Animal Kingdom or Poly?

[TTA Rider Matt]

I bought Poly for a bunch of reasons. 1. Room size of the studios is bigger than anywhere else on property. 2. Contract expiration in 2066 plus comparably cheaper dues to many of the other resorts. I believe the only property cheaper per point until the end of the contract is SSR. 3. Location on the monorail plus walking distance to TTC, so a quick monorail ride to MK and EP. 4. We had some concerns regarding the studio/bungalow dilemma, but due to the size of the rooms and having 2 showers, I view it as instead of 4 people showering each morning at about 45-60 minutes, that time decreases by half, meaning an extra 20-30 minutes of sleep in the mornings. 5. Also regarding the studio/bungalow dilemma, I grew up going to WDW staying at BWV with my older brother. We went with my parents up until we were 18 and 21 and made the studio work. We would occasionally get a 1BR, but we were mostly studio warriors.

While I'm sure AKL is beautiful, and have heard it's an amazing property with unbelievable dining options, the location is a killer for me. Having to take a bus to every park is a big downfall for my family's needs. Everyone is different though. My parents have owned at BWV since 2000 and have only ever stayed there or BCV because they can't imagine not having the location of the Crescent Lake resorts. I plan on using my points primarily at Poly, but I'm also planning on lots of split stays because I want to experience all the resorts. As for BLT, that was our other possibility, but the value of the Poly is better over the length of the contract. We also didn't like the rooms nearly as much. I would suggest watching YouTube videos of all different room options in each resort.

 

[CaliAdventurer]

AKL is not our favorite. LOVE the restaurants, always visit and eat there on AK park days. Savannah view is epic for kids. Pool is nice. The problem for us is it's remoteness. It's a 20 min Lyft to most other resorts, parks. It was too much for us. Getting to a breakfast res elsewhere is not easy. Hallways are soooo long. Gift shops are meh. No golf, no spa, no salon.

That said, Poly is one of my faves. Rooms are very dark but the rest is fantastic. There is not a more convenient resort to the TTC. Gift shops are my faves, restaurants are awesome, pools are awesome, boat parade, dole whips, etc. Even though I love Poly, I would never own there because of the lack of room diversity. If you have to switch at 7 mos for a bigger room anyway, then you're better off buying a cheaper resort. If you have stayed at BLT and like it, that may be a bettr more versatile option. But BLT is not for everyone. Very different to Poly & AKV vibes.

 

[kniquy]

I’m not a big fan of how high their point charts are and the fact that the room options are only studios or bungalows.

We actually own at both resorts. We initially bought AK resale because it fit our budget to get started in DVC - we like the resort, room options, points charts. We had never stayed there but knew enough about the resort. I think the only negative we found out after staying there was that there isn't a lot of space to roam around. We like to stroll around the resorts and we found at kidani we were kind of land locked. Yes, we could stroll over to Jambo but it isn't a very pretty walk. The animal viewing does make up for the lack of walking paths. AK does take you away from the hustle and bustle of the parks where Poly still puts you in a pretty active resort because it draws a lot of visitors. Poly is beautiful and you really can't beat being able to look out and see fireworks and the property gives you space to roam. I do think AK hands down has much better dining options, so a definite plus there.

I think your decision needs to be based on what room types you need, how many points you can/want to buy and when you want to travel. Your money can go farther buying AK than it can with Poly. That poly studio many weeks of the year will cost 160 pts+ but a studio at AK will be much less. What size is your family?

Something to keep in mind is that Poly isn't that tough to get at 7 months. Yes, the fall frenzy is a tougher time but other times of the year aren't that bad, so you might be better waiting for that perfect AK contract, which you can use your points at both resorts. Maybe open up your options for UY months. If you are only looking for a certain month it can be pretty discouraging to keep looking and not seeing the points and UY.

 

[BWoody]

Regarding remoteness of AKL, consider this thread - https://www.disboards.com/threads/list-of-travel-times-from-resorts-to-parks.3707781/

Unless you plan to only go to MK, AKL could be argued is more centrally located if going everywhere on property than Poly. If you are driving, play around with Google maps a bit. For example, AKL to HS is 10 minutes, Epcot, 11 minutes and Disney Springs 15 minutes. Poly to HS is 9 minutes, Epcot 6 minutes and Disney Springs 12 minutes.

