Beach club or pay extra for Polynesian?

[georgiedisney]

Hi! First post from me... me and my partner (20's) are booked to stay in beach club this September. We have only ever stayed at riverside which we love so can't decide if beach club is best for us. We have called Disney and for extra £ we could stay at the poly. Would you save the cash and go to beach club? Or upgrade to poly? Also if you've stayed at beach club could you let me know if you loved it for some reassurance! haha.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I would stick with Beach Club! I find the Poly to be very chaotic and loud. The lobby always feels crowded, Capt. Cook's is chaotic and the boats, electric water pageant, fireworks and luau make it very loud at night, IMHO. Also the TS choices are slim unless you make an ADR. BC is right next to EP (plus a walk or boat ride away from DHS). The dining choices seem endless as you can walk right into EP for countless TS and QS options plus the restaurants on offer at 4 other resorts. The entertainment on the Boardwalk at night is a lot of fun and you'll have a great pool. We've stayed at every deluxe multiple times and I'll be hard pressed to stay on the monorail again. I just find there is so much more to do within walking distance in the EP resort area.

 

[Turksmom]

I've stayed at both and they are two of my favorite resorts. Beach Club is my first choice because we enjoy walking to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, the many dining options, the pool, and the Boardwalk entertainment at night. It feels a little quieter than Poly.

Poly is wonderful if you will spend the majority of your time at Magic Kingdom. It's a beautiful resort.

 

[georgiedisney]

I would stick with Beach Club! I find the Poly to be very chaotic and loud. The lobby always feels crowded, Capt. Cook's is chaotic and the boats, electric water pageant, fireworks and luau make it very loud at night, IMHO. Also the TS choices are slim unless you make an ADR. BC is right next to EP (plus a walk or boat ride away from DHS). The dining choices seem endless as you can walk right into EP for countless TS and QS options plus the restaurants on offer at 4 other resorts. The entertainment on the Boardwalk at night is a lot of fun and you'll have a great pool. We've stayed at every deluxe multiple times and I'll be hard pressed to stay on the monorail again. I just find there is so much more to do within walking distance in the EP resort area.

Thank you so much for this reply. We had a feeling the poly would be a bit chaotic but needed some confirmation. You're so right about the dining options. It can be so hard to choose when you haven't been before! Thank you so much again

 

[georgiedisney]

I've stayed at both and they are two of my favorite resorts. Beach Club is my first choice because we enjoy walking to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, the many dining options, the pool, and the Boardwalk entertainment at night. It feels a little quieter than Poly.

Poly is wonderful if you will spend the majority of your time at Magic Kingdom. It's a beautiful resort.

Ah thank you for replying. It's great to know you've been and loved BC... I think this has convinced us to stick with it! Did you find the bus service to magic kingdom and animal kingdom okay?

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Welcome to the DIS! Yacht and Beach Club are my favorite resorts (I give a slight edge to Yacht Club). The biggest plus for me of Yacht and Beach is the location - ability to walk (or boat) into Epcot (my favorite park and so nice to come in the quieter entrance in World Showcase)) or Hollywood Studios is amazing. There are also several fantastic restaurants in that area - Flying Fish, Bluezoo, Il Mulino, Shula’s, Yachtsman Steakhouse, Ale & Compass. Stormalong Bay is essentially a small water park. There are quiet pools as well. Downside - the pool area and Beach Club lobby can sometimes be a bit chaotic. There’s a very active info thread for Yacht and Beach Club info here, that may be helpful - lots of great people over there who can answer questions.

I’ve not stayed at the Poly but it has many fans. If planning to spend a lot of time in the Magic Kingdom or wanting to dine a lot on the monorail line, it might be worth it.

Hope you have a great trip!!

 

[roydavid7771]

Beach Club Villas is our home resort so that should tell you how much we love it there. We stayed at the Poly on our last visit though, and fell in love. I didn't find it chaotic at all, and the plethora of transportation choices around you make it very easy to get around the world. Figure out which parks you plan on spending the most time in. If MK and EPCOT are it, then the Poly is perfect. DHS and AK, I would go with the BC.

One other plus for the BC....the Boardwalk is a short walk away...

 

[Cotillard]

I've stayed at both and, if you've never stayed at the Polynesian and it is within your budget, I would stay there. It's a Disney classic. Hard to beat.

 

[GoingSince1990]

They’re both great resorts; stick with the Beach Club and try the Poly next time. You can use some of the money you have saved to use Minnie Van instead of the bus to MK and AK.

 

[Sara_H]

We loved the BC! We stayed there last year for the first time and loved being able to walk to EP and HS. The pool area is nice too. The Poly has always been on my bucket list but even though we had the option to stay there for our next trip, once again we opted for BC due to its location. I’ve heard stories of people who have been very disappointed in Poly but others who love it. I’d save the money and go for BC. I’m sure neither one is a bad choice though.

 

[georgiedisney]

They’re both great resorts; stick with the Beach Club and try the Poly next time. You can use some of the money you have saved to use Minnie Van instead of the bus to MK and AK.

Thats a really good idea thank you

 

[georgiedisney]

We loved the BC! We stayed there last year for the first time and loved being able to walk to EP and HS. The pool area is nice too. The Poly has always been on my bucket list but even though we had the option to stay there for our next trip, once again we opted for BC due to its location. I’ve heard stories of people who have been very disappointed in Poly but others who love it. I’d save the money and go for BC. I’m sure neither one is a bad choice though.

