jump as his favorite place is POR. I had convinced him however that he WILL love the POLY all the same if not more. Now I'm worried after the bad reviews that I might have made a mistake and my DH will not be a happy camper considering the price is double that of POR !!!
PLEASE convince me that I did the right thing !!!!

P.S. Maybe with the refurb going on it will mean nicer decor in the rooms and "new" comfortable beds ? Will the refurb be done by the end of April?

 

[Mousemommy1]

I was originally planning to stay 8 nights at POR (we love that resort) but due to some issues I decided to book us at the POLY mainly for the convenience of the monorail. Only rooms available are lagoon view so I took that at almost $5oo/night ! I'm fine with paying all that extra IF it is actually worth it. Now I just read some bad things such as the rooms aren't really nice or luxurious as the cost would presume, or that the beds are very uncomfortable ! That is one thing I am concerned with, I'm used to a really puffy,comfortable bed surrounded with down pillows and comforters and such.Also the pool is always very crowded and Capt'n Cooks isn't really good and a few other issues. My DH was not thrilled with my decision to move to the POLY esp. considering the price jump as his favorite place is POR. I had convinced him however that he WILL love the POLY all the same if not more. Now I'm worried after the bad reviews that I might have made a mistake and my DH will not be a happy camper considering the price is double that of POR !!!
PLEASE convince me that I did the right thing !!!!

P.S. Maybe with the refurb going on it will mean nicer decor in the rooms and "new" comfortable beds ? Will the refurb be done by the end of April?

I'm surprised that your just now reading bad reviews about the Poly....bad reviews are always popping up on this site, and tripadvisor....but, truth be told, there are bad reviews about every Disney resort. I think that you need to look at the things that are important to you in a resort....theme? Location? And chose what resort is most appealing to you that way. If the Poly appeals to you, go for it! Not everyone has the same tastes, so there are bound to be people who don't like a particular resort for one reason or another, but you may like that same resort just fine.

Go off of your own tastes and preferences. I personally am looking forward to the Poly rehab though, there are a lot of appealing things about the Poly to me, but the room decor is NOT one of them....if the rehab brings about changes that I like, I'd pay to stay there (but again, only with a discount...POLY rack rates are ridiculous! IMHO)

 

[Cindie-rella]

Everything about this resort (POLY) does appeal to me. I guess my biggest concern is making sure DH is happy with it considering the extra $$$ it is costing as opposed to POR. I'm having some health issues and thought the monorail would provide some extra convenience for us. We will be taking our granddaughter and will be spending most of our park time at MK. I read the reviews on other sites that did wave a red flag in front of me. I'm sure you're right. I need not worry about a handful of bad reviews. Most people LOVE the POLY and it must be for very good reasons. Thanks !

 

[stevb]

My experience with Disney's Deluxe resorts is that you pay more mostly because of their location near a park. The rooms in my opinion are not that much better than the ones in a Moderate resort. I did notice that the beds in the BC are better than the ones at POFQ. Also the rooms at a Deluxe have interior hallways and can be noisier than those at a Moderate resort.

 

[fla4fun]

One thing I can tell you about Disney beds - they tend to be a little on the firm side if you are used to a kind of plushy, squishy mattress. The ones at CR are my favorite - the squishiest I've found so far. I'm not saying they are uncomfortable - just not plushy. Of course it makes a lot of difference how old the mattress is so if you are staying there right after a renovation, you'll be in good shape.

They use synthetic down pillows and comforters for allergy reasons, but the pillows are fantastic. I'd like to find them to buy for my house. So you shouldn't have any concerns on that score. If you don't have enough pillows in your room (I like a lot of them!) you can ask for extra ones.

I haven't had any issues with Captain Cooks - the food has been good and I haven't had any issues with crowding. But I tend to travel during slower seasons, so that could make a difference.

I've only stayed at Poly a couple times, but I had a great time on both stays. Keep in mind that most people are only going to post if they have a problem during their trip. For every negative post there are hundreds of people who had a great time. And it's absolutely true that every hotel will have it's good days and not so good days. Personally, I don't think ANY hotel room is worth $500 per night - but that's just me.