At the end of the day you are only talking about a couple minutes. Don't let a couple minutes travel time influence your decision. I would suggest you pick what you think you will enjoy the best based on other criteria.

 

[TTA Rider Matt]

Regarding remoteness of AKL, consider this thread - https://www.disboards.com/threads/list-of-travel-times-from-resorts-to-parks.3707781/

Unless you plan to only go to MK, AKL could be argued is more centrally located if going everywhere on property than Poly. If you are driving, play around with Google maps a bit. For example, AKL to HS is 10 minutes, Epcot, 11 minutes and Disney Springs 15 minutes. Poly to HS is 9 minutes, Epcot 6 minutes and Disney Springs 12 minutes.

At the end of the day you are only talking about a couple minutes. Don't let a couple minutes travel time influence your decision. I would suggest you pick what you think you will enjoy the best based on other criteria.

I think everyone values different aspects of resorts differently, the same as different people have different preferences in buying a house. For me, I don't drive, and rely solely on Disney transport. I wouldn't want to have to get on a bus any time I wanted to go anywhere. That said, AKL has a lot of real advantages over Poly, including dining options, points per night, and the savannah. With regards to using Disney transport though, having the monorail is a big plus for me, plus the second shower in the studio.

 

[Momto2minniemice]

We own AKL and do not have a crazy amount of points. We have stayed at both locations.
AKL PRO
2 bathrooms
Amazing dining options
option of value rooms
Oh and the animals
In Door hallways
Amazing staff

POLY PRO
1.5 bathrooms
Monorail (But we never used it)
Fireworks

AKL Con
Kinda far from parks
Long walks to your room

POLY Con
Outdoors to get to your room. This is not great when it is raining
Small rooms

 

[TTA Rider Matt]

POLY Con
Outdoors to get to your room. This is not great when it is raining
Small rooms

When you say small rooms, are you referring to the lack of 1BR/2BR options? Because the Poly studios are actually the biggest of any of the WDW DVC studios by a pretty large margin (#1 at 447 sq. ft., OKW is #2 at 390 sq. ft.)

 

[BWoody]

I think everyone values different aspects of resorts differently, the same as different people have different preferences in buying a house. For me, I don't drive, and rely solely on Disney transport. I wouldn't want to have to get on a bus any time I wanted to go anywhere. That said, AKL has a lot of real advantages over Poly, including dining options, points per night, and the savannah. With regards to using Disney transport though, having the monorail is a big plus for me, plus the second shower in the studio.

Completely agree. Everyone values different things. Just worth pointing out that AKL isn't actually as far away from everything as some people make it out to be. It is also a matter of perspective. Pre-Covid I had a 1 hour commute each way on the bus to get to work and I have also stayed off site at the Marriott a bunch of times. Compared to that, AKL is super close to everything and 15 minutes on a bus is nothing! On the flip side, if your use to staying at BWK, walking to 2 parks and being between the other 2 parks, then taking the bus from AKV for everything is an adjustment.

 

[Cg disney fan]

I was having the same debate before I made my offer. I travel with my family, so I made the decision to go with AKL because of the different room types they offer. This way my wife and I can close the door from the loud kids!!!! Poly you would only have the studio. I haven't stayed at either. I would love the convenience of the Poly for the parks. But the room options and animals at AKL won for me. That doesn't mean I won't buy a poly contract later.

 

[DougEMG]

Hi all!

I’ve been set on buying a contract with AK as my home resort but there just hasn’t been a contract I’ve been interested in for weeks (120-150 points, any UY but Dec). Now I’m thinking maybe I should just buy at Polynesian since there are several contracts available. I’m not a big fan of how high their point charts are and the fact that the room options are only studios or bungalows. I’ve never stayed at the Poly but I know it’s a well loved resort, being on the monorail loop would also be nice. I would love to hear from those who have experience with both resorts on what they like/dislike, Ive also been contemplating BLT as well but I’ve heard the studios are small and some rooms are getting run down.

thanks for any input/advice!

