First Time at Poly - Have I made a Mistake?

[Jo-Anne]

We have been to Disney numerous times and always stay in a moderate (usually POR) and are very happy with the facilities and rooms. However, I have always longed to stay in one of the monorail resorts and this time we splurged and are doing 2 days at Coronado and 3 days at Poly. We are all very excited and have high expectations for a deluxe experience. We have dined at Kona many times and love the resort atmosphere. However, after reading through and hearing about how tired the Poly rooms are (we are going in Feb before the renovations), I'm wondering if we save our money on this trip and go back to moderate for entire stay? These 3 days at Poly are a splurge for us so don't want it to be a bust. Thoughts?

 

[ilovedisney1982]

We have been to Disney numerous times and always stay in a moderate (usually POR) and are very happy with the facilities and rooms. However, I have always longed to stay in one of the monorail resorts and this time we splurged and are doing 2 days at Coronado and 3 days at Poly. We are all very excited and have high expectations for a deluxe experience. We have dined at Kona many times and love the resort atmosphere. However, after reading through and hearing about how tired the Poly rooms are (we are going in Feb before the renovations), I'm wondering if we save our money on this trip and go back to moderate for entire stay? These 3 days at Poly are a splurge for us so don't want it to be a bust. Thoughts?

I haven't been to WDW in almost 4 years, but the last time I stayed at Poly, it really wasn't up to Deluxe standards. That was back in 2004, so I can't imagine 2013. The rooms looked like they belonged in a moderate resort. Poly is known for their monorail, pool, and restaurants. End of story. Poly was one of the first resorts to open, and hasn't been remodeled much. If you want better rooms for less $$$, try Wilderness Lodge. They have nicer rooms and you'll enjoy the amenities.

 

[Sue M]

We loved the Poly. We stayed there a few years ago. I love the resort theming, dining, volcano pool, watching Wishes on the beach and Electric WatervParade too!
We had a GV room in Tokelau, every floor has balcony in the newer longhouses.
There is something very magical about being able to see The Castle from the beach and pool!

Rooms are large and comfortable. It's true, they are prob. Due for an update, but our room was clean and in good repair. Some people don't like the dark furnishings. I do. The halls also could use an updating, some of the older longhouses especially that have narrower hallways.

I would still go stay there. After renos they'll prob lower discounts like they did with WL!! And I need a decent discount to stay at Poly!!

Poly also had the best transportation of all the resorts we've stayed at, with choice of boat or monorail to MK, and short walking path to TTC for direct Epcot monorail.

 

[Mousemommy1]

I am personally holding out on staying at the Poly until after the refurb. It's just not up to the standards that I would expect for the price charged, so I know I'd end up disappointed.

 

[Masonmj84]

I recently stayed at Poly (Dec. 8-12, followed by BC from Dec. 12-16) and it was my first deluxe stay after staying previously at a moderate (CSR). We had 35% AP discounts and that helped.

Overall, I didn't think the resort was a bust, don't regret staying there, and would consider staying there again (FWIW, I slightly preferred it over BC).

With that being said, given the price tag (even with discounts), there are a few caveats to not being disappointed:

(1) You must love the theming and overall ambiance of the resort (which we do and it sounds like you do too).

(2) You must accept that a big part of what you're paying for is location (and Monorail access).

(3) You must not expect Ritz Carlton/Four Seasons resort/room quality and service. That being said, I wasn't disappointed with the rooms (we were in Tokelou). Yes, if you took the time to look closely, you could observe some normal wear and tear. But overall, I was generally pleased and found the rooms, in addition to being larger, to be, overall, more luxuriously appointed than at CSR (and our room at CSR was perfectly fine).

(4) It helps if the Monorail is not down. IMO, there's no more magical way to start a day at Disney than to walk through the beautiful Poly grounds to the GCH (LOVE the smell in there) and, from there, hop on the Monorail. But when the Monorial is down, it's a major bummer (even with other transportation options).

(5) It helps to take advantage of some of the Poly's special perks such as Wishes on the beach, evening walks to the light of the tiki torches, and being able to walk to the TTC to catch the Epcot Monorail. And take some time to just chill in the GCH.

(6) It helps if you really like the Poly's dining options and have ADRs with them (we had a dinner at 'Ohana and a breakfast at Kona).

(7) Going back to the Monorail theme, it's really nice with young kids and strollers, especially if you stay in the MK until closing and a kid falls asleep in the stroller (don't have to fold it up).

All that being said, from a strict bang per buck standpoint, the moderate resorts are, IMO, a better deal. But I think if you can afford it, a stay at a deluxe like the Poly is worth splurging on at least once.

In summary, I think you've picked two good resorts and will enjoy your split stay (just don't expect Poly to blow CSR out of the water, especially if the Monorail is having problems).

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

We stayed at Port Orleans our first few visits and last time stayed at Polynesian. We just booked Polynesian again for our next trip using the 35% discount (not sure I'd pay full rate). We loved the Polynesian's location and the feel of the resort, although the atmosphere wasn't much better than Port Orleans. I thought the rooms were fine - much roomier than the moderate rooms. I also liked the fact that while Polynesian seems spread out its a short walk to just about anywhere. Finally, you can't beat being on the monorail if you want to take a break during the day (though it doesn't do you much good for AK or HS).

 

[vanillarum]

Many of the rooms at the Poly HAVE been refurbed. We were there in 2012, and as usual, loved it. I say go and decide for yourself. You'll have a great time !!