 

[Mousemommy1]

Everything about this resort (POLY) does appeal to me. I guess my biggest concern is making sure DH is happy with it considering the extra $$$ it is costing as opposed to POR. I'm having some health issues and thought the monorail would provide some extra convenience for us. We will be taking our granddaughter and will be spending most of our park time at MK. I read the reviews on other sites that did wave a red flag in front of me. I'm sure you're right. I need not worry about a handful of bad reviews. Most people LOVE the POLY and it must be for very good reasons. Thanks !

Keep an eye out...it looks like some discounts that will cover your dates will come out on Jan. 3rd....maybe you can knock that $500/night price tag down a bit.

 

[vanillarum]

As you can see by our sig, we have stayed at the Poly a few times. It is without a doubt our favorite. I like it mainly for the "hawaiian" feeling, that reminds me a little of my honeymoon many years ago in Hawaii. Both my kids love it, my wife could take it or leave it. Capt Cooks can be crowded or not, it"s all about timing. My only complaint about the Poly is that, yes, the pool is quite often waaay too crowded. Since my kids are now older, that is not an issue for us, we just make our way over to the "quiet" pool. For convenience to the MK, it's the best. Good luck.

 

[missycj96]

Poly is great. Only you know if you feel comfortable paying that much. Personally, i would not. Why not contact a good disney travel agent and they will check for discounts for you. Maybe you'll pick up a discount or a cancellation on a less expensive room. You can always research a plan b.

 

[DPCummerbund]

If you want to stay near the MK but without the $500 a night prices, you might consider renting DVC points from a DVC member. There are several boards on here that explain how to do that - I think it's a GREAT way to stay at a Deluxe resort for moderate prices!

You'd then have two choices - Bay Lake Towers, or the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge. Choose BLT if you'd like to be within walking distance of the MK, or VWL if you love a beautifully-themed resort & a quick boat ride to the MK.

Personally, I'd love to stay at the Poly as well, but with no DVC to rent from yet, I'll be staying at one of the other DVC resorts until then. The other deluxe resorts are nearly as appealing as the Poly, & when you rent points it's a fraction of the price of the Poly.

 

[kathie859]

OP....We were At the Poly CL at the end of October. The location is the strong point. Not just the monorail--but the boat takes you from the dock near the mail pool to the MK---very close to the security check point. Also, watching the fireworks from the patio was so very nice and relaxing.

Now the negative---the rooms stink! I've been in many a 4-5 star hotel and the Poly rooms do not measure up. I'm hopeful that the refurb will improve the CL rooms dramatically and that the lounge can be updated (and CLEANED!!!) and the food offerings be brought up to the standards of the other CL's (I.e., the GF or BWI specifically)

FWIW, there's no way I'd stay there again without a significant discount or improvement in the rooms and lounge.

 

[Debrn]

I love the Poly, the only complaint is the rooms are very dark, but the beds were comfortable, the view amazing, and being on the
monorail for MK and Epcot is the best.

Also love BLT and you could rent DVC points and stay for much less.

Remember as others said you will find bad reviews for every resort.

 

[owl0306]

poly is my least fav mono resort. I rather stay at the Epcot resorts. Great location, cleaner, no outer buildings, better food.

 

[ktlm]

Reviews are all a matter of perspective, and as I found out this year, even mattresses at the same resort are not all created equal.

We have stayed at Poly, GF, WL, AKL, and POR, and our favorite of those is definitely the Poly. The transporation is the great because you can walk to the TTC and catch the express monorail to MK or Epcot. I like a softer bed and we have stayed at the Poly twice and both times I slept great. I did not have any issues at all with the mattresses and I found the beds comfortable. I think mattresses can really differ from room to room. We stayed at the GF in 2012, and I hardly slept all week because the mattress was so terrible. I was miserable. The mattress was hard as a rock, and it hurt my back even though I normally don't have any back issues at all. We wound up staying there again a few weeks ago, and I was not thrilled about it because I was worried about another sleepless week, but this year, I loved the mattress and linens and pillows we had in our GF room. I slept great this year. I don't think you can say the pool is "always" crowded. It probably depends on how bad the WDW crowd levels are when you are there. I'm sure sometimes it is crowded, as are all the pools at the WDW resorts. Technically, the Poly pool was never crowded the times we were there, but we were there during the Christmas season both times.

