Celebrating retirement- help me choose

[Anthony1971]

So I will address the Dark Dreary. You say you stayed at AKL which is Dark but for a reason. If you understood why then you grow to love the resort-I will not touch theming here as it is sort of more of there is just nothing else like it....
WL behind POLY easily has the best theming if you enjoyed this resort you will 99% enjoy POLY.
POLY as above is the best themed resort on DIsney property and accordingly the colors are of such. The grounds are amazing.
Poly and GF are very similar as far as layout and the main pool is a mirror image of the POLY.
So it depends on what you are looking for. POLY has very easy transportation to MK and EPCOT- you can and should walk to the TTC for the EPCOT monorail. The grounds are amazing as is the theming you can see the MK fireworks from the beach and the main pool from lounge chairs to being in the pool (yes they do come around and scan magic bands at this time) You have easy access to all the MK resorts dining.
EPCOT area resorts offer easy access to EPCOT and semi easy access to HS- if you don't mind the walk. If you plan on eating at EPCOT a lot it is a great option however there is little in the way of theming - The BW is nice and the walk around the lake but that is where it ends.
You need to decide on what is important to you.
Personally POLY is our favorite resort as we are theming people WL comes in second. We have a love hate relationship with the BW area resorts. The access to EPCOT and HS (we like the walk) is a big plus but we like theming and there is just little to found there.

 

[Djm_in_buffalo]

Congrats! If it was me - - and I get that everybody is different! - - I would select a hotel based on the desired overall experience. What I mean is, what is the loose goal for the retirement trip in early 2025?

Since you’ll be an AP holder, do you want to leisurely enjoy the hotel for hours each day, taking in all that it has to offer, or is the hotel’s purpose to be more of a location to sleep at night and perhaps grab some good food after a day in the parks? Also, what are your plans for each specific park on this trip? Proximity considerations for a 10 - 15 minute walk / monorail / boat could also be at play.

Of course, price of a specific category of room at a specific hotel, actual availability of hotel resources due to refurbishments, and noise pollution from construction could also be considerations.

If it was my trip, I would spend some time at the hotel; not a ton, but it would certainly be more than a place to sleep, shower, and get dressed. I would go to the parks, but not be there for 12+ hour days. I would probably either do Swan/Dolphin or rent DVC points to maximize value.

To get a ballpark idea, I went direct to WDW website and arbitrarily selected a weeklong stay, starting on January 31, 2025. Without looking into any sort of potential promos, I see that the lowest priced room at: GF is $762/nt, Poly with current construction is $681/nt (tower is $511/nt), BW is $616/nt, BC is $585/nt, Wilderness is $513/nt, and AKL is $479/nt, all excluding taxes. I see that Marriott’s Swan, with all deluxe benefits, is $431/bt, which includes all taxes and fees. Obviously, pricing and availability on room categories above the lowest level does vary.

If it was my trip and proximity to MK was of great importance, I would pick Poly or Wilderness. Probably Wilderness, particularly given considerations on construction, price and vibe. Plus, that character dinner is so fun! But if proximity to Epcot / HS was high, I’d probably do Swan (and use buses from adjacent Disney-owned hotels to go to MK and AK). If I wanted to relax at the hotel for a while and really take in its offerings, particularly food and animals, I’d do AKL. Since it and Swan are appreciably less expensive than other deluxe options, I’d probably also book some cool things to do in the parks (fireworks dinner reservation, scuba at Epcot, keys to the kingdom, utilize Minnie vans etc…) and still save money over hotel rate alone from some of the other options.

Just my $0.02, but I hope you really enjoy your trip(s)!

 

[NH-to-FL]

First, Congratulations on your retirement! A trip to WDW is a wonderful celebration!

I will agree with a few of the previous posters. Your overall desired experience is part of choosing a deluxe resort. For DW and I, being able to easily wander over to Epcot in the evenings was a big part of our choice of the Boardwalk Inn. A few times we considered one of the MK resorts but we kept going back to the BWI. We have had many wonderful stays at the BWI.

That said, if the Poly is a dream, then a retirement celebration sounds like the perfect time to make it happen. The Poly is a beautiful resort. The theming and landscaping are wonderful. We have toured it many times.

 

[sponica]

The Poly was my bucket list resort, and I have no regrets (we only pulled it off because I rolled in a refund from a 2020 trip that didn't happen).

Go where you want to go for your celebration.

 

[Dug720]

the tower building at CSR.

The problem with this is while it *feels* Deluxe, you get none of the perks of a Deluxe resort.

 

[jtopp]

Congrats on your retirement! Celebrate old school, poly or contemporary, or splurge and go for a DVC suite. Good luck!

