ALOHA! The Poly FAQ~ Spring 2010 Edition

[Minnie&Nana]

Y'all are going to love it! I think DH and I have spoiled our kids.....after staying CL TPV, they think there is no other way And to be very honest, it will be hard for me to downgrade after our great room and view! CL is certainly a convenience and not a bargain....a convenience that I quickly fell in love with DD4 told us several nights ago that she wants to go back to WDW and stay at the hotel with the pretty red roof and white walls....but of course she wants a room that she can see fireworks from.....guess DH and I will be saving money!

Have a great time! And happy planning!

Thank you!
Ah, yes, we set ourselves up for our kids future stays! You Are training her right!!
My DD is an adult now, but when we were discussing where we should all stay when we take DGD for her first WDW trip, I suggested the Poly as DD's DH has never stayed on-site...her response... "Well, yes, but I grew up staying at monorail resorts and would like to stay somewhere more interesting like AKL". She's right - every year from 1981 until they stopped going with us we stayed at a monorail resort (except for the yr we tried BC ) - Poly being our favorite. She has agreed it would be the best for Sophia's first visit.

Happy saving!!!

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
YES! DD (29) & I have been discussing it already! She had major surgery this spring (which is why this year's trip was postponed), so we've been talking about where to make ADR's already! I hate to wish the year away, but the thought of going back to the Poly and I'm wishing away!!

I hope that the time flies by for you but goes really slowly for those during their vacations at the Poly

Don't get me wrong, we also really enjoy the Dolphin and have stayed there 3 or 4 times, but there's just something about the Poly that makes us happy!!

Well, I know there are a lot of folks who like the Swan/Dolphin but I definitely was pining away for the Poly when I stayed at the Dolphin. But I like being all Disney all the time

I think split stays are worth it, if you go with the right mindset and plan.

If you are the type of person who is always looking at the clock and thinking, we could be doing this or we could be doing that, then a split stay may not be for you.

On the other hand, you have this feeling when you first check into your hotel on vacation, on any vacation. It is relaxing and pleasurable. If you go with the right frame of mind, you’ll get to experience that twice.

Excellent point! You definitely have to have the right mindset. I like to set up home base so while I've always thought about doing split stays to enjoy more than one resort, I can't bring myself to do it because I'm the type always looking at the clock

 

[kerri0616]

Hey! We're doing a Poly/Dolphin split stay in July, too! We're doing 5 nights at the Poly with DDP and then 2 additional nights at the Dolphin with a teacher rate !

My budget couldn't quite handle 7 nights at the Poly with DDP (since my younger son decided he had to turn 10 years old!) so our 5 night/2 night split seems like a great compromise. We're getting 8 day tickets upon check-in at the Poly.

I'm so excited! I've only requested a 3rd floor balcony room without a specific longhouse. I'm just excited to see what we get!

Woo Hoo! (I must admit that I'm worried we will never want to stay anywhere else once we stay at the Poly!)

Kerri

 

[Zuzu03]

Hey! We're doing a Poly/Dolphin split stay in July, too! We're doing 5 nights at the Poly with DDP and then 2 additional nights at the Dolphin with a teacher rate !

My budget couldn't quite handle 7 nights at the Poly with DDP (since my younger son decided he had to turn 10 years old!) so our 5 night/2 night split seems like a great compromise. We're getting 8 day tickets upon check-in at the Poly.

I'm so excited! I've only requested a 3rd floor balcony room without a specific longhouse. I'm just excited to see what we get!

Woo Hoo! (I must admit that I'm worried we will never want to stay anywhere else once we stay at the Poly!)

Kerri

Hi Kerri! Don't you love that teacher rate? I honestly think that is the best deal at Disney! We're staying at the Dolphin first, then the Poly. I think you're there just after us - we arrive at the Dolphin on the 8th and move to the Poly on the 15th until the 19th. Can't wait!!!!!

 

[Christine9125]

We are going aug of 2011 and I think we have just decided to stay at the Poly. I can not wait!

 

[MsStinkerBelle]

To those of you who are doing these split stays....
Have you done it before?
Is it a huge inconvenience?

I am thinking of trying this so that we can add a few days to our trip, but I don't know if it is worth the hassle.

Thoughts appreciated!

