Help me pick from the Grand Floridian or Polynesian for my daughter's 18th Birthday Celebration!

[gabbyrosebud]

Hello friends! I'm taking my sweet girl to Disney to celebrate her Birthday and her upcoming graduation from High School. I want it to be really special! We've stayed at All-Star Movies, Port Orleans Riverside and Wilderness Lodge in the past. I'd love your opinions.

 

[skuttle]

When are you planning to go?

We've stayed at GF twice and loved it there. I know a lot of people think it's "stuffy" but we've never felt that way. It's a beautiful resort.

Never stayed at the Poly, but we plan to do so for our next trip in warmer months. I just can't bring myself to stay there when it's cool/cold!

 

[CNYGuy]

We have stayed at both and really loved our experiences. That said, it depends a bit on her interests. Poly is a bit cozier, theming a bit more obvious, we prefer their restaurants over GF. GF is larger, more we'll, Grand, feels like there is more room to roam. Pools are larger, feels a bit more indulgent. We always seem to stay at a monorail resort and we have always loved our stays at both resorts. Have fun!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

What is your daughter's personality?

GF is Victorian elegance all the way through. Poly is a more relaxed, island feel.

 

[MrsDuck]

Totally depends on your DD! Both are amazing. GF is super girly while Poly is exotic-ish.

 

[TJA]

We love both, but they will give different experiences due to theme. Choose based on your DD's likes/personality.

Poly is laid-back and tropical. We love the restaurants at Poly and the feeling of relaxation there. My favorite thing is to sit on our patio at night and take in the sights and sounds.

GF is elegant and indulgent. My DD's and I loved shopping at the GF and felt it was a fun splurge. We feel a bit pampered there, and we love that!

Both Poly and GF rank #1 to us. They are equally awesome in their own way.

 

[Minniesgal]

I would choose based on the rooms and pool only as the Grand and the Poly are so close together you can very easily walk from one to the other so you can easily and often use shops and restaurants at both.

 

[mickeynut1]

Hello friends! I'm taking my sweet girl to Disney to celebrate her Birthday and her upcoming graduation from High School. I want it to be really special! We've stayed at All-Star Movies, Port Orleans Riverside and Wilderness Lodge in the past. I'd love your opinions.

We've stayed at both and love both for different reasons. We love the Poly for the relaxing tropical atmosphere, but the GF is nice as well. Both have beautiful grounds, two nice pools, and great dining options. With that said, I don't think you can go wrong with either as both would be great for a birthday/graduation trip, it just depends which theme/decor you like. I would look at pics of both resorts and choose the one that appeals to you and your DD the most. Good luck!

 

[cruisingtwins]

Third choice contemporary Because of the walk to MK

 

[CynBeth]

We really liked the Poly. In addition to what was already said it is a short walk to the TTC for the Epcot monorail.

 

[Nancyg56]

My 15 YO DGD loves the Grand. SHe likes the Poly, but prefers the Grand.

 

[McKelly]

My soon to be DD18 has stayed at both and prefers the Poly. In fact, that is the resort she has chosen for her HS Grad trip.

 

[NewMomatWDW]

Definitely GF!

 

[gabbyrosebud]

When are you planning to go?

We've stayed at GF twice and loved it there. I know a lot of people think it's "stuffy" but we've never felt that way. It's a beautiful resort.

Never stayed at the Poly, but we plan to do so for our next trip in warmer months. I just can't bring myself to stay there when it's cool/cold!

Thank you for your response! We are booked for February so it'll be cold. Does anyone ever swim in February?

 

[gabbyrosebud]

Definitely GF!

Awesome!!

 

[gabbyrosebud]

We've stayed at both and love both for different reasons. We love the Poly for the relaxing tropical atmosphere, but the GF is nice as well. Both have beautiful grounds, two nice pools, and great dining options. With that said, I don't think you can go wrong with either as both would be great for a birthday/graduation trip, it just depends which theme/decor you like. I would look at pics of both resorts and choose the one that appeals to you and your DD the most. Good luck!

Thank you! She's truly a girly girl so I think she'll love the theming at the Grand. I also booked the Afternoon tea there on her birthday. I thought it would be a sweet memory.

 

[gabbyrosebud]

Definitely GF!

Thank you!

 

[gabbyrosebud]

My soon to be DD18 has stayed at both and prefers the Poly. In fact, that is the resort she has chosen for her HS Grad trip.

What is your favorite part of the Poly? We did book Ohana for the trip. So excited!

 

[gabbyrosebud]

We love both, but they will give different experiences due to theme. Choose based on your DD's likes/personality.

Poly is laid-back and tropical. We love the restaurants at Poly and the feeling of relaxation there. My favorite thing is to sit on our patio at night and take in the sights and sounds.

GF is elegant and indulgent. My DD's and I loved shopping at the GF and felt it was a fun splurge. We feel a bit pampered there, and we love that!

Both Poly and GF rank #1 to us. They are equally awesome in their own way.

Thank you! I think the Floridian would suit my girl's personality best now that you say that. She is an old-fashioned girl. We booked 1900 Park Fare and the Tea there as well.

 

[McKelly]

What is your favorite part of the Poly? We did book Ohana for the trip. So excited!

I just asked her why she liked the Poly better and she said the GF "kinda sucked." That's all I got out of her, she just got a new Iphone - so she's barely speaking to us right now. I liked the GF, but I guess our expectations were just too high for the GF, being the flagship resort and all. It didn't wow us like we thought it would.

I know she likes the restaurants better at the Poly - O'Hana, Kona and Captain Cook's. And since we come from a cold climate, we like the tropical feel. One thing I like is walking to the TTC for the Epcot monorail. It's kind of a pain to get to it from Grand Floridian.

Also, to me, the GF rooms are just plain old rooms I would stay in everywhere else. They didn't seem themed to me. The Poly rooms seem more themed to me, adding to the experience.

I love looking at the GF from across the lagoon - it's a beautiful resort.