 

[can'tgetenufofwdw]

Congrats! If it was me - - and I get that everybody is different! - - I would select a hotel based on the desired overall experience. What I mean is, what is the loose goal for the retirement trip in early 2025?

Since you’ll be an AP holder, do you want to leisurely enjoy the hotel for hours each day, taking in all that it has to offer, or is the hotel’s purpose to be more of a location to sleep at night and perhaps grab some good food after a day in the parks? Also, what are your plans for each specific park on this trip? Proximity considerations for a 10 - 15 minute walk / monorail / boat could also be at play.

Of course, price of a specific category of room at a specific hotel, actual availability of hotel resources due to refurbishments, and noise pollution from construction could also be considerations.

If it was my trip, I would spend some time at the hotel; not a ton, but it would certainly be more than a place to sleep, shower, and get dressed. I would go to the parks, but not be there for 12+ hour days. I would probably either do Swan/Dolphin or rent DVC points to maximize value.

To get a ballpark idea, I went direct to WDW website and arbitrarily selected a weeklong stay, starting on January 31, 2025. Without looking into any sort of potential promos, I see that the lowest priced room at: GF is $762/nt, Poly with current construction is $681/nt (tower is $511/nt), BW is $616/nt, BC is $585/nt, Wilderness is $513/nt, and AKL is $479/nt, all excluding taxes. I see that Marriott’s Swan, with all deluxe benefits, is $431/bt, which includes all taxes and fees. Obviously, pricing and availability on room categories above the lowest level does vary.

If it was my trip and proximity to MK was of great importance, I would pick Poly or Wilderness. Probably Wilderness, particularly given considerations on construction, price and vibe. Plus, that character dinner is so fun! But if proximity to Epcot / HS was high, I’d probably do Swan (and use buses from adjacent Disney-owned hotels to go to MK and AK). If I wanted to relax at the hotel for a while and really take in its offerings, particularly food and animals, I’d do AKL. Since it and Swan are appreciably less expensive than other deluxe options, I’d probably also book some cool things to do in the parks (fireworks dinner reservation, scuba at Epcot, keys to the kingdom, utilize Minnie vans etc…) and still save money over hotel rate alone from some of the other options.

Just my $0.02, but I hope you really enjoy your trip(s)!

So the plan would be to do a Disney trip without the rush feel of we need to spend all day in the parks to get our money's worth out of the ticket. Being an AP holder I'm hoping it will feel easy to just go wherever with no real schedule at whatever time we want even if it's just for a snack and to get on a ride or 2, people watch, check out the nooks and crannies of the parks that we have ignored for the last 22 years because we always had kids with us and it was always rope drop till close kind of days, go-go-go. It made sense in my brain the other day when we decided to go for it and see how much use we will get out of an AP. Disney math means "the pass is already paid for so even if we go for a couple hours each day, maybe park hop -it's free lol". Seriously we are hoping to relax and enjoy the resort, moving at a more relaxed pace and seeing where each day takes us. With that being said now I am worried about all of the construction at the Poly and I fear it will dampen the experience. Am I crazy? The EPCOT resorts area has me turned off now that I realize the best pool on property will be closed for refurbishment. Should I just go to WL or AKL Savanna View??

 

[Tiggerish]

Should I just go to WL or AKL Savanna View??

One of the most relaxed trips I have had was staying AKL Savana View. Sitting on my balcony seeing Giraffes and other animals up close was amazing. Their Victoria Falls Lounge is an excellent bar and there are three good restrurants, Boma, Jiko, Sanaa. Even Mara, the quick service place had unique and interesting offerings along with standard thinks.

 

[Djm_in_buffalo]

A tough but envious position to be in! If Poly is dream stay, normal answer would probably be “go with your dream!” But construction may change that. I’m ignorant on construction specifics, but I know WDW has it posted on the reservation page that construction at Poly is into 2026 and “select portions of the Resort hotel are undergoing refurbishment. Now through 2026, you may see and hear construction and refurbishment work during daytime hours. The ongoing enhancements may impact views of the theme park and other surrounding areas.To minimize disruptions during your stay, activities that may create noise will begin no earlier than 9:00 AM.” Unclear what that entails by day, and relaxing by the ___ would not be all that relaxing to me if I heard jackhammers and such.

We really enjoyed AKL and plan to go back. Gorgeous property, great food, and it was neat staying in the equivalent of a zoo. While I didn’t get to enjoy it, I would have loved to sit on the balcony and have leisurely morning coffees while the giraffes, zebra, etc. roam and eat.