POLY
- don't like there are no covered walkways between the buildings
- for the exact same points I prefer the VGF
- for the location at MK I prefer BLT which also has lower point requirements
- what I did like was the easy walk to TTC

AKV
- beautiful resort
- love the animals
- too far from the parks

While I have enjoyed my stay at both resorts, I just have others I prefer more (BWV/BCV, BLT/VGF)

 

[pineapplepalms]

I don't own either but have stayed at both. While I enjoy the dining and atmosphere at Poly, we bought DVC to stay in the larger rooms since we value the space, washer/dryer, and full kitchen, so Poly was off the table since the bungalows are too point heavy for us to want to stay there more than maybe once. We did buy VGF which we love, and it's an easy walk over to Poly if we want to get a meal or a Dole whip.

AKV is beautiful but at double stroller age, it was a pain to get on a bus to go anywhere. I actually preferred SSR since we could walk to DS which we did many times (we split stayed at both on the same trip). I do love the dining at AKV as well as all the programs they offer at the resort. When the kids are a bit older, we might try to stay there again and go for Jambo rather than Kidani - I didn't really get what people meant about the long hallways until I actually experienced it!

 

[Hopfather28]

I'll toss my 2 cents in with some math reasoning. Let's pretend you score a contract at the current lowest price accepted on the ROFR thread at each.

Animal Kingdom with 2054 expiration and a current low of $95 works out to $2.79 per point per year remaining. Tack on maintenance fees (assuming no increase...lol) and you're looking at $10.45 per point per year to own through 2054.

Polynesian with. 2066 expiration and a current low of $120 means $2.61 per point per year remaining. With maintenance there being $6.79 if we again assume no increase we have $9.40 0or point per hear to own through 2066.

I am a numbers guy and did this out for each resort we were considering. For what it's worth, Poly is technically the lowest price per point per year with fees currently available.

 

[kmorlock]

First WDW trip at BLT when it was brand new, and son was 4. Pre-DVC refigure at Poly 2 years later, led me to believe I only like monorail resorts. Fast forward a few years with stays at Wilderness Lodge, Kidani, Boardwalk, & Beach Club, I learned I don’t like resorts that are a destination for the masses. AKV is wonderful as is BLT. Our hearts are at OKW. It has a different vibe that no other resort has. However, last stay in studio with 4 was stressful. I need space! Good thing OKW has large 1,2,&3 bedrooms. Fast forward 13 years and now with a baby, we find ourselves preferring the convenience of BWV/BCV or Poly. BLT access is great but my toddler is a climber. Everyone says buy where you want to stay. This will be crucial in the next few coming years with new points rules. I think AKV offers the most room type flexibility, just know the values are hard to book even at 11 months.

 

[Frederic Civish]

I own at Poly, BLT and AKV.

I bought Poly 'sight unseen' based on the recommendations I had read, and I was extremely disappointed. Monorail resorts are fun, but not always convenient, and certainly (surprisingly) not faster. However, the biggest problem I had with Poly is I just didn't think it stuck to the Polynesian them ENOUGH. In the rooms, the halls or he grounds. It just wasn't very special. Other members of my family love Poly, but several of us, myself included, don't necessarily expect to stay there again.

BLT was quite nice, and also has the monorail. It does not have a strong Disney theme, but the monorail going through the Contemporary is iconic, and there are some excellent restaurants at the Contemporary. I found the walk to Magic Kingdom to be just a bit longer than I was expecting, which is not fun if you are tired and trudging home in the heat, but I had no complaints overall. I wouldn't mind staying there anytime, and would buy it again instead of Poly.

AKV is our favorite. Yes, we like the animals and we almost never get anything except a Savannah View, BUT THE BUILDINGS ARE AMAZINGLY LARGE, and this can be a problem if you are clear down at the end of one hall, or if you have a party with multiple rooms and you are all in a different part of the building. I found the bus service to be excellent, in general, the decor really stays with the theme, and it has three really good table service restaurants and a quick service restaurant (the Mara) that beats the heck out of Captain Cooke's at Poly.

In then end, go where you think you will like it the most. For my family there is no question, it is AKV. My wife's sister and my daughter have also each bought contracts at AKV.