 

[damren]

The rooms aren't perfect. We book poly for the atmosphere. We love the relaxed feeling, eating breakfast each morning at Kona, having every cast member we pass say aloha, the electric water parade, wishes on the beach, etc. It's a great experince, granted it will be a better experience after the refurbs, but still amazing if you are there for the atmosphere more than the rooms. If it were my dilema...I'd go

 

[silver236]

We were able to get a 30% discount last October so we switched from POFQ. With the discount it was only a little more. The monorail made it completely worth it. Getting to MK and Epcot was awesome. We loved having the daybed (kids got sick of sharing a bed). We ate a lot of breakfasts at Capt. Cooks and brought it back to the room while we got ready, worked out pretty well. We also had a great evening watching the movie on the beach (taking advantage of the nearby pool bar) and also watching wishes and the Electrical Water Pageant. We LOVED the Poly.

 

[momto3boysillbe]

I've stayed there once and would go back in a heartbeat. I didn't even really care what the room looked like. For me it was the atmosphere. I loved walking around and the beach and the pool. I love Kona and Ohana being right there. The monorail is the best! If you only like bright airy rooms then you might not be impressed but I liked it. As long as it's clean and we have places for people to sleep, the experience trumps updated rooms for me.

 

[jemmouse]

we have stayed at POLY twice in the past 2 years. I do like the resort, I LOVE the monorail. The pool at crowded seasons is WAY CROWDED and didn't impress me much. We are going in March this year and I am still not sure where we want to stay. If the rehab on the rooms were done, it would be a no brainer, it would be POLY...Let me say this, if you are picky and don't like dark interior rooms, or rooms that look like they need updating then you will be fine...Its not that bad, honestly. But if you have stayed at other resorts it might bother you. We just went last year and stayed first in Clearwater at the Sandpearl resort, beautiful beautiful resort. We took my mom and brother with us. We then went to Disney and I was nervous on how my mom would like POLY after Sandpearl. Yeah she was highly disappointed. The rooms are outdated. Cant say that enough...

But there are also positives. The resort is beautiful, tropical, serene, and the monorail is the best...If you go to Disney often then maybe save your money for next year when the rooms are done. But if this is it for awhile, go and stay at the POLY, you will like it. Just know in advance its nota s fresh as say Yacht club. Look at YOU TUBE tours...

Good luck..

 

[huntconn]

There are far too many variables to tell you whether or not it would be a good idea for you to stay at the Poly. So much of it is subjective and up to the perception of the individual. When it comes to the condition of the resort rooms, which is what you originally inquired about, I would guess that there may be some wear and tear to the room you check into. After all, the rooms have not been rehabbed since 2006. We stay at the Poly every summer (except for last year staying at the Beach Club...missed the monorail too much, coming back to the Poly this year!) and have noticed the room condition deteriorate slightly. For example, 2 stays ago we noticed that one of the doors covering the small frig was hanging on by 1 hinge. While I did think this was ridiculous that we should check into a room with this obviously over looked item, all it took was a quick call to maintenance and it was fixed before we got back from the MK. It didn't ruin my vacation and I did not find it necessary to come to the Disboards to whine about my dissatisfaction with my "Deluxe experience". Whatever you decide, I hope you have a fantastic vacation.

 

[spacemountain]

We stayed at the Poly twice and I love i there. The atmosphere is great, and all of the plants and flowers everywhere are so beautiful. I had no issue with how the room looked at all- the big thing that we wanted was a day bed. And as far as monorail resorts, I do think it's the most convenient since you can easily walk to TTC!

 

[Amy&Dan]

I recently stayed at Poly (Dec. 8-12, followed by BC from Dec. 12-16) and it was my first deluxe stay after staying previously at a moderate (CSR). We had 35% AP discounts and that helped.

Overall, I didn't think the resort was a bust, don't regret staying there, and would consider staying there again (FWIW, I slightly preferred it over BC).

With that being said, given the price tag (even with discounts), there are a few caveats to not being disappointed:

(1) You must love the theming and overall ambiance of the resort (which we do and it sounds like you do too).

(2) You must accept that a big part of what you're paying for is location (and Monorail access).

(3) You must not expect Ritz Carlton/Four Seasons resort/room quality and service. That being said, I wasn't disappointed with the rooms (we were in Tokelou). Yes, if you took the time to look closely, you could observe some normal wear and tear. But overall, I was generally pleased and found the rooms, in addition to being larger, to be, overall, more luxuriously appointed than at CSR (and our room at CSR was perfectly fine).

(4) It helps if the Monorail is not down. IMO, there's no more magical way to start a day at Disney than to walk through the beautiful Poly grounds to the GCH (LOVE the smell in there) and, from there, hop on the Monorail. But when the Monorial is down, it's a major bummer (even with other transportation options).

(5) It helps to take advantage of some of the Poly's special perks such as Wishes on the beach, evening walks to the light of the tiki torches, and being able to walk to the TTC to catch the Epcot Monorail. And take some time to just chill in the GCH.

(6) It helps if you really like the Poly's dining options and have ADRs with them (we had a dinner at 'Ohana and a breakfast at Kona).

(7) Going back to the Monorail theme, it's really nice with young kids and strollers, especially if you stay in the MK until closing and a kid falls asleep in the stroller (don't have to fold it up).

All that being said, from a strict bang per buck standpoint, the moderate resorts are, IMO, a better deal. But I think if you can afford it, a stay at a deluxe like the Poly is worth splurging on at least once.

In summary, I think you've picked two good resorts and will enjoy your split stay (just don't expect Poly to blow CSR out of the water, especially if the Monorail is having problems).

I completely agree with this!

We are big mod fans (por is our favorite but love them all).

The Poly trip was a splurge following a difficult year after my mom died. I never regretted it but didn't spend the money to stay again.

My biggest tip is to request a balcony. That is the one thing I miss at a mod.

And definitely dine there and enjoy the beach. Watching Wishes then strolling back to your room along the torch lit grounds is heaven.

I say go and enjoy.