To your point, if the plan is truly to enjoy time at the hotel and catch up on relaxation missed in prior years of go, go, go… that certainly would happen at AKL. But, if the plan was also to pop in and out of the parks for a lunch and a couple of quick rides… that might be frustrated by the bus rides to/from, which while convenient and moderately frequent, still take some time. And they’re nowhere near as enjoyable as a boat ride.

Pros and cons for all!

 

[kylenne]

Stay at the Poly and quit listening to people online. The Poly had always been my dream resort, along with GF, and if I had listened to all the complaints I read on these boards before I stayed at either, I would have missed out on what have become my favorite resorts.

Disney is not the time to vote for practicality over what the heart wants either, imo. Especially not for such a special milestone as a retirement. The last thing you want is picking somewhere else because of some incredibly subjective issues other people had and then spend your whole trip wishing you were elsewhere. Trust me I’ve had that “man, I wish I hadn’t picked that resort” vacation, and it was at one everyone and their mother raved about on here (POFQ). While it wasn’t a bad trip, spending 6 days wishing I was anywhere else kinda sucked lol.

 

[leebee]

We just returned from a resort weekend at the Poly and didn't love it. We didn't enjoy having to walk outdoors (especially with the hurricane/storm) to get to the main lobby area; to us this feels like a moderate/value thing to do. We also find the food choices limited; we think that Kona consistently overcooks chicken and seafood, and how many times can you eat at Ohana? We are glad we stayed at the Poly, finally, but don't feel we need to go there again.

 

[Jack Kerouac]

We bought DVC at the Poly sight unseen in late 2022. Visited for the first time in August 2023 and stayed in a second floor Lake View studio. We had a good view of the fireworks each night. We also had a third floor Lake View in June this year. Magnificent this time around. Or you can just go to the Lava pool and watch the fireworks from there. I loved grabbing a Lapu Lapu and watching the fireworks at the Lava Pool. It's one of the best experiences I've had at Walt Disney World.

But beware of the beach at night with the fireworks and the lobby during busier times.

Both can be crowded. Full of non-Poly visitors checking things out.

So we sold this year after hearing the new Tower would be part of the same association.

Of the resorts we have stayed at, we love Boulder Ridge (NW woodsy and quiet, plus its just a boat ride away from Magic Kingdom), Animal Kingdom is a zoo (in a literal way with gorgeous, authentic African theming, delicious dining, and the buses aren't even close to as bad as they are made out to be), and Saratoga Springs, which has been wonderfully refurbished and has Disney Springs nearby. We have also stayed at Bay Lake Tower and Old Key West and we've felt they are okay. We have only stayed at deluxe resorts when staying on-property, so I can't say anything on the moderates or values.

But the Poly is beautiful resort and we're glad we got to stay there the last couple of years.

If you go into your stay expecting crowds at the Poly, you'll have a great stay. Also, book a Lake View DVC studio so you can watch the fireworks from your balcony.

Wish you the best!

 

[kwdw]

So, my dream is a Copper Creek Cabin or a DVC Grand Villa at Bay Lake or savanna view at Kidani. But YOUR dream is Poly. So, go for it! I read folks bash AKL again and again on these sites, but I love it. I have a family member who dreams for a Poly stay, too. Me? Nah, Poly is pretty low on my list for no other reason than every time I explore its lobby the resort feels like an outdated, crowded mess. But, many, many folks love it! Message is - book YOUR DREAM, not our opinions.

 

[NYCgrrl]

We also find the food choices limited; we think that Kona consistently overcooks chicken and seafood, and how many times can you eat at Ohana?

This is what bothers me at Poly and the food at CL is..what’s a polite word?..lacking, yeah, we’ll go with that BUT it’s easy to upgrade a restaurant (or two why even three ).

I do feel like I’m in a 1960s time warp as far as some of the decor goes but that’s part of the overall charm. Like any moment Monty Hall will jump out and announce I’ve won a vacation in Hawaii which for me is in a retro manner.

 

[StuckinPA]

Poly was my bucket list resort and I stayed there for a night and am glad I did. Otherwise, I'd never know my true opinion of it and would still be wondering. For that reason, I'd say GO if it's your dream and not to be swayed by others. If you're nervous, perhaps a split stay would be a safer bet. Book Poly, and also something you know you love. For me, my stay reconfirmed that AKL savanna view is my favorite. I love relaxing on the balcony of my room and watching the animals for hours.

 

[can'tgetenufofwdw]

Thank you for all of the opinions, thoughts, considerations and information. I decided against the Poly this time simply because of the construction. I secured a 1 bedroom savannah view at Kidani.