AKL/RIV Stay; Poly/Monorail Tour

[airjay75]

Just got back from a 1-week 4/3 night AKL/RIV Studio stay with my wife and our two boys, ages 4 and 6. While there, my wife and I did a formal DVC tour of the Poly Island Tower as well as VGF grand villa, spent some time walking around all 3 monorail resorts really in an effort to see which ones we liked the most and to be sure about where our next points purchase was going to be.

AKL: Stayed in a Savnnah view in Kidani Village - requested Sunset Savannah and near the Rafiki elevator (to be near the pool). Definitely really liked AKL - room was not as worn and tired as one might have thought for being just about to go under a hard goods refurb. That said, pull out sofa bed is rough - got a mattress topper and that made it perfectly fine to sleep in, but getting the bed set up and put away every night and morning is not very fun, and the mattress topper takes up extra room. Visited both Kidani and Jambo pool and really loved both. Preferred Kidani pool - was pretty busy as one might expect during mid-day on a hot July afternoon, but still manageable (and was completely glorious in the evening when it reopened after a t-storm closure).

RIV: The aroma that greets you when you walk in the door, the music that plays throughout the resort, the ability to easily find a couple of chairs at the pool at almost every time of day, the super easy and convenient QS Primo Piatto and Bar Riva, the easy walk to the Skyliner, the larger studio with the 5th sleeper and real utensils in the studio - RIV is just excellent in almost every way. We had a preferred view room - requested high floor, close to Skyliner and had a nice view of the Skyliner and Epcot.

Poly and Island Tower: Everything I previously thought about Poly and PIT was reinforced this trip. The tower itself and its rooms are lovely - theme park view if you have the points for it would be amazing. But once you step outside the tower, there are enough cons to me that are evident that I am not interested in owning at Poly. The new pool next to PIT is nice, but the splash pad isn't going to interest many children over the age of 3. There is no waterslide, it isn't exclusively for PIT guests, and since there is a splash pad, I don't think you could really call it a quiet pool. Main lava pool looks great, and everyone knows it, and so, everyone is there! Busy and crowded, but who can blame anyone for wanting to be there because it is a great pool.

VGF: We got a tour of the grand villa here because our guide's office was in it. I quite liked VGF - seemed like a step down in busyness from Poly, and pools seemed a bit less crazy. The grand villa was beautiful. I really like the theming of VGF, but didn't actually do much for my wife (which surprised me), and I don't think our two young boys would be super impressed either. I'm more interested in staying here at some point than PIT, but I think my wife was sort of like, just meh - that said, she was getting quite hungry too.

CR/BLT: After VGF, we took the monorail over to CR for dinner at California Grill - dinner was AMAZING! It was a prix fixe menu and we added the wine pairing - highly recommend. And, of course, the view is just awesome. The inside of the CR resort itself is less than amazing - honestly feels a little more dated than contemporary (reminds me a bit of late 80s, early 90s mall). But it is still neat, and I'm sure our young boys would love it. After dinner, took a stroll around the CR pool and then wandered over to the BLT pool and took a walk around before heading to the MK. Now, granted we were into mid-evening at this point, so one would expect the pools and grounds to be less crowded/busy, but I have to say BLT gave off a very relaxed, low key vibe. From the CR pool to the BLT grounds, everything seemed very peaceful and quiet. Nothing really blows you away with the theming or the grounds, but I can really see this being a great place to stay, especially with a MK focused stay - BLT has easily jumped to the top our our list of monorail resorts we want to stay at (and, maybe, at some point, pick up some resale points - not in any rush since I think we would want preferred view anyways to be able to get a high floor, and those aren't as difficult to get at 7-month mark).

Few other random thoughts:

1. Studios and Laundry - I don't see the family staying in a studio again for this single reason. Used the laundry room at AKL and RIV, and neither was a very enjoyable experience. 2 of the 3 washing machines at AKL were out of order. Everything was working at RIV, but when my wash load was done, all 6 dryers were occupied and had to wait for one to free up. And someone was there pushing me to get my laundry out of the washing machine the second it was done. Just not a really enjoyable experience while on vacation, and I'm not interested in that again.

2. AKL vs. RIV studio - granted, it is more points, but you do really feel the difference in size going from AKL to RIV studio. Full bath and shower plus a huge walk-in shower, real utensils, not just paper plates, huge closet with a vacuum, under bed storage, 5th sleeper bed. We all got much better rest in the RIV studio. I'm sure AKL will be better after the refurb, but you obviously can't make rooms any bigger.