In my opinion for the prices, none of the Disney resort rooms themselves are as luxurious as you would see in a 4 or 5 star hotel elsewhere, but Disney itself is wonderful as our its resorts in general, and you always have to realize the massive amount of kids that go tearing through Disney rooms constantly as opposed to most luxury hotels. Some of the more "upscale" type stuff is not going to be able to handle kids like that. The DLH in California did a refurb, and the rooms are now definitely more upscale, but it kind of makes them feel more cookie cutter generic luxury hotel, instead of Disney even with the Disney touches. Yes, the Poly decor looks dated, but so do the GF rooms, in my opinion. I will take the size of the room over the ones at POR, AKL or WL, anytime, especially when sharing the room with kids. One thing to thing about is, I think they are going to be doing refurbishments at the Poly in 2013, and I don't know how extensive the construction might be. Captain Cooks is typical WDW resort CS fare. We prefer the Roarin Forks at WL, to Captain Cooks, but we preferred Captain Cook's to Gasparilla's at the GF.

If everything about the Poly appeals to you as you state, and you plan on spending most of your time at MK, I think you will like it there.

 

[Dizzytime]

The reviews wouldn't make me hesitate, just the price. If you can afford it and you want to stay there I would, and maybe you'll end up with a discount eventually, too. Hope so!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I was originally planning to stay 8 nights at POR (we love that resort) but due to some issues I decided to book us at the POLY mainly for the convenience of the monorail. Only rooms available are lagoon view so I took that at almost $5oo/night ! I'm fine with paying all that extra IF it is actually worth it. Now I just read some bad things such as the rooms aren't really nice or luxurious as the cost would presume, or that the beds are very uncomfortable

You need to lower your expectations. Disney "deluxe" rooms don't come close to the level of a non-Disney deluxe room (with the exception of special rooms, such as luxury suites). Personally, I think $500 a night for a lagoon view room at the Poly is extremely overpriced, but that's just my opinion. The Poly looks old and dated to me, though it is convenient being on the monorail.

If a really nice luxurious hotel is important to you, you should probably look at non-Disney options.

 

[B-Ride]

We absolutely love the Poly. Our family has stayed there 6 years in a row. That said, the Poly is getting a bit expensive for our tastes. And that is for a garden view room, not lagoon view. We have booked a room at CR for next year. Even more convenient for MK and on the monorail for Epcot.

 

[padawans]

There is nothing "luxurious" about any of the deluxe resorts at Disney. I have stayed in all of them. You are paying for location. We have always had clean and well maintained rooms at the Poly. That being said I would never pay 500.00 a night to stay there or at any other Disney property. I would wait until discounts are released before deciding where to stay.

 

[aml3679]

Don't Worry! Usually, the postiive reviews outweigh the negative. There are so many people that stay there that love it. What is not to love - the tropical theming, the monorail, tonga toast ...the only negative I can think of is the price. We are staying at WL - Poly is too much money for us to spend. You will have a good time.

 

[MyOtherSS]

I've stayed at the Poly 4 times and I've never had a bad experience there. It is by far my favorite resort, the location is the best out of the monorail resorts and the theme is just awesome. The way I look at it is people are likely to write a review over a bad experience because something ticked them off than write one when they had a great experience. What I'm saying is people love to complain, if everyone that had a good experience wrote a review they would outweigh the bad ones to the point you wouldn't take them into consideration. It might be more money but it well worth it and you will love it there. Just my .02

 

[tinkermommyof3]

The best way to look at WDW resorts is as a whole and not pick it a part piece by piece. They are not what you would imagine from a Ritz-Carlton or Waldorf Estoria. They are family friendly resorts with high turnovers. We love the Polynesian. We know it is not perfect--none of the resorts are. As a whole, it gives us a perfect vacation with all it has to offer. It is a matter of not obsessing over every detail. If there is a really offensive problem at ANY resort, immediately go to the front desk.