We did a split stay two years ago (5 days Pop, 6 days Poly) and it worked very well for us! We hit the parks very hard the first four days, took 1/2 a day to relax and do laundry, then switched over to the Poly. We took the bus from Pop to the MK and then the boat from the MK to the Poly. It's just DD10 and myself so it wasn't a big hassle.

 

[MsStinkerBelle]

We are going aug of 2011 and I think we have just decided to stay at the Poly. I can not wait!

Congrats! Yeah, that wait is something else. But the good news is, it will eventually get here. Reading this thread is a great support group for that.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

On one hand it is not a hassle. Bell Services picks up your luggage and takes it to the new resort. They do this all the time. You don’t need to go with your luggage…. In fact you can’t.

On the other hand you have to get to your new hotel in order to check in. So, if you’re staying at POR (for example) you will need to catch a bus to someplace, and then catch another bus to the Poly. If you have to wait 20 minutes for a bus on one or both of the legs, it can feel like you have wasted a good part of the day.

Once you get to the new hotel, you’ll have to spend some time on the check in process as well. Odds are your baggage won’t be available until later that evening, so make sure to grab what you need for the day beforehand.

I think split stays are worth it, if you go with the right mindset and plan. For example if I were going from POR to Poly, I would want to make that an MK day. That way if you spent a fair amount of time on the buses just getting to the Poly, and then additional time checking in, you wouldn’t have to wait on the buses again just to get to that day’s park. Once you check in, you just go upstairs to the monorail and catch a quick ride to MK. That ride to MK will feel very relaxing, and it might even validate your desire to stay at the Poly.

A lot of this is mindset.

If you are the type of person who is always looking at the clock and thinking, we could be doing this or we could be doing that, then a split stay may not be for you.

On the other hand, you have this feeling when you first check into your hotel on vacation, on any vacation. It is relaxing and pleasurable. If you go with the right frame of mind, you’ll get to experience that twice.

Thanks for the input!
Sounds like most of the hassle would be eliminated by the fact that we drive from Charleston, so no bussing it to the 2nd resort!
I will look into this as an option. Thanks again!

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Hi Kerri! Don't you love that teacher rate? I honestly think that is the best deal at Disney! We're staying at the Dolphin first, then the Poly. I think you're there just after us - we arrive at the Dolphin on the 8th and move to the Poly on the 15th until the 19th. Can't wait!!!!!

If you don't mind me asking, what is the teacher rate? I would qualify for the nurses rate, which I assume would be the same, but I have never called and inquired what the actual price would be.

 

[kerri0616]

I'm paying $149/night (Teacher rate at the Dolphin--For a Friday and Saturday night). But there are other fees that Dolphin/Swan adds in--parking, resort fees...I'm mentally adding $20/night for these extras. (Side note---we stayed 1 night in 2009--Thanksgiving night, in fact, for $129 + fees! Now THAT was a great rate!)

I'm still paying less at the Dolphin than rack rate at BW/BC/YC and we'll be right next door.

We're driving, so changing resorts is not too much of a hassle.

Love those teacher rates! We cannot travel during off-peak times, so it's nice to find one perk "on property."

Hope everyone else gets a great deal! The only way we are able to stay at the Poly is because of the 40% off PIN code!

Kerri

 

[BabyFu18]

Here's a quick question for those who know a lot about the Poly, since there aren't any tennis courts at the Poly, can Poly guest use the tennis courts at the GF? Is there a fee to use those courts? I just want to know if I should just leave my equipment at home or take it with me, we normally will use tennis courts if they are at our hotel but since the GF would be an easy monorail ride away using them wouldn't be hard either.

I don't know if using tennis courts at another resort would be a big no-no like pool hopping is (believe me, I understand why that's a big no-no). I just wanted to ask in case it's a shared amenity between the monorail resorts (since neither the CR or Poly have tennis courts and the GF does) or if the courts are only for GF guest. It's not a huge deal either way, but if anyone has any info on this topic I'd currently appreciate it!

 

[BreezysMom]

Here's a quick question for those who know a lot about the Poly, since there aren't any tennis courts at the Poly, can Poly guest use the tennis courts at the GF? Is there a fee to use those courts? I just want to know if I should just leave my equipment at home or take it with me, we normally will use tennis courts if they are at our hotel but since the GF would be an easy monorail ride away using them wouldn't be hard either.