3. Skyliner - had pretty great experiences with the Skyliner. Most we ever waited was about 10 minutes after fireworks. No weather closures. Wondered how hot it would be in mid-July - it really is remarkable how much the tinting and the breeze do to keep the inside fairly comfortable.

4. Split Stay - I've been thinking we really like split stays, but now that we're settling in to the new DVC mindset of repeat stays year after year, I think I'm changing my mind. Between switching hotels and park days, our week just felt a bit rushed. I want more time to enjoy the hotels and the activities at each one, and less time thinking about what we need to do next. Had been planning a split stay for our next planned trip in February and have already switched it to a 1-week stay (in a CCV 1-BR).

5. Moonlight Magic - I really lucked out and successfully registered for this under general registration (we were renting points for this trip). And, it was pretty fun! That said, we didn't take full advantage because young kiddos can only last so long. Still, after the 9 pm fireworks in, got in Frozen, Remy, and some free snacks before heading back to RIV (with no wait to get on Skyliner).

So, a pretty good trip AND we're buying more RIV points - just left a VM with my guide!

 

[VGCgroupie]

VGF: We got a tour of the grand villa here because our guide's office was in it. I quite liked VGF - seemed like a step down in busyness from Poly, and pools seemed a bit less crazy. The grand villa was beautiful. I really like the theming of VGF, but didn't actually do much for my wife (which surprised me), and I don't think our two young boys would be super impressed either. I'm more interested in staying here at some point than PIT, but I think my wife was sort of like, just meh - that said, she was getting quite hungry too.

I really thought I would love VGF, but I just didnt. It's funny how things like being hungry can possibly have an impact on opinions. For us I think if we hadn't entered VGF hot and sweaty we may have liked it better, but since we were hot and sweaty we just felt very out of place. Everything was so fancy and here I am in my jeans and converse heavily panting with my neck fan on. There was a women in her wedding dress getting photos taken, many of her guests around all dressed up, we felt like we just crashed her wedding and we weren't even dressed for it.

Few other random thoughts:

1. Studios and Laundry - I don't see the family staying in a studio again for this single reason. Used the laundry room at AKL and RIV, and neither was a very enjoyable experience. 2 of the 3 washing machines at AKL were out of order. Everything was working at RIV, but when my wash load was done, all 6 dryers were occupied and had to wait for one to free up. And someone was there pushing me to get my laundry out of the washing machine the second it was done. Just not a really enjoyable experience while on vacation, and I'm not interested in that again.

Doing laundry in your room is a complete game changer! I don't really need a kitchen on vacation but I now heavily rely on W/D.

So, a pretty good trip AND we're buying more RIV points - just left a VM with my guide!

Im so happy hear you had a great trip and got to experience to vastly different resort types. Pro move on asking for a room near the elevators at AKV!

How are you feeling now about your CCV purchase instead of BLT?

 

[airjay75]

How are you feeling now about your CCV purchase instead of BLT?

I still feel good. It was a great deal for SAP, so even if I were to end up using those points for BLT preferred view rooms most of the time, I think it will be a good deal. And given the math on that contract, if the right BLT contract came along in a few years, maybe I'd sell the CCV and buy the BLT one.

And, still haven't visited WL, so, who knows, maybe that will end up being our favorite MK resort, and maybe we'll want some home resort priority for times like December. At the moment, I've decided to make our February trip a full 1 week stay in a CCV 1 BR. TBH, I am starting to think that all 3 monorail resorts are a bit overrated. I won't be surprised if we end up liking WL as the best MK resort, but like the BLT preferred view rooms as the best rooms in the MK area.

 

[VGCgroupie]

I still feel good. It was a great deal for SAP, so even if I were to end up using those points for BLT preferred view rooms most of the time, I think it will be a good deal. And given the math on that contract, if the right BLT contract came along in a few years, maybe I'd sell the CCV and buy the BLT one.

And, still haven't visited WL, so, who knows, maybe that will end up being our favorite MK resort, and maybe we'll want some home resort priority for times like December. At the moment, I've decided to make our February trip a full 1 week stay in a CCV 1 BR. TBH, I am starting to think that all 3 monorail resorts are a bit overrated. I won't be surprised if we end up liking WL as the best MK resort, but like the BLT preferred view rooms the best rooms in the MK area.

