Ap rates, when to look??

[cristen]

I am not sure about the whole AP rates. I have seen a couple of posts about when they come out. I am going to WDW for the first time next April or May, when should I start looking for AP rates? Is there a system to it? I thought they just are there all the time. There are actually times of the year when they are not available at all? That would stink!

Also, we were going to stay at the Poly because of all the wonderful things I have heard about it. Also because of the monorail. I have three children, the youngest is going to be 20 mos, so I really wanted to stay at a resort that had the monorail service. We also lived in Hawaii for a while, & I really miss it, so I thought I can get a little taste of the islands. This is my problem, I started seeing pics of the WL. It looks really nice, bad thing, no monorail service. Good thing, it is like 100.00 cheaper than the Poly. BTW, I live in Colorado, so I am wondering if the theming will be lost on us also. But a 100.00 a night is 100.00 a night. We are going to be there for 8 days, so that adds up. Of course I know the people who love their resort, LOVE their resort. So I know I can get hundreds of replies saying Poly's better, no the WL is. I need someone to let me know if the 100.00 difference in the price is well worth it. Since I don't know anything about the resorts, I feel like I am basically paying the 100.00 for the monorail. Can all you experts let me know the pros & cons of each resort? I will gladly pay 100.00 more if it was totally worth it. Thank you SO much!!

 

[chancellor]

I have stayed at both resorts and, though I'm partial to the WL, I think the decision should be based on the children. With young kids, you will probably be spending most of your time at the MK, so the monorail access is well worth the money. You can roll a stroller right on and off the monorail. That said, there is a boat that goes from the WL to the MK with similar ease of stroller use. Some people don't like the boat ride, as it is a bit slow and stops at Ft. Wilderness also. I personally don't mind it at all and find it very scenic and relaxing.

The other thing to consider is that the monorail only goes to the MK and Epcot (you need to switch at the TTC to get to Epcot, but you can walk straight there from the Poly - another benefit). The only way to get to Epcot from the WL is by bus (a stroller nightmare). All other parks and destinations are only available by bus. We drive and usually take a car to the other parks.

The other difference to consider is the room size. The Poly rooms are quite a bit larger, and have an extra day bed. So the $100 is not just for the monorail, it's for the extra space as well (which may be critical with 3 kids). That alone has me thinking the Poly is a better choice for you.

One other thing, the Poly has a character breakfast, and the WL does not (at least not anymore that I'm aware of). If your kids are into characters, that's another point for the Poly.

As for AP rates, they are announced seasonally. This year, they have been VERY slow to announce them. I would suggest checking mousesavers.com for full information. There are times of year when AP rates are not available, usually during peak seasons. We have always been able to get AP rates in April or May, though.

 

[cristen]

thank you, I forgot about the character breakfast. What a HUGE selling point for me. I also knew that you take the boat to the MK, that was ok with me. But I didn't realize that you had to take the bus to everything else. I wasn't thinking, having always gone to DL I forget about all the other parks!! & I DO NOT want to rely on the buses to get everywhere. Thank you, I am hoping that an AP rate will put a dent in the price. On Mousesavers right now the AP rate for the Poly is 214.00 for a garden view. I can handle that, much better than the 344.00 they have for rack rates!
I have another question for you guys. I have seen a lot on these boards that people get upgraded when they check in. Is everyone asking to be upgraded, or do they just do it without you asking? This happened to us when we stayed at the DL hotel 2 years ago. We got a standard room, & when we went to check in (a little early), we asked if we could leave our bags. They didn't have a room ready to put our bags in, so they gave us a suite on the top floor that overlooked DCA!!! So I was wondering if this is what is happening to other people. Does this happen a lot, it seems as though it is a pretty common thing. Thanks again!! Cristen