Boardwalk VS Polynesian...2nd guessing our choice! Ugh

[lindsroc]

Ok I knew this was going to happen. I was so excited when I booked the BW for our next trip which will be my family of 4, my brothers family of 6, and my mother. Now...Im getting worried that it wont live up to my expectations.
We stayed at the Poly on our last visit and LOVED everything about it with the exception of the pool. Our last trip was just the 4 of us. This trip we have a wide range of ages for the kids from 5-17 so I was thinking the BW would be good so the older kids could walk around at night if the younger kids are passed out, they could even walk to EP or HS and we wouldnt have to worry about them taking the buses etc.... but now Im starting to worry that its just not going to give us the WOW that the Poly did.
Has anyone stayed at both and could give me a good comparison? We love the thought of walking to EP and HS, but also loved the boat to MK from the Poly.

 

[TaraPA]

I have stayed at both, and they are both on my favorites list! I think BW would win a slight edge for me, I absolutely love Epcot & you can be there in 5 minutes from BW.

With kids, I would stick with BW exactly for the reasons you mentioned. My kids are 12 & 16, and prefer the Boardwalk over Poly. There are so many food options within walking distance at BW, and my kids love to have the freedom to just walk around to get snacks & drinks. BW has more of a hustle & bustle feel than Poly in my opinion.

Poly is stunning & serene & just ahhhhh. I choose this as my 1st choice on a girls trip. The kids went "eh" at the pool there, and I didn't let them go to the parks alone via ferry, monorail or TTA, so that may have put a damper on it for them.

You won't go wrong at either, but I think with that many kids, BW is the perfect choice!

 

[pixarmom]

I have stayed at both, and they are both on my favorites list! I think BW would win a slight edge for me, I absolutely love Epcot & you can be there in 5 minutes from BW.

With kids, I would stick with BW exactly for the reasons you mentioned. My kids are 12 & 16, and prefer the Boardwalk over Poly. There are so many food options within walking distance at BW, and my kids love to have the freedom to just walk around to get snacks & drinks. BW has more of a hustle & bustle feel than Poly in my opinion.

Poly is stunning & serene & just ahhhhh. I choose this as my 1st choice on a girls trip. The kids went "eh" at the pool there, and I didn't let them go to the parks alone via ferry, monorail or TTA, so that may have put a damper on it for them.

You won't go wrong at either, but I think with that many kids, BW is the perfect choice!

Agree! Agree! Agree!

We've stayed at Poly many, many times and BWI twice. Our last trip (January of this year) was a split stay between Poly and BWI and that was perfect for us. Our kids are ages 6, 12 and 13 and our favorites are Poly, BWI and BC. But if I had to choose between Poly and BWI, it would be BWI.

The proximity to Epcot and all those dining options, walking to TWO of the four parks, the fun out on the Boardwalk and around Crescent Lake in the evening, etc. make the Epcot area resorts great - especially for older kids. I can't emphasize how wonderful it is to walk to/fro parks and other resorts - no waiting for monorails, boats or buses required. Just so convenient!

 

[Wood Nymph]

This trip we have a wide range of ages for the kids from 5-17 so I was thinking the BW would be good so the older kids could walk around at night if the younger kids are passed out, they could even walk to EP or HS and we wouldnt have to worry about them taking the buses etc.... but now Im starting to worry that its just not going to give us the WOW that the Poly did.
Has anyone stayed at both and could give me a good comparison? We love the thought of walking to EP and HS, but also loved the boat to MK from the Poly.

We started going to the Epcot resorts, mostly the BC, when our kids were aged 16 to 11 and it was absolutely perfect for them They loved being able to walk into Epcot and HS. There are a lot of attractions at both those parks that the older ones love. My son also liked to wander off to the ESPN Club. They never missed not being closer to MK. And we enjoyed being able to take the monorail by walking through Epcot. It was fun to walk through Epcot from the monorail after Epcot was closed, when the only ones there were the clean up crews. They've never wanted to stay anywhere else since, either.

But you won't get the wow factor of the Polynesian. You can't compare those two resorts for that. But your mixed group will enjoy the Boardwalk and all the activities that it offers.

 

[mickeynut1]

I agree with the pp's that BWI would probably be the best choice with all of the kids and their ages. We haven't stayed at the BW ( it's on our list) and the Poly is our favorite resort and I agree that you probably won't get the "wow" factor like at the Poly, but I think the BW would make a better fit with the group overall.

 

[lindsroc]

Thanks everyone! I guess our next solo family trip will be to the Poly if anything... it seems like this time around the BW is a good choice. I really appreciate the feedback and personal responses

 

[DebbieB]

I've stayed at both. Only stayed at the Poly once, didn't like it. I thought it was too dark. The good thing was you could monorail to both MK and Epcot. With BW, you can walk to 2 parks or take the boat. I love the boardwalk at night with the music and the acts going on. I once considered selling my DVC after my mom died (we traveled together) but after being on the boardwalk the last night on my first trip afterwards, I knew I couldn't do it.