I agree. I wish they weren't so spendy.

 

[airjay75]

I agree. I wish they weren't so spendy.

Agreed, but when you compare them to PIT or VGF, then you sort of start to feel like you're getting a bargain!

 

[Mouseforward]

Agreed, but when you compare them to PIT or VGF, then you sort of start to feel like you're getting a bargain!

The 1 and 2 br point charts at PIT made the decision between washing my 100 resale points by buying 150 direct at poly or just adding on at RIV.

150 points at poly will not do most 1brs for you even if you skip a year. So if I had to wait to combine it with my RIV points then I might as well keep all my points at RIV , resale be dammed.

That and I concur with your other points on PIT.

 

[Girlstar30]

Im not going to lie I am afraid to stay at PIT with the crowds in the summer. I am going to be irritated if all the lines are long. The good news is we are staying at Riv right after so I will really get to compare the vibes between the two. These are the things at PIT that concern me, please confirm if its true

1. The lava pool is going to be uncomfortably crowded
2. The walk from being tired after a theme park to pit is going to have me wishing I was at riv
3. Having to go to gch for everything because the front desk isn't a real front desk
4. Wailulu doesnt take resys, long line?
5. All food places will be slammed
6. Kids, kids everywhere (I know its Disney )
7. Which resorts does the bus share with? How many monorail stops to magic kingdom and back?
8. Are the rooms worth the high points they command?

TIA

 

[PolyRob]

Im not going to lie I am afraid to stay at PIT with the crowds in the summer. I am going to be irritated if all the lines are long. The good news is we are staying at Riv right after so I will really get to compare the vibes between the two. These are the things at PIT that concern me, please confirm if its true

1. The lava pool is going to be uncomfortably crowded
2. The walk from being tired after a theme park to pit is going to have me wishing I was at riv
3. Having to go to gch for everything because the front desk isn't a real front desk
4. Wailulu doesnt take resys, long line?
5. All food places will be slammed
6. Kids, kids everywhere (I know its Disney )
7. Which resorts does the bus share with? How many monorail stops to magic kingdom and back?
8. Are the rooms worth the high points they command?

TIA

A lot of this can be subjective and will vary greatly based on time of day...

1. Lava pool is always crowded, especially during peak pool times.
2. This is probably a 4/5 minute walk, tops.
3. No building at Polynesian has a front desk in it's lobby and CMs are stationed with iPads to help during peak times of the day.
4. You can see the walk up wait in the app. The wait time will vary greatly depending on when you want to eat.
5. Again, depends on time of day. Captain Cooks like other resort QS will turn off mobile ordering for non-resort guests at times because it's so busy. Other times you can walk into it practically empty. Trader Sam's will have people lined up for hours before it opens. 'Ohana ADRs pop back into inventory, but it's a popular place.
6. Poly is very family friendly.
7a. Poly shares a bus with GF and is the first stop. Leaving Poly you will stop at GF then proceed to your destination. Coming back you will be dropped off first.
7b. MK is two stops on the resort line from Poly. Expect at least 5 minutes per stop.
8. I cannot speak to this as I have not personally stayed in the Island Tower, but if you saw VDH rooms they are exact copies. Smaller than other villas, but new and fresh.

 

[airjay75]

I'll just add a few more thoughts from my recent trip that speak to your questions/thoughts @Girlstar30 .

On Wailulu Grill, I don't know what the wait time was, but we very easily able to walk up, grab a drink, and then go find a chair to sit on the back side of PIT looking at Seven Seas Lagoon - that was relaxing! The tables did look all filled at Wailulu Grill, and there weren't any large groups hovering looking like they were waiting to be seated, but that doesn't mean there wasn't a wait.

I don't think the lack of front desk at PIT would bother me - aside from getting my room keys when checking in, I tend not to speak directly to the front desk. If I need anything from my room, I just call "front desk" or "housekeeping" and as best as I can tell those calls are actually routed to a central calling center - I don't think someone at the actual front desk answers those, but I could be wrong.

One thing I noticed better this trip is just how close the Grand Floridian is to PIT - if I were staying at PIT, needing to eat somewhere, I could easily see checking out what options and wait times are at both resorts and then deciding where to go.