Ahh that's really interesting. How did you find the transportation to MK and AK?

 

[Babsy]

Beach Club and the Poly are great resorts and are very different. How long are you staying? Would a split stay be a possibility? That way you could experience the advantages of both.

The BC is my first recommendation for young people without children. It is so nice to walk to Epcot or DHS, (or use the boat when tired for DHS). You almost feel like you are staying in Epcot, the BC is so close to the IG entrance. The pool at the BC is perhaps the nicest on property. The location is good so the bus to the MK or AK isn't long. If you have park hopper tickets, then WS in Epcot offers multiple great ding options. Evening entertainment across at the BW or in Epcot is wonderful. Interior corridors allow access to the lobby, shops and dining without going outside. It is nice to walk around the lake to check out the other Epcot area resorts.

The Poly has wonderful grounds with lots of foliage. With the tiki torches lit in the evening it is very romantic to stroll around the grounds. You can walk to the GF along a lovely walkway to enjoy the amenities there or take the monorail to either the GF or CR for other dining options. The MK is a monorail or boat ride away. Rooms here are in outer buildings so you will have to go outside to get the the lobby or dining. Watching MK fireworks from the beach here is a fav activity when staying at the Poly. WE love staying in a resort with a view of the castle. It is truly magical!

These are 2 of our personal favourite resorts in WDW. You really can't go wrong with either one!

have fun choosing!

 

[georgiedisney]

Beach Club and the Poly are great resorts and are very different. How long are you staying? Would a split stay be a possibility? That way you could experience the advantages of both.

The BC is my first recommendation for young people without children. It is so nice to walk to Epcot or DHS, (or use the boat when tired for DHS). You almost feel like you are staying in Epcot, the BC is so close to the IG entrance. The pool at the BC is perhaps the nicest on property. The location is good so the bus to the MK or AK isn't long. If you have park hopper tickets, then WS in Epcot offers multiple great ding options. Evening entertainment across at the BW or in Epcot is wonderful. Interior corridors allow access to the lobby, shops and dining without going outside. It is nice to walk around the lake to check out the other Epcot area resorts.

The Poly has wonderful grounds with lots of foliage. With the tiki torches lit in the evening it is very romantic to stroll around the grounds. You can walk to the GF along a lovely walkway to enjoy the amenities there or take the monorail to either the GF or CR for other dining options. The MK is a monorail or boat ride away. Rooms here are in outer buildings so you will have to go outside to get the the lobby or dining. Watching MK fireworks from the beach here is a fav activity when staying at the Poly. WE love staying in a resort with a view of the castle. It is truly magical!

These are 2 of our personal favourite resorts in WDW. You really can't go wrong with either one!

have fun choosing!

Ah thank you for all the detail We're going for 10 days and really would love to just stick with one hotel. I think our main worries were getting to MK and AK as they're our favourite parks but it sounds like the transport isn't an issue. It sounds like the differences between the two aren't huge so the price jump to poly might just not be worth it!

 

[Sandiz08]

We are also weighing a similar decision. We have decided yacht or beach over Poly. Yacht or beach is just too good of a deal to pass up in comparison. Although we will do Poly when the right offer comes along. Oh and we have already stayed at beach club before, we like it.

 

[mrsap]

We did a 2 week BC/Poly split last summer and we loved it. You get the best of both worlds (right by Epcot/HS first week, then MK the 2nd.) Good luck deciding!

 

[2kidsForMe]

Beach Club. It's our favorite resort. The Poly is beautiful, and having the monorail is nice if MK is your main focus, but the resort is just too busy for my taste.

 

[georgiedisney]

We are also weighing a similar decision. We have decided yacht or beach over Poly. Yacht or beach is just too good of a deal to pass up in comparison. Although we will do Poly when the right offer comes along. Oh and we have already stayed at beach club before, we like it.

Oh thats really good to know! It's a hard choice when you find a good deal

 

[Brett Wyman]

The Poly is my favorite Monorail resort and Beachclub is my favorite Epcot area resort. Just depends which park you want easy access to. I can tell you from experience BC gets just as crazy as Poly or any other resort in the right season. But Ive also stayed at Poly in November and February when it was very calm. Beachclub probably has one of the worst QS offerings of all the deluxes (Its a tie with Yacht Club) but it benefits from close proximity to a lot of other eateries. Poly has one of the best QS in my opinion as do GF and Cotemp which are just a short ride away. Both areas have tons of TS offerings so thats not an issue. Again it really depends on which park you want quick access to and if you want to spend the extra on Poly. If you'll be in Epcot and HS a lot then for sure stick with BC.

 

[Farro]

We've stayed at both.

Hands down Beach/Yacht win it all. Location, location, location. Can't be beat. Soooo many places to eat. Will you have hoppers? Can pop in and out of Epcot for food!

Beach Club is light and airy, crisp, clean, smells beautiful, has it's own magic feeling when you walk out the sliding doors and see the Boardwalk. The boat sounds, the sounds of Epcot, the pool....love it.

We stayed at Poly a couple of years ago. I also stayed there in the 80's, feels exactly the same. It was great, but a one and done. Small pool, too many people waiting to eat at Ohana taking up space at the bar. Taking up space practically everywhere.
And in my opinion, the food options were lacking. I didn't really enjoy their counter service.
We stopped in at Beach Club after Epcot one day on that trip and we missed it sooo much.

So, I think you see where my vote would go.