Poly or WL?

[mommyluvsnoah]

I have been reading various boards, review, etc on Disney resorts the last two weeks and I have narrowed down my choices but the more I read the more confused I am. lol.

We are planning a trip end of September 2009. I know it is a ways away but I need to get an idea of cost so want to go ahead and make some of the big decisions- ie length of stay, resort, etc. Also I am a planner. THis will be our first and possibly only trip to WDW and we will be celebrating my son's 7th birthday.

Right now we are thinking 9 nights, arriving on a Friday evening and leaving on a Sunday. That way we get plenty of time to see all four parks, TL, spend a day fooling around at resort and DD and my son still only misses one week of 1st grade. Since we are going for a longer stay, I was thinking of staying 4 nights at either Poly or WL and five nights at BC. The problem is I can't decide between Poly or WL.

The food offerred at Poly appeals to me a lot more than WL as does the theme. Also the monorail is a plus, the rooms are bigger, the pool is a little nicer. But I have also read several reviews that the pool is crowded and the resort too noisy. WL is apparently quieter, has hot tubs, and is more contained. Plus the theme seems more suited to kids. It is also cheaper. But I have read that the pool and slide are pretty small, the rooms are small and on the dark side and honestly the food selection does not appeal to me much nor to DH.

Sigh. See my dilemma? Lol. Anyone who has stayed at both have a preference and why? TIA for reading this long post and the advice.

 

[Gooofy-Blade]

As you can see, I am a WL fan. First of all in September, you won't have a big problem with the size of the WL pool and slide since the crowds are lower. We go every Sept and have never had that to be an issue...not even close. Also, my last visit to the Poly - it seemed some of the outside of the buildings were starting to show some age but still nice grounds. It is just that you don't have much control over which building you will be in and thus, WL seems a lot more cozy and handy for the family. As for the food, I think the convenience of RF to the pool, etc., is a slight bonus even though the menu may be more limited. As I said, I am definitely a WL preferred customer!! By the way........just doing the math and looking at the savings should count for a LOT!

 

[Native NYer]

We were at the Poly last month and LOVED it. Not only can you catch the monorail to the MK at the Great Ceremonial House, but the TTC is a short walk away. You can walk there to catch the Epcot monorail, MK resort and express monorails, and the ferry to the MK. When we used the buses to go to AK, they were empty! They stop at the GF after the Poly, so your chances of getting a seat are greater. Out of all of the MK resorts, the Poly has the best transportation options.

The rooms are large. They have two queen beds and a day bed. Rooms in Tahiti, Tokelau, and Rapa Nui are a little larger, have two sinks in the bathroom, and balconies on the second floor. The other longhouses have first floor patios and third floor balconies and only one sink in the bathroom.

The volcano pool is great! There's also a beach and walkway to the GF.

 

[mommyluvsnoah]

Goofy, I know, the savings is huge. And normally for us that is a huge factor. But since this is our first and possibly only trip we have decided not to worry about money. As long as we don't go overboard- booking suites, the platinum package, etc we could do either. We go on vacation every summer and we are skipping it this summer and putting the money towards WDW next year so that helps. So I just want to go with whichever we think we will enjoy the most. The problem is I am pretty sure we would really enjoy both. LOL.

BTW, thanks for the help!

 

[MissionMouse]

I... will be celebrating my son's 7th birthday. ... Right now we are thinking 9 nights, ... I was thinking of staying 4 nights at either Poly or WL and five nights at BC. The problem is I can't decide between Poly or WL.

First with the elevated Disney Resort cost factor not an issue, I would do the PR over the WL.

...Plus the theme (WL) seems more suited to kids...

Its not. Actually our kids prefer the PR over the WL. If didn't seem like Disney until we transferred from the WL to the PR.

WL is apparently quieter, has hot tubs, and is more contained...I have read that the pool and slide are pretty small, the rooms are small and on the dark side and honestly the food selection does not appeal to me much nor to DH.

Yes, the WL is dark and small. It also get crowded at lunch and dinner times as it attracts Disney guest from all over. The PR does have larger rooms but you get not only guest from all over visiting the main building to dine, but you find them everywhere else too...to a point it is starting to become a safety and security issue during sometimes of the year.

 

[mommyluvsnoah]

Minnie, are you saying the Poly or the WL is a security issue? Or any resort in general? Sorry, just not sure which you mean.

It sounds like in general you prefer the Poly?

 

[zoemurr]

I REALLY wanted to stay at the Poly last year, but couldn't get DH on board with $$ difference. We stayed 5 nights at POFQ and then 3 at Poly. Booking it was a pain, and we could only get the dining plan for the POFQ portion, (our tickets stayed the same for whole week) but Disney moved all our bags and the actual "moving" day was stress free.

However we liked staying on the monorail so much that we are doing 8 nights at the Poly this year...
Have fun!

 

[boomhauer]

We had Poly booked for JUly, but after staying at WL, we couldn't imagine spending the money to stay at Poly. Given that we've always wanted to try Animal Kingdom Lodge as well, we opted for a split stay.

I love the Poly, but a few things when we went there for dinner last trip turned me off:

1.When you want to get a drink at night, it's nice just heading downstairs at WL. At the Poly, you could be a 5-10 minute walk away from the bar. Plus, from 5-10, the lounge area at Tambu is always packed with outside guests eating at Ohana.

2.We needed to do laundry. At WL, we were 2 seconds away from laundry room. At the Poly, you could be again, about 5 minutes away from the nearest.

3.Going in July, it will probably rain alot. It'll be nice not having to worry about walking back to our room with the babies getting soaked.

 

[mommyluvsnoah]

Ack!!! I have made some difficult decisions before but picking a Disney resort ranks right up there! LOL

 

[mommyluvsnoah]

Ack!!! I have made some difficult decisions before but picking a Disney resort ranks right up there! LOL

Thanks to everyone for the input.