I do wish they had put one thing more at the PIT - a small gift shop, a QS, a PIT dedicated pool with a waterslide (like BLT). I get why they didn't do the last two - a QS would have to be open to everyone and would probably be difficult to design one that wouldn't also have the potential to get overrun. The only place they could have put a pool is where they put it, and it's squeezed in between PIT and hotel rooms, so it would have been very weird to put that pool there and say, sorry, only DVC guests. And I think Poly struggled with pool capacity before the tower, so they probably need it for everyone, not just tower guests. But, what about a small gift shop like the one at RIV that also sells light snacks and drinks and, in a pinch, could help you get at least something to eat? With two young kids, sometimes, you find yourself in need of something like sunscreen or a lunchable (or a bottle of wine ). I think they could have done that at PIT, but they did not. Instead, it's late, the kids are hungry and tired, you just need a drink, and you find yourself with the only option being to trek back to the GCH and find what you need.

 

[VGCgroupie]

Im not going to lie I am afraid to stay at PIT with the crowds in the summer. I am going to be irritated if all the lines are long. The good news is we are staying at Riv right after so I will really get to compare the vibes between the two. These are the things at PIT that concern me, please confirm if its true

1. The lava pool is going to be uncomfortably crowded
2. The walk from being tired after a theme park to pit is going to have me wishing I was at riv
3. Having to go to gch for everything because the front desk isn't a real front desk
4. Wailulu doesnt take resys, long line?
5. All food places will be slammed
6. Kids, kids everywhere (I know its Disney )
7. Which resorts does the bus share with? How many monorail stops to magic kingdom and back?
8. Are the rooms worth the high points they command?

TIA

I cant answer all.. what I can say it end of May the pool at Poly looked like Miami on spring break, a sea of people in the water. We also visited RIV the exact same time of day and there was people but not alot.

My husband really disliked how far the walk was from PIT, Im sure the heat played into it.

 

[Girlstar30]

A lot of this can be subjective and will vary greatly based on time of day...

1. Lava pool is always crowded, especially during peak pool times.
2. This is probably a 4/5 minute walk, tops.
3. No building at Polynesian has a front desk in it's lobby and CMs are stationed with iPads to help during peak times of the day.
4. You can see the walk up wait in the app. The wait time will vary greatly depending on when you want to eat.
5. Again, depends on time of day. Captain Cooks like other resort QS will turn off mobile ordering for non-resort guests at times because it's so busy. Other times you can walk into it practically empty. Trader Sam's will have people lined up for hours before it opens. 'Ohana ADRs pop back into inventory, but it's a popular place.
6. Poly is very family friendly.
7a. Poly shares a bus with GF and is the first stop. Leaving Poly you will stop at GF then proceed to your destination. Coming back you will be dropped off first.
7b. MK is two stops on the resort line from Poly. Expect at least 5 minutes per stop.
8. I cannot speak to this as I have not personally stayed in the Island Tower, but if you saw VDH rooms they are exact copies. Smaller than other villas, but new and fresh.

Thank you for the detailed answers!

I do like that coming back poly would be the first stop, I did not know that, I dont mind sharing another resort at the beginning, by the end i want out!

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but is poly the first stop coming back from MK as well?

It seems like the food waits can be solved with proper planning and going at off times I hope. We do have ADRs at kona and ohanas so this should help.

I don't drink so not interest in trader sams. This actually really put me at ease, I did really love the vdh rooms and that two bedroom pit looked phenomenal

 

[Girlstar30]

I'll just add a few more thoughts from my recent trip that speak to your questions/thoughts @Girlstar30 .

On Wailulu Grill, I don't know what the wait time was, but we very easily able to walk up, grab a drink, and then go find a chair to sit on the back side of PIT looking at Seven Seas Lagoon - that was relaxing! The tables did look all filled at Wailulu Grill, and there weren't any large groups hovering looking like they were waiting to be seated, but that doesn't mean there wasn't a wait.

I don't think the lack of front desk at PIT would bother me - aside from getting my room keys when checking in, I tend not to speak directly to the front desk. If I need anything from my room, I just call "front desk" or "housekeeping" and as best as I can tell those calls are actually routed to a central calling center - I don't think someone at the actual front desk answers those, but I could be wrong.

One thing I noticed better this trip is just how close the Grand Floridian is to PIT - if I were staying at PIT, needing to eat somewhere, I could easily see checking out what options and wait times are at both resorts and then deciding where to go.

