help me! Poly or okw

[renae3]

I am having a terrible time deciding on these 2 places. Anyone that can help is greatly appreciated! We are a family of 5, 2 boys ages 6 and 3, and an infant, my husband and myself. That being said for about the same price we can stay in a garden room at the poly or a 1 bedroom at OKW. Our dilemma is do we go with the poly for the theme and luxury but skimp on the size. We would all have to sleep in the same room and with 3 little ones that may be hard. Then again we could have a spacious 1 bedroom at OKW but the theming I am sure is not as nice! What would you do in the same situation???

 

[Blueyed Girl]

Personally, I love OKW. It just works well for us with a kiddo. I would love to try the Poly too because of the beautiful theming and because of the monorail. The main reason we haven't is because of the size of the rooms. We have stayed in a 1 bedroom at OKW the past 3 trips and we are spoiled now. The theming is nice, just more laid back than a lot of the other resorts. It's quiet!! Very nice after a long day in the parks. And remember, you can always book a dinner at one of the Poly restaurants and enjoy the theming that way.

 

[momtobrynncess]

Having stayed at both, I have to vote for Poly, without hesitation. When we go, it's three adults and a 5 year old. We have PLENTY of room!! Depending on the longhouse you stay in, the room can be as large as 475 sq ft, which is HUGE for a hotel room. Poly and CR have the largest rooms of any Disney resort (for standard rooms). It is nice to have the extra room at OKW, but the pro's for staying on the monorail, and the theming are HUGE. The Volcano Pool is amazing, the it's just extremely peaceful there. Being so close to the MK is wonderful, and transportation to MK and Epcot is SOOOOO easy on the monorail. I wasn't impressed with the selection of grab and go food at OKW either, but the selection was much wider at Poly. Again, having stayed at both, I will always choose Poly!!!

 

[damiel]

wWe love tthe Poly - I would say stay at the Poly if for no other reason than the Monirail. You can't believe how wonderful it is to get on a monarail at the end of the night and be right back at your resort. Remember the LONG lines at the end of the night to catch a boat back so you can catch a bus back to your resort. You can just wave to those dead dog tired people as you step on the monarail with your tired little children. You will be in bed before they even see the bus. The Poly pool is great fun for the children not to mention the fireworks viewing from the sandy beach.

 

[Pakey]

Having stayed at both, I'd have to pick OKW. Sorry, the separate sleeping area away from the kids is a vacation. Sleeping 5 in a hotel room is a trip. Huge difference.

And FWIW, OKW has very nice theming and is considered deluxe accommodations at the same level as the Poly. So one hand you get location, on the other you get a full kitchen, washer/dryer, whirpool tub, balcony large enough for all of you to sit on it, etc.

 

[shaunaluvsdisney]

I also have a vote for Poly. We stayed there in Dec with 4 childrenand 2 adults in one room (twins under 3). We had plenty of room. The kids were all so tired at the end of the day that their heads hit the pillow and they were out. We were able to sit out on the deck and talk/have a night cap or watch TV. I can't tell you how great it is with young kids to be on the monorail. It is a life saver!

 

[mmmears]

I would choose the Poly for the convenient transportation. I like the monorail, particularly with an infant, since you can just wheel the stroller onto it with a sleeping child. With a bus, you have to fold it up and move the baby.

But I dont mind being in one room and I know alot of people who do. It just depends which one is more important to you.

Have a wonderful trip!

 

[MickeyNicki]

For your situation I would say OKW. DH and I stayed there in March for 4 nights and it was a nice quiet resort but too removed for DH and I...we prefer the Poly because of the location and of course the restaurants!

 

[renae3]

I thank you for all your responses. We still are undecided but I think leaning toward the polynesian. Let me ask, is there a microwave and fridge in the room? Just wondering if it would be possible to eat a light breakfast in the room. Then again OKW has the full kitchen, oh this decision is too hard! But at least its a good decision to have to make!

 

[momof1+1+2]

We just returned from OKW and while it was beautiful, we will not be back. The space is great and the staff wonderful but we were not in the room enough to make it worth it. It's so far to go to MK versus the Poly which is where I really wanted to stay. I have not been to the Poly so I can't compare but again, I will be there next time! Also, OKW does have all the "home" items but really, we didn't use them. It seemed like a waist for us. I didn't like the choice of one counter service place and no breakfast counter service. Their gift shop is really no big thing - I think other resorts have more. The pool is amazing and the kids loved the slide. Olivia's was great food but so was Ohana's. I would ask yourself how much time you'll be in the room versus out. If we were in the room more, it might have been worth it but I was not cooking so again, the kitchen went to waist. We've only been to CBR before and I honestly liked that better. We like the atmosphere there and it seems to be more upbeat like the Poly. Just my opinion. Good luck - either way both are beautiful it just depends on your needs.

 

[mmmears]

There's a little frig in the room and a coffeemaker. (You maybe can request a microwave, but we've never done that).

We've bought breakfast foods and eaten breakfast in our room many times -- it saves us so much time! We buy yogurt, milk, cereal, bread, cream cheese, peanut butter, jelly, etc. You can even get sliced turkey and make sandwiches. If we really want something hot, we get instant oatmeal. Oh, and we bought lots of fruit, too.

We do this on trips to other locations, as well. I dont think I'd want a full kitchen -- then I'd have to cook & wash dishes. That would not be a vacation for me!

 

[Blueyed Girl]

At OKW, mousekeeping does the dishes. We usually only cook breakfast when we are at OKW which saves time in the mornings rather than trying to eat in a restaurant or at the parks. Except for our 1 morning ritual at Crystal Palace each trip.

We loved having a washer/dryer also. At first I said I'd NEVER do laundry on vacation. I pretty much stick to that, but if you start running out of clothes for whatever reason, it's nice to be able to just throw a load in.

Also, the oversized garden jacuzzi tub is a major treat after a long day walking in the parks.

Usually, when we go back to OKW for DS's nap in the middle of the day, DH and I sit on the balcony and have a drink & visit with each other and relax. We are very much refreshed when DS wakes up for round 2.

 

[CoolPool]

How long is your stay?

Short stay: Poly
Long stay: OKW

I basically feel that the trip will be mostly about the 6 year old, a bit about the 3 year old and the infant is along for the ride. For a short stay, being at the Poly will give you maximum ease to visit the MK and Epcot. The room size is really quite good for Disney. And there is something to be said for being able to watch the fireworks from the hotel at night instead of being in the fray at the park.

However, if you are going for a long stay and you can be more leisurely about visiting the parks and taking time on buses, then I'd opt for OkW.

 

[ElizabethB]

Poly. The rooms are large. Your kids are small. The monorail convenience (roll the strollers on and roll them off) would outweigh all other issues for me.

 

[d6t9k12]

I vote for the Polynesian. It is a nicely done resort-- Great Pool! And it is on the monorail system-- you will be able to get to the Magic Kingdom very quickly using that. You can also walk to the Grand Floridian from there-- I personally like the restaurant Citricos there.
Regardless of what you choose, I hope that you have a great time! Best wishes!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I would go with the Polynesian because of the Monorail and having that with kids makes things so much easier.

 

[IndyClown]

With 5 people? I don't care if it's Old Baghdad....I would ALWAYS take the 1 BR and extra space for the same money!