I don't know if using tennis courts at another resort would be a big no-no like pool hopping is (believe me, I understand why that's a big no-no). I just wanted to ask in case it's a shared amenity between the monorail resorts (since neither the CR or Poly have tennis courts and the GF does) or if the courts are only for GF guest. It's not a huge deal either way, but if anyone has any info on this topic I'd currently appreciate it!

That is a good question?

I have to say though that when we go, we always walk past the tennis courts and DH says, "we should bring our rackets next time". Then we realize we would probably never make the time to play.

I don't see where it would be a problem because I have never seen anyone ever using the courts when I have been there. Poly gues are allowed to use the health spa...I am not sure if that includes the courts.

Anyone else know

 

[jdd]

To those of you who are doing these split stays....
Have you done it before?
Is it a huge inconvenience?

I am thinking of trying this so that we can add a few days to our trip, but I don't know if it is worth the hassle.

Thoughts appreciated!

We did a split stay last year, and didn't find it an inconvenience at all! We also drove, so didn't have to wait on anyone to transport our luggage (or us!). I packed one bag with all the things we'd need at both resorts - toiletries, etc. Then packed 1-2 bags for the first resort and 1-2 bags for the second resort (clothes).

The morning of our "switch" day, we left FW early and headed to DHS (a half day park for us). Once we were done there, we just drove over to the Beach Club and checked in there. We had the rest of the day there at SAB. Very painless!

Good luck!

 

[PolyndianPrincessJes]

Pardon me...Poly whining moment: I'M READY FOR DECEMBER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, sorry...just have to let that out every now and then to people who would understand.

 

[melham]

Hi!! I was wondering if the room had dishes at all for if we wanted to heat up some oatmeal for breakfast. THANKS!!

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I'm paying $149/night (Teacher rate at the Dolphin--For a Friday and Saturday night). But there are other fees that Dolphin/Swan adds in--parking, resort fees...I'm mentally adding $20/night for these extras. (Side note---we stayed 1 night in 2009--Thanksgiving night, in fact, for $129 + fees! Now THAT was a great rate!)

I'm still paying less at the Dolphin than rack rate at BW/BC/YC and we'll be right next door.

We're driving, so changing resorts is not too much of a hassle.

Love those teacher rates! We cannot travel during off-peak times, so it's nice to find one perk "on property."

Hope everyone else gets a great deal! The only way we are able to stay at the Poly is because of the 40% off PIN code!

Kerri

Thx for the info! I guess I should call and ask about the rate for our specific dates. We have Poly for $219/nt with the 40% off so $149+fees isnt that much less to make it worth splitting the stay. However, if it is a bit less due to it being the off-season, it may be worthwhile. I will give them a call!

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Hi!! I was wondering if the room had dishes at all for if we wanted to heat up some oatmeal for breakfast. THANKS!!

Last year at AKL all we had were glasses for H2O in our rooms, but we grabbed some extra styrofoam cups from the food court and brought those to our room for oatmeal.
Sometimes we just took the oatmeal down w/ us and stopped by on the way to the bus stop and used the hot H2O from the coffee makers in the food court and a cup to mix my son's oatmeal. Then we fed him while we waited on a bus to come. Worked out great!

 

[ellenec]

I'm going end of Aug 18th-25th and debating between Poly and BC, leaning towards the Poly. Pool rehab would be the deciding factor. Anyone know if the Poly pool would be closed then??? (main pool)

 

[MsStinkerBelle]

Pardon me...Poly whining moment: I'M READY FOR DECEMBER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, sorry...just have to let that out every now and then to people who would understand.

I used to be one of those people so I SO feel your pain! Hang in there!

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Okay I can tell you for sure!! Elvis is dead and there is no refurbishment scheduled for August! They looked at me like I has three eyes when I asked.. But they called all persons that would know! The rumor is definitely false!

I'm going end of Aug 18th-25th and debating between Poly and BC, leaning towards the Poly. Pool rehab would be the deciding factor. Anyone know if the Poly pool would be closed then??? (main pool)

The quote above yours should put you at ease!

Happy Planning!!