I do wish they had put one thing more at the PIT - a small gift shop, a QS, a PIT dedicated pool with a waterslide (like BLT). I get why they didn't do the last two - a QS would have to be open to everyone and would probably be difficult to design one that wouldn't also have the potential to get overrun. The only place they could have put a pool is where they put it, and it's squeezed in between PIT and hotel rooms, so it would have been very weird to put that pool there and say, sorry, only DVC guests. And I think Poly struggled with pool capacity before the tower, so they probably need it for everyone, not just tower guests. But, what about a small gift shop like the one at RIV that also sells light snacks and drinks and, in a pinch, could help you get at least something to eat? With two young kids, sometimes, you find yourself in need of something like sunscreen or a lunchable (or a bottle of wine ). I think they could have done that at PIT, but they did not. Instead, it's late, the kids are hungry and tired, you just need a drink, and you find yourself with the only option being to trek back to the GCH and find what you need.

Im really happy to hear that about Wailulu as I just kind of wrote it off as impossible to get into.

I know we're going during the school season so n I hope that helps with crowds.

I agree a better pool would have been nice and help ease the lava pool situation. And a gift shop with necessities and souvenier is always welcomed! Is it still slammed with looky loos coming to see the rooms?

I just like things easy when im on vacation and as centrally located as possible. I love that about my Jambo and I am very much looking forward to seeing the fireworks at PIT without a parking lot beneath A la BLT, but over pretty waters.

I do feel like this hotel has the potential for us to really enjoy it if we do it right! If we cant decide between PIT and RIV, I would like to try the longhouses in April and see!

 

[Girlstar30]

Has anyone stayed at both PIT and longhouses and which was your preference and why?

 

[Girlstar30]

I cant answer all.. what I can say it end of May the pool at Poly looked like Miami on spring break, a sea of people in the water. We also visited RIV the exact same time of day and there was people but not alot.

My husband really disliked how far the walk was from PIT, Im sure the heat played into it.

I wish they had another bus stop or monorail stop

 

[airjay75]

Is it still slammed with looking loos coming to see the rooms?

We toured at 5 pm on a Sunday. There were other people touring at the same time as us, but I would not have called it slammed. Just seemed like some regular flow of people coming through. The tower itself feels very relaxed and calm to me - those terrace areas were empty (except for the few of us touring). If you're just looking at the tower and its rooms without consideration to any other factors, it really is a great place. I will be happy to stay there at some point, I'm sure, just not interested in owning points there.

 

[VGCgroupie]

Has anyone stayed at both PIT and longhouses and which was your preference and why?

I wish they had another bus stop or monorail stop

Didn't stay but toured both, the longhouses are very close to the TTC. Longhouses are nice but dated compared to PIT. If we stayed at Poly in a studio we would still choose a longhouses.

 

[Mouseforward]

we would still choose a longhouses

Agree, Bigger rooms, and in the summer the covered balcony makes it tolerable to sit outside. Closer to TTC as well for Epcot runs and closer to the bus. The RV side of Moorea is great - no pool noise and I did not get woken up by the ferry.

 

[Girlstar30]

Interesting that the longhouses are preferred, now i feel i need to stay at both

 

[Mouseforward]

Interesting that the longhouses are preferred, now i feel i need to stay at both

Once the novelty of the tower runs out - they will be the choice since they sleep 5. I will do the tower next time but only for three nights, just to try it. It will have to be a upgraded view as I don't see the point to getting a room looking at the highway.

I am staying next month in a TP view BLT so I will be able to compare - It looks like TP view in BLT is the better choice by distance.

 

[PolyRob]

One thing I noticed better this trip is just how close the Grand Floridian is to PIT - if I were staying at PIT, needing to eat somewhere, I could easily see checking out what options and wait times are at both resorts and then deciding where to go.

This is partially why VGF is my favorite. I can easily walk to Poly from the original villa building or Big Pine Key and grab a drink or snack or head to an ADR while staying at VGF.

Interesting that the longhouses are preferred, now i feel i need to stay at both

I am actually the opposite. I would much prefer the Island Tower to the DVC longhouses.

The longhouses have some of the largest studios on property, but I have stayed in them and I do not really like them. I think the bathroom setup, especially the bathroom with the tub is a waste of space. The rooms are also so, so, so dark to the point I needed to leave my TV on at night as a source of light.

This may also be strange, but I like the side of Poly where Island Tower resides more than the side closer to TTC. It's more compact and walking past the marina, especially at night is very nice. It's also close to GF and if I am staying at Poly I like visiting.

Just personal preference so definitely stay at both and see which you prefer!